Gunning plays Annie, Dockery is Julia, O’Reilly is Silvana, Swindell is Suzy and de Leon is Elena, Deadline and Variety both confirmed. Production is due to begin in Australia later this year. Creator Jude Mack wrote the hour-long episodes and executive produces alongside director Emma Freeman, Hera Pictures’ Liza Marshall and Bria Thomas, and Warner Bros. International Television Production’s Hamish Lewis and David Belshaw; Laurie Borg serves as series producer.

Mack billed the show as “a wild, messy journey of self-discovery” and said it is “a complete dream to be carrying Shirley Conran’s torch alongside Hera and Netflix,” adding that audiences will meet “funny, brutal, bold women.” Marshall said Netflix has “wholeheartedly embraced the scale and ambition of the show” and called Freeman “the perfect director to take us on the ride,” language that also appears in Netflix Tudum’s Oct. 8 cast announcement.

Gunning remains closely associated with her Emmy-winning turn as Martha in Netflix’s Baby Reindeer; Dockery is best known as Lady Mary in Downton Abbey and has recent credits including Godless and Anatomy of a Scandal. O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma work across Star Wars — including Andor — and Swindell’s turns in Prime Target and Black Adam round out a cast Netflix is positioning for both prestige drama and survival-thriller marketing. No release date has been announced.

Netflix Tudum framed the greenlight around Conran’s bestseller and the question of whether the four leads can put aside differences, self-doubts and vanities to stay alive. The combination of a classic airport-read IP, a female-led ensemble and Australian location shooting puts Feral in the same broad Netflix lane as high-concept limited dramas that travel globally without relying on a pre-existing streaming franchise.

Deadline’s Oct. 6 report also sketched the representatives behind the new leads — United Agents and WME among Dockery’s team, RGM and United Agents for O’Reilly, Gersh for Swindell and de Leon — a casting-desk detail that usually accompanies a locked series order. Variety’s matching Oct. 6 piece independently confirmed the same four lead names, de Leon’s supporting role, the Australia shoot window and Hera Pictures’ Marshall quote, giving the greenlight two major trade confirmations on the same day before Tudum’s Oct. 8 consumer-facing write-up. Together the trades and Tudum leave little ambiguity: Feral is an ordered seven-episode Netflix drama based on Conran’s novel, not a pitch still shopping for a home.

Survival dramas with all-female ensembles have tested well for streamers when the tone mixes dark comedy and peril, a lane Gunning’s Baby Reindeer fame and Dockery’s period-prestige profile can stretch in opposite directions. If Freeman’s Australian shoot lands the island scale Marshall described, Netflix will have another global English-language original built on literary IP and a contained cast.

For studio-watchers, the project also underscores Hera Pictures’ continuing pipeline of literary adaptations for streamers after prior prestige partnerships. With filming set to start before year-end and a seven-episode order already locked, Feral is one of the clearer new Netflix drama greenlights of early October 2026. More streaming and studio coverage is on our Studio page.

Verification: Netflix greenlight, seven episodes, Gunning/Dockery/O’Reilly/Swindell/de Leon roles, Conran Savages premise, Australia production, Mack/Freeman/Hera/WBITVP producers and quotes from Deadline (Oct. 6, 2026) and Variety (Oct. 6, 2026); Tudum cast/plot confirmation from Netflix Tudum (Oct. 8, 2026).

Human-created launches slowed sharply in the third quarter: 25,790 new human shows arrived between July and September, and September alone was the lowest full month of the year, with fewer than half the 20,236 human-created debuts recorded in January, Podcast News Daily reported. Episode output has not collapsed with the launch drought. Listen Notes tallied about 19.8 million episodes published year-to-date through the same window, a run rate that could exceed 26 million for the full year and approach 2025’s 27.3 million — well below the 31-million-plus peaks of 2020–21, but still a heavy production load carried mostly by established catalogs.

Shows are also dying less often. Listen Notes classified 15,985 podcasts as “dead” so far in 2026 — feeds deleted or marked complete — compared with 35,320 for all of 2025 and 47,502 in 2024, and far below the 167,000-plus annual wipeouts of 2020 and 2021. That combination of rising active counts and falling permanent closures paints an industry driven by sustained publishing rather than constant churn, Podcast News Daily argued.

Artificial intelligence now fills a visible share of the launch funnel. Listen Notes separates human-created and AI-generated podcasts in its monthly figures; 10,531 AI-generated shows launched in Q3, about 29% of all new podcasts that quarter. AI’s share peaked at 32.1% in February and eased to 26.1% in September, its lowest level since January. The Listen Notes podcast-stats feed, updated Oct. 10, independently shows the same monthly slide in human-created launches — from 20,249 in January to 8,848 in September — and records roughly 20.4 million new episodes and 116,258 new podcasts year-to-date as of that refresh.

Geography and language remain concentrated. Podcast News Daily said 64.9% of podcasts created so far originated in the United States, with Brazil (5.6%), Indonesia (3.9%), Germany (3.1%) and France (2.6%) trailing; English accounts for about 60.8% of tracked shows, followed by Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian and German. For networks and indie hosts, the takeaway is less gold-rush discovery and more pressure to keep existing shows consistent in a market where algorithms already favor catalogs that publish every week.

Industry trackers and creator tools have spent 2025–26 rebuilding chart and analytics layers after Chartable’s shutdown, making Listen Notes’ public stats one of the few open windows into launch versus activity trends. The October read suggests podcasting’s “quiet boom” belongs to shows that keep shipping episodes, even as first-time creators find a narrower on-ramp. More industry coverage is on our Podcasts page.

Verification: 563,571 active YTD, 113,332 launches through September, Q3 human 25,790 / AI 10,531 (~29%), September vs January human debuts, 19.8M episodes, 15,985 dead, geo/language shares from Podcast News Daily (Oct. 9, 2026); monthly human/AI launch table and YTD episode/new-podcast totals from Listen Notes podcast-stats.md (updated Oct. 10, 2026).

Fans 21 and older can already buy the Smirnoff Ice Bottle Costume from Shop.Smirnoff.com for $9.99, a bottle-shaped Halloween outfit the brand positioned as a last-minute costume fix and that Broski models in campaign creative, Global Drinks Intel confirmed Oct. 5. Video spots are rolling across Broski’s and Smirnoff Ice’s U.S. social channels, and the company said more “chaos, content and drops” are planned through the holidays without disclosing the full length of the partnership.

“When Smirnoff Ice approached me they gave me a lot of room to be creative… so naturally, I had to write a fake mustache and a bald cap into the script to really make it my own and Smirnoff was totally down to get weird with me,” Broski said in the PR Newswire release. Smirnoff Ice director Fergus McCarthy framed the casting around her “perfectly chaotic energy,” telling the brand’s press kit that Halloween is “just the start” of what the two sides plan to build together.

The Halloween bash is billed as an over-the-top night of spooky surprises and costume contests judged by Broski herself — the first event of its kind for Smirnoff Ice, according to both the Oct. 1 release and Drinks Intel’s follow-up. Broski rose to wider fame after a 2019 kombucha-tasting clip went viral and has since cut drinks-brand work that includes a prior White Claw partnership under Molson Coors, Drinks Intel noted, placing the Smirnoff Ice deal in a familiar creator-alcohol lane rather than a one-off cameo.

For Diageo North America, the push sits alongside earlier 2026 Smirnoff Ice activations such as a U.S. Love Island flavor-vote stunt, keeping the RTD brand in entertainment and social conversation while leaning on a creator who already hosts and produces her own comedy and podcast projects. Shoppers are pointed to @SmirnoffUSA for merch and drop updates, with the usual responsible-drinking reminder attached to every official post.

Beverage Industry and BevNews also covered the collaboration in early October, underscoring that the push is aimed at consumers 21 and older and that Broski’s hosted bash is meant to double as a costume-contest moment and a content engine for Smirnoff Ice’s social channels. That multi-touch structure — costume SKU, scripted weirdness, live party, then holiday follow-ons — is how RTD brands now borrow creator calendars instead of buying a single Super Bowl ad. Diageo’s Smirnoff portfolio already spans vodka staples and Ice Smash or Shorties line extensions; attaching Broski keeps the Ice sub-brand culturally loud during the two months when costume and party spending peak.

Creator brand deals that combine merch, livestream-ready costumes and hosted parties have become a standard playbook for beverage marketers chasing Gen Z and millennial attention on TikTok and Instagram. Broski’s Smirnoff Ice chapter fits that pattern while giving the brand a face for October’s costume calendar and a runway into December parties. More creator coverage is on our Influencers page.

Verification: partnership announcement, merch/content/Halloween bash framing, Broski and McCarthy quotes, Shop.Smirnoff.com Bottle Costume from PR Newswire / Smirnoff Ice (Oct. 1, 2026); $9.99 costume price, holiday-season extension, video rollout and White Claw context from Global Drinks Intel (Oct. 5, 2026).

Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and a 110.2 passer rating as Baker Mayfield continued to recover from a dislocated right thumb suffered in Week 3, ESPN’s Jenna Laine and Todd Archer noted. Tampa Bay piled up 241 rushing yards and 419 yards of total offense, and the defense forced three turnovers, with linebacker Alex Anzalone’s interception of Dak Prescott with 1:22 remaining sealing the result after the Buccaneers had entered the game as the NFC’s only winless team at 0-4.

The Cowboys opened with a 70-yard touchdown drive capped by Javonte Williams’ 1-yard run, but their next seven possessions managed only 152 yards and seven first downs as a 10-7 lead flipped into a 24-10 third-quarter deficit, the Cowboys’ own recap acknowledged. Prescott finished 24-of-32 for 316 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions; George Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards and a score, yet Dallas fell to 2-3 after what ESPN framed as one of the franchise’s worst recent prime-time losses against a winless visitor starting an undrafted rookie.

Irving’s 72-yard burst was the longest of his career and the longest Buccaneers rush since Ronald Jones II’s 98-yard run in 2020, ESPN reported, with 64 of those yards coming before contact. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka scored on a 14-yard jet-sweep rush for his first NFL rushing touchdown and added six catches for 38 yards, while Tez Johnson hauled in a career-long 64-yard reception that set up Irving’s short scoring plunge, according to the Buccaneers’ Week 5 takeaways.

Daniels became just the fifth undrafted rookie quarterback in the common-draft era to win a prime-time game in his first or second career start, the team noted, after leading a 15-play, 73-yard opening drive that chewed nearly 11 minutes. Tampa Bay converted 7 of 13 third downs and recorded 24 first downs — its most of the season — while still committing 14 penalties, a messy win that nonetheless snapped four consecutive one-score losses and put the Bucs back in the NFC South conversation.

Dallas’s defense allowed 20 or more points for a 12th straight game dating to last season, matching a team record, and has yielded passer ratings of at least 99.1 to opposing quarterbacks in each of the first five weeks, ESPN reported. The Cowboys next visit Green Bay on Oct. 18; Tampa Bay hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers the same afternoon. For more sports coverage, see our Sports page.

Verification: final score 24-16, Oct. 8 TNF at AT&T Stadium, Irving 165 rush / 72-yarder / two TDs, Daniels 19-of-25 / 189 / TD / 110.2 rating, Bucs 241 rush / three takeaways / Anzalone INT, Cowboys 2-3 and Prescott/Pickens lines from ESPN (Oct. 8, 2026); Bucs takeaways, career context and third-down/first-down marks from Buccaneers.com (Oct. 9, 2026); Cowboys home-loss framing and drive splits from DallasCowboys.com (Oct. 8, 2026).

The fragrance opens with bergamot, mandarin and cassis before a heart of orange flower, jasmine and muguet, settling into amber, musk and vanilla, both outlets reported. Hilton described Iconic Queen as “about stepping into your own power,” saying she wanted a scent you put on and “instantly feel ready for anything.” Parlux president Lori Singer said Paris “has an extraordinary ability to stay connected to her consumers while continuing to evolve,” calling Iconic Queen a natural extension of the authenticity-and-glamour brief that defined Iconic’s Ulta chapter.

Packaging reworks the original Iconic faceted bottle in metallic lavender, with Hilton’s “P” and “H” initials and an iridescent lavender carton designed as a vanity statement piece. Iconic Queen debuted immediately at ParisHiltonFragrances.com in 3.4 oz ($80), 1.0 oz ($48) and a 0.34 oz travel spray ($27), ahead of the Oct. 12 Ulta TikTok Shop exclusive and a Nov. 1 nationwide rollout across Ulta Beauty stores and Ulta.com, plus international markets, per the Parlux release.

The social-first Ulta path follows Iconic’s exclusive U.S. Ulta debut in April 2025 and reflects how founder-led fragrance brands are using short-form commerce as a discovery lane before full retail doors open. Beauty Packaging underscored the lavender redesign and TikTok Shop exclusivity as the commercial hooks, while the Parlux statement positioned the juice as a “regal expression” of the Iconic world without claiming it replaces the first fragrance on shelf.

For lifestyle readers tracking celebrity beauty launches this fall, Iconic Queen sits in a crowded calendar of star-backed scents but stands out for the Ulta TikTok Shop staging and the deliberate warm-amber shift from the original Iconic. Pricing and size tiers keep the launch accessible relative to prestige celebrity juice while still sitting in Ulta’s fragrance destination aisle once the November nationwide wave begins.

Retail sequencing is the other half of the story: a direct-to-consumer day-one drop, a two-week Ulta TikTok Shop exclusive, then a full Ulta door and site expansion on Nov. 1 keeps discovery, social proof and in-store sampling on a staggered calendar instead of a single big-bang launch. That pattern mirrors how beauty brands now treat short-form video shops as a test lane for demand before committing nationwide shelf space, and it keeps Hilton’s fragrance line visible across both digital fandom and traditional Ulta fragrance walls through the start of the holiday season.

Find more beauty and celebrity style coverage on our Lifestyle page.

Verification: Oct. 7 launch, floral-amber pyramid, Hilton and Singer quotes, lavender faceted bottle, ParisHiltonFragrances.com debut, Oct. 12 Ulta TikTok Shop exclusive, Nov. 1 Ulta nationwide, size/price tiers from PR Newswire / Parlux (Oct. 7, 2026) and Beauty Packaging (Oct. 7, 2026).

The announcement caption, shared with the poster, framed the Navratri kickoff as “Yeh Ram ke Yug ka Aarambh hai,” promising cinemas worldwide across all premium formats from Nov. 5, with advance bookings opening on Dussehra, both outlets reported. The visual places Kapoor, Pallavi and Dubey in the foreground while Yash’s Ravana towers behind them, offering another look at the production’s costume and set scale after recent character-poster drops for the royal household.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, the project is planned as a two-part adaptation, with Part 2 aimed at Diwali 2027. The cast also includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Arun Govil as King Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Queen Kaikeyi and Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, The Indian Express noted, continuing a campaign that has mixed legacy Ramayan nostalgia (Govil previously played Rama on television) with contemporary star casting.

Bollywood Hungama added that the film will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam across India, including IMAX and other premium formats, with Sony Pictures distributing globally outside India and Dharma Productions handling the Hindi-speaking market. Coverage around the same Navratri window also indicated India’s theatrical date is now aligned to the Nov. 5 worldwide bow rather than lagging a few days behind overseas markets, tightening the day-and-date plan.

For Bollywood’s fall calendar, locking a global premium-format opening less than a month out turns Ramayana into a festival-season and pre-Diwali event at once, pairing religious-calendar marketing with a multilingual theatrical footprint. The Navratri poster drop keeps the campaign’s character reveals moving while giving exhibitors a firm booking date and giving overseas distributors a synchronized start.

Commercially, a synchronized worldwide date matters for a production of this scale: overseas openings no longer wait on an India-first stagger, and premium-format inventory can be planned against a single global weekend rather than split windows. The Dussehra booking start also gives exhibitors a clear promo beat between Navratri’s announcement and the November release, while multilingual dubbing and IMAX availability expand the addressable audience beyond the Hindi belt into South Indian and international markets at once.

Industry reaction around the Navratri window has also treated the date lock as a signal that post-production and distribution agreements are far enough along for a firm global calendar, not just a soft target. With Part 2 already flagged for Diwali 2027, the two-film plan now has concrete bookends that exhibitors, brand partners and overseas circuits can plan against for more than a year.

Find more Hindi-film coverage on our Bollywood page.

Verification: Worldwide Nov. 5 Part 1 date, Navratri poster (Kapoor/Pallavi/Dubey/Yash), Dussehra bookings, Tiwari/Malhotra/DNEG/Monster Mind, Part 2 Diwali 2027, language/IMAX/Sony/Dharma distribution details from The Indian Express (Oct. 11, 2026) and Bollywood Hungama (Oct. 11, 2026).

