Delicious in Dungeon season 2 finally has a release window, which means 2027 is shaping up to be a big year for new anime.

Netflix shared a new poster for Delicious in Dungeon season 2, adding that we can expect it to hit the streamer in October 2027. You can check out the poster below.

Blue Eye Samurai season 2, another Netflix anime original, also has a 2027 release window, with Frieren: Beyond Journey's End season 3 to follow suit on Crunchyroll. Chainsaw Man season 2, Jujutsu Kaisen season 4, and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle are all also expected to arrive in 2027... making it a pretty stacked year.

Delicious in Dungeon debuted in 2024, with a second season officially announced in June, shortly after the season 1 finale aired. A trailer was also released in 2024, with an initially speculated release date of 2026. There hasn't been much by way of news until now, with Studio Trigger initially announcing the release window at Anime Expo.

The first season centered on the hunt for Falin (voiced by Saori Hayami and Lisa Reimold), the sister of adventurer Laios (Kentarô Kumagai and Damien Haas), who was eaten by a red dragon during a dungeon raid gone wrong. The second season does not yet have an official synopsis, though we can expect it to adapt the Dwarf City Ruins arc from chapter 56 of the manga.

While we wait, check out our complete guide to 2026's remaining new anime, as well as our essential best anime movies selection.

Get ready to have your heart ripped out all over again in Night City.

Speaking at the show's Anime Expo 2026 panel, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 writer Bartosz Sztybor was quoted by multiple attendees – and Japanese outlet Famitsu – as describing the first season as like a Michael Bay movie, with the second season more resembling a Martin Scorsese movie.

Sztybor also warned fans not to get "too emotionally attached" to characters. Given how the first season judiciously bumped off some of our favorite characters – including hero David and most of the crew he ran around with – that doesn't bode well for the four new faces we'll be spending time with as part of the second season.

Already, there appears to be drama afoot with cyberpunk legend Weak Kingsley as a leak suggested he may have family ties with pink-haired Maelstrom member Talia. We don't anticipate nomad D. or the camera-wielding Roman to have an easy time of it, either.

Scorsese, of course, is best known for sweeping, epic gangster dramas, with the director never too squeamish about shockingly killing off major characters at a whim. The Departed and Goodfellas are just two examples of the auteur's penchant for letting blood run freely on the big screen.

First Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 reactions have unanimously praised the Netflix anime's opening episode, with CD Projekt Red producers also praising fans for not leaking footage from the Anime Expo panel.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners hits Netflix this fall. For more, check out our picks for the best anime on Netflix.

Good news: Netflix has announced full release plans for the next two 'Stages' of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run. The bad news? They almost perfectly line up with a leak that suggests the cross-country saga won't come to a close until 2028.

As confirmed by the streamer, 'JoJo Friday' will return as Steel Ball Run gallops into sight with weekly episodes from September 25.

Unfortunately, those hoping for a full run of 20-plus episodes in typical JoJo's fashion will be disappointed.

As part of the 2nd and 3rd Stages of Steel Ball Run (each Stage is a leg in Johnny Joestar's mammoth horse race across America), there will be 11 episodes from September through until December.

Sadly, this lines up perfectly with a previous leak we hoped wasn't going to be true. A Redditor by the name of crossleboss took to the platform six months ago to detail a – fittingly – bizarre release schedule.

In it, there would be one initial episode in March (which was true, and caused much consternation among the rabid fanbase) followed by 11 from September. So far, so accurate.

From there, we could apparently be getting a further 12 episodes next June, 10 episodes in October 2027, and the final nine episodes in May 2028. And we thought the wait for Attack on Titan's never-ending Final Season was bad.

Need something else to watch in the meantime? We have a complete guide to 2026's remaining new anime, as well as our essential best anime movies selection. If you're still playing catch up, here's our guide on how to watch JoJo's in order.

The first Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 reactions are in as its creators and producers thank fans for not leaking the first episode.

Attendees of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2's panel at this year's Anime Expo were among the first in the world to watch the opening episode of the new Netflix series.

They responded to the opportunity with a wave of wildly positive responses, as well as protecting the secrets that lie within the animated return to Night City.

"I watched the first episode of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. It perfectly blends classic Night City vibes with exciting new characters," one wrote on Twitter. Exactly what I hoped for from [writer Bartosz Sztybor] and Studio Trigger. Top-tier animation, production, and voice acting. Looking Preem as Hell, Chooms."

Another attendee remarked, "Episode one of Edgerunners 2 is an incredible and beautiful start to season 2, I can’t wait for the rest to come out."

Perhaps most excitingly, one Twitter user gushed, "This is gonna be an all timer, it resonates in my bones." Another said it was, simply, "pretty special."

Media outlets who were in the crowd also reacted favorably to what they saw.

Polygon's Ryan Epps kickstarted the groundswell of great feeling surrounding the Studio Trigger follow-up, writing, "Packed with incredible colors, gorgeous framing, and punchy sound design, Edgerunners 2 is a fresh take on a beloved world. It immediately feels like a Ghost in the Shell-meets-Trigun experience, offering this gritty, grounded study of Night City through realistic action and character drama."

Gizmodo's Isaiah Colbert intrigues by stating, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is "both a sequel that expands itself outward, weaving a bigger, bolder, ambitious tale, while also feeling viscerally intimate and small-scale."

In a rare moment of pop culture confidentiality, not a single second of footage is seemingly available online from the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 premiere. While some descriptions are out there – if you know where to look – those who want to go in fresh can rest easy in knowing Anime Expo 2026 was a leak-free zone.

"We really appreciate everyone’s understanding and for helping us keep the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 episode one screening at Anime Expo spoiler-free by not recording any footage," CD Projekt Red's global PR director Radek Grabowski tweeted.

CD Projekt Red's associate country director for Japan Satoru Homma added, "Thank you so much for keeping your promise properly."

For those chooms late to the party, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is a standalone story following four new protagonists: veteran edgerunner Weak Kingsley, seeming cinephile Roman, Maelstrom member Talia, and nomad D.

As per the official synopsis, 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 pulls you back into Night City, where lives become entangled to the extreme. Weak, a washed-up cyberpunk legend, is now forced to live without chrome as he searches for a sense of purpose in a world that’s passed him by. Meanwhile, the deadly nomad D sets out on a path to revenge that brings him close to corpo secrets never meant to be found. Across this ten-episode standalone series, uncover a story of family, obsession, legacy – and how your lens reflects the stories of the people around you."

If the first Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 reactions are anything to go by, we can prepare for peak. The series hits Netflix this fall.

For more, check out our picks for the best Netflix anime around.

If you're looking for the best new shows and movies to stream this weekend, then you've come to the right place. We've got recommendations from across the spectrum of streaming services, meaning whatever you subscribe to, we've got you covered.

Highlights this week include the return of animated series X-Men '97 on Disney Plus, the third film in the Enola Holmes franchise on Netflix, and horror-comedy sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (though we're still mad it wasn't called Ready or Not: Here I Come).

It's a corking July 4 weekend for the best streaming services around, with more than enough to fill a long weekend's viewing, between trips to the BBQ. So read on for our streaming picks of the week, and where to find them.

X-Men '97 season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus

Marvel's nostalgic animated revival continues with X-Men '97 season 2. The first three episodes dropped this week, perfect for immersing yourself back in a world of mutant mayhem, with further episodes set to release weekly on Wednesdays. Be sure to bookmark our X-Men '97 season 2 release schedule, so you never miss an episode.

Picking up moments after that jaw-dropping season 1 cliffhanger, season 2 sees the X-Men spread across time in the battle against original mutant Apocalypse. It's been two years since season 1, so if you're feeling a little lost, be sure to check out our X-Men '97 season 1 recap, or check out our spoiler-free X-Men '97 season 2 review for our verdict on the first four episodes (spoiler: we liked it a lot).

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

Silo season 3

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV

Apple's post-apocalyptic mystery show is back for its third, and penultimate, season. After venturing outside the silo in season 2 and discovering that they were not alone, Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) now faces a different struggle – ol' memory loss.

OK, so a bit of a cliched start for Silo season 3, but after two seasons of questions, the show is finally set to provide answers, with a dual timeline flashing back to the creation of the silos themselves. The best news is that a fourth and final season has already been shot, so there's no risk of being left hanging.

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

Enola Holmes 3

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Enola Holmes is back! Sherlock's younger sister, played by Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, is about to wed Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) in Malta when her crime-solving big brother – once again played by Henry Cavill – disappears. So it's up to Enola to solve the case of the missing Holmes, and expose the shadowy conspirators pulling the strings.

Enola Holmes has proven one of Netflix's more successful ongoing film franchises. This latest entry is once again written by prolific screenwriter Jack Thorne, who has enlisted his acclaimed Adolescence collaborator Phlip Barantini as director, so impressive credentials behind the camera. Here's to many more cases!

Fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix movies

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

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

The sequel to 2019 horror-comedy Ready or Not is another fun, frantic spin on the most dangerous game, as returning survivor Grace (Samara Weaving) again finds herself being hunted for ritualistic sport by the council of elite families. The twist this time: Grace's estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton) is also part of the chase.

Arriving seven years after the first entry (directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett helmed Screams 5 and 6, and vampire flick Abigail in the intervening years), Ready or Not 2 has been a long time coming, but is another blood-soaked blast. For an even more outrageous spin on a similar premise, check out They Will Kill You, which hit HBO Max last month.

For more, dive into our list of best movies on Disney Plus

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

Warner Bros' full-on Mummy reboot faced a mixed response when it released earlier this year, with critics knocking the fact that it's more of an exorcist movie than a Mummy movie, and pointing to its somewhat indulgent 135-minute runtime (and that meaningless title) as signs that it was a movie in need of a few more studio notes. But everyone can agree, it's pretty gnarly.

The story of a modern-day family whose daughter is kidnapped, only to mysteriously return 8 years later, having been found in a sarcophagus, wrapped in bandages (never a good sign), it's a movie that brings the Mummy myth into the home. Midsommar's Jack Reynor and Moon Knight's May Calamawy star.

For more, here are the best movies on HBO Max

Human Vapor

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

This South Korean sci-fi thriller show is actually a reimagining of a 1960 Toho movie, hence the charmingly retro premise: a man gains the ability to transform into a gaseous state and uses his powers for bank robberies. Only here, of course, instead of robbing banks, murder is involved.

We're not going to lie: there was clearly a limited VFX budget, so some of the gas effects are a little ropey, but Human Vapor has been admirably updated for the prestige TV era; this gripping 8-episode limited series will keep you hooked till the very end.

For more from the biggest streaming service around, check out our list of the best shows on Netflix.

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

The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 English-language voice cast has been announced, but fans are (understandably) zeroing in on one of its most recognizable names.

As revealed by CD Projekt Red, veteran edgerunner Weak Kingsley will be played by Clancy Brown, the prolific actor known for everything from playing Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants to the hardened detective Lieutenant Anderson in Detroit: Become Human.

Amid the wave of Mr. Krabs-related jokes about saving eddies and calling Plankton a gonk, fans are united in their reaction to the news.

In short, fans are overjoyed: "Clancy Brown as Weak has to be one of my top five favorite castings," one wrote on Twitter, to which executive producer Saya Elder noted that it was a "personal recommendation" from writer Bartosz Sztybor.

"Might have to watch the English dub of Cyberpunk Edgerunners II when it comes out now," another remarked.

"I'm about to start watching the Cyberpunk anime just for Clancy Brown," one newcomer to Edgerunners said. Another added that they expect Weak to be one of the dopest characters in the Cyberpunk universe."

Elsewhere, it has been confirmed that Kimoy Lee will voice Talia Yang, Nazeeh Tarsha will voice D, and Valeria Rodriguez will voice Roman Carax.

Excited to hear them in action? A select few will get a chance to watch the first episode of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 early at the show's Anime Expo panel on July 3.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 hits Netflix this fall. For more, check out our guide on new anime releases, plus our picks for the best anime on Netflix.

