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“Beauty in Black,” Tyler Perry’s newest Netflix project, was the second-most-watched streaming original in the U.S. during the week of Oct. 25-31, per Luminate’s weekly viewership rankings. The series hit 1.2 billion minutes watched in its first full week of availability, landing only behind “The Lincoln Lawyer” Season 3, which took first place for the second week in a row with 1.4 billion minutes watched.

“Territory,” another Netflix title, debuted in third place with 890.1 million minutes watched in its first week of availability. It was followed by Season 2 of “Tulsa King,” which has been on the chart for weeks, this time boosted by the release of its seventh episode to achieve 555.8 million minutes watched on Paramount+. Like in previous weeks, the rollout of “Tulsa King” Season 2 continued to bring viewers to Season 1, which was the No. 10 title with 264.9 million minutes watched Oct. 25-31.

"This Is the Zodaic" debuted with 482.3 million minutes watched,...

Get ready for a spooky – and funny – Halloween. Special holiday episodes are a tradition for CBS’s Ghosts, and 2024 is no exception. This year’s spooktacular episode will air on Oct. 31, and we have all the details you need to know about when and how to watch and what to expect.

‘Ghosts’ 2024 Halloween episode airs Oct. 31

The fourth Ghosts Halloween special, “Halloween 4: The Witch,” airs Thursday, Oct. 31 at 8:30 p.m. Et/Pt on CBS.

In the episode, the ghosts are looking for some excitement after Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) cancel Halloween because of past holiday disasters. When uptight ghost Patience (Mary Holland) becomes convinced that Sam can summon the dead, she convinces the other ghosts to try her as a witch.

Sam isn’t concerned about her upcoming trial, but Jay is worried.

“Patience is not to be trifled with,” he says in a...

As the final stretch of October sets in, there is still plenty of time to catch favorite flicks, spooky, witchy, scary or cozy in the season of pumpkins, monsters and more. Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween has several classic films airing all month long such as Casper (1995), Arachnophobia, Goosebumps, Edward Scissorhands, etc.

More recent films like 2021’s Ghostbustesr: Afterlife, 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) and Haunted Mansion (2023) will also be available. Disney+ is the home of several of the movies in the below list, as is Max. Follow along below for your favorite titles as well as what is available by streamer and network.

Movies:

While Bram Stoker’s Dracula directed by Francis Ford Coppola is streaming on MGM+, several other vampire movies like Interview with the Vampire are available on Max. Peacock also boasts a couple newer fanged flicks like Renfield (2023) and Abigail (2024). Twilight is not streaming anywhere currently, but...

Disney+ has launched a Top 10 list to let users know what content is most streamed on the platform.

The feature highlights popular movies and TV shows from the streamer. Subscribers will see different rankings depending on their subscription and parental control settings.

Disney+’s Top 10 is composed by taking “several factors into account, including total views at the episode and movie level within a day and the growing popularity of new titles released during that time frame.” The ranking also combines movie and TV show titles.

When Deadline looked at its Top 10 list for Wednesday, October 30, the content was mostly Halloween-themed.

At the top of our list was 1993’s Hocus Pocus, the Kenny Ortega-created film that starred Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Agatha All Along, which airs its season finale at 6 p.m. Pt / 9 p.m. Et on Wednesday night, took the second spot.

Hocus Pocus 2 was ranked third,...

Nearly five years after Netflix first bowed its Top 10 lists worldwide, Disney+ is following suit.

Disney’s flagship streaming service on Wednesday launched “Top 10 Today,” a daily list showcasing popular movies and series on the platform. The goal — as it has been with Netflix, which pioneered the feature — is to drive engagement on Disney+ and give subscribers another way to find a new title to stream.

Disney+’s Top 10 Today list will vary for individual subscriber, depending on various factors. Those include the user profile’s content rating, subscription plan and location (the list is different for each country as title availability varies by market). At launch, the Disney+ Top 10 Today list will not be available to Junior Mode (i.e. kids) profiles.

Disney says the Disney+ Top 10 Today is not simply a ranking of the “most watched” titles in a given territory. Rather, the list “takes several factors into account,...

The third season of “The Lincoln Lawyer” was the top title on Luminate’s weekly measurement of streaming originals for the Oct. 18-24 viewing window, hitting a strong 2.4 billion minutes watched in its first full week of availability. Season 3 has also brought renewed attention to Seasons 1 and 2, which charted at No. 8 with 317.9 million minutes watched and No. 10 with 266.2 million minutes watched, respectively.

The legal drama approximately tripled the viewership of the next-most-watched streaming original series in the U.S., which was “Love Is Blind” Season 7. The unscripted dating show was watched for 805.3 million minutes from Oct. 18 to Oct. 24, which marked the third full week of availability for the first six episodes, the second full week of availability for Episodes 7-9 and the first full week of availability for Episodes 10 and 11, while also including two days of availability for Episode 12.

