Classic Rock News

In brief: 'A Proud Family Wizmas' trailer and more

Zoo wee mama, indeed. There's a brand-new trailer for the upcoming Disney+ animated holiday comedy film Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: The Getaway. Readers of Jeff Kinney’s bestselling book series can see the Heffley family come to life in this festive film that premieres on Dec. 4 ...

Speaking of trailers for holiday specials, fans of The Proud Family can watch a brand-new look at the upcoming stop-motion holiday special A Proud Family Wizmas. It arrives on Disney+ Nov. 14. The special is filled with songs and follows Penny Proud as she accidentally destroys Christmas and sets out to make things right. Kyla Pratt returns to voice Penny while guest stars Anderson .Paak, Lil Rel Howery, JB Smoove and Gabrielle Union come along for the ride ...

Camila Mendes is back in character as Ana Santos. The actress once again stars as the character in the new sequel film Upgraded 2. Prime Video has announced cameras are up and rolling on the movie in Venice, Italy ...

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Sharon Horgan says 'Youth' is her most personal project yet

Sharon Horgan stars in 'Youth' season 1. (Natalie Seery/HBO)

Sharon Horgan has made a career out of telling relatable, comedic stories.

The actress stars in Youth, an original HBO comedy she created that was just renewed for season 2. Youth follows a 50-year-old divorcee named Alex who searches for love while also caring for her ailing parents and parenting her should-be grown-up son.

Horgan had been thinking about the characters in Youth years before she made the series, even prior to making her 2022 Apple TV show Bad Sisters.

"Pre-Bad Sisters I was just about hitting 50, and I was just coming out of a divorce and my kids were getting older, and this new phase of life appeared to be happening that I thought had good potential for story," Horgan said.

The actress decided: "I want a write about being a woman of that age and getting back out onto the sort of scene, as it were, because I found that I was waking up and thinking, 'I'm gonna die alone.' And I thought, 'That's kind of funny.'"

"Dating is so much harder when you hit this age, because just, it's different. Your body's different, your confidence is different. The people who are available to you romantically are different," Horgan said. 

While there are parts of Horgan embedded into everything she makes, the creator feels as though Youth in particular is more personal than her other projects.

"It's a really odd one, actually. It's more so than other shows I've done. And a lot of the work that I do could be called auto-fiction. I put a lot of myself into the majority of my work. But this feels extra," Horgan said.

Alex has a son, Horgan has two daughters. They have careers that "couldn't be more different," Horgan said. Yet, she feels extremely connected to the character.

"It's just, I guess, simply that. That I put a lot of myself into the character, and use some of my own very personal experiences and heartache," Horgan said. "So that feels weird."

Horgan said including real moments from her life felt like asking Youth's audience, "Do you like me?" and "Do you think I'm funny?"

"I think putting anything out is tough, because you've been sitting with it for so long. You've been making it for usually years, and the only person you've had to please, well, outside of the streamer or whatever you're making it for, is yourself," Horgan said. "Once it goes out there, it belongs to everyone and everyone decides what it is. And that's a scary prospect."

Horgan also hopes people will relate to what Alex goes through, whether it be watching your kid who just left for college immediately decide to come home or what happens to your body when you hit your 50s.

"I think it is really helpful to see someone go through it, especially on a small screen, because it's so much more relatable when it's TV, when it is in your home," Horgan said. "It feels less out of your reach. Less aspirational or something. And so that would be my dream, that people feel like you're reflecting their lives back at them."

All eight episodes of Youth season 1 are available to stream on HBO Max.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Whitney Leavitt to star in new reality show with Hulu

Whitney Leavitt for ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.’ (Disney/Nik Roberts)

Will #momtok survive this?

Former Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Whitney Leavitt is set to produce and star in her own Hulu reality show, according to Deadline. Hulu has yet to announce a title or release date for the project.

The Dancing with the Stars season 34 contestant teased her upcoming show with an Instagram Reel collaboration with Hulu and @GetRealHulu on Wednesday, highlighting previous fan rumors that she’d be starring in a new series. She cheekily paired the video with the caption “see you soon.”

