“Bridgerton” has added three new cast members for the Shonda Rhimes-produced period drama’s upcoming fifth season, including the role of Lord Marcus Anderson’s (Daniel Francis) adult son.
“Mobland” and “The Sandman” actor Tega Alexander will play Christopher Anderson, described as “A Regency-era Casanova who could give the Bridgerton bachelors a run for their money. Yet behind his cheeky facade lies a current of self-doubt that threatens to unravel him. The son of Lord Anderson will make his mark on society, one way or another…”
Jacqueline Boatswain as Michaela Stirling’s mother Helen, “the very essence of Michaela’s spirit.” Gemma Knight Jones as Lady Elizabeth Ashworth, “a true friend of Michaela who seeks to mentor her in London society.”
Last month, Netflix unveiled a first-look teaser for the fifth season of the series, which is based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels about the love lives of the eight siblings in the titular Bridgerton family, and announced production had begun in the UK on the eight-episode season.
Per Netflix’s description for “Bridgerton” Season 5, “The fifth season of Bridgerton spotlights introverted middle daughter Francesca (Hannah Dodd). Two years after losing her beloved husband John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons. But when John’s cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran’s complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”
“Bridgerton” Season 4, which was released in two parts on Netflix between January and February, focused on the love story between Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha).
In May 2025, Netflix renewed “Bridgerton” for a fifth and sixth season but was careful to not reveal which Bridgerton sibling would be the lead of each of those installments. While not officially revealed to be Francesca Bridgerton until March 24, the lead of Season 5 was teased throughout the airing of Season 4, with Francesca being positioned as the likely frontrunner despite the fact Eloise (Claudia Jessie) is the book-accurate next contender.
Peter Peter, the composer behind the score for Heated Rivalry, has signed on with Range Music for management, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively reveal.
Heated Rivalry marked the scoring debut for Peter Peter (real name Peter Jones), with showrunner Jacob Tierney tapping him for the project after he listened to the musician’s 2024 album Éther. Like the rest of the show, Peter’s score grew increasingly popular over the course of last year, and the soundtrack will get a physical release on vinyl this July following its digital release back in January.
“It was pretty insane, especially for a first gig,” Peter previously told THRof working on the score. “It wasn’t even a debate on saying yes or no. It was just a big yes.”
Range signed Peter Peter about a year after the company first launched a composer division, bringing on Jeff Jernigan as the division’s first hire. Jernigan came from Kraft-Engel management and reps Steve Price (Gravity), Tom Howe (Ted Lasso), Raffertie (The Substance), Brandon Roberts (Andor), Joseph Stephens (The Righteous Gemstones), Disasterpeace (It Follows) and Helen Park (KPOP).
“Peter is a natural music-driven storyteller,” Jernigan said in a statement. “His music for Heated Rivalry is so integral to what has made the show a massive success, it draws you in from note one. We’re thrilled to have Peter join Range Music’s growing composer division and support this new side of his career.”
Outside of the composer division, Range Music represents acts including Jack Harlow, Noah Cyrus, Shaboozey and Stephen Wilson Jr. among others.
Indie genre label Spooky Pictures and Image Nation are partnering with Longevity Pictures to dial into Home Safety Hotline,a horror thriller feature film based on Night Signal Entertainment’s popular puzzle video game of the same name. Michael Matthews (Love and Monsters) is attached to direct the co-production, with the screenplay written by Nick Tassoni (Lure).
The film will be produced by Steven Schneider (The Long Walk, Strange Darling, Late Night With the Devil) and Roy Lee (Weapons, Barbarian, It) for Spooky Pictures, alongside Longevity president Majd Nassif (Mercy, Locked) and Kameek Lucas Taitt (Empire City, Love and Monsters). Executive producers include Ben Ross (The Plague, Late Night With the Devil), CEO of Image Nation, and Jakob Pollack (Weapons) of Spooky Pictures.
The film will follow “an unemployed loner who must take a job as a phone operator at a mysterious home security company, only to realize they specialize in protecting customers from horrific monsters that come out at night,” according to a synopsis.
