Like most people, I don’t think I could put a price on my friendships. These are people I’ve grown up alongside, who’ve seen me at my best and worst, and who I’d go to the ends of the Earth for. But, apparently, film icon John Lithgow prioritizes a hefty payday over his friends. 6a465w

In an interview with Variety, Lithgow outlines a bizarre incident involving his casting in HBO’s Harry Potter remake show. This remake is proving to be a hot potato on all fronts, though primarily because J.K. Rowling just personally funded a successful legal battle to strip rights from and enforce discrimination against trans people in the United Kingdom.

Every actor clambering aboard HBO’s Hogwarts Express will be fully aware of this, especially as their social medias are now full of heartbroken fans pleading for them not to align themselves with Rowling. However, Lithgow has at least made his position clear: he doesn’t care.

“A very good friend who is the mother of a trans child” sent him an open letter pleading with him to walk away from Rowling. The letter praises Lithgow for his career-long “love and acceptance of the LGBTQ community”, pointing out that he said “Nobody in society should have to hide who they are, or feel like they’re second class citizens in any way”, and underlining that he scored an Oscar nomination in 1982 for playing a trans character.

The letter ends with a plea for Lithgow to “stand with trans young people” as the community “could use your now more than ever.” So, on one hand, you have your good friend’s emotional letter to you outlining how this would make you a massive hypocrite and urging you to do well, and on the other, you have a big HBO payday.

Lithgow told Variety the letter “was the canary in the coal mine”. But even if that bird chirped and flapped around a little, it was soon a rotting yellow lump on the cage floor. Lithgow’s takeaway was apparently… nothing: “I thought, ‘Why is this a factor at all?’ I wonder how J.K. Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her, and I’m curious to talk to her.”

Needless to say, fans of Lithgow are disgusted, with most wondering why he’d burn decades of goodwill for a payday that’ll make no material difference to his day-to-day life:

John Lithgow took the time to come straight out and say that he cares more about his last big paycheck than the harm caused by further enriching and empowering a well-known public bigot. https://t.co/q5hhH6tWnZ

— Gentleman Doofus (@GentleDoofus) April 28, 2025

John Lithgow, coming off a popular award winning film, getting ready to do the last role of his career by tarnishing his reputation to be in a mid remake TV series produced by a psycho for a paycheck he won’t live to fully enjoy anyway: pic.twitter.com/1R3ZcHedv4 https://t.co/gKICaio1Sk

— ₮ł₥Ø₮ⱧɎ (@TimothyYBarrett) April 28, 2025

JK Rowling makes it abundantly clear what she does with her money. It's all she talks about it. You can't feign ignorance about something like this and brush it off like it's all so silly. To know the facts and take that paycheck? No different than blood money.

— Brandon Streussnig (@BrndnStrssng) April 28, 2025

It’s deeply depressing to see an actor I deeply respected fritter away his reputation like this. But hey, Lithgow “just” has a net worth of around $50 million, so maybe the Rowling paycheque will mean he can finally afford that ivory backscratcher he’s been coveting all this time. What Rowling is doing with her money is evil but, as far as Lithgow is concerned, evil clearly pays.

HBO is about to find out whether Harry Potter is still popular. The books and the movies are 21st century cultural landmarks, but since The Deathly Hallows Part 2 wrapped up it’s been in slow decline. The Fantastic Beasts franchise fizzled out, various transmedia projects have cratered and, y’know, there’s the whole J.K. Rowling thing.

But HBO and Warner Bros are putting all their eggs in the remake basket, with a mega-budget fresh adaptation of the original books with an all-new cast. Now they’ve confirmed the casting of six key characters. Here they are:

Dumbledore – John Lithgow 3u146v

No surprises here, given he’d already been all-but confirmed, but John Lithgow will be playing Dumbledore. Renowned across movies, TV, and theater, he’s won two Tony Awards, six Emmys, and two Golden Globes. Notable works include 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, The Crown, and films like Footloose and Interstellar.

