Charo’s Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says “Love Boat ”Costar Jill Whelan

Charo's Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says "Love Boat "Costar Jill Whelan Virginia ChamleeJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM 0 Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Jill Whelan and Charo Love Boat star Jill Whelan is remembering a hilarious story involving Charo and her pet bull In a podcast, Whelan said she and Charo "reconnected" after the longrunning sitcom She also mentioned Charo's love of animals — and how a rather large one wound up on her staircase Love Boat star Jill Whelan is recounting her "favorite" Charo story.

- - Charo's Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says "Love Boat "Costar Jill Whelan

Virginia ChamleeJanuary 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM

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Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Jill Whelan and Charo -

Love Boat star Jill Whelan is remembering a hilarious story involving Charo and her pet bull

In a podcast, Whelan said she and Charo "reconnected" after the long-running sitcom

She also mentioned Charo's love of animals — and how a rather large one wound up on her staircase

Love Boat star Jill Whelan is recounting her "favorite" Charo story.

Whelan, who played Vicki Stubing on the long-running sitcom, recently chatted with Tori Spelling on her misSPELLING podcast.

When the topic came around to Charo, Whelan, 59, noted that the two recently "reconnected" and often get together to have paella at her home.

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ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty (2)

Jill Whelan and Charo in 'The Love Boat'

"People need to understand she's all this 'cuchi-cuchi' stuff, but she's one of the brightest people I know," Whelan said of the Spanish actress, who played a recurring role on The Love Boat.

"She's the no. 3 classical flamenco guitarist, still to this day, in the world. She practices four hours every day," Whelan added.

As Whelan noted, while Charo became known for her flamboyant persona and signature "cuchi-cuchi" catchphrase, the Spanish entertainer is multifaceted, and is also an avid animal lover — so much so that she once had a pet bull at her Beverly Hills home.

"So she rescued a little bull named Manolo. That was the bull's name. Before Manolo Blahnik. ... anyway, and she had it in her house in Beverly Hills," Whelan recalled.

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"So the bull just kept getting bigger. And one day, somebody did not close the bullpen that they built in the backyard, and the slider was open," she shared. "And she was upstairs singing. And all of a sudden, she hears this, 'Clip clop, clip clop' ... And she sees the bull starting to come up the stairs because he hears his mama singing. The thing is, bulls can climb stairs, but they can't go down them."

"So he's halfway up the stairs and her husband Kjell — she's screaming, 'Kjell, Kjell, come help me with 'nolo. He's coming up the stairs,'" she continued, referring to Charo's late husband, Kjell Rasten, who died by suicide at age 78 in 2019.

"And all of a sudden, he's pulling on the bull from behind by the tail, and she's pushing the bull down the stairs to get... well, yeah. So this is her life, like, on the daily. This is how she lives her life," Whelan said with a laugh.

Whelan recently reunited with Charo and fellow costars Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell and Ted Lange on Princess' The Love Boat Celebration, which set sail out of Galveston, Texas, to Mexico on Nov. 16 for a seven-night sailing.

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Charo’s Pet Bull Once Got Loose in Her Beverly Hills Home, Says “Love Boat ”Costar Jill Whelan

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Why Helen Mirren 'didn't like' playing a dying woman in Goodbye June — and why she said yes to di...

Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction and chaosfree set to help set a better tone for Mirren. Why Helen Mirren 'didn't like' playing a dying woman in Goodbye June — and why she said yes to director Kate Winslet Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction and chaosfree set to help set a better tone for Mirren. By Gerrad Hall :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/Gerrad413fcf02541834f43bb26c0de8fe66f66.jpg) Gerrad Hall is an editorial director at , overseeing movie, awards, and music coverage.

Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction- and chaos-free set to help set a better tone for Mirren.

Why Helen Mirren 'didn't like' playing a dying woman in Goodbye June — and why she said yes to director Kate Winslet

Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction- and chaos-free set to help set a better tone for Mirren.

By Gerrad Hall

Gerrad Hall is an editorial director at **, overseeing movie, awards, and music coverage. He is also host of *The Awardist* podcast, and has cohosted EW's live Oscars, Emmys, SAG, and Grammys red carpet shows. He has appeared on *Good Morning America*, *The Talk*, *Access Hollywood*, *Extra!*, and other talk shows, delivering the latest news on pop culture and entertainment.

