The weekend is here, and as always, there is so much to watch. And while you might be feeling overwhelmed, we've rounded up the best picks of the week to help narrow down your choices so you can kick back, relax, and eat some popcorn.

Below, we've gathered the six best movies and TV shows from across all the best streaming services, and thrown them together with a handy description that includes where you can watch. If you're in the mood for some action-fantasy, lighthearted family-friendly comedy, or are absolutely dying to see Larry David in a powdered wig... we've got you covered.

Plus, there are some movies whose theatrical release you may have missed that have finally hit streaming. Whether you feel like taking a three-hour jaunt through a water-filled fictional CGI world, or watching a bunch of anthropomorphic sheep solve a murder, it's all down below for you.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Not to be confused with the new animated series or forthcoming animated movie, Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender is back for a second season. This time around, Aang (Gordon Cormier) and co. journey deeper into the Earth Kingdom to battle their enemy, Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim).

Early reviews for the new season have been overwhelmingly positive, with fans agreeing that Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is a vast improvement on season 1. A third season is also on the way, which will conclude the series. After you finish season 2, I recommend firing up the original Nickelodeon cartoon, not just for comparison, but for an optimal double feature experience.

For even more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows.

The Bear season 5

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Hulu

The fifth and final season of The Bear has arrived, and with a 100% Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score in tow. The Bear season 5 picks up the morning after the season 4 finale, in which Sydney (Ayo Edebri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Sugar (Abby Elliot) find out that Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) has quit the industry and left them the restaurant. Given that this is the end of the line for our favorite restaurateurs... it's their one last chance to get that Michelin star.

It was star Jamie Lee Curtis who officially spilled the beans that the show would end here after four years and countless Emmy and Golden Globe wins. Before you head into season 5, I recommend watching Gary, the Jon Bernthal-penned one-shot that hit Hulu earlier this year and serves as its own standalone companion to the final season.

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best Hulu shows.

Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

It's just as ridiculous as it sounds, and I mean that in the best way. Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness is a sketch show that takes place across several events in American history – and sees Larry David don a variety of powdered wigs.

Bill Hader and Kathryn Hahn play Abraham and Mary Lincoln, respectively, with John Hamm and Sean Hayes as the Wright Brothers. The impossibly stacked cast includes Lin-Manuel Miranda, Toby Huss, Isla Fisher, and former United States President Barack Obama. Michelle Obama also serves as executive producer.

For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the best HBO shows.

Adventure Time: Side Quests

Available: US
Where to watch: Disney Plus

In case you've been missing Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, and co. since the flagship show went off the air in 2018, the boys are back town. Adventure Time: Side Quests is a prequel series that chronicles Finn's childhood and how he came to have that brotherly bond with Jake. John DiMaggio is back to voice Jake, but, because this is the tale of a tiny child version of Finn, Sasha Knight has taken over for Jeremy Shada.

All 10 episodes are currently available in the US only, but will drop internationally on Cartoon Network and HBO Max in October.

For more animated shows, check out our guide to the best shows on Disney Plus.

The Sheep Detectives

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

The Sheep Detectives might seem like a silly movie on the surface (and that might be because Patrick Stewart and Bryan Cranston provide the voices of anthropomorphic sheep), but it's actually a profoundly sad (but still funny) movie about grief. When their shepherd (Hugh Jackman) is mysteriously found dead, his flock launches an all-out investigation and goes on a murder-mystery adventure. The absolutely stacked cast includes Nicolas Galitzine, Emma Thompson, Bella Ramsey, Hong Chau, and Larraine Newman.

The film currently sits at a 95% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has a 5/5 star review in my heart.

After this, give our guide on the best Prime Video movies a look.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Available: UK/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus

Fancy a trip to Pandora? Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment in James Cameron's blockbuster series, is set one year after the events of The Way of Water, and sees Jake and his family grapple with grief after Neteyama's death. Per the official synopsis, they "encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang, who has allied with Jake's enemy, Quaritch, as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences."

Avatar 4 and 5 may or may not be on the way, with the fifth movie slated for a 2031 release... yes, you read that correctly.

For more on what to watch, here's our guide to the best movies on Disney Plus.

If nothing on our list seems right for you, have a read of our guides to the best Netflix movies, the best Prime Video shows, and the best Apple TV movies you can watch right now.

House of the Dragon season 3 introduces several new power players into the world of the Game of Thrones prequel. One of them is Ormund Hightower, played by Happy Valley's James Norton. We don't see too much of him in the opening episode of the new season, but based on what showrunner Ryan Condal has been saying, he looks set to be a very prominent character going forward.

So just who is the new lord – and is he from George R. R. Martin's books? Well we've broken down everything you need to know about Ormund below, as well as what we know about his role in season 3.

Before you read on though, take this as your spoiler warning. Below, we'll be getting into plot details from House of the Dragon season 3 episode 1. You have been warned.

Who is Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon?

After he was mentioned to be marching from Oldtown in House of the Dragon season 2, we meet Ormund Hightower very briefly in the opening episode of the new season. Stationed on the battlefield, he receives a letter from King Aemond who tells him to wait on his orders and he will join him soon.

From this first introduction, he seems unaccustomed to the dirtier side of war, struggling with the scent of a messenger, as well as being quietly thrilled by the news that Aemond is now king.

Canonically, Ormund is Otto Hightower's nephew and Alicent and Gwayne Hightower's cousin. Speaking about the character, Condal told SFX magazine, that they built upon a very briefly mentioned role in George R.R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood', but he will play a significant part in this story.

"He's the Lord of the Hightower, basically the Tywin Lannister [Charles Dance] of this world," he said. "He's the richest guy who's not sitting on a throne somewhere. Ormund has the largest standing army left in Westeros and a dragon, so he is going to introduce a big old wrinkle into this.

"Ormund is really a sketch in the book and we don't have a sense of who he is, so it was really fun diving in and creating a really deep, complex and three-dimensional character out of him that introduces a new kind of complication into the world."

As alluded to by Condal, Ormund doesn't appear much in George R.R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood.' The character is mentioned briefly as a supporter of Aegon II during the Dance of the Dragons. Most of what we know about him from this involves his tricky love life.

Martin described how Ormund was married to the mother of his four children, but she died in childbirth. He then remarried a woman named Samantha Tarly, who was young enough to be his daughter. Their relationship was strained, though, as her family declared for Rhaenyra and she reportedly started having an affair with Ormund's son, Lyonel. Yikes.

House of the Dragon releases on HBO in the US on June 21, and streams on HBO Max and Now from June 22 in the UK. For more, read our House of the Dragon season 3 review and check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.

After much anticipation, House of the Dragon season 3 has begun, kicking off the show's return with a bang. The opening episode finally brings the Battle of Gullet to the screen and it's every bit as bloody and brutal as we'd expected.

However, as has been the case with so much of the Game of Thrones prequel so far, there have been several changes from its source material, George R. R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood'. The book is a historical account of the key period of Westerosi history and is told as if collated from a series of varying reports.

As such, many changes seem fair game as the narrative is not the most reliable. However, as fans of Martin's work will realize, there are a few larger changes beyond even this too, which we'll get into below. Before we begin, here's your spoiler warning: make sure you've seen House of the Dragon season 3 episode 1 before reading on.

The Battle of the Gullet's biggest changes from the book

Rhaenyra doesn't get locked in

When Rhaenyra Targaryen vows to fly into battle, Jacaerys Velaryon locks her inside her rooms with a guard stationed outside. There's no mention of this happening in the book, but the Queen is not involved in the battle.

A rocky route

In the show too, Lord Corlys Velaryon and his men make a strategic decision to sail through the rocky part of the ocean. This works initially but doesn't save them for long as Sharako Lohar follows them through without a hitch. There's no description of this in the book, but Martin does not go into great detail about how the battle was waged.

Big deaths

In the show and the books, Vermax is struck in the chest by a grapnel. However, she sinks when the ship holding her sinks, rather than her slow descent from the anchor attached to her in the show.

Despite Vermax's death being slightly different, probably the most faithful moment of the battle is how Jace is killed. As Martin described in 'Fire and Blood', "The prince was stuck once, and then again. More and more Myrmen brought crossbows to bear. Finally one quarrel took him through the neck, and Jace was swallowed by the sea". This is almost exactly how the young prince is felled in the show as well.

Missing sons

Another key difference concerns Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen's younger sons. In the books, Aegon the Younger and Viserys are about nine and seven when the civil war begins. Because of this, they are part of the Battle of the Gullet, travelling on a ship that is intercepted by the Triarchy during the naval siege.

Viserys is kidnapped during this altercation and is taken away for years before returning home while Aegon the Younger escapes on his critically injured dragon, who never recovers.

However, in the show, they are both still toddlers, meaning they're excluded entirely from the sequence. This is probably the biggest departure from the novel and given how important this moment is for both boys going forward in their story, it will be interesting to see how HBO tackles them later on in the adaptation.

Other absences

In the book, the Dragonseeds are also involved in the fight, flying in on their dragons. However, they're not included in this sequence at all in the show. Equally, Nettles is not in the show at all either, despite making an appearance in Martin's novel. In fact it's not likely that she'll ever be brought into the adaptation as Sheepstealer is instead claimed by Rhaena Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon's youngest daughter.

House of the Dragon releases on HBO in the US on June 21, and streams on HBO Max and Now from June 22 in the UK. For more, read our House of the Dragon season 3 review and check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.

As Loverboy once said, everybody's working for the weekend – because there's no better time to get stuck into the biggest and best streaming releases around. Wondering what to watch on your precious days off? We've got you covered.

Below you'll find a rundown of the 6 must-watch releases from across all the best streaming services, meaning there's a recommendation for everyone, whatever you subscribe to. And this weekend is a doozy, with the long-awaited return of a flagship HBO show, two returning prestige shows featuring suave men in suits, a bingeable Harlan Coben mystery, and a new show that could fill the vacuum left behind by Crazy Rich Asians.

If it's a movie you're after, and you don't fancy a trip to a packed theater to see Toy Story 5 (or you're not in the mood for one of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix), then there's the latest entry in a young adult romance franchise that audiences can't get enough of. With so much on offer, the problem is how you can fit everything in and still squeeze a bit of outside time into your weekend as well. So read on for our weekend streaming picks, and exactly where to find them.

House of the Dragon season 3

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max (US and UK), NOW/Sky (UK)

The Dance of the Dragons continues in House of the Dragon season 3. You may recall that season 2 ended with the respective forces of Team Black and Team Green marching towards battle (if you don't, our House of the Dragon recap has you covered). Well, season 3 is set to deliver on two years of delayed gratification, as the new season opens with the Battle of the Gullet – one of the bloodiest naval battles in the history of Westeros.

In other words, House of the Dragon season 3 wastes no time getting back to the action. Our 4* House of the Dragon season 3 review even calls it "the most explosive start to a Westeros-set season to date," so be sure to tune in when the first episode drops this weekend. Our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule will make sure you know exactly when to tune in, wherever you may be.

For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the best HBO shows.

Sugar season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV

If you watched the first season of this Colin Farrell-starring LA detective show, you'll know the marketing materials are concealing a huge and frankly bonkers twist. We won't spoil it here, but let's just say there's more to Sugar than a movie-loving private eye solving missing-person mysteries around Tinseltown.

Sugar's second season features a whole new case involving the missing brother of a boxer on the verge of the big leagues, and sees Marvel/The Last of Us star Tony Dalton join the cast as a corrupt sheriff. Tune in before someone spoils the surprise…

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best Apple TV shows.

The Agency season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Paramount Plus

A remake of the critically acclaimed French spy thriller The Bureau, The Agency stars Michael Fassbender as a CIA operative navigating the twisty, subterfuge-filled world of international espionage, and offers a more grounded take on the spy genre than the likes of Jack Ryan.

Working from rock-solid source material, the story alone makes this a must-watch. But it's got a heck of a cast as well; alongside Fassbender, Richard Gere, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith and John Magaro feature, many stepping into the spotlight this season after operating on the sidelines in season 1.

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best shows on Paramount Plus.

I Will Find You

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Writer-producer Harlan Coben has become an industry unto himself. I Will Find You is the latest of his many beach reads to be adapted for binge viewing, and stars Avatar's Sam Worthington as a father jailed for the murder of his son, only to discover in prison that his missing child could still be alive.

Intriguing premise, right? I Will Find You also features a typically stacked cast for a Coben adaptation: Severance's Britt Lower, Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia and Gotham's Erin Richards also star. Just don't start watching too late at night, because the moreish episodes will keep you up till sunrise.

If this doesn't tickle your fancy, check out our list of the best Netflix shows.

The Season

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Hulu/Disney Plus

If you've ever found yourself wondering why a sequel to Crazy Rich Asians is still stuck in development hell, The Season should tide you over till China Rich Girlfriend finally goes into production. Set in the luxury world of Hong Kong's elite boating scene (we're all familiar, I'm sure), it's the kind of show where scandal, betrayal and, eventually, murder are par for the course.

Shadow and Bone's Jessie Mei Lee leads the cast as something of an interloper who throws a cat among the pigeons or, rather, a shark among the superyachts. Reviewers have called it "Succession meets Crazy Rich Asians," while the Hong Kong locations are as glamorous as they come. Perfect weekend binge-viewing that may give you a few summer holiday ideas.

For more on what to watch, here's our guide to the best shows on Disney Plus.

Your Fault: London

Available: UK/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

If you haven't gotten on board with this prolific series of romantic dramas yet, now is the perfect time. A follow-up to My Fault: London (so be sure to watch that first), it stars Asha Banks and Matthew Broome as madly in love twentysomethings whose commitment to one another is tested by conflicting desires.

An English-language adaptation of the wildly popular Spanish-language trilogy Culpables, the Fault movies may not be high art, but they are very watchable. And the best news is the third film in the trilogy – Our Fault: London – was shot back-to-back with the second movie, meaning a sequel is already in the can.

After this, give our guide on the best Prime Video movies a look for your next viewing inspiration.

If nothing on our list seems right for you, have a read of our guides to the best Netflix movies, the best Prime Video shows, and the best Apple TV movies you can watch right now.

The iconic Game of Thrones theme will be changed in a "small but noticeable way" for House of the Dragon season 3.

As revealed by Screen Rant, composer Ramin Djawadi has updated one of TV's most iconic pieces of music to better mirror the upcoming House of the Dragon season's darker tone. According to the outlet, that includes drums being added to the beginning of the track.

Showrunner Ryan Condal shared, "We wanted to mark the darker tone this season with something small but noticeable. When Ramin shared this update to his iconic theme, we knew it was the way to go."