Severus Snape – Paapa Essiedu 311f5v

In a piece of casting guaranteed to cause a lot of debate, Paapa Essiedu, a British actor of Ghanian descent will play Severus Snape. Essiedu has a strong pedigree in the Royal Shakespeare Company, delivering acclaimed lead performances in Hamlet and King Lear. His breakout role in 2020’s I May Destroy You garnered Emmy and BAFTA nominations. Essiedu has also appeared on TV in Gangs of London and The Lazarus Project, and in the films Men and The Outrun.

Janet McTeer – Minerva McGonagall 3l2x2t

Janet McTeer is taking over from the much-missed Maggie Smith as McGonagall. In 1997 McTeer won a Tony for A Doll’s House and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for 1997’s Tumbleweeds. Other Notable roles include Albert Nobbs, The White Queen, Ozark, Jessica Jones, and The Menu.

Quirinus Quirrel – Luke Thallon 3v122a

Playing the (literally) two-faced villain Quirrel will be Luke Thallon, a British actor primarily known for his theater work. He won the Clarence Derwent Award for Leopoldstadt and was nominated for an Evening Standard Award for Albion. Other Notable roles include Hamlet (RSC), Patriots (Broadway), and Present Laughter (Old Vic). On screen, he appeared in The Favourite and A Room with a View.

Hagrid – Nick Frost 5xr

In a truly inspired bit of casting, cult TV icon Nick Frost will be playing Hagrid. He rose to fame in classic British comedy Spaced, before becoming a fixture in Edgar Wright’s “Cornetto Trilogy” (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End) alongside Simon Pegg. Frost’s other credits include Into the Badlands and Fighting with My Family.

Argus Filch – Paul Whitehouse 5x55a

The perpetually grumpy Argus Filch will be played by the altogether more cheery Paul Whitehouse. The British comedy legend co-created The Fast Show, starred in Harry & Paul, Happiness, and co-wrote Only Fools and Horses specials. His movie work includes The Death of Stalin and Ghost Stories. A BAFTA winner, he’s hilarious in Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

There are, of course, more cast to come, so we’ll keep this article updated as and when the rest of the Hogwarts teachers and students are confirmed. Here’s hoping we get to see our new Harry, Ron, and Hermione very soon.

We’re only just recovering from the finale of The White Lotus and HBO is already serving us another slice of appointment television viewing, courtesy of The Last of Us season two. 

While the sophomore installment of the zombie drama series technically hasn’t arrived for us regular folk (it lands on Max on April 13), the new batch of episodes has been previewed by critics, meaning we’ve gotten a pre-season insight into what we can expect when Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey finally grace our screens once more. While we shouldn’t have expected anything less, the critics’ response to the seven-episode season is (almost) unanimously positive, with an accompanying score on Rotten Tomatoes to match.

The review aggregator has crunched the numbers, and The Last of Us’ second season now boasts 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 44 reviews of the new installment. For its part, The Age praised the series for its “expanded scale” and “thrilling and horrifying” depiction of the infected, while Consequence commended the season for “continu[ing] to be a powerful, emotional, and often brutal story about what it means to survive.” 

Elsewhere, The Daily Beast wrote that The Last of Us remains “the finest video game adaptation ever,” and Empire said season two “delivers at almost every turn.” For all its fans, however, there were some quibbles mentioned by critics of season two. Los Angeles Times wrote that it is “an oddly constructed season of television” in of answering some questions while leaving others unresolved, while The Hollywood Reporter said that while “thrilling and addicting” the lasting impression of season two “is one of anticlimax.” 

