The streaming service has decided to finish off the show –– which just wrapped up its fourth season, enjoying solid reviews and decent ratings on December 28 –– with a reduced eight-episode order for Season 5.
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While neither the company nor executive producer Taylor Sheridan (who co-created the show with Hugh Dillon) has commented on the move, it may well be tied to the fact that Sheridan is moving his TV and movie producing interests to NBC Universal (more on that below.).
(L to R): Jeremy Renner and Edie Falco in a promotional image for ‘Mayor of Kingstown.’ Photo: Paramount+.
In season four, Mike McLusky’s (Renner) control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians’ wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.
Meanwhile, with those he loves in more danger than ever before, Mike must contend with a headstrong new warden to protect his own while grappling with demons from his past.
The series, despite the recent success, hasn’t been as big as some of Sheridan’s other series, so that might have been a factor.
What’s the future for Taylor Sheridan’s shows?
Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.
As mentioned, Sheridan who, along with his coterie of creative team members, has become a TV factory, pumping out series that, while they may not scoop many awards, have certainly cleaned up on the viewership front. Yet he recently signed a big new deal with NBCU to take his film and TV production services there.
Two points on that: he’s still contracted with Paramount on the TV front until 2029, so everything he creates until then will still be based at the company. And the existing series will remain in Paramount’s control, so there’s a chance they could be continued whether or not Sheridan has anything to do with them.
And the man is certainly prolific. Sprung from his first big hit, ‘Yellowstone,’ he has several shows either still running or on the way, with three new series, ‘The Madison’ and ‘Dutton Ranch’ on Paramount+ and the first broadcast iteration of the franchise, ‘Y: Marshals’ on CBS.
Outside of the sprawling ‘Yellowstone’-verse, there’s the likes of ‘Lioness’,‘Tulsa King’ (which has its own spin-off on the way via ‘NOLA King’ and ‘Landman.’ So Sheridan’s footprint on Paramount+ isn’t fading away anytime soon.
Writer/director Rian Johnson breathed fresh, sharply-written life into the mystery genre with 2019’s ‘Knives Out.’ And if ‘Glass Onion’ in 2022 was a seemingly lesser (if still entertaining) follow-up, it’s relief to report that third outing ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ has much more in common –– especially in terms of quality character work and central crime –– with the first movie.
Johnson had always intended to make more movies featuring quirky, charismatic sleuth Benoit Blanc and a healthy deal from Netflix means we now have the third.
‘Wake Up Dead Man’ is a considerable step up from the second film, rivalling the original for how it weaves and then unravels its mystery. Part of the advantage is keeping Craig’s Blanc out of the story initially to give the other characters time to breathe. He still gets plenty of superb moments, but the ensemble as a whole has the space it needs to work.
Johnson has also made a beautiful-looking film, using the gloomy upstate New York setting (albeit filmed in the UK) to really enhance the storytelling.
Craig is a natural as Blanc at this point, and the faith-wrangling storyline really gives him something to chew on. But praise also to Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Thomas Haden Church and Glenn Close in particular, who are all fantastic.
‘Wake Up Dead Man’ is certainly one of the best mystery movies to be released in the last couple of years, and happily stands alongside the first movie while nodding to its inspirations.
‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ receives 87 out of 100.
What’s the story of ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’?
When young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews.
After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.
Who is in the cast of ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’?
It’s fair to say that the Marvel movies, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe releases, have reached “cultural event” status. And there’s a strong case to be made that the MCU is a currently a pop culture juggernaut, the likes of which we haven’t since the original ‘Star Wars‘ trilogy hit theaters for the first time.
It is a great time to watch the Marvel movies in order now and you can watch them all on Disney Plus in 4K format. You can even plan virtual Marvel movie nights with your friends using Disney+ GroupWatch feature.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
During World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a sickly man from Brooklyn who’s transformed into super-soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Rogers must stop the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) – Adolf Hitler’s ruthless head of weaponry, and the leader of an organization that intends to use a mysterious device of untold powers for world domination.
The story follows Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) scours the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself coming face to face with a new, deadly foe.
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances – and confront powerful enemies.
Against his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) will, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!
When Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
After the cataclysmic events in New York with ‘The Avengers’, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), aka Captain America is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon (Anthony Mackie). However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron (James Spader) emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Doctor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Following the events of ‘Age of Ultron’, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America (Chris Evans), which causes an epic battle between former allies.
Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Following the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’, Peter Parker (Tom Holland), with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture (Michael Keaton), emerges.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther in 2018’s ‘Black Panther.’
King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne by factions within his own country as well as without. Using powers reserved to Wakandan kings, T’Challa assumes the Black Panther mantle to join with ex-girlfriend Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), the queen-mother, his princess-kid sister, members of the Dora Milaje (the Wakandan ‘special forces’) and an American secret agent, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under her wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett).
Just when his time under house arrest is about to end, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) once again puts his freedom at risk to help Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) dive into the quantum realm and try to accomplish, against time and any chance of success, a very dangerous rescue mission.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization and his father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung).
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on a summer trip to Europe. However, they will hardly be able to rest – Peter will have to agree to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uncover the mystery of creatures that cause natural disasters and destruction throughout the continent.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. Teaming with other Multiverse Spider-Men (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), they must now work together to take out the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and other Spider-Man villains from around the multiverse.
The Eternals are a team of ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. When an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows, they are forced to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants.
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
On a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), the Guardians head to Earth in search of the perfect present. The special follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Quill the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child.
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), along with with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) , and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible and pits them against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam (Anthony Mackie) finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
Fans attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix.
Preview:
Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event took place on Saturday, May 30th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
Netflix debuted new footage and trailers for TV shows like ‘Squid Game’, ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Wednesday’.
They also showed footage and trailers from upcoming movies like ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘The RIP’ and ‘Happy Gilmore 2’.
Lady Gaga brought down the house with an incredible live performance.
Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event took place on Saturday, May 30th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles and was aired live on the streaming network at the same time.
The event featured the debut of new footage and trailers from popular TV shows like ‘Squid Game’ season 3, ‘Stranger Things’ season 5 and ‘Wednesday’ season 2, as well as a casting announcement for a fan favorite character joining ‘One Piece’.
Fans attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix.
(L to R) Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ae-shim, and Choi Seung-hyun speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
Hosted by Sofia Carson, the show began with Pink Guards from ‘Squid Game’ taking the stage during a performance by Hanumankind.
Hanumankind performs onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
After the performance, Lee Jung-Jae and Lee Byung-hun, who play Player 456 and Front Man, respectively, arrived to present the season 3 trailer for ‘Squid Game’. They were joined on stage by fellow cast members Park Hae-soo and Kang Ae-shim.
Lee Byung-hun teased the new season as he introduced the trailer:
“I will try not to spoil anything, but we can tell you a few things. Gi-hun vows to put an end to the game, while the Front Man makes his next big move.”
Lee Jung-Jae added:
“But every game must end … and ‘Squid Game will shock the world one last time. We know you are all counting down the moment.”
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‘Squid Game’ season 3 premieres on Netflix June 27th.
(L to R) Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Cailee Spaeny, Mila Kunis, Rian Johnson, Daniel Craig, Kerry Washington and Daryl McCormack speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
Director Rian Johnson appeared to tease the third of his ‘Knives Out’ series of mysteries and walked on to the stage accompanied by a “Who done it” type mystery theme.
“I love a good surprise. This is the third Benoit Blanc movie that we’ve made and one thing that we strove to do with each one of them is to keep the audience guessing. It’s important for us to figure out new ways every time so just when you think you have it figured out, a new twist comes a long that you were not expecting. That’s what makes these movies special.”
Then, each member of the cast including Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Kerry Washington and Jeremy Renner, came out one by one to one-up the previous co-star. Washington appeared with a T-shirt gun to entice the crowd, but not to be outdone, Renner then appeared with two T-shirt guns and received an extremely warn welcome from the fans.
(Left) Kerry Washington speaks onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix. (Right) Jeremy Renner speaks onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
Eight-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close sent a video from her car, and the actress dropped the F-word twice with her dog in the backseat. Finally, Daniel Craig made a surprise appearance and had this to say about the film.
“I have a bit of news to share with you all. We have an exclusive sneak peak of the movie. Would anybody like to see it?”
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With that, the teaser trailer for the new movie debut, which will premiere on Netflix December 12th.
(L to R) Jacob Romero, Mackenyu, IÒaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, and Taz Skylar speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
The cast of the popular series ‘One Piece’ including Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Gibson, and Taz Skylar appeared on stage to greet the fans. Based on the popular manga series, the first season has been watched by over a hundred million fans around the world.