According to the first-look coverage, Miller is a single mother whose 12-year-old son Max (Jacobi Jupe) becomes entangled in a case that begins with the execution of satanic serial killer “Father Sunday,” played by John Leguizamo. Fellow detective Gina Restrepo is played by Sasha Calle, while Chiwetel Ejiofor and Laurence Fishburne appear as priests drawn into the aftermath when the killings continue after the execution goes wrong. Diane Lane plays Miller’s mother, Mary, who helps care for Max when the job pulls Julie away for days at a time — a domestic detail Flanagan used to ground the procedural half of the story.

Flanagan framed the movie as a serial-killer thriller that borrows the procedural intensity of Se7en or The Silence of the Lambs and folds it into Exorcist-style supernatural dread. “We’re talking about humans under the influence—or in some cases direct control—of evil itself,” he told Esquire, as quoted by Gizmodo. He said the film will deliver the possession beat the title implies, but aims for “a lot more than a simple possession story,” moving the threat beyond a bedroom or parental torment into a wider mystery that connects martyrdom-styled crime scenes to otherworldly force.

The director also stressed that Martyrs is not a remake of William Friedkin’s 1973 classic or a retread of the short-lived 2023 reboot. “I think the first job is to tell people they’re not seeing a retread of The Exorcist,” Flanagan said. “They’re actually seeing a story within the Exorcist universe that has not been told before,” promising a standalone direction that still connects to prior films without copying them. The ensemble has been expanding since Johansson boarded, with several Flanagan collaborators expected alongside the headliners.

For Hollywood’s horror calendar, the Esquire drop locks a clear March 2027 theatrical target and gives audiences the first concrete character map after years of development churn around the franchise rights. Johansson’s casting as a working detective rather than a priest or possessed child marks a tonal shift toward crime-procedural horror, a pitch Flanagan has leaned into in interviews accompanying the images and one that studios hope will reopen the brand after the previous theatrical reboot underperformed.

Industry coverage around the first look also situates Martyrs as Flanagan’s bid to reset audience expectations after the franchise’s recent theatrical stumble, pairing a marquee lead with a crime-thriller structure that can travel beyond core horror fans. The March 12, 2027 date puts the film on Universal’s spring slate with months of marketing runway after the Esquire images, while Gizmodo’s same-day write-up amplified the plot map for readers who may have missed the long-form magazine feature.

Find more film coverage on our Hollywood page.

Verification: First-look timing, Johansson’s Julie Miller / NYPD detective role, Father Sunday / Leguizamo, Calle / Jupe / Ejiofor / Fishburne / Lane roles, March 12, 2027 release, Flanagan quotes on procedural/possession approach and standalone franchise positioning from Gizmodo (Oct. 6, 2026) summarizing and quoting the Esquire first look (Oct. 6, 2026).

Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan / executive producer), Uma Thurman (Charley Brown), James Remar (Harry Morgan), Jack Alcott (Harrison Morgan), Bokeem Woodbine (Captain Mixon) and Kadia Saraf (Detective Claudette Wallace) attended alongside showrunner Clyde Phillips and executive producers Scott Reynolds and Marcos Siega, BroadwayWorld noted. Deadline associate TV editor Rosy Cordero moderated the panel after the exclusive Season 2 premiere screening, which Citi sponsored as part of the festival’s annual fall run.

“Twenty years later it’s mind blowing,” Hall said of the franchise’s longevity, according to BroadwayWorld. “I had no anticipation it would be as broadly appealing.” Remar described the characters’ journeys as “complex but … believable,” while Phillips said the writers “paint ourselves into a corner on purpose” to keep viewers tense. Woodbine credited “the level of intelligence of the script,” and Reynolds framed each season around “this very relatable thing that we all go through,” with Phillips adding that the new chapter leans into the father-and-son dynamic between Dexter and Harrison.

Alcott said Harrison has “got a propensity for violence … he’s nowhere near his father, but there’s something there,” while Thurman described Charley as “burned by having a conscience” and “morally ambiguous,” teasing compromises her character thought she could square away. Hall said that when Dexter reappears in Resurrection’s first season “we see him recommitted to the code,” but that “that doesn’t prove to be enough.” Siega said the New York setting was intentional: “we wanted to embrace the look of the city,” calling it the best place to shoot the revival’s urban chapter.

TVLine’s earlier schedule listing had already flagged the Oct. 9 evening as a combined Dexter 20th-anniversary celebration and Resurrection Season 2 preview, with Hall, Thurman, Remar, Alcott, Woodbine, Phillips and Reynolds among the announced guests. BroadwayWorld’s on-the-ground report confirmed the sold-out theater and noted that this year’s festival introduced the inaugural PaleyFest Award for participating shows, giving the anniversary night an extra institutional frame beyond a standard cast Q&A.

Paramount+ has set Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 to premiere Friday, Oct. 30, giving the PaleyFest screening a three-week head start for festival audiences before the streamer’s wider rollout. For viewers tracking prestige TV panels this fall, the night doubled as both a nostalgia beat for the original Showtime drama that launched in 2006 and a marketing beat for the revival’s second season, with Saraf promising “stakes are so much higher” in the new chapter.

Find more entertainment coverage on our Daily News page.

Verification: Oct. 9 PaleyFest NY program (screening, red carpet, panelists, moderator, Hall/Remar/Phillips/Alcott/Thurman/Siega/Saraf quotes, sold-out Bennack Theater, Citi sponsorship) from BroadwayWorld (Oct. 10, 2026); festival date window, guest list and Season 2 premiere-preview framing from TVLine (Aug. 11, 2026).

Ganz and Ker will write and executive-produce. Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz also executive-produce alongside Kenton Allen of Big Talk, Ludwig creator Mark Brotherhood and Ludwig star David Mitchell. 20th Television, where Ganz is under an overall deal, is the studio, both outlets reported. Steinberg and Shotz likewise hold overall deals at 20th, consolidating the project inside Disney’s television studio group.

The logline centers on Mark, a reclusive puzzle writer known as “Rabbit.” After his homicide-detective twin brother goes missing, Mark is pulled into the Cambridge, Massachusetts, police department, poses as his brother to investigate the disappearance, and discovers that his puzzle-solving skills make him an unlikely crime-solving sensation, Variety and THR both published. The BBC original is set in Cambridge, England — a geographic flip that keeps the twin-swap mystery while planting the U.S. version in a New England police world.

Ludwig debuted on BBC One in 2024, drew 9.5 million viewers in its first month and was the broadcaster’s biggest new scripted series that year, THR reported. Season two premiered in August 2026 to strong ratings; a third season and Christmas special are in the works, Variety added. The series won best comedy series at the 2025 International Emmys and streams on BritBox in the United States, according to THR — proof points ABC and 20th can cite when pitching a network audience already familiar with the format through streaming.

Ganz’s credits include Mythic Quest, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, Community and The Last Man on Earth. Ker wrote for Mythic Quest and Saturday Night Live UK and has acted in Mythic Quest, Sunny, Curb Your Enthusiasm, American Auto and Welcome to Wrexham. Steinberg and Shotz are known for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Old Man and Black Sails, both reports said. Mitchell’s executive-producer credit keeps the original lead attached even if he does not star in the U.S. remake.

For studio and network desks, Rabbit is a clear U.S. broadcast bet on a proven UK format with the original star and creator attached as executive producers — an unusual bridge between remake and continuity of creative ownership. Casting for Mark / Rabbit has not been announced with the pilot order.

Whether Rabbit becomes a series will depend on the pilot’s execution and ABC’s broader 2026–27 development slate, but the dual-source confirmation of the order already places the remake on the network’s active board.

Find more film and TV desk coverage on our Studio page.

Verification: ABC pilot order, Rabbit title and Ludwig provenance, Ganz/Ker writers, EP roster including Mitchell and Brotherhood, 20th Television studio, Cambridge MA logline, Ludwig ratings/Emmys/BritBox notes and writer biographies come from Variety (Joe Otterson, Oct. 8, 2026) and The Hollywood Reporter (Rick Porter, Oct. 8, 2026).

Episodes will publish every weekday afternoon for the duration of the trial, which is expected to begin Monday, Oct. 12 at Southwark Crown Court, both outlets reported. Stephenson and her team will attend court each day and record afterward, combining courtroom reporting with analysis from journalists, legal experts and contributors who have followed the story since a 2023 joint investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Times and Sunday Times. Brand has strongly denied all allegations of wrongdoing, the Channel 4 release and Advanced Television both noted.

“This will be one of the most anticipated and closely scrutinised trials in recent history,” Stephenson said in the Channel 4 statement. “I’ve been covering the Russell Brand story since the allegations first came to light, reporting on every major development and speaking to experts behind the scenes to make sense of it all. Now, I’m bringing some of those experts to the mic, and over the coming weeks, we’ll report on what happened inside the courtroom each day and explain the key developments.”

Channel 4 News editor Esme Wren said the specialist team is “uniquely placed to guide listeners through each day as the case unfolds in court,” promising to unpack media and legal jargon with the wider newsroom’s reporting power. “It’s exactly the kind of major story for which this new format was created,” Wren added, according to both the Channel 4 release and Advanced Television.

The Brand series marks the debut of Four The Record, a new investigative and true-crime podcast format from Channel 4 News designed for major developing stories. The show will be available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms, giving the broadcaster a daily audio lane alongside its television bulletins as global interest in the case continues.

For the podcast industry, the launch is a high-profile example of a broadcast newsroom converting ongoing courtroom coverage into a repeatable daily franchise rather than a one-off special, with a named correspondent and members of the same investigative desk that helped break the original story. That continuity is part of the pitch: listeners get same-day explainers from reporters who already know the timeline, the legal vocabulary and the key players.

iShook Daily is summarizing the media launch only; this article does not adjudicate the allegations or the trial outcome. Readers seeking updates should follow the podcast’s weekday releases and primary court reporting as the case proceeds.

Find more audio-industry coverage on our Podcast News page.

Verification: Podcast title and host, weekday cadence, Oct. 12 Southwark start, Dispatches/Times provenance, Brand denial, Stephenson and Wren quotes, Four The Record format debut and platform availability come from Channel 4 (Oct. 9, 2026) and Advanced Television (Oct. 9, 2026).

Serhant told Variety his company already produces about 2,200 social posts a month across a brokerage spanning 19 U.S. regions and an in-house studio of roughly 100 people, about 30 of them based with him in New York. The avatar is meant to scale lessons he no longer has time to film personally while still selling, running the business and shooting television.

“I’ve accumulated years of lessons that I don’t always have time to turn into content,” he said. “I do my best, but I don’t always have time anymore. As I run the businesses and I still sell and we still do the TV shows, this gives us a way to make more of that accessible to the people that want to watch it.”

HeyGen chief marketing officer Andrew Mok said in the release that the avatar lets Serhant’s audience hear from him every day without him being on camera for each clip, Variety and PR Newswire both reported. The account will publish at least one video a day for at least 12 months, with Serhant and his team approving topics and messaging so the AI output matches his voice. He expects the deal to extend well beyond the initial year.

Personalized “day in the life” and family clips featuring his daughter Zena will stay on his human-led feeds. “The connection to me and my brand and my life, and people along the ride on my journey — none of that changes,” Serhant told Variety. “This is in addition to, which is awesome and highly helpful.” He compared the move to an industry wave of likeness licensing, citing peers who have struck similar AI image deals for books and film projects.

The collaboration grew after Serhant’s content team watched HeyGen’s output and looked for ways to keep his face and voice present while he travels for showings. “I get very, very interested in how we can add accelerant to what we do and how to scale the one asset that is really, really hard to scale, which is ourselves,” he said. “If you have a brand built around a face, if you have a brand built around a voice, how do you scale that?”

For creators and brands tracking AI-native distribution, @HeySerhant is a high-profile test of labeled synthetic posting at daily cadence on the same platforms where Serhant already holds millions of followers. Every post is labeled as AI, per the HeyGen launch framing carried by PR Newswire and summarized in Variety’s exclusive. Serhant joked that his wife had long told him to replicate himself — “Welcome to the future,” he said.

Find more creator coverage on our Influencers page.

Verification: Partnership announcement, @HeySerhant platforms, 2,200-post volume, studio headcount, 12-month daily cadence, Serhant and Mok quotes, approval workflow and “in addition to” framing come from Variety (Corbin Bolies, Oct. 8, 2026) and PR Newswire / HeyGen (Oct. 2026).

Manager Dave Roberts framed the assignment as a tone-setter after Skubal’s first Dodgers postseason start. “It starts with Tarik setting the tone,” Roberts said Saturday, according to CBS Sports. “If we can put up a couple zeroes, catch a lead, then we can sort of build on that. I think that’s what we did a really good job of last year.” Skubal allowed one run on two hits over six innings with seven strikeouts in a 5-3 NLDS Game 1 win over Atlanta, FOX Sports noted.

Skubal, acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline while Milwaukee was also pursuing him, went 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 10 regular-season starts for Los Angeles after a 12-7, 2.72 overall mark, both outlets reported. He is 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA in four career starts versus the Brewers and has not allowed a home run against them in 25⅔ innings, CBS Sports said. That no-homer streak gives Los Angeles a concrete edge if Milwaukee’s lineup continues to hunt damage early in counts.

Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts) led the majors in ERA and strikeouts and is the NL Cy Young front-runner. He needed 88 pitches to complete four innings in NLDS Game 1 against San Diego but is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two regular-season starts versus Los Angeles, allowing one run in each six-inning outing with 18 strikeouts, CBS Sports reported. Across 17 innings against the Dodgers including last year’s NLCS relief outing, FOX Sports put his ERA at 1.59 with 27 strikeouts and three walks.

“He’s very impressive,” Skubal said of Misiorowski, per CBS Sports. “His ability to command pitches at that velocity consistently. He consistently gets ahead. He forces teams to beat him. He doesn’t really beat himself too many times when he’s out there.” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy added that facing Misiorowski once does not erase the difficulty: “Everything’s coming at you very fast. It’s big-time extension, big guy on the mound.”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, last year’s World Series MVP, is lined up for Monday’s Game 2 after 10 strikeouts over seven innings in NLDS Game 3, FOX Sports added. Roberts said the club was still discussing whether to add a pitcher for the best-of-seven, which would require dropping a position player, with rosters due Sunday morning.

The Brewers host as the 103-win NL Central champions seeking to avenge last year’s NLCS sweep. Milwaukee eliminated San Diego in four NLDS games; the Dodgers beat Atlanta in four. Roberts said recent series history offers little carryover, calling Milwaukee “a really good ballclub” with “no secrets,” CBS Sports reported. Christian Yelich likewise told reporters that previous seasons “don’t really have any impact on the current one.”

Find more sports coverage on our Sports page.

Verification: Game 1 starters Skubal vs Misiorowski, Roberts and Skubal quotes, Muncy and Yelich comments, regular-season and NLDS lines, Misiorowski ERA/K leadership and Dodgers history, Yamamoto Game 2 assignment, roster-deadline note and series context come from CBS Sports (Field Level Media, Oct. 10, 2026) and FOX Sports (Oct. 9, 2026; AP contributed).

According to Harper’s Bazaar, McRae told Jimmy Fallon she had worked on the perfume for about a year, calling fragrance “such a pop star thing” and joking that she had been “cooking up in the lab.” The magazine described the finished juice as woody, with bergamot, sage, amber and sandalwood among the notes she highlighted, and said she mirrored the sleek bottle design in the silver pendant she wore to the party. Side-parted blonde hair, smokey eyes and a glossy lip completed the launch look, Bazaar reported.

FashionNetwork’s earlier product brief fills in the formula and retail path. The scent opens with bergamot and clary sage, moves into a white-floral heart, and rests on amber, tonka bean, sandalwood and soft woods, with ISO E Super cited as a woody ingredient meant to interact with skin chemistry. McRae, quoted by the trade, called fragrance “that final invisible layer” in her beauty routine and said she wears Tate 01 in rehearsals so it “warms up and moves with my body.” A global campaign photographed by Mario Sorrenti nods to 1990s supermodel imagery against natural landscapes, FashionNetwork said.

Pricing and distribution land the launch in the Ulta-era pop-fragrance lane. FashionNetwork reported direct-to-consumer sizing from 10ml to 100ml at $30–$82 via tatebytm.com, followed by an Ulta Beauty exclusive — online Oct. 16 and in more than 1,500 stores Oct. 25. Scent Beauty CEO Stephen Mormoris framed the deal as the start of a longer fragrance brand, listing a portfolio that already includes names such as Sabrina Carpenter and Dolly Parton.

Harper’s Bazaar placed McRae in the lineage of pop-star signature scents — from Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears to Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande — while the Oct. 10 party photos lock the fashion headline: Saint Laurent silver, on-theme jewelry, and a debut juice now on sale. For a chart-driven artist expanding into beauty, Tate 01 is the wardrobe-and-bottle story of the week.