With 647.9 million minutes watched, "Tulsa King" Season 2 was the third place TV series for the week,...

Sundays are perfect for family movie night, and a couple of networks have our attention tonight, Sunday, Oct. 27. Tonight is also the night for sports on TV!

There is something for the entire family tonight. It doesn’t matter if you want a family-friendly movie to mark the Halloween season, or if you’re in the mood for some drama. Broadcast networks have us covered, and we’re taking a look at what you’ll want to watch live and what you’ll want to record.

Hocus Pocus 2, Goosebumps, and more

Last Sunday, ABC brought us the first Hocus Pocus movie. This week, it’s all about the second one. This movie picks up years later, with a new group of teens bringing the Sanderson sisters back for another attempt at immortal life. They think they’re smarter, but will technology prove to be their downfall again?

If the...

Halloween is the time of year when horror appeals to all ages and backgrounds, but especially so for the young and young at heart. Luckily, there’s no shortage of family-friendly frights on streaming or network TV. If you’ve already grown tired of the familiar staples that include enduring favorites like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Casper, Coraline, Don’t Look Under the Bed, Beetlejuice, and more, here’s the list for you.

This streaming guide is almost entirely dedicated to gateway horror titles released within the last decade, save for one deep-cut gem that’s finally found its way on streaming. Many of them are set on or around Halloween, ensuring proper spooky season viewing.

For those looking for brand new family frights to sink their fangs into this Halloween season, don’t miss these movies and shows.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting – Netflix

Set around Halloween, A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting...

Part 1 of the fourth season of “Outer Banks” had a strong debut on Luminate’s weekly streaming rankings, hitting 1.2 billion minutes watched in the Oct. 11-17 viewing window, its first full week of availability. That made it the No. 1 streaming original of the viewing window, followed by Season 7 of “Love Is Blind” with 1 billion minutes watched in the second week of availability of its first batch of episodes.

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” continued its run on the chart, landing at No. 3 with 707.1 million minutes watched in its fourth week of availability, just edging out “Nobody Wants This” with 705.9 million minutes watched after three weeks. Also not far behind was Season 2 of “Tulsa King” with 690 million minutes watched Oct. 11-17, during which its fifth episode was released. As in previous weeks, Season 1 also charted, this time two spots below Season 2 in seventh place with 335.3 million minutes watched. Netflix...

Back in July, Djimon Hounsou signed on to star in a shark thriller called Beneath the Storm alongside Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) and Whitney Peak (Hocus Pocus 2), with Tommy Wirkola (Violent Night) writing and directing for Sony Pictures and producers Adam McKay and Kevin Messick of HyperObject Industries. While we wait to hear more information about that project, Hounsou is already moving on to another interesting film, one called The Monster. Deadline reports that Darren Lynn Bousman will be directing the film from a screenplay by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer, the writers of Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane.

The Monster is set to begin filming in Danbury, Connecticut in November. The story follows two millennials who make quick money by leasing incredible New York City apartments they don’t own to people who don’t know they are being scammed. The con works brilliantly until they run into an apartment...

The feature debut of renowned music video director Colin Tilley will be shopped at the upcoming American Film Market.

“Eye for an Eye,” a sinister revenge horror set in the marshlands of Florida and starring Whitney Peak, is being launched at the market by HanWay Films, which is repping international rights. WME Independent is handling domestic sales.

Alongside Peak, S. Epatha Merkerson also stars, while the additional cast includes Golda Rosheuvel, Finn Bennett and newcomer Laken Giles. Casting was handled by Jenny Jue. The script was penned by writer and artist Elisa Victoria, who specializes in classic folklore and pop ephemera, adapted from one of her own graphic novels “Mr. Sandman.”

“Eye for an Eye” follows Anna (Peak), a young woman grieving the sudden death of her parents who relocates from New York to a small Florida town to live with the grandmother (Merkerson) she’s never met. Isolated, vulnerable and in need of friends,...

Just over 15 years after “Reba” closed out its six-season run, “Happy’s Place” creator Kevin Abbott reunited with the sitcom’s team to explore a potential “Reba” reboot series.

“I had actually come up with where the characters were at, where their lives were at [and] what was going to be the dynamic was some new characters,” Abbott told TheWrap, noting that executives were initially “very interested” in the idea. However, he added that as time went by and the industry consolidated further, the reboot didn’t move forward “for various financial reasons and rights reasons,” per Abbott.

“I’d spent six months doing this thing and been working on it and Reba [McEntire] was like, ‘well, let’s just do another one … we’ll do something else. I was like, ‘I don’t have another one in my back pocket,'” Abbott recalled. “So I called my wife [Julie Abbott] to complain...