#TheLastOfUs Review: "The first installments of part two are carried by a breathless momentum…Those who’ve complained about the relative lack of zombie action will be pleased to find there’s no shortage of it this year" https://t.co/4AFSE68Hyu pic.twitter.com/vQiMcRR22n

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 7, 2025

Rolling Stone, meanwhile, praised the season’s visuals but wanted more from the “focus on Ellie and Joel’s relationship that made Season One superb,” sharing a similar sentiment with Time’s assessment that the show “is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success.” On the character front, Variety commended the sophomore outing for allowing Ramsey’s Ellie to “take the reins,” and multiple critics were big fans of newcomer castmate Catherine O’Hara. 

The fan response to The Last of Us’ season two critics score was similarly divided, though many fell on the side of excitement regardless of what the critics had to say. “Can’t wait,” one fan wrote, with another (correctly) adding that “anything with Pedro Pascal is a banger.” The audience response to season two is the latest update we’ve gotten ahead of its release, with two trailers for the season arriving in January and March. Elsewhere, we learned that Booksmart and Apple Cider Vinegar star Kaitlyn Dever was ing the season two cast, and saw glimpses of specific scenes as part of HBO’s recent supercut of shows slated for release this year. 

Wherever the critics may land in of the quality of season two, we can at least rest assured that 2025 has already delivered us multiple prestige TV moments. Between Severance, The White Lotus and now The Last of Us, I’m starting to think I need a day off to binge all these long-awaited returns. Thankfully, I still have a few days before season two arrives to nurse those White Lotus finale wounds. HBO, please be mindful of my fragile state when plotting Pascal’s season two character arc, I can’t take anymore heartbreak!

The Lannisters aren’t the only ones paying their debts — nature has reversed a 12,500-year-old debt, returning dire wolves to a throne they never truly abandoned.

Indeed, dire wolves are no longer a fantasy confined to the Seven Kingdoms. They’re real. They’ve returned to the world. In a groundbreaking development, Colossal Biosciences revealed they’ve successfully “de-extincted” the ancient animal. Three pups — named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi (because of course they couldn’t resist the pop culture nod) — were born between October 2024 and January 2025. The twin males arrived first on October 1st, while little Khaleesi followed on January 30th. 

SOUND ON. You’re hearing the first howl of a dire wolf in over 10,000 years. Meet Romulus and Remus—the world’s first de-extinct animals, born on October 1, 2024.

The dire wolf has been extinct for over 10,000 years. These two wolves were brought back from extinction using… pic.twitter.com/wY4rdOVFRH

— Colossal Biosciences® (@colossal) April 7, 2025

All three were born to surrogate mother dogs at an undisclosed wildlife facility in the United States, where they’re being raised away from public view. This marks humanity’s first successful resurrection of a species whose genetic lineage completely vanished from the planet thousands of years ago.

The real dire wolves — Canis dirus, or “fearsome dog”— were absolutely nothing to mess with. Standing roughly 5 feet long and weighing up to 175 pounds, these were not just slightly larger cousins to today’s wolves. They were specialized killing machines with massive crushing jaws that produced bite forces powerful enough to shatter bone. Archaeological evidence shows they hunted in packs across North America during the Late Pleistocene, bringing down giant sloths, horses, and even young mammoths. Unlike modern wolves, dire wolves had broader, shorter snouts and more robust frames — built less for endurance chases and more for ambush-style attacks on megafauna that dwarf anything alive today. When they vanished around 10,000-12,500 years ago during the last major extinction event, North America lost its most formidable land predator.

Colossal, a biotech firm founded in 2021, employed what amounts to genetic retrofitting. Scientists extracted DNA from two ancient samples — a 13,000-year-old tooth from Ohio and a 72,000-year-old ear bone from Idaho — nd sequenced the genome. Rather than attempting to rebuild the entire genome from fragments, they identified 14 key genetic differences between dire wolves and modern gray wolves, then used CRISPR gene-editing technology to rewrite those specific genes in gray wolf cells.

