Steve Pond's Blog, page 76
July 25, 2025
‘Tron: Ares’ Brings New Nine Inch Nails Video and Light Cycle Chases to Comic Con
Jeff Bridges and Jared Leto came to San Diego Comic-Con to promote the upcoming “Tron: Ares,” the third film in the sci-fi franchise, and as part of the presentation they treated the Hall H crowd to two clips featuring the franchise’s light cycles — plus a new music video from composer Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails.
The footage shows Ares (Leto) and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) chasing Eve (Great Lee) in the film’s first light cycle chase that takes place in the real world. Eve manages to evade them and also manages to steal Athena’s light cycle in the process, much to her amazement.
DisneyIn another clip, they previewed the immersive world of the grid in another chase sequence involving Ares and Eve trying to escape the grid into the transfer portal.
The final promo clip is the new music video for the film from Nine Inch Nails.
“I am an official Tron superfan. If I wasn’t on the stage, I would be in the audience right now cheering like all these crazy people here,” Leto said at one point. “It was 1982, video games were exploding and films were a huge part of my life when I was a kid. This movie just grabbed hold of me. It grabbed my imagination, and it showed me what was possible in the world. Movies like this really gave me something to dream for and dream about.”
For Leto it was his first appearance in Hall H after nine women accused him of inappropriate conduct in an exposé published by Air Mail.
The third film in the “Tron” franchise, which began way back in 1982, arrives this October, with Jared Leto starring as a program named Ares who finds himself in the real world.
In addition to Leto as Ares, the cast also includes Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson and, of course, Bridges as Kevin Flynn, the creator of the computerized world of Tron.
Jodie Turner-Smith, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson and Hasan Minhaj participate in the Tron: Ares panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic Con on July 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)Following in the footsteps of electronic music pioneer Wendy Carlos and French duo Daft Punk (nee Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo), the music for “Tron: Ares” will be provided by composers and Nine Inch Nails principals Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Reznor and Ross have provided iconic scores for movies like “The Social Network,” “Soul,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and, most recently, Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.”
According to Disney’s official synopsis: “’Tron: Ares’ follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.”
“Tron: Ares” arrives in theaters Oct. 10.
The post ‘Tron: Ares’ Brings New Nine Inch Nails Video and Light Cycle Chases to Comic Con appeared first on TheWrap.
Larry Ellison to Hold 35.5% of Family’s Voting Rights in New Paramount, National Amusements After Skydance Merger Closes
Upon closing of Paramount Global and Skydance Media’s $8 billion merger, Oracle co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison will hold a minority voting interest of approximately 35.5% in the combined company.
When Skydance first submitted its broadcast license transfer application to the FCC in September, the initial filing stated that the Skydance investor consortium would hold 100% of the equity and voting interests in National Amusements Inc., the holding company for Paramount’s controlling stake.
Pinnacle Media, a group of three ventures formed “as special-purpose vehicles to hold the Ellison family’s interest in NAI and Paramount,” was set to control approximately 77.5% of such interests, while RedBird Capital Partners was expected to hold the remaining approximately 22.5%.
The move signaled that the elder Ellison was poised to have a large role in New Paramount. But that was later amended in October, with Skydance stating that David Ellison would control 100% of the family’s voting interest as its “sole manager.”
Now, according to the final order released by the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday, another amendment was made to Skydance’s application on July 16, which states that the younger Ellison will grant Sayonara LLC, which is controlled by the elder Ellison through a revocable trust, a voting interest equal to approximately 35.5%. Meanwhile, Pinnacle Media will grant the younger Ellison 64.5% of its respective voting interest in NAI.
In accordance with the voting percentages, David Ellison and Sayonara will have the right to designate the Ellison family directors of NAI and New Paramount. The amendment notes that Sayonara will not have any “veto rights, or any special or outsized voting rights,” in NAI or New Paramount as a result of the minority voting interest. It added that the changes were being undertaken for “the sake of efficiency and cost savings at New Paramount.”
Under the two-step deal, Skydance is set to acquire controlling shareholder Shari Redstone’s holding company National Amusements, which controls 77.4% of the Paramount Class A common stock outstanding and approximately 9.5% of the overall equity of the company, before merging with the Hollywood studio.