Lionsgate’s franchise reboot The Strangers: Chapter 1 kicked off a new trilogy of tales, and the company has finally released the official teaser trailer for The Strangers: Chapter 2.

At this time, Chapter 2 is “coming soon,” with no official release date.

Watch the official teaser trailer for The Strangers: Chapter 2 below, which continues the story of Madelaine Petsch’s character, who survived the events of The Strangers: Chapter 1.

Both upcoming sequels to Chapter 1 were filmed at the very same time by director Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Deep Blue Sea).

In The Strangers: Chapter 1, “After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive.”

Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale”), Froy Gutierrez (Hocus Pocus 2...

There’s really one true one wide release this weekend and it’s Paramount’s sequel Smile 2, which currently sees presales pointing toward a high-teens-millions opening. Tracking earlier this week indicated higher, in the $20 million-plus range, but that all depends on whether Latino and Hispanic moviegoers send this $28M-priced sequel to the 2022 original to another stratosphere.

The original movie is the stuff of post-Covid legends, an example of how a Hollywood major studio with a streaming service shifted a film away from a home release to a mega theatrical release after testing; Smile debuted to $22.6M at the box office and legged out to $105.9M domestic and $217.4M worldwide. Some studios couldn’t do that — re Disney with Hocus Pocus 2, which was confined to its Disney+ release despite great test scores.

Smile 2 sees its original director-writer architect Parker Finn returning. The first movie followed a psychiatrist, Dr.

“Descendants: The Rise of Red” has become Disney+’s most-watched live-action original movie since September 2022’s “Hocus Pocus 2,” TheWrap can exclusively reveal.

Since arriving on Disney+ on July 12, “The Rise of Red” has tallied up 33 million viewers in just 12 weeks of streaming, according to internal data from Disney.

In July, the fourth “Descendants” movie logged 6.7 million views within its first three days of streaming, an impressive debut when compared to the 4.6 million views garnered by Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” movie in its opening weekend on Disney+.

After three months on the streamer, “Descendants: The Rise of Red” has caught up to streaming viewership for Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” which scored 30.5 million views worldwide in its first five days after hitting the streamer on Sept. 25.

In its debut week, “Descendants: The Rise of Red” was Nielsen’s fifth most-watched streaming movie during the week of July 8-14 with 386 million viewing minutes,...

ABC has announced a series of Halloween-themed episodes and films airing throughout October. New episodes of “9-1-1,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and “Doctor Odyssey,” as well as the broadcast premieres of “Haunted Mansion” (2023) and “Hocus Pocus 2,” will be featured. Here is the schedule: Sunday, October 13: 7:00-8:01 p.m. Edt – America’s […]

ABC’s Halloween Line-Up Features Special Episodes and Films...

From an evil queen pondering “Mirror, mirror on the wall: Who is the fairest of them all?” to Three Weird Sisters chanting “Double, double toil and trouble! Fire burn, and cauldron bubble,” witchcraft has been something of a skeleton key across centuries of storytelling on screen and in print. As old as ghost stories themselves, witches are fabled beings — typically more human than creature, but sometimes vice versa — known for using magic to abuse and manipulate us mere mortals.

Some witches feed on children; see Roald Dahl‘s “The Witches” and its two film adaptations starring Anjelica Huston and Anne Hathaway respectively. Some witches just want to be loved; consider the appropriately-named “The Love Witch” or the middle chunk of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Others crave beauty, youth, power, or something altogether more sinister; think the unending greed examined in Luca Guadagnino’s astounding re-imagining of Dario Argento’s “Suspiria.

Exclusive: 31 Nights of Halloween is brewing up a strong audience on Freeform.

The annual spooky tradition launched last Tuesday, boasting Freeform’s most-watched week of the year, according to Nielsen data. That’s across total viewers and also within several key demos including adults 18-49, women 18-49 and men 18-49.

October to-date, Freeform ranks as No. 1 among cable entertainment networks in primetime among adults 18-34, as well as women 18-34 and women 18-49.

Last week’s lineup featured the world television premiere of Hocus Pocus 2, which was cable’s top movie of the week among adults 18-49.

There’s plenty more to come, as Freeform will be celebrating spooky season the entire month of October.

All the usual favorites like Halloweentown, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, the original Hocus Pocus and more are on the schedule, in addition to some more recent favorites like the 2023 adaptation of Haunted Mansion.

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” debuted with 2.7 billion minutes watched in its first full week of availability on Netflix, easily landing on top of Luminate’s weekly ranking of streaming original viewership. The Ryan Murphy series was nearly three times above the next-most-watched title of the week: “The Perfect Couple,” which hit 916.4 million minutes watched in its third full week of availability.

There was another large drop-off between second place and third place, with “Tulsa King” Season 2 accruing 916.4 million minutes watched in the week of the release of its second episode. Next was a tie: “Emily in Paris” Season 4 in the second full week of availability of Part 2, and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season 2 in the first full week of availability of its sixth episode and the first day of availability of its seventh episode. Both titles hit 398.3 million minutes watched.