Researchers drew blood from modern gray wolves and isolated specific cells called endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) that form blood vessel linings. After editing these cells to match dire wolf genetics, they transferred the modified nuclei into emptied egg cells. Out of 45 engineered embryos, three successfully developed to term after being implanted in female dogs chosen specifically for their size and health. The result? Puppies that aren’t “pure” dire wolves in the strictest sense, but genetically modified organisms that express the key physical and behavioral traits that made Canis dirus unique.

I’m not saying we’re headed for a Jurassic Park scenario here, but there’s something profoundly unsettling about resurrecting predators that nature itself phased out millennia ago. Are we prepared for what happens when these animals reach adulthood? And ethically speaking, we’re creating beings designed for a world that no longer exists. That said, I can’t help but feel a thrill at the notion that something previously confined to fantasy (and prehistoric reality) now breathes the same air we do. Colossal isn’t stopping at dire wolves, either. They’ve already created a “woolly mouse” with mammoth-like adaptations and have the dodo and Tasmanian tiger in their sights next. As a species, we’re now gods playing with the fundamental boundaries of life and death. If that doesn’t both excite and terrify you, you haven’t been paying attention.

The hit HBO show The White Lotus just wrapped up its third season with another dramatic finale, leaving fans excited for details about season four. While the exact setting is still a secret, the show’s creator, Mike White, has dropped some big hints that rule out a few possibilities. To make sense of these clues, we need to look at how the show has developed so far and what the production team has said publicly.

The first three seasons all followed a similar pattern: they took place at high-end beach resorts. Hawaii, Sicily, and Thailand all provided beautiful oceanfront backdrops, with the story often highlighting the sound of waves and rocky shores. However, According to Today, White has made it clear that he wants to move away from this style for season four. When he said he wants to step back from the “crashing waves and rocks” vibe, it strongly suggests the next season won’t be set by the sea, which narrows down the possible locations.

That doesn’t mean the show will lose its dark humor, social satire, or tense drama. White has promised HBO that “there’s always room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels,” so the core of the series will stay the same, even if the scenery changes.

White Lotus season 4 will be somewhere close 3pzg

Another important factor is the deal between HBO and the Four Seasons hotel chain. This partnership, officially announced in October 2024, means future seasons will continue to be filmed at Four Seasons properties. While this limits the options, it also guarantees the same level of luxury that fits the show’s style.

This deal, along with HBO executive sca Orsi’s announcement to Deadline in February that they were scouting locations in Europe, makes it very likely that season four will be set at a European Four Seasons. Orsi didn’t give specifics, but her comment reinforces the idea that Europe is the top choice.

However, White’s well-known dislike of cold weather cuts down the options even more. Executive producer Dave Bernard confirmed that a ski resort is out of the question because White prefers warmer places. This means many mountain or high-altitude resorts in Europe won’t be considered.

Looking at the list of possible Four Seasons locations in Europe, we can eliminate several right away. Big cities like London, Paris, and Istanbul probably won’t be chosen because the show has always focused on more remote, resort-style settings. The same goes for other major cities like Madrid, Lisbon, Geneva, and Prague. That leaves a smaller group of potential spots, mostly secluded resorts or countryside properties in Europe.

One article listed a few possible Four Seasons locations, including Athens, the French Riviera, Hampshire (England), Mallorca, and Megève (). Megève’s Four Seasons is open year-round, but since it’s in the French Alps and White doesn’t like cold weather, it’s probably not the pick. That leaves the Four Seasons Astir Palace in Athens, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera, the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, and the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca as the most likely options—though even these depend on whether the setting is more inland or still near the water.

In the end, all signs point to a European Four Seasons location, but the exact choice is still a mystery. There’s always a small chance the show could surprise everyone and go somewhere outside Europe, despite the location scouting and the Four Seasons deal. We’ll just have to wait and see where The White Lotus heads next.

Adam Devine, the funny actor you might know from movies like Pitch Perfect and TV shows like Modern Family and Workaholics. He recently shared a scary story about his health that started with a terrible accident when he was a kid. When he was just 11 years old, he was hit by a huge cement truck—weighing 42 tons—while crossing the street.