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She's died a handful of times before in movies — stabbed to death in *Caligula*, shot in the head in *Shadowboxer*, strangled in *Excalibur* — but Helen Mirren "didn't like" how her character was going to meet her end, director Kate Winslet tells **, in *Goodbye June*.

"She did say quite early on, 'I don't really want to be doing this at all, but I'm doing it for you and I'm doing it to support you,'" Winslet, making her feature directorial debut with the movie in which she also stars as one of Mirren's daughters, recalls of their early conversations. "I felt so grateful, but also, I didn't want to be putting her through something."

In the movie (streaming now on Netflix) written by Winslet's now 22-year-old son Joe Anders, Mirren's character, the titular June, discovers her cancer has returned. This time, it's terminal, and doctors say she doesn't have much time to live...in fact, she probably won't make it until Christmas, which is just two weeks away. So her four adult children, two of whom — Winslet's Julia and Andrea Riseborough's Molly — have a fraught relationship, her grandchildren, and her husband, Bernie (Timothy Spall), gather to be with June in her final days.

Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet in 'Goodbye June'.

Kimberley French/Netflix

As June's health declines, though, Mirren — who Winslet says has a personal rule of not playing characters with dementia or cancer, but broke that rule for her director — preferred not to discuss the ins and outs of the illness.

"The way that she kind of managed herself, really, was that she didn't actually wanna talk about anything until we got there on the day. So she would get there, she would be prepared, but then she would just say to me, 'I don't like it today. I don't like, I don't like the gown and the wig and the thing. I don't want to get in the bed. Okay, right, I've got that off my chest. What shall I do?'" Winslet recalls. And I would say, 'Get in the bed. lie down, don't move your head. Okay, action.' And I just had to be very practical with her. What more do you offer someone like Helen Mirren who is going to instinctively respond to whatever's in front of her in brilliant ways?"

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Winslet went the extra step to create a set that was free of as many distractions as possible, "not by way of direction or things or words or clever tricks or s---, I didn't wanna do any of that 'cause she would've sniffed that out a mile off and become incredibly suspicious of it, as would I, and as I have done when directors have tried that with me," Winslet says. That meant making herself, the production equipment (cameras, lighting, microphones, etc.), and crew out of sight, however she could.

Johnny Flynn and Helen Mirren in 'Goodbye June'.

Kimberley French/Netflix

"Film sets are really busy places, lots of coming and going and people and chaos and crew, and everyone's trying to do their job. So I worked very closely with our crew in finding ways to make the space as empty as possible. So we didn't have any overhead booms; we had hidden microphones everywhere, and everyone was radio mic'd," she explains. "So the boom operator who would normally hover in the corner and just catch that one line, that person wasn't there at all. The children were completely free and wandering, no one hitting marks, just playing and just being."

Winslet says she and the crew also used various hand signals with the adult actors to know they were rolling, so they could start naturally interacting with the children for the scenes — especially important for one particular sequence that comes at the end of the film, when they stage the Nativity play for June in the hospital.

Helen (Toni Collette) and her nieces and nephews perform the Nativity play in 'Goodbye June'.

Kimberley French/Netflix

"I also was able to lock off our cameras at times and have nobody in the room at all. So the actors would show us how they wanted a scene to be, and we would set our camera, set our focus, and then I'd say to the actors, 'Okay, we'll leave you to it.' And they'd go, 'Where are you going?' And I would say, 'I'm gonna be just out there. You don't need us.' And we'd leave everyone. Everyone, camera operators included, would walk away, and these actors would be alone with cameras silently rolling, and no people in the space at all," she says. "It really made a difference to how they all felt. It gave that sense of realism and intimacy, and the smallness of it was really meaningful for them."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

While June's children spend their time by their mother's side, it's her husband who seems to be in denial about her condition — watching football on TV or going to the local pub rather than face the reality of the situation. But after his son yells at him for seemingly not caring, he realizes the depths of his heartbreak when he finds him singing Ray Charles' "Georgia" — one of the couple's favorite songs — at the local bar, but changing the lyrics to "Junie."

Kate Winslet and Timothy Spall on the set of 'Goodbye June'.