The deal provides $2.4 billion for Redstone, $4.5 billion to non-NAI Paramount shareholders and an additional $1.5 billion in new capital to help pay down debt and recapitalize the company’s balance sheet. Larry Ellison is providing $6 billion in financing for the deal, while the remainder will come from RedBird.
Skydance’s consortium of investors will control 70% of shares outstanding. The combined company will have an enterprise value of $28 billion, while Skydance is being valued at $4.75 billion.
David Ellison will serve as New Paramount’s CEO, while Jeff Shell will serve as president. Redstone will exit Paramount’s board of directors and Paramount co-CEO Chris McCarthy will exit the company following the deal’s closing. The company’s stock will also begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol PSKY.
Shares of Paramount closed down 1.58% at $13.05 apiece on Friday. The stock is up 13.8% in the past year and 23% year to date. As of the end of Friday’s trading session, Paramount has a market capitalization of $9.19 billion.
The post Larry Ellison to Hold 35.5% of Family’s Voting Rights in New Paramount, National Amusements After Skydance Merger Closes appeared first on TheWrap.
David Letterman Roasts CBS, David Ellison Over Colbert Cancellation: ‘Go Buy Dairy Queen or Something’ | Video
Former “Late Show” host David Letterman joined his former executive producer Barbara Gaines to give his full unfiltered thoughts on CBS’ cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s iteration of the “Late Show.”
“One day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed,” he said in a YouTube video published Friday. “This is gutless.”
Last week CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” claiming it was a purely financial decision. But the news came days after the host called Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump a “big fat bribe” to ensure the FCC approved the media giant’s upcoming merger with Skydance, prompting speculation the decision was politically motivated. Letterman happened to agree.
“If they were losing that kind of money — you’re telling me losing this kind of money happened yesterday?” the former late night host said. “I bet they were losing this money a month ago or six weeks ago. Or they have never been losing money. They did not do the correct thing. They did not handle Stephen Colbert, the face of that network, in the way he deserves.”
Watch the full video here:
Gaines noted that Colbert’s ratings are the top of his time slot, pacing out his competitors in viewership but not necessarily ad dollars. Co-host Mary Barclay asked why they would not ask the show to reign in the budget before canceling it completely. Letterman asserted that its less about the money and more about Colbert’s political candor being a liability for the network’s relationship with President Trump.
”The idea that they’re hiding behind money — they’ve given [Colbert] another 10 months, that’s another huge chunk of money they’re gonna lose, according to them,” Letterman said. “I don’t think it was money. I think it was all to make sure [Skydance head David Ellison, set to become CEO of Paramount] were solid spending dad’s money.”
“They don’t want any trouble along the lines of freedom of the press or free speech,” he added. “They don’t want to get their hands dirty. They don’t want the government going after them.”
The late night host joked that he “loved this for Colbert” and said he could hear them unfolding chairs for his TV Hall of Fame induction. As for the network, he expressed deep disappointment and upset in “the Oracle boys,” his pet name for Larry and the heir to his fortune David Ellison.
“This is pure cowardice,” he said. “Go buy Dairy Queen or something. Stay out of this business.”
The post David Letterman Roasts CBS, David Ellison Over Colbert Cancellation: ‘Go Buy Dairy Queen or Something’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
‘Predator: Badlands’ Previews First 15 Minutes at San Diego Comic-Con
“Predator: Badlands” arrived at Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday to preview footage from the upcoming sci-fi film from “Prey” director Dan Trachtenberg.
The panel started with a sizzle reel of previous “Predator” movies before a Predator (above) came out on the Hall H stage, scanned the room with it’s heatvision and spoke Yautja to the audience. It singled out host Kevin Smith who is celebrating his 30th Comic-Con.
15 minutes of the film was shown. The highlights include the hero predator of the movie, Dek, engaging in a fight with his brother Kwei. Their father arrives and orders Kwei to kill Dek because of his weakness. Kwei refuses, saying that Dek deserves his first hunt. The father disagrees and Dek is saved by his brother and put onto a ship that will take Dek to the planet to hunt the ultimate Apex Predator – the Kalisk.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 25: (L-R) Dan Trachtenberg, Elle Fanning, and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi speak onstage at 20th Century Fox’s “Predator: Badlands” Panel” during 2025 Comic-Con International: San Diego at San Diego Convention Center on July 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)Trachtenberg’s last “Predator” film titled “Prey,” was a straight-to-Hulu release in 2022 that received critical acclaim, and on the heels of its success, Disney decided to give the filmmaker another installment in the franchise for the big screen.
