Month: April 2025

Warner Bros. announced Wednesday that HBO Max’s The Last of Us has been renewed for Season 3, ahead of Season 2’s premiere this Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT.

The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, takes its inspiration from the video game franchise.  Joel and Ellie are trying to survive amid an infectious outbreak that transforms the sick into zombie-like beings.

According to an official synopsis, the sophomore season takes place five years after the first season ended, with a longline reading: “Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.” Season 2 also stars Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez, Jeffrey Wright and Catherine O’Hara.

Game co-creator and series co-creator, writer, director and executive producer Neil Druckmann in a statement: “To see ‘The Last of Us’ brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me. And I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support. Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Main, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast, and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of ‘The Last of Us!’”

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Zendaya has signed on to portray legendary singer Ronnie Spector in the upcoming biopic ‘Be My Baby’, helmed by Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins for A24.

Zendaya, who has been attached to the project since 2020, will portray the ’60s music icon in the biographical drama. Before Spector passed away in 2022, she was an executive producer on the film and hand-picked Zendaya to portray her on screen.

A24 confirmed the news of Zendaya and Jenkins’ involvement on social media, writing: “Dream reunion with
@BarryJenkins and @Zendaya for BE MY BABY, a new film about the life and work of legendary songstress Ronnie Spector”

The biopic will be written by Dave Kajganich, adapted from Spector’s 1990 memoir “Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or, My Life as a Fabulous Ronette” that Spector co-wrote with Vince Waldron. The film is expected to focus on the singer’s life with the troubled producer Phil Spector, per Deadline, who first reported the news of Jenkins’ involvement. Jonathan Greenfield is set to executive produce the film, with producers including Zendaya, Marc Platt and Adam Siegel.

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Rami Malek plays a CIA code-breaker on a quest for revenge against the terrorists who killed his wife in the official trailer for The Amateur.  The film’s official poster was revealed on social media with the caption: “Tickets are now on sale for #TheAmateur, starring Academy Award® winner Rami Malek and Academy Award® nominee Laurence Fishburne. See it in IMAX April 11: http://fandango.com/TheAmateur”

The trailer sees Malek starring as Charlie Heller, a CIA analyst whose wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. The film, based on the novel by Robert Littell, also stars Lawrence Fishburne as a colleague who helps Malik on his quest for revenge.

The movie’s official synopsis reads: “When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.”  

Directed by James Hawes, The Amateur also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez and Danny Sapani.

The Amateur premieres in theaters April 11; see the trailer – HERE.

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Deadline reports that Lizzo will play trailblazing gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the upcoming biopic from Amazon MGM Studios, titled “Rosetta”.

“Rosetta” — from writers Natalie Chaidez (“The Flight Attendant”) and Kwynn Perry (“Tigerbelles”) — will tell the story of how Tharpe became known as the ‘Godmother of Rock & Roll’, influencing the likes of Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Cash and countless other musicians. Four-time Grammy winner Lizzo will also produce the film alongside Kevin Beisler and Significant Productions’ Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker.

The project, currently in development, is described as “capturing a pivotal period in her life — one of groundbreaking innovation, defiant passion, and secret love. As she shatters musical boundaries with her signature guitar sound, Rosetta must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman, and ultimately transform a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in history — the first stadium show.”

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who died in 1973, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. British musician Yola previously portrayed her in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic “Elvis,” which starred Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. Her songs still frequently appear in films and shows, including, most recently, “A League of Their Own,” “Atlanta,” “Death on the Nile,” “I Know This Much Is True” and “Elvis & Nixon.”

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Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will join Tom Holland in the fourth ‘Spider-Man’ film, set a theatrical release for July 31, 2026.   Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is helming the film, that is currently untitled. Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna penned the screenplay.

It’s unclear who Sink will portray in the comic book adventure; Holland teased the fourth film last year during an appearance on Good Morning America, saying, “The idea is crazy. It’s a little different to anything we’ve done before, but I think the fans are gonna really respond to it.”

Deadline, which first reported Sink’s casting news, hinted that her role will be “significant,” with the outlet also sharing that Sink could play “X-Men” mutant Jean Grey, a character who has been brought to the screen in the past by Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner.

Holland was last seen onscreen as the web-slinger in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which surpassed $1.9 billion at the global box office. That film was helmed by Jon Watts, who also directed Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).

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After more than a year of speculation, Apple TV+ has confirmed they have ordered a fourth season of its Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso. The renewal comes after series co-creator/ star Jason Sudeikis signed on to reprise his role as the title character, who portrays the manager of the fictional AFC Richmond soccer club in London.

Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+, said in a statement: “Ted Lasso has been nothing short of a juggernaut, inspiring a passionate fanbase all over the world, and delivering endless joy and laughter, all while spreading kindness, compassion and unwavering belief. Everyone at Apple is thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with Jason and the brilliant creative minds behind this show.”

Sudeikis said in a statement:“As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to look before we leap, in season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to LEAP BEFORE THEY LOOK, discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be.”

Per Dealine, Juno Temple, who played Keeley in the first three seasons, is in negotiations to rejoin fellow original cast members Sudeikis (Coach Lasso) as well as Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca), Brett Goldstein (Roy) and Jeremy Swift (Leslie). Sources also said that Brendan Hunt (co-creator and executive producer) may be signing on to play Coach Beard again.

Season 3 of Ted Lasso ended with Ted choosing to return to the United States and be closer to his son (Gus Turner) and ex-wife (Andrea Anders), with other members of the Richmond team were moving into new phases of their lives. The season three cast also featured Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Toheeb Jimoh, Kola Bokinni, Cristo Fernández, Billy Harris, Stephen Manas and Annette Badland. The Season 4 premiere episode is expected to film in Kansas (likely Kansas City), with sources saying they expect production to begin this July.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com