It seems as though fantasy fans are just not feeling the second season of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender, as ratings reveal that less than half the number of viewers who tuned into season 1 have returned for season 2.

According to Tudum, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2, which hit Netflix on June 25, was viewed 8.7 million times over its first four days on the platform. That's a huge drop from season 1, which hit the streamer in 2024 with 21.2 million views, meaning the new installment is down by 59%.

The season sits in second place on Netflix's top 10 list of most popular English-language shows right now, and in third place is the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, which amassed 3 million views in the same week season 2 hit the streamer. Both seasons of Avatar sit behind the new Harlan Coben series I Will Find You, which earned 34.1 million views in its first full week on the site before hitting 24 million views in four days the same week as Avatar season 2.

It is not clear why the live-action Avatar show has seen a dip in viewership, as even though the sophomore season debuted to divisive reviews, that isn't really much of a change from season 1. In fact, Avatar season 2 sits at a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is actually a slight improvement from season 1, which stands at 62%.

In our Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 review, we call the new installment "better in basically every way to its first season," however, "it struggles under the weight of adapting the events of its animated counterpart" and "fumbles in ways that make its future concerning." That being said, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 is on the way and has already been filmed. Season 3 will mark the end of the live-action adaptation.

Following their bittersweet victory in saving the Northern Water Tribe from the Fire Nation, season 2 follows Avatar Aang, Katara, and Sokka as they set off to convince the Earth King to help them fight the Fire Lord Ozai. However, their journey leads them to series newcomer Toph (Miyako), whose skill in earthbending aids their quest.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is available to watch on Netflix now. For more, check out our guide ot the best shows on Netflix, and keep up with new TV shows on the way.

Netflix's One Piece season 3 has finished filming, and with a brand new cast photo in tow.

In the photo, which can be viewed below, Luffy (Inaki Godoy), Nami (Emily Rudd), Sanji (Taz Skylar), Zoro, Usopp (Jacob Romero), and new series regular Vivi (Charithra Chandran) are standing in front of a wall that has a Sir Crocodile mural painted across. The villain, revealed to be Mr. 0 at the end of season 2, is set to play a major part in season 3 as the show rounds out the anime's Alabasta arc.

One Piece season 3 was greenlit in August 2025, and began filming in South Africa in November 2025. Given that One Piece season 2 premiered in March 2026, a premiere date of 2027 feels like a pretty quick turnaround (especially given the fact that so many shows nowadays have a three-year wait).

One Piece season 3 will see Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat crew, with Tony Tony Chopper (Mikaela Hoover) in tow, head to Vivi's homeland of Alabasta in hopes of freeing it from tyrannical reign. New cast members include Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace and Cole Escola as Bon Clay, with Joe Manganiello (Mr. 0), Lera Abova (Miss All Sunday), and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Nefertari Cobra), all promoted to series regulars.

One Piece season 3 doesn't have an exact release date yet, though we can expect it around Spring 2027. For more, check out how to watch One Piece in order or our One Piece filler list to help you navigate the 1,000-plus episodes of the anime.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 has given us a nova first look at the long-awaited anime anthology's return, with its first trailer revealing a fresh quartet of Edgerunners. But a fan theory suggests the show could be setting up a huge twist that mirrors a major moment in Cyberpunk 2077's first act.

Note: spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077 follow.

At the climax of Cyberpunk 2077's early game, V's partner-in-crime Jackie Welles dies during the attempt to steal the Relic from Konpeki Plaza. Could Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 be hiding a similar rug-pull? Twitter user @WGB05112004 thinks yes, positing: "I think they gonna pull a The Suicide Squad/Welcome to Derry and kill off the first guy[s]" Instead, the "real" cast of Edgerunners season 2 are hiding in plain sight, the theory goes, in silhouette on the show's first poster. Check it out below.

Plenty of fellow Twitter users are in agreement with the idea that a place as brutal and unforgiving as Night City could be hiding an early bloodbath. After all, with a Sandevistan spine, even the most accomplished merc could be zeroed in the blink of an eye. Some even suggest that newcomer Roman Carax, a "cinephile" who is "obsessed with chasing the truth," could be the throughline, as the young filmmaker documents each character's death on film. Dark stuff.

Not everyone agrees, however, with some pointing out that there's probably too much distinct footage featuring this new quartet of characters for their early demise to make sense. However, the idea that there are major characters from season 2 that are yet to be officially revealed is practically a given. In fact, dataminers think they may have already uncovered a secret fifth character with connections to the group and wider Cyberpunk lore.

After a 4-year absence, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 releases this fall on Netflix. The 10-episode second season tells a brand new story featuring a fresh cast of characters and once again hails from Studio Trigger.

For more, check out our picks for the new anime you should be watching right now. Need to fill out your watchlist? Our collection of best Netflix anime will ensure you have plenty to watch.

CD Projekt Red has confirmed more about its quartet of main Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 characters, but datamined leaks suggest an unseen fifth major player in Night City has surprising links to two of those already announced.

As revealed on the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 website, Weak Kingsley is described as a "washed-up cyberpunk legend" who is "forced to live without chrome in a world that's passed him by."

The new synopsis also confirms family, obsession, and legacy are major themes in play here – which makes this next leak all the more intriguing.

Smets205 on Reddit has uncovered a fifth character card on the Edgerunners site.

Meet Avida, a "jazz singer and corpo insider" who is apparently "Weak's old flame." The plot thickens from there with the reveal she has a "fragile" daughter: Talia, the pink-haired Maelstrom member who forms part of Edgerunners season 2's main crew.

Old flame? A daughter? It's possible Weak Kingsley is hiding plenty of secrets – while the 'fragile' and 'weak' connection means there's almost certainly some hidden family drama brewing up in Night City's streets between the chrome-less protagonist and his ex-lover. A clip on the site, shown below, also shows a tense interaction between Weak and Talia.

All told, it sets up an extra layer of tragedy to what is surely going to be another depressing story told in NC.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2, a standalone 10-episode story, is set for release on Netflix this fall.

For more, check out our picks for the new anime you should be watching right now. Need to fill out your watchlist? Our collection of best Netflix anime will ensure you have plenty to watch.

Persona is the latest video game making the leap to live-action, with Netflix on board to adapt the beloved RPG series. And fans already have the perfect Joker in mind.

According to a report from Variety, Star Trek: Picard's Christopher Monfette is attached to write. Monfette has worked on a variety of genre shows and is a credited writer and co-producer on Marvel's upcoming VisionQuest. Stranger Things' Shawn Levy is also on board as a producer as part of his production company, 21 Laps. On the Sega side, Sonic the Hedgehog's Toru Nakahara is reportedly attached to produce.

Details beyond that are thin on the ground as, per Variety, Netflix declined to comment or confirm the veracity of the news. We don't even have a sense of which entry in the long-running series this show is likely to adapt. But it's further evidence of how much Netflix values video game adaptations in the wake of The Witcher, Castlevania, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2, Arcane, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, Devil May Cry, and many more.

While each mainline Persona entry deals with a new set of characters, there are some throughlines across the series – most notably, each stars a set of Japanese high school students who navigate the minutiae of school life by day, and fight their way through deadly dungeons by night, adopting a range of colorful personas to do battle.

The next game in the series, Persona 6, was announced only last month at Summer Game Fest, but with little more than a teaser to go off, it's unlikely Netflix's adaptation will be drawing from that. Far more likely is that Netflix's live-action Persona will take its cues from Persona 5 – as it features a number of the most beloved characters across any Shin Megami Tensei game. It's also the most successful entry in the series to date, with almost 14 million copies sold when Persona 5 Royal and the 2022 remaster are taken into account.

Naturally, Persona fans have plenty of thoughts about the news, not all of them positive. While some point to Netflix's track record of live-action adaptations as an ill omen for Persona, plenty are excited about the proposition of Joker and co. making the transition to live action. One common bit of fan-casting: Tom Holland as Joker. Though given the Spider-Man star has recently graduated to working with the likes of Christopher Nolan on The Odyssey, and that he has a long-gestating Fred Astaire biopic coming up, the chances of him starring in a Netflix video game adaptation seem relatively slim.

Whoever eventually signs up, it's certainly an exciting time to be a Persona fan, as Persona 6 seems to have some unexpected horror vibes. A Sega leaker has also hinted that the highly anticipated game could be released as early as next year.

Netflix's live-action Persona series does not currently have a release date. For more, dive into our list of upcoming video game movies and shows, or fill out your watchlist with our ranking of the best shows on Netflix.

CD Projekt Red has revealed two profiles for Weak Kingsley and D, two of the recently announced characters for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2.

Weak and D were announced ahead of the trailer that dropped today, with CD Projekt Red social media manager Marcin Lukasewski pointing out that Weak is much older than the other edgerunners (which, according to Lukasewski, increases his relatability.

CD Projekt Red released brief character bios through YouTuber Danny Motta and Twitch streamer Gigguk, which you can see below.

"Once known as 'King,' a veteran edgerunner at the top of his game. Weak now lives in the shadow of his former glory," the first bio shares, followed by new images of the character.

"A Snake Nation netrunner with sharp technical skills and a sharper hunger for revenge, D hunts the killer who wiped out his clan," reads the second.

We don't have a plot synopsis for the new Edgerunners season, only confirmation that it'll feature a "different crew and new standalone story set in Night City," with a count of 10 episodes. We do, however, finally have that new trailer, which sees our boy D enacting what appears to be some bloody revenge, as well as another new protagonist named Roman Carrax, an aspiring filmmaker who sets out to document real stories in Night City.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is set to hit Netflix in Fall 2026. For more, check out our picks for the best anime you should be watching right now, or, check out our list of new anime shows.

Welcome back to Night City, chooms. The first trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is here, and it's full to the brim with chrome, corpos, and chaos.

If you want adrenaline-fueled action, the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 trailer has more than enough to go around. We see one figure, Roman, filming D. on a bloody rampage, with plenty of angst, tears, and spine-ripping action that will be plenty familiar to those who have walked these streets with V., David or Johnny Silverhand.

The Studio Trigger/CD Projekt Red production is the next anthology chapter after Cyberpunk: Edgerunners tore our hearts out in style with its saga of the Sandevistan-infused protagonist David. In the 2022 anime, David crashed his way through Night City in a war against corpos and others who wished him dead.

While Edgerunners ended in tragedy for most of its cast, it could have been so much worse for its hero.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners writer Bartosz Sztybor confirmed as much in an interview with Anime Corner. He said, "There was one ending in which David doesn't die entirely. Arasaka gets him, and he ends up fighting in Africa or South America in corporate wars as a robot."

The second season has slowly unveiled its cast in drip-feed fashion, beginning with a look at the camera-wielding Roman Carax at Annecy.

From there, a CD Projekt Red manager spoke of how the elder statesman of the group, Weak Kingsley, resonated with him. 'D' was also announced, as was corpo Talia Yang. Her inclusion also appeared to spoil a cameo from a Cyberpunk 2077 game character.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is released in fall 2026.

For more, check out our picks for the best anime you should be watching right now. Then, dive into the rest of the year's remaining new anime shows.

CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger have given us a glimpse at Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 in action for the first time.

Look a little closer, however, and you may spot what some fans think is a notable Cyberpunk 2077 character waiting in the wings.

The official Edgerunners Twitter account posted a two-second GIF of season 2's main female protagonist – and seemingly former corpo – Talia Yang leaping through the air.

In the background is a Maelstrom member hanging over the balcony. That might not be any chrome-added gang affiliate, though. Some think it's Dum Dum, the contact for V in early Cyberpunk 2077 quest 'The Pickup.'

Those who have steered themselves through the neon-drenched streets of Night City in CD Projekt Red's open-world masterpiece will be all too aware of Dum Dum.

