News

Florence Pugh pulls together an unlikely team of non-heroes in Marvel’s latest superhero romp. Here’s our Thunderbolts* review.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: a group of misunderstood loners with specific, often violent skills, team up to fight the forces of evil when they’re forced to save the world. It’s pretty much the plot to both cinematic variations of Suicide Squad and Marvel’s own Guardians Of The Galaxy trilogy. Heck, it applies to The Goonies and Armageddon as well if you really think about it.

It’s also the vague description of Thunderbolts*, Marvel’s latest attempt to become the cinematic superpower it once was. It finds Florence Pugh’s contract killer Yelena, still grieving the death of her sister, Black Widow. Yelena teams up with other, lesser-known Marvel villains-turned-heroes, including Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Red Guardian (David Harbour), to fight...

There’s a new biography in the market about The Sopranos lead star James Gandolfini, and it brings up some of his old stories from his film and TV sets. In Jason Bailey’s Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, the author mentioned Gandolfini’s old scuffle with Denzel Washington on the set of their 1995 movie, Crimson Tide.

The biography shared a report from that time, which suggested that the Enough Said actor got aggressive with Washington during one scene. However, the two actors quickly became friends on the set after that incident.

The film was a submarine action thriller directed by Tony Scott, focusing on the clash between a commanding officer and his new executive officer. The roles were played by Gene Hackman and Washington. Gandolfini played Supply Officer Lt. Bobby Dougherty in the film.

What went down between The Sopranos actor James Gandolfini and Denzel Washington on the film set?...

Well, folks, that’s all she wrote! After an incredible 37-year journey (if you can believe it), the Conner family has officially packed up their iconic plaid couch and said goodbye to our television screens.

The Conners wrapped up its seven-season run this month, closing the book on one of America’s most enduring TV families. Remember when this all started back in the late ’80s? Who would’ve thought we’d still be talking about these characters in 2025?

As we bid farewell to the blue-collar family that made us laugh, cry, and everything in between, fans everywhere are wondering what their favorite stars are up to now. So grab your favorite beverage, get comfy, and let’s catch up with the actors who brought the legendary Conner family to life and see what new adventures they’re embarking on in 2025.

Roseanne Barr Roseanne Barr in Roseanne | Credits: ABC

The...

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

This week, we’re heading back to Canada for the first time in over a year to check out Late Bloomer, Jasmeet Raina’s culture-clash comedy series about a Sikh family living in Toronto. The former YouTuber’s show recently launched its second season on Crave, providing more insight into the life of a Millennial with all the trappings of the Western world balanced against the traditional values of an Asian immigrant family.

Name: Late Bloomer

Country: Canada

Network: Crave

Producer: Pier...

Get ready to celebrate your new favorite holiday with Sweetest Day. We have an exclusive look at the poster, designed by Rafael Araújo, below.

Dorée Seay stars as ‘survival girl’ Mindy as she prepares for the battle of her life against the undead confederate soldier that nearly killed her once before.

The indie slasher is set on Sweetest Day, celebrated in the Midwest on the third Saturday in October with romantic deeds as well as acts of charity and kindness.

Genre favorites Catherine Corcoran (Terrifier), Kelly Maroney (Chopping Mall), and Russell Todd (Friday the 13th Part 2) appear in the film.

Nate Boyer (“Mayans M.C.”), Morgana Shaw (“Salem”), Deborah S. Craig (“The Blacklist”), Chris Labadie (M.F.A.), Alex MacNicoll (“The Society”), and Andy Davoli (“The Sopranos”) round out the cast.

Doug Hawley makes his feature directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Boyer, based on a story by Hawley and Seay.

“The Sopranos” creator David Chase almost passed on casting James Gandolfini in the lead role because the late actor didn’t seem “threatening enough” to play mob boss Tony Soprano.

In an excerpt published by Vulture of Jason Bailey’s book “Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend,” Gandolfini’s former manager, Nancy Sanders, remembered how Chase was hesitant to offer Gandolfini the role.

“I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,’” Sanders said. However, Chase allegedly told Sanders at the time, “I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?”

IndieWire has reached out to representatives for Chase and HBO.

Sanders recalled telling Chase at the time, “David, if your only concern is, ‘Is he threatening enough’…If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,’ I could understand. But he’s threatening enough. This is your guy.

Long considered the gold standard of television, HBO continues to dominate the small screen with broadcast hits and streaming successes (via the platform Max). In the 2020s alone, it's produced a range of shows that mostly define what audiences expect from modern TV. Just as every crime drama has aspired to be "The Wire" or "The Sopranos" since the early 2000s, now every corporate thriller wants to be "Succession," every teen drama "Euphoria," and every fantasy "Game of Thrones." Of course, not every one of these aspiring shows can reach the high bar HBO has set -- and that includes its own series.

