As Stranger Things comes to its explosive conclusion, Noah Schnapp is ready for fans to bring Will Byers' personal journey home. With the first part of Season 5 seeing Will explore not only his dormant psychic powers, but his sexual orientation, the actor teased that the Duffer Brothers “close it really well” with the character's apparent unrequited love for his best friend Mike (Finn Wolfhard). “Look, it's like a real, authentic representation of a queer kid in the '80s,” explained Schnapp on Watch What Happens Live. “I've dealt with that myself, being in love with my best friend, and maybe they don't love you back, or maybe they feel differently. Following Season 4, which teased Will's sexual orientation and his affection for Mike, Schnapp's protagonist confides in Robin (Maya Hawke) after finding out she is also LGBTQ. With the Season 5 halfway point revealing Will's telekinetic powers, Schnapp and co-creator Matt Duffer previously explained to Deadline that the supernatural abilities are a metaphor for the character embracing his identity. Duffer explained, “This was about Will's journey in terms of finding out really who he was, and coming to terms with that. So we liked the idea of tying that into some of the more supernatural elements, that in order to become his most powerful self, he had to also really come to terms with who he is.” With the first four episodes of Stranger Things, Season 5 now available to stream on Netflix, the next three roll out on Christmas, with the two-hour finale dropping on New Year's Eve. Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks Send us a tip using our annonymous form. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

The “It Ends With Us” legal war continues. Blake Lively's attorneys are now blasting Justin Baldoni's attorneys over their “probative” questions regarding the actress' sex life and alleged “disruptive” deposition behavior. The “Gossip Girl” alum, 38, and her team submitted a letter from September as evidence in their latest Dec. 19 filing which has been obtained by Page Six. In the letter, they claim the September note highlights Baldoni's team's “inappropriate and unprofessional behavior” as they complained about Baldoni's lawyers asking unnecessary questions regarding Lively's sex life. Lively's sexual and/or romantic history has no bearing on the matters at issue in this case and we will not tolerate such examination, which will be the subject of a protective order and sanctions motion if it happens again,” Lively's attorneys wrote. In addition, Lively's legal team also complained that Baldoni's lawyers showed a “lack of basic decorum” due to their “insulting comments, audible cross-talk and laughter during examination.” By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. “Throughout discovery, multiple defense counsel insisted on making speaking objections, often in depositions they were not defending, and consuming time on the record to demean and orate,” Lively's attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, writes. They are also asking that Lively be awarded “half of its reasonable expenses and attorney fees incurred in connection with the deposition and this motion.” Baldoni, 41, responded with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. A May 18, 2026, trial date has been set for their case. The two parties have a court-mandatory settlement conference scheduled for Feb. 11, per People.

The “It Ends With Us” legal war continues. Blake Lively's attorneys are now blasting Justin Baldoni's attorneys over their “probative” questions regarding the actress' sex life and alleged “disruptive” deposition behavior. The “Gossip Girl” alum, 38, and her team submitted a letter from September as evidence in their latest Dec. 19 filing which has been obtained by Page Six. In the letter, they claim the September note highlights Baldoni's team's “inappropriate and unprofessional behavior” as they complained about Baldoni's lawyers asking unnecessary questions regarding Lively's sex life. Lively's sexual and/or romantic history has no bearing on the matters at issue in this case and we will not tolerate such examination, which will be the subject of a protective order and sanctions motion if it happens again,” Lively's attorneys wrote. In addition, Lively's legal team also complained that Baldoni's lawyers showed a “lack of basic decorum” due to their “insulting comments, audible cross-talk and laughter during examination.” By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. “Throughout discovery, multiple defense counsel insisted on making speaking objections, often in depositions they were not defending, and consuming time on the record to demean and orate,” Lively's attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, writes. They are also asking that Lively be awarded “half of its reasonable expenses and attorney fees incurred in connection with the deposition and this motion.” Baldoni, 41, responded with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. A May 18, 2026, trial date has been set for their case. The two parties have a court-mandatory settlement conference scheduled for Feb. 11, per People.