Devine was on his way to a store with a friend to buy candy and magazines when the accident happened, according to  “In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast. The crash was so bad that it threw him about 500 feet, collapsed one of his lungs, and put him in a coma for two weeks. His injuries were so serious that he couldn’t walk for two whole years after the accident.

The crash left him with a lot of long-term health problems. Right after it happened, he had to go through more than 26 surgeries, and since then, he’s had maybe another dozen. The injuries damaged his legs, his groin, his hip ligament, and his back, and he needed lots of skin grafts and physical therapy just to learn how to sit and stand again. He jokes that his legs look like “uncooked chicken.”

Adam Devine’s childhood accident leads to life-threatening diagnosis 5r1x5d

Even after all those surgeries and rehab, the effects of his injuries have followed Devine into adulthood. Last year, things got even worse for his health. At first, doctors told him he had something called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare disease that makes your muscles stiff and causes painful spasms. Getting this diagnosis was especially hard because it happened just one month before his son, Beau, was born.

The doctors even told him he might only have a few years left to live, which made him terrified of leaving his son without a father. But later, they realized that first diagnosis was wrong. After more tests and talking to a specialist who actually helped name “Stiff Person Syndrome,” they figured out that his current health problems were actually because of his childhood accident.

The muscle spasms and tightness were likely his body’s reaction to the old injuries and all the physical stress he went through years ago. The expert explained that his body just couldn’t handle all the damage from the accident anymore. Even though this new explanation still meant he had serious health issues, it was at least a relief to know he didn’t have a rare, deadly disease.

Devine still deals with physical problems every day. Sitting, standing, or walking for too long causes him pain. He thinks his symptoms got worse because of the intense workouts he was doing—like cycling and CrossFit—which he started three years ago. He believes those exercises pushed his body too hard, leading to a painful breaking point.

Even with all the pain and uncertainty about his health, Devine has kept working and succeeding in Hollywood. His comedy career actually started during his long recovery as a kid. Stuck in a wheelchair, he would call radio stations and make funny impressions to win concert tickets and CDs. That experience gave him confidence and eventually led him to move to Los Angeles to become an actor.

Right now, he’s trying stem cell treatments and says he feels better than he has in the past three years. Even though his health struggles aren’t over, his experience proves his strength and positivity, always finding humor and hope in hard times. This has also made him closer to his family and more grateful for life.

HBO’s award-winning series The White Lotus has become a hit by poking fun at the lives of the super-rich. But the way the show handles salaries behind the scenes is just as interesting as the stories it tells. Unlike most big TV shows, The White Lotus uses a fair and unusual payment system: every main actor gets paid the same amount.

This equal-pay approach, which has been in place since the first season, gives each main cast member about $40,000 per episode according to Business Insider. For a standard eight−episode season, that adds up to around $40,000 per episode. For a standard eight−episode season, that adds up to around $320,000 total. While that’s still a good amount of money, it’s much less than what stars on other popular shows make.

For example, the main actors in Stranger Things reportedly earn between $6 million and $9 million per season. This discrepancy shows how different the pay scales can be. Even the later seasons of Game of Thrones had main actors making hundreds of thousands per episode. Actors are paid by what profits they will likely bring to the show or movie they’re in, which is why major actors make more.

The White Lotus actors get equal-pay rates 2370

The show’s creators chose this flat-rate system because of how the series started. The first season was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic on a tight budget, so they had to devise a smart way to cast actors. The equal pay and listing of actors alphabetically in the credits made things fair and helped attract performers who cared more about the script and the show’s growing reputation than just a big paycheck.

This payment system has affected who ended up getting cast. While the show’s success draws plenty of famous actors, the fixed salary plays a big role in their decision. Some actors, who want higher pay, turn down offers. For instance, Woody Harrelson was originally in talks for a role in season three but reportedly walked away when he couldn’t negotiate a higher salary.