If “Prey” was a grounded prequel telling the story of one of the first times the alien hunter landed on earth, then “Predator: Badlands” buries the needle in the opposite direction, full of giant monsters, killer vines and an unlikely alliance between a young Predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) and Thia (Elle Fanning), who based on this trailer looks to be playing an android. (Could the “Alien” and “Predator” worlds be more formally merging in this installment?)
“Prey” was such a refreshing rejuvenation of the franchise that began with John McTiernan’s “Predator” back in 1987 and continued with Stephen Hopkins’ underrated “Predator 2” in 1990, Nimród Antal’s “Predators” in 2010 and Shane Black’s “The Predator” in 2018. There were also two “Alien vs. Predator” movies in 2004 and 2007, but the less said about those the better.
“Predator: Badlands” hits theaters on Nov. 7.
The post ‘Predator: Badlands’ Previews First 15 Minutes at San Diego Comic-Con appeared first on TheWrap.
‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 12 Teaser Pokes Fun at Cast Shake-Up: ‘Help Wanted’
In the wake of the cross-season drama dubbed Scandoval, “Vanderpump Rules” overhauled its cast of characters around SUR owner Lisa Vanderpump going into Season 12. Bravo released a brief teaser for the upcoming season on Friday, poking fun at what came before to hint at what’s coming next.
The 15-second clip shows Lisa Vanderpump putting up a “Help Wanted” sign on the door of her sexy, unique restaurant before looking at the camera and winking. A text card then states, “It’s time for a shift.”
“The faces may have changed, but my rules? They’ve stayed the same,” Vanderpump says in the clip. You can watch the teaser for yourself, below.
In November 2024, it was announced that Bravo’s hit reality show “Vanderpump Rules” was in for a total overhaul. Following two seasons of Scandoval, the show sought to build a new cast from the ground up around the former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star. The reboot will also include a retrospective special looking back at the first 11 seasons of the show.
“The last 12 years of filming have been an extraordinary run full of laughter, tears and everything in between,” Vanderpump said in a statement at the time. “I can’t thank enough those who have shared their lives. How I love you all. In the restaurant business, one shift always gives way to another. Cheers to the next generation of ‘Vanderpump Rules.’”
“VPR’s” big debacle began in the show’s 10th season. At the time, Tom Sandoval allegedly cheated on his longtime girlfriend (and co-star) Ariana Madix — with her then-best friend, Raquel Leviss. Leviss herself, meanwhile, is the ex-fiancée of James Kennedy, who, you guessed it, was yet another cast member.
New shift. Same rules. #PumpRules Season 12 shakes things up soon
— Bravo (@BravoTV) July 25, 2025pic.twitter.com/JjkdAZxKLn
You can see why they needed to reboot.
The Scandoval drama continued into the show’s 11th season, where Sandoval, Madix and Kennedy all returned. Leviss, on the other hand, did not. The scandal was big enough that it broke containment from the show itself, becoming a popular topic in tabloids and online circles. Since the news of the overhaul, Sandoval has been making appearances on other reality programs, such as “The Traitors” and “America’s Got Talent,” while Madix is now the host of “Love Island USA.”
A release date for “Vanderpump Rules” Season 12 has not been set.
The post ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 12 Teaser Pokes Fun at Cast Shake-Up: ‘Help Wanted’ appeared first on TheWrap.
The 8 Best New Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Summer might be blockbuster movie season, but just because “The Fantastic Four” and “Superman” are duking it out at the box office doesn’t mean Netflix stops delivering binge-worthy new shows, and July is no different.
From “The Hunting Wives,” the addictive new murder mystery soaring up the TV Top 10, to the 2010s throwback hacker thriller “Mr. Robot,” here’s a hand-picked list of the best new shows streaming on Netflix.