EXCLUSIVE: German actor Lars Eidinger will be Brainiac in James Gunn's Superman and Lex Luther movie Man of Tomorrow, we hear. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, and made his debut in Action Comics #242. Brainiac is a really smart android who comes from the planet of Colu. What we know about Man of Tomorrow is that David Corenswet's Man of Steel and Nicholas Hoult's Luther have to team up against a new threat in the galaxy. Wouldn't be a surprise if it's Brainiac who can shrink cities and destroy planets. 'The Light' Review: Tom Tykwer Tests Germany's White Liberal Guilt With A Bohemian Musical Fantasy - Berlin Film Festival 'Babylon Berlin' Star Lars Eidinger Leading Futuristic Romance Movie 'Behind The Knothole' The UTA repped, European award nominated Eidinger has starred in such movies as Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper, in the Netflix Noah Baumbach directed movies Jay Kelly and White Noise, among several others. Eidinger was nominated last year for European Actor at the European Film Awards for the Matthias Glasner directed movie Dying. Gunn wrote on Instagram, “In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. Not sure how much “care” there is for the DCU, James. Better than just getting a “star” that will phone it in and take up too much budget. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Sign up for our breaking news alerts We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.

On Saturday morning, he penned a note on social media, reminiscing about what he learned and expressing his gratitude for the experience. Yang spent seven seasons on the sketch comedy series. i was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile,” he wrote.He reminisced about the lessons he will take with him going forward. “i'm grateful for every minute of my time there. i learned that human error can be nothing but correct. i learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn't, which is the besssst.” Yang kicked off his time at SNL first as a writer in 2018 for Season 44, before becoming a featured player in Season 45. thank you celeste, sudi, will, alison, julio, fran, drez, bulla, marty, john, ben, jimmy, ceara, deetch, jake, asha, jack, auguste, tucker, kent, streeter, james, alex, jasmine, gary, and billy for writing with me. thank you to every cast member for making me laugh and cry,” he continued. thank you to ari for sending me off in the dreamiest way i could imagine.” Yang's final SNL show as a castmate concludes with Ariana Grande, his Wicked co-star, as host and Cher is the musical guest. It's a full-circle moment as Yang played Glinda's (Grande) assistant Pfannee in the Wicked films.He concluded with a thank you to show creator Lorne Michaels. and for bringing everyone at work together,” he wrote. Rob Reiner's Son Nick Diagnosed With Schizophrenia Before Allegedly Murdering Parents AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist — And They're Being Cited in Real Journals Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. Yang's SNL departure comes a couple of weeks after it was reported that he's set to work on a new endeavor with his Las Culturistas co-host Matt Rogers; the duo will co-write and co-star in a new comedy film for Searchlight, according to Deadline. He is also voicing a character opposite Bill Hader in a new version of The Cat in the Hat. Season 51 of SNL came with numerous high-profile exits prior to its premiere, after Michaels said he planned to “shake things up.” Ego Nwodim, John Higgins, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Rosebud Baker and Emil Wakim were among the cast to leave the show before the latest season. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation.

