From playing a royal to heading to the dark side.

The Crown alum Matt Smith has signed on to play the villain in the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter film alongside Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth. The flick is slated to hit theaters on Memorial Day Weekend in 2027.

The movie will be directed by Deadpool & Wolverine's Shawn Levy. His frequent collaborator, The Adam Project screenwriter Jonathan Tropper, handled the script. No further information has been revealed about Smith's role, and plot details are currently under wraps. The film will go into production this fall.

According to reports, the new movie is set five years after the events of Disney's sequel trilogy, which concluded with 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Smith received an Emmy nomination for playing Prince Philip on Netflix's series centered around the British royal family. The 42-year-old is currently playing Daemon Targaryen on HBO Max's House of the Dragon, which will air its third season in 2026.

Gosling is set to star in Star Wars: Starfighter. "The reality is that this script is just so good. It has such a great story with great and original characters," he said in an interview. "It's filled with so much heart and adventure and there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn."

Donald Trump cannot fathom the reality of his poll numbers.

The current president called into CNBC to spar with Joe Kernen after the anchor reported on Trump's less-than-stellar standing with Americans in his second term.

"I have the best poll numbers I've ever had," the Republican leader told Kernen, who clarified that the statistics Trump was talking about were only polled amongst Republicans and not all citizens.

The Apprentice star said CNBC was the "worst of them all" when it comes to reporting and cited CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten as more credible.

Trump doubled down on his support for Enten, claiming he "went crazy over how well" the right-winger was doing in the polls before telling the CNBC audience to watch CNN to "see about the numbers."

Trump saying he has the best poll numbers he's ever had citing "Harry Emden" on CNN

Harry Enten response: If we are comparing him to other presidents at this point in their presidencies, he is the second lowest on record compared only to himself. pic.twitter.com/LpeAAZUFo4

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 6, 2025

The businessman alleged his approval rating was at 71 percent and, among conservatives, boasted that the figure is around 94 to 95 percent.

Following Trump's row with Kernen during their call, Enten explained to CNN's John Berman that he wasn't garnering favor with the commander-in-chief. "I give him a fair shake. I don't give him a positive spin," he noted about the numbers.

"If we are comparing him to other presidents at this point in their presidencies, he is the second lowest on record compared only to himself, who does worse," Enten explained. "When you're comparing yourself to Richard Nixon and you say you're doing better than Richard Nixon in your second term, that's not exactly a good position to be in."

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is getting a new celebrity officer.

Actor Dean Cain — who starred as the title superhero in the ABC series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman — claims he's becoming an ICE agent "ASAP" to help Donald Trump and his administration with their arrest goal.

During an appearance on Jesse Watters' Fox News show, the 59-year-old revealed how quickly he decided to join the government agency.

"I put out a recruitment video yesterday, I'm actually a deputy sheriff, a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer. I wasn't part of ICE, but once I put that out there and you put a little blurb on your show, it went crazy. So now I've spoken with some officials over at ICE and I will be sworn in as an ice agent, ASAP," Cain revealed.

Bad Hombres better watch out. Primetime accidentally drafted SUPERMAN into ICE.@RealDeanCain is joining the 80,000 new ICE recruits who are ready to make America safe again pic.twitter.com/vI7Aj6HadO

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) August 7, 2025

The Out of Time actor made it clear he's unsure if he will be taking part in the massive ICE raids. However, Cain noted, "I would be there in a heartbeat."

"Hopefully a whole bunch of other former officers, former ICE agents, will step up and we'll meet those recruitment goals immediately and will help protect this country," he said.

The right-wing Hollywood star recently condemned Superman director James Gunn's statement about how the character's immigrant background plays into "the story of America." The character is originally from the planet Krypton.

"Bringing Superman into it, I think that was a mistake by James Gunn to say it's an immigrant thing, and I think it's going to hurt the numbers on the movie," Cain explained in an interview. "I was excited for the film. I'm excited to see what it is because James Gunn seems to have a sense of humor and the last iterations of Superman didn't have much humor, and I love the humor in Superman. So, I'm rooting for it to be a success, but I don't like that last political comment."

Jim Acosta's journalistic integrity is being questioned after the CNN alum interviewed an AI avatar of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver, who died in the 2018 tragedy along with 16 other people. While the conversation was organized by Oliver's parents' gun control group, Change the Ref, in honor of his 25th birthday, the decision wasn't well-received.

"I was taken from this world too soon due to gun violence while at school," the AI version of Oliver said in the interview. "It's important to talk about these issues so we can create a safer future for everyone."

The AI version of Oliver went on to discuss the Second Amendment with Acosta.

"I believe in a mix of stronger gun control laws, mental health support and community engagement," it said. "We need to create safe spaces for conversations and connections, making sure everyone feels seen and heard. It's about building a culture of kindness and understanding."

"Though my life was cut short, I want to keep inspiring others to connect and advocate for change," the AI Oliver added.

The mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, continues to be used in activism against gun violence. But viewers didn't feel like Acosta moved the needle with his AI interview, which he shared on YouTube.

Critics took to Bluesky to share their concerns.

"You don't have an interview. You're facilitating a grotesque puppet show, using grieving parents' heartbreak for a bit," one Bluesky user wrote. "The bar is in hell and you still managed to trip on it."

"You're interviewing an AI recreation of a person who was murdered by a spree killer? Wow," another Bluesky user complained to Acosta. "It's hard to accept that no one around you suggested that this was probably in the worst possible taste. AI exists, we know that, but just because you CAN do something with it, that doesn't mean you SHOULD."

"'I'll have a one of a kind interview with Joaquin Oliver.' … No, you won't. You're talking to a glorified answering machine message, you dingbat," another critic wrote.

https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:zgu2azx6tvj7s4bhbvhtz5ac/post/3lvmid4gcp22m?