The launch arrives as McRae’s pop profile keeps expanding beyond singles and tours into beauty retail — a lane FashionNetwork noted Scent Beauty has already worked with other music personalities. Harper’s Bazaar’s party coverage, published two days after the Thursday event, locked the fashion credit sheet while the trade’s product story supplied the formula, campaign photographer and Ulta calendar. Together the outlets show both the red-carpet optics and the commercial scaffolding behind a debut “second-skin” scent priced for a broad fan base rather than a niche luxury counter.

Find more style coverage on our Lifestyle page.

Verification: Thursday NYC launch party, Saint Laurent silver slip / gold sandals / clutch, Fallon quote, woody note framing and bottle-pendant styling come from Harper’s Bazaar (Sophie Wang, Oct. 10, 2026). Scent Beauty partnership, Givaudan perfumers, full note pyramid, ISO E Super positioning, McRae and Mormoris quotes, Mario Sorrenti campaign, DTC pricing and Ulta Oct. 16 / Oct. 25 rollout are from FashionNetwork (Jennifer Braun, Oct. 2, 2026).

According to India Today, children joined the crowd and fans posed with a large family poster, underscoring a multigenerational fan base that still treats Oct. 11 as a pilgrimage date. The outlet noted Bachchan’s habit of stepping outside on birthdays to greet the throng, and his regular Sunday meet-and-greets — sometimes barefoot, a gesture he has likened to temple respect. The Indian Express likewise framed the Jalsa scene as unchanged from prior years: giant film posters, placards and public singing as the day’s visual signature.

Industry wishes stacked alongside the street celebration. The Indian Express quoted Madhuri Dixit, who joined Bachchan for a special birthday-week episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 17, calling him inseparable from the quiz franchise and praising his “legendary warmth.” Sanjay Dutt posted that Bachchan remains “my hero,” Chiranjeevi called him “Guru Ji,” Suniel Shetty described lasting “wonder,” Farah Khan shared an Instagram story birthday note, and Ajay Devgn wrote that Bachchan’s “energy remains as young as ever,” the paper reported.

India Today placed the birthday against Bachchan’s working slate: he is hosting KBC 17 and is set to reprise Ashwatthama in the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. Born Oct. 11, 1942, in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Bachchan’s career arc — from angry-young-man landmarks to late-career spectacles — remains the through-line of the fan ritual, both outlets stressed.

The Oct. 11 gathering is not a box-office story and not a new-film launch; it is the durable public ritual that still defines Bachchan’s relationship with audiences. For a star hosting prime-time television and prepping a major sequel, the barefoot Sunday wave and the Don remix outside the gate remain the soft power that keeps the Shahenshah label current.

India Today emphasized that for many attendees the day is less about a single greeting and more about proving loyalty to a star whose films and screen persona still anchor Indian popular culture decades on. The Indian Express, meanwhile, treated the celebrity wish-list as the second act of the story: when Dixit, Dutt, Chiranjeevi and Devgn post within hours of one another, the birthday becomes an industry roll call as much as a fan fair outside the Juhu gate.

Find more Hindi-film coverage on our Bollywood page.

Verification: Oct. 11 Jalsa crowd, Don cosplay / “Main Hoon Don” clip, 84 placard, multigenerational turnout, Sunday meet-and-greet tradition, barefoot greeting context, KBC 17 hosting and Kalki sequel note come from India Today Entertainment Desk (Oct. 11, 2026). Matching fan-video description plus Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Chiranjeevi, Suniel Shetty, Farah Khan and Ajay Devgn birthday wishes are from The Indian Express Entertainment Desk (Oct. 11, 2026).

According to Animation Magazine, the Cinesite-animated feature blends film-noir archetypes with retro-futuristic Metropia: flying cars, holograms and multi-limbed aliens orbit a murder case that pulls Rockwell’s straight-arrow detective toward Johansson’s celebrity client. Michael Giacchino’s score drew early notice alongside the production design. Yahoo’s Tim Lammers placed the film as Bird’s first directing credit since Incredibles 2 (2018) and listed additional voices including Alan Tudyk, Matt Berry, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Rodriguez and John Ratzenberger.

Critical quotes compiled by Animation Magazine and Yahoo map a familiar Bird split. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw (via Observer framing in the roundup) called Bird the “Spielberg of animation” and labeled the film a “terrific family” fantasy with “amazing cityscape design.” The Wrap’s Drew Taylor called it “zippy and imaginative” and among Bird’s best. Variety’s Guy Lodge awarded Fresh while arguing the comedy and characters “want for texture,” and The Hollywood Reporter’s Angie Han went Rotten, calling the film a “blandly palatable jumble” of sci-fi and neo-noir clichés. The Independent summarized the same mixed London reaction, quoting THR, Variety, AV Club and the Guardian’s five-star rave.

Yahoo noted the early Tomatometer sits near Bird’s prior animated bench — The Incredibles (97%), Ratatouille and The Iron Giant (96%), Incredibles 2 (93%) — while stressing that Audience scores will wait until December. Animation Magazine framed Ray Gunn as Bird’s fifth major animated feature and an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run on Dec. 4 before the Netflix window. Bird and voice stars Johansson and Rockwell attended the London premiere, the trade said.

The release date puts the streamer launch on the same December weekend as other blockbuster tentpoles, raising the stakes for whether Metropia’s visuals convert into broad household viewing. For now, the festival-week scoreboard is the story: a passion project Bird first wrote in the 1990s finally faces critics, and the opening board is Fresh even as individual notices argue about soul versus spectacle.

Rated PG, Ray Gunn opens in select theaters Dec. 4 and streams on Netflix Dec. 18.

Find more film coverage on our Hollywood page.

Verification: London Film Festival premiere timing, ~90% early Tomatometer, Rockwell/Johansson/Waits casting, Giacchino score, Cinesite/Skydance-Netflix credits, Dec. 4 theatrical / Dec. 18 Netflix dates and critic quote sampling come from Animation Magazine (Oct. 10, 2026). The 90% / 29-review tally, additional voice cast, Bird’s first directing credit since Incredibles 2, Metropia plot framing and matching critic excerpts are from Yahoo Entertainment / Forbes (Tim Lammers, Oct. 10, 2026), with mixed-reaction corroboration from The Independent (Kevin E G Perry, Oct. 10, 2026).

According to THR, Greenfield hosted the evening and organized the cast appearance through the group chat after teasing fans earlier with a Today with Jenna & Sheinelle appearance in which he said he had “seen scripts” for a New Girl return. Creator Liz Meriwether later clarified that no revival scripts exist. Just Jared noted that Meriwether had shut down the rumor in late August, leaving Saturday’s Butterfly Ball as the only reunion on the calendar.

Accepting the Rising Phoenix Award, Deschanel teased Greenfield from the stage, thanking him for announcing “an actual New Girl reunion” and making the cast’s lives “so very annoying,” THR reported. Greenfield apologized on the spot, saying the mix-up “did, however, bring a lot of attention to Chrysalis,” the Southern California nonprofit that helps people facing barriers to employment. He joked that of the six actors, “none of whom graduated college except apparently Hannah,” then thanked the crowd for showing up when the cast reunites.

On the carpet, Greenfield told THR he should have simply said a New Girl reunion was happening Oct. 10 “in support of Chrysalis,” calling the pivot a “fun” recovery after he “got excited.” Johnson was less forgiving, saying Greenfield “did such a bad job it was unbelievable” and describing a cast game of trading barbs through interviews that Greenfield “didn’t get the memo” to play — instead sincerely praising nonexistent scripts until Meriwether’s lawyer intervened. Just Jared echoed the carpet quotes and noted Greenfield also served as an honorary co-chair.

THR reported that the ball also honored Jared Wolff, chairman and CEO of Banc of California, with the Corporate Trailblazer Award, and Guadalupe Rios, a former Chrysalis participant now at Caltrans, with the John Dillon Award. Chrysalis positions the Rising Phoenix Award around the series’ theme of starting over — a line Greenfield’s Schmidt delivered about a phoenix needing ash to rise from — tying the sitcom’s found-family premise to the nonprofit’s employment mission.

The Oct. 10 appearance closes a months-long loop that began with Greenfield’s July Today comments, Meriwether’s correction, and Variety’s earlier exclusive confirming the Butterfly Ball booking. Fans hoping for new episodes leave empty-handed, but the cast’s first full red-carpet reunion since the series ended delivered the photo and the punch lines the charity night needed.

Find more entertainment headlines on our Daily News page.

Verification: Cast lineup, Oct. 10 Beehive event, Rising Phoenix Award, Greenfield hosting, Deschanel/Greenfield stage quotes, Johnson carpet critique, Wolff and Rios honors, Chrysalis mission and Meriwether correction context come from The Hollywood Reporter (Kirsten Chuba, Oct. 10, 2026). First full-cast red carpet since the series ended, honorary co-chair note, Meriwether late-August shut-down and matching award-night quotes are corroborated by Just Jared (AJ Pitts, Oct. 11, 2026).

Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell of Safehouse Pictures will executive produce alongside Schaeffer, both outlets reported. Variety said a writers’ room was expected to open in the near future; Deadline said the room has already opened. Amazon declined to comment to Deadline, and reps for Amazon and Schaeffer declined to comment to Variety. Neither report named a cast, episode count or premiere window.

The project is Amazon’s second attempt at a new “Stargate” series. A reboot from “Stargate” veteran Martin Gero received a series order from Prime Video in November 2025 but was pulled in June after a 20-week writers room and with U.K. pre-production underway, Deadline reported. Variety likewise noted that Gero’s entry ultimately did not move forward. “Stargate” was among the first MGM titles flagged for film or series adaptations after Amazon’s $8.5 billion acquisition of the studio in 2022, Deadline said — a reminder that the IP has sat near the top of Amazon MGM’s adaptation list even as the first reboot stalled.

Schaeffer created Marvel’s “WandaVision” for Disney+, which earned 23 Primetime Emmy nominations, Variety reported. She later created the “WandaVision” spinoff “Agatha All Along,” serving as showrunner, writer, executive producer and director. Earlier credits cited by Variety include the screenplay for Disney’s “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” and the 2019 Anne Hathaway–Rebel Wilson comedy “The Hustle.” Deadline framed her as the “WandaVision” creator steering the sci-fi franchise’s latest reboot try, underscoring Amazon’s bet on a showrunner already proven with high-concept genre television.

The “Stargate” franchise began with Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin’s 1994 feature starring James Spader and Kurt Russell, followed by “Stargate SG-1” (1997–2007), “Stargate Atlantis” (2004–2009), “Stargate Universe” (2009–2011) and the animated “Stargate Infinity” (2002–2003), Deadline recounted. Variety similarly traced the film-to-series history through “SG-1” and “Atlantis,” noting the long broadcast run that turned the movie into a multi-series TV universe. How much of that continuity the Schaeffer room will keep — or rewrite — has not been disclosed.

Industry timing puts the new room against Amazon MGM’s broader push to turn legacy MGM catalogs into streaming series after the Gero reboot stalled in pre-production. Both trades emphasize that the Schaeffer project is early-stage development under an existing overall deal rather than a firm series greenlight with cameras ready. Until Amazon speaks publicly, the dual-sourced confirmation from Variety and Deadline remains the clearest signal that “Stargate” is back in active development with Safehouse Pictures attached and a writers room already forming in New York.

Find more studio and television development coverage on our Studio page.

Verification: Schaeffer development under Amazon MGM overall deal, Safehouse Pictures EP credits, New York writers room, Gero reboot history, $8.5B MGM acquisition context and franchise timeline come from Deadline (Denise Petski, Oct. 9, 2026). Exclusive first report, WandaVision/Agatha credits, Emmy nomination count, “The Hustle” credit and comment declinations are from Variety (Joe Otterson, Oct. 9, 2026).

Eleven of Podtrac’s 19 U.S. ranking participants increased unique monthly audience versus August, while eight posted gains in downloads and streams, Inside Radio said. That followed an especially strong August in which 18 publishers reported audience growth. The iHeart Audience Network reached 57.6 million U.S. monthly listeners — down about 2% from August — while downloads and streams rose 7% to 285.6 million, both outlets reported. iHeartPodcasts held No. 2 with 32 million listeners (up nearly 3%) and 162.3 million downloads and streams (up 8%).

NPR Sales Network remained third with 18 million monthly listeners and 93.7 million downloads and streams, followed by Libsyn at 12.7 million listeners, RADIO ONLINE and Inside Radio said. The Walt Disney Company climbed two spots to No. 5 with 6.9 million listeners (up nearly 3%) and 23.7 million downloads and streams (up nearly 7%). Barstool Sports jumped three places to No. 7; Vox Media slipped to sixth, with PodcastOne, Fox Audio Network and DailyWire+ rounding out the top 10.

On the show chart, “Crime Junkie” stayed No. 1 after first taking the top spot in June, Inside Radio reported. “The Daily,” “NPR News Now,” “Up First from NPR,” “Dateline NBC” and “Fox News Hourly Update” filled the next slots, with the first nine positions unchanged from August. “This American Life” moved up one place to No. 10. RADIO ONLINE also listed climbers including “My Favorite Murder” to No. 15, ABC’s “20/20” to No. 17 and DailyWire’s “Morning Wire,” which jumped six spots to No. 19.

Podtrac’s global multi-channel ranking continues to show video reshaping distribution even as audio remains primary for several large networks. Inside Radio said the iHeart Audience Network stayed No. 1 globally with 529.1 million combined downloads, streams and views of full episodes in September (up about 4%), including 457 million audio and 72.1 million video. Meidas Media Network ranked second with 142.3 million, nearly 92% of it video. Sonoro climbed to No. 4 with 62 million combined plays (up nearly 56%), while Barstool’s global total rose about 35% to 30.3 million.

For several publishers, video now accounts for most full-episode distribution: Inside Radio cited Paramount at roughly 67% video, The Volume at about 59% and DailyWire+ as majority video. RADIO ONLINE noted Podtrac’s rankings cover participating shows measured for the full reporting month. Together the reports frame September as another month of broad publisher gains even as individual networks mix listener dips with download spikes — and as video keeps rewriting how the same “podcast” audience is counted.

Find more podcast industry coverage on our Podcast News page.

Verification: U.S. publisher gains (11/19 audience, 8/19 downloads), iHeart/iHeartPodcasts/NPR/Libsyn/Disney listener and download figures, Barstool move, Crime Junkie four-month lead, show-chart climbers and global video mix come from Inside Radio (Oct. 9, 2026). Matching Podtrac top-line publisher and top-20 show rankings, including Morning Wire’s six-spot jump, are from RADIO ONLINE (Oct. 8, 2026).

Scott Robinson, Chipotle’s director of brand marketing, told GamesBeat the partnership builds on prior work with the streamer, including the “It’s Time For Real” national TV ad and earlier pollo asado launches. “Poki’s Pollo Asado and Steak Bowl is a natural next chapter in that relationship,” Robinson said. NetInfluencer carried the same quote and noted the bowl can be ordered only through Chipotle’s digital channels during the roughly two-week run.

Chris Mann, senior vice president at REVXP, the agency that handles Chipotle’s gaming strategy, said Pokimane briefly appeared in a Chipotle campaign about six to seven months earlier alongside tennis player Taylor Fritz, GamesBeat reported. Mann said his team then worked with Pokimane and her WME representatives for months before landing on the pollo asado return as the moment for her own menu item. “She’s been a Chipotle super-fan for years,” Mann told GamesBeat. “She’s created some fantastic short-form content that really helped amplify these launches.”

Chipotle is not treating units sold as the primary success metric. Robinson said the company is focused on social conversation inside the gaming community and how many guests are inspired to try the order themselves, GamesBeat reported. Mann echoed that awareness and sentiment usually outrank direct sales for these bowls. NetInfluencer added that Pokimane has featured the meal on livestreams and posted TikTok and Instagram content that Mann described as outside her contractual deliverables.

A TikTok sweepstakes runs on the same timeline. NetInfluencer said Chipotle is offering 20 free entrees (about $300 combined retail value) to eligible followers who like a designated Pokimane post between Sept. 28 and Oct. 12, with winners selected by Pokimane under official rules at chipotle.com/pokimane. The bowl arrives as Chipotle’s third high-profile creator collaboration in as many months, NetInfluencer reported, after an August Salish Matter kids’ order and a September national ad assembled from footage shot by 100 creators across more than 50 restaurants.

Pokimane (Imane Anys) remains Twitch’s most-followed female streamer, with NetInfluencer citing 9.4 million Twitch followers and 7.3 million on TikTok. Robinson told GamesBeat Chipotle will keep exploring digital and gaming creators when there is a genuine brand fit, prioritizing partners who already have an organic connection over standard sponsored placements. Fernando Machado’s arrival as chief brand officer overlaps the window, though Robinson said the Pokimane partnership was already in motion before Machado joined.

Find more creator and influencer coverage on our Influencers page.