"Agatha All Along,...

This spooky season, Disney+ and Hulu are conjuring up an exciting blend of scares for every Halloween enthusiast as the comprehensive streaming homes of Halloween with a thrilling variety of spine-tingling premieres, nostalgic classics, and heart-pounding horror for every family member and fan.

Agatha All Along Huluween On Hulu

Huluween returns this October with a fresh selection of frightening content that guarantees to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Whether preparing for a horror-filled binge or seeking thrills for a Halloween watch party, Hulu has assembled a month of chilling entertainment.

Hulu’s standout offerings include the debut of FX’s Grotesquerie, a sinister crime series that blurs the line between horror and psychological thriller, brand new Halloween specials from fan-favorite animated series Solar Opposites and Family Guy, as well as five all-new scary tales from FX’s American Horror Stories, the final season of FX’s What We Do in the Shadows...

When last we saw Agatha Harkness, Wanda Maximov had stripped her of her powers and forced her to live in the Agnes persona that she adopted to try and take the Scarlet Witch’s powers in “WandaVision.” Now, the centuries-old witch is back and on a quest to reclaim her powers. The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe series “Agatha All Along” premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, Sept. 18 beginning at 9:01 p.m. Et. You can stream the first two episodes of the series with a Subscription to Disney+.

How to Watch ‘Agatha All Along’ When: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 at 9:01 p.m. Et Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a Subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now $7.99+ / month disneyplus.com

Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).

Related: It Was 'Agatha All Along'! Everything You Need to Know About the Newest Marvel Series About ‘Agatha All Along’

Following the finale of “WandaVision,...

As of this writing, Trekkies haven't been given too many details about the upcoming TV movie "Star Trek: Section 31." A recent teaser trailer revealed a lot, however. As was known, Section 31 is the shady, black ops division of Starfleet, tasked with infiltrating dangerous crime lairs or manipulating local politics to their own ends. They're the morally compromised arm of "Star Trek." In the upcoming film, the division is led by Empress Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who was previously a recurring character on "Star Trek: Discovery." Georgiou, to recap, was rescued from the evil "mirror" universe where she was a vicious tyrant who murdered millions. Now, after a slight redemption arc, she's been put in charge of a cadre of spies.

Said characters are a ragtag group of freelance badasses. The "Section 31" cast includes Omari Hardwick, Kacey Rohl, Sven Ruygrok, Robert Kazinsky, Humberly Gonzalez, and James Hiroyuki Liao.Sam Richardson...

Next month will be the start of spooky season and with it comes Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween! You can start planning what films and shows you want to watch as the schedule is now available! It includes perennial classics like the “Halloweentown” films, “Beetlejuice,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Hocus Pocus 2,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and more.

31 Nights of Halloween Schedule:

Week 1 – 31 Nights of Halloween

Tuesday, Oct. 1

1:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Halloweentown”

3:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “The Haunted Mansion” (2003)

5:05 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”

6:45 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Beetlejuice”

8:50 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Hocus Pocus”

Wednesday, Oct. 2

1:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Arachnophobia” – Freeform Premiere

3:30 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Beetlejuice”

5:35 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Casper” (1995)

8:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”

Thursday, Oct. 3

11:00 a.m. Edt/Pdt – “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”

1:55 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Casper” (1995)

4:20 p.

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We’re officially less than two months out from Halloween, and only a few short weeks away from it being socially acceptable to start decking our houses out in skeletons and cobwebs. And as we head into spooky season, there’s no more enchanting pair to get us into the spirit than the Sanderson Sisters, who last returned to their bewitching antics in the Disney+ reboot back in 2022.

While there hasn’t been any new “Hocus Pocus” content since, there’s still dozens of merch and decorations inspired by the beloved franchise that make for perfect Halloween companions.

From glittering gold Hocus Pocus-themed Crocs to a Hot Topic Cardigan inspired by the one worn by an 11 year-old Thora Birch in the original film, check out some of the best...

Freeform‘s 2024 lineup for its annual 31 Nights of Halloween programming slate is delivering plenty of thrills and chills just in time for spooky season. Kicking off on Tuesday, October 1, the month-long programming block will feature plenty of favorites and classics including Casper, Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Edward Scissorhands. There are a few fun double-features to look forward to as well with Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2, which will make its television debut, as well as Monsters Inc. and Monsters University, among others. And don’t miss the broadcast debut of 2023’s Haunted Mansion, and Freeform premieres of Arachnophobia, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and Muppets From Space. Below, see the full lineup for what’s to come this October on Freeform. Tuesday, October 1 1:00 p.m.: Halloweentown 3:00 p.m.: The Haunted Mansion (2003) 5:05 p.m.: Tim Burton’s...