Before you complain, remember: the Game of Thrones theme isn't sacrosanct. Earlier this year, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms introduced a playful – and bowel-twisting – take on the iconic music that accompanied the opening credits across all eight Game of Thrones seasons.

It should come as little surprise that House of the Dragon wants to punch things up for its epic third season.

With tensions between Team Black and Team Green boiling over in the Westeros civil war (and that's putting it mildly), the third season will premiere with one of the franchise's biggest battles in its history – the naval Battle of the Gullet.

It's "arguably the craziest episode of television ever made," showrunner Ryan Condal gushed to Entertainment Weekly.

House of the Dragon season 3 hits our screens on June 21 in the US and June 22 in the UK.

For more, check out the new TV shows on the way. Then discover what you need to know about the House of the Dragon season 3 premiere with our guide to the House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

House of the Dragon season 3 is about to kick off as we return to the ongoing civil war between the Targaryens, known as The Dance of the Dragons. Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, this was a prolific time in Westeros and set the scene for how the Targaryen dynasty began to crumble. Starting when King Viserys was in power, the ambitious HBO prequel has so far focussed on how his line of succession caused a split in the household.

Long story short, he named his daughter Rhaenyra Targaryen as the heir to the Iron Thone but when he died, his second wife Alicent Hightower claimed he changed his mind and named their son, Aegon Targaryen, as the one true heir. This caused the dynasty to split into two sides, nicknamed the Greens and the Blacks.

Death and bloodshed have already reigned terror for both and, as we step into season 3, Rhaenyra has Dragonstone and Aegon has King's Landing – but a new battle is set to change the dynamic for good.

Ahead of the new episodes arriving then, we've compiled a House of the Dragon recap featuring all of the major moments that you need to remember so far.

The Triarchy Alliance and lead-up to Battle of the Gullet

Throughout the second season of House of the Dragon, Team Green were hit with a blockage of supplies spearheaded by Team Black. The Velaryon blockade has slowly been starving King's Landing so in order to create a new line of supply, Tyland Lannister was shipped off to Essos to form an alliance with the Triarchy.

When he arrives, he meets Admiral Sharako Lohar who challenges him to an unusual task in order to win their alliance: a mudwrestling match against her. He succeeds and with a hefty sum of gold, they agree to an alliance, setting sail and setting up the Battle of the Gullet.

Dragons: The Dragonseeds and Rhaena's hunt for a dragon

In order to even out the number of Dragons on each side, Rhaenyra comes up with a plan to gain more riders for the remaining dragons waiting in Dragonstone. This is called the Dragonseeds project and sees her and Jace finding Targaryen bastards from around the kingdom.

After a few failed attempts, she secures three new dragon riders, including blacksmith Hugh Hammer who claims Vermithor and drunkard Ulf White who rides Silverwing. The third rider is Addam, who is the half-Valyrian bastard of Lord Corlys Velaryon, who bends the knee to Rhaenyra when he is claimed by Sea Smoke.

Addam's brother is Alyn of Hull, who does not follow in his brother's footsteps to become a dragon rider, but instead becomes First Mate under Corlys. He'll play a prominent role in the upcoming Battle of the Gullet.

It's not only the Targaryen bastards that are new dragon riders either, with Rhaena also busy trying to claim another wild dragon too in the Vale. We last saw her having mixed success trailing Sheepstealer so we're likely to see that story thread continue in season 3 as well.

Daemon's alliances and Harrenhaal vision

After causing all kinds of trouble for Rhaenyra at Harrenhaal, at the end of House of the Dragon season 2, Daemon was shown a very important vision by Alys Rivers at the weirwood tree. She showed him a future that looked all too familiar for Game of Thrones fans, White Walkers approaching from the North, Daenerys Targaryen and her dragon hatchlings, and the three-eyed raven.

This cemented Daemon's loyalty, finally squashing his own desires to rule. He returned home to Dragonstone and vowed to fight for his queen, bringing with him an army from the Riverlands.

Larys and Aegon team-up

Following Aegon's burning at the hands of Aemond, he was left on the verge of death. Larys Strong was the one who helped him recover, and at the end of season 2, he convinces him they must flee.

He's had a concern for a while now that Aemond would be sacrificed at Alicent's hands so they plan to hide out while the war unfolds before making his triumphant return as the one true king when the dust has settled.

Meanwhile Aemond, who has been in charge after Aegon's incapacitation, is now planning to fly to the Riverlands. After trying to recruit his sister Helaena to fly with him, she warned him that Aegon will be king again and that he will die, settling up doom ahead for Aemond.

Rhaenyra and Alicent meet up

After Rhaenyra previously snuck to King's Landing to make a plea with Alicent for peace, the tides turned. Alicent comes to Dragonstone to give her former best friend a warning about Aemond's plans.

She tells her that this will leave Helaena in charge, and they will open the gates for Rhaenyra to take King's Landing. Rhaenyra warns her that to take the throne, she will need to take Aegon's head – and Alicent agrees to this steep cost.

House of the Dragon releases on HBO in the US on June 21, and streams on HBO and HBO Max and Now from June 22 in the UK. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 has earned an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score, putting it on par with some of the best Game of Thrones seasons. The HBO show is currently sitting at an impressive 97% on the review aggregation website, which matches the two highest-rated seasons of Game of Thrones, season 2 and season 4.

If you'll recall, some of the best episodes in the whole run of the fantasy series happened in these two seasons. This includes 'Blackwater', which is arguably one of the best battles on screen in Westeros, and the unforgettable 'The Mountain and the Viper', which saw Pedro Pascal's Oberyn Martell meet a grisly end.

This also marks the highest-rated season of House of the Dragon yet, with season 1 clocking in at 90% and season 2 at 84%. Both very respectable, but much lower than the season 3's score so far. These critic reviews are based on the first four episodes of the new season, which kicks off with an epic sea battle, the Battle of the Gullet.

Our own House of the Dragon season 3 review gave the show four stars, saying it "could be the best season of a Westeros-set show in over a decade". Our reviewer wrote: "Burning bright from the opening episode's Battle of the Gullet, House of the Dragon season 3 repositions the Targaryen civil war's key players, operating as a thrilling fresh start for the fiery Game of Thrones prequel."

The new season adapts the next chapter of the Dance of the Dragons, the extremely bloody Targaryen Civil War. It will take the story closer to its conclusion too, with season 4 planned to be the final outing of the HBO show, meaning the end is in sight for the fight for the Iron Throne.

House of the Dragon releases on HBO in the US on June 21, and streams on HBO Max and Now from June 22 in the UK. For what else to watch, here's our guide to all of the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.

As another weekend approaches, so do new streaming releases. So, if you're wondering what to watch this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you're in for a treat as several new movies and TV shows hit the big streaming platforms.

HBO Max has a returning superhero show as My Adventures with Superman season 3 arrives, as well as a hit horror movie in They Will Kill You, which is available to watch now as well. Prime Video is dialling up the romance with new show Every Year After as Apple TV Plus gets us ready for a hugely-anticipated finale with the penultimate episode of Widow's Bay.

If it's a movie you're after, Disney Plus is releasing a special extended addition of its 2014 hit Muppets Most Wanted. Then over on Netflix you can see a beautifully crafted stop-motion fantasy film called I Am Frankelda. With so many variety on offer, there's plenty to keep you busy this weekend. So read on for why we recommend these picks – and how exactly you can stream them.

My Adventures with Superman season 3

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

Clark Kent is back in My Adventures with Superman season 3, which arrives on HBO this week. The third season returns to Metropolis as our titular hero faces new enemies, including a brutal Cyborg Superman who claims to be better than the Man of Steel in every possible way. In order to defeat this threat, Supes teams up with Supergirl, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane to bring order back to the city.

Set across 10 episodes, the new outing is just as action-packed and full of heart as previous seasons as it manages to explore a new side to this much-adapted hero. The Boys star Jack Quaid returns as Superman alongside newcomers Max Mittelman as Cyborg Supes and Darren Criss as Superboy. The show is airing weekly on HBO Max following its release on Toonami, and is well worth a watch.

For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the best HBO shows.

Widow's Bay episode 9

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV Plus

Our time in the, ahem, charming town of Widow's Bay is almost at an end as the show's penultimate episode arrives this week. The Matthew Rhys-led series has been one of the big surprises of 2026 so far, working as both a hilarious horror satire as well as gripping and tense thriller. There are so many questions remaining in the penultimate episode as we wait for next week's finale so there's never been a better time to make sure you're up to date before the final episode airs.

And if you needed any more convincing to book a ferry trip over, then the reviews speak for themselves. Currently sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, the Guardian gave the show five out of five stars, saying it's "Mare of Easttown meets Schitt's Creek, but with something else that makes it singular". What more could you want? Widow's Bay episode 9 is streaming now on Apple TV Plus.

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best Apple TV series.

Every Year After

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

Prime Video is well known as the place to be for romantic dramas. Not only did their show The Summer I Turned Pretty become a global hit, but they've also had new romantic series like Off Campus and Maxton Hall win over viewers. Now another new entry is joining the list as Every Year After arrives on the streamer.

Based on the novel 'Every Summer After' by Carley Fortune, the eight-part drama follows Percy Fraser and Sam Florek, two best friends who find themselves constantly drawn back to each other. Think One Day meets Virgin River, the series is all about whether the one that got away is truly gone forever. All episodes are available to stream now.

We've also got a round-up of the best shows on Prime Video.

I Am Frankelda

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Get lost in a new dark fantasy world in I Am Frankelda, an absorbing stop-motion story set between the real world and the world of terrors. It follows a young aspiring writer called Francisca Imelda in 19th century Mexico who is approached by a prince to help write more nightmares. As he explains to her, if humans are no longer scared, then his kingdom of terrors will cease to exist.

The Mexican movie was first released in 2025 but will be landing globally on Netflix this weekend. The filmmakers were inspired by Guillermo del Toro and his visual language of fantastical creatures and dark fantasy can be felt throughout. If you love the art that goes into this kind of filmmaking as well as getting lost in a new world, this is definitely one to add to your weekend watchlist. Did we mention it was a musical too?

If this doesn't tickle your fancy, check out our list of the best Netflix fantasy movies available now.

Muppets Most Wanted Extended Edition

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus

While it's not something we were necessarily expecting, it's always a treat to have more Muppets to enjoy. This weekend Disney Plus is releasing a special longer edition of the 2014 movie Muppets Most Wanted. Previously only available on the Blu-Ray, this version features 12 minutes of extra footage. Fans who have seen it have called it the definitive version of the beloved movie as it subtly reshapes the story in a very satisfying way.

The additions include added character beats and more jokes, as well as expanded musical numbers. Viewers can enjoy extra verses and gags in this new version, which seems like a perfect watch for muppets fans and those wanting revisit the fun movie more than a decade on from its first release. Muppets Most Wanted Extended Edition arrives on June 14.

For more on what to watch, here's our guide to the best movies on Disney Plus.

They Will Kill You

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

An action horror described by some as John Wick meets Tarantino is arriving on HBO Max this weekend. They Will Kill You stars Joker's Zazie Beetz, Severance's Patricia Arquette, and Harry Potter's Tom Felton in a thriller full of surprises. The story follows an ex-convict who answers a cryptic ad to become a housekeeper at a mysterious New York City highrise. However, when she's there, she soon realizes that this is not an ordinary home.

Several people have vanished from the building over the decades and it seems like a satanic cult may be the reason why. It's only been a few months since it came out in theaters, but you can already enjoy the gory slasher from the comfort of your sofa as it arrives on HBO Max.

After this, give our guide on the best HBO movies a look for your next viewing inspiration.

If nothing on our list seems right for you, have a read of our guides to the best Netflix shows, the best Prime Video movies, and the best Apple TV movies you can watch right now.

House of the Dragon season 3 may only just be arriving on HBO this month, but work on season 4 is already well underway. The fantasy show will be coming to a close with the fourth season and showrunner Ryan Condal says they can't wait to tell this story.

"We're actually starting to show HBO," Condal said about season 4's scripts at a recent press conference attended by GamesRadar+. "This is our early iteration, I don't put the script down and take it away from me in production and we have many months ahead of that. But we're as far ahead at this point in crafting a new season while we're still posting the old one."

The showrunner added of their excitement to be bringing this tale to a close: "The machine is up and running and on its feet, then the fourth season, the end, the final act is a story we've been waiting for so we're all really excited about doing it."

Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, the series so far, has shown the decline of House Targaryen in the bloodthirsty war of succession known as the Dance of the Dragons. The final season will conclude this story, and Condal has been open that he's not sure a "happy ending" is in the cards.

Speaking at the same press conference, he added: "Do we really expect happy endings in Westeros? I think this show goes to extremely dark places, places we've been, places we're yet to go. But I will say, one of the big challenges of adapting Fire and Blood is not making this an aimless, bleak death march." I guess there may still be some hope then?

House of the Dragon season 3 kicks off with the much-anticipated Battle of the Gullet as the war for King's Landing heads to the seas. You can watch the new series when it begins on HBO Max on June 21 in the US and June 22 on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK.

House of the Dragon season 3 will show a different side to Rhaenyra Targaryen, following on from fan complaints of her being constantly side-lined in the action. This will mark another big change for the dragon queen, who we've already seen evolve from a rebellious teenager to a young woman broken by grief.

According to showrunner Ryan Condal, the way her character is constantly changing is "the special sauce to the show." Speaking at a recent press conference attended by GamesRadar+, he said: "I think that's also the thing that Game of Thrones established so well, is your understanding of who a character was. Jaime Lannister, when he throws Bran out the window, is different than the Jaime Lannister you see midway through the show, when he's got one hand and he's running around with Brienne."

"With our big characters that we spent a lot of time with in the show, you go through similar experiences with them. Just because who the character is in this single moment in time does not mean that is who that character is all time, and that would be boring to do," he added. "We tried to put them through experiences, apply outside pressures to them from characters and story, and then see how it results in change, and I think Rhaenyra is the prime example of that."

In season 3, Rhaenyra star Emma D'Arcy has teased that their character will be more "active" in the new episodes. Teasing her arc in the third season, Condal pointed to where we began back in season one. "We've seen her be raised by Viserys, who was a flawed king who chose her over her uncle to succeed him, and then kept her his successor, even though he had a son afterwards, which caused a whole bunch of conflict," he explained.

"Viserys made a lot of mistakes, but he did invest entirely with Rhaenyra, and I think beyond his death, she takes that really and tries to rule as she learned from Viserys in season two. She's trying to rule by consensus."

Now in the third season, "there's a point where she has to make a moral compromise for her family, for herself, for her claim. And then this idea of predestination, and all these big ideas that we play with in epic fantasy. "

House of the Dragon season 3 begins on HBO Max on June 21 in the US and June 22 on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. For more, check out our guide to all the new TV shows coming in 2026 and beyond.