Jillian Lauren is finally ready to speak out — and she's “calling from hell.” The best-selling author and soon-to-be ex-wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner is joking, she says during a phone interview with Rolling Stone, but her life has been in a freefall for months – ever since a swarm of police descended on her Los Angeles neighborhood last April, leading to a bizarre standoff in her backyard. Police claimed she fired at officers who were shouting at her over a fence during a chaotic manhunt for fleeing hit-and-run suspects. While she's now enrolled in a two-year mental health diversion program that is expected to lead to full dismissal of her charges, technically, her case is still pending. The comments were as close as Lauren would come to explaining her side of what happened that day, yet she was more forthcoming about what happened in the aftermath of the gunfire. “My world fell to pieces around me in a heartbeat,” she says. “It's like, you spend your whole life just getting an entire deck of cards in order. Lauren recalled being arrested and taken to jail, with newspaper headlines saying she was booked on suspicion of attempted murder. “It gave me a chance to get out of my head for those hours in the jail cell and imagine who else had been there,” she says. The Los Angeles Police Department released body-worn camera and home-surveillance video in a presentation posted on YouTube. According to the police footage, as soon as an officer warned, “Oh, she racked it,” officers opened fire, unloading a barrage of ear-splitting shots. After Lauren pleaded not guilty, a judge found her eligible for the mental health diversion program, which requires counseling and random drug and alcohol testing. “When the [mental health diversion] headlines came out, my joke was, ‘I'm not just a gun-toting criminal, now I'm a crazy one,'” she says with another slight laugh. I'm a victim of sex trafficking and domestic violence. … When the headlines said ‘Mental Health Diversion,' what I really thought was, ‘OK, good. People are so scared to talk about this. Lauren, the mother of two adopted sons, ages 13 and 17, is already a New York Times bestselling author. Her memoir, Everything You Ever Wanted, chronicled her experience with adoption, and Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, recounted her 18 months as a paid member of a prince's harem in Brunei. Her latest book, Behold the Monster: Facing America's Most Prolific Serial Killer, focused on her interviews with convicted serial killer Samuel Little. Weezer Bassist's Wife Files for Divorce Months After Allegedly Shooting at L.A. Police Wife of Weezer Bassist Gets Two-Year Mental Health Diversion in Police Shooting Case Lil Wayne Fleetingly Reminds Us Why He's One of the Best On Dec. 2, Lauren filed for divorce from Shriner after 20 years of marriage. She says they had been growing apart for years, and then the incident with the police pushed everything to a “crisis” point. “I had to go back and work on trauma from a long time ago in order to try and understand myself now, my actions,” she says. Divorce is painful, I don't care who you are.” She and Shriner remain proud of the life they built together and the loving family they created, she says. Over time, she struggled to “carve out a space” for herself. Then her book about Little became a massive project, and their interests diverged. Scott Shriner declined to comment when reached by Rolling Stone on Friday. Rob Reiner's Son Nick Diagnosed With Schizophrenia Before Allegedly Murdering Parents AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist — And They're Being Cited in Real Journals Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. We'll forever be a family, united in love, laughter, and music.” During the conversation on Friday, Jillian said she's now looking toward the future and leaning on her family and friends. “My tree was shaken, but it is still standing.” Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation.