The Halloween season is officially upon us, and Freeform kicks off the celebration this afternoon with the full schedule for this year’s “31 Nights of Halloween” extravaganza!

Freeform will be showing fright flicks from October 1 – October 31, and this year’s schedule includes fan favorite classics such as Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas, as well as new arrivals including Hocus Pocus 2 and the Disney+ “Goosebumps” series.

Another film making its world television premiere? Last year’s Haunted Mansion from Disney.

Here’s the full schedule for Freeform’s “31 Nights of Halloween” 2024…

Tuesday, Oct. 1

1:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Halloweentown”

3:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “The Haunted Mansion” (2003)

5:05 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”

6:45 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Beetlejuice”

8:50 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Hocus Pocus”

Wednesday, Oct. 2

1:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Arachnophobia” – Freeform Premiere

3:30 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Beetlejuice”

5:35 p.

Grab your pumpkin spice lattes because Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween returns for a frightfully delightful lineup of Halloween favorites that will keep viewers entranced all month long.

Eerily epic Halloween films ranging from classics like Casper, Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Edward Scissorhands to modern fan favorites like 2023’s Haunted Mansion (broadcast debut), Cruella, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife will fill Freeform’s beloved lineup.

Dastardly double features include Hocus Pocus/Hocus Pocus 2 (broadcast debut), Monsters Inc./Monsters University, and The Incredibles/The Incredibles 2. Timeless favorites include the Freeform premieres of Arachnophobia, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and Muppets From Space.

Tim Burton fans, rejoice! The lineup features a marathon of Tim Burton’s ghoulishly grand films on Sunday, Oct. 13, including 2019’s live-action Dumbo, Frankenweenie, and Dark Shadows, among other classics. In need of a good binge session?...

It’s almost spooky season, which means that Freeform’s 31 Night of Halloween is quickly approaching.

The network released its schedule for October, full of nostalgic frights and more recent haunts. In fact, a few titles will be launching on linear TV for the first time, including the 2023 adaptation of Haunted Mansion, which will air on October 5.

Hocus Pocus 2 will also make its world television debut on October 6. Freeform will also host a marathon of the Disney+ series Goosebumps on October 25.

Don’t worry, all the usual favorites like Halloweentown, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, the original Hocus Pocus and more are on the schedule as well.

Cruella, the 1986 version of Little Shop of Horrors, Monsters, Inc. and Encanto are also in the mix.

Here’s the full schedule:

Tuesday, Oct. 1

1:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “Halloweentown”

3:00 p.m. Edt/Pdt – “The Haunted Mansion” (2003)

5:05 p.

Freeform’s “31 Nights of Halloween” is back for 2024, and this year has all the spooks you could ask for.

The programming event, which runs from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, will bring back classic Halloween movies like “Hocus Pocus” — for a grand total of 20 airings throughout the month — as well as “Casper,” “Beetlejuice,” “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Edward Scissorhands” and the 2003 version of “The Haunted Mansion.”

Speaking of “Haunted Mansion,” the 2023 remake starring Lakeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson and Tiffany Haddish will make its broadcast debut on Oct. 5, while “Hocus Pocus 2” also makes its broadcast debut the next day, Oct. 6.

Freeform viewers are also in for a Tim Burton marathon on Oct. 13, which will include 2019’s “Dumbo,” “Frankenweenie” and “Dark Shadows.” And while you’re in the mood to binge some spooky content, tune in for the entirety of Disney+ “Goosebumps” as it airs its first season on Oct.

Emmy voters are now halfway through final balloting for this year’s awards, making decisions about which drama and comedy series, limited series, talk series, variety series and specials, structured and unstructured reality programs, reality competition shows, animated programs, documentary and nonfiction programs and game shows they like best.

And, oh yeah, they’re also picking their favorite TV movies, although they probably won’t have to think too long or too hard about what seems to have become the Emmys’ least consequential category.

It wasn’t always like that. The Outstanding TV Movie category has produced some notable television, including “Death of a Salesman” with Lee J. Cobb, the ultimate tearjerker “Brian’s Song,” the shocking “Special Bulletin”and 21st century standouts “The Gathering Storm,” “Recount,” “Grey Gardens,” “Behind the Candelabra” and even last year’s winner, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”

Over the years, the category has often been...

Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow, Violent Night) is headed into the open waters for a shark attack horror movie that’s been newly titled Beneath the Storm, and we’ve learned that it’s swimming our way next year.

Columbia Pictures will release Beneath the Storm in theaters August 1, 2025.

Phoebe Dynevor (Fair Play), Whitney Peak (Hocus Pocus 2) and Djimon Hounsou (A Quiet Place: Part II) star in Beneath the Storm, produced by Adam McKay and Kevin Messick.

Plot details, at this time, are still under wraps. Stay tuned for more.

