News

The '70s are a true gem of a time with memorable music, catchy clothing, and people with luscious locks! Well, a new Max series is taking us all back to the wonderful time. There really is no better time period to set a show in. Get ready for Duster, starring Rachel Hilson and Josh Holloway. Max has released when we can expect the series, and provided a first-look video to get us ready for all the action to come.

Duster premieres Thursday, May 15, 2025 with one episode on Max. Interestingly enough even though it's a streaming original, and won't air on HBO first for example, there's a set release time to tune in each week. Be sure to set your alarms to 9 p.m. Et on Thursdays to tune in. After premiere day, the schedule will continue streaming one new episode until the finale on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

The drama is...

J.J. Abrams (“The Force Awakens”) and showrunner Latoya Morgan’s (“Shameless”) new series “Duster” will debut May 15, with the first official trailer teasing an increasingly dangerous crime syndicate.

Starring Josh Holloway (“Lost”), Rachel Hilson and Keith David (“The Thing”), “Duster” is set in the 1970s Southwest as a getaway driver gets entangled in a crime network that is threatened by the arrival of a young agent in town. Hilson stars as the first Black female FBI agent.

“Duster” was produced in association with Warner Bros. Television, with the eight episodes dropping weekly through the finale on July 3. The first two episodes are written by Abrams and Morgan, with Abrams and Rachel Rusch Rich executive producing for Bad Robot while Morgan executive produces for TinkerToy Productions.

Watch the official trailer below.

In other TV roundup news:

First Looks/Trailers

Season 4 of the Irish mystery series “Harry Wild” is officially returning this...

Get ready to return to The Chi: Season 7 of the Lena Waithe-created series will premiere Friday, May 16 on Paramount+ With Showtime and on demand. The drama will then make its linear debut Sunday, May 18 at 9/8c on Showtime.

In the upcoming episodes, “with Alicia at the helm, the pivotal women of The Chi rise to reclaim their power. Yet as loyalties are tested and new rivalries are stoked, it becomes clear that there’s only one crown and it will come at a heavy cost,” reads the official synopsis.

More from TVLineTWD: Dead City Season 2 Trailer Welcomes an...

When J.J. Abrams' seminal supernatural survival series Lost celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, three things happened. Firstly, all 121 episodes of the show were dropped on Netflix, ready to confound and captivate a whole new generation. Secondly, a whole lot of folks (us included) were reminded why we still have to go back, even after all these years. And thirdly, we found ourselves desperately hoping Abrams would make his long overdue small screen comeback sooner rather than later. And that's exactly what he's doing with Duster, a 70s set action series in which J.J.'s Lost collaborator Josh Holloway — aka Sawyer — plays a getaway driver enlisted by the FBI's first Black female agent (Rachel Hilson) to help take down a Keith David led crime syndicate. Sounds pretty cool, right? Looks pretty cool, too. Check out the trailer below;

Holy smokes — now that's what you call a trailer! If all the sex,...

"I'm telling you: this deal happens, we'll leave 'em all in the dust!" Max has unveiled the teaser trailer for an action thriller series titled Duster, arriving for streaming starting in May. This is the first new series in a while from J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot - it's created by writer / producer Latoya Morgan along with J.J. Abrams. In this exciting new series, the first black female FBI agent teams up with a getaway driver to take down a major crime syndicate operating in the Southwest in 1972. Vengeance is a wild ride. Set in the 1970s Southwest, Duster explores the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate that goes from dangerous to wildly, stupidly dangerous when a tenacious young FBI agent comes into town hellbent on taking his crime family down. Danger! The series stars Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg,...

Max has released new details along with photos and a teaser for two-time Emmy winner J.J. Abrams (Lost) and Latoya Morgan’s new series Duster, starring Lost‘s Josh Holloway. The drama is set to premiere on May 15, 2025, with new episodes of the eight-episode season streaming on Thursdays at 9pm Et/6pm Pt.

Discussing reuniting with Holloway on a new project, Abrams told The Hollywood Reporter he called Holloway five years ago with a very specific question. “‘Would you ever want to do a show where you play a driver for some kind of criminal organization?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah.’ So the whole time we were writing this, it was always with Josh in mind. He’s someone I just love working with. And with age, I think he’s gotten even more comfortable with his wry swagger and toughness, and also vulnerability and being unsure of himself. It’s a tough balancing act.