“This project exemplifies our commitment to supporting bold, original storytelling that resonates globally,” said Ross. “The game’s cult following demonstrates the universal appeal of its concept – and blending tonal influences of Severance and Stranger Things, Home Safety Hotline is analogue horror at its spine-chilling best.”
“Adapting beloved IP into visceral cinematic experiences is what Spooky Pictures does best, and Home Safety Hotline is a perfect example,” said Schneider. “Night Signal Entertainment tapped into something primal – the terror of what might be lurking in the supposed safety of our own homes. With Michael Matthews at the helm and Nick Tassoni’s sharp and hair-raisingly entertaining adaptation, we’re building a fun horror thriller that will have audiences screening their calls long after the credits roll.”
“At Longevity Pictures, we’re drawn to stories that feel instantly iconic but still push the genre forward,” said Nassif. “Home Safety Hotline takes a deceptively simple premise and turns it into something deeply unsettling, smart, and cinematic. Partnering with Spooky Pictures and Image Nation; and with Michael Matthews shaping the film and Nick Tassoni crafting the story, gives us the perfect creative foundation to translate this world into a truly unforgettable experience.”
Michael Matthews, courtesy of Jasin Boland/Paramount Pictures Studios
Matthews made his directorial debut with Five Fingers for Marseilles, which won five African Movie Academy Awards, including for best film. His second feature was Love and Monsters for Paramount Pictures. Matthews is currently wrapping production on Empire State, starring Gerard Butler and Hayley Atwell, and also previously directed the series Nautilus for AMC+, alongside commercials, music videos and short films.
Tassoni is best known for his 2023 Black List script Lure, which follows a park ranger lured into the woods by a dangerous, unearthly predator mimicking her dead daughter.
Matthews is represented by Range Media Partners. Tassoni is represented by Entertainment 360 and attorney Sasha Levites at FKKS.
Gianmarco Soresi‘s “The Downside” weekly comedy podcast, co-hosted with actor Russell Daniels, is coming to Vox Media‘s podcast network.
The podcast “embraces the negatives of life with humor and honesty” and is a place where “complaining is encouraged, negativity is celebrated and silver linings are debunked,” per Vox Media. The show features new guests visiting Soresi and Daniels each week. Recent guests include Kumail Nanjiani, Caleb Hearon, Grace Reiter (HBO’s “The Chair Company”) and political commentator Hasan Piker.
Vox Media will take over sales, marketing and distribution for the podcast. “The Downside With Gianmarco Soresi” previously was affiliated with comedy podcast network Headgum.
Soresi said about the Vox Media deal: “I’m thrilled to join a network that grants us a completely unearned air of intelligence.” Daniels added, “I just go where they tell me but this seems legit!”
Soresi’s show launched with video five years ago — earlier than many others in the category. Today it has 1.37 million YouTube subscribers, while Soresi’s Instagram has grown from 50,000 to 1.2 million followers (and he counts 4.9 million total across platforms). The show’s owned channels have another 163,000-plus followers, and “The Downside” offers Patreon subscriptions with additional exclusive content.
“Gianmarco and Russell have built a hilarious and smart show where complaining has never been more fun. Their dynamic with their guests and genuine affection for each other makes every episode a reliably good time,” said Lillian Xu, Vice President of Podcasts at Vox Media. “We’re excited to partner and build on their success to bring The Downside to audiences everywhere.”
Soresi is a touring stand-up comedian and actor who released his first special, “Thief of Joy,” on YouTube last year. In addition to making multiple appearances on late-night talk shows and working on “The Downside,” he works on his recurring new show, “The Silver Lining,” as well as “Theater Adult,” where he melds the world of theater and comedy.
Daniels is an actor, writer and comedian who recently starred in the off-Broadway comedy “Ginger Twinsies” at the Orpheum Theater and in the modern adaptation of Moliere’s “The Imaginary Invalid” at the Red Bull Theatre.