Indeed, HBO has developed its fair share of duds in the past. Sometimes, it seems as though they desired to repeat the success of previous triumphs like "Sex and the City" or "Veep"; others might have gotten too swept up in the ambitious vision of once-reliable artists...

On New Year’s Day 2023, two-time Oscar-nominee Jeremy Renner’s life changed when he broke more than 30 bones and suffered blunt chest trauma in a terrible snowplow accident. Renner, in a new piece for The Times, is opening up about the accident that nearly claimed his life two years ago. Renner said one “tiny” mistake led to the accident and almost cost him his life.

Renner said that he failed to do one thing that the owner’s manual for the snowplow stated. “‘Before exiting the driver’s cab! - Apply parking brake,’ the manual says. But I didn’t engage the parking brake or disengage the steel tracks. In that moment - an innocent, critical life-changing moment - that tiny but monumental slip of the mind would change the course of my life forever,” Renner wrote.

In the accident at his Nevada home, Renner suffered broken bones, severe blood loss,...

Before The Sopranos revolutionized television and forever reshaped antihero dramas into a cultural phenomenon, its creator, David Chase, apparently wasn’t too happy about actually seeing it aired, at least not right away. In a candid interview, the artistic director admitted that his original plan for the iconic HBO series wasn’t about making history. It was about making more money.

HBO, at that time, was still testing the waters with original scripted content. The network was yet to deliver a truly genre-defining drama, and The Sopranos, for the most part, looked like a risky gamble – a dark, violent story about a mobster in therapy.

Chase, who had a background in network television and had grown disillusioned with traditional storytelling formats, wasn’t convinced HBO would greenlight the series but aimed to churn out more money to fuel his filmmaking ambition.

David Chase’s secret scheme: how the Sopranos director...

The Sopranos creator David Chase once questioned whether James Gandolfini had the right presence to portray the troubled mob boss Tony Soprano, according to a new book excerpt. Jason Bailey’s Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend explores the casting process that ultimately led to one of television’s most iconic performances.

Nancy Sanders, one of Gandolfini’s managers, recalled in the excerpt that after reading the pilot script for The Sopranos, she immediately thought of Gandolfini for the role. “I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,’” Sanders said. However, Chase expressed a hesitation after reviewing Gandolfini’s acting reel.

“Alright, here’s the deal,” Chase told Sanders. “I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is: Is he threatening enough?” Sanders, surprised by the comment, responded with confidence. “David, if your only concern is is he threatening enough… If you said to me,...

David Chase wasn’t initially sold on James Gandolfini playing Tony Soprano in The Sopranos because he thought he wasn’t “threatening enough.”

In an excerpt from Jason Bailey’s new book Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, Bailey recounted the casting process for the coveted part. After reading the script for the HBO pilot, Nancy Sanders, one of his Gandolfini’s managers, knew he was perfect for the role.

“I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,’” she remembered in the excerpt published by Vulture. While the show’s creator thought Gandolfini was “brilliant,” he told Sanders he had one doubt in casting him for the part: “I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?”

The manager was taken aback by his concern and assured him that Gandolfini was surely “threatening enough” to play the mafia mobster.

“David, if your...

With over 100 IMDb credits to his name, Tobin Bell first debuted in an uncredited role in Woody Allen's "Manhattan" in 1979, and has been consistently performing in film and television for more than four decades. But his legacy and most memorable performance is with the "Saw" series thanks to his role as the maniacal trap architect and retribution seeker Jigsaw, aka John Kramer. "Saw" put the so-called "torture porn" subgenre on the map and features one of the most convoluted timelines in movie history, but what anchors all the twists and turns is Tobin Bell's chillingly even-keeled performance.

Interestingly, one of Tobin Bell's many credits is on the NBC sitcom "Seinfeld," in season 4, episode 18, "The Old Man." The episode centers around Jerry and the gang volunteering for a senior citizen program, which inadvertently ends up helping with Kramer and Newman's scheme to make money by selling records. Tobin Bell's...

If things had gone differently, it could’ve been someone else leading the cast of “The Sopranos.” But luckily, series creator David Chase didn’t stick with his hasty first reaction to James Gandolfini.

In an excerpt from Jason Bailey’s book “Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend” (via Vulture), Chase worried that Gandolfini wasn’t “threatening enough,” before ultimately casting him in the career-defining role.