Gold Derby's top news stories for March 19, 2025. Max sets release date, drops trailer for J.J. Abrams' Duster

Duster, J.J. Abrams' new retro series that reunites him with Lost star Josh Holloway, will premiere Thursday, May 15 at 9/8c. on Max. Created by Abrams and showrunner Latoya Morgan, the eight-episode season will debut new episodes weekly through July 3. Set in the 1970s Southwest, the series "explores the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate that goes from dangerous to wildly, stupidly dangerous when a tenacious young agent comes into town hellbent on taking his crime family down," per the logline. Besides Holloway, Duster stars Rachel Hilson, Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez, and Benjamin Charles Watson. Watch the teaser trailer:

HBO to launch The Last of Us with Asl

The Last of Us will be available to stream...

Get those engines running action fans, because we now have our first look at Duster, the new Max original series created by J.J. Abrams and Latoya Morgan that stars beloved Lost actor Josh Holloway. Set in 1972, the crime thriller centers around the first black female FBI agent as she teams up with a getaway driver to take down a major crime syndicate operating in the Southwest.

The new teaser trailer for Duster was released today (seen below), and showcases all the action and drama we can expect from Abrams' new creation, which definitely seems more R-rated than some of his previous offerings. We catch a glimpse of the first meeting between Holloway's character Jim and FBI agent Nina (Rachel Hilson) before things get wild. Sex, drugs, and action are all front and center in the new series, as is Holloway's trademark charm.

Holloway is no stranger to the action genre,...

J.J. Abrams and Josh Holloway’s long-awaited reunion may be a bit more stylish than fans of “Lost” were expecting. Max dropped the first trailer for “Duster” on Wednesday, revealing that the ’70s crime caper showrun by Latoya Morgan will premiere May 15.

“Duster” takes place in the American Southwest during the 1970s and follows a getaway driver for a crime syndicate (Holloway). But when a tenacious FBI agent dead-set on taking down the operation sets her sights on him, this already-risky line of work becomes a lot more intense.

“How long you been at this?” Holloway’s character says in the first trailer. “It’s my second day,” Rachel Hilson’s FBI agent responds.

“Well, here’s a little heads up. You’re going to have a s–tty Day 3,” Holloway shoots back.

The trailer then darts between several scenes that capture classic ’70s crime motifs. One minute, someone is...

Max has set Thursday, May 15 for the premiere of Duster, its upcoming drama series from J.J. Abrams and Latoya Morgan, and has released the first teaser trailer, which you can watch above. The eight-episode season will debut new episodes weekly through the finale on July 3.

Duster follows Nina (Rachel Hilson), the first Black female FBI agent, who in 1972 heads to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver (Josh Holloway), the first in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate.

The project reunites Abrams with Lost alum Holloway who stars, along with Hilson, Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez, and Benjamin Charles Watson.

The trailer opens with the introduction of Hilson and Holloway’s characters. “I was warned not to come see you, that you’re nothing but a loyal driver” says Hilson’s Nina to Holloway. A bit later,...

Duster is a high-octane drama series starring Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson that J.J. Abrams co-created with Latoya Morgan and Max has now given us a look at the show with its first trailer. You can check out the Duster trailer in the embed above.

Set in 1972, Duster follows the “first Black female FBI agent (Hilson) as she heads to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver (Holloway) in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate (led by Keith David).” The last TV series which Abrams co-created was Undercovers, all the way back in 2010. He’s been involved in other shows since then as an executive producer, but this is his first time writing a series since the release of Undercovers.

“I had this image of a phone in the middle of the desert and a car driving up, and a guy getting on the phone...

The Max Original drama series Duster, from Emmy-winner J.J. Abrams and showrunner Latoya Morgan, debuts on Thursday, May 15 at 9:00 p.m. Et/6:00 p.m. Pt on Max. The teaser and first-look photos are now available.

Produced in association with Warner Bros. Television, the eight-episode season will debut new episodes weekly through the finale on July 3.

Set in the 1970s Southwest, Duster explores the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate that goes from dangerous to wildly, stupidly dangerous when a tenacious young agent comes into town hellbent on taking his crime family down.

The cast includes Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez, and Benjamin Charles Watson.

J.J. Abrams and Latoya Morgan wrote the first two episodes, which were directed by and executive produced by Steph Green.

The series is executive produced by J.

The first teaser trailer is here for Duster, a Max project reunites writer-producer J.J. Abrams and star Josh Holloway.

Abrams teamed with Latoya Morgan to create the show, which is set in 1972 and follows “the first Black female FBI agent (Rachel Hilson) as she heads to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver (Holloway) in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate (led by Keith David).”

The trailer below shows the meeting of Holloway and Hilson’s characters, and snippets of sex, drugs and violence that puts the show into more R-rated territory than Abrams’ previous ventures.

