Streaming

If you’re a fan of Hallmark’s Christmas movies, that is: the company is launching a streaming service, Hallmark Plus, in mid-September, Deadline reports.

The service, which will cost $80 per year, will feature shows like Finding Mr. Christmas, a reality show where 10 men will compete to earn a role in a 2024 Hallmark holiday movie.

There was some hope that The Umbrella Academy might switch up its formula and give the Hargreeves siblings a new kind of adventure for the show’s fourth and final season (out August 8th.)

But Netflix’s new trailer kinda makes it seem like they’ll be doing what they always do — averting an apocalypse of their own making.

Thanks to Hulu’s Futurama renewal last year, we’ll be seeing more of Fry, Leela, and Bender until at least 2026. And for the show’s upcoming 12th season (due out July 29th), we’ll apparently see the Planet Express crew meet “A.I. friends (and enemies” as well as learn the “true 5 million-year-old story behind the consciousness-altering substance known as coffee.”

A “special committee” of Paramount’s board approved a rumored merger with Skydance Media, which will be announced Monday, according to Bloomberg. The news could signal the end of the dramatic Paramount merger saga that’s been going on for months.

Time to pop the champagne? Perhaps. At least put it on ice. Maybe hold the glasses for a bit, though. We’ve been here before.

Weeks after negotiations between Skydance and Paramount’s parent company, National Amusements, ended without a deal, the New York Times reports not only have they restarted, but “the two sides have reached a preliminary deal to create a new Hollywood giant.”

This follows a report from CNBC that Warner Bros. Discovery or Comcast could also be interested and Bloomberg saying Paramount might sell BET for $1.6 billion.

Updated: Added new reporting of a preliminary deal.

Kite Man — a man whose power is having a kite — isn’t really the kind of DC character you’d expect to see starring in their own animated series. But you can kind of see the appeal to Kite Man: Hell Yeah! (out July 18th) when you hear Stephanie Hsu as an explosive ice skiter and Keith David as a drunken Darkseid.

Much like MTV News and its archives, Pimp My Ride is no longer with us, but Netflix’s new car restoration show Resurrection Rides looks like it’ll be the next best thing when it premieres on July 24th.

In terms of blockbuster sci-fi cinema, July 4th will always belong to the original Independence Day, but this year the holiday will also see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire finally become available to stream on Max.

A Paramount Global spokesperson tells Variety that “as part of broader website changes across Paramount, we have introduced more streamlined versions of our sites, driving fans to Paramount Plus to watch their favorite shows.”

The company recently took down the MTV News website archives, too.

reports Dexerto. And the San Francisco 49ers are now cutting ties with him, too.

The game studio he co-founded also cut ties, and so did peripheral manufacturer Turtle Beach, following my colleague Ash’s reporting that he sent inappropriate messages to a minor. On Tuesday, he shared his side of the story.

Ahead of the season two finale of its Interview With the Vampire adaptation, AMC has renewed the show for a third season that will see Lestat become a touring rockstar trying to tell his tragic story through music.

HBO is banking on a new Harry Potter adaptation to ensure its future success, and the network announced today that the project will be written / executive produced by Francesca Gardiner (Succession, His Dark Materials) and directed by Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones, The Last of Us).

DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have been tightlipped about their True Detective-inspired Green Lantern series.

But we’re about to start hearing a lot more about it now that HBO has officially greenlit the project for eight episodes, and announced that Chris Mundy will be showrunning with Damon Lindelof and Tom King writing.

There are a bunch of new games available on Netflix today! Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit is out now, as is The Case of the Golden Idol. If you like those Netflix interactive fiction games, then Netflix Stories: Perfect Match will be right for you, or just play some Hearts. Also, while not available today the streamer has announced that Thirsty Suitors is coming to the platform soon.

The Gravity and Children of Men director is helming Disclaimer, which stars Cate Blanchett as a journalist who “built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others” and “is horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets.” No trailer, but here’s a photo of Blanchett looking pretty stressed out.

The third season of The Bear will be released three hours earlier than planned, Deadline reports. You’ll now be able to watch the 10-episode season starting Wednesday at 9PM ET on Hulu.

The iconic Mexican singer Juan Gabriel is the subject of a new eight-episode podcast series from Apple, hosted by journalist Maria Garcia, who also created Anything for Selena.

The first two My Divo episodes will premiere July 1st for everyone, with weekly releases afterward, but Apple TV Plus subscribers can connect their accounts and listen to all eight on day one.