Verification: Online-only launch through Oct. 12, Robinson and Mann quotes, WME/REVXP development path, awareness-over-units framing and prior Chipotle creator work come from GamesBeat (Jolie Feld, Sept. 30, 2026). Sweepstakes terms, Salish Matter/100-creator context, follower counts and one-off campaign framing confirmation are from NetInfluencer (Dragomir Stojkov, Oct. 2, 2026).

Alexis Lafreniere opened the scoring on a first-period power play for New York, which had won four straight. It was his fourth goal of the season — all in the past two games — after a hat trick Tuesday against the Islanders that included two empty-netters, the AP said. Liljegren, acquired from San Jose on March 6, tied the game 1-1 at 6:08 of the second with a one-timer from the left point through a screen, NHL.com reported.

Shesterkin left at 8:20 of the second. Both accounts said he scrambled back toward the crease, jammed his right skate into the right post and collapsed; he stayed down holding his right knee and was helped off without putting weight on the leg. He had stopped 13 of 14 shots before Dylan Garand replaced him and made 11 saves. There was no update on Shesterkin’s condition after the game, NHL.com and the AP said.

Jenner made it 2-1 at 17:38 of the second, intercepting an errant clearing attempt by Rangers rookie Cole Beaudoin and beating Garand from the slot with 2:22 left in the period. The AP noted Beaudoin was playing his second NHL game after arriving from Utah in a deal involving Vincent Trocheck. Tom Wilson added an empty-netter with less than a second remaining. Logan Thompson stopped 21 shots for Washington.

Jenner signed a four-year, $23 million contract with the Capitals on July 1, NHL.com reported. Washington improved to 3-1-0 and 3-0-0 against Metropolitan Division opponents; the Rangers fell to 4-2-0. Coach Mike Sullivan called Shesterkin “arguably your very best player” and said the injury was a tough loss for the group, while captain J.T. Miller described a hard-fought Metro matchup against a big, fast opponent.

Context around the crease matters for New York. The AP recalled that the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner missed about a month last season with a lower-body injury and entered Friday 3-1 with a 1.76 goals-against average. NHL.com’s injury note separately said backup Joonas Korpisalo remains week to week with a lower-body injury, leaving the Rangers thin if Shesterkin’s absence stretches. Washington hosts Seattle on Sunday; New York hosts Vancouver the same day, the AP reported.

Find more sports coverage on our Sports page.

Verification: Final score, Jenner/Liljegren/Wilson goals, Lafreniere opener, Shesterkin exit details, Garand/Thompson save totals, Beaudoin turnover framing, next games and Shesterkin’s early-season form come from the Associated Press (Oct. 9–10, 2026). Jenner’s first Capitals goal timing, Liljegren’s first Capitals goal, Jenner contract AAV, Metro record notes and Sullivan/Miller quotes are from NHL.com (Harvey Valentine, Oct. 10, 2026).

Page Six described a cream Co cashmere sweater ($575), wide-leg Ralph Lauren Collection pants ($1,990) and a sweeping Tove camel coat ($2,283), finished with a black leather Chanel bag. Harper’s Bazaar characterized the same base as an ivory Co sweater tucked into icy-white high-waisted palazzo pants with all-around pleats, topped by a toffee-brown Tove Studio shawl with heavy ruffles. Both outlets agreed the overall palette stayed monochrome cream-to-camel with a black bag contrast.

Jewelry was the price-tag headline. Page Six valued a Logan Hollowell diamond-and-emerald necklace at $21,425 and noted a diamond-encrusted sleeve from the same designer ($2,875) covering Meghan’s Oura ring. Harper’s Bazaar identified the necklace as her diamond-and-emerald chain and the ring piece as Hollowell’s Aura Sleeve, and added that she also wore a Cartier Love bracelet and Tank watch with camel Saint Laurent loafers — details that expand the accessory story beyond the necklace alone.

Yousafzai’s look, per Harper’s Bazaar, included a sandy blazer over a chocolate blouse and pinstripe pants with brown leather heels and an ecru headscarf. Page Six framed the lunch as advocacy continuity rather than a return to royal duties, noting the pair first collaborated in 2020 for a virtual International Day of the Girl discussion. Harper’s Bazaar quoted Yousafzai’s 2020 social post that she and Meghan were “on the same page” about girls’ education.

Context around the Sussexes’ U.K. return appears in both reports. Page Six said the family moved “a little over a month ago” and that Meghan had only been seen a handful of times, including a low-key Cotswolds pub visit with Harry and a meal with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. Harper’s Bazaar dated the move to August and likewise cited the DeGeneres meetup as part of a small set of post-return sightings.

For lifestyle readers, the peg is less palace protocol than wardrobe math: named designers, published price points, and a high-profile activist lunch that doubles as a fall layering reference. Neither outlet reported an official joint statement from the Claridge’s meeting itself; the coverage rests on paparazzi photography and fashion identification.

Fashion desks treated the sighting as a layering masterclass as much as a celebrity lunch. Page Six itemized the Co sweater, Ralph Lauren trousers and Tove coat with dollar figures that make the look shoppable for readers who follow quiet-luxury pricing; Harper’s Bazaar zoomed in on silhouette — oversized volume, ruffled shawl drama, camel loafers — and named the Cartier staples that usually appear in Meghan’s rotation. Together the two reports give a complete accessory stack: necklace, ring sleeve, Love bracelet, Tank watch, Chanel bag and Saint Laurent shoes, without claiming an official palace briefing.

Find more style and celebrity living headlines on our Lifestyle page.

Verification: Claridge’s outing with Yousafzai, Co/Ralph Lauren/Tove pieces and price points, Chanel bag, Logan Hollowell necklace ($21,425) and ring sleeve ($2,875), and U.K. return context come from Page Six (Avery Matera, Oct. 9, 2026). Palazzo/pleat description, Aura Sleeve naming, Cartier Love/Tank and Saint Laurent loafers, Yousafzai outfit notes and 2020 education quote are from Harper’s Bazaar (Joel Calfee, Oct. 9, 2026).

Composed by Rochak Kohli with lyrics by Gurpreet Saini, “Jaane Kis Mod Pe” follows three friends traveling to a school reunion in hopes of seeing their first crushes again, Bollywood Hungama said. Tellychakkar described the same journey as a mix of memories, unanswered questions and romantic possibility — a musical preview of the film’s friendship-and-second-chances tone rather than a standalone party anthem.

The debut cast attached to the project, listed by both outlets, includes Sparsh Walia, Alisha Chopra, Kunal Vaid, Sakshi Vaidya, Tushar Chhibber and Sargun Kaur Luthra. Bollywood Hungama emphasized that the ensemble is making feature debuts with the Luv Films title. Direction is by Anuj Saini, with Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg producing under the Luv Films banner presented with T-Series Music support for the soundtrack push.

Quotes published by Bollywood Hungama lean into nostalgia without overselling drama. Raval said the song carries “a beautiful sense of anticipation” and hopes it sends listeners back to people and places that once mattered. Kohli said the music aims to capture “that mix of excitement and nervousness of meeting your first crush after years,” while Saini framed the lyrics as hopeful and “easy and flowy,” matching characters heading toward a reunion each carrying a private hope of romance. Tellychakkar relayed the same creative talking points in its Oct. 10 write-up.

Commercially, the single sits in a busy mid-October Hindi calendar: theatrical release is set for Oct. 23 worldwide, both reports said, giving the track roughly two weeks of streaming runway. Availability is on T-Series Music platforms, per Bollywood Hungama and Tellychakkar. Earlier album-launch coverage cited by Tellychakkar also placed Rochak Kohli alongside other soundtrack voices, underscoring a multi-singer album strategy rather than a one-track campaign.

For audiences following new-face romantic comedies, the peg is the combination of a familiar playback voice (Raval) with a debut cast and a reunion-road-trip hook that is easy to market in short clips. Neither outlet reported box-office projections or additional casting beyond the young ensemble already named.

Marketing-wise, the single fits a classic pre-release drip: a breezy, quote-friendly track that can travel on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts without spoiling plot twists. Bollywood Hungama’s piece leaned on the creative team’s own language — anticipation, nostalgia, second chances — while Tellychakkar echoed the same talking points for television and OTT audiences who follow Luv Films’ youth slate. Neither outlet reported streaming chart positions on day one, so the verified peg remains the unveil itself, the credited talent, and the Oct. 23 cinema date rather than early performance metrics.

The film’s title itself telegraphs the theme. “Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar” translates roughly to first love, second time, and both write-ups treat “Jaane Kis Mod Pe” — wondering which turn the road will take — as a lyrical match for that idea. With a debut cast and a familiar playback star, the campaign is aiming at college-reunion nostalgia without relying on established screen couples, a bet Bollywood Hungama and Tellychakkar both described through the road-trip framing rather than star wattage alone.

Find more Hindi film headlines on our Bollywood page.

Verification: Song title, Oct. 10 release, Rochak Kohli/Gurpreet Saini credits, Raval vocals, road-trip/reunion premise, debut cast list, Luv Films producers and Oct. 23 release date come from Bollywood Hungama (Oct. 10, 2026). Matching cast/credit details, creative quotes framing and T-Series availability are from Tellychakkar (Oct. 10, 2026).

Created by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera and first published by BOOM! Studios in 2019, the series follows monster hunter Erica Slaughter as she arrives in Archer’s Peak after children begin disappearing. Deadline called it the most successful original horror comic since The Walking Dead, citing more than 5 million copies sold worldwide and translations into more than 20 languages across 14 countries. TheWrap added that the spinoff House of Slaughter launched with more than 500,000 copies of its first issue and that the franchise has won multiple Eisner Awards.

Producer credits reported by both outlets list Stephen Christy and Tynion IV for BOOM! Studios/Penguin Random House alongside Blum for Blumhouse. Shaun Sutton and Ryan Turek executive produce with Adam Yoelin and Mette Norkjaer; Dell’Edera is a co-producer. While the feature moves forward, Blumhouse is also developing an adult animated series version shepherded by Tynion IV, Deadline and TheWrap both said — a dual-track plan that has been part of the rights strategy since Blumhouse acquired the property.

Zobel’s résumé, as outlined by Deadline, spans indie breakouts Compliance and Z for Zachariah, prestige TV including The Leftovers, Mare of Easttown and The Penguin, and the satirical horror film The Hunt. He is a DGA Award nominee and three-time Emmy nominee, and Deadline noted he just wrapped Turpentine with Melissa McCarthy and Connie Storrie. TheWrap echoed the TV and The Hunt credits and the same representation slate.

No cast, start date or release window for the live-action film was announced with the director news. Deadline placed the reveal alongside Blumhouse’s broader 2027 slate talk at NYCC, which also includes titles such as Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist: Martyrs, a new Paranormal Activity and Drew Hancock’s Seasons. The weekend box office context cited by Deadline included Blumhouse–Atomic Monster’s Other Mommy.

For comic readers, the adaptation peg is less a soft option and more a late-stage greenlight signal: a completed screenplay has been discussed in earlier trade coverage, and attaching Zobel — known for tense, character-driven suspense — puts a prestige-TV horror hand on a property defined by graphic monster violence in print. Both Deadline and TheWrap stressed that the animated series remains in parallel development rather than a replacement for the feature.

Trade coverage treated the NYCC reveal as a casting-of-director milestone rather than a finished greenlight package. Deadline noted Blumhouse’s habit of stacking Comic-Con announcements across features and franchise extensions; TheWrap stressed that the live-action and animated tracks are meant to reinforce each other, with Tynion IV staying close to both. Until casting and a start date land, the story for general readers is simpler: a top-selling horror comic now has a prestige-TV thriller director and a Blumhouse producing bench attached in public.

Find more film and TV headlines on our Hollywood page.

Verification: Zobel directing attachment, Blumhouse/BOOM! producer credits, comic sales/translation figures, Erica Slaughter premise and dual animated-series track come from Deadline (Matt Grobar, Oct. 9, 2026). Eisner/House of Slaughter sales note, NYCC Blumfest framing and matching producer list are from TheWrap (Umberto Gonzalez, Oct. 9, 2026).

According to Rolling Stone, Psy Opera is her first album since 2020’s Miss Anthropocene. A statement carried by Pitchfork said the project will cover “everything Grimes witnessed as a woman of history during her hiatus from pop music,” spanning the AI debate, wars, a bad ex, “looksmaxers,” and religion. No album release date or full track list has been announced. Working titles cited in both outlets include “The Light Ages” and “Eve Is Online,” the latter heard in the album trailer.

Rolling Stone noted that “Accelerando” was co-produced by Vadakin and Grimes and recalls textures from Miss Anthropocene. Pitchfork quoted lyrics from the cut (“American lobotomy… / Accelerando / Better than a Van Gogh?”) and described an accompanying video that stages Boucher in chains, at a stake, and amid an android battle. Both reports emphasized that the album is AI-inspired rather than AI-generated: Stereogum and Pitchfork relayed Grimes’ clarification that she does not use generative AI to make her music, while a trailer credit push underscored a 70-person creative team.

The trailer retells the Gospel of John with machine-age twists. Pitchfork quoted lines that swap Eden for metal and “artificial light” rivaling the sun; Rolling Stone highlighted the deadpan opener “On the first day, God created the large language model.” Fans were also invited to an Instagram channel titled “Eve Is Online,” Pitchfork said, extending the concept beyond a single drop.

Context around Boucher’s AI stance remains part of the news cycle. Pitchfork recalled her 2023 offer to share 50% royalties on successful AI songs that use her voice, and her later PBS comments calling AI an opportunity for musicians when tools democratize production quality. Rolling Stone placed the album against her public split from Elon Musk, recent production work for Adéla and Sevdaliza, and a reported documentary on machine consciousness titled First Contact.

Commercially, Pitchfork reported that Psy Opera will be her first release on her own label, Nazgul Recording LLC, after parting with Columbia. Rolling Stone likewise positioned the single as a Nazgul/Eternal Recurrence-era return after a long pause from album cycles. Whether “Accelerando” nods to Charles Stross’s singularity-minded short-story collection remains speculative in both write-ups, but the AI framing is explicit.

Industry timing also matters. Rolling Stone placed “Accelerando” against Boucher’s long public pause from album cycles and her insistence that the new work was built by human collaborators, while Pitchfork connected the single to a growing slate of AI-themed entertainment arriving the same week — from tech-mogul dramas to concept records that treat machine intelligence as subject matter rather than a production shortcut. That distinction is the through-line both outlets kept returning to: an artist who once offered her voice to AI experiments is now shipping a human-made lead single about the age those tools helped define.

Find more entertainment headlines on our Daily News page.

Verification: Single release date, album gap since Miss Anthropocene, Vadakin co-production, trailer/AI framing and statement themes come from Rolling Stone (Jaeden Pinder, Oct. 9, 2026). Lyric excerpts, video description, Nazgul label note, Instagram channel, Gospel trailer quotes and AI-royalty/PBS context are from Pitchfork (Kiana Mickles, Oct. 9, 2026).

Developed from an original story by Wong, the untitled pilot follows a petty criminal who inherits a share in a mysterious corporation and is pulled into extreme wealth — and constant danger — from a ruthless elite that sees her as a threat, Deadline and The A.V. Club reported. Murai will direct from a script by Charles Yu (Interior Chinatown) and Julia Cho (Turning Red, Elio). The project comes from FX Productions and Searchlight Television, Deadline said.

Yu, Cho and Murai executive produce alongside Carver Karaszewski, Claudia Shin, Kate Dean, Paul Schwartzman and Wong, according to Deadline. Filming is scheduled in Bangkok later this month — before 2026 is out, The A.V. Club noted — with no series pickup or premiere date announced.

Liu broke out in Emma Seligman’s Bottoms opposite Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri and has recent or upcoming credits with Nicolas Winding Refn (Her Private Hell), Daniel Roher (Tuner), John Carney (Power Ballad), Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut (Dec. 11 release after Telluride), Jenny Suen’s Peaches and an Arkasha Stevenson bachelor-party horror for A24, Deadline reported. The A.V. Club also flagged her turn in Michael Showalter’s Oh. What. Fun.

Murai recently became the first Asian director to win the Comedy Directing Emmy for Apple’s Widow’s Bay, which also scored a record 14 Emmys for a comedy in one year, Deadline said. A longtime FX fixture from Atlanta and an executive producer on The Bear, he is currently directing and exec producing FX’s The Marriage Plot miniseries from Will Arbery, based on Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel. Wong’s credits include Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love, The Grandmaster and the Chinese series Blossoms Shanghai; The A.V. Club noted that last project as his recent major streaming work and stressed he had not previously worked in American TV.

The order keeps Murai inside the FX orbit even after his Emmy breakthrough at Apple. Deadline noted his long relationship with the network and the overlapping Marriage Plot work; The A.V. Club added that his reputation was built directing Atlanta and that he later served as an executive producer on The Bear. Pairing that FX fluency with Wong’s story credit and a Bangkok production window gives the pilot a clear international footprint before any series decision.