During the show’s development, Gandolfini’s manager, Nancy Sanders, told Chase, “I think I have Tony Soprano.” Chase wasn’t immediately convinced.

“All right, here’s the deal,” Chase told Sanders after checking out Gandolfini’s reel. “I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?”

Sanders stood up for her client, quickly quieting Chase’s concerns, “If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,...

James Gandolfini wasn’t well known when he landed the part of Tony Soprano on the HBO series “The Sopranos,” and the show’s creator David Chase wasn’t completely sold on the casting when the actor’s agent contacted him. After Chase watched the actor’s reel, he called back and asked, “I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is, Is he threatening enough?”

“David, if your only concern is is he threatening enough,” Nancy Sanders replied. “If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,’ I could understand. But he’s threatening enough. This is your guy.”

The conversation was recorded in the new book “Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend,” an excerpt of which was shared by Vulture Friday. “In the movie version of The Sopranos, I thought about Robert De Niro,” Chase also explained.

Speaking at Canneseries, Bad Wolf founder Jane Tranter — whose credits include hits from “Doctor Who” to “Succession” — recalled how her creative collaboration turned friendship with late “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini changed her career. Tranter met the actor while working on their passion project “The Night Of,” which Gandolfini was supposed to star on before his untimely death in 2013. The series pilot would become the last thing the actor ever filmed, with his role later taken over by John Turturro.

“He was very uncomfortable and discombobulated by L.A., so we were uncomfortable and discombobulated together,” remembered the executive, who formed a friendship with Gandolfini while leading BBC Worldwide Productions and Adjacent Productions in Los Angeles. Tranter took the job after eight years as Head of Fiction for the BBC in the U.K., and would stay in L.A. for another eight years, where she worked on projects such as...

More than 25 years later, it seems impossible to imagine anyone other than James Gandolfini in the role of Tony Soprano.

But The Sopranos creator David Chase was initially worried the actor wasn’t “threatening enough” to play the mafia boss in the acclaimed HBO drama series that ran for six seasons from 1999 to 2007, according to an excerpt from Jason Bailey’s Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend.

“Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,” Gandolfini’s manager Nancy Sanders recalled after reading the script in the excerpt shared by Vulture.

“All right, here’s the deal,” Chase told her after watching Gandolfini’s reel. “I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is, Is he threatening enough?”

Sanders quickly shut down that thinking. “If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,’ I could understand.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

She played the titular mom on How I Met Your Mother, but is Cristin Milioti a parent in real life?

That’s a question on the minds of many fans these days, thanks to a mysterious new photo making the rounds on social media.

The image — which was posted by the indie rock band Bon Iver — shows Cristin standing alongside the band’s lead singer, Justin Vernon, who is holding a baby.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bon Iver (@boniver)

For obvious reasons, the family portrait-style pic has led to rumors that Cristin and Justin have welcomed a child together.

Did Cristin Milioti welcome a child with Justin Vernon?

As it turns out, the image is merely a preview of the photo book that accompanies the band’s most recent album, Sable, fABLE.

So no, Cristin does not have a child by Justin.

Sports movies come in all flavors. Take Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers," which draws a stylish, frenetic parallel between the athletes involved in its story's central love triangle and their passionate love for the game of tennis. Guadagnino understands how to enliven a drama that thrives on this complex dynamic, resulting in a sports movie that feels fresh and exciting. On the flip side, we have intensely dramatic sports movies like "The Iron Claw," which dramatizes the real-life tragedy of the Von Erich family while still thriving as a cinematic experience. Then there are stories that don't explore the nuances of a sport or delve too deeply into the drama but still make for a decent, enjoyable genre movie, albeit one that's easy to overlook. This brings us to Brian Robbins' "Hardball," a film about a morally grey protagonist who struggles to find salvation in coaching a baseball team full of rising talents.

Max has currently been the bee’s knees when it comes to revered TV hits, and while The Last of Us season 2 and The White Lotus have been the talk of the town for obvious reasons, in third place, it’s the Danny McBride comedy. Since its inception back in 2019, The Righteous Gemstones has been doing solid numbers, both in terms of ratings and viewership.

But with its fourth season, the show has elevated to new heights, leaving behind several HBO juggernauts, and considering its final installment in the series, the reception is not surprising.

The Righteous Gemstones dethroned Game of Thrones in a recent Max poll The Righteous Gemstones | Credit: HBO

Getting endings right can be quite tricky, as on one hand, shows like Breaking Bad and The Sopranos knew when to pump the brakes, on the flip side, many major IPs tend to drop the ball in this aspect.