Iñaki Godoy has this to say about the upcoming season.
“We just wrapped shooting season 2 in South Africa and let me tell you, things are only going to get bigger and better. We’re talking bigger worlds, bigger pirates, bigger adversaries, bigger food, bigger adventures, and bigger giants.”
Mikaela Hoover will voice Chopper in season 2 of ‘One Piece’. Photo: John Schnell/Netflix.
The cast also announced the addition of fan-favorite character Tony Tony Chopper, who will be voiced by actress Mikaela Hoover, and introduced first look footage of the character.
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The second season of ‘One Piece’ is set to premiere on Netflix in 2026.
(L to R) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
The presentation for director Joe Carnahan’s new police thriller ‘The Rip’, which stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, began with a pre-recorded video of the two actors as their cop characters arresting ‘Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster for eating too many cookies.
(L to R) Cookie Monster, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles on May 31, 2025. Photo: Adam Rose for Netflix.
“It’s great to be back together again on screen and we loved making this movie. It channels some of our all-time favorites like ‘Heat’ and ‘Training Day’.
In the film, Affleck and Damon play Miami cops who discover over 20 million dollars in cash hidden in a suspect’s house, which leads to distrust among their characters and the other police officers.
A new trailer for the film was shown to the audience at the Forum and during the broadcast but is not currently available online. Damon introduced the teaser trailer by saying:
“Netflix was not going to let us show you an exclusive first look at the film. In fact, the studio hasn’t even approved its release, so here is the first and I repeat only look at ‘The Rip’ coming to Netflix on January 16th, 2026.”
(L to R) Oscar Isaac, Guillermo del Toro, and Mia Goth speak onstage Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
Next up was visionary director Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ presentation, which began with a video message from actor Jacob Elordi who plays the monster.
“I recently had the great pleasure of playing the creature in Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’. Guillermo is a real-life genius and I’m immensely grateful to be in the film. I’m proud of the work we all put into it.”
Guillermo del Toro himself, as well as actors Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth then took the stage to greet the fans and introduce the teaser trailer for the film.
“Thank you. I’m Guillermo del Toro. This is for me the culmination of a journey that has occupied most of my life. I first read Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ as a kid and saw Boris Karloff in what became for me an almost a religious state. Monsters have become my personal belief system. There are strands of Frankenstein throughout my films, ‘Cronos’, ‘Blade’, ‘Hellboy’, big time on ‘Pinocchio’, and a long, long, etc. Exploring the relationship between humanity and monsters, creator and creation, father and son, has consumed my stories again and again. I wanted to make this film even before I had a camera, and I have actively been pursuing it now for 25 years. It has grown so close to me that now it is my biography. Now, tonight here, finally, we can share it with you.”
(L to R) Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, and Rich Eisen speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
The highly anticipated ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ was up next, and the presentation began with a mock video including sports broadcasters and athletes like Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen, Bob Costas, Serena Williams, Travis Kelce, and John Cena talking about the legacy of Happy Gilmore as if he was a real person and golfer.
The stage was then set up like a sports broadcast with Rich Eisen interviewing Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, and of course, Adam Sandler. Several supporting cast members including Jon Lovitz and an actor dressed as Abraham Lincoln were in the audience and asked clearly scripted questions.
After that, Sandler had this to say before introducing the final trailer for the sequel.
“First of all, Mr. Lincoln, great job on everything. Netflix, thanks for everything. How about today? This was fun. I’m hoping we have a lot of these. Now I have a question for all you nice people out there. Would anyone like to see the trailer for our new film?”
(L to R) Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and Finn Wolfhard speak onstage during Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix.
One of the most popular TV series in the history of Netflix is coming to an end with the fifth and final season of ‘Stranger Things’. Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp appeared to discuss the experience of making the series and the upcoming final season.
They watched behind the scenes videos from the making of the first season and were joined by Gaten Matarazzo and Millie Bobby Brown via a prerecorded message.
Brown sad this to the audience:
“Hi TUDUM and ‘Stranger Things’ fans, its Millie Bobby Brown. Unfortunately, I can’t be there with you guys because I am filming ‘Enola Holmes 3’ right now in London. But I have so many memories. How could you possibly choose a favorite from four seasons?”
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The three actors on stage then introduced a teaser for season 5, and announced that Volume 1 will premiere on November 26th, with Volume to on Christmas day, and the finale on New Year’s Eve.