Margo (Malin Akerman) and Sophie (Brittany Snow) in “The Hunting Wives” (Credit: Lionsgate)“The Hunting Wives”In the mood for a twisty, sexy thriller? “The Hunting Wives” delivers. When progressive Bostonian Sophie O’Neill (Brittany Snow) lands in East Texas, she is taken aback by the rough-and-tough party crowd of the Maple Brook housewives. Her husband’s billionaire boss’ wife, Margo (Malin Akerman) shows her the ropes and pulls Sophie out of her comfort zone. But when a murder takes place in the town, everyone is put on notice. Jaime Ray Newman, Katie Lowes, Chrissy Metz, Evan Jonigkeit and George Ferrier fill out the cast of the raunchy thriller series. The 10-episode series highlights culture clashes in Texas as political corruption, adultery and murder run rampant through the affluent suburb. — Tess Patton
Eric Bana in “Untamed” (Netflix)“Untamed”Eric Bana solves a murder mystery in the wild expanse of Yosemite National Park in Netflix’s new dramatic thriller limited series, “Untamed.” Bana stars as an Investigative Services Branch agent of the National Parks Service tasked with unravelling the death of a young woman found on park property, while also ensuring he doesn’t dig so deep his own dark secrets come to light. The show kicks off with one of the most tense sequences in TV this year, and while the series doesn’t sustain that high, but it’s a satisfyingly grim mystery that’s not afraid to dig deep into the grief and the grit at the core of its overlapping whodunnits. — Haleigh Foutch
Jenna Coleman and Boyd Holbrook in “The Sandman” Season 2 (Netflix)“The Sandman” Season 2“The Sandman” delivers its final episodes across the month of July and Vol. 2 of the final season just dropped on the streamer. The second half of “The Sandman” Season 2 wraps up Dream’s story in beautiful fashion. Morous and struggling with what to do in the wake of killing his son, Orpheus, Volume 2 finds Dream ready to accept his fate while also saving his realm. This means shoring up his allies and finding a successor. The Kindly Ones are out for Morpheus’ head for spilling family blood, which means the clock is ticking as the series comes to its beautiful, somber, and somehow hopeful end. But it’s not totally over yet. The series will bow out with a bonus episode that debuts on July 31. — Jacob Bryant
“Mr. Robot” (USA Network)“Mr. Robot”A wildfire USA Network hit that seemingly came out of nowhere when it first debuted back in 2015, Sam Esmail’s “Mr. Robot” became a mainstay for the network, earning Emmys, Golden Globes and a Peabody along the way. The psychological technothriller stars Rami Malek as a brilliant, paranoid hacker who gets tangled up with an anarchist hacktivist collective targeting corporate overlords, led by the mysterious “Mr. Robot” (Christian Slater). It’s bold, dark, gripping television, confidently plotted and executed by Esmail, who directed 38 of the series’ 45 episodes — all of which are now streaming on Netflix! — HF
“Too Much” (Netflix)“Too Much”Lena Dunham has always had a singular approach to making television, and her return to the limelight with the Netflix rom-com “Too Much” is no exception. Loosely based on her real-life relationship with musician Luis Felber (who co-created the series), “Too Much” stars “Hacks” standout Megan Stalter as a heartbroken woman who leaves New York City for a temporary job in London and sparks a romantic connection with Felix (Will Sharpe), an indie musician with his own complicated history. The 10-episode series follows as the couple meet and fall in love, and go through the myriad obstacles facing a new love connection in the modern world — from social media tirades and exes, to work responsibilities and family drama. It’s a showcase for both Stalter and Sharpe, who have previously shone as supporting characters and now get the nuanced leading roles they deserve. — Jose Bastidas
“Sakamoto Days” (Netflix)“Sakamoto Days”After hooking Netflix viewers in January, “Sakamoto Days” is back with the second half of its debut season. New episodes of the series are premiering one at a time Mondays on Netflix, and if you have not checked it out yet, you should. Based on a Japanese manga series, “Sakamoto Days” follows a retired hitman whose life as the family-man head of a convenience store is disrupted by new threats that force him to return to his abandoned, deadly ways. It is a fun premise, one that “Sakamoto Days” thankfully does not take too seriously. The series is an addictive mix of absurdist comedy and shocking hyper-violence. That was the case with its initial episodes earlier this year, and the same is true of its latest entries, which have pushed the anime’s story forward with the same stylish brutality and tongue-in-cheek humor that made “Sakamoto Days” such a breakout hit back in January. — Alex Welch