“The Downside With Gianmarco Soresi” joins Vox Media’s slate of podcasts, which includes “Pivot” (hosted by Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway), “A Touch More” (hosted by Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe), “Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast” (hosted by YouTuber and tech reviewer Marques Brownlee), “Networth & Chill” (hosted by Your Rich BFF Vivian Tu), “Criminal” (hosted by journalist Phoebe Judge) and “Tefi Talks” (hosted by creator and comedian Tefi Pessoa).
Variety has learned that Thurman will be back for the sophomore outing of the Paramount+ Premium series, reprising her role as Charley, a former Special Ops officer who worked for Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage). At the end of Season 1, Charley broke from Prater and fled New York to take care of her terminally ill mother.
Thurman is the latest casting announcement for the second season of “Dexter: Resurrection.” It was previously announced that Brian Cox would be joining the new season in the role of Don Framt, also known as the notorious serial killer the New York Ripper. And of course Michael C. Hall will be back as titular killer of killers Dexter Morgan.
Although Thurman is best known for her feature roles, she was previously nominated for an Emmy for her guest role in the series “Smash” and won a Golden Globe for her work in the HBO film “Hysterical Blindness.” She also recently appeared in the shows “Super Pumped” and “Suspicion.” Thurman was nominated for an Academy Award for “Pulp Fiction” in 1995. She went on to collaborate again with “Pulp Fiction’s “Quentin Tarantino in the two “Kill Bill” films. Her recent credits include the films “Oh Canada,” “Red, White, and Royal Blue,” and “Hollywood Stargirl.”
She is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, Jonathan Sanders & Co, and Hansen Jacobson.
“Dexter: Resurrection” was developed by original series helmer Clyde Phillips, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer on the new series. Hall executive produces in addition to starring. Scott Reynolds, Marcos Siega, Tony Hernandez, and Lilly Burns executive produce along with John Goldwyn and Sara Colleton, Veronica West, Kirsa Rein, and Tanner Bean & Katrina Mathewson. The series is produced by Paramount Television Studios and Counterpart Studios.
Uma Thurman will reprise her role as Charley in the Paramount+ series. In the show’s first season, Charley, a former special operations officer, was billionaire serial killer enthusiast Leon Prater’s (Peter Dinklage) right hand woman; she left New York after discovering Prater had betrayed her trust.
Thurman will join Dexter: Resurrection stars Michael C. Hall and Jack Alcott in season two, along with Emmy winner Brian Cox as Don Framt, aka the New York Ripper — a retired serial killer who still taunts the survivors of his past deeds. The character was mentioned in the show’s first season, when Dexter (Hall) and Claudette Wallace (Kadia Saraf) found a file on the Ripper in Prater’s vault.
How Thurman’s Charley re-enters the story remains to be seen. Paramount+ has yet to announce a premiere date for season two.
Thurman is coming off Prime Video’s feature film Pretty Lethal. The Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction star’s recent credits also include Netflix’s The Old Guard 2 and Prime’s rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue; she’s also set to appear in the latter’s sequel, Red, White & Royal Wedding. Thurman is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, Jonathan Sanders & Co and Hansen Jacobson.
Showrunner Clyde Phillips executive produces Dexter: Resurrection with Hall, Scott Reynolds, Marcos Siega, Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Veronica West, Kirsa Rein, Tanner Bean and Katrina Mathewson. Paramount Television Studios and Counterpart Studios produce the series.
The news was revealed in a People exclusive on Wednesday, with a source saying the baby is due in the fall.
Though it’s unclear how long they’ve been dating, the pair recently teamed up on the off-Broadway revival of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, as well as the 2020 film Black Bear. Abbott, best known for his role in Girls, also featured in last year’s The Testament of Ann Lee.
The 40-year-old is currently starring on Broadway in the revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman alongside Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf.
Plaza, of Parks and Recreation and The White Lotus fame, was headline news in January 2025 when her husband, screenwriter Jeff Baena, died by suicide. The couple had reportedly been separated since September 2024.