(L to R) Luis Guzm·n, Joanna Lumley, Fred Armisen, Isaac Ordonez and Jenna Ortega attend Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix.
“Hello TUDUM. We are so thrilled to be here with you tonight, and by thrilled, I mean quietly bracing for what ever fresh horror Netflix has planned. Truly though I want to thank you for the amazing reception to season one and embracing our world. It really means the most. Here is an exclusive sneak peek at season 2.”
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The footage revealed that Haley Joel Osment will appear in the new season, and it was also officially announced that Grammy winner and Oscar nominee Lady Gaga will have a guest starring role in season 2,
‘Wednesday’ season 2 is scheduled to be released in two parts on August 6th, and September 3rd.
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The big event ended with a three-song performance from Lady Gaga which included ‘Zombieboy’, ‘Abracadabra,’ and “Bloody Mary.’
Lady Gaga Is performing at Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event. Photo: Frank Lebon/Netflix.
List of Movies and TV Shows Presented at Netflix TUDUM 2025: The Big Event:
Producer Jason Blum has revealed the script cover for ‘King Spawn’.
Matt Mixon, Malcolm Spellman and Scott Silver are credited with the new draft.
There is no word on what this means for creator Todd McFarlane’s directorial ambitions.
If there is one complicated comic book character whose ongoing development woes can rival that of Marvel’s ‘Blade’, it’s surely Todd McFarlane’s hellish antihero ‘Spawn’.
The latest incarnation has been through the wringer, even with McFarlane constantly talking about his plans for it. At last, though, there appears to be some positive momentum as Blumhouse boss Jason Blum –– his company agreed to co-produce a new movie years ago –– took to social media with a cover page for a version called ‘King Spawn’.
Created in 1992 by McFarlane for Image Comics, the character is a former black-ops agent who makes a deal with a demon after being betrayed and killed. The demon allows him to return to Earth, but when he returns, five years have passed, his wife has moved on, and he roams Earth as a disfigured spawn of hell.
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What has happened with ‘Spawn’ so far?
Michael Jai White in 1997’s ‘Spawn’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Spawn has been the subject of a successful animated series and a movie in 1997 that didn’t score with critics or audiences and barely made its money back.
At the San Diego Comic-Con in 2017, McFarlane confirmed that he’d partnered with the Blumhouse team to make an R-rated new movie adaptation.
Yet ever since then, it has been a stream of announcements countered with delays, one-step-forward-two-steps-back momentum and no sign of bigger studio backing.
Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner were cast in the lead role of Al Simmons and Twitch Williams, but elsewhere there was talk of endless script re-writes and McFarlane getting frustrated with the process.
Interestingly, McFarlane only has a creator credit here, which doesn’t necessarily bode well for his input going forward. Is he still involved as director? Blum doesn’t say. Will Foxx and Renner still star? Unclear.
But judging from the title, the ‘King Spawn’ script adapts McFarlane’s eponymous run of the comics that launched in 2021.
“My original plan has gotten tripped up a bit. We’re bringing on A-list people. Not just one, but multiple A-list people… What they’re not going to want is to do a cheap, low-budget movie with all of these big-name people on it. That’s not why they’re signing up. They’re not looking for a big extravaganza. But they’re also not looking for an 8 million dollar horror movie budget.”
Right now, the script page is all we have. But at least it’s something…
‘Todd McFarlane’s Spawn’. Photo: HBO Animation.
Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Spawn’ Franchise:
Josh Brolin is the newest addition to ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’.
Rian Johnson is writing and directing.
Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny and Andrew Scott are already aboard.
The famous quote attributed to artist Andy Warhol runs, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Based on the evidence of the last week, it could be modified to “everyone will have the chance to appear in ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’”.
Because writer/director Rian Johnson has been on such a casting spree for the latest outing of canny detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) that it feels like half of Hollywood are involved in the new movie.
Christopher Plummer in ‘Knives Out’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Kicking off with the first, eponymous movie, the ‘Knives Out’ series began as Craig’s southern-fried investigator Blanc probed the secrets of the uptight, wealthy Thrombey clan after the mysterious death of patriarch Harlan (Christopher Plummer).
Travelling far from the chilly Massachusetts mansion of the original, ‘Glass Onion’ found Blanc headed overseas.
Edward Norton as Miles in ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’ Photo: Courtesy Netflix.
When tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?
What will happen in ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’?
Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
As is befitting the new mystery, Johnson has yet to release any real details about the movie, so it’s a waiting game to see where Blanc ends up this time, and what he has to dig into.
It has only so far been described as his “most dangerous mystery yet.”
Who else will appear in ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’?
When will ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ be on screens?
Netflix has yet to confirm a release date for the movie but given that Johnson is about to start he cameras rolling, we’d expect it to arrive in 2025. We’ll have to wait and see whether the company gives it a theatrical run (‘Glass Onion’ had a limited release before it hit the company’s servers).
(L to R) Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Janelle Monáe, and Daniel Craig in ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
Jeremy Renner, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington and Mila Kunis are the latest additions to the third ‘Knives Out’ movie.
Rian Johnson is back to write and direct.
Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny and Andrew Scott are already aboard.
Rian Johnson is known for building big ensembles to star in his ‘Knives Out’ movies, and the third, ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ is certainly keeping that tradition alive.
(L to R) Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Don Johnson and Michael Shannon in ‘Knives Out’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Kicking off with the first, eponymous movie, the ‘Knives Out’ series began as Craig’s southern-fried investigator Blanc probed the secrets of the uptight, wealthy Thrombey clan after the mysterious death of patriarch Harlan (Christopher Plummer).
Travelling far from the chilly Massachusetts mansion of the original, ‘Glass Onion’ found Blanc headed overseas.
(L to R) Kathryn Hahn, Madelyn Cline, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., and Kate Hudson in Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’
When tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?
As is befitting the new mystery, Johnson has yet to release any real details about the movie, so it’s a waiting game to see where Blanc ends up this time, and what he has to dig into.
It has only so far been described as his “most dangerous mystery yet.”
Who else will appear in ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’?
(Left) Josh O’Connor attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Challengers’ at Regency Village Theatre on April 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Stewart Cook/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios. (Right) Cailee Spaeny in ‘Priscilla.’ Credit: Sabrina Lantos.
While O’Connor, Spaeny, Scott and now Close, Renner, Kunis and Washington are confirmed cast members, there have been rumors about Tom Hardy and Lindsay Lohan being in talks for the movie.
And could Hugh Grant return as Phillip, Blanc’s husband, who we briefly see in ‘Glass Onion’?
When will ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ be on screens?
Netflix has yet to confirm a release date for the movie but given that Johnson is about to start he cameras rolling, we’d expect it to arrive in 2025. We’ll have to wait and see whether the company gives it a theatrical run (‘Glass Onion’ had a limited release before it hit the company’s servers).
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in ‘The Bourne Ultimatum.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
Universal is looking to revisit Jason Bourne.
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ director Edward Berger is in negotiations to develop the new movie.
Though Matt Damon played the character in the past, there is no casting information yet.
If you had told us that ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ director Edward Berger would follow his Oscar-winning war movie with a new iteration of the Jason Bourne film franchise, we’re not sure we would have believed you. Technically, he isn’t –– more on that below.
But according to Deadline, he is also looking into the idea of joining a franchise, as he’s in negotiations to develop a new Jason Bourne movie for Universal.
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What’s the story of the Bourne franchise so far?
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in ‘The Bourne Ultimatum.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Adapted from the novels originated by Robert Ludlum in 1980 with ‘The Bourne Identity’ and continued by authors including Eric Van Lustbader and Brian Freeman, the ‘Bourne’ movie franchise kicked off in 2002 with the eponymous original film starring Matt Damon and directed by Doug Liman.
Damon plays the title character, a man who is pulled from the Mediterranean sea with no memory of who he is, but a particular set of skills with which he can protect himself.
As it turns out, he’s a special agent trained by a CIA black ops outfit codenamed Treadstone and must figure out the rest of his background while other Treadstone trainees and agents track him down.
Following those, the franchise took a left turn into spin-off territory, as Jeremy Renner starred as a different character (albeit with a similar background) for director Tony Gilroy in 2012’s ‘The Bourne Legacy.’
Greengrass and Damon reunited to make 2016’s ‘Jason Bourne’, though that didn’t get quite the same rapturous reception as their previous collaborations.
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in ‘The Bourne Ultimatum.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
How the movie shakes out will depend on certain factors –– what Universal intends for the story to reboot the character for a new take, or whether they can entice Damon back.
If he is considered, he’ll likely wait for the script (no writer is attached) to be written before he commits at all.