Chad Michael Murray as Cal Jones in “Sullivan’s Crossing” (Chris Reardon/Freemantle/CW)“Sullivan’s Crossing”The perfect binge-watch for “Virgin River” fans, “Sullivan’s Crossing” also comes from author Robyn Carr and shares a lot of similarities with the Netflix hit, from the scenic small town full of lovable locals to the fresh-from-the-city main character who solves medical emergencies while swooning for a handsome local. The romantic drama stars Morgan Kohan as Maggie, a neurosurgeon who moves back to her hometown in Sullivan’s Crossing, where she forges a bond with her long-estranged father, Sully (Scott Patterson), and falls for the mysterious, very handsome Cal Jones (Chad Michael Murray). Soapy, swoony, easy watching, “Sullivan’s Crossing” has two seasons streaming on Netflix now, and the good news is Season 3 is also available to stream — you’ll just have to head over to the CW app for it. – HF
Leanne Morgan in “Leanne” (Netflix)“Leanne”Netflix’s new sitcom “Leanne” will probably be the first time you’ve seen stand-up comedian Leanne Morgan acting on screen (she had a small role in “You’re Cordially Invited”), and it sure is memorable. Cocreated by Morgan, Chuck Lorre and Susan McMartin, “Leanne” sees the titular character undergo a major life change when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman, prompting Leanne to lean heavily on her ride-or-die sister Carol (Kristen Johnston) as she finds her bearings as a single woman. The sitcom features plenty of comedy, assisted by cast members Celia Weston, Blake Clark, Graham Rogers and Hannah Pilkes, as well as moments of tenderness and vulnerability that are played masterfully by Morgan. — Loree Seitz
The post The 8 Best New Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now appeared first on TheWrap.
Freedom of the Press Foundation Calls BS on Paramount-Trump Settlement After Merger Approval: ‘Shakedown Money’
The Freedom of the Press Foundation expressed discontent following the approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger, calling out Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr for “meddling in broadcasters’ content.”
The FPF has been vocal about the risk that Paramount’s $16 million settlement over the “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris poses to press freedom, criticizing the media titan for cowering to President Donald Trump. In a statement to TheWrap Friday, a spokesperson for the foundation stated that they could hardly fathom that anyone could believe Paramount’s seemingly selfless claims over its reasons for the settlement.
“I’m not aware of a single person who believed Paramount’s claim that this settlement was about lawyer fees and liability risk,” Seth Stern, director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement. “And if such people exist, Donald Trump has a real estate degree to sell them.”
The foundation previously called Paramount’s settlement a “spineless decision.” After 251 days, the FCC approved Paramount and Skydance Media’s $8 billion merger by a vote of 2-1 along party lines Thursday. The approval came after Skydance agreed to bring on an ombudsman at CBS to review complaints of bias and to eliminate all DEI initiatives for Paramount at large.
“If there was ever any doubt, Brendan Carr just extinguished it by approving the merger just days after Trump announce he’d received Paramount’s shakedown money,” the statement continued. “What’s worse, Carr can’t justify his actions by pointing to Skydance’s promise to appoint a bias ombudsman, because the FCC meddling in broadcasters’ content is illegal too.”
The FCC does not have permission to censor or bar broadcasters from platforming content from any point of view. Engaging in censorship would infringe the media’ First Amendment right to freedom of the press.
The press freedom advocacy group filed a shareholder information demand back in May and said in early July that it intended to explore further legal action to hold Paramount’s board accountable for what it sees as a “capitulation” to Trump that violates shareholders’ interests and the First Amendment.
“Each time a company cowers and surrenders to Trump’s demands it only emboldens him to do it again. It will be remembered as one of the most shameful capitulations by the press to a president in history,” Stern said in a statement to TheWrap July 2.
The Paramount-Skydance merger approval comes just one week after CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” after he called his network’s $16 million settlement a “big fat bribe.”
Under the new merger, Skydance is set to acquire controlling shareholder Shari Redstone’s holding company National Amusements, which controls 77.4% of the Paramount Class A common stock outstanding and approximately 9.5% of the overall equity of the company, before merging with the Hollywood studio. The Redstone family will finally relinquish control of the media giant that they have owned since 1994 to the Ellison family and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital Partners.
The post Freedom of the Press Foundation Calls BS on Paramount-Trump Settlement After Merger Approval: ‘Shakedown Money’ appeared first on TheWrap.
