Vol. 32
No. 46
Pick Hits
At The Movies
Wicked: For Good
After challenging the Wizard's totalitarian regime in Oz, Elphaba must grapple
with her identity as the Wicked Witch of the West. Meanwhile, the Wizard has
given Glinda the title Glinda the Good and a public status as the nation's
defender against Elphaba. The two witches must make decisions that seal their
fates in this second musical installment. Performances by the entire cast exceed
expectations, especially those of Ariana Grande and Cynthia
Erivo. There could not have been a better interpretation of the musical
than this duology.
Stream This
Playdate (Prime Video)
When out of work accountant Brian joins stay at home dad
Jeff for a playdate with their sons, he expects a laid
back afternoon. Instead, they're chased by mercenaries,
and Brian, totally unprepared, must survive one absurd
obstacle after another. It's the perfect mix of action
and humor. Alan Ritchson might become your
new favorite actor, as he and Kevin James
had amazing chemistry that made this movie totally fun
to watch. Love the end credits too! This is one of those
fun and hilarious types of movies that I really hope
they come out with a sequel.
Stream This Too
The Beast In Me (Netflix)
Author Aggie Wiggs has receded from public life since
the death of her young son, unable to write, a ghost of
her former self; but she finds an unlikely subject for a
new book when the house next door is bought by Nile
Jarvis. A cut above the usual murder mystery, The Beast
in Me stages a psychological duel that crackles with
tension thanks to Claire Danes and
Matthew Rhys' superb performances.
The Buzz...
Stranger Things star Sadie Sink
and A Quiet Place‘s Noah Jupe
are set to make their West End stage debuts in a
production of Romeo & Juliet. From Mar. 16
to Jun. 6 next year, the pair will perform the Robert
Icke directed production at the Harold Pinter
Theatre in London.
The 2025 Country Music Awards are
sure to be a can’t miss event! One year after making her
hosting debut alongside Luke Bryan and
Peyton Manning, Lainey Wilson
will hit the 59th Annual CMA Awards as both the show’s
host and as a musical performer. “I grew up watching the
CMA Awards like it was the Super Bowl, so
to be hosting for a second year is a true honor,” the
singer shared in a September press release statement.
“I’m humbled that CMA has trusted me with this role, and
I can’t wait to love on this genre that has given me so
much.”
Kevin Costner is considering playing
former United States President Bill Clinton
in United, a TV series in early development that will be
produced in collaboration with the United Nations.
Costner is already on board to executive produce the
project alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
Christian Bale is being eyed for a role in
Michael Mann’s Heat 2, the
long awaited sequel to the filmmaker’s 1995 crime drama
starring Al Pacino and Robert De
Niro, according to a source with knowledge of the
production.
Sony Pictures Classics will release
the subtitled version of Mamoru Hosoda’s
anime adventure Scarlet exclusively on Imax
on February 6, 2026, prior to expanding across North
America one week later with subtitled and dubbed
versions.
A religious school in England is currently making
headlines for banning its students from singing the
original songs from Netflix’s animated
blockbuster KPop Demon Hunters. As reported by
the BBC, the school had concerns over certain
song lyrics not being in line with its “Christian
ethos.”
Batman and Deadpool may not have
met on the big screen (yet), but this year, DC
and Marvel Comics collaborated to bring
the Dark Knight and Merc with a Mouth together in two
crossover issues. What excited comic fans wasn't just
these two characters meeting. It was also that Grant
Morrison was writing DC's half of the crossover,
Batman/Deadpool #1.
Peacock has renewed Twisted Metal
for a third season, with David Reed taking
over as showrunner and executive producer following
Michael Jonathan Smith’s exit. Smith
was with the show for its first two seasons and has now
“concluded his involvement as showrunner and executive
producer,” according to the streamer.
CBS will give a sizable portion of its February
schedule over to the 50th season of Survivor. The
milestone season is a centerpiece of the network’s
midseason slate, which also includes the Yellowstone
spinoff Y: Marshals, FBI offshoot CIA
and a pair of unscripted shows in Harlan Coben’s
Final Twist and America’s
Culinary Cup.