The actress, 41, got candid with Parks and Rec co-star Amy Poehler on the latter’s Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast in August last year. “I’m in this very present moment I’m happy to be with you,” Plaza said as they broached the subject of Baena’s death. “Overall I’m here and I’m functioning and I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I’m OK. But, you know, it’s a daily struggle, obviously.”
“This is a really dumb analogy,” she continued, “and it was kind of a joke but I actually mean it, did you see that movie The Gorge? It’s like an alien movie with Miles Teller. In the movie, there’s a cliff on one side and a cliff on the other side and there’s a gorge [in the middle] with monster people that are trying to get them.”
She said: “I watched it, I was like, ‘That what this feels like, what my grief is like — or what grief could be like.’ At all times there’s like a giant ocean of awfulness that’s like right there, and I can see it. And sometimes, I just want to dive into it and be in it. And then sometimes, I just look at it. And then sometimes, I’m just trying to get away from it. But it’s always there. It’s just always there. And the monster people are trying to get me.”
Baena and Plaza had been dating for three years before she starred in his 2014 directorial debut, Life After Beth, which he also wrote. It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. They collaborated on five films, including The End of Love (2012), The Little Hours (2017) and Spin Me Round (2022).
At Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary special, she wore a tie-dye shirt in tribute to her late husband. The actress previously spoke about how she and Baena wore tie-dye for their nuptials.
SPOILER ALERT:This article contains spoilers for the Season 3 finale of “Shrinking,” now streaming on Apple TV.
Harrison Ford is still “Shrinking.” The Apple TV series wrapped its third season on Wednesday with a poignant episode that creator Bill Lawrence has repeatedly framed in interviews and social media as a finale of sorts. That’s gotten him into a bit of trouble, as fans began to assume that Lawrence planned to reinvent “Shrinking” as something entirely different next season.
But rest assured, as Variety told you on Monday, the same stars will be playing the same characters next season. And that includes Ford, who has been doing some of the best work of his entire career as Dr. Paul Rhoades and has signed on to return. At a “Shrinking” PaleyFest LA panel in Hollywood on Tuesday, Ford said his work on “Shrinking has been “one of the most pleasurable experiences of my life.”
Also back for Season 4 are the rest of the cast as well: Jason Segel (as Jimmy Laird), Jessica Williams (Gaby), Lukita Maxwell (Alice), Luke Tennie (Sean), Christa Miller (Liz), Michael Urie (Brian) and Ted McGinley (Derek), for starters. And yes, they’ll be playing the same characters — but on new journeys.
“I think people will feel when they come back to this show, that it’s a completely different story,” Lawrence said. “And the reason we agreed to do it was that we feel that the cast and characters of this show have enough stuff going on in their life that we are interested in seeing what a new story for these characters looks like.”
Apple TV renewed the show early enough that Lawrence said the “Shrinking” writers found ways to leave Easter eggs throughout Season 3 that hinted at what’s to come — so even though next year might feel different because the characters are in a different place, it will also feel earned because you’ve already seen some of those new tales begin.
“There’s some stuff in the third year that is left unresolved, and it hints that the next year will be different because of what characters are doing and where they’re going,” Lawrence said. “People shouldn’t be surprised if there’s a time jump and it feels like we’re telling a completely different story.”
And that starts with the growth of Jimmy, whose journey from grief in Season 1 (losing his wife Tia) to forgiveness in Season 2 (bonding with the man who accidentally killed her) and then moving forward in Season 3 (his starts and stops to finding new love) seems to have now resolved itself. At the end of Season 3, Episode 11, “And That’s Our Time,” Paul — who had just relocated to Connecticut — makes a quick flyby back to L.A. to help set Jimmy on his new path, starting by tricking him into breakfast with Cobie Smulders’ Sofi.
“If the fourth season of this show came on and Jimmy was like, ‘I’ve been thinking about it. I’m still super sad about my wife,’ I’d be like, ‘turn the TV off.’ You can’t do that again,” Lawrence said. “So we’re hoping people feel it’s an incredibly optimistic and happy ending.”