Wirkola’s project is one of many new shark attack movies in the works, with Lizzy Greene starring in High Tide and Sean Byrne directing Dangerous Animals, to name just a couple.

The prospect of a shark attack movie directed by Tommy Wirkola is particularly exciting, however, as Wirkola’s movies are always wildly entertaining and extremely bloody.

“Violent Night” director Tommy Wirkola’s next project is shaping up. His shark thriller has now been titled “Beneath the Storm” and is set to be released theatrically Aug. 1, 2025, via Columbia Pictures.

The film, written by Wirkola, stars Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak and Djimon Hounsou and is produced by Adam McKay and Kevin Messick. Plot details remain under wraps.

Wirkola’s previous directorial credits include “Dead Snow,” “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” and “What Happened to Monday.”

Dynevor, best known for her star turn as Daphne Bridgerton in Netflix’s hit series “Bridgerton,” has also appeared in films such as “The Colour Room,” “Bank of Dave” and “Fair Play.” She received a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination in 2024. Up next, she will be seen in Neil Burger’s Miramax spy thriller “Inheritance” and the Diane Lane-led drama “Anniversary.”

Peak led Max’s reboot of “Gossip Girl” for two seasons, and...

The amount of lead female roles in the 100 top-grossing films plunged to 30% in 2023, according to the latest findings by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.

The study’s authors said the level fell 14% against 2022 levels. It noted that little progress has been made in terms of speaking characters for girls or women, where levels reached 32% compared to 30% in 2007 when the study began.

Since then the authors have covered 1,700 of the biggest box office earners and evaluated 75,328 speaking characters to explore representation by gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ identity, and characters with disabilities.

According to Monday’s report, titled...

Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow, Violent Night) is headed into the open waters for an untitled shark attack horror movie, and Deadline reports this afternoon that Djimon Hounsou (A Quiet Place: Part II) has signed on.

Phoebe Dynevor (Fair Play) and Whitney Peak (Hocus Pocus 2) also star.

Adam McKay and Kevin Messick will produce the untitled movie for Sony, with Variety recently noting that production is expected to take place this coming summer in Australia.

“Plot details are being kept under wraps,” the site also reported back in May.

Wirkola’s project is one of many new shark attack movies in the works, with Lizzy Greene starring in High Tide and Sean Byrne directing Dangerous Animals, to name just a couple.

The prospect of a shark attack movie directed by Tommy Wirkola is particularly exciting, however, as Wirkola’s movies are always wildly entertaining and extremely bloody.

Bleecker Street’s new comedy “The Fabulous Four” finds Bette Midler doing what she does best: broad comedy with a touch of poignancy peeking out from just beneath the surface.

It’s a quality that characterizes many of Midler’s most memorable performances in films like “The First Wives Club,” “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” and “That Old Feeling,” and according to Midler, it’s been part of her approach since the beginning.

“When I worked live, starting from the time I was 19, I was very much aware of the melancholy underneath certain kinds of scenes,” Midler told IndieWire in a recent interview. “There’s a musical term for it: contrapuntal. ‘Miss M’ is loud and boisterous on the outside, but there’s an undercurrent of despair because it’s very hard to be a human being.”

In “The Fabulous Four,” Midler plays a widow who surprises her friends...

Sistaaaas! When Hocus Pocus 2 hit Disney+ in September 2022, its record-breaking viewership all but guaranteed a third entry in the family-friendly series. While it took nearly two decades for that sequel to be conjured up, those at Disney might want to get their brooms in line for Hocus Pocus 3 because the cast isn’t exactly getting younger – those are Bette Midler’s words, not mine!

Bette Midler – who plays eldest Sanderson sister Winifred – is urging the studio to take action on Hocus Pocus 3 due to age (Midler is 78). “I think if they’re gonna, they oughta, because time is not just marching, time is barrel-assing to the finish line. Get us while we’re still breathing, I mean, God!” As for if she knows anything about what a third Hocus Pocus could center on, Middler added, “I haven’t seen the script, but I’ve heard rumblings.”

Considering...

Bette Midler is asking Disney to put the pedal to the metal when it comes to “Hocus Pocus 3.” While a third movie in the beloved Halloween franchise was officially announced in June 2022, Midler said on the QVC+ talk show “Busy This Week” (via Entertainment Weekly) that she has yet to see a script. That’s only an issue for the actor since she’s not getting any younger, nor are her longtime co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi.

“I haven’t seen the script, but I’ve heard rumblings,” Midler said about the third movie. “I think if they’re gonna, they oughta, because time is not just marching, time is barrel-assing to the finish line. Get us while we’re still breathing, I mean, God!”

Screenwriter Jen D’Angelo confirmed to Entertainment Weekly last year following the end of the WGA strike that “Hocus Pocus 3” was still in development.