Cannes — Soo Hugh, the showrunner of “Pachinko,” is advancing on multiple projects with a view to co-producing with or shooting in Korea or teaming with a Korean partner, she told on the eve of France’s Canneseries TV festival where she is serving on the main jury and was the subject of a Meet With keynote on April 25.

The Korean connection seems only natural. Hugh first made a large impact with AMC’s 2018 supernatural survival thriller “The Terror” Season 1, co-showrun with David Kajganich and set in the Arctic over 1845-48.

She then garnered glowing reviews for Apple TV+’s “Pachinko,” a series made with extraordinary sweep tracing down the generations from 1915 Korea under Japanese thrall to 1989 Japan the story of a family of Zainichi – Koreans who lost everything under Japanese rule and were forced to emigrate to Japan as second-class citizens.

Both shows, says Hugh, became “crossroads filmmaking between America...

Memento tells the story of Leonard Shelby, a man trying to solve his wife’s murder while grappling with short-term memory loss after a violent home invasion. The attack left Leonard unable to form new memories, so he relied on tattoos, notes, and photos to track down the killer.

But here’s the twist: Leonard has already found his revenge. His condition, however, traps him in an endless cycle of forgetting and rediscovering, unknowingly creating a puzzle he can never escape.

Memento | Credit: Lionsgate Entertainment

Directed by Christopher Nolan, Memento stands out for its brilliant reverse storytelling, based on Jonathan Nolan’s short story. The film’s unique approach mirrors Leonard’s disoriented mindset, making it a must-watch thriller that still sparks endless debates. Curious about where the cast is today? Let’s find out!

Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby

Guy Pearce, who played Leonard Shelby in Memento, has had a fascinating career journey.

Kiefer Sutherland’s 24 ran for 9 seasons on Fox, followed by a short-lived spin-off series, 24: Legacy. Sutherland plays counter-terrorist federal agent Jack Bauer, who uses any means necessary to protect the country. Bauer takes things too far in the series, using inhumane torture to get information out of criminals and terrorists.

However, Sutherland doesn’t personally support such measures and is often annoyed when people accuse his show of inspiring torture techniques. He once shared that he refused to meet a delegation from West Point who claimed that the show had negative consequences on military training.

Kiefer Sutherland refuses to take the blame for real-life soldiers finding inspiration from 24 Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in 24 | Credits: Fox

According to The Guardian, a delegation from West Point visited the 24 set to tell producers that the show was seriously affecting their military training program. They claimed that the show...

Warning: major spoilers for The Last of Us ahead

We always knew this day was coming, and even those who hadn’t played 2020’s The Last of Us Part II might’ve had it spoiled that HBO’s live-action adaptation was bracing for a major character departure in season 2. The first season was led by the dynamic duo of Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, but moving forward into the rest of season 2 and the recently confirmed season 3, things will never be the same again in the world of The Last of Us.

Although the question of Joel Miller’s (Pascal) death was never in doubt for most fans of the games, it was simply a matter of when showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann would bite the bullet (and Joel would bite the wrong end of a golf club). Just two episodes into season 2 and The Last of Us has...

Michael Gandolfini is a brilliant actor and, much like our collective love and appreciation for Cooper Hoffman, his work also comes with the reminder that his father was the late, great James Gandolfini. Known for his role as Tony Soprano in the hit HBO series The Sopranos, it put the Gandolfini name on the map and now the young actor is sharing how his father's past worked helped inspire him. Or, more accurately, how his lack of ability to watch his dad filmingThe Sopranos helped him to become his own kind of actor.

Gandolfini was talking with The Wall Street Journalwhen he shared that he used to go to the set of The Sopranoswith his parents, but he wasn't allowed to leave his father's trailer. Which, given the context of The Sopranos and how young Gandolfini was during the show's run, it makes sense. "When I’d visit him on the Sopranos set,...

HBO is known for its legacy shows such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, and Game of Thrones. The premium network is known for its quality storytelling and was instrumental in ushering in the Golden Age of TV at the turn of the millennium. The shows that were aired during this time transformed TV storytelling.

However, in the age of streaming, there are plenty of networks and streamers who have built on HBO’s legacy. The network also has a streaming platform of its own in Max, which has been giving some excellent work in the form of The White Lotus and The Last of Us.

However, there are a few shows that seem to have fallen under the radar for fans, which proves that HBO is still one of the big players in the game. Here are 8 underrated HBO shows that did not get the love they deserved when they first aired.

Gold Derby is celebrating its 25th anniversary with our series of "25 in '25" highlighting the best, worst, and weirdest of the 2000s.