Lawrence lauded Segel for his work in the final two episodes of Season 3 as his character struggled with sending his daughter to school and being home, all alone, while also feeling abandoned by his father figure Paul. And then it all came down to that moment where Paul made the temendous gesture of returning to reassure Jimmy that it was OK to move on. “I just really thought he was amazing, watching him and feeling, as a fan of the show, that his kind of suffering was finally over,” Lawrence said.
But not all is resolved with Jimmy, as viewers saw this season that he still harbors daddy issues. Lawrence said that means Jeff Daniels will likely be back as his father, Randy Laird.
“I guarantee you, some of the people that watch the show know that they’ll probably see Jeff Daniels again,” he said. “And Cobie too. What’s that look like for a guy building a second relationship?”
Now that we know Ford is back (and presumably, Wendie Malick as his new wife Julie), you can surmise that part of his new storyline will still intersect Alice, who long relied on Paul as her therapist and will now be living just an hour away.
“It’s obviously with great intent that Harrison’s character is moving to a state where Alice goes to college,” Lawrence said.
Paul, of course, continues to face the reality of his Parkinson’s disease — and that will remain an important part of that character’s journey. In Season 3, Paul got to bond with fellow Parkinson’s patient Gerry, played by guest star Michael J. Fox. Lawrence said he hoped to bring back Fox for Season 4 in some capacity, and at PaleyFest, Fox said he was up for it: “I would love to do it – it would be my honor,” he said.
Luke Tennie, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, Jason Segel, Christa Miller, Bill Lawrence, Ted McGinley and Michael Urie at PaleyFest LA’s “Shrinking” panel on April 7.
Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, Gaby will be taking over Paul’s practice and facilities to build a new crisis therapy clinic. But she’s still mourning the loss of her patient Maya (Sherry Cola), who died by suicide in Season 3.
“What’s it look like for a character like Gaby to have lost a patient in a fairly straightforward practice, and then, for whatever reason, be diving into treating people that are only dealing with stuff like that?” Lawrence said. “There’s the trauma of losing a patient that you may have crossed some boundaries and gotten too close to going directly into that world. Also, there’s still some tension between Gaby, her mom and her sister.”
Among other main characters, empty nesters Liz and Derek discovered in Season 3 that one of their sons is about to have a baby, giving the show plenty to mine as they will adjust to being grandparents. (Guest star Candice Bergen might also return as Derek’s mother — and Liz’s nemesis.) Sean has moved out of Jimmy’s pool house, has reunited with his girlfriend Marisol (Isabella Gomez) and is on his way to becoming a chef. Brian is still adjusting to being a parent, a role he was hesitant to fill at first.
“Sometimes people feel like Brian was somebody that entered, at least reluctantly, into building and having a family, and what is like that look like? We know that Brian’s childhood was tumultuous in terms of where he grew up, and their attitude towards his sexuality, but we still haven’t met his mom,” Lawrence said. “That’s with great intent.”
When asked if he has another three-season structure in mind for the next “Shrinking” chapter, Lawrence said he hadn’t mapped out a long-term plan with Apple TV or series producers Warner Bros. TV just yet. But, he added, “We aren’t going into this next season feeling like it’s the last one. There will always be material. You want to feel that people are changing and evolving. So, as long as we feel like we’re not treading water, and that we’re telling a new kind of cool story, we’ll hang with it. And who’s to say where a show like this could go.”
But as he sets out for a different “Shrinking” in Season 4, Lawrence also promised some consistency: “People will still live where they live. This is still a found family show where people think they spend way too much time together. And people will still recognize sets and locations, and even if they’ve been superficially changed or have a new look. I don’t want the show to suddenly be like, ‘oh, so they work at a corporate office downtown!’ Hopefully it will feel the same, but different in the story that we’re telling.”
Writing is already under way on Season 4, and Lawrence said he thought fans “will dig it. We wouldn’t do this show if all the actors and actresses didn’t want to keep going. The main impetus for continuing on and coming up with another story is, yes, we’re lucky enough that Apple wants us to keep going. But all the performers are having a blast. I feel like there’s plenty of stories to tell with these characters. We just can’t tell this one anymore.”