The show promises to follow “firebrand Whitney Leavitt and her family as they navigate her newfound fame and career ambitions while always putting family first," Deadline reports. 

The news comes months after Leavitt announced her exit from SLOMW in May during her final performance as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway. The influencer opened up about her decision to leave the show after its fifth season on Good Morning America.

"I feel like with anything in life, you feel like you have this book of life and it just felt like it was a chapter that was time to end and I've tried to leave multiple times, which I'm sure you've seen," she explained during the Sept. 4 interview. "But this one I felt ended really well, and I think everyone felt that."

On top of her upcoming reality series, Leavitt also signed on to star in Netflix's upcoming holiday rom-com All for Love releasing on Nov. 24 and Broadway’s Just in Time starting Dec. 1.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Cynthia Ervio joins cast of Snoop Dogg biopic as Tupac Shakur's mother

Cynthia Erivo attends Airbnb.org's first-ever gala at Milk Studios Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Cynthia Erivo has joined the cast of the upcoming Snoop Dogg biopic.

The Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner and three-time Oscar nominee will play Tupac Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, in Snoop, Universal Pictures has confirmed to ABC Audio.

Afeni Shakur was a former Black Panther activist. She is the subject of Tupac's top-10 hit song "Dear Mama." 

Jonathan Daviss plays the lead role of Snoop Dogg in the upcoming film about the hip-hop legend. Daviss is known for his role as Pope Heyward in the Netflix series Outer Banks.

Also starring in the film are Myles Bullock Be, Lauren London, Camron Jones, Algee Smith, Tre Hale, Laya DeLeon Hayes, Olly Sholotan, Corey Champagne, Jonica Booth and SwayvoTwain.

Coming 2 America helmer Craig Brewer directs the film based on his revision of the script that was penned by Joe Robert Cole. It tells the story of Calvin Broadus Jr.'s life and his journey to fame as the musician Snoop Dogg.

Snoop Dogg serves as a producer on the film, which will incorporate music from his vast catalog.

Universal Pictures has previously had success with music biopics. The studio released 2015's Straight Outta Compton, which told the story of the rap group N.W.A. and their rise to fame, as well as the 2002 film 8 Mile, which starred Eminem and contained autobiographical elements from his life. That film won the Oscar for best original song for "Lose Yourself."

Snoop arrives in theaters on Aug. 6, 2027.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Toni Collette to star in Apple TV comedy-drama series 'Lenni'

A photo of Toni Collette. (Apple TV)

Toni Collette has found her next starring project.

The actress is set to lead the new comedy-drama series Lenni for Apple TV. Collette will star as the titular divorced social worker in the series, who, after a family tragedy, strives to protect her loved ones from life's troubles.

Ciarán Hinds, Dan Wyllie, Josh McKenzie, Celeste Barber, Genevieve Hegney, Arka Das and Wayne Blair make up the rest of Lenni's cast.

The series is based on the hit Norwegian show Pernille, which was created by Henriette Steenstrup. Lenni will be directed by Bad Sisters and Margo’s Got Money Troubles' Dearbhla Walsh. It was adapted by Sarah Scheller.

Lenni is described as "a darkly comedic mystery about family — what it means to have one, to lose one, to pull one apart," according to Apple TV.

"Lenni, a child welfare worker and divorced mother of two, spends her days fighting for other people’s families while her own is in a constant state of hilarious chaos. The season follows Lenni through a new case, where the stakes couldn’t be higher as her work and personal life collide," an official description of the series reads.

Production on Lenni is currently underway in Sydney, Australia.

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Richard Madden, Gugu Mbatha-Raw Netflix series 'Trinity' gets release date, official trailer

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden star in 'Trinity' season 1. (Netflix)

We now know when the new series Trinity will arrive on Netflix.

The streaming service has revealed that the upcoming drama series starring Richard Madden and Gugu Mbatha-Raw will debut on Dec. 1.

The show follows "a heroic female naval officer" who "becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic secretary of defense, only to discover he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy," according to its official synopsis.

Netflix also released the series' official trailer. It finds Mbatha-Raw starring as Commander Katherine Decker, who is second-in-command aboard a nuclear submarine called the USS Kansas. We see her interact with Madden's Secretary of Defense Webb Preston. It is her unlikely bond with him that draws her into danger surrounding a top-secret program code-named Trinity.