Viewers of The Last of Us are still wiping away their tears after witnessing a the death of Pedro Pascal's Joel during the April 20 episode. Might all of the extra buzz from that emotional moment help Pascal win an Emmy Award? It's certainly possible. Many performers have won statuettes for their impactful swan songs, and more still have been nominated. With the help of Gold Derby's forum posters, we have compiled a list of 25 performers since 2000 who received Emmy attention after being killed off.

Note that some of the contenders below submitted their death episode for Emmy consideration (such as The White Lotus' Jennifer Coolidge picking "Arrivederci"), while others chose different episodes from the seasons in which they perished (like Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston going with...

Marvel superstar Hugh Jackman has a couple of projects lined up for release in the near future, and among them is Song Sung Blue. The film, which will see the multi-hyphenate return to his musical roots, is based on true events and follows a musical duo who form a Neil Diamond tribute band. Jackman plays Mike Sardina, one half of the married couple at the center of the story, opposite Kate Hudson, who plays his wife and bandmate, Claire Sardina. The two leads gave fans a sneak peek at the film earlier today by sharing the first look at their characters on social media, along with the announcement that the film is headed to theaters during the 2025 holiday season.

Written and directed by Craig Brewer, Song Sung Blue serves as a narrative adaptation of the 2008 documentary of the same name by Greg Kohs. The story follows Mike and Claire Sardina,...

When you wind up becoming one of the best characters in David Chase's "The Sopranos," it's understandable if you'd want to keep a low profile from fans who either loved or hated you stopping you in the street. For Joe Pantoliano, who played Ralph Cifaretto on the show, that proved all the more difficult given that he lived around where "The Sopranos" was set. In an effort to dodge such a situation, though, the actor had the bright idea of getting hold of a wig he could wear out and about, modeled from one of the then up-and-coming movie makers, Christopher Nolan.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pantoliano spoke about his illustrious career, with his time on "The Sopranos" being a particular highlight. To keep hold of his anonymity, he looked to the director he'd worked with on "Memento," which was released in 2000 and still stands as...

Killing off a well-liked character on a television series with a fiercely devoted fan base can obviously be quite perilous, especially when they don't know it's coming. It's a particularly fraught decision in the age of social media, when viewers can vent their fury as the unthinkable and (for some) unacceptable occurs. If you hadn't read George R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones," you were almost certainly gobsmacked during the first season when Sean Bean's Ned Stark, the seeming protagonist of the series, was cruelly executed by that twerp Joffrey Lannister. Twitter caught fire that night, with irate newcomers to Martin's saga pledging to never watch another episode. If you had read Martin's novel, you were giddy with anticipation in knowing much, much worse was yet to come.

For any writer with a shred of integrity, death is always on the table. You go where the story needs to go.

Aired between 1999 and 2007 on HBO, The Sopranos has become a landmark in television history, often hailed as the show that redefined modern TV drama. The storyline was intricate with a New Jersey mob boss, Tony Soprano – played by James Gandolfini – taking the center stage.

But what made the series super successful was its attention to detail and well-crafted script. Tony isn’t your typical gangster-gangster. He is a middle-aged man seeking therapy, trying to deal with the personal and professional pressures of running a criminal empire.

Within a short span, the series became a massive hit with a cult following even today, 16 years after its last season. However, The Sopranos received an ambiguous ending, despite HBO offering more money to continue. David Chase voluntarily chose to end the series and was indifferent towards the cancellation, contrasting sharply with Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner’s emotional response.

The Sopranos showrunner David...

This post contains spoilers for this week’s episode of The Last of Us, which is now streaming on Max.

Hurt people hurt people.

It’s a vicious cycle. Much as the law of conservation of mass says that matter can neither be created nor destroyed, once pain exists in the world, it has a tendency to stick around, passing from one victim to the next.

Joel’s daughter Sarah dies. Joel internalizes that pain for the next 20 years. He resists making connections with people, because he can’t survive...

Over a decade after it was released in 2012, Dredd, starring Karl Urban, has become a cult classic. Adapted from the comic book series 2000 Ad by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, the film was directed by Pete Travis, with Ex Machina and Civil War director, Alex Garland, penning the screenplay. However, when the film was released, there was a lot of controversy and debate surrounding Travis' actual involvement in the film. Reports were released stating that Travis abandoned the project late in production, and that Garland technically made his directorial debut by filling in and completing the movie.