This isn’t a workplace, so equal pay doesn’t make much sense when audiences are more likely to watch the show if a certain actor is in it. That’s how RDJ got so much for being in Spider-Man Homecoming. It’s like paying right now for what you’re sure you’ll make back later thanks to that actor being there.

David Schwimmer convinced the cast of Friends to work together, which is why they make so much money. He was a popular character and was set to be paid more than the others, but thought far enough ahead that he knew it could be more worthwhile to work with his cast mates. Now they all make a million per year for roles they did decades ago.

This shows that the producers won’t budge on the $40,000-per-episode rule. On the other hand, actors who do often do it because they want to be part of a well-respected show with a talented team, valuing the prestige and career boost over money.

The show’s casting director has said that many actors—even well-known ones—audition for roles, no matter how famous they are. This policy has stayed in place even as the show has gotten more popular, ensuring that skill and fit for the role matter more than star power or bargaining power. While some big-name actors might not usually audition for parts, many still see The White Lotus as a worthwhile opportunity, even if the pay is lower than what they’d normally make.

The sequel to the explosive 2019 Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland is set to release on YouTube after the original landed HBO is legal troubles. In the two-part original, Wade Robson, 42, and James Safechuck, 46, alleged they were sexually abused by the “Thriller” singer, starting from when they were seven and ten, respectively, and extending to when they were both 14.

The HBO documentary negatively affected Jackson’s public image in the immediate aftermath, with some radios removing his music from playlists and The Simpsons pulling his episode from circulation. In the long run, however, the popularity of his music and name was not impacted — at least not to the extent of what has happened to the reputations of artists like R. Kelly and Diddy. This could be one of the reasons director Dan Reed couldn’t find a more profitable home for his sequel.

The new documentary will follow Robson and Safechuck in their journey to seek legal action against the Jackson estate. According to Deadline, “the hour-long film will detail the personal toll of going public with their accusations and the backlash from Jackson’s global army of fans.” The two men were especially scrutinized at the time for having denied any abuse while Jackson was still alive. In the documentary, they explain that the birth of their children motivated them to finally come out with the truth.

Robson and Safechuck first sued MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures, Jackson’s production companies, in 2013 and 2014, respectively, for failing to protect them against the abuse, but combined their cases in 2024. The most recent update on their case came in August of last year when a judge denied the men access to Jackson’s criminal file from when he was accused of child molestation in the early 1990s, citing “procedural problems.”

Before that, in 2023, a California appeals court ruled that their lawsuits could move forward to trial after they had been dismissed in 2020 and 2021. Back then, a Los Angeles judge argued the companies had “no legal ability” to control the singer because he was their sole owner. But the appeals court disagreed, stating, “A corporation that facilitates the sexual abuse of children by one of its employees is not excused from an affirmative duty to protect those children merely because it is solely owned by the perpetrator of the abuse,” and adding, “It would be perverse to find no duty based on the corporate defendant having only one shareholder. And so we reverse the judgments entered for the corporations.”

No trial date has been set for the case as yet, but the new documentary could put pressure on the justice system. Though YouTube does not have the prestige of HBO, it could result in the new film reaching wider audiences, since it will be available for free on the platform’s Real Stories channel from the Little Dot Studios Network.

The former took over distribution from HBO after the first documentary landed the legacy network in hot water with the Jackson Estate. According to Deadline, “U.S. courts ruled that Leaving Neverland constituted a breach of a non-disparagement clause in a 1992 contract for an HBO concert special on Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’ tour.”

Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson is expected to land on YouTube for American and Canadian audiences shortly after it first airs on Britain’s Channel 4 on Mar. 18.

With its latest announcement, Max’s HBO reboot of Harry Potter has already broken one of original author J.K. Rowling’s strictest rules: not casting Americans. 