Searchlight Television’s involvement also ties the crime drama to a film-branded TV shop under the Disney umbrella, Deadline reported. Yu’s path from the novel Interior Chinatown into TV writing and Cho’s animation credits on Turning Red and Elio round out a writers’ room that Deadline and The A.V. Club both presented as central to the pilot’s creative identity. No cast beyond Liu was announced in either report.

Find more studio and television deal coverage on our Studio page.

Verification: FX pilot order, Liu casting, Wong original story, Murai directing, Yu/Cho script, Bangkok shoot, Searchlight/FX Productions credit and producer list come from Deadline (Matt Grobar, Oct. 9, 2026). Confirmation of the order, Wong’s first American TV framing, premise summary and Murai’s FX/Atlanta/The Bear context are from The A.V. Club (William Hughes, Oct. 9, 2026).

According to Barrett Media and SSRS, Spotify ranks second at 17% of weekly podcast consumers who name it their most-used platform, and Apple Podcasts sits third at 9%. Netflix lands seventh at 3% — a small primary-platform share that still marks the streamer’s first year carrying podcasts and its first appearance in Edison’s most-used list.

SSRS noted that the platform ranking has changed dramatically over time as YouTube’s podcast inventory remade the ecosystem. Barrett Media compared the Q3 2026 reading with Edison’s October 2024 U.S. snapshot, when YouTube stood at 31%, Spotify at 27% and Apple Podcasts at 15%, underscoring share erosion for the audio-first incumbents even as YouTube’s lead holds.

Both outlets stressed what the 3% Netflix figure does and does not show. SSRS said the number only measures consumers who call Netflix their most-used podcast platform, not all podcast listening or watching that happens on the service. Barrett Media likewise flagged that it remains unclear which titles drive Netflix’s share and how audio-versus-video splits look on Spotify and Apple, which also offer video podcasts.

For creators and distributors, Barrett Media’s takeaway was blunt: video matters, YouTube is the default destination for new shows, and Netflix is another video-first rival worth watching. Audio-first platforms face pressure to adapt as discovery and listening keep shifting toward video and search surfaces.

Edison Podcast Metrics is produced with SSRS survey data and released quarterly to subscribers. The Q3 2026 most-used ranking lands in the same news cycle as other platform moves in podcasting, but the dual Barrett Media and SSRS reports treat the YouTube lead and Netflix’s top-10 entry as the hard news peg rather than any single show deal.

The ranking arrives as podcast listening keeps splitting across apps that treat shows as video as much as audio. Barrett Media argued that creators launching new shows increasingly treat YouTube as the default distribution surface, while Netflix’s entry into the most-used list — even at 3% — signals that a major streamer can register as a primary destination within a year of carrying podcasts. SSRS framed the same shift as an ecosystem story: YouTube’s inventory changed where weekly consumers say they go most often, and Spotify and Apple remain large but no longer dominate the “most-used” answer the way they did earlier in the decade.

Neither Barrett Media nor SSRS claimed the survey measures total hours or revenue. Both stressed the most-used question as a preference share among weekly podcast consumers, which helps explain why Netflix can sit in the top 10 without yet matching YouTube’s scale. For publishers and advertisers watching platform concentration, the dual reports still matter: video-first surfaces are capturing primary-platform mindshare, and Edison’s quarterly series is tracking that move in public.

Find more podcast industry coverage on our Podcast News page.

Verification: YouTube No. 1 ranking, Spotify 17%, Apple Podcasts 9%, Netflix seventh at 3%, October 2024 comparison figures and video-first framing come from Barrett Media (John Mamola, Oct. 8, 2026). Platform-order confirmation, Netflix caveat on most-used versus total consumption and Edison/SSRS methodology notes are from SSRS / Edison Research Weekly Insights (Oct. 7, 2026).

Earle, whose social footprint Digiday put at a combined 14 million followers, told a panel she would rather work with “five or six brands than 100 every year” and is weighing equity deals with partners whose products she actually uses. NetInfluencer quoted the same framing — “I’d rather be aligned with five to six brands over the year than one hundred” — as she discussed Reale Actives expansion without naming new categories.

Digiday said the equity arrangements Earle described work more like joint ventures, with shared creative work and shared upside. She is working on two such deals now: one puts her on a text thread with a photographer and stylist, and another links her with a brand’s creative agency. “They’re very great about letting me sort of take charge and take the lead, and trusting me as the creator,” Earle said, adding that early involvement makes her “always want to overperform and overdeliver.”

Jordan Howlett took the next step by becoming chief content officer at Blenders Eyewear earlier this year, Digiday reported. CEO Jack Gray said Howlett ignored the brand’s first approach and rejected a transactional deal; he now has an office, gives blunt feedback on work he did not create, directed a commercial with Method Man, and is helping design “Jordan proof glasses” with tougher hinges plus a 3,000-pair mystery holiday collection.

Dad creator Kevin Cooney told a Later-hosted panel he turns down campaigns he doubts will perform and tells brands to “put it with a few micros,” Digiday said. Issa Rae, speaking on the same Advertising Week slate NetInfluencer covered, said HOORAE Media’s free TikTok microseries are funded through brand integrations and that she wants “collaborators at the end of the day.” She also debuted “The Compatibility Experiment,” set to premiere Oct. 14 on TikTok and PineDrama, NetInfluencer reported.

Digiday framed the shift as a response to marketers treating creators like disposable ad inventory. NowThis editor-in-chief Michael Vito Valentino said the company canceled a high-view show whose audience never attached and bought finance series Salary Transparency for loyalty rather than raw views: “Really we’re buying the audience.”

HYDP North American CEO Stefani Stamatiou told Digiday that equity should not simply replace endorsement fees. She argued the next phase is “sweat equity,” where creators earn ownership through strategic, consultative or operational work — product development, consumer insight and go-to-market — rather than lending a name. Digiday also cited holiday and social-commerce stats in the same briefing, including retail leaders’ belief that social commerce ranks among the top two holiday online-order drivers, underscoring why brands still chase creator reach even as talent demands change.

Find more creator and influencer coverage on our Influencers page.

Verification: Earle’s five-or-six-brands preference, equity/joint-venture framing, Howlett–Blenders role, Cooney and NowThis quotes, and Advertising Week context come from Digiday (Seb Joseph and Krystal Scanlon, Oct. 9, 2026). Earle’s Reale Actives comments, Issa Rae microseries premiere and same-day creator programming confirmation are from NetInfluencer (Dragomir Stojkov, Oct. 9, 2026).

Manager Stephen Vogt made the call Friday after Williams closed Thursday’s 9-5 Game 4 win in Chicago with his first major-league relief appearance. The right-hander threw 18 pitches, allowed one hit and struck out one to finish an eighth-pitcher night after closer Cade Smith allowed a Miguel Vargas homer and walked Munetaka Murakami, NBC Sports and Yahoo Sports reported.

“Gavin wants the ball. We want him to have the ball, and it’s his game,” Vogt said, according to both outlets. Williams told reporters he walked by Vogt’s office after Game 4 and said he was ready, adding that his body felt good after morning treatment and that throwing a game-mound “pen” was “even better” than a normal between-starts session.

Williams went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA in the regular season and led the American League with 248 strikeouts, the reports said. In Monday’s Game 2 loss he struck out 11 over five-plus innings, becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to whiff five straight batters in a postseason game, and threw 16 pitches over 100 mph. Against the White Sox this year he is 0-1 with a 3.76 ERA, 40 strikeouts and 11 walks across six starts and seven appearances.

Burke gets the ball for Chicago in the club’s first traditional start of the postseason after six games with an opener, Yahoo Sports noted. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in five appearances and three starts versus Cleveland this year. He earned the Game 2 win after entering in the third and retiring 13 straight at one stretch while allowing one run on one hit with six strikeouts over 5⅓ innings.

Manager Will Venable said he approached Burke on Wednesday about starting and called him “the bulk guy” for Saturday. “As we kind of evaluated the set of guys that we have and that we’ll use tomorrow, it made sense to start him,” Venable said, per NBC Sports and Yahoo Sports.

The series is tied 2-2 after the road team won the first four games. The winner opens the ALCS at Tampa Bay on Monday. Cleveland took the AL Central by one game over Chicago, which sits 9-8 against the Guardians in the season series, both outlets reported. Venable framed Game 5 as a fitting end to a year-long rivalry that stretched through the final weekend of the regular season.

Find more sports coverage on our Sports page.

Verification: Game 5 starter announcements, Williams’ Game 4 relief line, Vogt and Williams quotes, regular-season and Game 2 notes, Burke’s traditional-start framing and Venable comments, ALCS destination and season-series context come from NBC Sports (Associated Press, Oct. 9, 2026) and Yahoo Sports (Joe Reedy / AP, Oct. 9, 2026).

In the clip, Kardashian’s divorce-lawyer character Allura Grant appears in a velvet scorpion cape recalling the look Taylor wore to Princess Grace’s Scorpio-themed 40th birthday party in Monaco in 1969, Page Six said. Taylor paired the original Tiziani Roma cape with the 69.42-carat Taylor-Burton Diamond gifted by Richard Burton that year; she later wore the stone to the 1970 Oscars with a lavender Edith Head gown, the outlet reported. Vogue Brazil restated the Monaco party reference and the pear-shaped Burton gift as the historical template for the trailer look.

Page Six Style identified Kardashian’s stand-ins as Leviev’s Savona necklace, valued at $1.55 million with 44.71 carats of pear-shaped natural diamonds and a 14-carat center stone, plus Aveline drop earrings worth $1.2 million and another 18.08 carats. Vogue Brazil cited the same Page Six Style confirmation while converting the jewelry package to roughly R$13.4 million for Brazilian readers and detailing how the cape-and-diamond pairing recreates Taylor’s 1969 silhouette without claiming the original Burton stone itself appears on screen.

The Savona necklace already had a recent red-carpet run: Mariah Carey wore it last week while launching merch for the 25th anniversary of her Glitter soundtrack, both outlets noted. Season 1 of All’s Fair also nodded to Taylor’s jewelry box when Allura received a ring from the actress’s personal collection, Page Six reported, making the Season 2 trailer homage a continuation of an established costume motif rather than a one-off stunt.

Kardashian’s Taylor connection stretches beyond costume. She interviewed Taylor for Harper’s Bazaar in 2011 weeks before the star’s death at 79, asking which diamonds meant the most; Taylor answered that size matters, “but so does the size of the emotion behind it,” Page Six and Vogue Brazil both recounted. In July 2025 Kardashian walked Balenciaga’s Paris couture show in Taylor’s Mike Todd diamond earrings — a 1957 gift from her third husband later bought at Christie’s for $374,500 — and Fox Nation released Kardashian’s docuseries Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar that October.

For fashion desks, the trailer is less about plot spoilers than about how celebrity costume still borrows Old Hollywood glamour to telegraph power. Page Six stressed that Taylor’s memoir My Love Affair With Jewelry described armed guards escorting the Burton diamond to the South of France, underlining the mythic scale Kardashian is citing. Vogue Brazil similarly treated the Leviev pieces as a high-jewelry casting choice that lets Allura Grant inhabit Taylor’s Scorpio-party silhouette without recreating the original Burton stone, keeping the homage readable to jewelry watchers and series fans alike.

All’s Fair Season 2 premieres Nov. 4 on Hulu with three episodes, Page Six and Vogue Brazil reported. More fashion and celebrity lifestyle coverage lives on our Lifestyle hub.

Verification: Cape homage, Leviev Savona/Aveline valuations and carats, Mariah Carey prior wear, Season 1 ring beat, Harper’s Bazaar quote, Mike Todd earrings/Balenciaga note, Rebel Superstar credit and Nov. 4 premiere come from Page Six Style (Hilary George, Oct. 9, 2026). Independent confirmation of the $2.7M / R$13.4M jewelry package, Taylor 1969 Monaco reference, carat breakdown and premiere date are from Vogue Brazil (Oct. 9, 2026).

Composed by Pritam with Hindi lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Marathi lyrics by Ameya Dayal, the song is presented by T-Series and centers on finding a love that feels like home, both outlets reported. Hungama described the music video placing leads Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi amid wedding festivities, affectionate beats and playful exchanges. Cinema Express added that the clip moves from tender wedding rituals into soft domesticity and companion walks through Bombay, matching the film’s depiction of the pair as a married couple.

Ghoshal called the number “a beautiful celebration of love, companionship and those little moments that make a relationship special,” praising the chance to sing again with Nigam, Hungama reported. Nigam said the song celebrates love “in its simplest and most beautiful form” and hoped audiences would feel the same warmth the duo tried to capture. Cinema Express quoted condensed versions of both singers’ remarks and noted that Ghoshal’s softer tone sits against Nigam’s more rousing lines, helping the warm melody evolve.

The film, directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, dramatizes the career of special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam and the legal battles surrounding high-profile criminal cases, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial — a harder dramatic frame that makes the romantic single a deliberate soft counterpoint in the marketing mix. Hungama and Cinema Express both list the theatrical date as Oct. 16, 2026. Cinema Express added that the release clashes with Yami Gautam Dhar’s Nayyi Navelli.

For Hindi cinema audiences, the Ghoshal–Nigam pairing is the clear marketing hook: two veteran voices returning on a soft romantic cut inside a courtroom-adjacent biopic. Hungama said the video is exclusive to the T-Series YouTube channel, with the audio available on streaming platforms. Cinema Express framed the Marathi lyric section as giving the melody an earthy quality inside an otherwise Hindi romantic single, broadening the track’s regional texture without changing its love-song core.

The song’s timing is deliberate: with the film opening Oct. 16, the romantic cut gives theaters a softer pre-release hook while the biopic’s legal drama remains the core pitch. Hungama emphasized that seeing Rao and Gabbi’s chemistry in wedding moments “made the song even more special” for Ghoshal, while Nigam said their on-screen relationship “beautifully complements the emotion of the song.” Together with Pritam’s guest-composer credit and Bhattacharya’s lyrics, the single positions Prahaar as more than a courtroom chronicle — it is also selling intimacy and belonging before opening weekend.

See more Indian film updates on our Bollywood page.

Verification: Oct. 9 song drop, Pritam/Bhattacharya/Dayal credits, T-Series presentation, singer quotes, Rao–Gabbi wedding video framing, Maddock/Vijan production and Oct. 16 release date come from Bollywood Hungama (Oct. 9, 2026). Oct. 10 confirmation, Bombay domestic beats, Marathi-section note, condensed singer quotes and the Nayyi Navelli clash are from Cinema Express (Oct. 10, 2026).

In the Tudum trailer feature, Affleck describes the project as a test of moral compass under pressure: “Who are we really? Who are we when our masks come off?” The plot follows a politician’s polished public life cracking when a ransom demand arrives. Emmy winner Gillian Anderson plays mysterious fixer Dayle, who tells the couple that whatever secrets they have kept from each other need to come out while their son’s life is at stake, Tudum reported. Affleck also framed the movie as being “really about marriage — what it means to attach yourself to someone, the bargains and exchanges.”

Deadline’s Pete Hammond wrote that Affleck’s script, co-written with Billy Ray and Connor O’McIntyre, layers a failing campaign, a strained marriage and a $7 million ransom demand into a propulsive thriller that also echoes themes from Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low without claiming a direct remake credit in the press notes. Hammond noted that Mark pours remaining family funds into the race without telling Abigail, then must face the kidnapping with campaign manager Sam (Steven Yeun) bringing in Anderson’s fixer for a loan plus a steep additional fee.

The ensemble also includes Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Christopher Woodley as Denny, and supporting players including Ray Fisher and Matt Gerald, Deadline listed. Tudum said Affleck sought “good collaborators,” rehearsed the company for several weeks and shot on location at the family’s lavish Los Angeles home, leaning on audience expectations of the cast before “drift[ing] away” from them in service of the story.

Production partners include Artists Equity, the studio Affleck co-founded with Matt Damon and RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale. Producers credited across Tudum and Deadline include Brad Weston, Collin Creighton, Affleck, Damon, Dani Bernfeld and Luciana Damon. Deadline’s review called the tone uneven and overstuffed — swinging between kidnap thriller, marriage melodrama and political commentary — even as it praised the kinetic editing by William Goldenberg and Christopher Rouse and Anderson’s clipped delivery.

Netflix is streaming the film now while offering a limited theatrical footprint, Deadline said. Hammond compared the outing unfavorably with Affleck’s earlier 2026 Netflix thriller collaboration The Rip, arguing Animals asks too many tonal questions at once. Still, Tudum’s feature presents the project as Affleck’s personal statement on crisis, partnership and public image. Viewers looking for more studio and streaming news can browse our Hollywood hub.