Kimberley French / Netflix

"That was the only scene in editing when I just literally could not stop crying," Winslet admits, "because even though I'd seen it, and I was there on the day, and it was incredibly moving on the day, actually really shaping it and sculpting it in the edit, oh my God, it's just extraordinary.... How much that Bernie is hiding and concealing even from himself, existing in a state of denial and regret about his own life and the impact that that has on him, being able to just communicate on even a very basic level, it's completely heartbreaking."**

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January 03, 2026

Why Helen Mirren 'didn't like' playing a dying woman in Goodbye June — and why she said yes to di...

Winslet, who directs and also stars, tells EW about creating a distraction and chaosfree set to help set a better tone for Mir...

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Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams reveals Shane's favorite movies — and a beloved rom-com takes...

&34;Lord of the Rings: Return of the King&34; and 1956 western epic &34;The Searchers&34; also make Shane's list. Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams reveals Shane's favorite movies — and a beloved romcom takes the top spot &34;Lord of the Rings: Return of the King&34; and 1956 western epic &34;The Searchers&34; also make Shane's list. By Lauren Huff :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/PXL202501060627063092a245c0a56a194868af7b6a47af56223c.jpg) Lauren Huff Lauren Huff is an awardwinning journalist and staff writer at with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

"Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" and 1956 western epic "The Searchers" also make Shane's list.

Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams reveals Shane's favorite movies — and a beloved rom-com takes the top spot

"Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" and 1956 western epic "The Searchers" also make Shane's list.

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in 'Heated Rivalry'. Credit:

When it comes to his character's hypothetical favorite movies, *Heated Rivalry* star Hudson Williams says, "I'll have what she's having."

Responding to a Letterboxd Instagram query asking fans what they think the favorite movies of *Heated Rivalry*'s Shane (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) would be, Williams jumped in on the conversation (he has some pretty good insight, after all). He thinks his character's top pick would be the classic romantic comedy *When Harry Met Sally*, starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.

Next up was Pixar's 2008 animated film, *Wall-E*, which is also quite the romantic tale, albeit between two adorable space robots. *Lord of the Rings: Return of the King* and 1956 western epic *The* *Searchers* round out Shane's list, which also features an honorable mention for gay coming-of-age film, *Moonlight*, the reasons for which Williams claims are "Issa secret." (Storrie does not appear to have weighed in yet on Ilya's picks.)

Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in 'When Harry Met Sally'. Columbia/Courtesy Everett Collection

This is all very fitting, of course. In the smash hit TV series, which is based on Rachel Reid's *Game* *Changers* novel series, Williams and Storrie play professional hockey rivals by day, who develop a steamy secret love by night.

The series received critical acclaim and became the Canadian streamer Crave's most-watched original series to date and HBO Max's top debut for an acquired, non-animated title since 2019 when it debuted on the platform in November. Unsurprisingly, the show was renewed for a second season earlier this month.

Series creator Jacob Tierney previously provided a timeline for new episodes to *Entertainment* *Weekly*. "It will not be the same time next year, but it'll be pretty soon after that," Tierney says. "It's not gonna be two years. It's not even gonna be 18 months, I don't think. So we're gonna go as fast as we can, while ensuring that we're doing as good a job as we possibly can."**

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When asked if any plans have been fast tracked in light of the show's success, Tierney responds, "There's only so fast a track to go down when the show is written and directed by one person. I haven't started writing yet. I'm going to. We are aware. We want to get the season out as soon as we can, as well, while also making sure that we give people a good second season."

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Season 2 will focus once more on Shane and Ilya's relationship and be presumably based on *The Long Game* book in the series, all of which excites Storrie. "I'm interested to play at the dynamic that develops in *The Long Game*, which is, now that we've established we're together and we're choosing this, what does that look like to consistently choose through new obstacles, new self-realizations?" he tells EW. "We're in the real leagues now, and it's cool to watch these people that have been in this heightened reality for so long. The other shoe drops that deepens the love, but that also tests some of their personal limits."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

All episodes of *Heated Rivalry* season 1 are now available to stream in the U.S. on HBO Max.**

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Published: January 03, 2026 at 03:38PM on Source: RON MAG

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byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams reveals Shane's favorite movies — and a beloved rom-com takes...

&34;Lord of the Rings: Return of the King&34; and 1956 western epic &34;The Searchers&34; also make Shane'...