Bette Midler is calling on Disney and urging them to get a script for Hocus Pocus 3.

The star of the Halloween film says she has not seen a script for the third installment, which has been in development following the success of the sequel last year on Disney+.

“I haven’t seen the script, but I’ve heard rumblings,” Midler said on the QVC+ talk show Busy This Week.

She continued, “I think if they’re gonna, they oughta because time is not just marching. Time is barrel-assing to the finish line. Get us while we’re still breathing, I mean, God!”

Hocus Pocus was first released in 1993 and directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert and a story by David Kirschner and Garris. The film follows a trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy on Halloween night.

Related:...

Today, ABC announced premiere dates for the network’s action-packed fall, featuring previously announced fan-favorite series, high-octane new dramas, and The Bachelor franchise’s newest iteration. This news comes on the heels of the network closing out the 2023-2024 season as No. 1 in entertainment among Adults 18-49 for the fifth consecutive season, marking the longest winning streak in over 10 years.

Monday Night Football returns for select weeks beginning September 9 (New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers). Then, on Monday, October 7, beloved game shows join the lineup with Pat Sajak’s final spin hosting Celebrity Wheel of Fortune leading into Elizabeth Banks-hosted Press Your Luck.

From Oscar-nominated writer Drew Goddard and starring Kaitlin Olson, freshman crime procedural High Potential joins ballroom sensation Dancing with the Stars on Tuesdays, kicking off on September 17.

The Golden Bachelorette debuts on Wednesday, September 18, with new leading lady Joan Vassos, and a new season of...

In a long-awaited move, Australia has increased its financial incentive to attract international productions to 30% from 16.5%.

The legislation to pass the newly-enhanced Location Offset has taken so long to pass through partliament that it has been backdated to allow projects that began principal photography on or before July 1, 2023 to be eligible.

Productions must have budgets of at least A$20m (US$13.3m) for features or A$1.5m (US$1m) per hour for a TV series.

Productions must also satisfy a minimum training expenditure test or establish or upgrade permanent Australian film infrastructure or invest in a qualifying training programme; use...

The Australian screen industry is celebrating after the country’s Location Offset scheme was raised to 30%.

The legislation, which was announced in May, was made law today and officially came into effect on July 1. It raises the rebate for TV and film productions shooting in the country from the previous 16.5% to 30% and will likely trigger more overseas investment.

Kate Marks, CEO of production body Ausfilm, hailed the change, saying: “This is fantastic news for the industry. The 30% Location Offset will provide certainty for international productions, supporting a stable pipeline of work for thousands of Australian screen workers and businesses, and triggering investment into new industry capacity and capabilities.”

Australian TV and film bodies have been advocating for the rebate improvement for years, work that has become all the more vital as Australia attracts more and more international shoots thanks to generous regional rebate systems in states such as Victoria and New South Wales.

The cult classic Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters from 1993, remains a timeless icon. Its success spawned a franchise, including a sequel novelization and a TV special.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ | Walt Disney Studios

And almost three decades later, Hocus Pocus finally received a movie sequel, titled Hocus Pocus 2 in 2022. Now, it appears that Hocus Pocus 3 is also on the horizon. Fans are thrilled about the potential sequel but insist that the magic should only happen if certain conditions are met.

Hocus Pocus 3 is Happening!

One Sanderson sister recently sparked excitement with an update on Hocus Pocus 3. Though not many details are available right now, talks are underway for a third installment of this beloved Halloween cult classic.

Suggested“I also understand how much frickin money it made”:...

“I have to tell you, it was a real surprise to all of us when [‘Hocus Pocus’] took off,” Bette Midler told Radio Andy hosts Jess Cagle and Julia Cunningham in an exclusive interview.

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Bette — who played Winifred Sanderson in the original Walt Disney Pictures 1993 movie based in Salem, Ma — explained that “Hocus Pocus” really exploded in popularity when it transitioned from the big screen to TV.

“It took off because of television,” she continued. “And we really didn’t catch up to it for years. It was years before we learned that this had become this massive cult success.”

Describing Winifred as “the least like me of any character I’ve ever played,” Bette said, “She has all the great things you love in a great villain. She’s vicious, she’s hilarious, she’s ridiculous looking, and...

Lionsgate’s franchise reboot The Strangers: Chapter 1 is headed to Digital July 16, and we’ve learned that the first film in the new trilogy will also be hitting 4K and Blu-ray next month.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 slashes into 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on July 23.

Special Features include:

Audio commentary by producer Courtney Solomon and actress Madelaine Petsch Reimagining a Classic: Making The Strangers: Chapter 1 A Hostile Environment: The Visual Design of The Strangers: Chapter 1 Theatrical trailer

Lionsgate’s plan is to release The Strangers: Chapter 2 later this year and The Strangers: Chapter 3 likely early next year, with both sequels to Chapter 1 already filmed by Harlin.