House of the Dragon season 2 left viewers on the brink of a huge battle before delaying the action until season 3. Showrunner Ryan Condal has been candid in the past about the challenges leading to this decision, but he's now opened up about why he thinks it will be a great way to start the show's upcoming third season.

The Battle of the Gullet – one of the biggest naval battles in Game of Thrones history – opens the third season. And as you might expect from such a huge moment, it was a challenge to bring it to the screen.

"There were just challenges, logistical challenges like resources, and how are we going to do this, and how are we going to do justice to the challenge of the biggest naval battle ever waged in the history of Westeros, which is not a small challenge to rise to," Condal said at a recent press conference attended by GamesRadar+. "In terms of the rhythm of the seasons, I think it's very fun. People have become accustomed to Game of Thrones seasons having a slow build, and then there's an explosion midway through and certainly near the end."

He added that he thinks switching this up will "put people back on their heels in a good way". Condal continued: "It just comes out so heavy and unexpectedly, but it also sets the tone for where we're going with the story. We're not spending our entire budget, even though it might feel that way. There is lots of escalation to come from here, so I think it certainly changes the tone of the storytelling of House of the Dragon."

The showrunner added an ominous tease too, continuing: "It's like, 'Oh we are really playing for keeps now, you know?' I don't think anyone or anything is safe from here forward."

House of the Dragon season 3 begins on HBO Max on June 21 in the US and June 22 on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. For more, check out our guide to all the new TV shows coming in 2026 and beyond.

Marvel star Paul Bettany has denied rumors that he'll be playing Voldemort in the upcoming Harry Potter TV show.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Bettany said: "I've heard nothing about that through any official channels at all. No, that's just a rumor."

Another actor linked to the role, Cillian Murphy, also recently denied he'd be playing the villain: "I'm categorically not," he said. "Can you make that the headline?"

The Harry Potter TV show is a completely new adaptation of the fantasy novels, with one season per book. It's planned to run for 10 years. Nothing has been revealed about the Voldemort casting just yet, but the cast includes the likes of Paapa Esseidu as Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid, John Lithgow as Dumbledore, and Janet McTeer as McGonagall.

The show has already been renewed for season 2: season 1 will cover Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (released as Sorcerer's Stone in the US) and the second season will cover Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

"The idea is not to turn it into a DC or a Marvel," HBO boss Casey Bloys has previously said. "The idea is to go in and do the books."

But, that doesn't mean the show will be just like the films. "There will be things in the show that were not in the movie… but are not off-canon," he added. "The opportunity is to spend more time with the books."

The Harry Potter TV show arrives this December 25. While you wait, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming TV shows.

The DCU has been in full swing for two years now, but it sounds like James Gunn still needs to make some decisions about what exactly is canon from The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle.

The DCU officially began with Creature Commandos in late 2024, though elements of The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle – which are both part of the old DCEU – are still considered canon. Gunn has previously said The Suicide Squad is like an "imperfect memory" and Blue Beetle is the first canon character of the DCU.

"I've been thinking about this a lot in regards to The Suicide Squad & Blue Beetle and I've been meaning to rewatch both with an eye towards that knowing what I know now almost three years into the DCU (with a couple more years of scripts being actively filmed or created)," Gunn said on Threads. "Maybe after MoT Jenn [Jennifer Holland] & Steve [Agee] & I can get together for a special couple podcasts to discuss. What do you guys think is potentially or definitely NOT canon from TSS & BB?"

Gunn also clarified why he kept Peacemaker canon when he took over as DC Studios co-CEO. "Peacemaker Season 2's deals were all in place when I became head of DC. It was either break everyone's contracts and pay out all that money and take away HBO Max's biggest show at the time or find a way to make it work," he wrote. "I chose the latter. Mostly tho because I love the character and the show and thought he/they could be an important part of the DCU."

Next up for DC is Supergirl, which arrives this June 26. "I never felt that there was superhero fatigue. I felt it was mediocre movie fatigue," DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran said recently. "You gotta try something new. You have to change the game a little bit. The essential story on which Supergirl is based is something cool and original and we haven't seen before."

While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

The Harry Potter TV series is coming later this year and from what we've seen so far, it looks like a pretty magical return to the wizarding world.

The new TV show retells the story of Harry Potter, aka 'The Boy Who Lived', from the very start. Season 1, which will be released on HBO, kicks off the narrative with 'The Philosopher's Stone', the first book in J. K. Rowling's series of novels. Introducing a whole new young cast as the main characters, it's part of an ambitious new adaptation that plans to adapt the whole epic tale over the next decade or so.

Now that the first trailer is out too, news is coming in thick and fast about what to expect with the new show as well. We run through all of that below, including the latest quotes from HBO boss Casey Bloys as well as the typical details about the Harry Potter TV series cast, release date, and story. So pack your bags for Hogwarts and read on below for everything you need to know about the Harry Potter TV show ahead of its release.

Harry Potter TV series release date

Thanks to the recent trailer, we now know that the Harry Potter TV series will be released on Christmas this year, on December 25, 2026.

This new 2026 date is a big shock since originally, HBO was aiming for a 2027 window, which came directly from Casey Bloys (Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content) during a past interview with Deadline. "Well, we've been saying 2027. I would say, to narrow it down to some extent, early 2027," he explained. "And now you’re going to ask, does that mean January, February, March, April, that we're not ready to say. I'll say early 2027."

We won't complain about the quicker date, though. Hopefully, no delays happen, and the 2026 release holds firm!

Harry Potter TV series story

The Harry Potter TV series is taking the same approach as the movies did in the 2000s, adapting the events of the Harry Potter books.

If you haven't watched all the Harry Potter movies yet or read the books, the story follows a young orphan called Harry Potter who learns that he is actually a wizard on his 11th birthday. Harry gets enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he also discovers that his parents were killed by an evil Wizard named Voldemort, who is the reason that Harry has a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

The first season will be adapting The Philosopher's Stone book (or Sorcerer's Stone), which follows Harry during his first year at Hogwarts, and also features his first showdown with Voldemort. I won't get into spoilers here, but I will say the events of this chapter are great world builders, featuring multiple fantastical creatures. Perfect for Wizarding World newbies.

We also know that the show will give us different perspectives from other characters besides Harry. So, differing slightly from the books that focused on the Boy Who Lived. During an interview with People, the new Draco actor Lox Pratt teased that fans will "get to see so much more than the books" in the new TV series.

"You get to see all the teachers in their little rooms. You get to see Draco at home," the star explained. Exciting stuff! Slight story alterations may also happen thanks to Bloys confirming that we won't be getting a season a year.

However, this isn't to say that the universe will be expanding too much. Bloys has been clear that he wants the show to remain a faithful adaptation. "The idea is not to turn it into a DC or a Marvel," he told Radio Times. "The idea is to go in and do the books." He added: "There will be things in the show that were not in the movie… but are not off-canon. The opportunity is to spend more time with the books." Not only that, but Bloys has confirmed that season 2 is already being written as well.

Is there a trailer for the Harry Potter TV series?

The first trailer for the Harry Potter TV series dropped on March 25, 2026, and I'll say that it's very nice to see Hogwarts again after all these years. It also gives us our first look at all the new actors taking on the iconic characters. Watch it for yourself above!

Harry Potter TV series cast

The cast for the Harry Potter TV series is absolutely massive, and includes some emerging stars as well as some very recognisable faces. Since we'd be here forever if we listed everyone, below you'll find a round-up of all the main cast members, as well as the recurring cast members who have massive roles in the Harry Potter story going forward.

• Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
• Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
• Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
• Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy
• John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
• Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
• Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall
• Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
• Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy
• Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell
• Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom
• Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley
• Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley
• Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley
• Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch
• Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley
• Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley
• Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley
• Gabriel Harland as George Weasley
• Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley
• Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe
• William Nash as Gregory Goyle
• Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout
• Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan
• Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick
• Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge

Keep in mind that a lot of other students have been announced as well. The above are simply the characters that we'll likely be seeing the most of throughout season 1.

We are also actually waiting for even more cast confirmation for characters that we also know are part of the story, but are MIA from the cast list at the moment. Cillian Murphy was rumored to be playing Voldermort, but has denied his involvement – so that's the biggest secret the show is keeping so far. Stay tuned for updates.

While we wait for the Harry Potter TV series to head our way, check out our list of the best HBO Max shows to watch in the meantime.

Jason Ritter and Patrick Wilson have joined the cast of The Last of Us season 3.

According to Variety, Ritter will play a WLF agent, while Wilson will play none other than Jerry Anderson... who was the only person left on earth who could've made a cure for the virus before Joel made an uh-oh oopsie (in the name of love, mind you).

The hit series, based on the massively popular video games, was renewed for a third season ahead of the season 2 premiere in 2025. The first season follows The Last of Us Part 1, with season 2 and 3 adapting The Last of Us Part 2 – the latter of which shifts the storyline away from Joel (Pedro Pascal) to focus on a now-adult Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and new antagonist Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).

Because the second game is so dense, showrunner Craig Mazin, who is now showrunning alone following creator Neil Druckmann's shock departure, initially posed that they might need a second, third, and fourth season to wrap up the entire story. New reports, however, say that the third season might very well be the last...

Ritter is perhaps best known for starring in Matlock alongside Kathy Bates (or you may have seen him spreading joy on the otherwise bleak internet by posting videos that showcase his dance and, uh, fighting moves), though he'll be playing the husband of a sheriff in DC's upcoming Lanterns series. Wilson is no doubt best known for his tenure as Ed Warren throughout The Conjuring franchise.

The Last of Us season 3 is set to premiere sometime in 2027. For more, check out our list of the best HBO Max shows to stream right now, or, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2026 and beyond.

Good news from Westeros – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 is both confirmed and currently in production. That means that, if you're already missing Dunk and his little squire Egg after the season 1 finale, you hopefully won't have long to wait to see them return on HBO.

Season 1 brought the story of the hedge knight Dunk and the Targaryen prince Egg to an emotional close, with the duo striking out on another adventure together. But where will their journey take them next? We've got the rundown on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 below, so you can get up to speed on what's coming up for the duo. This guide is spoiler-free for both the show and books, too.

So, for all you need to know about the next installment in George R.R. Martin's tale, head below. For even more, brush up on the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms timeline for a deeper dive.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 release date speculation

There is currently no release date for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2, but the second season has been filming since December 2025.

Season 1 filmed for three months, wrapped in September 2024, and premiered in January 2026. So, if season 2 follows a similar schedule, we could see it in spring 2027.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 cast

At the moment, no cast members are confirmed for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2, aside from the obvious. So, the line-up looks like this:

• Peter Claffey – Ser Duncan the Tall
• Dexter Sol Ansell – Egg (Prince Aegon Targaryen)

If the season follows the novella closely – which we expect it will – then we'll be seeing an all new cast of characters aside from Dunk and Egg, so we'll keep this page updated with their identities in the months to come. That sadly means we'll be saying goodbye to the characters of season 1, however, unless they make unexpected cameos.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 plot

The second of George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas, The Sworn Sword, moves the tale on from the Ashford Tourney and picks up a year and a half later. Dunk and Egg are in the Reach following the Great Spring Sickness – no spoilers here, but this pandemic will be devastating for the kingdom.

The story is set in the midst of a drought, and much of the plot focuses on a stream dried up by a dam, and the feud that erupts as a consequence. Naturally, Dunk and Egg get caught up in a complex situation that proves difficult to navigate, much like season 1.

The novella also features more details on the Blackfyre Rebellion, which was alluded to in season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

When can we expect the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 trailer?

It's currently far too early to expect a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 trailer. However, cameras are rolling on the show, so one might be coming sooner rather than later. The first trailer for season 1 landed in October 2025 ahead of a January 2026 premiere, so we can probably expect a trailer for season 2 in late 2026 to early 2027.

That's a wrap on everything we know about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows for everything else that's on the way.

Harry Potter star David Thewlis has had enough of the franchise. The actor played Remus Lupin in the films, introduced in The Prisoner of Azkaban as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and an old friend of Harry Potter's father.

When asked by Screen Time if he'd like to return in the upcoming HBO reboot TV show, either as Lupin or another character, Thewlis was pretty clear that he's had his fill of the Wizarding World.

"I feel like I'd be far too old to play my original character now. And no, I wouldn't want to go back into it, because I've had quite enough of that, sick of talking about it quite honestly," he said with a laugh.

"It is nice because with Harry Potter it's kids and kids get very kind of impressed and very overawed, and it's very nice to make kids happy," he added. Check out a video of the moment below.

The HBO show is planned to run for 10 years, and it will adapt each novel in the seven-book series. Season 1, which will adapt Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's) Stone, is slated for a 2027 release.

John Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, with Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Nick Frost as Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as Professor Snape. Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione, and Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley. There's no word yet on who will play Voldermort, though Cillian Murphy has rebuffed rumours that it will be him.

You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best shows on HBO Max or our ranking of the best Harry Potter movies.

The upcoming HBO Harry Potter series, on which J.K. Rowling is an executive producer, has been the subject of criticism and debate due to the author's public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. It was a similar situation with the Hogwarts Legacy launch, and you can read more about the Hogwarts Legacy controversy in our explainer.

The latest episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has become one of the highest rated Game of Thrones episodes ever – and it has surpassed all of House of the Dragon.

The episode, titled "Seven," has a near-perfect rating of 9.7 out of 10 on IMDb. That's not only the highest rated of all of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms so far, but it's better than House of the Dragon's series best rating of 9.4, and it equals the rating of seven episodes of Game of Thrones.

The highest rated episodes of Game of Thrones ever stand at 9.9, and it should come as no surprise that these episodes are "The Rains of Castamere," AKA the Red Wedding, "Battle of the Bastards," when Jon Snow and Ramsey Bolton face off in an epic battle, and "The Winds of Winter," which sees Cersei Lannister blow up the Sept, Daenerys Targaryen sail for Westeros, and the revelation that Jon Snow is actually Aegon Targaryen.

Game of Thrones has one episode rated at 9.8: "Hardhome," which sees Jon Snow and the Free Folk go up against the Night King and his wights.

The episodes rated 9.7 are "Blackwater," the massive sea battle in which Tyrion uses a wildfire bomb, "The Lion and the Rose," which sees Joffrey Baratheon poisoned, "The Mountain and the Viper," in which Oberyn Martell faces the Mountain, "The Children," which sees Tyrion Lannister escape King's Landing and kill Tywin Lannister with a crossbow, "The Laws of Gods and Men," Tyrion Lannister's trial for the murder of Joffrey Baratheon, "The Door," which reveals Hodor's heartbreaking backstory, and "Spoils of War," which sees Daenerys Targaryen ride her dragon into battle against the Lannister army.

So, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is in good company with some of the most iconic episodes of Game of Thrones ever. "Seven" sees Dunk forced to compete in a Trial of Seven, meaning seven knights on each side will battle it out. While Aerion Targaryen's team includes his father Maekar and the Kingsguard, Dunk's includes Lyonel Baratheon and, in a cheer-worthy twist at the end of the episode, Baelor Targaryen.

The spin-off has already become the highest-rated first season of any Game of Thrones show on Rotten Tomatoes, too.

You can keep up on what happens next to the hedge knight and his squire Egg with our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule. For more, check out our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review for our spoiler-free verdict on the entire show.

Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Clea DuVall have joined the cast of The Last of Us season 3.

According to Deadline, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. will replace Danny Ramirez as WLF member Manny in the show's third season, with Clea DuVall set to play a Seraphite.

The hit series, based on the massively popular video games, was renewed for a third season ahead of the season 2 premiere last year. The first season follows The Last of Us Part 1, with season 2 and 3 adapting The Last of Us Part 2 – the latter of which shifts the storyline away from Joel (Pedro Pascal) and focuses more on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and new antagonist Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).

Ramirez departed the show last year after just one season due to scheduling conflicts, and we get why. The actor and soon-to-be filmmaker just finished filming Avengers: Doomsday, new Jean-Michel Basquiat biopic, Samo Lives, is getting ready to shoot his directorial debut Baton, and is confirmed to be starring alongside Pascal once again in the new Todd Haynes romance De Noche.

The actor isn't the only one who made an exit, as showrunner and video game creator Neil Druckmann announced his shock departure last year. Craig Mazin will now serve as showrunner, with the season set to focus on Abby's perspective (as per the second half of The Last of Us Part 2).

Lendeborg Jr. is best known for his role as popular kid Jason Inello in the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man film series, and just wrapped production on the upcoming B-movie horror, Halloween Store. DuVall is a lauded pop culture icon who starred in the queer coming-of-age comedy, But I'm a Cheerleader, as well as cult classic sci-fi horror The Faculty.

The Last of Us season 3 is set to premiere sometime in 2027. For more, check out our list of the best HBO Max shows to stream right now, or, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2026 and beyond.

The legendary showrunner behind hit series like Lost, Watchmen, and The Leftovers has a new show in the works with HBO, and it has us gripped already.

HBO has given a straight-to-series order to Damon Lindelof's eight-episode-long limited drama The Chain, as reported by Variety. The series is part of a two-year overall deal that Lindelof signed back in September 2025. Lindelof will serve as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the series.

The show is based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Adrian McKinty. Although HBO has yet to share an official synopsis for the series, the book follows a mother whose daughter is abducted, and the only way to get her back is to pay a ransom and find another child to kidnap. The twist is, the person who kidnapped her daughter is a parent themself, trying to save her own child from murder, further adding to a vicious chain.

However, expect the series to shake things up a bit as Variety reports that Lindelof's series will expand on the mythology of the book. In a statement, Lindelof said, "From the moment I heard the wild and original premise of Adrian’s book, I was shocked, surprised and angry I hadn’t thought of it myself… I’ve always wanted to try to adapt a great thriller and this one has all the dark, weird, exhilarating touches that fire up my imagination."

Lindelof is best known for leading the six-season-long survival drama series Lost, as well as DC Studios show Watchmen. However, Lindelof is currently working on HBO and DC's upcoming series Lanterns as co-creator and executive producer. As part of James Gunn's DCU Chapter One, Lanterns is set to hit screens later this year.

The Chain does not yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to the best shows on HBO Max, and keep up with upcoming TV shows heading your way.

Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal, the dark and violent animated series that has thus far followed the Neanderthal Spear and dinosaur Fang across two seasons of adventures, is finally back for a third season on Adult Swim after nearly four years. And while I don't necessarily think it's better than ever, having seen the entire new season for myself, I would argue that it's certainly as good as it's ever been – which is very, very good.

Given Tartakovsky's history, it's not exactly shocking that the show is as good as it is. He's had a storied career and is best known for different things to different people, depending on how old you are. He's the creator of legendary Cartoon Network shows Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack, helmed the original Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series, and directed several of the Hotel Transylvania movies. And, of course, Primal.

But it is somewhat surprising to see the show return in the way that it has. The last season of Primal ended with a pretty definitive conclusion for the story of both Spear and Fang back in 2022, and yet the third season once again picks up where – spoiler alert – the last one left off with Spear's death. So, of course, Primal season 3 follows zombie Spear in all his reanimated glory. (This is not a surprise; the trailers and key art have made it pretty clear this was the case in the run-up to the third season.)

Tip of the Spear

Given how season 3 ended, seeing the initial trailers featuring a reanimated Spear was a shock. And to some extent, it seems like Tartakovsky is also surprised a bit too when I speak with him ahead of the animated show's return.

"I think it's kind of my fault," he says when I ask why return to these characters again, given how much it felt like the last season put a bow on that story, "because we spend a lot of time making the shows, like two years. So we spend a lot of time with the characters, right? And then when we release the show, the audience watches it maybe in a week or in a few weeks – the timespan is very off balance."

"And so I felt like, 'OK, people have had enough,' because I've lived with it for, you know, over four years," he continues. "But in actuality, it wasn't, and the response to the end of the season was really good, and everybody still loves the show, so my gut told me,'Uh oh, maybe it's too early.' And then I'm like, 'Well, what am I going to do next?'"

And that's where zombie Spear came in as an idea.

"It was so compelling, and it facilitated such an interesting emotional element that that was it," Tartakovsky says of the concept. "As soon as we came up with it, my gut said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah; this is so exciting and interesting.' And we can do different stories, because sometimes you don't want to just repeat the 'Monster of the Week' type of a feel, right? And that's why we switched up for the second season and, of course, the third season."

One significant reason that zombie Spear is such a big surprise? Tartakovsky himself had said, following the conclusion of the second season, that he envisioned the show becoming more of an anthology of sorts. While the first two seasons were about Spear and Fang, Primal as a show didn't actually need to be just that in the future. And yet here we are.

But that doesn't mean the idea of an anthology series has been abandoned or anything. Or that the story of Spear is even completely done after this season, for that matter. Tartakovsky is keeping his options open. "When we feel that Spear and Fang and that storyline has finally, like, finished, finished, and it feels right, then I do," he says. "I want Primal to be everlasting for me."

"I hope that it's going to be like a Twilight Zone tag, basically, for something that's raw and emotional and visceral, 2D animated, and the whole thing with visual storytelling, and that's the goal," he adds. "So, if there's something next, I'm not sure yet. I mean, it feels like we have an ending, but I don't want to put myself in the corner like I did last time."

Primal season 3 is now airing on Adult Swim. New episodes air on Sundays and appear on HBO Max the following day. For more animation coverage, be sure to check out the best anime to watch right now.

Bill Skarsgård has shared he originally wasn't completely sold on returning as his horror icon Pennywise in the HBO prequel show It: Welcome to Derry.

Speaking to ScreenRant, the actor admitted that he was "more hesitant about it going into it than going out of it," though he eventually had "a lot of fun" making the show.

According to the actor, when the idea of playing Pennywise again was originally broached, he thought that "we did the two movies, and they were very successful," and he was concerned that "you don't want to milk this one out with a TV show" that might not compare to "the success of the previous films."

However, once he saw the plan for the show, he was convinced. "I feel that, in the end, we explored some parts of Pennywise that we hadn't seen before or hadn't done," he said. "Andy [Muschietti] and I always have fun together, and I think that we did those aspects of it. Even with Pennywise's performance, there was like, 'Okay, here's a juicy scene, and you see something else from Pennywise, or more of him.' I had fun with those scenes, for sure."

Welcome to Derry showed us a whole new side to Pennywise, finally revealing the truth behind his origins as Bob Grey, as well as bringing in the twist that Pennywise can see the future – and might be targeting the parents of the Losers' Club kids that will grow up to kill him.

So far, It: Welcome to Derry season 2 hasn't been officially confirmed. If it does get the green light, though, it will adapt the Bradley Gang Massacre, a huge shootout in Derry. It will also be set 27 years before season 1, which would place it in the 1930s.

All episodes of Welcome to Derry are streaming on HBO Max now. For more, fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the upcoming Stephen King movies and shows, or the best shows on HBO Max.

While It: Welcome to Derry season 2 hasn't been confirmed yet, fans are wondering if we might not have seen the last of the Bainbridge family.

Welcome to Derry is working backwards, with the first series set in the '60s, and the next series due to be set 27 years earlier in 1935. It will cover the Bradley Gang Massacre, a deadly shootout in Derry that was teased in season 1 when the army uncovered the victims' cars.

Judging by a new deleted scene shared by Terri Bainbridge actor Alixandra Fuchs, we might be seeing more of her character – mother of Lily Bainbridge, one of the kids in season 1's Losers' Club – in the next season.

In the clip, shared as a series of behind-the-scenes videos on Fuchs's Instagram story, we see Lily attempt to ask her mother about growing up in Derry, and if anything as horrible as the kids being killed in the movie theater in episode 1 happened while Terri was younger.

After first rebuffing her daughter, Terri then begins to talk about life under Prohibition, when alcohol was banned in the US. She says some people still "sold it" and "fought over it," and "some of those people lived right here in Derry."

"So, yes, there were incidents," she finishes. When Lily asks if those incidents involved a clown, Terri looks away and doesn't answer, as if she might be remembering something. Eventually, all she says is "bad things happen all the time, honey. We need to focus on the good." Check out the clip below.

Season 2 will be set in 1935, which is a few years after Prohibition ended – though the Bradley Gang in the show could end up being former bootleggers. Terri, then, could be referring to the Massacre, which, in the book, features Pennywise gunning down some gangsters himself.

Now, whether Terri shows up again in season 2 remains to be seen. Andy Muschietti has already confirmed that younger versions of season 1 characters will be in the show, though, so it seems possible.

"Lily’s mother, Teresa Bainbridge will play a significant role in Season two that is set 27 years prior to 1962, she was Lily's age at the time of the Bradley Gang Massacre," speculates the person who shared Fuch's clip.

"Guys I'm still not over this it's like 1000000000% confirmed we get Terri in season 2 now. Right," wonders another fan.

"Lilly survived, big P will go after her parents," predicts someone else. We saw in the season 1 finale that Pennywise is aware of his future death, after he threatened to kill Marge Truman – the future Maggie Tozier, mother of Richie Tozier – to prevent Richie from being born (we might not have heard the last of Richie, either).

So far, it's all speculation, as Welcome to Derry season 2 hasn't even been officially greenlit yet. We'll just have to be patient a little while longer.

You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the upcoming Stephen King movies and shows, or the best shows on HBO Max.

After Richie Tozier made a surprise cameo in the It: Welcome to Derry season 1 finale, Finn Wolfhard has revealed that this might not be the last reference to his character.

In the season 1 finale, Pennywise corners Marge Truman – revealed to be the future Maggie Tozier – and tells her that she'll have a son, Richie (implied to be named after Rich Santos after his heroic sacrifice saved Marge at The Black Spot), who will grow up to kill Pennywise with his friends. To drive the point home, the evil clown shows with a flourish the missing poster of Richie that appears in Neibolt Street in the first It film, which features an image of Wolfhard.

In a new interview, Wolfhard shared that he knew about his cameo of sorts in advance, and that there might still be something else on the way.

"I knew that years ago, actually. When they first started thinking about that show, it was probably 2021," he told Esquire. "Barbara and Andy Muschietti both told me, 'You're involved.' Yeah, I’m connected. I think there's something else that will come up eventually that I'm excited for people to see."

It's not clear what exactly might be in store for Richie Tozier – though, with Pennywise revealed to know the circumstances of his death, we wouldn't be surprised if he tries to track down some more Trumans or Toziers in It: Welcome to Derry season 2 and 3 (the show is planned for three seasons, but the remaining two haven't been officially greenlit yet). Whether that involves another Wolfhard appearance or not remains to be seen…

Outside of It, Wolfhard also recently wrapped up Stranger Things season 5 with an emotional finale. You can check out our Stranger Things season 5 finale review for our spoilery thoughts on the ending, or our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained for a breakdown of everything that happened.

Welcome to Derry season 2 isn't yet confirmed, though you can keep track of everything else that's on the way with our guide to all the upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows or fill out your watchlist with the best HBO Max shows.

Continuity and iteration is something we're familiar with in gaming. Sequels often dominate the release schedule, which is certainly a trend for the best video game movies of the year, where the majority are the second season of a previous hit adaptation. But unlike 2024, this collection of the best game adaptations of 2025 – which also consists of just live-action – has also had some notable theatrical releases, even if they might not be exactly what you're expecting.

But then that's also the definition of an adaptation. It's not about slavishly imitating the aesthetic, setting or story of what you've played but also translating it to another medium in creative ways, even if some of those choices can be divisive. Still, from family entertainment to horror to the post-apocalypse that can be a source for hard-hitting drama as well as absurd comedy, and this year's gaming adaptations certainly aren't lacking in variety. 2026's slew of upcoming video game movies already has some large boots to fill, but let's stay focused on the finest game adaptations of the past 12 months.

5. Until Dawn

Distributor: Screen Gems / Sony Pictures Entertainment

Unless Bandersnatch-style audience interaction could be implemented in theaters, adapting Supermassive's choice-based cinematic horror sleeper hit to the big screen was always going to be tricky without it just being reduced to another teen slasher.

Until Dawn then takes the gamble of a new gimmick where a group of unlucky teens find themselves getting picked off by a masked assailant only to find themselves trapped in a time loop where the night begins again with a new threat. It may not be the smartest meta-commentary of horror when compared to Scream or Cabin in the Woods, but its likable cast (which includes Peter Stormare reprising his role as the psychologist from the game) and humor ensures this is still a bloody entertaining time.

4. Twisted Metal Season 2

Distributor/Streaming service: Peacock

With all the prestigious PlayStation adaptations, one based on a vehicular combat game that hasn't had an entry since the PS3 was probably not on anyone's bingo cards, but its first season in 2023 proved that the post-apocalypse can be blood-soaked campy fun that fleshes out its source material in surprising ways. It also turned out to be merely the build-up to the actual Twisted Metal tournament itself that's the focus of Season 2.

While a no-holds-barred demolition derby with wildly unhinged characters like a game-accurate Raven and clown-masked Sweet Tooth, Anthony Mackie's fast-talking amnesiac 'milkman' John Doe stays a rootable and grounded center among the action-packed carnage of the Fury Road-style death races. It may not win awards or critical acclaim, but it's definitely Twisted Metal, and that's what counts most.