Verification: Now-streaming status, cast roles, Affleck quotes, Anderson fixer beat, Artists Equity partnership and producer list come from Netflix Tudum (Thea Glassman, Oct. 9, 2026). Day-and-date Oct. 9 release, R rating, runtime, ransom/campaign plot details, co-writer credits, editor shout-outs and critical framing are from Deadline (Pete Hammond, Oct. 8, 2026).

According to TODAY, the three-minute cut blends early-2000s bubblegum pop with Spears’ girlish-gritty vocal signature and girl-power framing. Lyric excerpts published by the network describe a narrator confronting an ex who has moved on with someone who looks like her — “Blond hair and dressed to a T” — before insisting the stand-in “She’ll never be me.” The Evening Standard quoted additional lines about an ex “lost in your own fantasy” and the refrain that there will “never be another me,” underscoring the song’s doppelgänger sting.

Writing and production credits reported by TODAY list Spears as lyricist, associated performer and composer, with Justin Timberlake, Bradley Daymond and Alex Greggs also credited as lyricists and composers. Riprock ’n’ Alex G is listed as a producer. The Evening Standard noted that Spears co-wrote the song with three others, including Timberlake, her boyfriend during the original album sessions after the pair first met on The Mickey Mouse Club and dated from 1999 to 2002.

“She’ll Never Be Me” is the first of five vault songs planned for the anniversary edition, TODAY reported. The other first-time inclusions cited by both outlets are “Am I a Sinner,” “When I Say So,” “My Big Secret,” and a studio recording of “Right Now (Taste The Victory)” known from Spears’ 2002 Pepsi commercial. Spears’ official Facebook page teased that “more surprises are coming every week” until the Nov. 6 reissue, the Evening Standard said, signaling a drip campaign rather than a single one-off drop.

Context around the original album remains part of the story. Britney followed …Baby One More Time and Oops!… I Did It Again; its lead single “I’m a Slave 4 U” peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard chart, the Evening Standard reported, with other singles including “Overprotected,” “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” and a cover of Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ’N’ Roll.” The album was nominated for best pop vocal album at the 2003 Grammys, and Spears and Timberlake’s earlier collaboration “What It’s Like to Be Me” closed the original record, the paper noted.

TODAY placed the release against Spears’ recent catalogue timeline, saying her last new song was 2023’s “Mind Your Business” with will.i.am, after the 2020 vault collaboration “Matches” with the Backstreet Boys. The Evening Standard likewise framed “She’ll Never Be Me” as her first song release since that 2023 single, even though the recording itself dates to 2001, and pointed to her 2022 Elton John collaboration “Hold Me Closer” and the end of her conservatorship as broader career markers.

Find more entertainment headlines on our Daily News page.

Verification: Release date, album anniversary framing, lyric excerpts, writing/production credits, the five vault titles and recent release timeline come from TODAY (Liz Calvario, Oct. 9, 2026). Timberlake co-write confirmation, Facebook tease, Billboard peak for “I’m a Slave 4 U,” Grammy nomination note, dating timeline and career context are from The Evening Standard (Pierra Willix, Oct. 9–10, 2026).

The project is a limited series from franchise producer Shondaland, following the model of 2023’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Shonda Rhimes will write, executive produce and co-showrun with Nicholas Nardini, her collaborator on Queen Charlotte. Deadline noted it is the first time the Grey’s Anatomy creator has written a show since that earlier Bridgerton universe limited series, where she wrote all but one episode and co-wrote another with Nardini.

Tom Verica, who directed and executive produced Queen Charlotte, returns in the same dual role. Shondaland’s Betsy Beers also executive produces. Unlike Queen Charlotte, which was an original creation drawn from Julia Quinn’s characters as adapted for Netflix, the Violet series has named source material: Quinn’s short novella Violet In Bloom, which tells the love story of Violet and Edmund. That literary hook gives the writers a tighter romance spine than inventing the entire courtship from scratch.

On the mothership series, Ruth Gemmell plays the widowed Bridgerton family matriarch; Connie Jenkins-Greig portrayed a younger Violet in Queen Charlotte. No cast has been announced for the new prequel. Speculation about another Bridgerton prequel limited series intensified after Queen Charlotte’s successful May 2023 launch, Deadline reported, and that series briefly cracked Netflix’s Most Popular English titles. Because Queen Charlotte already tracked Lady Danbury’s romances alongside young Charlotte, Violet’s “happily ever after” love story emerged as the most likely next character to headline her own spinoff.

Expanding the Bridgerton universe remains central to Netflix’s Shondaland relationship. Deadline reported Seasons 1 and 3 remain on Netflix’s Most Popular English series list, ranking No. 7 and No. 10, while Season 5 — shifting focus to Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) — is currently in production in London. THR added that Season 4 spent nine weeks on the streamer’s weekly top 10 charts, peaked with 3.37 billion minutes of U.S. watch time in late February on Nielsen’s streaming original rankings, and that Netflix has renewed the main series through a sixth season. The streamer also built a dedicated UK studio for Shondaland’s Bridgerton filming, underscoring the franchise’s scale beyond streaming into consumer products and live experiences.

The greenlight arrives after lengthy development and speculation that the Violet prequel would be an early pickup under Rhimes’ new long-term overall deal with Netflix, signed in August, Deadline reported. Verica told Deadline in January that existing Bridgerton characters were already getting the Queen Charlotte treatment with more spinoffs in development. Pairing Rhimes’ return to the writers’ room with Verica’s established Bridgerton visual language and Quinn’s novella source positions the limited series as a character-forward romance rather than a procedural or mystery spin. How the writers cast young Violet and Edmund — and how they balance intimacy against the franchise’s known spectacle — will shape whether the prequel can match Queen Charlotte’s breakout footprint.

No premiere date was announced with the Oct. 8 order. More film and TV studio news is on our Studio page.

Verification: Series greenlight, Violet/Edmund logline, limited-series format, Rhimes writing/EP/co-showrunning with Nardini, Verica directing/EP, Beers EP, Violet In Bloom source, mothership casting notes, Season 5 production status, and UK studio context are from Deadline (Nellie Andreeva, Oct. 8) and The Hollywood Reporter (Rick Porter, Oct. 8). Season 4 charting, Nielsen peak, and renewal through Season 6 are from THR; Most Popular rankings, Verica’s January comment, and August overall-deal context are from Deadline.

Spotify did not disclose financial terms. The Wall Street Journal pegged the pact at about $250 million, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, according to THR’s Caitlin Huston and other outlets that echoed the estimate. Spotify did not immediately confirm that figure. What the company did say is that fans can keep watching or listening to new episodes on Spotify each week and across other platforms — the same wide-distribution model that replaced the original exclusive arrangement.

“The partnership with Spotify has been an amazing fit, and they’re incredible to work with,” Rogan said in Spotify’s announcement. “I’m extremely happy and excited to continue with them for years to come.” Jordan Newman, Spotify’s head of content partnerships, called the show “incredibly enduring,” saying there is “simply nothing else like it” and that Spotify’s podcast business has grown alongside JRE.

The numbers behind the renewal remain striking. JRE has about 18 million Spotify followers and has been the platform’s most-followed show since the partnership began in 2020. Edison Research has ranked it the most-listened-to podcast in the U.S. since 2019, and it topped Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts’ 2025 year-end lists, THR noted. Episodes typically run two to three hours and have featured comedians, athletes, actors, musicians, and politicians including Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Spotify and Rogan first signed in 2020, when the show was exclusive to the service. In 2024, as Spotify wound down other exclusives, JRE returned to wide distribution while Spotify continued to sell ads on the show. The new multi-year licensing deal preserves that hybrid: Spotify remains the commercial and discovery home base, but listeners are not locked to a single app.

The renewal also lands against a quieter Spotify podcast strategy. In recent years the company has signed fewer big talent deals and leaned more on paying video-first creators based on listening time rather than traditional ad-sales exclusives. Keeping Rogan on board signals that flagship long-form talk still sits at the center of Spotify’s audio brand even as the broader deal slate shrinks.

For the industry, the optics matter as much as the dollars. Rogan’s show remains a weekly appointment habit in a podcast market crowded with shorter, clip-driven formats. Spotify’s willingness to re-up a multi-year licensing package — while publicly shifting toward performance-based creator payouts elsewhere — underscores that a handful of destination franchises still justify bespoke terms. Whether the Journal’s $250 million ballpark proves accurate or not, the renewal locks JRE into Spotify’s identity heading into the next cycle of platform competition with YouTube and Apple Podcasts.

Controversy has followed the show before — including Neil Young and others pulling music from Spotify in 2022 over vaccine commentary — but the audience metrics that make JRE uniquely valuable to platforms have not faded. With the new agreement, Spotify is betting those numbers hold for years more. More podcast industry coverage is on our Podcast News page.

Verification: Multi-year licensing renewal, Rogan and Newman quotes, 18 million followers, and wide-distribution status are from Spotify Newsroom (Oct. 8). WSJ’s roughly $250 million estimate, 2020 exclusive / 2024 wide-distribution history, Edison Research ranking, 2025 platform tops, and controversy context are from The Hollywood Reporter (Caitlin Huston, Oct. 8).

Under the deal announced Oct. 9, Druski will help Gopuff launch exclusive products and fan experiences aimed at his audience while expanding the brand’s reach through his Coulda Been Records and 4Lifers Entertainment companies. Gopuff, for its part, is positioning the collaboration as a build-and-distribution partnership — pairing a creator’s IP and audience with the company’s merchandising, retail, and delivery network rather than a one-off ad buy.

“Gopuff has always been my go-to platform, so partnering together felt like a natural next fit,” Druski said in the announcement covered by Complex’s Joe Price. “I’ve watched Gopuff redefine the commerce industry and I’m proud to bring my creative ideas to the table and work together with the team to deliver unique products and experiences for their consumers.”

Yakir Gola, Gopuff’s co-CEO and co-founder, framed Druski as someone who “has created an entire entertainment universe by understanding culture and connecting with his audience in a way that feels authentic,” calling the arrangement “a true creative and commercial partnership.” The company said Druski joins a talent roster that already includes Tom Brady, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Cole Palmer.

The equity-backed pact deepens a relationship that started with a lighter touch. Druski previously appeared with Brady in Gopuff’s “HARD PASS” campaign for the Super Monday Off Coalition, which pushed to make the Monday after the Super Bowl a national holiday. That spot now looks like a trial run for a longer commercial relationship built around product development and distribution, not just a celebrity cameo.

For creators, equity-plus-distribution deals are becoming a louder signal that platforms and consumer brands want ownership-aligned partners instead of pure sponsorship. Druski’s path — from viral comedy sketches to BET Awards hosting and branded commerce — mirrors how top influencers are turning audience trust into operating businesses. Gopuff’s pitch is that it can move an idea from a piece of content to a physical product delivered to customers’ doors, a model that sits squarely at the intersection of entertainment and retail.

The timing also fits Druski’s broader entertainment footprint. Beyond viral sketches, he has hosted the BET Awards, stepped into NFL/YouTube flag-football and other crossover moments, and built company brands that can carry merch and experiences without waiting on a traditional studio greenlight. Gopuff’s model — product development plus last-mile delivery — gives those brands a retail pipe that most creator merch drops still lack. That is the strategic bet Friday’s announcement is selling: not another Super Bowl commercial cameo, but an operating partnership where comedy IP and instant commerce share upside.

Financial terms of the equity stake were not disclosed in Friday’s release. What is clear is the intent: exclusive drops, audience-first experiences, and a multi-year runway for both sides to test what creator-led product lines can sell at instant-commerce speed. More creator coverage is on our Influencers page.

Verification: Equity stake, multi-year scope, exclusive products/experiences, Coulda Been Records and 4Lifers Entertainment roles, and Gola quote are from Business Wire (Oct. 9). Druski quote, prior Brady “HARD PASS” collaboration, and Oct. 9 timing are from Complex (Joe Price, Oct. 9).

In Atlanta, Andy Pages delivered the breakthrough the Dodgers had been missing. Hitless through the first two NLDS games and still searching for a hit with runners in scoring position all series, the first-time All-Star punched a two-run single into left-center in the seventh inning of Game 4, lifting Los Angeles to a 4-1 win over the Braves at Truist Park and a 3-1 series victory. The hit was the Dodgers’ first — and only — with runners in scoring position in 20 plate appearances in the series, MLB.com’s Sonja Chen noted.

Manager Dave Roberts had publicly backed Pages before the series shifted to Atlanta, saying he believed the club would need the young center fielder to win a World Series. Pages, who missed most of September with a fractured left hand and posted a .211 OPS across the 2025 postseason, answered that faith against Robert Suarez’s 100 mph fastball. “I like being in those at-bats,” Pages said in Spanish. “There are times the result comes, sometimes not. But I prepare to be in those spots, and today I was able to get the result.”

Hours later in San Diego, the Brewers finished the Padres 3-1 at Petco Park to take their NLDS and set up a second straight pennant fight with Los Angeles. Game 1 of the NLCS is scheduled for Sunday at American Family Field, per CBS Sports’ Kate Feldman. Milwaukee won a franchise-record 103 games in the regular season and had to snap a 12-game postseason road losing streak — tied for the longest in MLB history — to close the series, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reported.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy called the Dodgers a “monumental task,” pointing to All-Star talent at nearly every position, but stressed that teams win October series. Cy Young Award front-runner Jacob Misiorowski was warming in the Petco bullpen as Milwaukee protected its lead Wednesday — a signal that, with the NLDS finished in four games, the right-hander is lined up to start NLCS Game 1. Reliever Trevor Megill finished the save so Misiorowski was not needed.

The Dodgers, bidding for a rare World Series three-peat, have won five straight road postseason games dating to Game 2 of the 2025 Fall Classic and are 10-1 in their past 11 on the road in October. They sprayed champagne in the visitors’ clubhouse in Atlanta even as president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he hoped the club would cash in more runners-in-scoring-position chances in the next round.

With the Rays already into the ALCS and only the Guardians–White Sox ALDS still unfinished, the NL bracket is set: Los Angeles versus Milwaukee again. For fans of high-leverage October baseball, the rematch starts Sunday night. More sports coverage is on our Sports page.

Verification: Dodgers 4-1 Game 4 win, Pages’ two-run single, RISP drought, Roberts quotes, and NLCS Game 1 in Milwaukee are from MLB.com (Sonja Chen, Oct. 8). Brewers 3-1 clincher, Misiorowski NLCS setup, road-streak context, and bracket/NLCS dates are from MLB.com (Adam McCalvy, Oct. 8) and CBS Sports (Kate Feldman, Oct. 8).

The Pandora × Pat McGrath line includes 17 charms and rings priced from about $58 to $250 and is available globally in select Pandora stores and on pandora.net as of the Oct. 8 launch, Cosmopolitan’s Aiyana Ishmael wrote. McGrath framed the collaboration as a merger of two craft languages: “To me, makeup and jewelry have always been the same art,” she said in a statement quoted by Cosmo. “I adorn the body with color, light, crystal, glitter, and pure pigment. Jewelry is that same instinct made eternal. With Pandora, the two arts I have always loved became a single language.”

Carthen, who wore Pandora throughout her villa run and has called herself a longtime fan of the brand’s charm bracelets, said starring alongside McGrath felt like a full-circle moment. “I’m so excited to be part of this campaign with Pat McGrath and Pandora,” she told Cosmopolitan. “Pat is such an icon. Getting to work alongside her has been an incredible experience. I’ve worn Pandora since I was young, so being part of this campaign feels especially meaningful to me.” In a longer Marie Claire interview with Irina Grechko, she added that standing next to “the mother of all mothers” required bringing her “A game” and channeling “the strongest woman I can imagine.”

The partnership also closes a loop Carthen had spoken about publicly after meeting McGrath last year and saying she hoped they would work together. Marie Claire reported that fans—her “Ola Dolls”—had already begun calling for a collaboration in the comments of that earlier viral moment. On set, Carthen said McGrath’s encouragement left her more confident than she had felt on previous campaigns, describing the shoot as a pinch-me experience she accepted without hesitation.

Beyond the jewels, the interviews underline Carthen’s accessory-first styling philosophy: she has described turning inexpensive swimsuits into complete looks with heels, sunglasses and layered jewelry, and she rejects the idea of a single signature aesthetic in favor of mood-driven color and silhouette shifts. That maximalist approach aligns with McGrath’s color-forward beauty world translated into wearable charms—lipstick gloss rendered as metal and crystal rather than pigment alone.

For Pandora, pairing a reality-TV fashion standout with one of beauty’s most influential makeup artists extends the brand’s celebrity-campaign playbook into a collection that literally wears makeup motifs. For Carthen, it converts a childhood charm-bracelet dream—and a manifested McGrath collaboration—into a global product drop shoppers can buy the same day the interviews landed. More fashion and beauty coverage is on our Lifestyle page.