Designed as an early chance to experiment with the RPG's narrative decision-making, the gang member can be killed or paid off – among other options – if the deal goes south. He can then emerge in a later quest, depending on your choices.

If that is Dum Dum in the above clip, that likely confirms that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is set before the events of Cyberpunk 2077 (as was the first season, it should be noted). The other option is that it's canon that V left Dum Dum alive.

Of course, other Cyberpunk 2077 characters have appeared in Edgerunners – namely, Atom Smasher and his run-in with David. That didn't turn out well for our hero, but it apparently could have been far worse.

Other Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 characters announced so far include Weak Kingsley, Roman Carax, and 'D'.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is set for fall 2026. For more, check out our guide to the rest of the year's big new anime releases.

Aang must master all four elements if he's to restore harmony to a world out of balance. The problem is, the Avatar's got off to a rocky start when it comes to earthbending. That's where Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 kicks off, with Aang in search of someone who can help him master the third element he needs to take down the Fire Nation.

Enter Toph Beifong, an earthbending master who secretly kicks ass in tournaments by night while keeping up appearances as a posh girl by day. A lot rides on Toph's introduction, not just in a world-saving capacity, but also when it comes to Avatar itself as a show.

Aside from Appa and Momo, it's no exaggeration to suggest that Toph might just be the most beloved character in the entire Avatar franchise. How could she not be? Looking back at the original series this show is based on, it's easy to forget Toph wasn't even in the first season. That's how integral she quickly became upon her introduction in season two, instantly establishing herself as a key pillar of the group.

As such, season two of this new adaptation really needed to get Toph right. It's the least Netflix could do for the self-proclaimed "greatest earthbender in the world." And thankfully, they did. In fact, Toph's introduction in live-action is easily the best thing about season two, so any fears you might have should immediately be put to rest.

Earth shattering

Winning out over 6000 hopefuls, it's clear that Miyako simply is Toph in almost every way possible. And not just because she looks like Toph, either. It's as if she stepped barefoot out of the cartoon into live-action, exuding the exact same sass that made us fall in love with Toph in the first place, 20 years prior.

While some fans naturally hoped that the show would cast a blind actress to bring more authenticity to the role, Miyako worked extensively with a blindness consultant on set who helped ensure this version of Toph remained true to the character. It wasn't just about wearing contact lenses that would limit Miyako's sight, either.

Together, she and Joe Strechay worked hard to make the earthbending prodigy as confident as she is in the original, navigating the world in her own unique way. Because Toph is blind, of course, but she senses the world around her through a connection to the earth itself, much like how Daredevil interprets his surroundings using a radar sense.

Speaking to IGN, Strechay compared it to "doing a no-look pass in basketball," making sure Toph looked effortless in her bending without needing to physically see her opponents or the earth itself that she manipulates in order to fight them. Whether she's battling a grunt named The Boulder or just flipping soup in Aang's face, every mannerism calls back to the Toph we first met in animated form.

"Learning how to portray a fully blind character was one of the biggest insecurities I had about this role," Miyako said. But it's clear she was determined to put herself in Toph's shoes (or lack thereof, like when she kept her shoes off between takes, no matter how cold it got shooting in Vancouver).

Chip off the old block

Beyond the physicality of the role, this version of Toph even sounds like the Toph that so many of us grew up watching. Michaela Jill Murphy's voice work in the cartoon is legendary, imbuing the earthbender with grit but also vulnerability when the story called for it.

Miyako told Screen Rant that she "wanted to be as close to the character as possible," explaining that "there are parts in the season where you can hear a little tinge of her voice mixed with my register. I really felt that was something I needed to do. I'm glad it played well, because I remember just slaving over vowels."

By channeling Murphy's original performance, Miyako's own take really nails how Toph uses sass as a kind of emotional armor, much like the actual walls she builds around herself in battle. The young Beifong is as sturdy as the metal she eventually learns to bend, proving herself to be quite the taskmaster for Aang.

"No wonder it took you years to learn how to waterbend," goads Toph at one point. "You’re nothing but a 'half-atar!'"

When Katara suggests trying positive reinforcement, Toph says she'll "bear that in mind if [Aang] ever does anything positive."

Jokes that Toph used to make about her own blindness in the original cartoon return here too – all sensitively developed with help from Strechay – because Toph isn't Toph if she's not teasing the others and occasionally making them squirm.

"It's an honor to help the Avatar, see?" says Katara early on, to which Toph bluntly replies, "No, I don't see."

Strong foundations

Toph brings some much-needed laughs to season two, which even goes out of its way to update the original cartoon at points, like a new scene where Toph discovers she can access the mystical books in the library using Braille. That series was already ahead when it came to depicting blindness like this in family fare, but it's heartening still to see the new show strive to improve this even further, two decades on.

Such depth is also threaded into Toph's struggle with her rich lineage and the problematic behaviour of her parents, who it turns out are selling weapons to the Fire Nation for profit. A major betrayal later on in the season hits especially hard because we can see just how sensitive Toph actually is under that rock-hard exterior.

The brashness of her persona quite literally grounds the group with a big shift in energy upon joining, much like it did in the original series. Toph's "neutral jing," as the show describes it, counters the signature calm that Aang and Katara embody, balancing out their personalities with grit and steely resolve.

In doing so, Toph's introduction brings harmony to the gang and season two alike, not to mention a fandom that might disagree on a lot, but can hopefully all agree on just how perfect this new version of the beloved character has turned out to be.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our spoiler-free Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 review, or dive into our spoiler-packed Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 ending explained if you're all caught up.

Stranger Things may have ended, but that won't stop Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour from reuniting in a brand new thriller show for Netflix.

Per Deadline, the series, loosely based on the Paul Warner novel A Spy in the Blood, follows Harbour as "disgraced FBI agent turned security expert Matt Wolfe" who is "drawn back into the world he left behind when his estranged daughter, Rebecca (Brown), now an FBI agent determined to follow in his footsteps, vanishes on a mission, forcing him back into a field that has evolved beyond him."

Jack Thorne, creator of the no. 2 Netflix series of all time, Adolescence, will serve as showrunner with A24 producing.

The news comes six months after the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, in which Brown and Harbour played adoptive father and daughter, Hopper and Eleven, for nearly 10 years. The series ended with quite the happy ending for Harbour's grumpy but lovable police chief, though we can't say the same for Brown's bald, telekinetic superhero.

"Father-daughter is where we live, but Netflix will always be our home," Brown said of the new collaboration. Harbour also recently teased the project in an interview with Variety, saying, "You'll see more of me and Millie. 10 years wasn't enough."

The untitled spy series not yet have a release date. Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix, but the franchise lives on, as Stranger Things: Tales From '85 season 2 is in the works. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new TV shows

CD Projekt Red social media manager Marcin Lukasewski says Weak Kingsley, the first new character to be revealed in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is relatable as hell because of his much older age.

"As someone who just got a bit older, Weak's character in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 resonates with me a whole lot. Can't wait for you guys to meet him when you watch the series!" Lucasewski wrote on Twitter. "He is cool, and for so many reasons!"

The first image of Weak comes from a video shown of the new cast at Annecy, courtesy of CD Projekt Red, which concealed their identities as silhouettes. The second revealed cast member is simply know as D. As we can see from the image below, there is still one more to be revealed.

Weak's character is particularly interesting given his much older age than the show's usual cast of teens... which is, indeed, pretty cool. D, with spikey hair and youthful stance, appears to be of the show's usual age range.

We don't know much else about the new season other than that there will be a "different crew and new standalone story set in Night City." A more concrete announcement is set to come out on June 29, with an Anime Expo panel to follow in July.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 currently does not have a release date (and neither does the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel). For more, check out our list of new anime, as well as all the new PS5 games on the horizon.

Over six months after Stranger Things came to an end, Eleven star Millie Bobby Brown says only she and the show's creators know what really happened to her character.

"And you know what? The Duffer Brothers and I, we made a secret pact that we know the true ending," said Brown on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, adding that "whatever they choose to do with that information, they do," but she still hasn't told anyone. "Even my husband's like, 'Just tell me.'"

At the end of Stranger Things season 5, after defeating Vecna in the Upside Down and helping her friends get back to Hawkins, Eleven decides that the only way to close the gate to the Upside Down for good is to sacrifice herself as Hopper blows up the gate (you can read more on that in our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained).

However, later in the episode, Mike Wheeler tells the others that Eleven is still alive, and that Kali projected an image of Eleven inside the gate while the real Eleven escaped. Wheeler imagines his girlfriend living in rural Iceland. This left her fate pretty open-ended and convinced a lot of fans that the character may still be alive.

Back when the finale aired, the Duffer brothers revealed that they left Eleven's fate open so that viewers could choose for themselves what happened to her, but they know the truth. On the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Matt Duffer said, "This is ambiguous. I mean, you're writing from a point of view of understanding what the truth is and the reality is," adding, "I think it takes away the power of the ending if you tell people what you were thinking as you were writing it."

However, many fans were not too happy with the ending, which led to a widespread conspiracy theory known as Conformity Gate. Stranger Things fans were convinced that there was a secret ninth episode on the way, and that 'clues' from the final season pointed to Vecna tricking the audience. Alas, no other episode ever arrived. When Fallon mentioned the theory, Brown replied, "Oh my gosh! Shut up!"

Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix, but the franchise lives on, as Stranger Things: Tales From '85 season 2 is in the works. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new TV shows

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners writer Bartosz Sztybor has revealed that an alternate fate was planned for David, but it's just as depressing.

Speaking to Anime Corner, Sztybor confirmed, "There was one ending in which David doesn't die entirely. Arasaka gets him, and he ends up fighting in Africa or South America in corporate wars as a robot."

In the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners ending that made it onto our screens on Netflix, David is brutally murdered by Atom Smasher, but not before putting up one heck of a fight against Arasaka's hired muscle. In an extra heart-wrenching twist, his partner Lucy visits the moon after his death, when their dream was to go together.

So, was the original ending a fate worse than death? Becoming a blunt weapon for Arasaka to wage corporate wars overseas would have been a uniquely deflating ending to the Cyberpunk anime, especially when so much of the franchise is already dedicated to showcasing how large global corporations are able to stomp the man on the street underfoot.

Let's hope Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is a little more upbeat. The new season, once again brought to life by Studio Trigger, is in the works and on the cusp of a reveal.

The first look at the main character was glimpsed this week at Annecy, with CD Projekt Red unveiling a more official look at another Night City denizen on social media. A more concrete announcement is coming on June 29, with an Anime Expo panel to follow in July.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is currently undated, as is the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.

Don't go cyberpsycho while you wait: here are the new anime you can watch until then, as well as all the new PS5 games over the horizon.

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.

We have good news for One Piece fans overseas, as Netflix has confirmed a release date for One Piece Heroines, and it's less than one week after it drops in Japan.

On June 25, Netflix took to Twitter to confirm that the upcoming special episode of One Piece will land on the streamer on July 11. That's just six days after it airs in Japan on the evening of July 5. Check out the post below.

The special episode is set to follow the female leads of the One Piece series. The synopsis reads, "After buying a pair of shoes that end up hurting her feet, Nami returns to the shop feeling dissatisfied. There, she meets Lebno, the designer, who tells her, 'I’ll make you a brand-new pair from scratch—but only if you’ll be my model.' The shoes are crafted by the artisan Miucha, leading to an unexpected and stylish encounter."

One Piece released the first teaser on June 23 over on YouTube, which saw Nami make her high fashion debut, and features the episode's theme song 'Blue Shining Star' by AiNA THE END. You can watch the teaser trailer below.

The episode is titled Nami, adapting the character's One Piece Heroines story. However, the novel also focuses on different adventures following three other One Piece Heroines, so there's plenty of content to adapt in the future. Although Nami's story revolves around fashion, Robin's story sees her decipher an ancient tablet, whereas Princess Vivi receives a love letter from an admirer, and Ghost Princess Perona goes after the last bottle of wine.