During a recent interview with GQ to promote his upcoming movie, Warfare, Alex Garland clarified the long-running dispute surrounding Dredd, and said that fans have been way too harsh and dismissive of Pete Travis' contributions to the movie. The dispute between Travis and Garland was caused by the studio wanting movie sets to work more like prestige TV,...

The Sopranos blew the doors off what TV could be. It set the standard for prestige drama, something that, in all honesty, has been quite hard to beat, or even match. Before The Sopranos, networks enjoyed their safety, comfort, and the tried and tested formula for success. Why fix what’s not broke? Things could have very well remained the same – a good ol’ mix of happy endings, clean-cut heroes, and nobody rocking the boat.

The medium would eventually get its breakout anti-hero, with a fair bit of agita. Tony Soprano kicked the door open for every great show that followed: Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, all of it. The Peabody Awards took notice early, awarding its first two seasons back-to-back – an honor shared only by Northern Exposure and The West Wing.

It’s been almost two decades since The Sopranos infamously cut to black in its finale,...

As "Severance" wraps its second season for Apple+, traumatized theorists and shippers on deck slip into the familiar rhythms of the long wait for new adventures in Lumon's cultish underbelly. Scenes will be inspected for clues that might lead us astray, dialogue pored over for foreshadowing we missed the first time around, and fan artists will fill their sketchbooks with motion studies Mr. Milchick's (Tramell Tillman) fantastic yet eerie turn as a marching band leader.

But at least we know we're going to get that future season. Other fans are sometimes not that lucky. Or their luck lands them a finale with curves so far out of left field that there's nothing to do but argue over it. For months. The months become years. Sometimes the years become decades. And yet the fandom argues. It's not a new phenomena, since fans have found things to argue about in fiction for centuries.

Warning: this article contains spoilers from the April 17 finale of 9-1-1. Read at your own risk!

Twenty years ago, Peter Krause's death as funeral director Nate Fisher on Six Feet Under shocked viewers and earned him his third Best Drama Actor Emmy nomination for the role. Cut to today, and Krause is once again causing audiences to have an emotional reaction to one of his character's demises — Los Angeles Fire Dept. Capt. Bobby Nash on 9-1-1. But the actor likely won't receive an Emmy bid this time around.

It boils down to the tug-of-war between prestige TV and popular TV. For the most part, shows that receive Emmy Awards tend to be highbrow, sophisticated, cultured ... yet little-watched. Two programs that recently took over the Emmys — Shōgun (a Japanese historical epic drama) and Succession (about a rich family squabbling over control of their company) — struggled when it came to viewership.

Some TV episodes don’t just entertain, they cause absolute chaos (in the best way possible). These are the ones that break the internet, spark non-stop group chats, and leave fans sitting in stunned silence during the end credits. Whether it’s a plot twist that sends shockwaves through the fandom, a jaw-dropping character reveal, or writing so sharp it could cut glass, these episodes go way beyond the usual. They’re not just great, they’re practically flawless.

Getting a 9.5 or higher on IMDb isn’t easy. It takes legendary performances, perfect pacing, and scenes that leave viewers speechless. These episodes are the reason people binge entire seasons in a weekend or rewatch them just to feel the same thrill again. They’ve earned their high scores not through hype, but because they truly delivered. Drama, chaos, heartbreak, explosions, whatever the genre, these 15 episodes managed to hit the sweet spot and then some.

Prolific documentarian and HBO nonfiction lodestar Alex Gibney’s last project for the premium cable network was Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos. The 2024 two-parter was a puppy dog-eager piece of fan service in which Gibney was the biggest fan of all, peppering David Chase and much of the surviving cast of The Sopranos with all of his questions. It was, in the grand scheme of things, perhaps Gibney’s least urgent or essential project to date, but it was light on its feet and, if anything, the rare HBO documentary that felt too short.

It could be argued that, in our current political moment, Gibney’s two-film docuseries The Dark Money Game might be one of his most essential projects, a rudimentary history lesson that you’ve probably already learned elsewhere, not that it hurts to be reminded. It’s also sloppily edited, aesthetically uninspired and frequently tedious...

Genre favorites Catherine Corcoran (Terrifier), Kelly Maroney (Chopping Mall), and Russell Todd (Friday the 13th Part 2) will appear in the holiday slasher Sweetest Day.

Deadline reports that production has wrapped on the indie film, which shot in Warren, Ohio and Los Angeles.

Dorée Seay stars as ‘survival girl’ Mindy as she prepares for the battle of her life against the undead confederate soldier that nearly killed her once before.