3. A Minecraft Movie

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Turning Mojang's all-time bestselling game with its signature blocky aesthetic into a live-action movie seemed like a recipe for disaster. Yet far from a cynical cash-in, Jared Hess, director of cult indies like Napoleon Dynamite, and Jack Black, no stranger to gaming adaptations, imbue A Minecraft Movie with more genuine personality than your run-of-the-mill CGI-driven fantasy adventure. It may spend too much screentime setting things up in the real world and its female cast is underdeveloped, but once in the Overworld it's as playfully irreverent as the game that still somehow manages to appeal to young fans and to a wider audience who don't know their Creeper from their Piglin. That the film led to viral rowdy audience outbursts that Warner Bros. then decided to officially sanction with 'meme-a-long' Block Party screenings means you could even call it a modern-day Rocky Horror Picture Show, if it has any staying power.

2. Fallout Season 2

Distributor/Streaming service: Amazon Prime Video

Given that Fallout topped our best gaming adaptations of 2024 list, it's not too surprising to see Fallout season 2 place highly here. The bigger surprise is that Amazon has managed to turn around this big budget adaptation in just over a year after its previous season.

But while the first season did an incredible job of setting up an original story with vault dweller Lucy's emergence into post-apocalyptic LA, Season 2's change of locale to New Vegas makes it a love letter to the game series' fan-favorite entry. It's then a real 'made by fans for fans' adaptation with everything from Deathclaws to Sunset Sarsaparilla to Mr. House being the scariest man ever. But once again, the show's standout is Walter Goggins' Ghoul, as are the flashbacks that show us the events leading up to the world becoming a nuclear wasteland. Our Fallout Season 2 review sings its praises plenty if you want to read more.

1. The Last of Us Season 2

Distributor/Streaming service: HBO Max

As an adaptation of the first half of The Last of Us Part 2, fans would already know what would await them, but even that still doesn't stop gaming's equivalent of The Red Wedding from being so brutally uncompromising when it happens at the end of the second episode of Season 2. It's also, however, a more divisive adaptation compared to Season 1's treatment of the first game, including the decision to shift some plot revelations earlier.

An episode directed and co-written by Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, while the most heartbreaking of the season, also doesn't quite match the masterclass of Season 1's 'Long, Long Time'. Yet it's anchored by the infectious chemistry between Bella Ramsey's Ellie and a terrific Isabela Merced as Dina, providing a source of joy amidst a harrowing journey from Jackson to Seattle. The question that remains is whether it's strong enough to keep us waiting for the second half of this story in Season 3.

We've ranked the best movies of 2025 for your viewing pleasure.

It: Welcome to Derry season 1 might have come to an end, but there is still a three season plan for the show (even if It: Welcome to Derry season 2 still hasn't been confirmed).

While creator Andy Muschietti isn't giving anything away, he did confirm a few tantalizing details about what might be coming up next in the hit HBO show.

"We can only say the stuff that's already known, like it's in 1935, 27 years before season 1 and it involves the massacre of the Bradley Gang from the books," Muschietti told Variety. "It takes place during the Depression in Derry, and there are some new characters and some characters from this season as well, but younger versions of them."

In Stephen King's novel, the Bradley Gang Massacre is a bloody gang shootout that the whole town of Derry gets involved in. It was referenced briefly in season 1, when an old car featuring victims of the massacre was uncovered. It's also alluded to in Muschietti's movies by a huge mural the Losers' Club stands in front of while patching up Ben Hanscom in the first film, and which is seen in passing in the second film.

Most intriguingly, though, is Muschietti's confirmation that season 2 will feature the younger versions of some season 1 characters. That seems likely to include Rose, an expert on Pennywise the Dancing Clown (AKA the entity IT) and its weaknesses, but it could also include the parents of some of the new (or should that be old?) Losers' Club – especially since we now know that Marge will grow up to be Margaret Tozier, mother of Richie Tozier. We'll just have to wait and see exactly who shows up.

Season 3 also hasn't been confirmed yet, but we know it will take place in 1908 – 27 years before 1935 – and it will focus on the Kitchener Ironworks explosion, a devastating tragedy that saw the factory explode during an Easter egg hunt, killing 102 people (88 of which were children). This, too, was referenced in season 1, when Dick Hallorann sees the body of a headless child during the deadly Black Spot fire.

Since It: Welcome to Derry hasn't been confirmed yet, it doesn't have a release date – but the creators have indicated they want it to come sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, catch up on everything that happened in that action-packed finale with our guide to the It: Welcome to Derry season 1 ending explained, or fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the upcoming Stephen King adaptations and the best HBO Max shows.

You can also read our finale breakdown with showrunner Jason Fuchs, or all the It: Welcome to Derry season 1 Easter eggs for some deep dives.

IT: Welcome to Derry aired its most terrifying episode yet with episode 5 – but there's one hidden, eerie detail that's been getting steadily creepier involving the opening credits, and you probably haven't even noticed.

The opening credits are already suitably scary, set to the song "A Smile and a Ribbon" by Patience & Prudence. What looks like suburban bliss is slowly revealed to have a darker edge: we see a lobotomy in Juniper Hill Asylum, a smiling teacher showing a nuclear blast to a room full of cowering kids, and glowing yellow eyes from inside the house on Neibolt Street.

But, as it turns out, the credits have been getting even spookier week by week. As spotted by a sharp-eared fan on Twitter, the credits have slowly been introducing ambient noise in the background, so the opening has been getting more and more unnerving. Check out a comparison below.

"That's all Andy," confirmed Welcome to Derry's editor, Matthew V. Colonna, on Twitter, referring to series creator Andy Muschietti.

The change has been audible from episode 3, too, as another fan noticed earlier in the show's run:

IT: Welcome to Derry episode 5 saw the highly anticipated return of Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise, who terrorized the kiddos in the sewers – but was stopped from snacking on Lily by the dropped dagger...

It certainly looks like the kids might have a chance at stopping the clown from getting them, then, but one fan theory around Marge suggests Rich might be done for.

You can keep up to date with the show with our guide to the IT: Welcome to Derry release schedule, or fill out your watchlist with the best shows on HBO Max and all the upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows.

I have a confession to make. I'm getting a little burned out on so-called 'prestige television.' If I have to watch another 8 episode limited series about a dejected cop (or gangster) with a troubled past trying to wrestle control from chaos while wallowing in his own guilty conscience, I'm going to immediately fall asleep for 100 years.

Thankfully, while a century-long nap might actually help a little bit, there's a balm for the increasingly tired concept of the TV strongman - Tim Robinson's bizarrely tense and hilariously absurd HBO series The Chair Company.

Centering on a satirical send-up of the ever-present TV strongman archetype, The Chair Company feels like a pointed antidote to the egotistic nature of its thriller genre thanks to a healthy dose of self-aware humor and social cringe that highlight the increasing abandon of its ultimately milquetoast lead.

It's something along the lines of The Man Who Knew Too Little, with co-creator and star Tim Robinson holding up his own oddball mirror to a society that seems bound and determined to trade the concept of a social contract for the right to pursue a personal vendetta.

It's maybe the last word I personally need on the strongman genre, and a perfect counterpoint to the endless stream of po-faced, guilt-ridden trauma cops that will likely never stop patrolling our TV screens.

The ghost of Tony Soprano

The trend of prestige shows that lionize the concept of a lone wolf going outside the law to accomplish bad but necessary things with unilateral force goes back to the early days of the idea of TV shows that elevate themselves above typical network dramas.

In many ways, Tony Soprano is the prototypical strongman archetype of a man whose values (twisted as they are) are constantly tested as he moves deeper into his own nonsense, while justifying the results of his actions as necessary evils

The concept seemed to reach its apex with the one-two punch of Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul – masterpieces in the narrative of a seemingly well-meaning man falling into an increasingly amoral vortex of desperation and unforeseen consequences. It's hard to top Walter White and Saul Goodman as disturbed men driven to incalculable social destruction.

But that doesn't seem to stop anyone from trying. In the last few months, I've seen at least 5 limited series about cops who are so haunted by their dead children and past mistakes that they go off the rails making whatever compromises they believe are necessary to their self-validating ends.

The trope also lives in some of the most successful prestige dramas of the present TV landscape, such as the ever-dominant Yellowstone, a show about a salt-of-the-earth land baron patriarch and his family resisting the encroachment of the outside world into their idyllic territory. It's yet another angle on the concept, and in this case, one that showcases the inherent messaging of the strongman archetype – that it is necessary to use any means, even illegal and amoral ones, to accomplish a personal ideal.

The TV strongman deconstructed

Some of the ongoing crop of strongman-centric dramas have had their charms – Netflix's Wayward gets by on inverting some of the genre's gender dynamics and on the strength of the performances of the show's creator, Mae Martin, and the always captivating Toni Collette, for example.

Still, it's Robinson and his co-creator Zach Kanin's The Chair Company that truly beats the horse to death in a well-deserved mercy killing with its madcap lead Ron Trosper (played by Robinson himself), a corporate executive and family man who becomes obsessed with unraveling the Gordian knot of a furniture sales company with inscrutable secrets at the expense of his personal commitments.

It all starts with the most unlikely of circumstances - Ron's chair collapses during an important company presentation, embarrassing him in front of his peers. Determined to make a complaint about the dangers of the faulty chair, he begins to dive ever deeper into a surprisingly creepy rabbit hole of abandoned warehouses, mercenary short-order cooks, and hoarder houses. Meanwhile, the chair company itself is nested in a seemingly endless web of shell companies, fake websites, and other odd twists.

It's easy to see how Robinson's Ron Trosper fits the basic ideas of the TV strongman: an ego-driven personal goal, an increasing distance between his family and his peers, and a willingness to bend his own morals and even the law to achieve satisfaction.

Nonetheless, there's a typically satirical edge to Robinson's performance in The Chair Company with enough social weirdness and absurdly lyrical characters to compare the show to Robinson's previous TV triumphs, Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, and his recent film turn in the Paul Rudd co-starring Friendship.

An oddball underdog

What makes The Chair Company such an effective deconstruction of the concept is the overall unnecessary nature of Ron's personal conflict, coupled with the surprisingly unhinged circumstances that occur as a result of Ron's obsession with figuring out exactly whose fault it is that he was made to look slightly foolish in front of his bosses and subordinates.

In some ways, a journey like Walter White's makes sense – his desperation at life-altering circumstances drives him to build an ever-expanding criminal empire that forces him to adapt to the violence of the moment. But for Ron Trosper, the stakes are nothing, and there is no impactful tragedy driving his Quixotic quest for answers about defective office chairs.

By removing the actual stakes of such a story while ramping up the madness at the heart of its all-too-sincere lead character, The Chair Company manages to illustrate just how futile the excesses of the TV strongman genre can be.

Ultimately, the only real risk is that Ron Trosper will go from temporarily embarrassed to permanently off-the-rails, a fitting parable for a TV landscape that often feels dominated by self-serious anti-heroes whose only relatable quality is carrying the same thousand-yard stare I get when I see a cop flashing back to fishing with his dead son.

In a way, that's what makes a character like Ron Trosper more relatable, and also makes The Chair Company far more relevant than a show that invents windmills for its protagonists to tilt at rather than letting their unstable lead characters build their own hallucinated giants to slay.

The hero we deserve

That feeling of petty personal drive is something most people have experienced in one way or another – an interior notion that demands addressing in an outward way, no matter how trivial.

What sets most of us apart from Ron Trosper, however, is Ron's elevation of that kind of personal peccadillo into ego-fueled vigilante determinism, an inability to turn away from the gulf of self-aggrandizing obsession.

For someone like Ron Trosper, that need to feel important in a nihilist world is all-consuming, an endless fall into a privately-tailored hellhole of anti-Streisand Effect obscurity, a retreat from community exacerbated by every attempt to exert a level of control.

Given the state of the real world, The Chair Company is a timely reminder to examine the idea of morally questionable individual quests for relevance at the expense of self-growth, and to ask ourselves if those are truly the heroes we need right now.

The Chair Company is currently airing on HBO in the US and Sky/NOW in the UK. When you're all caught up on The Chair Company, check out our picks for the 25 best shows on HBO Max to watch right now.

IT author Stephen King has shared some high praise for spin-off show IT: Welcome to Derry.

The show is based on his terrifying novel and is directly connected to Andy Muschietti's two-part movie adaptation, IT and IT: Chapter Two.

"I like Welcome to Derry a lot," King told The New York Post. "There are plenty of horrors and lots of surreal visuals. There's a supermarket scare that sticks in my mind, complete with pickle jars."

Now, if you're not up to date on the horror show, turn away now, lest you be spoiled. If you're still reading, then you'll know exactly which spine-chilling scene King is talking about.

In the moment, Lilly is shopping in the supermarket when things start to turn twisted. As we learn earlier in the show, Lilly's father was killed in a gruesome accident at the pickle factory where he worked after falling into the machinery while trying to rescue her ring. As Lilly begins to have auditory and visual hallucinations, she then sees the grisly cherry on top of a horrifying cake: the face of her father's corpse in a pickle jar.

It's stomach-churning already, but things only get worse when the jars start crashing from the shelves, and a hideous monster forms from the mangled body of Lilly's father and attacks her.

If that wasn't horrible enough, we still haven't even laid eyes on Pennywise the Dancing Clown himself yet. "When Pennywise finally appears, he's still scary as hell," King added.

The show is a prequel to IT, and it also features a crossover with The Shining, since Dick Hallorann appears in the series. "It was all about staying authentic to the book. We wanted to use as much of the canon as felt appropriate. We sort of put on our Mike Hanlon hat and approached this the way the character did. We became amateur Derry historians," showrunner Jason Fuchs explained at a roundtable attended by GamesRadar+. "And so, just as Mike is sitting in the attic of the library, we're sort of sitting in the writer's room going, 'OK, what pieces of these interludes in the book that suggest elements of Derry history shrouded in mystery can we start to dig into?'"

IT: Welcome to Derry is airing weekly. You can keep up with our IT: Welcome to Derry release schedule, or fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best HBO Max shows and all the upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows.

It seems that only half of everyone's favorite pair of HBO's True Detectives are open to the possibility of returning. Mere months after Matthew McConaughey expressed his interest in reprising the role of Rust Cohle, his partner-in-crime, Woody Harrelson, has assured that there'd be no chance of him returning to see if the light's still winning as Marty Hart.