Retail timing matters here: unlike many celebrity jewelry teases that trail weeks behind the campaign film, this drop went live the same day Cosmo and Marie Claire published, giving shoppers an immediate path from interview quote to cart on pandora.net and in participating stores.

Verification: Campaign star pairing, 17-piece assortment, $58–$250 pricing, Oct. 8 retail availability and McGrath statement are from Cosmopolitan (Aiyana Ishmael, Oct. 8). Carthen interview quotes on McGrath, Pandora fandom and styling philosophy are from Marie Claire (Irina Grechko, Oct. 8).

In the first look shared by the official World of Ramayana account, Dutta appears in regal court attire and jewellery as Kaikeyi, while Chadha is shown as Manthara holding a staff—visual cues that nod to the palace politics at the heart of the epic’s Ayodhya chapters. India Today’s entertainment desk said the posters “set the stage for Lord Rama’s exile,” framing Kaikeyi’s two wishes and Manthara’s influence as pivotal turning points in Part 1 rather than peripheral court color.

Ranbir Kapoor stars as Rama, with Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. Earlier this week the producers also released a solo look for Arun Govil as King Dashrath, marking the veteran’s return to the Ramayana universe after playing Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s landmark 1987 television series. The new Kaikeyi and Manthara reveals expand that character-poster rollout as marketing intensifies for the November bow, giving audiences a clearer sense of the palace ensemble before battle sequences dominate the conversation.

Part 1 is scheduled for a Diwali theatrical release on Nov. 6, 2026, with Part 2 planned for Diwali 2027, according to India Today and NDTV. The films are jointly produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios, DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. Sony Pictures is handling global distribution outside India, while Dharma Productions will distribute in the Hindi-speaking market. Releases are planned in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with IMAX presentations in the mix—an unusually broad language and format footprint for a single Indian epic release window.

Tiwari’s adaptation follows the classic arc from Ayodhya’s royal court through exile, the wilderness years and the battle of Lanka, pitching the story as a clash between good and evil centered on Rama’s birth as an avatar destined to confront Ravana. Casting Dutta and Chadha in the Kaikeyi–Manthara axis underscores how much of Part 1’s early drama turns on palace counsel and a queen’s fateful demands rather than only battlefield spectacle, a storytelling choice that could differentiate the first installment from pure war-epic marketing.

Fans and trade watchers have treated each poster drop as a checkpoint on a production long framed as one of Indian cinema’s largest recent epics. With Kaikeyi and Manthara now publicly visualized alongside Dashrath and the lead trinity, the campaign’s next beats are expected to keep introducing supporting players as Diwali approaches and advance bookings become the next measurable signal. More Hindi-film coverage is on our Bollywood page.

Trade coverage also noted online praise for the casting chemistry of Dutta and Chadha in roles that demand political calculation as much as grandeur, with several outlets calling the pair “perfect choices” for the exile-driving subplot that opens the epic’s human drama.

Verification: Oct. 9 poster reveal, Kaikeyi/Manthara casting, exile-setup framing and Diwali 2026/2027 dates are from India Today (Oct. 9). Independent confirmation of the dual posters, Kapoor/Pallavi/Yash/Deol ensemble context and distribution partners is from NDTV (Oct. 9).

Deadline’s Justin Kroll first reported the exclusive, saying Paramount is building a feature inside the dystopian Night City setting that made the 2020 game a global phenomenon after a rocky launch. Di Bonaventura is producing alongside CD Projekt Red, which holds the franchise rights. Variety’s Jack Dunn independently confirmed the deal the same morning, underscoring how quickly the story moved from trade exclusive to industry consensus.

In the game, players control V, a mercenary whose mind is invaded by a biochip carrying an engram of rocker-terrorist Johnny Silverhand, forcing an uneasy alliance against the megacorporation Arasaka. Keanu Reeves voiced and portrayed Silverhand in the game; neither outlet reported whether he—or any other cast member—is attached to the Paramount movie. No director, screenwriter, plot focus or release date has been announced, leaving open whether the film will adapt a specific campaign path or invent a new Night City story.

Cyberpunk 2077 has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, while the Phantom Liberty expansion has sold about 15 million, both Deadline and Variety cited. CD Projekt Red joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski said on social media that the company is “excited about Paramount as a future partner who shares our creative ambitions for the Cyberpunk franchise,” comments later echoed in market coverage as the studio’s shares rose roughly 3% in early Friday trading in Europe after the Deadline report.

The project fits Paramount’s broader push into video-game adaptations. The studio is co-producing a Street Fighter film with Legendary that opens Oct. 16, and it is developing a Call of Duty movie with Peter Berg directing and co-writing with Taylor Sheridan, Deadline noted. Variety framed the Cyberpunk pick as a bid for older, genre-savvy audiences rather than the younger-skewing hits that kicked off Hollywood’s recent game-to-film boom after titles such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

For CD Projekt Red, a studio partnership keeps the Night City brand visible while a sequel remains in development without a public launch date—an important signal after the original game’s troubled ship and subsequent redemption arc. For Paramount, it adds another high-profile IP play to a slate already leaning on interactive franchises, with the shared risk that adaptation quality will be judged against one of gaming’s most visually distinctive worlds. Details on story and casting are expected only when the partners are ready to share more. Find more studio coverage on our Hollywood page.

Industry reaction on Thursday treated the news as confirmation that high-concept game worlds remain bankable film targets even when the source material is mature and violent rather than family-friendly. Until a director boards and a story bible surfaces, the only firm facts are the studio, the producers and the franchise’s proven commercial scale.

Verification: Paramount development, di Bonaventura producing role, CD Projekt Red as producer/rights holder, sales figures and Street Fighter / Call of Duty slate context are from Deadline (Justin Kroll, Oct. 8). Independent confirmation of the deal, Night City/V/Silverhand premise summary and adult-audience framing are from Variety (Jack Dunn, Oct. 8).

After Biel’s casting as a fictionalized version of Hefner’s wife was announced, Harris shared an Instagram direct message she sent the actress. “Please reconsider playing Hugh Hefner’s wife if this film intends to romanticize him or the Playboy world,” she wrote, according to Variety’s Pat Saperstein. “I was actually his wife, and I experienced sexual, emotional, financial and physical abuse in that relationship.”

Harris, who was married to Hefner for nearly five years until his death in 2017, also pointed to other women who have alleged rape, coercion, drugging and exploitation tied to the Playboy ecosystem. “I hope everyone involved in this film takes the time to listen to the women who lived it before helping Hollywood turn it back into nostalgia,” she wrote in the message she later posted publicly on Oct. 8, E! News reported. Biel’s representatives had not commented publicly as of E!’s Oct. 9 update.

Playmates marks the feature directorial debut of Lorraine Nicholson, Jack Nicholson’s daughter, who is also writing the script. The Searchlight film stars Bill Pullman as Hefner, alongside Lily-Rose Depp and Indiana Elle. According to the project’s synopsis cited by Variety, the story follows Elle, a 13-year-old who treats the Playboy Mansion as a second home, and Anna (Depp), one of seven hopefuls competing to become Playmate of the Month, as they form an unlikely friendship while chasing a magazine cover and a romance.

Nicholson has written previously about her own childhood experiences around the mansion, Variety noted—an autobiographical thread that complicates any tidy nostalgia read of the material. Harris’s intervention arrives days after Biel’s attachment became public, turning a casting announcement into a broader argument about who gets to narrate the Playboy years on screen and how carefully those stories should handle survivors’ accounts.

Harris detailed her time at the mansion in her 2024 memoir Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, describing what she called a toxic, restrictive environment after moving in as a young Playmate. In prior interviews, including with E! News in 2024, she said life there left her unsure of her own identity and that she “was never truly in love” with Hefner even as she cared for him late in his life. She has also described weekly allowances, curfews and a culture of comparison that she said eroded her sense of self.

The public plea lands as Hollywood continues to revisit the Playboy brand on screen, years after documentaries and survivor accounts challenged the mansion’s glamorous mythology. Harris framed her message not as a blanket ban on dramatization but as a demand that filmmakers weigh lived experience before packaging the era as soft-focus entertainment. Whether Biel or Searchlight respond remains an open question; for now, Harris has put the ethical stakes of the role squarely in public view. More entertainment coverage is on our Daily News page.

Verification: Casting, Harris’s Instagram message wording, abuse allegations summary, Nicholson’s dual writer-director role, Pullman/Depp/Elle cast and film synopsis are from Variety (Pat Saperstein, Oct. 8). Harris’s public Oct. 8 post timing, E! outreach to Biel’s camp and memoir context are from E! News (Gabrielle Chung, Oct. 9).

Forster and Renée Wolfe’s indie banner 2DUX² teamed with BAFTA-winning Me+You Productions — run by Krishnendu Majumdar and Richard Yee, the team behind Channel 4’s I Am… anthology — to win screen rights after what the producers called a fiercely competitive auction, both outlets said. Fremantle, which has a first-look deal with Me+You, is selling the show worldwide. Publisher Transworld has already acquired world English-language rights to the novel and its sequel, set for 2028 and 2029.

The title character is an orphan, pianist, father, widower and killer serving a life sentence in Britain’s most secure jail for killing one of the men who murdered his wife. He wants the rest of them — and the son they took from him. In prison, mentor Suranga, described as a master forger and zen master, molds him into the machine that will finish the job, then helps him break out into a world that has changed while he was inside, according to Fremantle’s synopsis.

Forster will direct the opening block of episodes and remain closely involved throughout the series, helping shape its visual language and creative tone, Deadline and Fremantle both reported. The filmmaker’s big-screen credits include the $540 million-grossing World War Z, James Bond’s Quantum of Solace, Finding Neverland and A Man Called Otto. His prior TV work includes directing two episodes and executive producing Prime Video’s Hand of God.

Majumdar and Yee called Nines a “propulsive, funny and unexpectedly moving thriller” and said having Forster direct is “a real coup,” adding that the character has “every chance of becoming an iconic anti-hero for the screen.” Forster and Wolfe said they want Season 1 to “feel like an event — and the beginning of something much larger,” balancing emotional characters with action that deepens the story.

Scallion, a former Officer Kicks frontman who previously collaborated with The Script on a YA series and co-wrote The Last Song on Earth with Dave Berry in 2025, will executive produce alongside Forster, Wolfe, Majumdar and Yee. The literary deal was negotiated for Scallion by Eugenie Furniss at 42, with Fremantle’s Raffaella De Angelis, head of literary acquisitions for global drama, spearheading the Me+You side. Casting and writer conversations are underway, Deadline said.

No network, streamer, episode order or release window has been announced. For now, the package is a studio-level development play: a feature director making a rare series commitment, a British indie with BAFTA pedigree, a major distributor attached, and a debut thriller already locked in a multi-book publishing deal. More Hollywood development coverage is on our Studio page.

Verification: Auction win, Forster directing the first block, Transworld book rights, Me+You/2DUX² partnership and casting/writer status are from Deadline (Max Goldbart & Stewart Clarke, Oct. 8). Global distribution confirmation, World War Z gross figure, full synopsis language and producer quotes are from Fremantle (Oct. 9).

The filing says Apple can hire Huxe employees and take a non-exclusive license to the company’s intellectual property, AppleInsider reported. That structure stops short of a conventional acquisition: Apple does not own Huxe outright, but it gains the right to offer jobs to staff and to use the underlying technology. The Verge noted that Huxe was founded by Jason Spielman, Raiza Martin and Stephan Hughes, who previously helped design Google’s NotebookLM, now known as Gemini Notebook.

Huxe’s headline feature was automatically generated audio that sounded like a podcast. Listeners could start from a prompt or question and hear AI voices summarize material with conversational banter, similar to NotebookLM’s Audio Overview style. AppleInsider said Huxe also let users interrupt the generated “podcast” to ask for clarification or change topics, and it offered spoken summaries of selected news or of a user’s day drawn from email and calendar context.

The timing of the public disclosure is unusual. AppleInsider reported that the EU record lists the deal as completed in June 2026, after Huxe announced in May that it was winding down. “We’ve made the decision to wind down Huxe,” a notice on the company’s site said, according to AppleInsider. “The team is moving on to new things, and we won’t be continuing development of the product.” The Oct. 9 coverage reflects the filing becoming visible, not a brand-new product launch.

Apple has been expanding its own podcast surface — adding transcripts, a web player and, more recently, video podcast support — while stacking Apple Intelligence features across its devices. That backdrop makes Huxe’s prompt-to-podcast tooling an obvious research and product fit, even if Apple has not announced any consumer feature tied to the license. AppleInsider also pointed out that Huxe’s LinkedIn presence listed only about five employees, and none publicly listed a move to Apple as of the article’s publication.

The podcast industry has been wary of synthetic hosts. Edison Research survey work highlighted in recent trade roundups found that a majority of weekly podcast consumers reacted negatively to the idea of an AI version of a favorite host. Apple’s deal does not put an AI host on any existing show; it is a technology and talent arrangement that could feed future Apple Podcasts or Apple Intelligence experiments.

For now, the concrete takeaway is narrower: Apple secured rights to Huxe’s IP and a path to hire its people after the app shut down, and the arrangement only became widely reported this week through the EU filing. More industry coverage lives on our Podcast News page.

Verification: Filing description, founders’ NotebookLM background and MacRumors shutdown cross-reference are from The Verge (Stevie Bonifield, Oct. 9). Non-exclusive license language, June 2026 deal date, May wind-down notice, interruptible podcast feature, news/calendar summaries and Apple Podcasts product context are from AppleInsider (William Gallagher, Oct. 9).

The map was scheduled for the main stage of the inaugural Jupiter Festival in Miami, sponsored by YouTube, with ESHAP founder Evan Shapiro, What’s Trending founder Shira Lazar and Lighthouse CEO Jon Goss presenting, TheWrap reported. For the first time, the top 200 creators on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok appear with both follower counts and Affinity Quotient scores, powered by Whalar Group’s Foam creator operating system.

Affinity Quotient grades creators on a 0–100 scale within a single platform, based on median post activity over a 60-day window and weighting active signals such as shares more heavily than passive likes, What’s Trending explained. The approach builds on the Creator Affinity 100 list first presented at IBC earlier this year. Shapiro framed the work as cartography for a crowded industry: brands, publishers and platforms keep entering the “creator ecosphere,” he said, and the map is meant to keep that landscape readable.

Platform leaders will sound familiar to anyone who follows the creator economy. MrBeast leads YouTube; Khaby Lame leads TikTok; Kai Cenat leads Twitch; and Joe Rogan leads podcasting, TheWrap reported. Cristiano Ronaldo tops Instagram, while Kylie Jenner leads Snapchat. What’s Trending’s companion piece put YouTube at roughly 2.7 billion monthly active users on the map and TikTok at about 1.9 billion, underscoring how far creator-led entertainment has scaled.

Lazar said the map is designed as a practical guide for creators building businesses, brands trying to understand the space and companies hunting for openings. Goss argued that algorithms and AI can deepen echo chambers, which is why audiences are chasing “what feels fresh, new and distinctive” — and why smaller creators with strong affinity can matter as much as the biggest accounts.

Beyond the headline names, the 2026 edition expands into Snap, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, Rumble, Substack publishers, agencies, studios, payment tools and AI production software, both outlets noted. What’s Trending highlighted indie creators operating like compact media companies and studios such as Barstool Sports, Mythical, pocket.watch and Dhar Mann Studios as evidence that creator-led entertainment now competes with traditional media infrastructure.

The through line is that follower count alone no longer defines influence. A channel with enormous reach can underperform on affinity, while a smaller creator with a responsive audience can deliver stronger commercial and cultural impact. That is the argument Shapiro has labeled the Affinity Economy. Follow more creator coverage on our Influencers page.

Verification: Platform leaders, Jupiter Festival unveil, Affinity Quotient sponsorship via Whalar Foam, Shapiro/Lazar/Goss quotes and top-200 Instagram/YouTube/TikTok framing are from TheWrap (Kayla Cobb, Oct. 8). AQ methodology, platform MAU framing, indie-creator and studio categories and Affinity Economy framing are from What’s Trending (Keisha Oleaga, Oct. 8).

Cleveland arrived at Rate Field down 2-0 in the best-of-five and won Game 3 by a 9-3 score before staging another comeback in Game 4. José Ramírez, speaking through a club interpreter, told ESPN the club’s approach is simple: “Try to always compete. Don’t quit in any game. What this team is doing is only what we know how to do.”

The Guardians trailed 2-0 through four innings with just one hit, according to MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins. They flipped the lead in the fifth on home runs from Patrick Bailey, who started the night on the bench and entered as a pinch hitter, and Ramírez. Chicago answered to go back ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but Cleveland sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth and scored six runs.