India’s Sun Pictures has unveiled the title of its large-scale fantasy-action collaboration between director Atlee, Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone: “Raaka.”
The announcement came Wednesday, on Arjun’s birthday, accompanied by a title poster that leans into dark, creature-driven imagery.
Atlee, whose credits include the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster “Jawan” as well as Tamil-language hits “Mersal” and “Bigil,” described the project as a long-gestating passion. “‘Raaka’ isn’t just a film… it’s a part of me I’ve carried for years. For 18 years, I held on to one idea, never letting it fade. It tested me, shaped me, and stayed with me through everything. And honestly… this is just the beginning,” he said.
Sun Pictures, the Chennai-based production banner, said the film represents its highest ambitions for Indian cinema’s international reach. “Sun Pictures is privileged to bring together the singular storytelling of Atlee and the iconic stature of Allu Arjun in a project built for the world,” the company said in a statement.
Arjun, who won the Indian National Film Award for best actor for his performance in “Pushpa: The Rise,” arrives at “Raaka” off the back of a franchise that reshaped Indian cinema’s commercial landscape. The first “Pushpa” film, directed by Sukumar and co-starring Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, grossed some $42 million worldwide on its 2021 release. Its 2024 sequel, “Pushpa 2: The Rule,” collected approximately $194 million globally, making it the third-highest-grossing Indian film of all time behind “Dangal” and “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.”
Padukone, who previously worked with Atlee on “Jawan” opposite Shah Rukh Khan, joins the project as female lead – her first collaboration with Arjun. Her casting was announced by Sun Pictures last year.
SkyShowtime‘s Swedish original series The Trio (Trion), an adaptation of the bestselling coming-of-age novel by Johanna Hedman, is described as “a story about love, sex and passion.”
The six-part show, starring August Wittgenstein (Das Boot, The Crown, Faithless, Tomb Raider), Felix Sandman (Home for Christmas, Quicksand), Seth Manteus (Cherries) and Rebecka Harper, received a premiere date on Wednesday, namely June 1. The first two episodes of the show will premiere that day, followed by two new episodes weekly after that.
THR can also reveal an exclusive teaser for the series below.
“When middle-aged Hugo is approached by the daughter of both of his childhood loves, he is thrown back 20 years in time,” reads a synopsis for the series. “Hugo is about to embark on his first years at university and has moved to Stockholm to become a resident of the Stiller family. This is where he meets Thora, the daughter of the house. This is also where he meets August, Thora’s constant companion and occasional lover. This is just the beginning of a wonderful friendship, of a whirlwind love affair, of the realization that nothing will ever be the same again. This is also the reason why Hugo never truly moved on. Will he dare to reclaim everything he has lost?”
Kai Finke, chief content officer at SkyShowtime, has called The Trio “a passionate and fearless exploration of desire and connection,” adding that the series “is unlike anything else we’ve commissioned and is exactly the kind of fresh storytelling we’re proud to champion.”
‘The Trio,’ courtesy of Alfred Bolsöy
Courtesy of SkyShowtime
Anders Hazelius, the director of the series, written by Veronica Zacco, has called it “an intoxicating, passionate, and bittersweet tale of the conflict between the longing for love and the yearning for freedom.”
SkyShowtime said about the series on Wednesday: “Laced with yearning and nostalgia, The Trio (Trion) combines a sensuous, sophisticated love story with a poignant, bittersweet reflection on the relentless passage of time, and through rich characterization and emotional storytelling, the series explores Hedman’s timeless themes of desire and loss.”
The Trio is produced by SF Studios in co-production with SkyShowtime, ZDF, SVT, Film Stockholm and Night Train Media. Ina Sohlberg, Tina Bergström, Emma Hägglund and Susann Billberg Rydholm serve as the producers and executive producers for SF Studios. Eccho Rights is handling international sales.
The first clip, which THR can reveal here, teases the emotion, the intimacy, and the love triangle that audiences can expect from the series. Watch the teaser for The Trio here.