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Netflix has something for every movie lover to start the new year right. The best movies coming to Netflix in January 2026 (plus a heartpounding documentary) Netflix has something for every movie lover to start the new year right. By Allison DeGrushe :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/allisondegrusheEWbiophotoe5f8e89253c84b7085a43c502a3051a4.jpg) Allison DeGrushe Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at . She has been working at since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify. EW's editorial guidelines December 30, 2025 9:00 a.m.

Netflix has something for every movie lover to start the new year right.

The best movies coming to Netflix in January 2026 (plus a heart-pounding documentary)

Netflix has something for every movie lover to start the new year right.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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'Pitch Perfect'; 'District 9'; '12 Years a Slave'. Credit:

Peter Iovino/Universal; Pluto; Jaap Buitendijk/Fox Searchlight Pictures

The new year is just around the corner, and Netflix is ringing in 2026 with a lineup designed to please every kind of cinephile.

Whether you're in the mood for powerful, award-winning dramas like *12 Years a Slave *and *Erin Brockovich*, or fun, crowd-pleasing hits like *Pitch Perfect *and *Hellboy*, the streamer is adding a mix of tear-jerking stories, laugh-out-loud moments, and a few surprises to its January catalog.

Ready your watchlist: we have your guide to the best movies coming to Netflix this January.

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in '12 Years a Slave'.

Jaap Buitendijk/Fox Searchlight Pictures

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Steve McQueen's *12 Years a Slave *is an unflinching portrait of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free man who was kidnapped and forced into slavery for over a decade. The film spares nothing in showing the cruelty he and others, including Lupita Nyong'o's Patsey, endured.

Despite the brutality, McQueen also finds moments of strength and humanity that linger long after the credits. The film went on to win three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

**Director: **Steve McQueen

**Cast: **Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Garret Dillahunt, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard, Bill Camp

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

(L to R) Jake Weber as Michael, Sarah Polley as Ana, Michael Kelly as C.J., Ving Rhames as Kenneth, Mekhi Phifer as Andre, Kevin Zegers as Terry, and Inna Korobkina as Luda in 'Dawn of the Dead'.

Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Before he became a big name in the DC universe, Zack Snyder got his start with 2004's *Dawn of the Dead*, a sleek remake of George A. Romero's zombie classic. The script came from James Gunn (now a *major *figure in DC filmmaking), who loaded the story with intense action and gory thrills.

**Director: **Zack Snyder

**Cast:** Sarah Polley, Mekhi Phifer, Jake Weber, Ving Rhames, Ty Burrell, Michael Barry, Jayne Eastwood, Michael Kelly, Lindy Booth, Kevin Zegers, Inna Korobkina

District 9 (2009)

Jason Cope as Christopher Johnson in 'District 9'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

When it came out, *District 9 *was hailed by * *as the "must-see movie of the summer." Made on a relatively light budget of $30 million (that's practically unheard of for a blockbuster these days), the sci-fi flick is set in an alternate 1980s, where an alien spaceship is spotted over Johannesburg, South Africa. Inside, authorities find a colony of sick, starving aliens (dubbed Prawns), and force them into a government-controlled camp known as District 9.

Part of what makes the movie so unique is its faux-documentary approach, mixing fictional interviews, news clips, and surveillance footage to make the story feel strikingly real.

**Director: **Neill Blomkamp

**Cast:** Sharlto Copley, Louis Minnaar, Vanessa Haywood, Mandla Gaduka, Nathalie Boltt, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, Jason Cope, William Allen Young, Kenneth Nkosi, David James

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Erin Brockovich (2000)

Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich in 'Erin Brockovich'. Bob Marshak/Universal

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Steven Soderbergh's *Erin Brockovich* tells the true story of a tenacious woman who uncovers a major environmental scandal. Julia Roberts stars as the real-life activist, a single mother who exposes Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating a small town's water supply and drives a major legal case against the company.

The film received five Academy Award nominations, with Roberts winning Best Actress for what EW's critic called her "most forceful dramatic performance."

**Director: **Steven Soderbergh

**Cast:** Julia Roberts, Aaron Eckhart, Cherry Jones, Jamie Harrold, Albert Finney, Veanne Cox, Scotty Leavenworth, Peter Coyote, Conchata Ferrell, Tracey Walter, Marg Helgenberger, Gemmenne de la Peña

Free Solo (2018)

Alex Honnold in 'Free Solo'. Jimmy Chin/National Geographic

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Ahead of his Jan. 23 *Skyscraper Live *stunt (where he plans to scale all 101 floors of Taipei 101 without any ropes), fans can explore Alex Honnold's story through the Oscar-winning documentary *Free Solo*.