‘Gen V’ Season 2 Trailer Shows Starlight Coming to Save the Day | Video
Just as Marie (Jaz Sinclair) is in the middle of a tussle with another Supe, here comes “The Boys” hero Starlight/Annie January blasting her light beam to save the day in the official trailer for “Gen V” Season 2.
“Hey, Marie,” Starlight says in the trailer with a smile to a bloodied Marie after taking out an enemy. The trailer debuted on Friday at San Diego Comic-Con.
While characters from “The Boys” have already made their crossover onto the Godolkin University campus, this is the first time “Gen V” viewers have seen Starlight. Last season of “Gen V” left off with Marie and her squad Jordan, Andre and Emma in a doorless, hospital-like facility with no idea how they got there.
But based off the trailer, it appears Marie has escaped somehow and has been on the run ever since. Now, Starlight needs her to head back to God U to help put an to Vought’s disastrous plans for good.
“You can’t stay on the run forever; I need your help,” Starlight tells Marie. “You need to go back to school … Vought is resuming a research project called Project Odessa … and I need you to stop it.”
In the midst of the many challenges Marie faces, there’s a new dean on campus, and he used to work at a Supe torture chamber/testing lab.
It looks like Marie and friends have their work cut out for them, but with the potential to be even more powerful than Homelander, they just might stand a chance.
Here’s a full description of the second season: “In Season 2, school is back in session. As the rest of America adjusts to Homelander’s iron fist, back at Godolkin University, the mysterious new Dean preaches a curriculum that promises to make students more powerful than ever. Cate and Sam are celebrated heroes, while Marie, Jordan, and Emma reluctantly return to college, burdened by months of trauma and loss. But parties and classes are hard to care about with war brewing between Humans and Supes, both on and off campus. The gang learns of a secret program that goes back to the founding of Godolkin University that may have larger implications than they realize. And, somehow, Marie is a part of it.”
Season 2 of “Gen V” stars Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau, Lizze Broadway as Emma Meyer, Maddie Phillips as Cate Dunlap, London Thor as Jordan Li, Derek Luh as Jordan Li, Asa Germann as Sam Riordan, Sean Patrick Thomas as Polarity and Hamish Linklater as Dean Cipher. Ethan Slater joins the cast as Thomas Godolkin.
Ethan Slater in “Gen V.” (Prime Video)Michele Fazekas serves as showrunner and executive producer. Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Ken Levin, Jason Netter, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Michaela Starr, Ori Marmur, Thomas Schnauz, Steve Boyum, and Brant Englestein also serve as executive producers. Loreli Alanís, Gabriel Garcia and Jessica Chou are co-executive producers. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios, in association with Kripke Enterprises, Point Grey Pictures and Original Film.
“Gen V” premieres Sept. 17 on Prime Video.
The post ‘Gen V’ Season 2 Trailer Shows Starlight Coming to Save the Day | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
‘King of the Hill’ Season 14 Review: Hulu’s Comforting Revival Avoids the Politics at Its Core
“The Simpsons” really did alter TV history forever: Three of the top seven longest-running scripted primetime series of all time are currently animated shows, including that Matt Groening trailblazer. Several more are poised to join their ranks if they stay on the air for a few more seasons. (Watch out, “Lasie” — “Bob’s Burgers” is coming for you!) It makes sense that these shows stick around, with even non-megahits like “Futurama” approaching an episode total rivaling a smash like “Seinfeld”; after all, cartoon characters can remain recognizably themselves forever, while it can take decades or more before any audible signs of aging creep into vocal performances.
So it’s particularly and perhaps uncharacteristically bold that “King of the Hill,” Mike Judge’s animated sitcom that aired for 13 seasons on Fox, returns not exactly as fans left it back in 2009. (A few additional unaired episodes premiered in 2010.)
It’s especially notable, even faintly moving, that as the show is revived for a 10-episode 14th season, it allows some manner of change to affect Hank Hill (voiced by Judge), a Texan traditionalist with old-fashioned and unshakeable values. Hank himself is more or less as he was: a buttoned-up, rule-following husband and father, enamored with his life’s calling as a seller of propane and propane accessories. But the world has changed a lot over the past decade and a half, which based on the age of Hank’s son Bobby has been compressed into a gap closer to eight or nine years in the world of the show. Yes, Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon), one of TV’s most memorable middle-schoolers, is now a nominal grown-up, an early-twenties chef and restaurateur cooking up German-Japanese fusion dishes in the city.