During an appearance on the 3rd Hour of Today (via Deadline), Harrelson was asked if he'd follow his former co-star back into that world of Yellow Kings and timelines that were circular, only to deliver a blunt response. “Matthew’s so funny. In fairness, never. No chance.” When pressed as to why he'd be against the idea, Harrelson seemed weary of wrecking such a groundbreaking moment in television history.

“Because it turned out great,” explained Harrelson. I love that it turned out the way it did, and if anything, doing another season would, I think, tarnish that.”

Currently, there's absolutely no talk of another chapter involving the grizzled and worn-down lawmen that started the anthology series. Since then, the show has hosted talents including Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell, Mahershala Ali, and Jodie Foster, all of whom have had their own cases to crack and problems of their own to deal with. The most recent big star rumored to be added to the list was Nicolas Cage, who would be the next to take the lead in a fifth series and tell a new story set in New York State. Last month, McConaughey gave his blessing for the screen legend joining the fold, saying, "He’s a great actor, and I’d like to see him in that world." It's just a shame that Rust and Marty won't be joining him.

While you pine over the buddy cop comeback that will never be, why not check out some of the 25 best HBO shows that have made our list here.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has responded to criticism of the divisive Peacemaker season 2 finale.

After being asked by a fan on Threads whether he had seen the criticism of the finale and the show, the terminally online Gunn replied, "Definitely! Not everyone can love everything. I love the episode but I understand not everyone does, which is completely fair."

Currently sitting at a series-low 6.7/10 rating on IMDb, the Peacemaker season 2 finale was derided by viewers for its lack of big-time reveals, while also racing through certain character arcs.

As a counterpoint, Gunn also wrote on Threads, "I don't get that people don't think there aren't big reveals here, including Checkmate and Salvation."

As the writer-director alluded to, the Peacemaker season 2 ending was filled with various setups that made good on Gunn's claim that the season was a "prequel" to 2027's Man of Tomorrow. Not least of all is the emergence of Salvation, an alternate dimension that Rick Flag Sr. plans to use to house all of Earth's metahumans.

In a recent Q&A, Gunn won't expect fans to know all of that going into the Superman sequel. He said (via Variety), “I’m not expecting people to go into Man of Tomorrow and know what Salvation is. You’ll find out anything you need to know about metahumans disappearing through that movie.”

Next up for the DCU is Supergirl, which hits cinemas on June 26, 2026. For more, check out our guides to upcoming DC movies and DCU Chapter One.

There were several big-name cameos in Peacemaker season 2, but there was one that you almost definitely didn't spot: Peacemaker writer-director James Gunn sneaking into the background of one pivotal scene.

In a crowd scene at Foxy Shazam's concert during a Peacemaker season 2 ending montage, you might notice the distinctive grey hair and glasses of a certain director. Thankfully, a Twitter user managed to capture the moment for posterity, which you can see below for yourself.

This isn't just an extra who happens to look like James Gunn, either. The DC Studios co-CEO confirmed it was him on the latest episode of Peacemaker: The Official Podcast, while Economos actor Steve Agee and the two members of the band Nelson were also milling about in the scene.

"I just said, 'Come on guys, let's all come out.' The whole crew came out there, a lot of our PAs went out there. We were all just dancing around."

Gunn also presciently noted, "If you look in the very back, somebody might be able to freeze frame and find us back there."

Peacemaker season 2 also featured a cameo from Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor ahead of his reappearance in Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. In the HBO Max series, he entered into an uneasy partnership with Rick Flag Sr., a move that ultimately led to John Cena's Peacemaker being stranded on the alternate dimension of Salvation, a would-be prison for all of Earth's metahumans.

Discover more about the DCU with our guides to upcoming DC movies and DCU Chapter One.

Very soon, we'll be heading back to meet one of Derry's most famous and feared residents with the IT prequel series, IT: Welcome to Derry, and this weekend at NYCC, GamesRadar+'s Lauren Milici was fortunate enough to see some footage behind closed doors that, scientifically speaking, would scare the snot out of the rest of us.

The new show is set 27 years before IT: Chapter One, before Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Martell) and the rest of the Losers Club came face-to-face with Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), the dancing clown who has a penchant for torturing and eventually tearing kids to pieces to feast on their fear. What will get King fans extra excited this time around, though, is that The Shining's Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), the eventual cook of The Overlook Hotel, looks to be playing a big part in the show, long before he crosses paths with the Torrance family in The Shining.

In the first scene, we see Pennywise pay Dick Hallorann a visit. He’s sitting in the back of a military plane while Major Leroy Hanlon (grandfather to eventual Loser, Mike Hanlon, played by Jovan Adepo) and Cpt Pauly Russo (Rudy Mancuso) are flying. Dick suddenly walks into a sewer where scenes of military combat and death flash before him. He looks up and sees baby dolls and toys falling from the top of a pile the size of a skyscraper. Suddenly, we see Pennywise’s glowing yellow eyes.

In the second scene, Leroy and Pauly are in a sewer, guns drawn. Charlotte (Taylour Paige), Leroy’s wife, appears, but Pauly can’t see her…and that’s how he knows she’s not real. Leroy shoots the fake Charlotte and tells Pauly not to trust anything he sees down there and to shoot it on site. Honestly, we'd just keep an eye out for anything that floats, as well.

It's an exciting prospect that the show will see grown-ups facing off against Pennywise, rather than just another brave batch of kids trying to take on the clown. It'll also be interesting to see just how involved Dick is in this newly tweaked chapter of the IT story and how much of his shining gifts will come in handy against the town's ancient evil. You'll be able to see just what kind of chaos is heading our way when IT: Welcome to Derry premieres on HBO and HBO Max on October 26 in the US. It'll air the following day on Sky and NOW in the UK. While you wait, check out our best Stephen King adaptations here.

James Gunn had long teased that there would be major cameos in the Peacemaker season 2 finale, but this one probably would have broken the internet.

As revealed to IGN and other assembled press during a recent virtual press conference, one of the locked doors in the Quantum Unfolding Chamber would have seen a certain fourth-wall-breaking Marvel character pop up for an unlikely crossover.

"Yeah, I wanted them to open the door and see Deadpool in a room," Gunn said. "I talked to Ryan Reynolds about it and we’d have had to go through some pretty, pretty big hoops to do that. He wanted to do it."

Gunn joked, "That’s all anybody’s going to talk about now is fucking Deadpool in the other room."

The MCU's Merc with a Mouth may not have appeared in the DC Studios project, but there was plenty else to discuss during the Peacemaker season 2 ending – including some surprising setup for Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.

One moment in particular involved John Cena's Peacemaker being trapped in 'Salvation', an alternate dimension that will be used to contain some of Earth's most powerful and deadliest metahumans.

That certainly came as a gut-punch after Chris reconciled with Harcourt and formed a new agency, Checkmate, with his found family. Gunn himself even revealed that was the original endpoint for the second season, but a conversation with DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran ultimately made him include the scene involving Peacemaker's kidnapping and incarceration. Maybe Deadpool could lend him a hand?

For more, here's what Gunn has to say about the chances of Peacemaker season 3. Then take a look ahead to what's next in the DCU with our guide to upcoming DC movies.

Waiting for Peacemaker season 3? James Gunn seemingly has some bad news, but does confirm John Cena's character is still a major part of the DCU's future. [Update: the previously deleted quotes are now back online]

During a recent press conference interview with Gunn (via Deadline), the DC co-CEO and Peacemaker creator made it clear that, if Peacemaker season 3 ever happens, it won't be anytime soon. "No, this is about the wider DCU and other stories in which this will play out right now," Gunn said. "That doesn’t mean that there won’t be. I don’t want to never say never, but right now, no, this is about the future of the DCU. It’s an important character."

Whatever the future holds, right now it appears that a third season of the HBO Max series isn't in the works. Previously, Gunn had confirmed there were immediate plans for Peacemaker over the horizon in the DCU.

Now, that's been upgraded over on Threads to Chris Smith being "instrumental" to the next story Gunn is trying to tell, which appears to be a loose adaptation of DC miniseries Salvation Run, a Lord of the Flies-esque adventure involving several villains vying for survival on a hostile planet called Salvation.

Whatever happens next, it's clear that the Peacemaker season 2 ending will roll directly into the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. After all, we can't imagine Lex Luthor – who is confirmed to appear in the 2027 movie – will be all too pleased with Rick Flag's plans, nor would a certain Last Son of Krypton…

For more on DCU's (confirmed) plans, we have a complete guide to DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Then, discover what James Gunn had to say when we asked him about DC's video game plans.

James Gunn says Peacemaker season 2 wasn't going to end with the Salvation twist, but one conversation made him change his mind.

Spoilers for the Peacemaker season 2 ending follow. You have been warned.

As revealed on the final episode of Peacemaker: The Official Podcast, the season 2 finale originally ended with the Checkmate reveal. As the 11th Street Kids – complete with Eagly, Fleury, Judomaster, and Sasha Bordeaux – walked out of their new agency in triumphant fashion, things were looking bright for the DCU's new covert group.

"The first draft ended there. I gave it to [DC Studios co-CEO] Peter Safran and I said, 'I had another thing I wrote that I put on the ending' and he's like, 'What?'" Gunn recalled.

From there, a final final scene was added, which sees John Cena's Chris Smith kidnapped by Rick Flag Sr. and ARGUS. As revenge for his son, Rick Flag Jr. (check out The Suicide Squad for a slightly non-canon explanation of what went down there), Rick banishes Chris to Salvation, a world designed to keep metahumans away from meddling in Earth's affairs. As the door to the dimension evaporates, Chris is left alone – or so he thinks. In the distance, a fearsome growl gets his attention..

"We knew Salvation was a part of our future, I didn't know I was going to put it here – we knew it was part of the DCU plan. I told him what it was and [Peter] goes, 'Oh, you've gotta put that in there."

What that means for Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow and beyond is anyone's guess, though Gunn has previously described Peacemaker season 2 as a "prequel" to the 2027 film and makes reference in the podcast to Salvation being the "beginning" of a larger DCU arc.

For more, check out our guides on DCU Chapter One and upcoming DC movies.

Nothing about Peacemaker season 2 is getting spoiled on Jennifer Holland's watch.

The latest episode of the DC show finally unveiled its massive twist, which was foreshadowed so well that pretty much every fan paying close attention had figured it out in advance. Now, the following will get into spoiler territory, so look away now if you're not up to date!

In the new episode, it's revealed that the alternate reality Chris has been escaping to is none other than Earth-X (though it hasn't been identified by name just yet). That's a bleak version of the world where the Nazis won World War 2, which has been set up by the complete absence of people of color in this world so far. The truth is revealed in a horrifying moment where Adebayo is forced to sprint away from a racist mob, while Chris checks an American flag on a desk and discovers a swastika instead of stars.

But Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt in the show, was confronted with this very theory in an interview with Brandon Davis days before the twist was revealed.

After Davis explained the theory that this alternate reality could be Earth-X, Holland, without missing a beat, replied: "That's really interesting. Is Earth-X something from the comics that I don't know about?"

Davis explained, and Holland kept up the act. "So that's why people think that Auggie Smith is such a nice guy in this universe," she said. "Wild, that's pretty cool. Episodes six through eight, a lot happens, a lot is revealed, it has a lot of consequences for the future of the DC universe. You only have to wait one more week and you're going to get a little bit more information. The next three episodes are pretty wild."

Unlike notorious spoiler machines Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo, then, this Holland is staying tight-lipped.

You can keep up to date with our Peacemaker season 2 release schedule, or check out our spoiler-free Peacemaker season 2 review for our verdict on the first five episodees of the show. For even more, see our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows.

Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista has opened up about almost playing Peacemaker in the DCU.

Bautista, who played Drax in the MCU, was the actor Gunn originally had in mind for the role, but scheduling conflicts kept Bautista away.

"I have to say, that one. I really wanted to do that part. He [Gunn] wrote that part for me, and it was meant for me, and it just became a scheduling thing where I just couldn't do it, because I was doing Army of the Dead," Bautista told ComicBook.com. "And so it was a scheduling issue that we just could not figure out."

But, Bautista doesn't have any hard feelings that the role went to John Cena. "And I think it was great. It was a blessing in disguise that I didn't do that, because I have to say, I have to be honest, there's no way that I would have been able to do that role like John. He's just perfect for it, you know, and I wouldn't have done it justice, and it wouldn't have been as successful," Bautista explained.

"So, look, and I am, I'm saying that with a bit of envy, you know, I would love it," Bautista added. "I just wouldn't have been able to do the same thing that John does to bring to that character. It wouldn't have been the same. It wouldn't have been as good. I can honestly say it wouldn't have been as good."

Peacemaker season 2 is currently airing, and Gunn has teased that the remaining episodes will be huge, so much so that they've been kept pretty much under wraps. "It could mean they're terrible," Gunn joked. "That is one option. Or it could mean that there's a lot of major twists and turns in the last three episodes. And even though I'm sending the first five to a select few, things still get out as you know. Things got out already. You know, people who want to search can be spoiled on purpose, but I really don't want what's in those last three episodes to be spoiled. And so I'm keeping them close to the chest. I won't even let my publicist see them. That's the god's honest truth."

You can keep up to date with our Peacemaker season 2 release schedule, or read our verdict on the season with our Peacemaker season 2 review.

You don't need to be a massive DC head to know that Peacemaker is James Gunn's baby, but even he has niggles with the show. His biggest in season 2? The eagle poop in episode 4.

"I just remember I got really upset because the first time they brought it out, it looked like it was a bunch of melted ice cream or melted taffy or something," he explained to actors Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, and Tim Meadows on the show's official podcast. "But like, it just looked totally fake to me, you know? It looked like it was gushier, which is kind of grosser, but it didn't look real.

"I'm like, 'Haven't you ever seen bird shit? Like, bird shit looks like... this', and I went and I looked up pictures of eagle shit and I sent them what it looked like. And it's still kind of weird in the way it snaps off; I was never a hundred percent happy with it, but it was much better than it originally was."

In 'Need I Say Door', which aired on September 11, Chris (John Cena) makes a run for it with Eagly in tow, after Economos (Agee) informs him of A.R.G.U.S's imminent raid. They encounter some trouble in the woods, though, as Michael Rooker's Red St. Wild continues his attempt to shoot Eagly, hunting the pair of them by following the latter's droppings (and, well, tasting 'em).

Elsewhere, Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) meets up with Emilia Harcourt (Holland) to offer her a new position at A.R.G.U.S., on the condition that she helps him apprehend Peacemaker – a proposition she agrees to. Chris later tells a devastated Adebayo about his plans to move to the alternate dimension.

Peacemaker season 2 drops new episodes every Thursday on HBO Max in the US and Sky/NOW in the UK. Never miss one with our Peacemaker season 2 release schedule or for more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One.

HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys has expressed his surprise at The Penguin star Colin Farrell going home empty-handed from this year's Emmys.

Despite Farrell being a frontrunner for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, the award went instead to Adolescence's Stephen Graham.

“I was surprised that Colin [didn't win] – he’s a great guy, I was a little surprised," Bloys told Deadline after the ceremony. "But that’s awards shows, it’s unpredictable."

Farrell continued his portrayal of Oswald 'Oz' Cobb from The Batman, a low-level crime boss with aspirations to rise to the top in Gotham.

Across eight episodes of the acclaimed HBO miniseries, Farrell's Cobb transformed from a slight sad sack into a ruthless, hard-edged killer who, as we discovered through a series of flashbacks, has enough childhood trauma to give Bruce Wayne a run for his money.

Farrell is set to return as the Penguin in The Batman 2, though his overall role is unclear – other than his character not being the focal point of the DC sequel.

"I haven’t got much to do on it, just a little bit," he told Deadline in a separate interview. "I read the script and it’s extraordinary."

The Batman 2 hits cinemas on October 1, 2027, though fellow The Penguin standout Cristin Milioti, who played crime boss Sofia Falcone, won't be returning.

"Cristin's not in this one," director Matt Reeves told MTV. "But that's because we were so deep into the script by the time we were in the show."

For more, check out the upcoming DC movies and shows on the way, as well as our complete guide to DCU Chapter One.

The Penguin might have been billed as a limited series, but it could be coming back for more.

That's according to The Batman director and Penguin executive producer Matt Reeves, who told Variety at The Emmys: "We're in discussions. [Showrunner] Lauren [LeFranc] is thinking hard and we're talking, so we'll see. We love the show, and we think our cast is so incredible. The work that Lauren and the writers did was incredible. Our passion was in it, but never in our wildest dreams could we imagine it would have been received in the way that it was."

But, earlier in August, LeFranc seemed far less sure a second season was a possibility. "I don't know. There's no current status update. I think Matt just turned in his script (for The Batman Part 2), so I'm excited to read that soon and see what comes of that – if there is anything there that merits a second season [of The Penguin] or not," LeFranc commented.

"I think we've said this before, but I truly mean it: We have to feel confident we can top ourselves, and that's something that's really important to Colin Farrell and me, especially," she added. "Otherwise, we don't want to do something again if it's not going to be excellent. We were always meant to be a limited series. So, pivoting to a second season is just different – it's not something we ever really talked about."

But, judging by LeFranc's thoughts, a second season wouldn't happen until after The Batman 2 anyway. "The intention of our first season always was, we're launching Oz into the second film, and so we couldn't air a second season until after Matt's movie comes out," LeFranc explained.

As for The Batman Part 2, that film isn't due out until October 1, 2027. But, the script is finished and is making its way to those who need to read it. "I haven't got much to do on it, just a little bit," Farrell revealed recently. "I read the script and it’s extraordinary."

Next up for DC is Supergirl, while Peacemaker season 2 is currently releasing. You can keep up to date with our Peacemaker season 2 release schedule.

For everything else DC has in store, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows.

As the cast list grows for Harry Potter's fresh new trip to television, one actor that has been named ironically in connection with a character that shouldn't be is Cillian Murphy as Lord Voldemort. Ever since it was announced that we'd be getting an HBO series, fans began backing the idea of the Oscar winner taking on the role of the Dark Lord who was out to kill Hogwarts' top pupil (now played by Dominic McLaughlin). Now the Oppenheimer star has put any potential rumors to bed and given a solid reason as to why.

While appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Murphy revealed that he had become aware of his name popping up for the new take on The Boy Who Lived, but confessed that that's as far as things went. “No, my kids show me it occasionally, but no, I don’t know anything about that," Murphy revealed. By the sounds of things, the Peaky Blinders star wouldn't dream of taking on the role anyway, due to the pressure of following the actor who previously held it. "I mean, also, it’s just really hard to follow anything Ralph Fiennes does. The man is an absolute acting legend. So, good luck to whoever is going to fill those shoes.”

Murphy might sound reluctant to take over from Fiennes' now legendary turn as Voldemort, but the original head of the Death Eaters did share his opinion on the casting suggestion and was all for the idea. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone director, Chris Columbus, also backed the suggestion saying, “Well, Cillian is one of my favourite actors, so that would be amazing."

As it stands, no name has been attached to the upcoming take on Voldemort just yet, which makes sense given that he doesn't make that much of a, shall we say, full-bodied appearance in the first book, which the initial season will be based on. We've got plenty of time to wait though, given that Harry Potter won't be expected to arrive in his new televised tale until 2027. In the meantime, check out our ranking of the original Harry Potter movies here.

Adapting one of the best video games of all time for television was always going to be a big ask. Now the pressure is truly on for The Last of Us when it comes to its third season, given that the show is losing one of its showrunners, who also happens to be the man who created this universe in the first place. After sticking it out for two seasons, The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann announced he wouldn't be handling season 3 of the show and that instead his focus was shifting back to Naughty Dog and upcoming projects.

As a result, the show's co-creator, Craig Mazin, has now taken complete control, putting both hands on the wheel from here on out. But while he might be keeping his distance from the series, which left on a cliffhanger, teeing up Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever) side of the story, Druckmann has confirmed he'll still be in a safe proximity to it and hopes to see it check one important box when it's finally completed.

"As much as I miss getting into the weeds and working on the effects shots and giving script notes and really getting into the details of it, I’m trying to just shepherd it," he explained to Variety. "My hope for season 3, and what I’d like to think I can best contribute to it, is to make sure it’s as deeply faithful as season 1 was. Because I feel like that is the gold standard for this kind of adaptation, while enjoying all these beautiful expansions that happen naturally with the rest of the team and how they’re working on season 3. So that is where my involvement will stay, is at that very, very high level."

Thankfully, the former co-showrunner and creator of The Last of Us franchise did confess how handling Joel and Ellie's story in such a different medium has given him great insight into how he deals with what's next on his to-do list, which includes the highly anticipated sci-fi adventure game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

"I will say I did really enjoy it, and I took a lot away from it. I joked that I went to the best film school by working on the show, and I got to just really collaborate with incredible artists," explained Druckmann, with the show now having nine Emmy wins to its name. "There’s a lot that I learned, even just as far as the craft of making cinematic storytelling. There’s so much that overlaps with my work at Naughty Dog that I felt like I took quite a bit away from that. I think I could better serve this show and other adaptations like it in the future, having learned all this stuff — but my first responsibility, my first love, is video games, and it’s at Naughty Dog."

We'll have to wait and see just how things pan out as the harrowing world of infected, Clickers, and heartbreaking guitar solos continues without its maker. In the meantime, head here to get everything you need to know about The Last of Us season 3.

Peacemaker is filled with several notable names, but perhaps its most impressive performance is hiding behind two wings and a beak. That's right: Chris Smith's trusty feathered friend Eagly is actually voiced by an actor.

"Every time you hear Eagly in season 1 or 2, it is not an actual bird sound. It is a gentleman by the name of Dee Bradley Baker," James Gunn revealed in the latest episode of Peacemaker: The Official Podcast. "If you want to see some fun videos, watch videos of him making the bird voice." (It's true: head to 37:00 in the video below for an example of Baker in action).

You may not know Dee Bradley Baker by name, but you've certainly heard his voice. The prolific actor has voiced roles in SpongeBob SquarePants, Fairly Odd Parents, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and several DC productions.

"I have to watch him when I'm directing him in Zoom, and turn off my mic because I cannot stop laughing at how ridiculous he looks making those bird voices," Gunn recalled. "You never think that's a human being when you hear that bird."

Jennifer Holland, who plays Harcourt in the DCU series, interjected, "It's incredible. I feel like he does such a great job of really communicating pretty specific thoughts and feelings from Eagly."

Peacemaker season 2 is currently streaming on HBO Max, with fans eagerly awaiting the final three episodes after Gunn revealed he wouldn't send them out to critics for fear of spoilers leaking.

For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One, the DCU timeline, and how to watch the DC movies in order.

The Conjuring TV show has taken a big step forward at HBO Max: the horror spin-off has found its showrunner, according to Variety.

Nancy Won has reportedly joined the project, which was first announced back in 2023, as a writer, executive producer, and showrunner. She's previously worked on shows like Jessica Jones, Supernatural, and Little Fires Everywhere as a writer and producer.

Not much is known about the plot of the show yet, other than the fact that it will continue the story of The Conjuring movies.

Won isn't the only Marvel alum involved behind the scenes, either: Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires have been brought on board as writers. The duo has previously worked on WandaVision and Agatha All Along, while Cameron's credits also include Marvel's Moon Knight and Werewolf By Night, and Squires has written for Gen V season 2.

The news comes off the back of a big win for the franchise, with the latest Conjuring movie breaking a major box office record. The Conjuring: Last Rites has made $194 million at the global box office since it was released on September 5, making it the biggest opening for a horror movie ever and overtaking 2017's IT, which previously held the record with $190 million.

The Conjuring: Last Rites stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren and it's based on a real-life case, the Smurl haunting.

The Conjuring TV show doesn't have a release date yet. While we wait for more updates, fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best new TV shows still to come in 2025.

James Gunn has added fuel to the fire of Peacemaker season 2's importance to the wider DCU by calling it a "prequel" to Man of Tomorrow.

The DC Studios boss put out a reminder on Twitter for fans to watch the latest episode of Peacemaker season 2, complete with John Cena cradling his stunt double, alongside the caption: "Watch the Man of Tomorrow Prequel AKA #Peacemaker Season 2."

Gunn has long been vocal about the importance of Peacemaker season 2 in the wider story he's trying to tell, previously mentioning that he isn't sending the last three episodes of the season out to critics because of the spoilers contained within.

"I will also say, six and eight may be my favorite things I've done, like, of all time. It's like some of my favorite stuff ever," Gunn told journalist Brandon Davis in an interview.

Those spoilers, seemingly, could feature those turning up again in Man of Tomorrow. We know for certain that David Corenswet's Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor will return in the quasi-Superman sequel, with Hawkgirl actor Isabel Merced also indicating she will be part of the ensemble.

On the current status of Man of Tomorrow, Gunn managed to (somehow) find time in his busy workload to update fans on Threads. The director revealed the script is "all" done.

Gunn added, "Just in the necessary and lengthy stage of rewriting and rewriting some more. It's been a lot of fun..

Peacemaker season 2 is currently airing on HBO Max. Man of Tomorrow hits cinemas on July 9, 2027.

For more, check out our guides to DCU Chapter One and the Peacemaker season 2 release schedule.

Peacemaker actor Sol Rodriguez, who plays ARGUS agent Sasha Bordeaux in the second season of the DCU series, has opened up about her rejection from another of James Gunn's projects – Superman.

"That's how James met me," Rodriguez revealed in an interview with Brandon Davis on the audition process for Lex Luthor's heavy The Engineer.

"It went to my friend [María Gabriela de Faría], who I worked with 14 years ago in Miami [for Nickelodeon Latin America show Grachi]. It went to her. I couldn't be happier. We were going to go in and test with James but we were both like, 'It has to go to either of us… if it goes to you, I'm so happy.'"

On her reaction to losing out on the role, Rodriguez said, "It was, obviously, bittersweet – because it meant I didn't get it. But I was so happy she got it, she deserves it so much."

Rodriguez added, "I was convinced it was a one-time thing with James, he met me, I wasn't good enough, he didn't like me. I went through that phase, I cried a lot and it was a dream I let die then I moved on."

But that wasn't the end. From there, it was radio silence for Rodriguez, until she was later contacted for Peacemaker and sent a tape in for Sasha Bordeaux. Instead of a rejection, the audition soon snowballed into an offer.

Peacemaker season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max, though you might require the Peacemaker season 2 release schedule to keep track of when new episodes will drop.

For more, be sure to dive into our guides on DCU Chapter One and the DCU timeline.

Given just how many stories he's penned over the last 50 years, it's fairly unsurprising that there are a ton of upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows heading our way. From Carrie and The Mist, who are both being overseen by trusted adapter Mike Flanagan, to The Institute season 2 and a new film from The Long Walk writer JT Mollner, there's plenty to look forward to if you're a fan of the King of Horror's works.

It can be hard to keep track of what's coming and which projects have been cancelled, though. It also feels like we are getting new King adaptation announcements every other week, and then there is also confusion around production statuses for more recent hits, like the second season of It: Welcome to Derry. Well, to make all our horror-filled lives easier, we've rounded up all the upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows below. So you can spend less time scrolling IMDb's calendar and more time getting excited about your fright-filled future.

If you're not into the likes of Cujo and The Dark Tower, then feel free to jump into our guide to all the other upcoming horror movies on the way instead. If you are, then keep scrolling for everything you need to know about the ever-expanding King-verse.

Here's all the confirmed upcoming Stephen King movies

Rat

Release date: TBC

This marks the third story in King's 2020 novella collection, If It Bleeds, to get the big screen treatment, following Mr. Harrigan's Phone and The Life of Chuck. Around the time of the collection's release, Ben Stiller had signed on to produce, direct, and star in the film – but a lack of new updates led us to move the project down to our list of cancelled King projects. Luckily, the project has been revived by frequent Robert Eggers collaborator Jay Van Hoy, with Mexican filmmaker Isaac Ezban in the director's chair.

The story follows a writer named Drew who can't seem to finish a novel without something disastrous occurring in his personal life. He retreats to a desolate cabin deep in the woods of Maine, hoping that this time will be different. Much to his luck, a violent snow storm hits, and Drew is stranded... that is, until a mysterious stranger arrives and offers aid. Aid that'll come at a price. Despite no longer directing or producing, it's still possible that Stiller could star in the adaptation as Drew.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Release date: TBC

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is one of those underrated King novels that fans have continually asked for an adaptation of. Lucky for us, JT Mollner (above), who recently directed Strange Darling and penned the script for The Long Walk, is set to helm the forthcoming pic from Lionsgate (via The Hollywood Reporter). The 1999 novel follows a nine-year-old girl named Trisha who gets lost in the woods with just her Walkman and begins to hallucinate that her hero, baseball player Tom Gordon, is coming to her rescue.

George A. Romero was initially set to helm an adaptation not long after the novel's release, but the project stalled out shortly before his death. In 2019, the project was revived once more with Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Die My Love) set to direct. However, Vertigo let the rights to the film lapse, with Lionsgate optioning them in 2025.

Cujo

Release date: TBC

It was announced in spring 2025 that Netflix had brokered a deal to adapt Cujo, the 1981 novel about a killer dog – though no directors or writers have been attached to the project just yet. It's one of King's sadder tales, with a previously sweet St. Bernard becoming a murderer after contracting rabies and going after a mother and her child who suffers from seizures.