Released in 2018, the film follows Honnold as he prepares for (and ultimately achieves) the first free solo climb of El Capitan in Yosemite, one of the most challenging rock faces in the world.

**Director: **Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

**Cast:** Alex Honnold, Jimmy Chin, Tommy Caldwell, Sanni McCandless

Green Room (2015)

Anton Yelchin as Pat in 'Green Room'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Back when A24 was still flying under the radar, *Green Room *exploded onto the scene as a merciless thriller that wastes no time putting viewers on the edge of their seats.

The film tracks the punk band the Ain't Rights, whose night takes a horrific turn after a show at a remote neo-Nazi bar, where they witness something they were never meant to see. Trapped, the band is forced into a fight for survival, made even more disturbing by Patrick Stewart's terrifying performance as the group's mastermind.

**Director: **Jeremy Saulnier

**Cast:** Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Kai Lennox, Callum Turner, Mark Webber, Eric Edelstein, Joe Cole, David W. Thompson, Macon Blair

Hellboy (2004)

Ron Perlman as Hellboy and Selma Blair as Liz Sherman in 'Hellboy'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Guillermo del Toro's *Hellboy *isn't your typical superhero movie, packing in plenty of monsters and del Toro's signature love for the grotesque. Ron Perlman stars as the gruff, cigar-chomping titular anti-hero juggling his job as a paranormal agent with a dark destiny that's finally catching up to him.

**Director: **Guillermo del Toro

**Cast:** Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, John Hurt, Karel Roden, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, Ladislav Beran, Brian Steele, Biddy Hodson, Kevin Trainor, Corey Johnson

Man on Fire (2004)

Denzel Washington as John W. Creasy in 'Man on Fire'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

Denzel Washington always had a way of elevating any movie, and *Man on Fire *is no exception. He plays John Creasy, a bodyguard who lets his actions speak louder than words. Even though the movie got mixed reviews, most people can agree that the standout is the sweet bond Creasy forms with young Dakota Fanning's character.

**Director: **Tony Scott

**Cast:** Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Giancarlo Giannini, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Marc Anthony, Mickey Rourke, Rachel Ticotin

* Monty Python's The Meaning of Life* (1983)

John Cleese in 'Monty Python's The Meaning of Life'. Everett Collection

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

*Monty Python's The Meaning of Life *is a hilarious and, at times, disgusting ride through life's biggest questions.* *Returning to the sketch comedy style of the troupe's TV series and debut film, the movie fully embraced their fearless approach to humor — yes, we're talking about the outrageous Mr. Creosote vomiting gag.

This audacious comedy earned critical acclaim, culminating in the group taking home the Grand Prix at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.

**Director: **Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam

**Cast:** Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Carol Cleveland, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Simon Jones, Judy Loe, Patricia Quinn, Andrew MacLachlan

My Girl (1991)

Macaulay Culkin as Thomas and Anna Chlumsky as Vada in 'My Girl'.

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

In *My Girl*, Vada (Anna Chlumsky) is an 11-year-old hypochondriac with a big heart and a morbid curiosity about death — not too surprising, since her widowed dad (played by Dan Aykroyd) runs the local funeral home.

At the center of the movie is Vada's friendship with Thomas J. Sennett (Macaulay Culkin), a young boy who changes her life in ways she never expected. Without giving too much away, the film perfectly hits all the messy, funny, and heartbreaking moments of growing up.

**Director: **Howard Zieff

**Cast:** Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Griffin Dunne, Richard Masur, Ann Nelson, Jane Hallaren, Anthony R. Jones, Peter Michael Goetz

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy in 'Pitch Perfect'. Peter Iovino/Universal

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

A cappella has been around forever, but *Pitch Perfect* catapulted it back into mainstream media in 2012. Between the incredibly fun soundtrack (the Riff Off might be the single greatest musical battle ever) and Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine's hilarious performances, this movie is the perfect excuse to grab your friends, belt out those high notes, and fully embrace your aca-awesome side.

**Director: **Jason Moore

**Cast:** Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Ester Dean, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee

Priscilla (2023)

Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley in 'Priscilla'.