“I had this image of a phone in the middle of the desert and a car driving up, and a guy getting on the phone to find out where he was meant to go next,” Abrams said during a Hollywood Reporter interview about the show. “It implied some kind of crazy intrigue,...

J.J. Abrams' first writing project since Star Wars came together like jazz. Collaborating with accomplished screenwriter Latoya Morgan (whom you may know from The Walking Dead), the Lost creator has re-teamed with Josh Holloway — the star of that show — to bring to life Duster, a new Max drama series set to thrill its way onto our screens later this year. And in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, we finally have a new look and further details into the retro crime story about an FBI agent and a getaway driver trying to take down an impressively run crime syndicate.

Calling the story a "fun pastiche of action and humor," Duster tells the following story, according to its official logline:

In 1972, the first Black female FBI agent heads to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate.

And now,...

It’s been 15 years since J.J. Abrams’ last TV series, but the man with the mystery box is back! THR has the first look at Duster, a high-octane drama series starring Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson that Abrams co-created with Latoya Morgan

Set in 1972, Duster follows the “first Black female FBI agent (Hilson) as she heads to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver (Holloway) in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate (led by Keith David).” You can check out some of the first look photos from Duster below.

The last TV series which Abrams co-created was Undercovers, all the way back in 2010. He’s been involved in other shows since then as an executive producer, but this is his first time writing a series since the release of Undercovers.

“I had this image of a phone in the middle of the desert and a car driving up,...

J.J. Abrams is back with the first project he’s co-written in six years. The Star Trek and Star Wars: The Force Awakens director has teamed with fellow writer and executive producer Latoya Morgan for a Max drama series that reunites Abrams with his Lost star Josh Holloway.

Set in 1972, the series follows the first Black female FBI agent (Rachel Hilson) as she heads to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver (Holloway) in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate (led by Keith David). But as is often the case with projects that Abrams has worked on, things aren’t quite as straightforward as they might initially seem.

Josh Holloway in Duster.

The result is an upbeat and poppy retro crime thriller that warmly showcases its ’70s esthetic and features Hilson as a playfully tough Fed and Holloway being his cockily charismatic self.

For Abrams,...

“Sneaks” is a new animated comedy feature, directed by Rob Edwards and Chris Jenkins, starring Anthony Mackie, Martin Lawrence, Swae Lee, Chloe Bailey, Macy Gray, Ella Mai, Mustard, Roddy Ricch, Quavo, Young Miko, Amirah Hall, Kiana Ledé, Bobbito Garcia, Sam Jay, Sky Brown, Rayssa Leal, Rico Rodriguez, Keith David, Chris Paul and Laurence Fishburne, releasing April 18, 2025 in theaters:

“…’Sneaks’ follows the adventures of ‘Ty’, a misguided designer running shoe, who doesn’t know life outside the comforts of his velvet-lined shoe box.

“But after his sister is stolen by a shady collector, Ty must venture into NYC to find and rescue her….

“…meeting a rag-tag group of footwear friends from all walks of life who help him find the courage to step outside of his shoe box and find his ‘sole-mate’…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Forty-three years after its release, The Thing, as well as its lesser-known prequel, has found itself a new free streaming home.

John Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi horror classic, The Thing, and the 2011 prequel of the same name will both be available to stream on Tubi on April 1st. Based on the 1932 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr., The Thing follows a group of researchers who themselves get picked off by an extraterrestrial creature. The original 1982 film was made on a budget of $15 million and earned a total of $19.9 million at the box office alongside a cult following. Horror fans praise the original film for the sense of paranoia it creates, as well as the impressive practical effects and puppetry that went into the creature's design.

The original film follows a group of researchers in the Antarctic who are infiltrated by an alien creature that is capable of imitating other organisms.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, TVLine may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Want to stream Mufasa: The Lion King from the comfort of your own coach without paying the lion’s share of another streaming subscription? We’ve got you covered. Here’s how to stream the Disney prequel for just $3 thanks to a limited-time Disney Plus streaming deal.

More from TVLineVincent D'Onofrio Previews 'Powerful' Daredevil Turn by Michael Gandolfini, Recalls 'Great Conversations' With the Late James GandolfiniDaredevil:...

"We're meant to strive to achieve. Maybe I can make a difference to one kid." Briarcliff Entertainment has debuted an official trailer for Sneaks, an animated movie featuring anthropomorphic shoes. It's kind of like Cars but with a universe Shoes instead. When a designer sneaker unwittingly finds himself lost in New York City, he must dig deep into his sole in order to rescue his sister and return to his rightful owner. Finally set for release in theaters this April - check out the official trailer below. Sneaks follows the adventures of Ty, a misguided designer sneaker who doesn't know life outside the comforts of his velvet-lined shoe box. After his sister is stolen by a shady collector, Ty must venture into NYC to find and rescue her. In his adventure, Ty meets a rag-tag group of footwear friends from all walks of life who help him find the courage...