"If you want to protect your crew, help me make the world a safer place, I need to hear what you're not telling me," Madden's Webb Preston says.

"This cannot be traced back to me," Mbatha-Raw's Katherine Decker responds, to which Webb says, "I've got your back."

Jed Mercurio showruns the series that he also executive produces and writes for.

Marcia Gay Harden, JD Pardo, Bruce Greenwood, Robert Wisdom, Kirk Acevedo, Ben Cotton, James Remar, Jason Ralph and Mark O’Brien also star in the new show.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


In brief: 'Chicken Shop Date' heads to the big screen and more

It seems a new docuseries centered on Justin Timberlake is on the way. Variety reports a four-part documentary series about the actor and musician will premiere on Apple TV in December. The tell-all project will feature Janet Jackson talking about the infamous wardrobe malfunction that took place at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, the outlet reports. ABC Audio has reached out to Apple TV for confirmation ...

Chicken Shop Date is headed for the big screen. As the popular YouTube series comes to a close, audiences in New York and LA will be able to watch Amelia Dimoldenberg "date" celebrities for the final time at select movie theaters. The one-night-only event is set for Nov. 24 ...

This scream queen has found her next part. Deadline reports Orphan star Isabelle Fuhrman will lead a new sci-fi thriller film titled Heartache. The movie comes from first-time feature filmmaker Beth Fletcher and centers on a woman who wants to find love in a world where heartbreak has become lethal ...

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Mckenna Grace says no to nudity in film because she wants to 'be a Disney princess'

Mckenna Grace attends a screening of the film 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' at the Zoopalast. (Britta Pedersen/dpa (Photo by Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Mckenna Grace is opening up about why she makes certain acting choices.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping star said she purposefully avoids taking on roles that require nudity in an interview with Cosmopolitan released Tuesday.

"At this point, I definitely don’t do nudity or very hypersexual things. I respect anybody who can, but it’s terrifying to me. I don’t know if that’ll ever change," Grace told the outlet.

The actress said she doesn't mind being part of the horror genre, but she draws the line at nudity.

"It’s not like I only do wholesome things — my character literally gets gutted by Ghostface in Scream," Grace said. "But my dream is to try and be a Disney princess someday."

Grace stars as District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner in the upcoming Hunger Games film, which opens in theaters on Nov. 20. Elsewhere in the interview, Grace said she has been part of The Hunger Games fandom for a long time.

"I was very invested in all of it—the headcanons and the fan base. I had this huge Hunger Games poster. I got a bow and arrows so that I could be like Katniss. I told [director] Francis Lawrence when I got to set: 'Dude, I’ve watched these movies and read these books a million times ... To be running off my own podium toward the cornucopia, this is not real to me,'" Grace said.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is based on Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name. It revisits the world of Panem almost 25 years before the events of the original book and film saga.

The novel begins on the morning of the 50th annual Hunger Games, when Haymitch Abernathy is chosen to compete in the deadly arena. Haymitch eventually wins the games, as he goes on to be the mentor for Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.

Joseph Zada stars as a young Haymitch in the film that follows his journey through the Second Quarter Quell.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Netflix sets series order of coming-of-age adaptation 'Prep'

A photo of Nicole Taylor. (Lorraine Milligan) | The book cover for 'Prep.' (Random House)

A new coming-of-age series is headed to Netflix.

The streaming service has given a straight-to-series order to Prep. It will be a young adult show based on the bestselling 2005 novel by Curtis Sittenfeld.

One Day's Nicole Taylor serves as showrunner, executive producer and a writer on the upcoming series. Sittenfeld executive produces, as does Will Ferrell. 

Prep follows "scholarship girl Lee Fiora’s high school years at Ault, a prestigious New England boarding school, and her journey to navigate friendship, crushes and class as a fish out of water among her privileged, confident classmates," according to its official logline.

Taylor said in a press release that Prep is her "all-time favourite novel."