That’s right, after weeks of speculation, Emmy Award-winning (and American) actor John Lithgow has confirmed he is onboard to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore in the series, which will base each of its seasons on one of the original seven books. Lithgow confirmed the rumors of his role in a recent interview, saying that it was a “hard decision” since it is a character that will “define me for the last chapter” in his life. Nonetheless, the actor remains “very excited.”

EXCLUSIVE: John Lithgow confirms to ScreenRant he will play Dumbledore in the #HarryPotter TV show.

"You got a lot of books back there… I'm curious if you have any Harry Potter books back there">Adam Driver for Severus Snape and Timothée Chalamet as Regulus Black. Regardless, we already know Lithgow can nail the accent given his role as Winston Churchill in The Crown, so Max’s Harry Potter will retain at least some of the Britishness that fans adore.

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Did anyone really think the news of Euphoria season 3 would come without a few jokes? After waiting for what feels like an eternity, production has begun. While a number of important characters will not be returning, a new set of big names like Rosalía and Marshawn Lynch have ed the cast. 

However, in the true spirit of social media, Euphoria season 3 fan casts have now become the hilarious order of the day. Feeling a little hopeful? Simply add your favorite celebrity to a tweet that claims they’ve ed the cast, and who knows? The tweet just might go viral! Here’s the funniest celebrities that have been manifested to Rue, Cassie, and the rest of the troubled teens.

Kamala Harris 4e3v4h

The former VP may be a little too chipper and full of joy to kick it with the strung out folks at East Highland. But picture it: Rue is finally sober, Cassie has worked through her abandonment issues, Maddie is no longer insecure, and Nate has sought out the therapy he so desperately needs. Then out of the ashes, emerges Kamala, with a huge grin, saying “We did it, Rue!” 

Joseline Hernandez 1e5z1i

The no-nonsense reality TV diva would actually be a fantastic addition to the cast of Euphoria season 3 for a number of reasons. Firstly, Joseline Hernandez’s tough love might be what Rue needs to get back on the straight and narrow. Secondly, her matter-of-fact way of life means that nobody would cross her. She could be the hero, or the villain, both roles she’s shown off on the multiple reality TV shows she’s appeared in. One thing about Joseline? She’s afraid of nobody!

Madea (Mabel Simmons) 6q6r30

Madea is another no-nonsense, tough-loving disciplinarian that may prove to be the kick East Highlands needs to get back into shape. She’d turn the whole town upside down, before fixing it back together again. Rue could benefit from a grandma like Madea, but we all know that this gran’s methods may be a bit too… archaic. Surely, none of the teenagers will take kindly to getting their butts whooped. So, for this to work, Madea’s going to have to swap out the hands for some verbal lashings instead. 

Kylian Mbappé 393d17

Mbappé’s quite the showman off the pitch, but it’s his competitive side that would excel in a show like Euphoria. All he wants is to be the best, so whether that means out-singing Elliot, challenging Fez for Lexi’s heart, or just leading a new crop of soccer stars to global stardom, Mbappé’s the man for the job!

Freestyle Unity 51f6d

Freestyle Unity from The Parkers? Well, they just might be the musical group to breathe some life into Euphoria’s amazing, but darker soundtrack. Let’s face it, with the tone and pacing of the show, there’s not much room for some sleek RnB numbers, but the people want what they want! And maybe a fun, ing musical troupe is what Rue needs to keep her occupied and away from the drugs. After all, music has been shown to save lives.

For those in the know, season 2 of The Last of Us is not a cause for celebration. Many fans are excited to see the return of their favorite characters, but video game players know to approach this next phase in the HBO series with caution.

The reason for this is evident when watching the new teaser for the sophomore season. As soon as the trailer starts, fans are wrestled back to the scene of Joel and Ellie’s worst moment. Sirens screech throughout a darkly lit hospital hallway — the same one Joel shot his way through to rescue Ellie from the Fireflies deadly plan. This time when fans see the location, it’s through the perspective of a new character — Abby. Kaitlyn Dever dons the character’s iconic braid as she makes her way through the hallway, lit with a scathing red color scheme. The effect is unsettling, as many fans noted when taking to social media.