Chicago – Encountering Romina D’Ugo at the recent Slamdance Film Festival was the closest thing to destiny I’ll ever come across. After I reviewed “I Like Movies,” in which Romina had a significant supporting role, and then doing a podcast on the film, she serendipitously appeared at Slamdance, representing for her latest role in “Portal to Hell.”

The story in the new film regards Dunn (Trey Holland), who is a debt collector. His life of routine is interrupted when a “Portal to Hell” appears in his local laundromat, guarded by the manager named Ed (Romina D’Ugo). Chip the Demon (Richard Kind) emerges to explain that his devilish tasks include dragging to hell Dunn’s neighbor, Mr. Bobshank (Keith David). A deal is offered - three souls to save Bobshank. At first Dunn says no. but when one of his debtors follows him to the laundromat and well… once you do one,...

With his recent passing at age 95, Gene Hackman left behind a legacy few other actors could match. Despite retiring over 20 years ago, Hackman still loomed large in American movie culture, a testament to his commanding screen presence and deep wells of humanity. His versatility meant that he could comfortably slot into any number of genres, and the '90s saw him step effortlessly into a run of westerns, beginning in 1992 with his Oscar-winning turn as a corrupt sheriff in Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven.

A few years later in 1995, Hackman took on another villainous western role in Sam Raimi's amped-up genre homage The Quick and the Dead, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. While the film flopped pretty hard upon release, it's come to be considered an underrated cult classic on the strength of Raimi's direction and strong performances from Hackman, Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, and a 20-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio.

Anika Noni Rose is breaking her silence over Disney’s decision earlier this month not to move forward with Tiana, an animated musical series offshoot of The Princess and the Frog movie set for Disney+.

First announced in December 2020, the project was expected to feature Rose reprising her role as Tiana from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, which revolved around Disney’s first Black princess.

“Last week an announcement was made regarding the cancellation of the series, Tiana,” she began in a statement shared on Instagram. “I’ve been getting loads of messages expressing kindness, support and overwhelming disappointment.”

“I too am deeply disappointed that the continuation of Tiana’s journey in series form has been cut short,” adding that the highly anticipated series adaptation had been a “long time coming” and involved “a lot of beautiful work was put into it by all the creatives involved.”

“As...

After Walt Disney Animation Studios pulled the plug on its Tiana princess series, the film’s original star Anika Noni Rose is speaking out on the decision.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the actress, known for voicing Princess Tiana in Disney’s 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, addressed the news of the series being shelved, which was exclusively reported by The Hollywood Reporter on March 3.

“Last week an announcement was made regarding the cancellation of the series, Tiana,” she shared in a statement on Instagram. “I’ve been getting loads of messages expressing kindness, support and overwhelming disappointment.

“I too am deeply disappointed that the continuation of Tiana’s journey in series form has been cut short. The series was a long time coming, and a lot of beautiful work was put into it by all of the creatives involved,” she continued, crediting “long time champion” Jenn Lee, writer-director...

In 2009, Disney premiered The Princess and the Frog, introducing Tiana, the first black princess. The animated film was a modest success, and it was expected to continue as a TV series.

Disney announced plans for a television spin-off titled Tianain December 2020. Anika Noni Rose, who voiced the lead character in the 2009 animated film, was confirmed to return to reprise her role. A few days after Disney officially shelved the series, Rose shared her disappointment in an Instagram post.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Anika Noni Rose (@anikaaroundtheworld)

"Last week an announcement was made regarding the cancellation of the series, Tiana. I've been getting loads of messages expressing kindness, support, and overwhelming disappointment," Anika Noni Rose's message began. "I've also been asked by different outlets to make a statement, but I'd rather talk to you directly."

The series was a long time coming, and a lot of beautiful work was put into it.

Gremlins: The Wild Batch: "Gremlins: The Wild Batch, the acclaimed Max Original animated prequel series, from Warner Bros. Animation, returns Thursday, April 10 with the second half of season two. This next five-episode drop will allow fans to binge the season in its entirety and learn how the chaotic antics of the mischievous Mogwai reach their peak as our heroes confront unforeseen challenges and unexpected plot twists along their wild west adventure.

This next batch of episodes will feature new guest cast members Timothy Olyphant, voicing the iconic American legend, Johnny Appleseed; and Robin Weigert, voicing another famed character from American folklore, Calamity Jane. Yvette Nicole Brown and SungWon Cho will also appear as guest voices in later episodes.