That's the thing about “black hole” games—games like Valorant, Fortnite, Overwatch, and any other that's designed to eat up as much of your free time as possible, through the use of tactics like absurdly long playthrough times and live service models. I've been hard-stuck Silver in Valorant for literal years; any one competitive match is merely a drop in a bucket, and won't make or break my (nonexistent) rank progression. So I find myself getting up for a snack between rounds more often, no longer caring if I get back in time to grab a Vandal before the buy phase ends. And in a game where every competitive match lasts upwards of an hour, who cares if I'm only half paying attention three matches in? I've been in games where all four of my teammates stood catatonic in spawn until the last possible second before the game started. My friends admit to tabbing out and watching YouTube videos or scrolling through Twitter between rounds. “Lock in” less often means “give it your all” than it does “get off your phone and pay attention to the game.” It's becoming a common problem across all popular multiplayer games. “In [the first] Overwatch there was a lot of non-verbal communication through movement and emotes and voice lines in the spawn,” one player tells me. Ball appoints the decline to multiple causes, including (but not limited to) the slowing of decade-old growth drivers such as live service models, mobile gaming, and user-generated content platforms; the failure of would-be new growth engines like cloud gaming, AR/VR, and Web3; evolving user behaviors and monetization models; and the rise of social video consumption. It's tempting to call short-form videos a scourge on this earth—and probably not inaccurate. Excessive consumption of short-form content is directly linked to decreased attention spans, increased distractibility, and desensitization. When every single diversion is designed to take up all of your time, it's impossible to feel like you aren't constantly missing out. The sheer amount of content out there has piled up so inconceivably high that it can feel like the only way to make a meaningful dent in it is by cutting corners—by watching TikTok while also playing Overwatch. Valorant is no longer entertaining enough to keep me or my squad mates from the siren call of tabbing out; my dopamine-starved brain just can't stomach the thought of waiting, like, three whole minutes to get a kill without snacking on a Bluesky post first. Not to act like distracted gaming is some sort of dire epidemic that threatens to undermine all society, or anything, but it's a symptom of a larger problem: our increasing inability to pay attention. And it's arguably as much the fault of live-service models as it is short-form videos that this phenomenon exists in the first place; there's only so much you can do to keep a game about doing the same exact thing forever and ever and ever fresh before it inevitably loses its luster. However you want to apportion the blame, it's a small tragedy that we can't keep up with our friends through social media or watch legitimately good videos online without having the most evil media ever designed—AI slop, blatant hate, wealth porn—constantly shoveled down our throats, and that this incredibly manipulative relationship with short-form content is eroding our ability to be a little bit bored for trivial amounts of time. I'll keep playing Valorant because it's a convenient way to spend time with my friends, even if they aren't paying full attention. I'll keep watching YouTube because there's a lot of good stuff on there beneath the metric tons of nonsense, and until there's a way for me to block Shorts on my iPhone, I'm sure I'll keep getting sucked into them, too.

There has been a lot of attention on Rob Reiner and Michele Singer's middle child, son Nick Reiner, after their sudden and tragic deaths on Sunday, December 14. Nick has previously spoken about his struggles with addiction, which even led to brief stints of homelessness. In 2016, he was sober and talking about his collaboration with his father on the film “Being Charlie.” The movie gives an insight into addiction, and although it was not an accurate portrayal of Nick's life, it was something he penned because of his experiences. Someone who worked with Nick around the time of “Being Charlie” is producer Douglas Shaffer, who described him as being a “gentle guy” in an interview with People. He shared why he thought Rob and Michele would want eventual forgiveness for their son over this “absolute Hollywood tragedy.” “I think they would probably want people to feel empathy towards Nick's struggles. Shaffer also discussed who Rob was as a father, calling him “proud” and a “loving father, along with Michele — she was a loving mother… Nick had a good support system, as far as I knew.” Although Nick had people around him who loved him, Shaffer says that Rob “struggled to understand” Nick's addiction issues. [Rob] took more of a loving approach.” Shaffer revealed that Nick's parents wanted the best for him, and they wanted him to be happy. He just wanted him to be safe and happy. He is the middle child and has an older brother, Jake Reiner, and a younger sister, Romy Reiner. They are also half-siblings to Tracy Reiner, Rob's daughter from his previous marriage. “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” they told People. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Go here and check the boxnext to EntertainmentNow