Fans are right to have some hesitance. Even for those who have not played the games, The Last of Us was never easy viewing. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic world where a deadly infection has turned people into fungus-ridden zombies, The Last of Us is an emotional story filled with themes of grief, loss, and redemption. To call the series bleak would be an understatement. The happiest episode is the only slightly tangential episode following the love story between Joel’s allies, Bill and Frank which earned Nick Offerman an Independent Spirit Award in 2024. The two experience what people even in the real world rarely get to have: a happy ending. This happy ending consists of them growing old together and eventually electing to die by suicide.

Such is the world of The Last of Us, and Bill and Frank’s ending gives context to why fans are so anxious going into season 2. With a new antagonist introduced in the aftermath of Joel’s bloodbath, the second season aims to be even more fraught with emotional trauma than the first.

The Last of Us trailer also presents happier times 1u36w

While The Last of Us season 2 trailer is punctuated with eery music and a dramatic voice-over, there are some things to look forward to. Season 2 will introduce Ellie’s love interest, Dina, who many fans theorized appeared in the first season in a younger version. The trailer shows a brief shot of Ellie dancing with the new character. Portrayed by Isabela Merced, Dina is the one source of light in Ellie’s life. As can be expected, Ellie isn’t fooled by Joel’s lie about the Firefly camp last season and things have deteriorated between them.

Dina’s arrival signals a new beginning for Ellie, who so rarely has experienced love without tragedy. Merced notably portrayed Kay in Alien: Romulus, as well as starred in Sony’s ill-fated Madame Web film. Her role in The Last of Us will likely yield better results than the Spider-Man adjacent film. Viewers can look forward to the new season of The Last of Us when it premieres on Max in April.

In recent years, HBO has had many hits, but one of the biggest has been the small-screen adaption of the hit video game The Last of Us. Naturally, given the mammoth success of season one, it will return for another outing, and now we know when exactly it will land.

HBO’s The Last of Us began airing in January of 2023 and instantly became a hit. The show succeeded in not just capturing the audience that was already in love with the franchise from the video games, but also in bringing in millions of new viewers who weren’t previously familiar with the beloved intellectual property.

On Jan. 6, 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced the release month for season two of The Last of Us, with a fresh new trailer showing off footage from the season. The Last of Us Season 2 will be released in April of 2025, so it’s time to whip out your calenders and start counting down the days.

Season 2 will include 7 episodes in total, so you’ve got at least seven weeks of the show to look forward to. Alongside the release month’s announcement, a logline for the next season was also shared — and it revealed how long the time skip will be between the first two seasons.

“Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”

The cast of The Last of Us season two is mostly made up of returning stars which include Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and Gabriel Luna. But there are also new cast ing the mix, including Kaitlyn Dever, who will play Abby, and Isabela Merced who will portray Dina. You can check out the full list of stars set to appear on IMDb right now.

Season 2 of The Last of Us is something that fans of the franchise have been curious about, given how the story was handled in the game series. The Last of Us 2 was slammed with criticism from gamers when it was released, with a large portion of that backlash coming as a result of questionable narrative decisions. It remains to be seen if any of this will be changed for the show, but given how faithful the first season was to the original game, it’s not likely. Of course, there’s still a large portion of gamers out there who loved the sequel, so keeping things the same would be welcome news for them. 

In the new teaser footage shared ahead of the season, we get a variety of different shots that show battles going down between both the survivors themselves, and the infected — but for those who haven’t played the second game, it may be a little hard to follow exactly what is going on. The good news is that all will be revealed when the show returns in April.

If you haven’t yet rummaged through HBOs The Last of Us, or just want to refresh your (hopefully not undead) brain before season two gets here, then you can stream every episode of the series so far on Max right now.