"I have longed to adapt it for the entire twenty years since I first read it and found myself reflected uncannily back. There is no more acute depiction of the introspective, bookish self-conscious adolescent girl and no more truthful or excoriating take on the perils of social mobility than in Curtis Sittenfeld’s beautiful first novel. I am overjoyed to be adapting for Netflix," Taylor said.

Sittenfeld expressed similar excitement about the upcoming adaptation.

"I'm overjoyed that Netflix is making Prep as a TV show—the 22-year wait was worth it!" Sittenfeld said. "Nicole Taylor's scripts are truly brilliant. Nicole's adaptation makes me understand my own novel, and myself, better. My 51-year-old self can't wait to see what they do with this story of privilege, longing, and teen angst."

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Jason Statham, Guy Ritchie teaming up on new Netflix action movie

Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie attend the global premiere of the new Netflix series 'The Gentlemen' at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on March 5, 2024, in London, England. (Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/WireImage via Getty Images)

Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie are reteaming on a new movie.

The actor and director are reuniting for the new film Dogfight. The Netflix project is described as an "action-packed revenge thriller with a stylish twist."

Statham will lead the film, set in the criminal underground of London, that Ritchie wrote and will direct.

The pair have collaborated on a couple of films set in the English city, including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000). They also worked together on the projects Revolver (2005), Wrath of Man (2021), Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023) and the upcoming movie Viva La Madness.

Plot details for Dogfight are being kept under wraps for the time being.

Ritchie and Statham both produce the upcoming film alongside Ivan Atkinson and John Friedberg. The movie will start production in the U.K. in early 2027.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Country music singer Nicole Taylor of Taylor Red dies at 35

Nicole Taylor, Nika Taylor and Natalie Taylor of Taylor Red attend Opry 100: A Live Celebration at Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium on March 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Grand Ole Opry)

Nicole Taylor, one-third of the country music group Taylor Red, has died, according to a statement from her sisters shared on the group's official website. She was 35.

According to the statement, Nicole Taylor died Sept. 28, 2026. A private funeral service was held by her family.

Nicole Taylor, who was a member of Taylor Red with her triplet sisters Nika Taylor and Natalie Taylor, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2022, her sisters said in an Instagram video Monday.

In the video, Nika Taylor and Natalie Taylor said their sister battled cancer "fearlessly" and told her loved ones "We're not going to live in dread during all of this."

"She even did CrossFit while she was doing her [chemotherapy] treatments," Nika Taylor said.

According to the sisters, Nicole Taylor initially "responded well to [chemotherapy] treatments" and had been declared "evidence without disease," but was later told her cancer had progressed to Stage 4.

Despite doctors giving her three months to live after that diagnosis, her sisters said she went on to live for another year.

"She tried not to live in fear, remained really hopeful, traveled, she tried to live life, she worked really hard, she tried to have fun," Natalie Taylor said.

According to Nika Taylor, Nicole Taylor was given "a more serious diagnosis" around nine months later.

"After she asked the doctors her prognosis, [they said] it was around three months. And if the treatments worked, they didn't know how long [she had] after that," Nika Taylor said.

In response to that news, Natalie Taylor said her sister replied, "Everybody's gonna face judgment, and I'm ready to."

Born March 18, 1991, the Taylor sisters formed their music group Red Roots in 2010, releasing their self-titled debut studio album in 2011.

Their second studio album, The Middle of Nowhere, was released in 2012, followed by their third studio album, Triplicity, in 2014.

The trio signed with Inpop Records in 2015 and changed their name to Taylor Red, later releasing the track "Country Money" in 2021.

Nika Taylor and Natalie Taylor said throughout their sister's life, Nicole Taylor kept a deep and steady faith.

"We are still shocked and didn't think this would happen," Nika Taylor said in the Instagram video. "But we know she's not suffering anymore, and we have God's promise of ultimate healing."

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Netflix releases Rob Lowe documentary preview

Rob Lowe appears in the Netflix documentary ‘Rob Lowe: The Outsider.’ (Netflix)

Rob Lowe is ready to tell his story.

The West Wing star is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at his prolific career in the new Netflix documentary Rob Lowe: The Outsider. Netflix just dropped a trailer for the project, giving fans a closer look at the upcoming documentary, set to release on Nov. 24.