"They were incredibly passionate, all-in parents doing their best," Zabel said. Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Zabel described Nick's childhood behavior as complex and difficult to manage, characterizing it as “a perfect storm” that resisted simple solutions. 'Saturday Night Live': How to Watch the Christmas Show with Ariana Grande & Cher Online for Free Rosalía's 2026 'Lux' Tour Sold Out Fast - Here's Where You Can Still Find Affordable Tickets According to Zabel, Rob and Michele Reiner sought additional support rather than disengaging. After years of group lessons, the couple asked her to begin working with Nick privately in an effort to help him regulate his emotions and energy. Zabel noted that while there were moments of progress during those one-on-one sessions, the broader challenges persisted. “Nick's issues as a child were beyond any of us,” she said, adding that the family consistently explored different approaches to help him. She described Rob and Michele as deeply involved parents throughout that time. “They were incredibly passionate, all-in parents doing their best,” Zabel said, singling out Michele as a particularly devoted presence. He has not entered a plea, and the case remains ongoing. “Some things are simply beyond what any parent can control.” A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter On Friday night, Bower surprised audiences at a performance of Stranger Things: The First Shadow. As it unfolded, Bower turned around and revealed himself as an adult version of Henry, receiving rounds of applause and cheers from the shocked audience. 'Squid Game's' Dominance, 'Bluey's' Streak and More Hidden TV Ratings Numbers of 2025 Louis McCartney, who stars as Henry throughout the Broadway run, was nominated for a 2025 Tony award for best actor in a play. “To have him here tonight to share this moment with you all — with all of us on stage — and to invite you into this moment at the Marquis stage, man, it is such an honor,” he said. Stranger Things season five is releasing in three parts, with Volume 1 already streaming on Netflix as of Thanksgiving. An emotional Jamie Campbell Bower takes a bow after making a surprise appearance to reprise his role as Henry Creel/Vecna in ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow' on Broadway tonight pic.twitter.com/Q73eThGing Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

Olivia Dean shows no signs of loosening her hold on Australia's charts. Her second album, The Art of Loving, remains at No. Dean becomes the ninth female artist to land a No. 1 album in 2025, joining a list that includes Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Tate McRae, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Lorde and Taylor Swift — a run that's shaped much of the year's chart narrative. Timothée Chalamet Debunks the Rumors by Joining EsDeeKid for '4 Raws' Remix: Watch Ed Sheeran Knows It's a Little 'Weird' He's Totally Ripped Now After Losing 30 Pounds for His Family A$AP Rocky Finally Announces 'Don't Be Dumb' Album Release Date: 'Masterpiece' Her single “Man I Need” clocks a fifth straight week at No. The year's singles race has largely been driven by women, from Rosé's extended reign with “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars to the surprise dominance of “Golden” by fictional K-pop group HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters. The 50th anniversary edition of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here opens at No. First released in 1975, the album originally spent four weeks at No. 1 and remains one of the band's most celebrated works. Boy & Bear return to the Top 20 with their sixth studio album Tripping Over Time, debuting at No. Melbourne singer-songwriter Benjamin Stewart also enters the tally, with his second solo album Junkdrawers bowing at No. As December settles in, festive favorites once again take control of the singles charts. Mariah Carey's holiday mainstay “All I Want for Christmas Is You” leads the On Replay Singles Chart, fronting a Christmas-heavy top six that includes Wham!, Brenda Lee, Bobby Helms, Ariana Grande and Kelly Clarkson. A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry

We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. But despite an astronomical budget, James Cameron's alien epic isn't a blank-check fantasy where anything goes. “Avatar: Fire and Ash” production designer Ben Procter says the opposite is true and the secret to Pandora's staying power lies in its restraint. That research-centric mentality defines how Cameron's core team evolves and expands their creative toolkit. Pandora isn't treated like an endlessly fruitful dreamscape, easily shifting to accommodate crowd-pleasing spectacle. Instead, it's designed like a living, breathing ecosystem — one that's governed not only by biological logic but also the constraints of limited resources. “We don't have an unlimited palette in which to just play around. The production designers say that coherence is what allows audiences to suspend their disbelief and enter Pandora as real. Whether that grounding effect ultimately comes from Cameron's boundary-pushing use of real technology, or the theoretical biology his creative team has imbued on their shared creative landscape, the goal is plausibility. When viewers believe fantastical something exists, that encourages emotional investment in the performances. That's why environmental destruction in “Avatar” feels like a tangible loss, too. As Cameron's universe continues to grow beyond “Fire and Ash,” Procter and fellow production designer Dylan Cole won't rely on the auteur's imagination alone. They'll use it to truly trace his ideas and see how far they go, creating spectacle with real psychological weight from an alternate reality that in some sense does exist. For more from all of our craft roundtables, click here. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.