The new season exacerbates Hank’s clashes with contemporary culture by opening with his return from Saudi Arabia, where he and his wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy) apparently relocated for a substantial stretch (still selling propane and propane accessories, naturally). Now Hank is retiring back to his hometown of Arlen, rejoining neighborhood fellas Dale Gribble (the late Johnny Hardwick in some early episodes, then taken over by Toby Huss), Bill (Stephen Root) and Boomhauer (Judge). Resettling Hank and Peggy into their natural habitat involves some throat-clearing and piece-moving that’s a little foreign for a show that used its cartooniness to embrace its own form of sitcom traditionalism and consistency, typically avoiding serialized plotlines and simply exploring its characters’ foibles with just the right degree of animation-heightened antics.
Even once the overburdened first episode gets the characters sorted out, it may take the audience a little while to downshift back into the show’s observational rhythms. There are countless contemporary reference points good for some laughs, like Hank not understanding the importance of rating a rideshare driver five stars, instead giving him four so he has something to aim for, or eternally open-hearted Bobby struggling with how to condense his text messages. But the common-sense centrism of “King of the Hill” feels a little uneasy now that the views of conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble, so often the show’s most outlandishly silly character, have become, if not exactly mainstream, certainly more commonplace.
There’s something slightly avoidant about dipping into what by all indications should be Trump Country and then acting like the biggest cultural shift is those dang-old cell phones.
Dale Gribble in “King of the Hill.” (Hulu)Granted, there are some funny nods to bigger-picture issues, like the inspired (and weirdly “Eddington”-compatible) gag that Dale was elected mayor of Arlen on an anti-masking platform during 2020, with a “plurality” vote of 9% (there were apparently 10 other candidates). Moreover, as the season goes on, “King of the Hill” is able to also re-assert its decency, alongside its old-fashioned sitcom craft. Judge and his writers weave together funny dialogue, goofy slapstick and offhand portrayals of a diversifying population, making this revival a satisfying comfort watch. Telling stories about Bobby as a twentysomething is particularly novel, even if it ultimately nudges him back toward his childhood sweetheart Connie (Lauren Tom).
It’s also lovely to see Judge continue to model Hank as a reasonably-minded conservative who doesn’t resist all progress with the jerk of a knee. In one episode, he reveals a scandalous new secret: That while working overseas, he fell in love with soccer, the sport he and the boys used to mock; now, he knows enough to serve as a substitute referee (naturally, he knows the off-sides rules by heart). Judge’s ability to score a laugh just through the precision of Hank’s delivery remains as remarkable as his similarly hilarious (if tonally divergent) work on his similarly durable Beavis and Butt-Head.
Peggy Hill, meanwhile, gets something of a short shrift compared to Hank and Bobby. Early in the show’s run, she evolved (or productively devolved) into a clever subversion as a wife and mother allowed to be just as buffoonishly overconfident as countless sitcom dads. Eventually, those notes became a bit more sour as Hank was increasingly held up as a paragon of wisdom and Peggy was often portrayed as an idiot by contrast. (Call it the Ron Swanson effect.) The revival pulls back on Peggy-related hubris, but with a Bobby subplot appearing in each episode, and not always intersecting with his parents, her retirement-era changes are not explored as deeply.
Peggy, Connie and Hank in “King of the Hill.” (Hulu)As with most contemporary cartoon revivals, the animation looks a little flatter and cheaper than the older episodes. The show also has to contend with more real-life endings than some of its peers; former cast members Johnny Hardwick, Brittany Murphy, Tom Petty and Jonathan Joss have all died since the original run, meaning that a full reunion isn’t possible, whether characters have been written out or, in the appropriate case of Dale, had their voices replaced mid-run. But while these absences are sad, they also underline how real “King of the Hill” is able to feel despite its caricatures. Even in its fourteenth season, it’s the rare animated sitcom with its feet planted firmly on the (middle) ground.
“King of the Hill” premieres Aug. 4 on Hulu.
The post ‘King of the Hill’ Season 14 Review: Hulu’s Comforting Revival Avoids the Politics at Its Core appeared first on TheWrap.
