Ananya Iyer
Entertainment Editor
82 articles · Writes about Entertainment
Ananya Iyer leads entertainment coverage at The NE Times, following film, streaming, music and the stars and stories audiences are talking about.
Latest by Ananya Iyer

Who Will Be the Next James Bond? Villeneuve's August Auditions Are the Real Story
Denis Villeneuve is personally calling actors back for the next James Bond audition round, but Amazon MGM has not signed a new 007.

Charles Melton Is in Final Talks to Play Kakashi in Lionsgate’s Live-Action Naruto
Charles Melton is in final negotiations to play Kakashi in Lionsgate’s live-action Naruto, with Team 7 casting still open and no deal announced.

Spider-Man Is Poised for a Fourth Box-Office Weekend at No 1 After Insidious Wins Friday
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is projected to win a fourth weekend despite Insidious topping Friday, while Sony controls the top two spots.

Madonna Leads the 2026 MTV Video Music Award Nominations With Eleven
Taylor Swift follows with nine and Best Dance returns after seven years, ahead of a 27 September ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Jason Statham's Mutiny Opens to Mixed Reviews and a 51 Per Cent Rotten Tomatoes Score
Jean-Francois Richet's cargo-ship thriller landed on 21 August with a B+ CinemaScore and critics split over whether the formula still works.

Four Antonello da Messina Panels Vanish From a Sicilian Museum on Italy's Biggest Summer Holiday
Thieves entered the Messina regional museum during the Ferragosto procession and left with works valued at up to 80 million euros.

Spa Weekend Opens in Cinemas as Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann and Anna Faris Chase the Female Hangover
The Palm Springs comedy from The Hangover's writers lands with a starry cast, a chaotic production tale and reviews that range from fond to brutal.

Dave Bautista Is Officially Kratos: Amazon Recasts God of War After Ryan Hurst's On-Set Injury
The Guardians of the Galaxy star replaces Ryan Hurst, who tore a bicep in an on-set stunt; Hurst's scenes will be reshot and filming restarts in 2027.

Julia Stiles and Tatyana Ali Join Dancing With the Stars, as Season 35's Cast Takes Shape Before the Big Reveal
The Save the Last Dance star headlines the early names for season 35, with the full cast to be revealed on Good Morning America on 2 September.

A YouTuber Went Undercover Inside Provo Canyon School — and His Film Lands Just as Utah Shuts It Down
Reckless Ben posed as a student at the facility Paris Hilton says abused her, filming its hiring and restraint practices weeks before its licences ended.

Outer Banks Returns for Its Fifth and Final Season, as the Pogues Mourn JJ and Hunt the Blue Crown One Last Time
All ten episodes of the Netflix hit's farewell season arrived at once, picking up after the loss of JJ in Morocco and the theft of the Blue Crown.

Post Malone Is Engaged to Christy Lee, a Year and a Half After the Romance That Followed His Split From Jamie Park
The rapper proposed in Utah, with the news confirmed through ring photos posted by Lee's best friend after the couple rekindled their romance.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Moving Back to Britain, Six Years After Walking Away
The Sussexes will return to the UK with Archie and Lilibet in the coming weeks, keeping their Montecito home as the family's American chapter closes.

Landman Season 3 Is Confirmed to Start Filming in September, and It Is Staying on Paramount+ Despite Sheridan's Peacock Deal
Cast member James Jordan says cameras roll in September, with production into 2027; Taylor Sheridan's NBCUniversal move leaves the show untouched.

Bad Bunny Will Close a $438 Million World Tour With Two Homecoming Nights in San Juan
The Debi Tirar Mas Fotos tour ends on 22 and 23 August at Estadio Hiram Bithorn, nine months and 55 shows after it began.

Christian Metal Band Demon Hunter Sues Netflix and AEG Over the KPop Demon Hunters Name
A band that has toured under the name since the turn of the century says a hit film and its 150-city tour are taking its ticket sales.

Reacher Season 4 Lands on Prime Video as August's Streaming Slate Hits Full Stride
Alan Ritchson's drifter returns in a Philadelphia-set season that critics are calling the show's strongest, headlining a packed week that also brought Ted Lasso, Lanterns and a wave of theatrical arrivals to streaming.

Nick Reiner Indicted on Murder Charges in the Deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner
A grand jury indictment unsealed Wednesday charges the 32-year-old with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances in the December stabbing deaths of his parents; he pleaded not guilty and faces a possible death sentence if convicted.

Tom Segura Breaks His Silence on the 'Awful' Divorce From Christina Pazsitzky
A month after announcing their separation, the comedians addressed the end of their 18-year marriage on the podcast they still co-host, describing an amicable split centred on their two children.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Nears a Billion Dollars as Emily Wilson Challenges Its Adaptation Choices
The auteur's Homer adaptation pushed its run toward the billion-dollar mark, even as classicist Emily Wilson published a critique of how the film handles the poem.

California Backs 41 Productions With New Tax Credits in Bid to Win Back Filming
State officials picked 41 film and TV projects for fresh incentives, projecting billions in activity as California fights to win back production drifting elsewhere.

Blade Runner 2099 Trailer Introduces Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer to a New Replicant Era
Prime Video has released a first trailer for Blade Runner 2099, placing Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer at the heart of a television expansion of the sci-fi world.

Avengers: Doomsday Footage, Doctor Doom and an Endgame Rerelease Rebuild Marvel's Event Strategy
Marvel screened new Avengers: Doomsday footage with Doctor Doom, and set an Endgame rerelease for September 25, doubling down on legacy and event exclusivity.
Avatar: Seven Havens Trailer Introduces a New Avatar and Sets Paramount+ Premiere
Paramount+ has released a trailer for Avatar: Seven Havens, introducing Pavi as the next Avatar and setting an October 9 premiere for the beloved animated world.

Ariana Grande Sues Unidentified Hackers Over Unreleased Music and Private Files
The singer filed suit against anonymous defendants over alleged theft of unreleased music and private files, spotlighting how artists pursue hidden attackers.

Apple TV Releases the First Neuromancer Teaser and Sets a January 2027 Premiere
Apple TV has unveiled a teaser for its ten-episode Neuromancer adaptation with Callum Turner and Briana Middleton, setting a January 22, 2027 weekly premiere.

Antenna Releasing and Deaf Crocodile Plan a Video Store and Microcinema
Two independent distributors announced plans for a combined physical-media store and microcinema, amid renewed interest in curated exhibition and collecting.

ABC Builds Its 2026 Fall Schedule Around Dancing With the Stars, Abbott and 9-1-1
The network has locked in autumn premiere dates, leaning on live competition, comedy and procedural drama to anchor a lineup competing with streaming and sports.

Futurama Season 14 Returns With Two Supersized Specials
Futurama came back on August 3 with two supersized specials, streaming on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ in participating international territories.

Starz Sends Four Power Series to Netflix Overseas While Keeping the US Home
Starz has licensed four Power universe series to Netflix overseas while keeping the franchise home in the US and holding back its newer projects.
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