As for Berger, he’s also developing a spy series for Netflix based on Christopher Reich’s Simon Riske book series, which have been compared to both Bourne and the James Bond series.
Plus, he’s already in post-production on a film for Universal’s Focus Features arm –– religious thriller ‘Conclave’, about the group of Catholic Cardinals responsible for selecting a new Church leader while one of their number is trying to uncover a secret from the late Pontiff.
According to actor Jeremy Renner’s spokesperson, the ‘Avengers’ star is in “critical but stable condition with injuries suffered after experiencing a weather related accident while plowing snow” yesterday morning at his home near Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, about 25 miles from Reno, Nevada.
Deadline reports that, according to Sergeant Kristin Vietti of Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, police “responded to a traumatic injury in the area of Mt. Rose Highway in Reno, Nevada at 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day.”
The police reported that “Upon arrival, deputies coordinated with Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and REMSA Health to arrange for medical transport of Mr. Jeremy Renner via care flight to a local area hospital. Mr. Renner was the only involved party in the incident.”
According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, the region “saw a winter storm hit on New Year’s Eve that resulted in 35,000 homes across Northern Nevada’s Washoe, Carson, Douglas, Storey and Lyon counties losing power…”
Renner’s representative further commented that the actor’s “family is with him and he is ‘receiving excellent care.’”
A Best Actor Oscar nominee for 2009’s ‘The Hurt Locker,’ and a Supporting Actor Oscar nominee for 2010’s ‘The Town,’ Renner may be best known for his portrayal of the superheroic archer Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, in Marvel’s ‘Avengers’ movies and the Disney+ spin-off series ‘Hawkeye.’
His latest project is headlining the series ‘The Mayor of Kingstown,’ the second season of which is set to premiere January 15 on Paramount+.
Todd McFarlane’s Spawn. Photo Courtesy of Todd McFarlane’s Facebook page.
The development process for the new movie based on Todd McFarlane’s Spawn character has been pretty hellish so far.
Created in 1992 for Image Comics, the character is a former black-ops agent who makes a deal with a demon after being betrayed and killed. The demon allows him to return to Earth, but when he returns, five years have passed, his wife has moved on, and he roams Earth as a disfigured spawn of hell.
Spawn – AKA Al Simmons – has been the subject of a successful animated series and a movie in 1997 that didn’t score with critics or audiences and barely made its money back.
At the San Diego Comic-Con in 2017, McFarlane confirmed that he’d partnered with the Blumhouse team to make an R-rated new movie adaptation.
Yet ever since then, it has been a stream of announcements countered with delays, one-step-forward-two-steps-back momentum and no sign of bigger studio backing.
Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner were cast in the lead role of Al Simmons and Twitch Williams, but elsewhere there was talk of endless script re-writes and McFarlane getting frustrated with the process.
Jamie Foxx as Bud Jablonski in ‘Day Shift.’ Photo: Parrish Lewid/Netflix.
Now, in news from The Hollywood Reporter, the script is being handed over to a new group. ‘Joker’s co-writer Scott Silver, ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Malcolm Spellman and rising writer Matt Mixon are going to share the job of cranking out fresh drafts.
And according to McFarlane – who for a long time has been saying that he’ll direct – is appearing ready to step back and let others take over for that gig as well. “If we’ve got an A-list actor, A-list producers, A-list writers, then do you want to shoot for A-list directors, A-list cinematographers?” McFarlane says. “The answer is, ‘of course.’ Let’s keep the momentum going.”
For Spellman, at least, this is a dream job. “I grew up in Berkeley, which is a comic book city. Todd McFarlane’s ‘Spawn’ character was always one of my favorites — a Black superhero that was no bullshit, he was cool and dealt with modern issues,” he says in a statement. “Myself, Matt Mixon, and Scott Silver are pledged to honoring what Todd started and what ‘Spawn’ is at its core, delivering something that’s relevant and edgy and unlike any other superhero movie out there.”
Apparently, McFarlane was surprised he managed to secure Silver and everyone else. “It was a complete hail Mary,” he admits. Sometimes timing is everything.”
And he appears hopeful that, while he’d been looking at having to shoot this thing for lower budget, the addition of well-known writers might help any potential studio open its wallet and offer a bigger fund to draw from.
Right now, Foxx (who has been a vocal supporter of the new movie) remains attached to star, but Renner’s status is a little less clear. It’s a waiting game as to whether this latest step helps get the new film made at last.