Season Two Logline: Taking place one year after the events of season one, Gremlins: The Wild Batch follows Gizmo, Sam, and Elle as they travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco,...

The animated prequel TV series “Gremlins: The Wild Batch”, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, returns for the second half of Season Two 2, with new cast Timothy Olyphant, Robin Weigert, Yvette Nicole Brown and Sung Won Cho, streaming April 10, 2025 on Max:

“…taking place one year after the events of season one, the new episodes follow ‘Gizmo’, ‘Sam’ and ‘Elle’ as they travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco, bringing even more magic, mystery and ‘Mogwai’ mayhem.

“Hot on the trail of a new brood of evil Mogwai, our heroes journey deep into the American West, coming up against new supernatural creatures and picking up a few mysterious characters along the way.

Cast also includes Simu Liu, Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, Bd Wong, Izaac Wang, Aj LoCascio, John Glover, Michael Paul Chan, Ronny Chieng, Keith David, Will Forte, Kelly Hu and Jimmy O. Yang.

Click the images to enlarge…...

We have good news to report on Max's Original animated prequel series, Gremlins: The Wild Batch. The second half of the second season finally has a release date set on the streaming service. After releasing the first half of Gremlins: The Wild Batch back in October 2024, Max is slated to drop the last batch of episodes of the season this April.

The second half will feature five episodes, just like the first. All of the episodes will be released at once, so you don't have to worry about waiting week to week. You can binge-watch the entire second half at your own pace, enjoying everything without any interruptions. So, when exactly is the animated series set to make its return with its last episodes? That day would be Thursday, April 10, 2025. You might want to mark this date down because April already looks like a busy month for Max with the...

When Max’s Gremlinsanimated prequel series, The Wild Batch, returns for the second half of its second season, viewers can expect to hear a star-studded cast of guests lending their voices to the series. Per Deadline,Justified star Timothy Olyphant will voice American folk legend Johnny Appleseed in the second half of Gremlins: The Wild Batch, which is set to premiere April 10.

Robin Weigert (Smile), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), and SungWon Cho (Krapopolis) will voice characters in episodes throughout the second season. Weigert is expected to also voice another famous American folk character.

Season 2 of The Wild Batch follows the events one year after Season 1 (Gremlins: The Secrets of the Mogwai)as Gizmo (A.J. LoCascio), Sam (Izaac Wang), and Elle (Gabrielle Nevaeh) travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco. In Season 2, the team travels to the American West where they go up against supernatural creatures and also encounter...

In 2023, after more than thirty years, we finally got a new entry in the Gremlins franchise – and this was an unexpected addition, coming in the form of the animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, which serves as a prequel to the 1984 classic Gremlins (watch it Here). The show was released through the Max streaming service, and Max brought us the first half of the second season of the series, titled Gremlins: The Wild Batch, last October. The second half of the season is scheduled to drop onto the streaming service on April 10th – and Deadline has revealed that Timothy Olyphant (Justified), Robin Weigert (Deadwood), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), and SungWon Cho (Sausage Party: Foodtopia) have joined in the voice cast for this new batch of episodes.

Olyphant, who was also in Deadwood with Weigert, will be voicing the American legend Johnny Appleseed. Weigert will be voicing another famous character from American folklore,...

The Max Original animated prequel series Gremlins: The Wild Batch, from Warner Bros. Animation, will return on Thursday, April 10 with the second half of season two.

This next five-episode drop will allow fans to binge the season in its entirety and learn how the chaotic antics of the mischievous Mogwai reach their peak as our heroes confront unforeseen challenges and unexpected plot twists along their Wild West adventure.

The next batch of episodes will feature new guest cast members Timothy Olyphant, voicing the iconic American legend, Johnny Appleseed; and Robin Weigert, voicing another famed character from American folklore, Calamity Jane. Yvette Nicole Brown and Sung Won Cho will also appear as guest voices in later episodes.

Taking place one year after the events of season one, Gremlins: The Wild Batch follows Gizmo, Sam, and Elle as they travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco, bringing even more magic,...

We have a return date for the second half of Season 2 of Gremlins: The Wild Batch. The animated prequel series from Warner Bros. Animation will drop all five remaining Season 2 episodes on Thursday, April 10 on Max with new cast members Timothy Olyphant, Robin Weigert, Yvette Nicole Brown and SungWon Cho.

Olyphant will voice the iconic American legend, Johnny Appleseed; and Robin Weigert will voice another famed character from American folklore, Calamity Jane. Yvette Nicole Brown and SungWon Cho will also appear as guest voices in later episodes.