The news of Netflix's Heroines release date comes just one day after the streamer released the first The One Piece teaser. The upcoming show will act as a remake of the original anime series, adapting the legendary manga by Eiichiro Oda. However, The One Piece will tell the same story in fewer episodes, meaning that new fans can catch up with the franchise without having to watch 22 seasons of the main show. Of course, Nami will also appear in The One Piece, which hits Netflix in February 2027.

For more from the original anime series, check out our guide on how to watch One Piece in order and the episodes you need to avoid in our One Piece filler list.

It looks like Netflix's upcoming The One Piece remake won't stray too far from the original anime, as the series has cast the original voice actor behind Monkey D Luffy.

The official One Piece Twitter page broke the news, writing, "The Japanese voice cast for Monkey D. Luffy is confirmed to be Mayumi Tanaka."

The star provided a comment on her return, saying, "I'm happy to once again take part in a new series, The One Piece, as Luffy. While taking on a new challenge at this age brought some anxiety, the experience itself has been full of new insights. It has truly renewed my spirit in playing Luffy." Check out the post below.

Tanaka was first brought on board to voice Luffy 27 years ago for the original One Piece series, but has since starred in spin-offs such as One Piece Film: Gold, One Piece Film: Red, One Piece: Stampede, and many more One Piece titles. The wider voice cast has yet to be announced, but thanks to the first The One Piece teaser, we know that main characters Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji will appear.

Much like the 1999 One Piece anime, which is still running, The One Piece adapts the legendary One Piece manga by Eiichiro Oda. So why bother making another anime series when one already exists? Well, The One Piece will differ from One Piece in a number of ways. First up, The One Piece is made by Wit Studios and will cover the source material at a much faster rate, meaning new fans can get involved with the franchise without having to watch 22 seasons of the original anime.

Directed by Masashi Koizuka, The One Piece season 1 is set to adapt the first 50 chapters of the original manga, which is about halfway through the East Blue saga, leading up to Luffy’s encounter with Sanji, the sous chef of the floating restaurant Baratie. The One Piece season 1 will consist of 7 episodes, which is pretty speedy as the original One Piece anime covers up to 8 chapters in its first 7 episodes.

The One Piece is set to premiere on Netflix in February 2027. For more, check out our guide on how to watch One Piece in order, and keep up with new anime on the way.

Following the first look at Annecy, Netflix has confirmed that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is on its way, and the first trailer is imminent. In a post on Instagram, we got a new poster and a tease asking fans if they're "ready to meet the crew" as well as promising a trailer coming on June 29.

The poster doesn't reveal too much aside from showing us a new look at Night City. It also seems like there may be a stream of blood falling on the left-hand side and, as fans know all too well, there are no happy endings in Night City. Check it out below.

Some fans have been speculating that there might be a hidden message in the new look. Posting on Reddit, one noticed that the way 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners II' is written makes it look like 'Cyberpunk Edgerunners 71'.

"It's heavily theorized that it's intentionally stylized like that to tease a 2071 setting," they speculated, suggesting that the second season could be a prequel. The exact timeline of the new episodes has not yet been confirmed, but we do know it will be telling a fresh story set in Night City and focusing on a new cast of characters.

The first-look image might have even revealed the new character replacing David in the lead role as a young woman with short blonde hair. It seems like all will be revealed soon as a first major look at the anime series arrives in just a few days' time.

In the meantime, check out our guides to the best new anime on the way as well as our pick of the best shows on Netflix.

Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender will always be directly compared to the animated Nickelodeon series it so closely adapts; such is the fate of all adaptations. Does it hew too closely to the original or go too far afield? That's the constant question, and a fair one, for any media directly recreating another. The second season of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender chooses to play it safe, by and large, making for an experience best described as "fine."

I'm somewhat repeating myself from my Avatar: The Last Airbender season one review, but it is as true here as it ever was. The previously described "harmonious middle ground" that's being attempted here continues, and with slightly better results overall. It never quite reaches the highs of the material it's adapting, but this second season also avoids the lowest dips of the first.

If you're not already familiar, the second season follows Aang (Gordon Cormier) and his pals as they traverse the Earth Kingdom in search of someone to teach the Avatar-in-training earthbending now that he's mastered waterbending from Katara (Kiawentiio). They encounter the blind earthbender Toph (Miyako) and convince her to teach him. Eventually, the Gaang end up in Ba Sing Se, home of the Earth King, in order to convince him to join the war against the Fire Nation. Meanwhile, Zuko (Dallas Liu) and Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) pose as refugees themselves in the Earth Kingdom while being hunted by Zuko's sister, Azula (Elizabeth Yu).

Again, this is basically the exact plot description for Book Two of the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender series. The biggest difference between the two isn't even the medium; it's the fact that the live-action version is actually shorter. The animated series had a luxurious 20 episodes to cover the same material, while Netflix only grants 7, making for a remixed and much-trimmed Earth Kingdom experience.

Minor tales of Ba Sing Se

The effect this concentration produces is stifling. While individual performances from the actors are more easy and affable than the first season, it's hard to avoid the feeling that Ba Sing Se – billed as an absolutely massive city with impenetrable walls – is composed of roughly five separate rooms shot from different angles and a single outdoor market.

It doesn't help that many of the visual effects, be it fights, critters, major structures, or so on, often also look a bit off. There's regularly an overwhelming sense that it's all happening on a stage and nothing is real, which might be true but is kind of the opposite of what you want to imply. I would not go so far as to say my disbelief was ever really suspended.

That's not to say it's all bad. Despite the pressure of the condensed narrative and any issues with the visual effects or sets, plenty of character moments manage to shine regardless. Avatar, as a franchise, might be known for its spectacular elemental martial arts, but it's also known for being just as good at emotional throughlines. Dallas Liu, in particular, makes an absolute meal out of Zuko's torment between right and wrong, love and acceptance, throughout the season. Ian Ousley's Sokka also lands his beats more often than not, from silly goofs to direct lifts from the animated series, to meaningful moments exploring trauma.

Down to earth

Going into this season, my biggest concern was Toph, Aang's acerbic and tough earthbending teacher. In animation, it's easy enough to have a blind character who can see through vibrations, but it's another boulder of a problem to try and accomplish the same in a live-action adaptation, while also covering all the sociological elements involving her background and family. But from the moment Miyako steps into a scene, she owns it, which is honestly very Toph-like behavior.

Unfortunately, and perhaps most concerningly, the chemistry between Aang and Katara just doesn't work. It's the clearest example of the effect that squeezing the season's material down has had; without more time to explore what the two of them mean to each other, the major beats in season two come across as hollow or saccharine. And yet the relationship between those two massively underpins a lot of this season without ever being explicit, but it goes on to become even more of an element in the parts of Avatar that the live-action Avatar has yet to adapt.

There are a couple of aspects I won't spoil here that do work quite well thanks to this remixing, but it's few and far between. More than anything else, Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 makes me a bit worried about Season 3's attempt to bend and shape the source material into some kind of conclusion, but it's an inoffensive experience.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 is streaming now on Netflix. For more, dive into our spoiler-filled Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 ending explained, or here's everything we know about Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 is on the way. In fact, it's already been shot! Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 has just hit Netflix, but seasons 2 and 3 of the live-action adaptation were filmed back-to-back, meaning season 3 is sitting on a hard drive somewhere right now. The fact we're not already watching it is a painful thought.

Set to cover the events of Book 3: Fire, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 will relocate the action to the Fire Nation, with the Gaang taking the fight to Fire Lord Ozai. Of course, it's never that simple, especially with Zuko now back fighting for his fiery home team. You can catch up on everything that went down at the climax of the latest season with our Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 ending explained.

So head below for everything you need to know about the live-action adaptation of one of the best Netflix shows of all time. We've got all the details on the Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 release date, casting, plot, and more. We've also kept this piece as spoiler-free as possible, so if you've yet to see the animated show, you won't have the big surprises spoiled. Yip yip!

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 release date speculation

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 is currently undated with no suggestion of when it could release. But we might not have as long to wait for the third and final season as you might think.

That's because seasons 2 and 3 of Avatar: The Last Airbender were shot back-to-back, and filming on season 3 was completed back in November 2025. Season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender released on February 22, 2024, and season 2 released on June 25, 2026, a little over two years later. Therefore, it's reasonable to expect that we could see Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 in early 2028, or possibly even 2027.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 plot

Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender is a relatively faithful retelling of the classic Nickelodeon cartoon's overarching story. So we have a pretty good sense of what season 3 will cover.

Book 3: Fire is about Aang learning the last of his abilities as Avatar – firebending – in order to defeat Ozai and the Fire Nation before the arrival of Sozin's Comet renders the Fire Lord unstoppable. In parallel, it covers Zuko's conflicted feelings about returning to the Fire Nation after siding with Azula over Aang, Katara and Iroh at the climax of Book 2: Earth.

We won't go into too much detail beyond that; the twists and turns of Book 3 are best discovered in the moment if you've never seen the animated series before. If you have, you might be wondering how the Netflix show will squeeze all the events covered across the animated show's 21-episode final season into its respective season 3. The answer is: they won't.

"We made a lot of conscious choices about what things work better in animation that we wouldn't want to touch, and what things maybe couldn't be explored in enough depth in animation that we could [then] explore with live action, live bodies on live sets and locations," Executive Producer Christine Boylan told GamesRadar+ of the approach to adapting season 2. It's reasonable to assume that the creative team behind the Netflix show is taking the same approach to season 3, given both seasons were written simultaneously.

While there have been some controversial omissions from the Netflix show (Appa's Lost Days being a major Book 2 casualty), for the most part, all the key events across Books 1 and 2 of the animated show were incorporated into the live-action show. In adapting Book 3, we wouldn't be surprised to see episodes that don't directly fuel the main thrust of the story dropped, such as 'The Beach' or 'The Runaway'. One episode we know will be making the leap to live action in some form, however, is Sokka's Master, as Jon Jon Briones is set to play Fire Nation sword master Piandao in the new season.

One important fact that should help in adapting Book 3 is that there are several multi-episode arcs this season, including The Day of the Black Sun, The Boiling Rock and Sozin's Comet, which more naturally lend themselves to depicting in a single episode, though don't be surprised if the epic finale stretches across two.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 cast

All your favorite members of the Gaang will return for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3. And, rather helpfully, Netflix announced the new cast members joining seasons 2 and 3 at the same time back in May 2025, so now that we've seen season 2, we can definitively say who will be appearing for the first time in season 3.

Of the confirmed newbies, Jon Jon Briones Pianadao does not appear in season 2 and is being held for season 3. Piandao has an important connection to Sokka, and a significant role to play in the war against the Fire Nation. Tantoo Cardinal's Hama will also debut in season 3, and has a similarly important role to play in Kitara's story, but we won't say any more than that.

The full, confirmed cast so far then (note: while there are several cast members who have appeared in previous seasons that we expect to appear in season 3 if it sticks to the letter of the animated show, we've left some names out that could be considered spoilers):

• Gordon Cormier as Aang
• Kiawentiio as Kitara
• Ian Ousley as Sokka
• Miyako as Toph Beifong
• Dallas Liu as Zuko
• Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Uncle Iroh
• Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai
• Elizabeth Yu as Azula
• Momona Tamada as Ty Lee
• Thalia Tran as Mai
• Danny Pudi as Sai
• Terry Chen as Jeong Jeong
• Jon Jon Briones as Pianadao
• Tantoo Cardinal as Hama

When can we expect the One Piece season 3 trailer?

In terms of when we're likely to see an Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 trailer, the answer is a little complicated and will depend on when Netflix announces a season 3 release date.

The first teaser for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 dropped on December 10, 2025, over 6 months before season 2 went on to release. That's pretty early for a modern streaming series, particularly given that the year-long production on seasons 2 and 3 was only completed a month prior, on November 11.