Per the trailer, the documentary features archival footage, as well as interviews with Lowe's wife of over 30 years, Sheryl Berkoff, and former co-stars Gwenyth Paltrow and Demi Moore. The preview teases a deep dive into Lowe’s career and personal life, including his 1988 sex tape scandal and mental health struggles.

“From his breakout roles in The Outsiders and St. Elmo’s Fire through his Emmy-nominated turn on The West Wing, Lowe has built a career defined by constant transformation,” Netflix’s official logline reads. “Rob Lowe: The Outsider traces that arc in full for the first time, pairing new interviews with Lowe and those who know him best against a career-spanning look back at the moments — public and private — that shaped him.”

Along with the documentary, Netflix will start streaming video episodes of Lowe’s podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe on Dec. 3. The actor is also starring in the streamer’s upcoming Christmas movie In a Holidaze, releasing on Dec. 2.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Dolly Parton's nephew asks for estate's lawsuit against him to be thrown out

Dolly Parton performs on The Pyramid Stage during day 3 of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 29, 2014, in Glastonbury, England. (Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage via Getty Images)

Dolly Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver is asking for the lawsuit brought against him and his security company by Parton's estate to be thrown out.

Seaver, who was also the head of his late aunt's security team, filed an 18-page response Monday to a complaint from She's Alive LLC, the trust that manages Parton's assets. She's Alive LLC sued Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, LLC, on Sept. 22, one month after Parton's death, alleging he had made threats and was demanding money.

Seaver said in his response to a Tennessee judge on Monday that he never created a "culture of fear" as the suit had alleged, denying the premise of the lawsuit and saying the messages the suit calls "threats" were not threats.

Seaver also denied that he had "engaged in outrageous or oppressive conduct" as alleged in the complaint, and said some of the "threats" outlined in the original suit had been met with reactions like "HaHa" from Danny Nozell, an executor on the trust and Parton's longtime manager.

"Defendants deny that any of these statements was a threat, deny that they were 'calculated' to threaten anyone, [and] deny that they had or were intended to have a 'chilling effect' on any person...," the response reads in part.

The response comes one month after She's Alive filed a court document on Oct. 5 alleging that Seaver's residence had a "no-trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door" in an alleged attempt to evade being served with the lawsuit.

Reached for comment at the time, Seaver told ABC News a restraining order filed against him by Parton's estate prevented him from speaking publicly about the case.

Parton's estate was granted the temporary restraining order against Seaver and his security company in September, after a judge ruled that they had shown a "present and continuing disruption and threat" to She's Alive.

Parton died in August after what her family described as a "brief battle with cancer." Seaver was the one who announced his aunt's death in a video statement shared on social media at the time.

Parton amassed a multimillion-dollar estate during her lifetime, stemming from her entrepreneurial endeavors, which included her extensive music catalog and her Dollywood amusement park. She and her late husband, Carl Dean, who died last year, had no children.

The next hearing in the ongoing case between She's Alive and Seaver is scheduled for Nov. 10.

ABC News has reached out to Seaver for comment.

Parton's estate declined to comment when reached by ABC News.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Bill Hader will guest star on 'Abbott Elementary'

A photo of Bill Hader. (ABC)

Bill Hader is going back to school. Elementary school, that is.

The actor is set to guest star on the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, ABC Audio has confirmed. Hader first made the announcement while guesting on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday.

"This is cool, I can say this now," Hader said. "I do a guest spot on Abbott Elementary this year."

Hader continued by saying, "I'm excited."

There's currently no word on the character Hader will play on the sitcom.

Hader stars alongside Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson in the new animated film The Cat in the Hat. Kimmel joked he was shocked that Brunson allowed Hader to be part of the beloved sitcom.

"Quinta rarely lets actors who aren't from Philadelphia in the show," Kimmel said.

"I had to act like I was from Philly," Hader said in response.

The Cat in the Hat arrives in theaters everywhere on Friday. Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.

Disney is the parent company of ABC, ABC News and Hulu.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


In brief: 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' season 3 trailer and more

It seems as though Ben Wang could be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadline reports the actor, who stars in the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, is in talks to play Iceman in Marvel's new X-Men film. The character, who has the name Bobby Drake, is a founding member of the X-Men. His power is cryokinesis, the ability to generate and control ice and cold ...