Season 2 takes place one year after the events of season one. It follows Gizmo, Sam, and Elle as they travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco, bringing even more magic, mystery and Mogwai mayhem. Hot on the trail of a new brood of evil Mogwai, our heroes journey deep into the American West, coming up against new supernatural creatures and picking...

Walt Disney Animation Studios has officially scrapped its Tiana series, which was set to serve as a follow-up to The Princess and The Frog.

According to THR, the project was cancelled as part of the studio's new strategy, which involves moving away from all original longform animated content for the Disney+ streaming service. A spokesperson confirmed there "will be some layoffs in its Vancouver studio as a result of this shift in business strategy."

In addition to Tiana, an untitled feature-length project has also been shelved.

First announced back in 2020, Tiana was being developed as a musical featuring Anika Noni Rose reprising her lead role from the 2009 animated film. The trade report mentions that, despite best efforts, "including several changes to the creative team, Tiana ultimately could not get to where it needed to be given production costs."

Apparently, The Princess and the Frog is still a key property for the company,...

Walt Disney Animation Studios has decided not to move forward with Tiana, an animated musical series offshoot of The Princess and the Frog movie set for Disney+, Deadline has confirmed.

While Disney did not respond to request for comment today over the Tiana series cancellation, sources confirm that going forward neither animation studio will be providing long form content for Disney +.

With a Tiana original special now the focus, we hear, it seems that creatively a Tiana series had been going nowhere fast for several years. That creative funk was why all we’ve seen the past four years is a single image from the proposed Tiana series.

First announced in December 2020, the project was expected to feature Anika Noni Rose reprising her role as Tiana from the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, which revolved around Disney’s first Black princess.

Set in New Orleans during the 1920s,...

Despite announcing plans for a Princess and the Frog series, titled Tiana, back in 2020, Disney has pulled the plug on the animated follow-up. In addition, Walt Disney Animation is scrapping all development plans for content on Disney+. Walt Disney Animation joins Pixar Animation, Marvel Studios, and Lucasfilm as divisions of the Walt Disney Company that are focusing less on streaming projects and reinvesting their energy in theatrical films, a far cry from where the studio was just five years ago.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that plans for Tiana have now been scrapped entirely, along with a planned feature-length film for Disney+ which had not been announced. A spokesperson for Disney confirmed there would be some layoffs in its Vancouver studio due to this shift from developing original content for Disney+ to focusing on feature film animation. Sources close to Tiana told The Hollywood Reporter that despite their best efforts to save the series,...

The Princess and the Frog sequel series has been scrapped at Disney+. Titled Tiana, the streaming exclusive would have brought back Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Disney's first Black princess, Tiana.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney Animation Studios has officially pulled the plug on Tiana as it abandons making original long-form content for Disney+. Sources close to the project revealed that despite best efforts, including several changes to the creative team, the animation studio couldn't get Tiana where it needed to be given its budget. The decision to scrap Tiana in its entirety comes as a bit of a surprise, given that Disney recently found success at the box office with Moana 2, which was announced alongside Tiana back in 2020 as a Disney+ series before ultimately being reworked into a feature-length animated sequel.

RelatedDescendants 5 Casts the Children of Robin Hood, Dr. Facilier & Mr. Smee

As Descendants 5...

The very concept of aliens plays on our collective fear of the unknown; there’s no telling what horrors await in the cosmos. While there are plenty of horror movies that explore that horror by sending humans into space, alien invasion horror movies induce paranoia, tension, and fear by bringing extraterrestrials earthbound to invade in various unsettling ways.

It’s home invasion horror on a massive scale, with humanity often facing apocalyptic doom against the threat of intelligent life from beyond our galaxy.

This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to alien invasion horror movies that unsettle for the eerie, inhuman invaders and their even creepier means of assimilation.

As always, here’s where you can watch them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers – Hoopy, Kanopy, MGM+

This update of the 1956 sci-fi film Invasion of the Body Snatchers is regarded...

Chicago – The 31st Slamdance Film Fest .. the first to take place in Los Angeles … had its share of significant World Premieres. On February 22nd, it was “Portal to Hell,” written and directed by Wally Bess, and featuring an ensemble cast which includes Trey Holland, Romina D’Ugo, Michael McDonald, Monet Weir and Richard Kind as Chip the Devil.

Patrick McDonald encountered them all on the Red Carpet, before their World Premiere at Quixote Studios, the hub of the in-person 2025 Slamdance Film Festival.

’Portal to Hell’ at 31st Slamdance Film Festival

Photo credit: Slamdance.com

Dunn (Trey Holland) is a debt collector. His life of routine is interrupted when a portal to hell appears in his local laundromat. A demon named Chip follows and explains in no uncertain terms that he’s there to drag Dunn’s neighbor, Mr. Bobshank (Keith David), to hell. A deal is offered - three souls to save Bobshank.