Sabrina Lantos/A24

**Available to stream: Jan. 1**

A year after Baz Luhrmann's *Elvis *biopic launched Austin Butler into superstardom, Sofia Coppola turned the camera to the other side of the King of Rock & Roll's story with *Priscilla*. Based on Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir *Elvis and Me*, the film explores what life was like for her growing up and falling in love with one of the world's biggest icons.

Cailee Spaeny shines as Priscilla, earning a Golden Globe nomination for her stunning performance. EW praised the actress as "preternatural in her ability to believably move from naive teen to self-possessed woman," adding that she "sells that gradual arc — represented so precisely through Priscilla's physical trappings of hair, fashion, and make-up — with graceful subtlety."

**Director: **Sofia Coppola

**Cast:** Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Daniel Beirne, Dagmara Dominczyk, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Lynne Griffin, Matthew Shaw, Tim-Dowler-Coltman, Dan Abramovici

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter*****

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byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

The best movies coming to Netflix in January 2026 (plus a heart-pounding documentary)

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The god of thunder offers a prayer before battle. Chris Hemsworth's Thor (and his daughter) return in Avengers: Doomsday teaser The god of thunder offers a prayer before battle. By Nick Romano :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/NicholasRomanoauthorphotoadc9b60763e34711935cbf7b3d768d24.jpg) Nick Romano is a senior editor at with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in Vanity Fair, Vulture, IGN, and more. EW's editorial guidelines on December 30, 2025 9:37 a.m.

The god of thunder offers a prayer before battle.

Chris Hemsworth's Thor (and his daughter) return in Avengers: Doomsday teaser

The god of thunder offers a prayer before battle.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

on December 30, 2025 9:37 a.m. ET

Chris Hemsworth as Thor in 'Avengers: Doomsday' teaser. Credit:

Marvel Entertainment/Youtube

Chris Hemsworth's Thor is back in a new *Avengers: Doomsday* teaser that features the return of the thunder god's adopted daughter Love, played by the actor's real-life child India Rose Hemsworth.

Bootleg video captured of the teaser inside movie theaters already leaked online, but in the age of AI and deepfakes, this is the first official look confirming its validity.

"Father, all my life I've answered every call, to honor, duty, to war," Thor says. "But now fate has given me something I never sought: a child, a life untouched by the storm. Lend me the strength of the All Fathers so that I may fight once more, defeat one more enemy, and return home to her — and not as a warrior but as warmth, to teach her not battle but stillness, the kind I never knew."

He concludes, "Please, father. Hear my words."

This Thor clip is the second of multiple *Avengers: Doomsday* teasers that will screen in cinemas before showings of Disney's *Avatar: Fire and Ash*.

The first confirmed the return of another Hollywood Chris (Evans) as Steve Rogers, despite all of the actor's past comments to the contrary. Another teaser will allegedly feature some of the original X-Men actors, including James Marsden as Cyclops, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, and Ian McKellen as Magneto.

Hugh Jackman says his time playing Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't over

Famke Janssen's Jean Grey return not in the cards as star says Marvel never asked

India Rose Hemsworth made her debut as Love in 2022's *Thor: Love and Thunder*. The character is the biological daughter of Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher, who died and was later resurrected. Before his own death on screen, Gorr left Love in the care of Thor.

Joe and Anthony Russo, the directing duo who delivered Marvel's most lucrative installments, are back at the helm of *Avengers: Doomsday*, which also sees the comeback of Robert Downey Jr. as the comic book baddie Victor Von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom.

Love (India Rose Hemsworth) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in 'Avengers: Doomsday'.

Marvel Entertainment/Youtube

The character's presence was teased at the end of July's *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*, and the plot will involve figures from across the Marvel multiverse uniting to take on this villain.

The confirmed roster includes Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm) of *The Fantastic Four*; as well as Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Wyatt Russell (John Walker), Lewis Pullman (Bob), David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov), and Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr) of *Thunderbolts**/*The New Avengers*.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Also featuring are Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Tenoch Huerta Mejia (Namor), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Winston Duke (M'Baku), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Channing Tatum (Gambit), Alan Cumming (Kurt Wagner), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and Kelsey Grammer (Hank McCoy).