Season 3 filming is long complete then. And while VFX and post production work is ongoing, it's possible that – if Netflix wanted – we could see an Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 trailer sooner than later. If the show sticks to its curretn 2-year release cycle, expect a trailer to drop late 2027.

Is Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 the final season?

Yes, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 is the final season of the Netflix adaptation. This mirrors the original animated show, which unfolded across three seasons (or 'Books').

While there is a sequel show, The Legend of Korra, set some 70 years after the events of The Last Airbender, which ran for four seasons of its own, and multiple canon sequel comics, which continue the story of the Gaang, there has been no suggestion so far that Netflix plans to adapt those (though we'd love to see a live-action Korra series). Either way, the story of The Last Airbender will be completed in season 3.

For more on the shows that inspired Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3, check out our picks for the best anime and fill out your watchlist

The first trailer for the highly-anticipated The One Piece remake project is here, and it's back to humble beginnings of Monkey D. Luffy on his quest for the mythical pirate treasure.

The One Piece trailer begins with the King of the Pirates Gold Roger and his "dying words" that launch a Grand Line-spanning quest for the One Piece.

With a spruce up in animation and art style, the classic first arc of the One Piece saga has certainly been given a modern-day makeover. The sizzle reel of the Straw Hats and some of their greatest early adventures proves the remake is in good hands with Attack on Titan's Studio Wit, too.

Releasing in February 2027 and brought to life by Studio Wit, Netflix has confirmed that The One Piece's first season will consist of seven bumper-length episodes, clocking in at five hours total.

The adaptation of the first 50 chapters of Eiichiro Oda's manga, the East Blue Arc, will also be released all at once on the streamer. That's a far cry from the months-long gap that formed part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run release schedule.

Studio Wit president George Wada has previously commented on exactly why One Piece is being remade by his studio, pointing towards the old 4:3 ratio as a major stumbling block for a new generation of viewers.

Wada later remarked that the goal is for The One Piece to have "flawless pacing." After all, the original One Piece anime is the poster child for the dreaded f-word: filler. Judging by the trailer, it's full speed ahead on the swashbuckling adventure.

The One Piece is releasing next February.

For more from the original anime series, check out our guide on how to watch One Piece in order and the episodes you need to avoid in our One Piece filler list.

Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender has a change of leadership in the second season, with Christine Boylan and Jabbar Raisani stepping up as showrunners for the live-action adaptation of the beloved Book 2 of the animated series.

To that end, the pair have revealed their approach to season 2 – and why some moments will be left alone if they felt they were better suited to the Nickelodeon show, which ran from 2005 to 2008.

"We made a lot of conscious choices about what things work better in animation that we wouldn't want to touch, and what things maybe couldn't be explored in enough depth in animation that we could [then] explore with live action, live bodies on live sets and locations," Boylan told GamesRadar+.

Boylan added, "We think of it as a myth, as a legend that can be told and retold again and again and again. So, this is the retelling."

Raisani, meanwhile, was keen to point out that a key creative struggle was "finding that balance" of what could make the leap to live action while still keeping the spirit of the original.

"We're both huge fans of the animated series, and we know what the fanbase is like," Raisani said. "We want fans to love our show, and continue to love the animated show. So it's finding that balance of including the things that can fit into a live action adaptation, because we can't do everything, and ensuring that it felt like an honest connection to the source material. It'll never be one-to-one, you know, that's not the intention."

Raisani continued, "When you watch it, you should get the feels that you had when you watch the original, like you should feel that connection to the original, while feeling like you're getting a new experience in a new journey, and I find that's the thing that I go back to the most, and just make check in with, like, are we getting the vibes right?"

At first blush, the showrunners can be confident in a job well done. Early reactions to Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 – thanks to the premiere episode streaming via Tudum – have been overwhelmingly positive.

With Book 2 being held aloft as the original series' storytelling peak, it appears the writers and creatives behind the Netflix show have understood the assignment as the Gaang converge on Ba Sing Se in their bid to stop the Fire Nation. Yip yip!

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is streaming on Netflix from June 25.

For more, check out the Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 release schedule. Then, dive into our picks for the best anime on Netflix.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is about to hit Netflix but some fans were treated to a special early screening of episode 1. The new show live-streamed on Tudum to some fans who have been sharing their early reactions on social media.

The second season reunites viewers with Aang (Gordon Cormier) as he and his friends head deeper to the Earth Kingdom to face their enemy, Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim). Promising to be an epic new journey, it sees the gang discover new locations and new foes on their adventure.

The first season, released in 2024, had some pretty mixed reactions, sitting at a pretty average 62% from critics and 70% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. However, early reactions to the first episode of season 2 are already saying it's an improvement.

Posting on Twitter, one fan wrote: "I just watched the first episode of the second season of #Netflix's #AvatarTheLastAirbender live-action via Tudum and it's such a BIG IMPROVEMENT!!! Love the changes so far while being still faithful to the og show!"

"WOW that first episode of Season 2 was so fire. Just finished watching the premiere of it live on Netflix Tudum and it's fantastic," added a second, while a third tweeted: "Dude, I just watched episode 1 of Avatar season 2 and it's literally infinitely better than the entire first season, Katara improved a ton in her acting and her bending is so perfect, the moves the show gave her are crazy creative, she's full of insane combos."

Another viewer commented: "I regret to inform you that, it’s so freakin good. I’m very impressed with the improvements and changes. Time to use neutral jing until the rest of the episodes drop."

You can check out some more early reactions below.

Avatar: The Last Airbender airs on Netflix on June 25. Check out our Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 release schedule so you don't miss an episode.

For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows to stream right now.

The first synopsis for Netflix's Gears of War movie has been revealed – and it sounds like the franchise is opting for yet another prequel.

As revealed by Entertainment Weekly, the live-action adaptation will follow 'the origin story of Delta Squad, a ragtag crew of soldiers who wage a desperate war for survival against the Locust, a race of subterranean creatures set on destroying humanity.'

Xbox EVP and chief content officer Matt Booty feels the genesis of Delta is fertile ground for a movie. He said, "When you go visit [The Coalition] studio, their tagline is 'Never Fight Alone.' So when you think about that for a dramatic narrative, it's a pretty good starting point."

Gears vets will know that stories set prior to the events of 2006's Gears of War are nothing new.

Before Marcus Fenix was busted out of prison, we've seen Baird's trials and tribulations as part of Kilo Squad in 2013's Gears of War: Judgment. This year sees players head back to roughly the same time period – 14 years before Gears of War – to see Marcus Fenix combating the incoming Locust threat in Gears of War: E-Day.

On top of that, there have been several wider media prequels in the form of books and comics, though nothing revolving around the earlier iteration of Delta Squad, a group that would eventually consist of Marcus, Dom, Baird, and the Cole Train. Choo-choo!

If true, then, the Gears of War movie could tread – or roadie run? – the path leading right up to the events of the Gears of War games and Delta Squad butting ugly heads with the Locust forces.

Gears of War E-Day hits Xbox Series X on October 6. The Gears of War Netflix movie is currently undated.

For more, here are the other new Xbox games on the horizon, plus all the upcoming video game movies in the works.

Desmond hive, your moment is now. Assassin's Creed Origins actor Abubakar Salim has given some guidance to the creators of Netflix's upcoming live-action adaptation – and it involves the divisive modern-day sections from the franchise's lore.

Especially with something like Assassin's Creed, where it's had so many years in the game space, you have to listen to the fans there in regards to really paying service and homage to it, because it's one of those where it's so easy to try and innovate on it when it doesn't really need innovation," Salim, who played Bayek in the Egyptian-set outing, told Screen Rant.

Salim continued, "It just needs its core, which is the creed itself, the historical elements of it, and the core modern-day stuff as well."

If you're a Templar-come-lately to the Assassin's Creed franchise, you may not remember the passionate debate and furore surrounding the modern-day setting.

Frequently used as a narrative wrapper to introduce players to each fresh historical setting via the Animus device and the shadowy Abstergo corporation, the modern-day exploits of Nolan North's Desmond soon intruded on Assassin's Creed's unique selling point of leaping around virtual ancient landscapes.

Reactions were divided – but the storyline's sudden end in Assassin's Creed 3 curtailed hopes of a present-day spin-off.

The Assassin's Creed Netflix show re-emerged last year, with Toby Wallace and Lola Petticrew among the leads. Filming is currently underway, and we've even been clued in on the date and setting of the live-action show: 64 AD in Rome, the year of the city's Great Fire. Toasty. No word yet, though, on how the present-day moments will be incorporated, if at all.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, a remake of the seafaring fourth entry in the series, is setting sail on July 9.

For more, check out the best movies on Netflix and our complete list of the many, many upcoming video game movies in the works.

One year on from its announcement, we finally have a glimpse of what could be the main character of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2.

As spotted at the Annecy Animation Festival by Nexus Point News, the new look at the second season of Studio Trigger's Netflix animated anthology features a young blonde protagonist holding a camcorder.

It's still early days, but we're convinced the unnamed character is replacing David as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' lead. Why? Well, apart from obvious spoiler reasons, the very first announcement video for the new season focused on a gang of silhouettes. At its centre was one diminutive figure that looked suspiciously similar to what was unveiled at Annecy.

"I’m super happy and proud to announce that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is in production, CD Projekt Red franchise creative director Bartosz Sztybor wrote on Twitter last year. "I’m writing, producing and showrunning, so be prepared for sadness!!"

All we know right now is there will be a "different crew and new standalone story set in Night City."

David actor Zach Aguilar previously told GamesRadar+ he has spoken to CD Projekt Red about the franchise's future but "truly" doesn't know if that involves his character.

Those desperate for more from the streets of Night City will be heartened by the fact that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 has its own panel at next month's Anime Expo. Expect more story, character, and setting teases there as we get ready to return to the streets of Night City.

A Cyberpunk 2077 sequel is also in the works at CD Projekt Red.

For more, check out our guide to new PS5 games and new anime just over the horizon.

The Boroughs actor Denis O'Hare has taken to Instagram to encourage fans and Emmy voters to get out there and show Netflix that they made a big mistake.

"So, it’s Saturday and I’m just thinking about the fact that Netflix canceled The Boroughs and how really bummed I am because it was such a great show, it was such a great show and people really seem to love it," O'Hare said in a video he posted to Instagram.

"Anyway, so I think we still have a couple of days before the end of Emmy voting that everyone should just vote for The Boroughs," he continued. "You can vote for me if you like. But also like Bill Pullman and Alfre Woodard and Alfie [Alfred] Molina and Geena Davis and Clarke Peters, Seth Numrich, Alice Kremelberg and vote for ‘The Boroughs’ for Best Series and, you know, stick it to Netflix and let them know that they made a mistake, you know, because I think that would be sweet revenge. Anyway, I love the show, I miss it and, you know, whatever." You can watch the full video below.

The Boroughs series hit Netflix on May 21 and climbed to 9.6 million viewers in its first week before dropping to 3 million, debuting with an impressive 97% Rotten Tomatoes score. The streaming giant pulled the plug on June 17, with reports citing the high production costs and viewership decline as reasons for cancellation. Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who created Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance TV series, served as executive producers and showrunners, with The Duffer Brothers producing under their Upside Down Pictures banner.

The sci-fi show, inspired by the 1985 Ron Howard movie Cocoon, took place in a seemingly picturesque retirement community that saw a group of unlikely heroes band together to stop an otherworldly threat lurking within.

The Boroughs is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to add to your streaming queue right now, or check out our guide to all the upcoming TV shows you need to know about.

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.

Despite being one of the best new original shows of 2026 so far, Netflix has canceled The Boroughs. Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers produced the new sci-fi show, which saw a group of retirement home residents attempting to navigate an otherworldly threat.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision was made to cancel it after only a month on the platform due to two major reasons. The first is cost, as sci-fi is expensive to produce, meaning the viewership threshold needs to be as high as possible to compensate.