Sometimes it can feel like a portal to hell has just opened up before you, sucking everything good in life down a deep dark hole of despair. A pretty common feeling these days, if you’re unlucky enough to have eyes or ears. In Woody Bess’ dark comedy Portal To Hell, a depressed debt collector discovers his very own portal to hell in a dryer at his local laundry mat. Featuring supporting performances from Keith David (The Thing), Michael McDonald and Richard Kind (Beau is Afraid) as a carefree demon, Portal To Hell is a goofy and poignant tale about coming to terms with death…and taking a few bad people with you on the way down.

Dunn (Trey Holland) spends his days getting yelled at over the phone in his apartment, trying to squeeze blood from a stone with customers who owe thousands in medical bills. His only pleasant interactions are with his gruff,...

Bad news for action movie fans, as a thriller with 91% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes is all set to abandon Netflix soon. Released back in 2019, the action thriller 21 Bridges features the late, great Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman in the lead as an NYPD detective on the hunt for a pair of cop killers. Boasting a reliably charismatic performance from Boseman, 21 Bridges proved divisive among critics and audiences, but is well worth any and every action movie fan’s time. But you don’t have long.

Directed by Brian Kirk, written by Adam Mervis and Matthew Michael Carnahan, and produced by Avengers: Endgame’s Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, 21 Bridges stars Chadwick Boseman alongside Sienna Miller, Stephan James, Taylor Kitsch, Keith David, and J. K. Simmons. 21 Bridges is now all set to leave Netflix in the United States at the end of this week on February...

Although the television medium has produced a variety of long-running series, not every show that graces TV screens can have long-term success. Television shows often suffer from weak writing, characterization or circumstances outside their control, reducing many series with major potential to a footnote in the pop culture zeitgeist.

That said, while there are plenty of subpar TV shows that remain exactly that from beginning to end, there are some series that, despite some rough spots, redeem themselves with surprisingly noteworthy endings. Whether their endings are great because they cleanly wrap up important narratives, result in major changes to a beloved character, or even set up the events of other related TV shows & films, these otherwise weak series are worthy of watching just for their finales.

Marvel’s Inhumans Sets Up Important Events in the MCU Despite Continuously Disappointing Audiences With Characterization and Plotlines Image via Marvel

From its premiere, Marvel's Inhumans...

Even though writer-director Woody Bess’ debut feature “Portal to Hell” turns the underworld into a fully tangible place, he’s less interested in major crimes than “low-grade evil.”

“Every day we kind of deal with low-grade evil, be it wealth inequality or sexism, racism … we all just tolerate it,” Bess says. “It’s just around us and the world goes on. Every day I pass a homeless person. I don’t have much money as an independent filmmaker, but I could probably change that person’s life, or at least make it better. That’s where hell comes from in this; there’s this objective evil, and the one guy who says, ‘Oh, I’m going to do something about it.’ He’s odd for doing that.”

“Hell,” set to debut at Los Angeles’ Slamdance Film Festival tonight, begins with a focus on the mundane. Dunn (played by producer Trey Holland...

The Academy Museum is launching a screening series retrospective of filmmaker Bong Joon Ho’s filmography in conjunction with its Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho exhibition, and it’s launching with a special screening of the film that influenced Bong’s style: John Carpenter’s The Thing.

The special 4K presentation commences on March 22 at the David Geffen Theater, with tickets opening to the public on February 21 at 9Am Pt.

As if that’s not enough of an instant sell, Bong Joon Ho, who selected the film for this series, will be in attendance with horror master John Carpenter himself for a conversation about the sci-fi horror classic.

In the film based on John W. Campbell Jr’s short story, a research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

“Set in the winter of 1982 at a research station in Antarctica,...

Walters Media Group has secured the film rights to The Third Parent, the well-known creepypasta story by Elias Witherow. The adaptation will be the feature debut of producer David Michaels, who will both write and direct the film.

Set during a 4th of July celebration, the story follows Tommy Taffy, a menacing figure who disguises himself as human to infiltrate a suburban neighborhood. Once inside, he imposes an authoritarian rule over an unsuspecting family, turning their world into a nightmare.

“I am thrilled to develop Elias Witherow’s popular horror IP into an intense, scary movie experience,” said producer Gary Michael Walters. “Tommy Taffy has the potential to be the next iconic horror villain, and David Michaels has an incredible vision to bring this property to life.”

Michaels expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying, “I am honored that Elias and Gary have entrusted me with this incredible story and character.