Carrie Coon stars in the official trailer for the upcoming film The Liberation. The actress plays Rita, a New Jersey housewife and Holocaust survivor living in the 1980s. When she encounters a spiritual leader played by Lily James, Rita leaves her family to join an all-women commune. Bella Ramsey, Odessa Young and Tracy Letts also star in the upcoming film, which is slated for wide release on Jan. 8 ...

The official trailer for season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has arrived. The third season of the show based on Rick Riordan's bestselling book series premieres on Disney+ Nov. 20. Its first two episodes will be available to stream at that time, followed by two new episodes dropping each week that follows. Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri and Charlie Bushnell star in the season, which finds Percy and his friends racing to save Annabeth from the forces of Kronos ...

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Arnold Schwarzenegger is Santa Claus in 'The Man with the Bag' trailer

Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Santa Claus in 'The Man with the Bag.' (Clay Enos/Prime Video)

Arnold Schwarzenegger is making his return to the Christmas movie genre, and this time he's The Man with the Bag.

Prime Video has shared the official trailer for its upcoming holiday film starring Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus. This comes 30 years after Schwarzenegger starred in the 1996 holiday movie Jingle All the Way.

Schwarzenegger stars alongside Reacher actor Alan Ritchson in the upcoming film. Ritchson plays a thief named Vance who helps get Santa's magic bag back after it is stolen by a naughty elf.

The trailer finds Ritchson's Vance approached by Santa while ice skating at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

"I'm looking for Kris. With a K," Vance tells him.

Schwarzenegger's Santa responds, "You found him," with a smile.

Berkeley James, Michael Cyril Creighton, Liza Koshy, Kyle Mooney, Jane Krakowski, Ken Jeong and Awkwafina also star in the film. Adam Shankman directed it from a script by Allan Rice. In addition to starring, Ritchson serves as a producer.

The Man with the Bag arrives to Prime Video on Dec. 2.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Ellen DeGeneres mourns death of longtime producer Matthew Wright, 52

Ellen DeGeneres attends the premiere of Netflix's 'Green Eggs And Ham' at Hollywood American Legion, Nov. 3, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)

Matthew Wright, a longtime executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has died. He was 52.

Wright died Oct. 30 while working remotely in Los Angeles, according to a fundraising page created to support his family.

His death was described as an "unfathomable tragedy." No cause of death has been disclosed. ABC News has reached out to the fundraiser's organizer for comment.

Ellen DeGeneres paid tribute to Wright in an emotional video on Instagram Monday, remembering Wright as a beloved member of her longtime talk show.

"He was an amazing guy," DeGeneres said in the video. "He was funny. God, he made me laugh. He would surprise me with things that he did all the time. He was smart. He was kind."

"Everyone loved him. I loved him. And it's just shocking — it's shocking," she added.

DeGeneres also described Wright as "the glue to our entire family" at The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Andy Lassner, a fellow executive producer on the show, also paid tribute to Wright in an Instagram post Sunday.

Lassner said Wright had recently visited him on the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show, where Lassner now works as an executive producer, during filming for the show's Halloween episode.

"These photos were taken Thursday, while we were taping our Halloween show. Matt came by to visit. A few hours later, he was gone," he wrote in the post's caption, alongside several photos of the two together. "We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being. "

"My heart breaks for his husband, Justin, his family, and all of us who loved him," he continued. "I was so lucky to work beside Matt for so many years and to call him my friend. We should have had so much more time with him."

Wright served as a producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2006 to 2022, according to his IMDb page.

He previously reflected on his 16 years working on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in a 2022 Instagram post marking the end of the daytime talk show.

"How do I even begin to sum up 16 years of my life?" he wrote at the time. "I've made so many best friends, had so many amazing experiences, met so many heroes of mine and even fell in love thanks to this show."

He added, "I will forever be grateful to @theellenshow for taking a chance on me and changing my life!"

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Olivia Rodrigo announces first holiday song 'take me home (4 christmas)'

The artwork for Olivia Rodrigo's new holiday single 'take me home (4 christmas).' (Lizzie Klein)

It's tiiiime!