That being said, it seems like the show did pretty well. It's been in the weekly top 10 on Netflix every week since its May 21 release, which is no mean feat.

However, there's also another player at work: the Duffer brothers' new deal with Paramount. The creators have an upcoming movie due to be released by the studio in November 2028, which splits their loyalties away from just Netflix. According to THR, this was a contributing factor in the decision.

Starring Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, Jena Malone, and Geena Davis, the star-studded series was a hit with critics and viewers alike. The show is currently sitting at a near-perfect 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers calling it Stranger Things for adults. Viewers were positive too, with an audience score of 78%.

Season one also ended on a pretty huge twist, which will be disappointing for fans hoping to find out what happens next. The show was created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, but neither of them has commented on its cancellation yet.

For what you can still stream on Netflix, check out our guides to the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies available now.

The Witcher's original Geralt actor Doug Cockle has weighed in on Liam Hemsworth's performance as the White Wolf in Netflix's adaptation. The actor, who voiced the character in CD Projekt Red's video games, shared that he was a big fan of Henry Cavill's replacement.

"It's tough to do what [Hemsworth] did. Really, really tough, especially with a character in a show that so many people adore," Cockle told Polygon. "To be the actor replacing someone else who originated a character in the same series is so difficult."

The actor added that he thinks Cavill "did a fabulous job" but he was also a big fan of Hemsworth's take on the monster slayer. "I find that Henry's performance has a little bit more weight to it and Liam's is a little bit more energized and actually kind of youthful, but in a fun way."

Hemsworth took over the role in The Witcher season 4, following on from Cavill's exit. While the former Superman star has never revealed his exact reasons for departing, his exit did cause disruption among the cast with Ciri actor Freya Allan admitting she almost left as well.

Luckily, she stayed the course as reviews for Hemsworth's take on Geralt have been very positive. The actor will be returning to the role for the final season on Netflix too.

With Cockle, Hemsworth and Cavill all playing the role at different times, the game actor also compared the part to Hamlet, adding that everyone brings something unique to it.

"What I always say about these kinds of things is that every actor has to make a role their own," Cockle added to Polygon. "There have been thousands of people who've played Hamlet, and each Hamlet is different. Every individual brings their own quirks, emotional life, experiences, and ideas to the table and interprets the character through all of that."

The Witcher season 5 will be released at some point in 2026. In the meantime, check out our guides to new TV shows on the way.

Avatar: The Last Airbender – Netflix's live-action adaptation of the beloved animated show – returns for season 2 this month, and in a new interview, one of the show's executive producers has explained why we're only getting seven episodes instead of eight.

Speaking in the latest issue of SFX magazine (which features House of the Dragon season 3 on the cover), executive producer Christine Boylan revealed that, like season 1 of Netflix's The Last Airbender, the second season was originally envisioned as eight episodes, but a fully completed script was cut before filming.

“Netflix gives very little real estate when it comes to episodes,” Boylan admitted to SFX from the set. “We have seven episodes this time round, and while we wrote eight, cutting that down forced us to focus in on key themes. So while we knew we couldn’t include everything, fans can certainly expect to see elements of the fan-favourite episode ‘The Tales Of Ba Sing Se’ throughout the series.”

The second season of the original animated show (aka Book Two: Earth) is 18 episodes long, and features numerous fan-favorite episodes – Zuko Alone and Appa's Lost Days among them. Episodes of the animated show only run 24 minutes, however, whereas episodes of the live action show have clocked in anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour, meaning there could still be little difference in total time dedicated to telling Book Two in live action.

Despite this, fans have been understandably concerned about the prospect of crucial plotlines not making the leap to live action, ever since it was revealed that season 2 would be just seven episodes long. But fellow executive producer and director Jabbar Raisani confirms at least one all-time-classic episode will be rendered in live action.

“There are certain episodes we knew we couldn’t cut,” Raisani said. “Zuko Alone, for example, we knew had to be in there, and it was such an honour to be able to direct that episode too. The thing is there’s never enough time to do everything one-to-one, but we try and draw as much inspiration as possible from every aspect of Avatar: The Last Airbender, be it the comics, novels or the show, and we hope that this live-action version can drum up excitement for these other aspects of ATLA and newcomers to the series will go off and explore them.”

One fan-favorite character we know is making the leap to live action intact is Earthbender Toph, who features prominently in the Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 trailer. The new season is heading to a major new location – the Earth Kingdom capital, Ba Sing Se. War may be brewing, but as any ATLA fan knows, there's no war in Ba Sing Se…

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 releases on Netflix on June 25, 2026. For more, check out the best Netflix shows and best anime on Netflix to add to your watchlist right now.

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.

Hopper actor David Harbour says that we could one day see him reunite on screen with Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown, as the pair are currently working on "several" projects together.

Harbour and Brown, of course, played Chief of Police Jim Hopper and his surrogate, superpowered daughter Eleven, respectively, across all five seasons of Stranger Things, over the last decade. And speaking to Variety, Harbour claims that he and Brown haven't had enough of each other yet.

"Straight up, Millie and I are working on several…" Harbour said, cutting himself off before revealing too much. "You’ll see more of me and Millie – 10 years wasn’t enough. There is a special bond there."

What any those projects might be is a mystery for the time being, but it's a safe bet that they're not Stranger Things-related, as creators the Duffer Brothers followed up the divisive Stranger Things season 5 ending by joking that they won't reveal the truth about Eleven's fate for 20 years.

Even without a potential Hopper/Eleven reunion, Harbour has been keeping busy since Stranger Things came to an end. Later this year, he'll return as Red Guardian in Avengers: Doomsday, and is set to appear in the Noah Centineo-starring Rambo reboot. He'll also reprise his kick-ass Santa in Violent Night 2, and return as Frankenstein in Creature Commandos season 2. As for Brown, Enola Holmes 3 is right around the corner, and will see Sherlock's sister on the search for her kidnapped brother, once again played by Henry Cavill.

Also speaking to Variety, Brown touched on her long creative partnership with Harbour. "Obviously I changed so much from Season 1 to Season 5, and David was there through all of it," Brown said. "Over time, our relationship became much more collaborative creatively. When you work with someone for that many years, we could really push each other emotionally in scenes. Even though the series has ended, there’s still a lot of gratitude."

As for Stranger Things, the mothership show may have ended, but animated show Stranger Things: Tales from '85 has been renewed for season 2, and will continue to fill in the gaps between seasons 2 and 3.

Stranger Things is streaming now on Netflix. Fill out your streaming watchlist with our picks of the best Netflix shows.

KPop Demon Hunters is turning a year old in just a few weeks. Where has the time gone?

To celebrate the anniversary of the animation sensation's streaming release, Netflix is organizing global screenings and more ways for fans to celebrate.

Netflix promises "events, activations, and merch drops" in the lead-up to June 20. There are also theatrical releases in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Israel.

Among those, there will be free outdoor screenings in New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and a handful of other locations listed on Netflix's Tudum site.

To say KPop Demon Hunters was a worldwide phenomenon upon its release would be doing it a disservice.

The story of girl band HUNTR/X's fight against demons became Netflix's most-watched movie by the end of 2025, clocking up over 500 million views in the process.

After capturing the world's attention, it captured that of the Academy, picking up the Oscars for Best Original Song with 'Golden' and Best Animated Feature.

KPop Demon Hunters 2 has also been announced, but it's not expected to arrive until 2029.

A new McDonald's short managed to whet our appetite for more HUNTR/X bangers, but we'll have years to wait for a sequel, per Bloomberg.

That's not very Golden now, is it? Still, at least we have a KPop birthday party to attend very soon.

For more, check out our picks for the best anime on Netflix.

With a new month comes a whole heap of new releases on streaming services to enjoy – and June is no exception. This first week brings with it several returning series as well as the release of a new Netflix original movie. Probably the most exciting pick of this weekend's options is Cape Fear, which adapts John D. MacDonald's The Executioners once again for the screen, this time starring Javier Bardem and Amy Adams.

That's by no means all there is to watch on the TV front either. On Prime Video, animated show The Legend of Vox Machina returns for its fourth season, which is now officially the penultimate season of the Critical Role adaptation. Then on AMC Plus, Interview With a Vampire returns with a new season titled The Vampire Lestat, which sees the titular vampire become a rockstar.

Films are equally as exciting this week as two major releases make their way onto streaming – and they couldn't be more different. Pixar movie Hoppers is now streaming on Disney Plus if you're after a family-friendly watch that's great fun, meanwhile Alexander Skarsgård's R-rated motorcycle romance is available on HBO Max. Finally, the queen of romantic comedies Jennifer Lopez is back for a new Netflix film written and starring Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein.

Cape Fear

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

"Let me ask you a question, what is your worst fear?" Javier Bardem's chilling Max Cady asks in the new Apple TV Plus series Cape Fear. Based on John D. MacDonald's The Executioners, it follows Tom and Anna Bowden (played by Patrick Wilson and Amy Adams here) as they deal with Cady returning to their lives when he's released from prison. Vicious and unpredictable, he is after revenge from the pair who represented him 17 years ago.

If it sounds familiar, there's a reason. This book has actually been adapted twice before, by J. Lee Thompson in 1962 and by none other than Martin Scorsese in 1991. Scorsese is a producer on this version too alongside Steven Spielberg. And with such impressive talent on and behind the camera, it's no surprise that the show has been landing rave reviews already, with lots of praise for the performances from Bardem and Adams. The first two episodes are available to stream now with the rest of the limited series airing weekly.

Our list of the best Apple TV shows is packed with quality entertainment.

The Legend of Vox Machina season 4

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

Based on Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role, The Legend of Vox Machina has won a lot of fans over its first three seasons for its fun, irreverent take on this beloved world. Now the show is back with a fourth outing, balancing comedy and adventure across 12 new episodes. This time, we pick up with Vox Machina, a year after they separated following the Chroma Conclave. Adventure, and a new evil rising, bring them back together once again to face an epic enemy.

Most of the voice cast are back for the penultimate season of the animated show, including the return of fan-favorite character Taryon Darrington (voiced by Wayne Brady). There's also a surprise introduction of Lord of the Rings star Andy Serkis too, who is voicing a mystery role in the new season, which you won't want to miss. The first three episodes are available now on Prime Video with new triple episode drops continuing until June 24.

For what else to watch, check out our guide to the best Prime Video shows.

The Vampire Lestat

Available: US
Where to watch: AMC+

Now before you start wondering if there's another new spin-off series arriving in the Anne Rice AMC universe, The Vampire Lestat is actually a continuation of the show that kicked this whole franchise off. This is Interview With the Vampire season 3, with a slight twist. Instead of continuing to tell this story from the point of view of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), the new episodes shift the perspective to Sam Reid's Lestat de Lioncourt after he wakes up in the modern world and becomes a rock star.

The change-up in format has definitely worked too as the series has debuted to a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a lot of thanks due to Reid's magnetic performance as Lestat. This time around he uncovers new sides to his deeply flawed and interesting character and after all of the twists and turns in season 2, his relationship with Louis is still a key part of this story too and will unfurl in interesting ways across these seven episodes. The first episode arrives on June 7, with subsequent outings airing each Sunday on AMC Plus.

Office Romance

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Rom-com queen Jennifer Lopez is back for a new Netflix movie written and starring Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein. Office Romance sees Lopez play Jackie, the CEO of a fictional company called Air Cruz. Part of her iron fist rule of the company is an extremely rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees, which gets tested when lawyer Daniel (Goldstein) starts working for her and sparks fly.

It's pretty much exactly what you're asking for if you're in the mood for an easy, light-hearted watch. Goldstein's dialogue, co-scribed by Joe Kelly, adds an extra witty kick to this world too, making it an enjoyable watch. It's Lopez who is the real star here though, bringing back her goofball charm as a leading lady, well honed from movies like The Wedding Planner and Maid in Manhattan. You can watch Office Romance on Netflix now.