The cast also includes Alex MacNicoll (“The Society”), Chris Labadie (M.F.A.), Nate Boyer (“Mayans M.C.”), Deborah S. Craig (“The Blacklist”), Morgana Shaw (“Salem”), and Andy Davoli (“The Sopranos”).

Doug Hawley makes his feature directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Boyer.

Prominently observed in the midwest, Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October. It’s a holiday to share romantic deeds or expressions as well as acts of charity and kindness.

“We want to evoke the...

Warner Bros. Discovery’s transition of its streaming service BluTV to Max in Turkey is official and live as of today Tuesday, as the Hollywood giant underlined its “commitment to increasing its investment in local content” and “bringing a compelling slate of new local stories” to its streamer in the country.

“Existing direct subscribers in Türkiye can sign in to the advanced global platform with enhanced features and functionality to watch thousands more hours and hundreds more titles than previously available on BluTV,” the company said. Among them are the second season The Last of Us and the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale, both premiering on the service on Tuesday.

Also coming to Max in the country “soon” are three new Turkish originals unveiled during a Tuesday launch event: Anatomy of Chaos, a corruption revenge drama, Jasmin (Jasmine in Turkish), a drama about a young woman living between extremes,...

When one thinks of Bryan Cranston, it is his Breaking Bad role that first comes to mind and not his role as the hilarious Hal from Malcolm in the Middle. But audiences have the boon of hindsight now that they have seen the actor kill it as Walter White in the AMC drama. But back then, it was a tough sell.

The network reportedly wanted a star for the role of Walter White, but creator Vince Gilligan was Cranston’s biggest supporter. The duo had worked together in an episode of The X-Files, when Gilligan was a writer on the show. While Cranston fulfilled two of the showrunner’s criteria for Walt, there was one thing he had to nail to be the man for the job.

Vince Gilligan had to convince the network to cast Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad | Credits: AMC

A story...

Why Was Edie Falco’s Carmela Soprano Missing From The Many Saints Of Newark? (Photo Credit – Prime Video/Wikipedia)

The Many Saints of Newark had a surprise waiting in its cutting room: Carmela Soprano from The Sopranos. Edie Falco suited up as Tony Soprano’s sharp-tongued wife for the film’s original opening scene. But just before the final cut, her entire moment got shelved. Director Alan Taylor spilled the behind-the-scenes tea that Carmela was in the picture until she wasn’t.

The throwback bombshell dropped during Taylor’s chat with NME, where he admitted that The Sopranos legend made it all the way back to set. “We had Edie come in and she dressed up as Carmela and we shot something with her and it wound up not being in the final movie but it was a great excuse to see her again,” he said (via Cheat Sheet). He also added,...

Director James Hawes delves into, and clarifies, the comparisons that have popped up between the upcoming DC series Lanterns and the hit HBO series True Detective. When James Gunn first announced his Dcu plan for what he called Chapter 1 - Gods and Monsters, he pitched Lanterns as being like True Detective. It certainly isn't hard to see where that comparison comes from, as Lanterns is being sold as a buddy cop series where the cops, here intergalactic police officers, investigate a mystery crime in the American heartland.

James Hawes, who serves as director for the first two episodes of Lanterns, dug into the tonal inspiration for the series while promoting his latest film, The Amateur. Hawes told The Hollywood Reporter that the series has some similarities to True Detective, but the series and characters have a bit more humor to them than True Detective. Hawes cited the work of the Coen brothers,...

The first season of Max’s The Pitt, which follows the staff of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital, has come to a close. As fans await Season 2, which has already been confirmed to be happening at the streamer, the show’s producers are talking about what might be next for Dr. “Robby” (Noah Wyle) and company.

With all the success of The Pitt, viewers may be wondering if there is a possibility of an entire franchise based on the hospital, in the vein of shows like NBC’s Law & Orderand #OneChicago. John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill, executive producers of The Pitt say that that is unlikely to be the case.

The Pitt Producer Wants to Focus on Keeping the Audience Excited

“It’s possible that there will be a season of the show that takes place on the night shift,” Wells told TVLine. “Whether we would franchise it after…...

The Pitt may be a genuine hit for Max, but executive producers John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill aren’t necessarily looking to turn it into a full-blown franchise, as Dick Wolf has done with FBI, Law & Order and #OneChicago.

Though fans have been champing at the bit for even more Pitt content — perhaps, say, a spinoff set exclusively during the night shift at Ptmc that would bridge seasons of the main show — Wells and Gemmill do not wish to spread themselves too thin.

More from TVLine<em>The Pitt’</em>s Noah Wyle & Co. Talk Taking Robby to the Very Edge...