Olivia Rodrigo has an early Christmas present for all the livies on the nice list. The music superstar has announced the upcoming release of her first-ever holiday single, "take me home (4 christmas)." It arrives on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

It's not just the song, however. When the new single drops on Thursday, so will a brand-new music video featuring Rodrigo, Cynthia Nixon and Saturday Night Live's Ben Marshall.

Rodrigo took to Instagram to announce the news to her fans.

"my first Christmas song 'take me home (4 christmas)' is out this Thursday at 5 pm pt/ 8 pm ET!! you can preorder it now. im so excited!!" Rodrigo wrote alongside a Santa Claus emoji and red heart emoji.

Interested fans can also purchase the single on physical formats. An exclusive 7-inch vinyl and cassette are available for preorder on Rodrigo's website, with the vinyl also available for preorder at Target. It will be on Target shelves starting on Friday.

Rodrigo wrote the new holiday song alongside her frequent collaborators Dan Nigro and Amy Allen. Nigro also produced the new track.

This festive song arrives after the recently released remix of Rodrigo's song "expectations" featuring Chappell Roan. The original track appeared on Rodrigo's third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. It marked Roan's first-ever feature appearance on a song.

The remix became the highest peaking all-female collaboration on the Billboard Hot 100 this year. Its release also returned you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love to the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Rodrigo is currently on her The Unraveled Tour. The sold-out tour has sold over 1 million tickets worldwide and has broken several venue records, according to a press release.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


'You Can See Everything' wins Halloween weekend box office

Nathan Fielder and Elizabeth Holmes appear in this still from 'You Can See Everything.' (A24)

Nathan Fielder and Elizabeth Holmes were more than just a popular couples costume this Halloweekend.

The documentary You Can See Everything was the #1 film at the domestic box office, taking the top spot away from the DC Studios horror movie Clayface. A24 confirmed the news to ABC Audio on Monday.

You Can See Everything grossed more than $11.4 million over the weekend. This brings its North American total to $64.7 million.

The almost three-hour experimental documentary from Nathan For You star Fielder and the documentarian Lance Oppenheim debuted in theaters on Oct. 16.

The film follows Theranos founder Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans. The pair invited a film crew to document their lives in the weeks leading up to Holmes starting to serve her prison sentence for defrauding Theranos investors.

A24 notes that You Can See Everything has yet to be released overseas but will begin rolling out in other markets in the coming weeks.

Clayface earned just $200,000 less than You Can See Everything for the #2 spot with $11 million earned. Rounding out the rest of the top five were Wildwood and Wicker at #3 and #4, and the video game adaptation Street Fighter at #5.

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Druski and Netflix announce new original comedy series 'Collect & Praise'

Netflix announces deal with content creator Druski. (Netflix)

Druski is bringing his viral sketches to streaming.

The comedian just announced a multiyear deal with Netflix and his company 4LIFERS Entertainment, starting with his new semi-scripted comedy series Collect & Praise.

The series, set to premiere on Dec. 1, follows a money-hungry megachurch pastor (Druski) and his deacon (Mike Epps) as they run their church and prioritize fortune over faith. The series is built around his viral megachurch pastor character who appeared in a short-form sketch posted Jan. 12, which amassed over 9 million likes on TikTok.

“I’ve built my platform by creating characters and comedy that resonate with people,” Druski said in a press release. “This partnership with Netflix will give me the resources to build on that comedy foundation and bring my work to a new global audience. It’s a tremendous opportunity for our team at 4LIFERS Entertainment to expand our reach, develop original programming for the masses and take our creativity to new heights.”

On top of producing upcoming original projects, Netflix will license content from Druski’s existing catalog, including Coulda Been Love, Coulda Been Daddy, Coulda Been Records Auditions and his viral skits.

“Druski has a gift for building characters that people can’t stop talking about,” John Derderian, who oversees Next Gen Content at Netflix, said. “Collect & Praise is just the beginning, and we welcome Druski to Netflix.”

The news comes amid an exciting week for the content creator, who will make history as Saturday Night Live’s first digital creator host on Nov. 7.

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