Check out our guide to the best Netflix movies for more great viewing.

Hoppers

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney+

Pixar's latest Hoppers is now available to watch on Disney Plus. The charming new animated movie imagines what might happen if scientists had discovered a way to transform human consciousness into robotic animals. Using the technology, our protagonist Mabel (voiced brilliantly by Piper Curda) "hops" into a robotic beaver to experience life as the animals live it. It's a great premise and one that Jesse Andrews' script handles deftly with humor, heart, and a lot of adventure.

The voice cast is pretty impressive too with Jon Hamm, Dave Franco, and Meryl Streep all starring in the movie. Widely called a return to form for Pixar, Hoppers received great reviews during its cinematic run so it's a bit of a no brainer to add it to your weekend streaming list too. The movie is available to watch right now as well, so what are you waiting for?

Check out our picks of the best Disney Plus movies for what else to watch.

Pillion

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

If you're looking for a darker romance that Netflix's new rom-com, then Pillion is another streaming option for you this weekend. The Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling-led film that won over critics at film festivals is now finally heading to HBO Max. It stars Melling as a timid gay man named Colin who's world is broadened by Skarsgård's Ray, an enigmatic biker. The pair start a BDSM relationship, which causes Colin to change in unexpected ways.

Written and directed by Harry Lighton, the film is based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones. Brilliant writing and absorbing performances really elevate this one, which you can stream on HBO Max now.

We've got a list of the best HBO Max movies you can watch right now too.

For more, check out our round up of the best Hulu movies and the best Prime Video movies you can also watch now.

A new report confirms that we aren't losing our minds: the wait between new seasons of our favorite TV shows is getting longer and longer.

According to a press release from Ampere Analysis, the average gap between seasons of scripted original series has almost doubled from 12 months in 2020 to 21 months in 2025. The report cites Stranger Things, Severance, and Wednesday as the biggest examples, noting that the latter two generated "almost twice the average engagement levels" despite lengthy waits between seasons. I would argue that Severance came back bigger and better than ever, despite the three-year wait between seasons 1 and 2, with the second season being lauded with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

The report also interestingly states that sci-fi & fantasy titles, "often involving complex, high-budget productions," tend to perform the strongest despite long waits between seasons. There are other high-production shows that seem to be more concerned with keeping momentum, and have therefore gone into production right after their previous season. There was a three-year wait between seasons 1 and 2 Netflix's hit live-action One Piece series, but season 3 went into production while season 2 was still airing. HBO's newest Game of Thrones spin-off series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also didn't waste any time, entering production on season 2 while season 1 was still airing on the streamer. To give you an idea of just how quick the turnaround time is, season 1 premiered in January 2026 and season 2 is slated for a January 2027 release.

For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2026 and beyond.

We've reached the end of May and while several of the month's major releases have already come out, there's still a few more exciting launches happening this week. Probably the most exciting pick is Nicolas Cage's first TV role, as he stars in new Prime Video Spider-Man series, Spider-Noir.

That's not the only exciting release in our list of the best new shows and movies to stream this week, either. There's also a new spin-off to Apple TV Plus' beloved series For All Mankind, which turns the focus to the Soviet Union. Netflix's runaway hit comedy The Four Seasons is also back for a hilarious second outing as well.

On the movie side, there's an under-the-radar horror movie landing on Hulu and Disney Plus, as well as an Oscar-winning drama. Then, just in case you missed it in theaters, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! is also now out on streaming, starring newly minted Oscar winner Jessie Buckley.

This is all just scratching the surface of what's available on streaming this week. For more of what to watch (and what you might have missed this month), read our guides on everything new on Netflix in May 2026, everything new on Disney Plus in May 2026, and everything new on Prime Video in May 2026.

Spider-Noir

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

Nicolas Cage swings onto the small screen in new Spider-Man show, Spider-Noir. He stars as an aging private investigator and former superhero called Ben Reilly. When a new case lands on his desk, he must grapple with his past and decide whether he wants to become The Spider once again. It's set in an alternate universe to the rest of Sony's Spider-Man movies, but Cage did first play the role in the Spider-Verse films. However, this new show is based more on the comics, adapted by Oren Uziel to introduce a new version of this character in a slick, genre-driven drama.

One of the most fun parts about this release is that you can watch it in both black and white or color (read how to do that here). It's also landed some pretty positive reviews, with praise mostly falling at Cage's feet for his authentic performance. Our own Spider-Noir review gave it 3.5 stars with our reviewer calling it "a delightfully camp, low-stakes romp through 1930s New York City that proves Nicolas Cage is still cooler than all of us." You can stream all episodes of the 8-part show on Prime Video now.

See what else we recommend with our guide to the best TV shows on Prime Video.

The Four Seasons season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

The Four Seasons was a breakout hit for Netflix when its first season arrived back in May 2025. It's all-star cast got viewers hooked with Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, and Will Forte all appearing in lead roles. However, it was the deft balance of all-out laughs and more tender emotion that was what made the show so popular with viewers and critics alike.

Now the show is returning with a second season, which follows in the wake of season 1's shock death. This time around, the group of friends navigate three new vacations with more baggage and a baby in tow. All eight episodes are available to stream now.

See what else we recommend with our guide to the best shows on Netflix.

Star City

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV

For All Mankind is undoubtedly one of Apple TV's best shows currently airing, telling an alternate history where the USSR was the first nation to reach the moon. In the original show, this kicked off a more intense space race that has been told from the American perspective so far. Well, now, new spin-off Star City is changing the narrative, telling the story from the perspective of the Soviet space agency.

It's an intriguing premise that will likely appeal to fans of the original show as well as newcomers to this sci-fi universe. What's more, it's got a seriously stacked cast of dramatic talent. Rhys Ifans plays the chief designer of the program, while Anna Maxwell Martin is the head of the KGB surveillance department at Star City. Early reviews have been very positive for the new show, which has opened to a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. The first two episodes arrive on May 29, airing weekly thereafter.

Our list of the best Apple TV shows is packed with quality entertainment.

The Bride!

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

Based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein and the 1935 movie Bride of Frankenstein, The Bride! tells a new story set in a very familiar world. After impressing with her directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, The Dark Knight star Maggie Gyllenhaal is in both the writing and directing chair for this one. It stars Christian Bale as 'Frank', the monster created by Dr. Frankenstein, opposite Jessie Buckley as the titular Bride, a woman who is brought back from the dead to be his companion.

Buckley's performance as a radical rebel drives much of the movie, which split critics between fervent admirers and confused observers. Called a sci-fi fantasy version of Sid and Nancy and Natural Born Killers, it seems destined to become a cult classic. It's well worth your streaming time this weekend to make up your own mind on the 2026 release. The movie is available to watch now on HBO Max in the UK and the US.

Check out our guide to the best HBO Max movies for more essential viewing.

Descendent

Available: US
Where to watch: Hulu/Disney Plus

This pacy horror likely flew under your radar when it was first released in 2025. Produced by Marvel filmmaking duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (who worked on Moon Knight and Daredevil: Born Again), this sci-fi thriller tells the story of a school security guard in Los Angeles who struggles to navigate his childhood trauma as he prepares for the birth of his first child.

However, things start to get pretty weird when he ends up seeing a mysterious beam of light one night on his shift. He wakes up after this odd encounter with images of aliens and desert landscapes plaguing his mind. The Walking Dead actor Ross Marquand stars in the lead role of this twisty and tense horror with a very decent 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. You can stream the movie on Hulu right now.

Our guide to the best Hulu movies is full of cinematic gems.

The Theory of Everything

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix (US)/Prime Video (UK)

Awards darling The Theory of Everything is now available to stream on Netflix. The biographical drama tells the love story of physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife, Jane Wilde Hawking (Felicity Jones). The pair navigate his advancing illness and rising fame across three decades of their lives, beginning with their first meeting at Cambridge University.

If you missed this one when it was released back in 2014, it's well worth a watch now for its tender and emotional retelling of Hawking's life. Nominated for five Oscars and winning the Academy Award for Redmayne, it's easy to see why this movie is so well-loved. It's on Prime Video in the UK for four days before it heads to Netflix in the US on May 31.

For more streaming inspiration, you can check out our breakdown of the best Netflix movies.

If you're still in need of inspiration, check out our guides to the best movies on Prime Video and the best shows on Disney Plus.

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown is back as Enola Holmes in the first trailer for the upcoming threequel.

It all begins with Enola living a happy, blissful life with her new fiancé, Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge). However, it soon seems like things aren't quite going to be smooth sailing for the pair when Henry Cavill's Sherlock Holmes is kidnapped en route to the wedding. This takes Enola on her first international case in Malta. But will she make it back in time for the vows? Other shots in the trailer show explosions, horse-riding bandits, fireworks, and a literal theater on fire.

Alongside Partridge as Tewkesbury, Cavill, and Brown, Helena Bonham Carter is also returning as Eudoria Holmes, alongside Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Moriarty. Just as with Enola Holmes 2, it seems like Sam Claflin will not be back as Mycroft Holmes. Scheduling conflicts kept him out of the sequel, and it seems it will be a similar situation here.

The second film ended on something of a cliffhanger with a mid-credits scene introducing Himesh Patel as Dr. John Watson. As you might recall, it features Sherlock opening the door to his Baker Street home, expecting to see Enola on the other side. Instead, it was Watson, who'd been sent by Enola to be her brother's new colleague and companion. From the trailer, it's clear that Watson will play a big part in Enola Holmes 3.

Enola Holmes 3 is released on July 1, 2026. For more, check out all the upcoming movies to have on your radar, as well as our selection of the best Netflix action movies to stream now.

It's only been a few months since the divisive final season of Stranger Things came to an end and the Duffer Brothers already have a new show on Netflix. Produced by the filmmaking duo, The Boroughs follows a retirement community as they deal with an otherworldly threat.

Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, the eight-part series is out on the streaming platform now and has been a hit with critics. Early reviews have been very positive, and it's currently sitting at a score of 94% on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 34 reviews.

This is the highest rating for the Duffer Brothers since Stranger Things season 1, which is rated at 97%. It's tied with the second season of the show, which also drew in 94% from its critics.

The Boroughs was given four stars by the Guardian's Lucy Mangan, who wrote, "Like the best hokum, The Boroughs speaks, via monsters and electroplasm, to eternal human fears." Meanwhile, Empire's David Opie gave it three stars, writing: "More than just a spiritual successor to Stranger Things, The Boroughs is an original sci-fi that succeeds on its own terms, even if it does need to iron out a few wrinkles, figuratively speaking."

Variety critic Aramide Tinubu called it a "delightful, intriguing adventure," adding: "Heartbreaking, funny and endlessly fascinating, The Boroughs is a show that examines loss, pain, time and the trials and tribulations of life during the golden years."

TIME Magazine's Judy Berman was also positive, writing that the show "excels at humanizing, through sharp performances by an all-star cast, characters Hollywood too often caricatures as cute or crotchety, when it deigns to pay them any attention."

It certainly has an all-star cast involved too with Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Denis O'Hare and Jena Malone all starring. All episodes are out to stream right now. In fact, it might just fill the Stranger Things-shaped hole in your heart.

For more, check out our round-up of the best shows to stream this weekend as well as our pick of the best Netflix shows currently available.

The first trailer for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2, Netflix's live-action adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon animated series, has arrived, giving us our best look yet at blind earthbender Toph, and Earth Kingdom capital Ba Sing Se, following a first look in March.

In the trailer, which you can see above, we get our first hint at the strange goings on in Ba Sing Se, where all is not as it seems. We also get plenty of bending action, including a fresh glimpse of Aang being trained by Toph, who's set to be a key figure for the series moving forward.