Angel Martínez sparked the sixth-inning rally with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base, then scored on a Travis Bazzana double that fell just beyond diving right fielder Braden Montgomery, MLB.com reported. Grant Taylor, Chicago’s heavily used relief ace who had recorded a four-inning save in Game 1, did not retire any of the six batters he faced and was charged with four runs. Bailey singled, Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan walked, and Ramírez, Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell singled as the Guardians poured it on.

Both managers burned through 15 pitchers over nine innings, ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle wrote. Cleveland got only 2⅓ innings from rookie starter Parker Messick — the shortest start of his career — then used six relievers before manager Stephen Vogt turned to probable Game 5 starter Gavin Williams for the final three outs. “The script tonight got ripped up in the third,” Vogt said, according to ESPN. “And when you have to go to the bullpen early, you’ve got to get creative in a win-or-go-home game.”

Rate Field drew 39,920 fans clad mostly in black, hoping to see the White Sox clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since Oct. 14, 1906, ESPN noted. Over the two Chicago games, Guardians pitchers recorded 31 strikeouts to the White Sox’s nine, while Cleveland hitters drew 17 walks. White Sox manager Will Venable said Cleveland’s hitters were “making really good swing decisions” and that walks were punished.

Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, truTV, UniMás and HBO Max, MLB.com reported. The winner advances to the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, who swept the New York Yankees earlier in the week. Of the 18 previous teams that fell behind 0-2 in a best-of-five before winning the next two, 10 went on to win Game 5, MLB.com said. Find more playoff coverage on our Sports page.

Verification: Final score, sixth-inning sequence, Bailey pinch-hit context, Williams closing, attendance and Game 5 broadcast window are from MLB.com (Tim Stebbins, Oct. 9). Ramírez quotes, dual comebacks, 15 pitchers used, strikeout/walk splits and Venable comments are from ESPN (Bradford Doolittle, Oct. 9).

“Home is where some of life’s most meaningful moments happen, and this collaboration felt like a natural way to explore that world through the same lens of design, craftsmanship and attention to detail that defines everything we do as a brand,” Beckham said, according to both outlets. Wallpaper* said she framed the project as “fashion for the table,” aiming for tablescapes that balance elegance with informal dining and elevate everyday gatherings rather than reserve the pieces for formal occasions only.

Westwing said Beckham looked to the 19th-century Arts and Crafts movement while designing pieces marked by organic forms and minimalist materials, Dezeen reported. The palette centres on silver, deep green and white, Wallpaper* wrote, with hammered metal finishes, textured glass, embossed porcelain and shell or chain details that echo motifs from Beckham’s ready-to-wear and accessories lines. Dezeen said signature jewellery-inspired accents and subtle shell elements were meant to lend sophistication with a touch of playfulness.

Among the standout pieces Dezeen highlighted are stainless-steel butter dishes and salt cellars with a subtle seashell shape, ribbed butter knives and hammered cutlery. A selection of dishes carries scale-like embossing finished in porcelain and glass. Textured glass also appears in wine glasses, champagne coupes and tumblers, plus petite candle holders and amorphous vases sized for one or two stems. Crisp white linens and coasters round out the soft-goods side of the collection, according to Dezeen’s walk-through of the range.

Bespoke green packaging was conceived to reflect both partners’ styles, Dezeen said. Westwing CEO Andreas Hoerning called the partnership “a defining moment” for the brand, saying Beckham’s aesthetic had shaped contemporary fashion for years and that the collection creates “a natural dialogue between fashion and interiors,” offering design lovers “a new way to express their personal style at home,” Wallpaper* reported. The collaboration also supports Westwing’s push in the United Kingdom after the company launched there earlier this year, the magazine said.

The Westwing x Victoria Beckham Collection will be available exclusively through Westwing online and in its stores from Oct. 12, 2026, both reports said. Wallpaper* pointed readers to westwing.co.uk for the U.K. shopfront. The homeware debut is separate from Beckham’s fashion label, founded in 2008, and from her beauty business; Dezeen described it as her first project in the category. Neither report published a full price list in the launch coverage, focusing instead on materials, motifs and the Oct. 12 retail exclusivity window. Find more fashion and design coverage on our Lifestyle page.

Verification: Launch date, Arts and Crafts inspiration, shell butter dishes/cutlery/glassware details, packaging note and Beckham quote are from Dezeen (Jane Englefield, Oct. 9). “Fashion for the table” framing, silver/deep-green/white palette, hammered finishes, chain/shell runway echoes, Hoerning quote, U.K. expansion context and Oct. 12 exclusive retail plan are from Wallpaper* (Tianna Williams, published Oct. 8).

On Day 7 (Thursday), the film collected Rs 13 crore nett across 15,758 shows in India, according to trade tracker Sacnilk as cited by both outlets. That takes its India nett total to Rs 245.50 crore. India Today put domestic gross at Rs 294.60 crore and worldwide gross at Rs 383.60 crore after overseas markets added about Rs 4 crore on Wednesday, for an overseas gross near Rs 89 crore. The Indian Express later cited makers’ week-one worldwide figures of Rs 384.57 crore gross.

“Drishyam 2” (2022) finished its India run at Rs 239.67 crore nett, both reports said, so the third film is already the highest earner in the franchise on the domestic nett chart. India Today said the next career benchmark in Devgn’s lead filmography is “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior” (2020), which holds Rs 279.59 crore nett in India. The Indian Express likewise described “Drishyam 3” as Devgn’s second-highest lead grosser so far behind “Tanhaji,” while noting “RRR” remains larger overall but featured him only in an extended guest role.

The Pathak-directed thriller opened Oct. 2, a Gandhi Jayanti holiday, and posted a career-best opening for Devgn. India Today listed Day 1 at Rs 66.75 crore nett, followed by Rs 53.50 crore on Saturday and Rs 61 crore on Sunday, then weekday totals of Rs 21 crore, Rs 19.50 crore, Rs 15.50 crore and Rs 13 crore. The Indian Express reported a similar weekday step-down and said Tuesday still benefited from discounted ticket pricing even as Monday had already cooled from the opening weekend.

Star Studio18 and Panorama Studios back the film, which reunites Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar with Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor and others; Saurabh Shukla reprises a cameo from the second instalment, India Today reported. With no major new Hindi releases this week, “Drishyam 3” faces a relatively open second weekend. The Indian Express noted that Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan’s “Udta Teer” shifted from Oct. 9 to Oct. 23 after the thriller’s strong start. Find more Hindi-film coverage on our Bollywood page.

Trade chatter on Friday also turned to whether the thriller can keep weekday double-digit crore totals into its second Friday. The Indian Express live blog cited bookers projecting roughly Rs 13 crore nett for Day 8 and noted strong advance sales growth versus the prior Friday’s advances, while India Today framed the immediate narrative around the Tanhaji chase after the franchise record was already secured. Neither outlet treated the Week 1 totals as final lifetime numbers; both stressed that Dussehra-week competition from mid-October could reshape the long tail.

Verification: Day 7 Sacnilk nett (Rs 13 crore / 15,758 shows), India nett Rs 245.50 crore, “Drishyam 2” Rs 239.67 crore lifetime, overseas/worldwide figures, day-wise table and cast/studio credits are from India Today (Oct. 9). Franchise ranking, Devgn career comparisons, weekday decline percentages, Udta Teer postponement and makers’ Rs 384.57 crore worldwide week-one figure are from The Indian Express (Kriti Sonali, Oct. 9).

Adele Lim, who co-wrote the film, is showrunner and an executive producer. “It’s a ‘Crazy Rich’ family reunion! This series is the sequel we’ve been waiting for, but instead of just one movie, we get eight episodes to delve into the characters and worlds of Kevin Kwan’s brilliant books,” Lim said, according to Variety. The BBC quoted her saying the writers room is “humming.”

Jon M. Chu, who directed the film, will executive produce through Electric Somewhere. “Eight years ago, ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ changed my life,” Chu said in a statement carried by Variety and the BBC. He said the cast had since become “movie stars, superheroes, arena-filling performers and even an Oscar winner,” and that bringing everyone back together “feels like coming home.”

Wu and Golding will reprise Rachel Chu and Nick Young, Chieng returns as Eddie Cheng, and Yeoh will again play Nick’s mother, Eleanor, the BBC reported. Kwan, whose trilogy began with “Crazy Rich Asians” in 2013 and continued with “China Rich Girlfriend” and “Rich People Problems,” said he was thrilled the family was “getting back together” and that fans had been “patiently waiting,” Variety reported.

The film, released in 2018, grossed more than $239 million worldwide against a reported $30 million budget and holds a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score, Variety said. A feature sequel had long been discussed but has not moved forward; the TV series received the greenlight at HBO instead. Variety noted that an Astrid-focused spin-off film once discussed in earlier years has also stayed quiet, leaving the new series as the franchise’s clearest next step. Production is set to begin next year, the BBC reported; ABC News, citing an HBO announcement video, said filming is planned for 2027.

Executive producers also include Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force, which developed and produced the film, plus Chloe Dan and Jeannine Tang for SK Global Entertainment, Naia Cucukov Richards and Rose Lam, Variety reported. The series is a co-production of HBO and Warner Bros. Television. Casey Bloys, co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance Direct-To-Consumer, said Constance, Henry, Ronny and Michelle are “global superstars” and that “passionate fans of the film and megahit novels can’t wait to see more,” Variety reported. Channing Dungey, chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, likewise welcomed Adele Lim’s return and the cast’s reunion in a statement quoted by Variety. Find more entertainment coverage on our Hollywood page.

Verification: Cast, Lim and Chu quotes, producing team, box-office figures and HBO/WBTV co-production details are from Variety (Joe Otterson and Angelique Jackson, Oct. 8). Character names, eight-episode format, production “next year,” Critics Choice note and Bloys comment are corroborated by the BBC (Helen Bushby). The 2027 production year is also reported by ABC News (Angeline Jane Bernabe, Oct. 8).

The committee said the prize goes “to a person who with exceptional courage and integrity has led the way towards a more comprehensive global legal order,” and that this year’s laureate “has been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted,” the Nobel statement said. Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes called Pillay “one of the great defenders of international legal principles in our time,” CBC reported.

Pillay, 85, was born in Durban to a family of Indian Tamil origin under apartheid, the Nobel Committee said. She became a lawyer defending activists who opposed the system, including work linked to Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid figures, and later served on South Africa’s High Court. UN News noted that she was the first non-white woman to establish a legal practice in the country and helped establish key rights for prisoners on Robben Island.

Her international judicial career includes service as a judge and president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, a judge on the International Criminal Court, and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014, according to the Nobel release and UN News. She later chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and is an ad hoc judge on the International Court of Justice in the case concerning Myanmar and the Rohingya, the committee said.

At the Rwanda tribunal, Pillay helped establish that rape and sexual violence could constitute a crime against humanity and genocide, and that spreading propaganda could support charges of incitement to commit genocide, the Nobel press release said. Current UN human rights chief Volker Türk congratulated her and said the award was “particularly poignant” at a time when human rights are under attack, UN News reported.

Pillay was attending the Nuremberg Forum in Germany when the prize was announced, CBC reported. Speaking to reporters there, she said she still wanted to “verify” the honour “being a judge and a lawyer,” and that she wanted to see the Myanmar ICJ case through to its conclusion. South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated her, calling the prize a tribute to her “courage, integrity and lifelong commitment to justice,” CBC said.

The Nobel Peace Prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor and is due to be presented in Oslo on Dec. 10, CBC reported, citing Reuters and The Associated Press. It is the fifth Nobel awarded this week after medicine, physics, chemistry and literature; the economics prize is scheduled for Monday. Find more of today’s headlines on our Daily News page.

Verification: The prize citation, career summary, Rwanda tribunal precedents and committee language come from the Nobel Peace Prize 2026 press release (Oct. 9). Age, Frydnes quotes, Nuremberg reaction, Ramaphosa statement, prize money and Dec. 10 ceremony details are from CBC News (Oct. 9). UN High Commissioner tenure, Robben Island note, Türk comments and civil-society emphasis are from UN News (Oct. 9).

WWD reported that the first limited-edition collection nearly sold out in under an hour in 2025, according to the companies. This year’s assortment ships in a bright raspberry shade named “Limitless.” Béis pieces include the Carry-On at $278, the Medium Check-In Roller at $348, the Large Check-In Roller at $378 and the Mini Weekender at $118, plus small, medium and large cosmetic pouches priced from $34 to $74, giving shoppers a full luggage ladder in one color story.

Rare Beauty is adding a $32 Limitless Cheek & Lip Set created for the partnership, pairing full-size Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and Positive Light Luminizing Lip Gloss in the new shade. Marie Claire called it the first makeup bundle built specifically for the Béis collaboration and noted that Soft Pinch has become a staple in many makeup bags, making a travel-focused set a natural extension of both brands’ everyday routines.

“Working with Shay again feels especially meaningful because our first collaboration was rooted in genuine friendship and a shared connection with our communities,” Gomez, founder of Rare Beauty, said in a statement to WWD. “This collection is about confidence and self-expression, and it reflects what we both care about: giving people something that helps them show up as their best selves.”

Mitchell, head of creative and design at Béis, told WWD: “One of the best parts of this partnership has been getting to build alongside another founder with such a clear point of view. Selena has created a brand that feels so distinctly her. We both care about creating things that feel personal, useful and true to the communities we’ve built, so bringing our worlds together again has been really special.”

Marie Claire said the Mini Weekender uses Béis’ updated weekender silhouette and that shoppers can match the raspberry colorway from checked luggage down to smaller pouches. Both outlets said the collection goes on sale Oct. 12 through rarebeauty.com and the Béis site, with launch-day wait lists available for early access after last year’s near sellout.

WWD reported that Gomez and Mitchell appear together in the campaign creative. The partnership will also extend to the annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit, where Béis will make a donation and host an on-site gifting activation featuring the new collection. That charity tie-in keeps the collab linked to Rare Beauty’s mental-health fundraising platform while giving Béis a live retail moment around the launch. For more beauty and style coverage, visit our Lifestyle page.

Verification: Launch date, eight-piece count, Limitless colorway, luggage and pouch pricing, Cheek & Lip Set details and founder statements come from WWD (Ryma Chikhoune, Oct. 8, 9:00 a.m.) and Marie Claire (Siena Gagliano, Oct. 8). The 2025 sell-through claim is attributed to the companies via WWD.

The CBFC’s Examining Committee referred the film to the Revising Committee for further scrutiny over its supernatural themes, depiction of witchcraft, gruesome violence and bloodshed, both outlets reported. The Revising Committee has since cleared “Bokshi” with an “A” certificate and minimal modifications. Producers said the later date will absorb the certification delay and leave room for a fuller theatrical campaign before audiences see the finished cut.

In a statement quoted by Bollywood Hungama, Lorien Motion Pictures said: “Due to its supernatural themes, depiction of witchcraft, and gruesome violence, BOKSHI was recently referred by the CBFC’s Examining Committee to the Revising Committee for further review. We are thrilled to share that the Revising Committee has now cleared the film with an ‘A’ certificate with minimal modifications.” The banner called the move a “brief pause” aimed at a “seamless theatrical rollout,” thanking partners, media, creators and audiences for their patience.

Directed by Assam filmmaker Bhargav Saikia in his feature debut and written by debutant screenwriter and executive producer Harsh Vaibhav, “Bokshi” blends folk horror, mystery and coming-of-age elements. The story follows Anahita, a troubled teenager whose school trek to a remote prehistoric site draws her toward an ancient legend as myth and reality begin to converge. NorthEast Now noted that Saikia, from Biswanath Chariali in Assam, shot the film extensively in Sikkim, grounding the supernatural premise in Himalayan locations.

Bisht leads the cast alongside Mansi Multani and Siddharth Shaw, while Shernaz Patel voices the titular character. The multilingual film uses Hindi, English and Nepali dialogue plus Boksirit, a fictional language created for the production by Dutch linguist Jan van Steenbergen, Bollywood Hungama reported. Saikia also produces under the Lorien Motion Pictures banner, keeping creative control close to the northeast filmmaking team that developed the project.

Before the Indian theatrical push, “Bokshi” premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2025 and played the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival and SXSW Sydney. Bollywood Hungama said the trailer, released weeks before the planned October opening, drew an encouraging response among younger viewers and fans of horror and genre cinema, even as certification timing forced the schedule change.

With Dec. 4 now locked, the team is expected to use the extra weeks to intensify promotions and complete release preparations for the select-cinema rollout. No further certification hurdles were reported after the Revising Committee clearance. The shift keeps the film away from the crowded early-October window while preserving the adult “A” rating that matches its graphic folklore content. For more film and entertainment coverage, visit our Bollywood page.

Verification: Release postponement, CBFC Examining and Revising Committee path, “A” certificate with minimal modifications, cast, languages, Sikkim shoot and festival run come from Bollywood Hungama (Oct. 8, 4:07 p.m. IST) and NorthEast Now (Oct. 8). Producer statement language is quoted from the Hungama report.