The book was first adapted for the big screen in 1983, starring Dee Wallace as the titular mother. Lewis Teague, who also directed the adaptation of The Cat's Eye, served as director. The film was ultimately panned by critics, but now sits in the gallery of lower-rated Stephen King adaptations that have become cult classics. There isn't too much info out there about the upcoming pic, but we do know Weapons and The Long Walk's Roy Lee is set to produce.

Billy Summers

Release date: TBC

An adaptation of King's 2021 novel about a semi-retired hitman was first announced in 2022 as a ten-episode limited series under J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production banner. In 2023, Deadline announced that Bad Robot would link up with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way to turn it into a feature-length film. It's speculated that Abrams will direct with DiCaprio playing the titular character, but we'll hold off on getting excited until we see an official announcement. It's confirmed, however, that Ed Zwick (Shakespeare in Love) and Marshall Herskovitz (Traffic) are writing the screenplay.

The novel follows Billy Summers, a hitman who only takes on jobs that involve killing people he deems truly evil. He agrees to one last lucrative job, but begins to suspect that the mobsters who hired him are setting him up. We could definitely see DiCaprio in the role, though Taylor Kitsch is a popular fan cast.

Elevation

Release date: TBC

In 2021, Jack Bender told CinemaBlend that he had a script ready to go for a live-action adaptation of King's 2018 novella Elevation – and even though the producer and showrunner is busy with the TV adaptation of The Institute (which just got the greenlight for a second season), the project does appear to be going forward… even though we don't know too much about it just yet.

The novella, a mere 144 pages (which is quite short for King, given that the IT novel could be wielded as a weapon), follows a man named Scott Carey who is afflicted with a mysterious illness with bizarre effects that don't seem to be physical. While he embarks on a journey to cure his disease, he also helps a local lesbian couple who are facing backlash for opening a restaurant in the small (and deeply haunted) town of Castle Rock, Maine. From what we've seen with Under the Dome, Mr. Mercedes, and The Institute, we can assume that Bender's adaptation is a faithful one – though he did say that he "invented some stuff" for the story.

The Mist

Release date: TBC

If there's anyone worth trusting with Stephen King stories, it's Mike Flanagan, having already impressed genre fans with Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game and let's face it, his unofficial Salem's Lot adaptation Midnight Mass. It's good, then, that he's the one attempting to follow-up Frank Darabont's excellent 2007 version of The Mist with a brand new spin on the claustrophobic, cosmic horror.

It's too soon to confirm whether or not Flanagan's take will follow the novel, which was first published in 1980, exactly, but the story follows Maine man David Drayton and his eight-year-old son Billy, as they take shelter in a local supermarket when a mysterious fog descends upon their town. Turns out, there are murderous, otherworldly monsters lurking in the haze – but as tensions rise among the survivors, David soon realizes that staying inside may not be the safer option.

Here's all the confirmed upcoming Stephen King TV shows

Carrie

Release date: October 2026

It's no secret that Stephen King loves Mike Flanagan, with Gerald's Game being the filmmaker's first foray into King adaptations. Flanagan then went on to direct Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck before it was announced that he would write and direct an eight-episode miniseries based on King's 1974 novel Carrie. The book, which follows a bullied teenager with an abusive religious mother who discovers that she has telekinetic powers, is the most adapted King novel as it stands, with three different feature-length films, one sequel, and a musical.

We don't know much about Flanagan's take on the novel, but we know we're probably in for something truly spooky. Newcomer Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White, with Siena Agudong as Sue Snell, Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White, Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen, and Amber Midthunder as Rita Desjardian. Matthew Lillard, Katee Sackoff, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, and Heather Graham also star.

The Institute season 2

Release date: TBC 2026

The Institute season 2 was confirmed before season 1 had even finished airing back in August 2025. The show stars Joe Freeman as Luke, one of several kidnapped kids who finds themselves trapped in The Institute, a mysterious place housing youngsters with telepathic and telekinetic powers. They're put through torturous tests overseen by Mary-Louise Parker's Julia Sigsby.

"We hope for a second season, and with people talking about it the way you are, hopefully, the studio thinks we will [have one], too. We've got good ideas to keep these stories alive," co-showrunner Jack Bender previously told GamesRadar+.

It: Welcome to Derry season 2

Release date: TBC

Good news, it looks like It: Welcome to Derry season 2 is pretty much confirmed at this point, at least according to co-showrunner Andy Muschietti. "There's not much we can say but yes," Muschietti explained at a press conference (via Nerdist). "We're very proud that the expectations are high after the first season. I think we're going to deliver something that is greater."

So yeah, although we are still waiting for official production news, Pennywise will likely be back on our screens in no time. We are guessing we'll be going back even further into the past with the deadly clown next season. Or we could also see Pennywise try to break space and time in order to try to change fate. Who knows? But we'll keep you posted as more information heads our way.

Fairy Tale

Release date: TBC

In 2022, it was announced that Jason Bourne film franchise helmer Paul Greengrass was set to write, direct, and produce a feature-length adaptation of King's 2022 novel Fairy Tale. In 2024, however, Deadline reported that A24 was now turning the proposed film into a 10-episode TV series with Fringe creator J.H. Wyman to serve as showrunner.

The novel, which is more dark fantasy YA than King's usual adult horror, follows a 17-year-old boy named Charlie Reade, who suddenly inherits a set of mysterious keys that open a hidden realm, and finds himself on the frontlines of a war between the forces of good and evil. Greengrass's initial script will still be used for the TV series, but will be re-adapted for the small screen by him and Wyman.

The Dark Tower

Release date: TBC

After a less-than-successful feature film hit the big screen in 2017, it was only a matter of time before a new adaptation of The Dark Tower entered the chat. In 2022, Mike Flanagan announced that he, along with producing partner Trevor Macy, would helm a new version of The Dark Tower for Prime Video… which will take place over the course of five seasons, followed by two standalone features.

The novel series, which is a dark fantasy western sci-fi of sorts, follows a gunslinger named Roland Deschain as he embarks on a quest through a vast desert to hunt down his nemesis, known as "the man in black." Given that there are seven novels (and one prequel novella) in The Dark Tower series, five seasons and two movies make perfect sense. We don't know much else about the forthcoming adaptation just yet, as Flanagan is still hard at work with his Carrie miniseries, but we do know that the deal has been signed.

The Talisman

Release date: TBC

It's the novel that Steven Spielberg spent some 35 years trying to adapt, but couldn't find a way to make it work as a film. In 2019, a movie was finally (though cryptically) announced with involvement from The Handmaid's Tale director Mike Barker. Now, the 1984 joint venture between King and the late Peter Straub is headed to streaming as a TV series (via The Hollywood Reporter). The Duffer brothers, creators of the hit sci-fi show Stranger Things, are set to executive produce in conjunction with Netflix and Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, with Stranger Things writer Curtis Gwinn as head writer and showrunner.

The Talisman follows Jack Sawyer, a 12-year-old boy who embarks on a perilous, fantastical journey in order to retrieve a magical object that will save his dying mother's life. The novel takes place in two realities: the United States circa 1984, and its parallel fantasy world, The Territories. As of right now, the project remains in active development – and given the recent success of The Institute TV adaptation, it's likely that work on the project will begin fairly soon.

Here's all the cancelled Stephen King projects, so far

From a Buick 8

We're not sure why a film adaptation of 2002's From a Buick 8 hasn't been able to get off the ground, but we've decided to remain hopeful. The novel, which can be described as a more modern take on the killer car story we saw in 1983's Christine, sees the members of a Pennsylvania police troop recount the story of an old Buick 8 kept in a shed – that may have very well been linked to the death of one of their fellow men.

Sometime in 2007, Tobe Hooper had been tapped to direct a feature-length adaptation, but the project never materialized. George A. Romero had reportedly been attached to direct at one point as well. In 2018, Variety announced that William Brent Bell (The Boy, Orphan: First Kill) would write and direct the film (though his take on the book was more of a loose adaptation). Hyde Park Entertainment (Premonition, Ghost Rider) was set to produce. Two years later, however, actor Thomas Jane announced that Jim Mickle (who most recently co-developed the Netflix adaptation of Sweet Tooth) was set to direct under Jane's new Renegade Entertainment banner… but the rights ultimately lapsed. In 2024, Bell told Fangoria that he believes James Wan's Atomic Monster now owns the rights and that a miniseries is being developed, but no official announcements have been made.

Christine

There's nothing quite like John Carpenter's Christine, and we're not sure if we necessarily need a second adaptation of King's 1983 novel about a 1958 Plymouth Fury with jealous and murderous tendencies. In 2021, it was announced that Bryan Fuller, creator of the deeply loved but short-lived Hannibal TV series, was set to write and direct a new full-length adaptation of the novel for Blumhouse.

Despite star Keith Gordon and Carpenter both giving their blessing for the remake in conversation with Total Film about the movie's 40th anniversary, the project appears to have completely stalled out (at least according to ScreenRant). Some murmurings include a disagreement with the studio about how to modernize the film, but nothing has been confirmed. For now, it hangs in limbo, but we'll move it to the top of the list the second we get an update.

The Tommyknockers

Given that the 1993 miniseries was a critical failure (and notoriously hated by King himself), we understand why a new adaptation of sci-fi-horror The Tommyknockers would enter production. Unfortunately, this seems to be another King project that's been put on the back burner for now. In 2018, it was announced that Universal Pictures had won the bidding war for the rights to the book and that James Wan was set to produce under his Atomic Monster banner in a joint venture (via The Hollywood Reporter). Larry Sanitsky, the producer of the 1993 miniseries, was also signed on to produce. No director or writer was attached to the project, and we haven't heard any news in the seven years since the movie was first announced.

The book, which King himself isn't a big fan of, sees the citizens of a town in Maine stumble upon an alien spacecraft that releases a gas that turns people into the same aliens that once boarded the ship. A new miniseries was also announced back in 2013, initially set to air on NBC, but that also stalled out.

Joyland

Another project that we're sad to see in development hell, as there hasn't been much of an update since an adaptation of the 2013 novel was announced back in 2018. Freeform, known for its various teen dramas, was set to adapt Joyland as a series with Chris Peña (Jane the Virgin) and Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning of Soraya M.) set to write the pilot script (via Deadline).

The novel follows a college student named Devin Jones who takes a summer job at a North Carolina amusement park known as Joyland. After a fortune teller gives him an ominous reading about what the summer will hold, Devin finds himself confronting the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways in which both will change his life forever.

The Dark Half

This one is a bit of a mystery, given that there is virtually no other news except for a very brief Variety article from 2019 that MGM would produce a new adaptation of the 1989 novel with Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) set to direct.

The book, which follows an author whose pseudonym comes to life and begins committing grisly crimes, was written by King as a response to his previously secret Richard Bachman persona being publicly outed. The late, great George A. Romero directed a feature-length adaptation in 1993, which starred Timothy Hutton as the aforementioned novelist.

Sleeping Beauties

A TV series based on Sleeping Beauties, the 2017 joint novel between King and his son Owen, was ordered to pilot in 2019… but we haven't heard anything since then. AMC reportedly ordered the pilot, envisioning it as an "open-ended TV series" with Owen to write it.

The novel takes place in a women's prison in West Virginia, where the inmates, as well as women around the world, become stricken with a mysterious sickness dubbed "Aurora." The sickness makes them fall asleep, with a gauze-like substance cocooning around their bodies. If someone tries to open the cocoon, the women awake in a homicidal rage. It's a cool premise for a sci-fi thriller series, and we hope it makes it out of development hell one day.

For even more, check out our list of the best Stephen King movies to watch right now.

House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke has teased what to expect from the Game of Thrones spin-off's next chapter, and now we're even more excited for season 3.

"Well, I think I can say... it starts off with a bang," the actor told Collider, while promoting her upcoming series The Girlfriend. "The first two [episodes] were essentially supposed to be our finale last year. So you can just imagine coming into that sort of energy. It's bigger and more ferocious than ever before."

Cooke, who'll be back as Alicent Hightower in the new installment, was hesitant to say more – but her comments echo showrunner Ryan Condal's previous hints, which is sure to please fans who were left disappointed by the show's quieter season 2.

"Every day I walk around [the set] and look at the things that we're building and the things that we're doing and the number of costumes and extras and all that," he explained on his and co-host David Mandel's podcast 'The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of' (via ComicBook.com). "I knew it was bigger than season 2, but I don't think I realized quite how much."

Set 200 years before Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon centers on the tensions between the Targaryens and the Hightowers, as the former's once all-powerful dominion over the Seven Kingdoms begins to crumble. Spanning two decades, season 1 saw King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) break tradition and name his daughter Rhaenyra (Superman's Milly Alcock/Emma D'Arcy) as heir to the Iron Throne, much to the dismay of his entitled brother Daemon (Matt Smith). Rhaenyra's ascension is complicated, though, when Viserys has a son with the scheming Alicent.

Season 2 tracks the families' escalating conflict, following the death of Rhaenyra's son and the coronation of King Aegon II, as several members call for an all-out war in an attempt to prove their power and take control of Westeros.

House of the Dragon airs on HBO and HBO Max in the US, and Sky and NOW in the UK. Season 3 will premiere sometime in 2026, which we'll be sure to keep you posted about. While we wait, check out our picks of the most exciting new TV shows heading our way.

The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has responded to some of the second season's most vocal critics.

"I try to steer clear as much as I [can], to be honest," Ramsey told The Awardist podcast of the vociferous response to parts of The Last of Us season 2.

"You don't have to watch it. If you hate it that much, the game exists. You can just play the game again. If you do want to watch it, hope you enjoy it."

Co-creator Craig Mazin is riding solo on The Last of Us season 3 after the departures of both co-creator Neil Druckmann and producer/writer Halley Gross to focus on future Naughty Dog projects. On The Awardist, Ramsey also added that Druckmann will be "greatly missed."

"It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO. I couldn’t have asked for a more generous creative partner," Mazin said in a statement.

Mazin – who previously gave an update on writing the third season in an interview with GamesRadar+ – has now seemingly cracked the season length. In short, it will be longer than the second season's seven episodes.

"I will say that season 3 will be longer than season 2. Season 3 will be more on par with season 1. More bang for the buck," Mazin told The Hollywood Reporter.

HBO TV chief Casey Bloys has also suggested that The Last of Us could wrap up its story with either two more seasons or "one long season."

For more, jump into our guide to the new TV shows coming your way in 2025 and beyond. Then, discover all the upcoming PS5 games on the horizon – including Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Project.