Actor/comedian Richard Kind has a vibe that lives up to his last name, so when you’re looking to cast someone to play a demon in a movie, he’s probably one of the last people who would ever come to mind… which is exactly why casting Kind as a demon in the horror comedy Portal to Hell was a brilliant move on the part of writer/director Woody Bess. The film will have its premiere at the Slamdance film festival, which is being held from February 20th through the 26th, and in advance of its debut screening, Deadline reports that Raven Banner is representing the worldwide sales and distribution, presenting the film to potential buyers at the European Film Market.

Richard Kind (Only Murders in the Building) is joined in the film’s cast by Trey Holland (The Diabolical), Romina D’Ugo (12 Monkeys), Keith David (John Carpenter’s The Thing...

Exclusive: Walters Media Group, the recently launched shingle of veteran producer Gary Michael Walters, has acquired the film rights to The Third Parent, the acclaimed creepypasta from writer Elias Witherow. Set to write and direct the feature adaptation, in his feature debut, is producer David Michaels.

The feature take is set amidst the 4th of July celebration, as a disturbing figure named Tommy Taffy emerges. Disguised as a human, he infiltrates a suburban neighborhood and imposes authoritarian rule over an unsuspecting family.

Walters will produce for Walters Media Group, along with Spencer Young (Bury This) for Enfant Terrible, and Jonathan Halperyn & Daniel Kresmery for Hero Squared. Exec producers include Jack Roberts (Remnants) for Lesnik Entertainment, as well as Drake Dowd and Kristen Gilot-Dowd for Dowd Films.

Witherow’s The Third Parent — comprising a series of short stories and novellas — appears on NoSleep, the 18+ million-member Reddit forum featuring the best in horror fiction.

Keith David and Richard Kind star in the indie horror-comedy Portal to Hell.

Deadline reports that Raven Banner Entertainment has acquired the movie for worldwide sales and distribution, introducing it to buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Premiering this weekend at Slamdance in Los Angeles, the film marks the feature debut of writer-director-cinematographer Woody Bess.

Trey Holland (The Diabolical) stars as Dunn, a debt collector who lives a life of routine until a portal to Hell opens in his local laundromat. A demon (Kind) emerges to drag Dunn’s neighbor, Mr. Bobshank (David), to Hell for an unpaid debt.

Helping people settle their debts is Dunn’s specialty, but when the demon offers a sinister deal—three souls in exchange for Bobshank’s freedom—he refuses. However, when one of his debtors follows him to the laundromat, the line between right and wrong begins to blur, forcing Dunn...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Good Place is still one of the most captivating and brilliant comedy-drama series of recent times. Created by Michael Schur, the fantasy comedy series follows Eleanor Shellstrop, a recently deceased saleswoman who didn’t lead a good life when she was alive, but because of mistaken identity, she finds herself in a heaven-like afterlife and to stay there, she has to do everything and anything to hide her past from everyone. The Good Place stars Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden, Manny Jacinto, and Ted Danson. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, relatable storylines, and compelling characters in The Good Place, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Upload (Prime Video) Credit – Prime Video

Upload is a sci-fi comedy-drama series created by Greg Daniels. The Prime Video series is set...

The divisive sci-fi movie that made Vin Diesel an action hero has now found a new streaming home. Released back in 2000, Pitch Black features a star-making turn from Diesel, and launched the now fan-favorite Riddick franchise, introducing Diesel as the mysterious Richard B. Riddick, a former soldier-turned-mercenary-turned-criminal who finds himself crash landing on an alien planet inhabited by monsters who thrive in the dark. Oh, and an eclipse is coming.

Directed by David Twohy and co-written by Twohy and brothers Ken and Jim Wheat, Pitch Black features Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Claudia Black, and Keith David as some of the other crew members who come to rely on Diesel’s untrustworthy antihero to get them off the planet alive. Which he may just be able to do thanks to his “shine jobbed” eyes, which enable him to see in the dark. Pitch Black is now available to stream on Prime Video in the U.

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Love Hurts is an action comedy film directed by Jonathan Eusebio from a screenplay co-written by Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore. The 2025 film follows Marvin Gable, a former hitman turned realtor who must get his hands bloody once again when his past catches up to him. Love Hurts stars Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Marshawn Lynch, Mustafa Shakir, Lip Tipton, and Rhys Darby. So, if you loved the thrilling action, hilarious comedy, and compelling characters in Love Hurts, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Nobody (Peacock & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures

Nobody is an action thriller film directed by Ilya Naishuller from a screenplay by Derek Kolstad. The 2021 film follows Hutch Mansell, a mild-mannered family man with a violent past as a government assassin. A break-in into his...