A decade after Mad Men came to an end, some fans are still desperate to see Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) return for another season. In a recent interview, Moss said she holds a similar hope, and that she is always open to reprising the character of Peggy in the future. Both Don and Peggy were Mad Men's two primary characters, navigating the acclaimed series through its seven seasons and 16 Primetime Emmy wins. Hamm has since spoofed his character in movies like Unfrosted, but many fans want to see Draper and Olson properly reunite in a revival.

During a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live! to promote the final season of The Handmaid's Tale, Elisabeth Moss said she is also eager to see what the future holds for Peggy Olson. "Thank you for wanting that," the actress began. "I would never say, 'No,' to anything like that.

Oscar winner Rami Malek is now a full-fledged producer of The Amateur, something he attributes to the cutting room floor of Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master.

Malek had toiled away on a significant monologue only to be greeted with its absence upon finally seeing PTA’s 2012 drama. However, the disappointment incepted the idea of becoming a producer someday so that he could have a voice in the making of such decisions. Since then, he’s accumulated an Emmy via Mr. Robot, an Oscar by way of Bohemian Rhapsody, a notable role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and the honor of serving as the villain in the Broccoli family’s final James Bond film, No Time to Die.

The aforementioned accomplishments meant that Malek had attained enough cachet to pursue his dream of producing a film, and that became James Hawes’ The Amateur. The Ken Nolan- and Gary Spinelli...

Netflix is serving up a new trailer for their culinary comedy Nonnas. Vince Vaughn stars as an aspiring restauranteur who recruits the neighborhood nonnas (grandmothers) to staff his kitchen. The film, which is based on the real-life story of Joe Scaravella, will premiere on the streamer on May 9, 2025.

In the trailer, Vaughn plays Scaravella, an Mta employee grieving the loss of his mother. While looking through her recipes, he comes up with the idea of honoring her memory by opening his own Italian restaurant, and hiring elderly women with decades of home-cooking experience to staff it. Bruno (Joe Manganiello) thinks he's crazy, but is he? To the strains of Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," we see him struggling with kitchen fires, staff disputes, and some internecine conflict from the titular nonnas, including Susan Sarandon(Bull Durham), Lorraine Bracco(Goodfellas), Talia Shire (Rocky), and Brenda Vaccaro (Midnight Cowboy...

HBO on Monday unveiled premiere dates for a pair of Alex Gibney documentaries falling under the double-bill title The Dark Money Game. Ohio Confidential debuts Tuesday, April 15 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt, and Wealth of the Wicked premieres Wednesday, April 16 at the same time. Both films will be available to stream on April 15.

The Dark Money Game investigates the shadowy world of political donations and fundraising 15 years after the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United decision, which enabled unlimited spending by hidden sources on political campaigns. Inspired by Jane Mayer’s book Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, the project features interviews with journalists including Mayer, as well as lawmakers, judges, FBI investigators, whistleblowers and insiders on both sides of the issue. Through two separate stories, the films reveal how an untraceable web of money from wealthy individuals and corporations representing...

If you’ve ever woken up on your 40th birthday and thought, “Wow, life is beautiful!” congratulations, you are not Walter White. On the flip side, if your 50th birthday found you stress-eating bacon while contemplating life, the universe, and your dental insurance, you might actually be exactly the kind of guy AMC was banking on when they nudged Vince Gilligan in the ribs and said, “What if Walt was just a little more… seasoned?”

Turning 50 comes with perks. You can yell “I’m too old for this” and people nod respectfully. You start confusing TikTok with Tic Tacs. And, if you’re Walter White, you get to turn methamphetamine into a growth industry with the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that would make even Elon Musk tilt his head.

Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad | Credits: AMC

It’s the age when hairlines recede but moral lines blur.

On the morning of April 22, 2022, Rakim Mayers, the 33-year-old Harlem rapper better known as A$AP Rocky, returned to Los Angeles from a long vacation with his superstar girlfriend, Rihanna, in her home country of Barbados. After stepping off the private jet at Lax, Mayers was arrested by LAPD officers and thrown in jail. He was charged with two felony counts of assault for allegedly firing two shots that grazed the knuckles of Terrell Ephron, a former member of Mayers’ hip-hop collective A$AP Mob who went by A$AP Relli, during a scuffle at a West Hollywood parking garage the previous November. Out on bail, Mayers rejected a plea deal to serve just six months in prison, opting instead to fight the charges in court. Faced with a career-ending, life-shattering maximum sentence of 24 years, Mayers turned to a high-profile hometown lawyer known for successfully defending rappers and entertainers, including Michael Jackson,...