In The Strangers: Chapter 1, “After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive.

Whitney Peak, one of the leads of the recent Gossip Girl reboot, has signed on to star opposite Phoebe Dynevor in Sony Pictures’ untitled shark thriller.

Tommy Wirkola, who last helmed the David Harbour-starring Christmas action movie Violent Night, is helming the feature that will begin shooting in Melbourne in July.

Plot details are being kept in the cage but it is said to revolve around a community that has to deal with shark attacks during a hurricane.

Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, who count Don’t Look Up and The Big Short, amongst their output, are producing the project via their HyperObject Industries.

On the Gossip Girl reboots, the Ugandan-born, Canadian-raised Peak played Zoya Lott, the newcomer to the machinations of the chi-chi Manhattan school at where a lot of the stories were set. She also starred opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi in Hocus Pocus 2,...

Lionsgate’s franchise reboot The Strangers: Chapter 1 is now available on Digital for a $19.99 rental or a $24.99 purchase, but when can we expect The Strangers: Chapter 2?

Lionsgate’s plan is to release The Strangers: Chapter 2 later this year and The Strangers: Chapter 3 likely early next year, with both sequels to Chapter 1 filmed at the very same time by director Renny Harlin.

The first image from the upcoming sequel has arrived this week, giving us an idea of what’s next for Chapter 1 star Madelaine Petsch. Her character’s story continues in the upcoming The Strangers: Chapter 2 – forgive me for not remembering the character’s name… blame the movie – which will again find her fighting for her life against a trio of masked maniacs.

Stay tuned for release dates as we learn more.

In The Strangers: Chapter 1, “After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are...

After scaring up $34.7 million at the worldwide box office, we’ve learned that Lionsgate’s franchise reboot The Strangers: Chapter 1 is already coming home to Digital this week.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 slashes its way onto Digital on Friday, June 7!

The film, the first in a reboot trilogy from director Renny Harlin, is currently still playing in theaters. You’ll be able to purchase the movie on Digital this Friday for $24.99.

Lionsgate’s plan is to release The Strangers: Chapter 2 later this year and The Strangers: Chapter 3 likely early next year, with both sequels to Chapter 1 already filmed by Harlin.

We may even get a massive 4.5 hour Director’s Cut of all three films!

Stay tuned for release dates as we learn more.

In The Strangers: Chapter 1, “After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin.

The bar wasn’t very high to clear, but Lionsgate’s The Strangers: Chapter 1 did manage to break a box office record here in 2024, achieving the highest opening weekend at the domestic box office out of any horror movie released this year… so far. This despite largely negative reviews, once again proving that the horror genre is as review-proof as it comes.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 debuted with $11.83M at the domestic box office in 2,856 locations, just barely topping Blumhouse’s Night Swim to rip the crown off the top of its head.

Here’s the full lineup of domestic opening weekends for horror this year…

The Strangers: Chapter 1 – $11.8 million Night Swim – $11.7 million Abigail – $10.2 million Imaginary – $9.9 million The First Omen – $8.3 million Tarot – $6.5 million Immaculate – $5.3 million Lisa Frankenstein – $3.6 million

For further context and comparison, 2018’s The Strangers: Prey at Night opened to $10.4 million before making $31 million worldwide, a number Chapter 1 may eventually reach.

Exclusive: Whitney Peak has been cast in Aisling Walsh’s Ethel, alongside the previously announced cast of Shira Haas and Sarah Paulson. Bankside Films first launched the title, which is currently in pre-production, earlier this year and has completed a number of international pre-sales in Cannes.

The project, which is a true story based on a screenplay by Celeste Parr, has sold to Benelux (Imagine), Canada (Sphere Films), Eastern Europe (HBO), Middle East (Front Row) and Spain (Divisa Red).

The film is based on the untold true story of Ethel Stark and her Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra, who together demolished class and racial barriers and shattered the glass ceiling for women in orchestra music under an international spotlight.

Haas, who is currently making her London West End stage debut with Opening Night, will play the title role of Ethel.

We’re now just days away from the theatrical release of The Strangers: Chapter 1, the first film in a brand new reboot trilogy from director Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Master, Deep Blue Sea). It’s coming to theaters May 17, 2024.

While you wait, check out two brand new images from The Strangers: Chapter 1, which Lionsgate has exclusively shared with Bloody Disgusting to whet your appetite this week.

The first image sets a creepy mood with the Man in the Mask lurking in the woods, trusty axe in hand, while the second sees Madelaine Petsch’s Maya tied to a chair while the Man in the Mask and Dollface look on. We can be pretty sure Pinup Girl isn’t far behind…

Tickets for The Strangers: Chapter 1 are now available. Grab them here.

Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale”), Froy Gutierrez (Hocus Pocus 2), Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child...