Charter Sheds 80,000 Pay TV Customers in 2nd Quarter, But Streaming Strategy Slows Losses
Shares of Charter Communications fell over 12% in pre-market trading on Friday as the cable giant missed Wall Street earnings expectations for its second quarter of 2025, continued to bleed pay TV customers and lost 117,000 Internet customers.
Total revenue grew 0.6% to $13.8 billion, boosted by growth of 24.9% in residential mobile and 2.8% growth in residential Internet revenues but offset by lower residential video and advertising sales revenues. Video revenue fell 10% to $3.5 billion, driven by a higher mix of lower priced video packages, $67 million in costs for programmer streaming applications and “more unfavorable bundled allocation” year over year, offset by price increases.
The company shed 80,000 pay TV customers during the quarter for a total of 12.6 million. But the decline marked an improvement from a loss of 408,000 video customers during the same period a year ago, driven by new pricing and packaging launched in September and the early benefits from the inclusion of streaming services in Spectrum’s expanded basic packages.
Spectrum TV Select packages currently offer the ad-supported versions of Disney+, ESPN+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, AMC+, ViX and Tennis Channel, with ESPN Unlimited, Hulu, Discovery+ and BET+ slated to launch later this year.
Advertising sales revenue fell 6.7% to $371 million, primarily driven by lower core and political revenue. Excluding political revenue, ad sales revenue fell 4.4% driven by a challenged local and national ad market, offset by higher advanced ad revenue and better inventory selling capabilities.
Here are the quarter’s results:
Net income: $1.3 billion, up 5.7% from $1.2 billion a year ago.
Revenue: $13.8 billion, a 0.6% year-over-year increase, compared to $13.76 billion expected by analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance.
Earnings per share: $9.18 per share, compared to $9.66 per share expected by analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance.
{ "symbols": [["NASDAQ:CHTR|3M"]], "width": "100%", "height": "400", "locale": "en", "colorTheme": "light", "isTransparent": false, "showChart": true, "scalePosition": "right", "scaleMode": "Normal" }
The latest quarterly results come as Charter previously revealed plans to merge with the privately-held Cox Communications in a $34.5 billion deal to create a mobile, broadband and video giant.
The combined company, which will change its name to Cox Communications within a year after closing, was expected to have a total of 35.9 million Internet customers, 14.4 million video customers, 10.6 million mobile lines and 7.6 million voice customers as of the first quarter of 2025, per an investor presentation. Charter and Cox expect to generate $500 million in cost savings within three years after the deal’s closing.
In its public interest statement filed with the Federal Communications Commission, the companies said the deal would increase choice and give consumers in Cox’s footprint the ability to lower their monthly bills by choosing Charter plans, improve the combined company’s scale for investment, build a strong competitor to Big Tech and advance quality career opportunities and growth for American workers.
Charter is also set to acquire Liberty Broadband. Under the terms of that deal, which is expected to close at the same time as the Cox deal, Liberty Broadband shareholders will receive 0.236 of a share of Charter common stock for each share of Liberty Broadband common stock held, with cash to be issued in lieu of fractional shares. Charter expects to retire roughly 45.6 million shares currently owned by Liberty Broadband and to issue roughly 34 million shares to holders of Liberty Broadband stock.
Despite the losses in its video segment, Internet revenue grew by 2.8% year-over-year to $6 billion, driven by “promotional rate step-ups, rate adjustments and a favorable change in bundled revenue allocation year-over-year,” offset by a loss of 117,000 customers for a total of 29.9 million.
Mobile service revenue grew 24.9% to $921 million as the company added 500,000 mobile lines during the quarter for a total of 10.9 million, offset by “less favorable bundled revenue allocation” year-over-year. Other revenue grew 18.9% to $839 million, driven by higher mobile devices sales and a one-time benefit.
Looking ahead, Charter expects approximately $11.5 billion in capital expenditures for full year 2025, down from previous guidance of $12 billion, reflecting the timing of “network evolution spend and lower commercial and subsidized rural line extensions spend.” Capital expenditures increased by $21 million to $2.9 billion in the second quarter, driven by “upgrade/rebuild (primarily network evolution) and CPE, partly offset by lower line extension spend.”
Charter stock is up 20% in the past year and 8.8% year to date.
The post Charter Sheds 80,000 Pay TV Customers in 2nd Quarter, But Streaming Strategy Slows Losses appeared first on TheWrap.
Steve Pond's Blog