*Avengers: Doomsday* will hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2026. The story will then continue in *Avengers: Secret Wars*, on the calendar for release on Dec. 17, 2027.**

- Film Worlds & Fandoms

- Marvel Universe

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Marvel"

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Source: Marvel

Published: January 03, 2026 at 03:38PM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

Chris Hemsworth's Thor (and his daughter) return in Avengers: Doomsday teaser

The god of thunder offers a prayer before battle. Chris Hemsworth's Thor (and his daughter) return in Avengers: Doomsd...

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Where Is the “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” Cast Now? Here's What Happened to the Stars Over 50 Years After Its Release

Where Is the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" Cast Now? Here's What Happened to the Stars Over 50 Years After Its Release Julie TremaineJanuary 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM 0 Moviestore/Shutterstock;Brian To/FilmMagic Sally Ann Howes, Dick Van Dyke Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Just four years after Mary Poppins debuted in 1964, Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke starred in another timeless children's classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The 1968 film, based on Ian Fleming's book of the same name, stars the actor as Caractacus Potts, a quirky widowed inventor caring for his two children, Jeremy and Jemima.

- - Where Is the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" Cast Now? Here's What Happened to the Stars Over 50 Years After Its Release

Julie TremaineJanuary 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM

0

Moviestore/Shutterstock;Brian To/FilmMagic

Sally Ann Howes, Dick Van Dyke Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Just four years after Mary Poppins debuted in 1964, Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke starred in another timeless children's classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The 1968 film, based on Ian Fleming's book of the same name, stars the actor as Caractacus Potts, a quirky widowed inventor caring for his two children, Jeremy and Jemima. The kids persuade Potts to rescue an old racing car from the scrap yard, and he turns it into a vehicle that can transform into a boat and an airship, which they name "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" for the noises it makes.

In an attempt to steal the magical car, Baron Bomburst (Gert Fröbe) kidnaps Grandpa Potts (Lionel Jeffries) — so Potts, the kids and Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), heir to the Scrumptious Candy Company fortune, embark on an adventure with Chitty to rescue him.

Van Dyke had a number of hilarious stunts in the movie, including one in which he strapped rockets to his back on a runway.

"I went to the dressing room, it had burned my socks off my feet. I didn't feel anything," he revealed during a Q&A at The Vandy High Tea in October 2025. "I took my shoes off, and my socks were gone, and I never felt a thing."

He added that despite all the "crazy" tricks he performed, he "never really had a bad accident."

Here's everything to know about where the cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is now.

01 of 08

Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts

Moviestore/Shutterstock;Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Dick Van Dyke in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ; Dick Van Dyke at the 51st annual Daytime Emmys Awards at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles on June 07, 2024

Having already starred in Mary Poppins, Bye Bye Birdie and The Dick Van Dyke Show, Van Dyke was a bonafide star when he filmed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The actor and singer is still performing at 100 years old, most recently appearing in Coldplay's "All My Love" video, which he produced with wife Arlene Silver in 2024. After Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Van Dyke went on to appear in movies like Dick Tracy and Night at the Museum, and in a murder mystery series, Diagnosis: Murder, with son Barry Van Dyke from 1993 to 2001.

At 97 years old, the performer became the oldest contestant on The Masked Singer and at 98, he took home a Daytime Emmy for a guest spot on Days of Our Lives.

Van Dyke has also been named a Disney Legend and a Kennedy Center honoree. "It was just a matter of enjoying myself," Van Dyke told Deadline in May 2024 of his long career. "I always loved what I was doing. If it had felt like work, I probably would have stopped it a long time ago."

In his personal life, Van Dyke has been married to his wife, Silver, since 2012.

02 of 08

Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious

Moviestore/Shutterstock ; John Lamparski/WireImage

Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ; Sally Ann Howes attends the Star Quality: The World of Noel Coward VIP reception on March 11, 2012 in New York City.

Howes appeared in the film as Truly Scrumptious, heir to the Scrumptious Candy Company, where Potts attempts to sell a whistling candy (another of his zany inventions) at the beginning of the movie. Eventually, she becomes Potts' love interest and joins the family on their adventure.

Howes appeared on Broadway — replacing Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady, among other productions — and in over 100 films, starting at age 12 in Thursday's Child. She also performed at the White House for Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

When auditioning for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Howes told the casting director she was a dancer, but she wasn't trained as one. When it came time to perform her big song and dance number in front of 150 extras, she was nervous.