Colleen Hoover is returning to the big screen with another adaptation of one of her books. A year after the headline-making adaptation of her 2016 novel It Ends With Us opened in theaters, the first trailer for the adaptation of her 2019 book Regretting You has debuted.

Allison Williams, Dave Franco, McKenna Grace, Willa Fitzgerald, Scott Eastwood and Mason Thames star in the film, which centers around a young mother and widow (Williams) as she bonds with her widowed brother-in-law (Franco) over their mutual loss, all while navigating the complex relationship with her teen daughter (Grace) as they both explore new romances.

After screenwriter Susan McMartin handled the script, while The Fault in Our Stars filmmaker Josh Boone directed Regretting You.

It Ends With Us — which performed well at the box office in spite of mixed reviews — was famously directed by star Justin Baldoni. His legal drama with costar Blake Lively is still playing out in court.

Hoover's books are clearly resonating with Hollywood. Her 2022 novel Reminders of Him is getting an adaptation starring Maika Monroe in early 2026, and an adaptation of her 2018 novel Verity starring Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett and Dakota Johnson is due in October 2026.

Everyone's favorite moody teenager is back!

Season 2, Part 1, of Netflix's Wednesday starring Jenna Ortega and Catherine Zeta-Jones is out now — and critics are weighing in.

Perhaps the most beloved member of the Addams Family, Wednesday (Ortega) returns to Nevermore Academy for the fall term as she continues to use her psychic abilities to try to solve a shocking mystery and dive deeper into her ancestral history.

Variety's Aramide Tinubu applauded the series' consistency and the abilities of its leading lady. "Like its first season, the first part of Wednesday Season 2 is spooky, kooky and mysterious. As Wednesday races against the clock to unpack her startling vision of Enid and prevent it from coming to fruition, she understands there are certain darker aspects of her precognitions she still hasn't grasped," she wrote. "Wednesday has been criticized for being a Netflix-ified version of the Charles Addams classic, with Nevermore standing in as a Hogwarts-type institution. And while that may be true, it doesn't diminish the exquisite details embedded in the show, its mystifying darkness or Ortega's commanding control of her character."

While some praised Ortega, others critiqued her performance. The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg, for example, claimed the young star gets "lost" amid the "overcrowded" season.

"Whereas my original review of the first season praised Wednesday for having the restraint and focus to not simply become The Addams Family, Wednesday has simply become The Addams Family, complete with a recast, still underutilized, Lurch (Joonas Suotamo) and the always handy Thing (Victor Dorobantu). Only Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) hasn't become a full-time member of the ensemble, but he appears in the midseason' 'finale' (words have lost all meaning)," he wrote.

The Guardian's Sarah Dempster gave the series' latest installment four stars but seemed to have mixed feelings on the story. "Fun is to be had in the return of Catherine Zeta-Jones's, woozy, pillowy Morticia Addams if not in Luis Guzmán's lumpy, grinning Gomez, whose character, as ever, seems oddly unfinished, as if he'd abandoned rehearsals halfway through, having been distracted, perhaps, by a scotch egg," she wrote, adding that "minor quibbles aside, the season opener is wonderfully skittish and dense with jokes and plot."

Lady Gaga and her iconic meat dress made quite an impact at the 2010 MTV VMAs, and the pop star continues to build a legacy at the award show 15 years later, as she is the most-nominated artist this year.

The Mother Monster's 12 new nominations include artist of the year, best album for Mayhem and best direction, best art direction, best cinematography, best editing, best choreography and best visual effects for "Abracadabra." She scored the other four nominations — video of the year, song of the year, best collaboration and best pop — for her hit duet with Bruno Mars, "Die with a Smile."

Aside from Gaga, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus and Tate McRae all scored multiple nominations for their work this year.

This is Gaga's third time dominating the awards show, and fans were enthusiastic about the news.

Lady gaga is the best out there pic.twitter.com/HqnmMkHBch

— Arnab D. Saha (@TheArnabSaha) August 5, 2025

"Lady gaga is the best out there," one fan wrote.

"The run Gaga has been on is unmatched. Each era, something new, but always fresh," another penned.

"THIS REALLY IS GAGAS YEAR," someone else declared.

But not everyone was thrilled for the "Just Dance" chart-topper.

"Did that with 0 good songs in over a decade. Impressive. Not that much deserved. Right, guys?" one critic wrote.

"And that's how you know the entire industry is rigged," another hater shared.

South Park isn't having it with Donald Trump and his administration's antics.

After the United States Department of Homeland Security used a teaser still from the Comedy Central series to encourage people to join ICE, the show's creators took to X slam the agency.

Wait, so we ARE relevant?#eatabagofdicks https://t.co/HeQSMU86Da

— South Park (@SouthPark) August 5, 2025

"Wait, so we ARE relevant?" South Park's X account commented on the DHS post, adding a crude hashtag for "eat a bag of d****."

The X exchange is just the latest move in the back and forth between the White House and the adult cartoon, which never backs away from making fun of the Republican president. In the season 27 premiere, South Park depicted Trump in bed with Satan while complaining about his microp****. 

The Trump admin lashed out at South Park in response: "This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention," spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement. "President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak."

"The left's hypocrisy truly has no end – for years they have come after South Park for what they labeled as 'offense' content, but suddenly they are praising the show," Rogers continued. "Just like the creators of South Park, the left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows."

According to Nielsen and internal data, South Park's season 27 launch raked in 5.9 million viewers across Comedy Central and Paramount+ in its first three days.

On the season premiere episode titled "Sermon on the 'Mount," creators crafted a bold takedown of Trump and Paramount Global after the company settled a defamation lawsuit with the former star of The Apprentice.