Arriving on screens some two years after season one, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is adapting the second season of the animated series (aka Book Two: Earth), which orbits around the Earth Kingdom, as Aang looks to level up his Earthbending abilities. Book Two, notably, features one of the show's most beloved episodes – Appa's Lost Days. No word yet whether we'll be spending an episode in the desert with Aang's best bud.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1 ending saw Sozin's comet come into play, a celestial body of major importance to the Fire Nation in their quest to take over the world. Since then, Aang actor Gordon Cormier has had something of a growth spurt – the perils of casting child actors in the streaming era where seasons of TV take years to film.

It's been something of a rough year for Avatar: The Last Airbender fans, with animated movie The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender leaking in full online more than six months before its planned release on Paramount Plus. In the aftermath, Toph's original voice actor pleaded with fans to "Stop talking about it, and stop sharing things about it." But it wasn't enough to prevent the leaked movie being so widely viewed that it appeared in Letterboxd's popular this week list.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 releases on Netflix on June 25, 2026. For more, check out the best Netflix shows and best anime on Netflix to add to your watchlist right now.

All the way back in the halcyon days of 2025, there was a show on Netflix called Stranger Things. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, better known as The Duffer Brothers, the show was an enormous hit for the streamer, and ended with a great final episode that everyone loved. Just kidding! Anyway, the point here is that hot on the heels of the finale of the blockbuster series, Netflix has been engaging in a little game every other streamer and network has been playing for the past decade, to try and recreate the sensation with a new series… And that includes the Duffer Brothers, who may just have done the impossible with the new show The Boroughs.

In fact, in the wake of the end of Stranger Things, rather than sitting on their hands, the Duffers have released a non-stop barrage of shows hoping to fill the gap left by saying goodbye to Hawkins, Indiana. In March, they launched Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen, a show created by Haley Z. Boston and executive-produced by the Duffers that goes far more surreal than Stranger Things but at least in terms of set dressing and style evokes some of the ‘80s flair, and certainly delves into horror. Call it Stranger Things adjacent, rather than a replacement.

Far more overt was April’s offering, the animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales From '85, created by Eric Robles and EP-ed, again, by the Duffers. Set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the main series, Tales From '85 depicts a previously unseen adventure from the kids in the main show, and has already been renewed for a second season. Even with the near-identical DNA, it’s hard to say Tales From '85 is the next Stranger Things, as it's an extension of the brand, rather than something that feels fresh and/or new.

Keeping it old school

Well, now we're in May, and it's time to see if Netflix and the Duffer Brothers will get strike three, or hit it out of the park with The Boroughs. Once again, the Duffers are Executive Producers of the show, not the creators – that would be Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. Starring a bevy of name actors, including Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, Jena Malone, Clarke Peters, and more, the casting flips the script from, "Hey, that's '80s icon Winona Ryder with a bunch of kids" to "Oops! All icons!"

In the series, Molina stars as Sam, a new widower who moves to the expansive retirement community of the title. It's already weird as Sam's daughter, Claire (Jena Malone), drives the former engineer to a remote spot in the middle of the desert against his will, though he quickly warms to his quirky neighbors; from the overly friendly Jack (Pullman) to the energetic art teacher Renee (Davis) and former investigative journalist Judy (Woodard). Oh, and also, there's a horrific monster that's stalking the grounds, killing the residents.

It's hard not to explicitly think of Stranger Things while watching The Boroughs, from an opening shot of someone riding a bicycle to a final scene that evokes one of the more memorable moments in the original season of the series. In between, the monster itself, while not an exact copy of the Demogorgon, has stretched limbs and a disturbing mouth that indicates if they don’t have the exact same genesis, they at least might be in the same phylum.

Stranger danger

Far more evocative of Stranger Things, though, is the scrappy, breezy nature of the dialogue and how Addiss and Matthews approach the series. Unlike the purposefully off-putting intensity of Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen, The Boroughs has its older actors talk like the gang from Hawkins, and often act more like kids than older adults pushing 80. They run around the community getting into trouble, come up with goofy inventions, and Sam is outfitted like a large child rather than a man getting on in years. That's also very much the point of the show: even when you're older, you still have plenty of life left, and don’t just need to be shoved out of the way. But seeing everyone jam into a van that might as well be driven by Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) makes it hard not to label this show Older Things and call it a day.

The bigger question is whether the formula to get the next Stranger Things is to do Stranger Things But Old. And the answer to that question will very much be determined over the next few weeks after the show debuts. Will it capture the national imagination with its bubbling mysteries and clear nod to a bigger mythology? Or will it merely pop to the top of the Netflix charts for a week before fading away into the algorithm like so many other series before it? Netflix, it should be noted, doesn't have the best track record with quirky sci-fi ideas (see The Society, Archive 81, 1899… The list goes on and on), though perhaps the Duffers are the secret sauce that will make it work.

Ultimately, though, if The Boroughs does become a hit and continue, it can't coast on the Stranger Things association forever, and neither can The Duffers. Sure, they've got an in-development live-action spin-off, as well as the second season of Tales From '85. But extracting some of the DNA from the series and handing it to other creators (including themselves) will only go so far. Because the real trick to creating the next Stranger Things isn't to remake the show with old folks… It's to craft something that feels as fresh and new and exciting as ST did way back in 2016, when it debuted. You know: by remixing ideas from the '80s.

The Boroughs is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our list of the new TV shows still to come this year, or fill out your watchlist with the Best shows on Netflix.

The Duffer brothers have debunked a rumor about the Stranger Things series finale that suggests Mike's theory about Eleven being alive might be real after all.

Right before the bridge collapses and we jump forward 18 months, there's weird audio that sounds like a heartbeat. Fans took this to mean that it must be a subtle indicator that Eleven actually lives, but apparently it's actually just distorted audio of bricks being laid.

"It's written in the script that it is supposed to sound like a heartbeat, but it's actually just like, what do you call it? The brick," Matt Duffer explained during a live taping of the Happy Sad Confused Podcast. "It's just distorted, but yeah, you could interpret it as that. I mean, it was meant to be interpreted as that potentially." You can check it out below at around the 37-minute mark.

When asked if they'll follow in David Chase's cryptic finale footsteps and reveal what really happened to Eleven in 20 or so years after the finale, the Duffers jokingly agreed.

"I hope people still care," Matt Duffer added. "That would be great. And then I'll say everything. Yeah. Okay. At that point. Okay. 20 years from now. 20 years from now. That's right."

Part of why some fans were so upset with the series finale was the unwillingness to take a risk and kill off a major character. Even though it certainly seems that Eleven dies, it's still just... implied. It's Mike's hopeful theory that Eleven found a peaceful life elsewhere that leads even the viewer to think she may not be dead... which is why fans were thinking there must have been a surprise final episode a la Conformity Gate that tells us what really happened to her. I guess we'll find out in 20 years.

Stranger Things is streaming now in its entirety. Tales from '85 season 1 is also streaming now on Netflix, and has been greenlit for a second season. For more, check out our Stranger Things: Tales From '85 review or our breakdown for the Stranger Things season 5 finale explained.

KPop Demon Hunters took over the world last year with its vibrant animation and seriously catchy tunes.

But, as it turns out, it was almost a completely different film entirely. The film is based on an original idea of co-director Maggie Kang's, and, as she revealed in a in a recent Deadline interview, the concept for the movie was initially "dark, adult, and very violent."

But, after around six months in development, Kristine Belson, president of Sony Pictures Animation, suggested switching things up. Feeling that the concept was "bigger" and had "franchise potential," Belson suggested making the film something with mass appeal, explained Kang.

That was undoubtedly a good idea, considering the film's massive global success and the cultural phenomenon it has become. 'Golden' is a chart-topper (though we prefer 'What It Sounds Like'...) and merchandise is everywhere. While an edgier, darker take on the idea of demon-slaying KPop stars is a very interesting proposition, it's hard to argue against the more family friendly fare the film ended up being.

KPop Demon Hunters 2 is in the works, though it's unlikely to arrive for a long time. "I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters," Kang said in a statement when the sequel was officially greenlit. "There's so much more to this world we have built, and I'm excited to show you. This is only the beginning."

While you wait for KPop Demon Hunters 2, check out our guide to all the upcoming movies worth getting excited about.

The Duffer brothers say the most polarizing episode of Stranger Things (besides the finale), was never meant to be a sneaky pilot for a spin-off starring Kali and her super-powered punk friends.

"It was never designed as like a spin-off shoot. That's not true. Um that's gross. We would not do that," Matt Duffer said during a live taping of the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, when asked about season 2's infamous bottle episode.

"I think the mistake was this idea of a bottle episode," Ross explained. "Like, I think if we had threaded more organically throughout the season, it would have worked. So it wasn't anybody's fault except ours. I think I just would have approached how we integrated Kali differently. Matt and I got so drawn into getting those last two episodes of season 2 written and prepping them, too, because we were directing them. So that it just got lost in the shuffle... Season 2, we were racing, you know, it's the only season that came out in like an appropriate amount of time." You can check it out below at around minute 49.

Stranger Things season 2 episode 7, titled 'The Lost Sister,' focused solely on Eleven (featuring no other characters from the regular cast) as she met her 'sister' Kali (played by Linnea Berthelsen), one of the many children who were experimented on at Hawkins Lab. Kali and her spiked leather-jacket-wearing, mohawked pals led a life off the grid, with Kali using her powers to evade police and commit relatively harmless crimes. The episode was poorly received at the time, mainly for feeling like such an abrupt, jarring episode that was disconnected from a pretty well-paced and high-stakes season.

When Kali returns in Stranger Things season 5, we learn that she was kidnapped by the government and that the feds killed all of her punk friends. Though she returned once again as a divisive character, she ultimately saves the world by helping Eleven plan her fatal sacrifice in the series finale. Around the time season 2 aired, the Duffers told Vulture that they just kind of thought it'd be fun for Eleven to have her own mini-movie. However, some fans (me), knew they'd have to bring back Kali one way or another as Eleven and the gang needed all the help they could get to bring down Vecna.

Stranger Things is streaming now in its entirety. Tales from '85 season 1 is also streaming now on Netflix, and has been greenlit for a second season. For more, check out our Stranger Things: Tales From '85 review or our breakdown of the Stranger Things season 5 finale explained.

The Boroughs creators Jeffrey Addis and Will Matthews aren't opposed to having their own Kate Bush moment, as music plays a pretty central part in the sci-fi series.

"If there’s a great song called 'Golden Years,' let’s just do it," Addiss says in the latest issue of SFX, in reference to both the David Bowie song and the show's main cast quite literally being in their golden years. "Bruce Springsteen’s 'Thunder Road' was something really important to us, because it just felt like the right song for this show."

We don't know what year the show takes place, though Addiss and Matthews say it's meant to feel like a '90s/early 2000s blockbuster. It's also inspired by the movie Cocoon, the 1985 sci-fi pic from director Ron Howard that sees a group of seniors uncover an alien presence swimming in the pools of their retirement community. Basically, we can expect loads and loads of nostalgia.

Per the official tagline for The Boroughs: "In a seemingly picturesque retirement community, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have… time." The iconic cast includes Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Clarke Peters, Alfred Molina, Bill Pullman, Ed Begley Jr., Jane Kaczmarek, Alice Kremelberg, and Dee Wallace.

"When you’ve got the people who made a lot of the magic happen on Stranger Things, the publishers want their next 'Running Up That Hill,'" added Matthews.

You might recall that Stranger Things season 4 reintroduced Kate Bush's 1985 hit Running Up That Hill, thanks to Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) choosing the song as one that gives her personal strength and power following her brother Billy's death (and I know the song itself isn't actually about grief, but it's a pretty common interpretation). The song reentered the Billboard charts and has well over 1 billion streams on Spotify, leading to a huge resurgence in Bush's already legendary career (and her formerly lost hit single 'Experiment IV' finally being added to streaming services, thank you).

The Boroughs is set to hit Netflix on May 21. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to add to your streaming queue right now, or check out our guide to all the upcoming TV shows you need to know about.