"It was the most difficult thing in the world — it was mathematical to the nth degree," she said, according to The Times. "Everything's on a count. They put me up on this little box and off I went. I got it in one take, and I got a round of applause from all the extras."

After divorcing her first husband, Howes married composer and lyricist Richard Adler, and adopted his sons Christopher and Andrew. They later divorced, and she remarried twice after. Her fourth marriage was to literary agent Douglas Rae, and they were together from 1973 until his death in 2021. She died months later in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., at 91 years old.

03 of 08

Heather Ripley as Jemima Potts

Warfield/United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock ; Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Heather Ripley in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (1968) ; Heather Ripley during Opening Night for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Broadway in New York.

Heather Ripley was just 7 years old when she was cast in her acting debut as Jemima Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

"They thought I was perfect for the part, apart from the accent," she told The Guardian in 2002 of her Scottish accent. "But they said that wasn't a problem as they'd get rid of it. I thought that sounded a bit ominous. What did they mean? Brain surgery?"

After the movie, Ripley eventually left the film industry, settling back into a quieter life in Scotland. As an adult, she joined her family's optician business and became an activist, as well as a mother of two.

04 of 08

Adrian Hall as Jeremy Potts

Warfield/United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock ; Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Adrian Hall in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (1968) ; Adrian Hall during Opening Night for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Broadway in New York.

Adrian Hall was the same age as Ripley when he played her brother, Jeremy Potts. He went on to have a few more film roles throughout the '70s and '80s before retiring from acting.

Per Ripley's interview with The Guardian, Hall was a drama teacher as of 2002 and eventually became principal of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts until 2020.

05 of 08

Lionel Jeffries as Grandpa Potts

Moviestore/Shutterstock

Lionel Jeffries in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Jeffries came up in West End theater productions and films in both England and Hollywood. In 1967, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for The Spy with a Cold Nose.

In Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, he played Grandpa Potts, the family patriarch who is kidnapped by the dastardly Baron Bomburst after being mistaken for his son Caractacus. In addition to acting, Jeffries was also a screenwriter and director of films like The Railway Children.

He was married to Eileen Walsh, and they had three children together. Jeffries died in 2010 at 83 years old.

06 of 08

Gert Fröbe as Baron Bomburst

Moviestore/Shutterstock; Helmut Reiss/United Archives/Getty

Gert Frobe in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ; Gert Froebe at an evening event, Germany, circa 1985

Fröbe appeared in nearly 100 films, including 1964's Goldfinger, in which he played the titular villainous role.

Four years later, he starred as the kidnapping villain in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Both projects were based on work by Fleming, who also wrote the James Bond novels.

Fröbe was married five times and had two sons. He died in Germany in 1988 at 75 years old.

07 of 08

Anna Quayle as Baroness Bomburst

Moviestore/Shutterstock ; Michael Crabtree/PA Images/Getty

Anna Quayle in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' ; Anna Quayle arriving at the Tricycle Theatre in London

British actress Anna Quayle had already won a Tony for her performance in Stop the World — I Want to Get Off and appeared in the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night when she was cast as the wife of Baron Bomburst.

The two had a duet, "Chu-Chi Face," a slapstick number where he keeps trying to comedically kill her while they're singing about their love for one another.

Quayle died in 2019 at 86 years old.

08 of 08

Benny Hill as Toymaker

Warfield/United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock; Ron Galella Collection/Getty

Benny Hill in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ; Benny Hill attends the 17th annual International Emmy Awards in New York, November 20, 1989

British comedy legend Benny Hill hadn't yet risen to fame on his eponymous The Benny Hill Show when he landed the small role of Toymaker in the film.

But just after its 1968 release, Hill's show caught on in America, becoming one of the most popular shows of its time. Hill's 1992 obituary in The Telegraph described him as "the world's most popular comedian - the star of television shows which were screened in more than 100 countries and achieved audiences that even Charlie Chaplin never matched."

Hill died in 1992 at 67 years old.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Entertainment"

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Source: Entertainment

Published: January 03, 2026 at 03:00PM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 03, 2026

Where Is the “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” Cast Now? Here's What Happened to the Stars Over 50 Years After Its Release

Where Is the " Chitty Chitty Bang Bang " Cast Now? Here's What Happened to the Stars Over 50 Years Af...

Read More