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She's baaaaaack. Everyone's favorite viral dance craze-creating android goes from villain to (anti)hero in M3GAN 2.0, the follow-up to 2023's breakout horror hit. Once again produced by genre titans Jason Blum and James Wan, the sequel introduces a T-1000 to M3GAN's T-800 — a military-manufactured A.I. powered weapon named Amelia.

Other returning players include Alison Williams as M3GAN's maker, Gemma, and Violet McGraw as her niece, Cady. Director Gerard Johnstone is also back behind the camera for another round.

While the first M3GAN caught a pop culture wave, sequels to surprise successes can sometimes go astray. And the reviews for her upgrade suggest that going bigger didn't necessarily result in a movie that's necessarily better. M3GAN 2.0 currently has a 63 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and registers at a middling 55 percent on Metacritic.

Size definitely doesn't matter to Associated Press critic, Mark Kennedy. "Most of the same...

A&e’s long-running true-crime procedural The First 48 continues its examination of real-life homicide investigations with an episode that starts inside a victim’s home. In Death Comes Knocking, Mobile, Alabama Detective Mark Kennedy is called to a scene where a young father has been shot to death, and the initial clues point toward a conflict that […]

The First 48: Death Comes Knocking...

On Thursday June 19 2025, A&e broadcasts The First 48!

Death Comes Knocking Season 28 Episode 2 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “The First 48,” titled “Death Comes Knocking,” promises to be a gripping installment that dives deep into the complexities of a homicide investigation. This episode focuses on a tragic event where a young father is shot inside his own home. The circumstances surrounding his death raise many questions, and Detective Mark Kennedy takes the lead in uncovering the truth.

As the investigation unfolds, viewers will see how Detective Kennedy pieces together the events leading up to the shooting. Earlier that day, an argument took place, and the detective must determine if this disagreement escalated into something far more dangerous. The emotional weight of the case is evident, as it involves the loss of a father and the impact on his family.

Throughout the episode, the challenges of police work become clear.

The First 48 returns with an intense new episode titled “Death Comes Knocking,” airing on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 8:00 Pm on A&e. This season 28 episode dives deep into the tragic story of a young father who is shot to death in the safety of his own home. The shocking nature of this crime sets the stage for a gripping investigation.

Detective Mark Kennedy takes the lead in this case, facing the daunting task of piecing together the events that led to the young father’s murder. Earlier that day, an argument had broken out, and the investigation hinges on whether this dispute escalated into something far more deadly. As the clock ticks, Detective Kennedy must sift through the evidence and interview witnesses to uncover the truth behind the violence.

Viewers can expect a raw and emotional journey as the episode unfolds. The stakes are high, and the pressure is on for...

At least some fans would’ve been surprised to see A Minecraft Movie reach a few million short of a billion-dollar box office. The film only has a 48% Rotten Tomatoes score, meaning that critics didn’t have many great things to say about it. However, there have been actual billion-dollar movies with awful Rt scores.

The poor reviews of such movies didn’t stop the viewers from watching them in theaters. Rotten Tomatoes is a pretty standard metric to analyse the critical reception of a movie, and anything below 60 means it isn’t a great film. Here are some blockbuster films that didn’t get any love from the critics.

15. The Lion King (2019)

Box Office Collection: $1,662,020,819

Rt Score: 51% Rotten

Audience Score: 88%

The curiosity to see how your favorite animated film from your childhood fared in live-action brought many viewers to the theater. And to be honest, it was a soulless recreation of the original.

Disney is on a quest to turn all of its best titles into live-action remakes. Some of them worked magically, while others failed to perform as expected.

Following the controversial Snow White release earlier this year, Disney has another one coming: Lilo & Stitch. The live-action remake of the beloved animated film debuted with exciting early reactions from fans, with many calling it the "best Disney live-action" yet. However, ahead of its May 23 theatrical release,Lilo & Stitch debuted with a 73% score on Rotten Tomatoes, falling to match the original's, which boasts an enthusiastic 86% Certified Fresh score.

The new adaptation comes from Dean Fleischer Camp, with a script by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes. The live-action remake had Maia Kealoha as Lilo Pelekai and brought back Chris Sanders as the blue koala-like illegal alien Stitch. The cast also includes Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Hannah Waddingham, Billy Magnussen, Zach Galifianakis, and Courtney B. Vance,...

A Minecraft Movie hits theaters this week, carrying massive box office expectations that could shape the future of Warner Bros.’ leadership. With the studio desperate for a win after recent high-profile flops.

The review embargo has finally been lifted following a slew of mixed social media reactions and the reviews are mixed. Some critics think A Minecraft Movie is a shallow, corporate cash grab that lacks the creativity and fun of the game. Many say it feels empty, like it’s just using the Minecraft name to make money instead of telling a great story.

Some found it boring, frustrating, and aimed only at kids, with little for adults to enjoy. Others felt it copied parts of the game’s look but didn’t capture its real sense of adventure. Overall, they see it as a safe, uninspired movie that doesn’t take risks or do anything special.

Related: Minecraft...

Updated with statements from O Cinema and International Documentary Association/Art House Convergence and details of meeting to vote on the cancellation of the cinema’s lease: The mayor of Miami Beach, Fl is threatening to shut down an arthouse movie theater for showing the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, branding the film as “antisemitic.”

Mayor Steven Meiner issued a draft resolution calling for his city to terminate a lease agreement with O Cinema, located at Old City Hall, a property owned by the city. The resolution, to be debated at a city commission meeting Wednesday, March 19, also would eliminate about $40,000 in grants provided by Miami Beach to the nonprofit that runs the theater. O Cinema began screening No Other Land last Friday, five days after it won Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.

The film, directed by a collective of four Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, provides a ground-level...

Disney is a studio known for creating pure magic with their films, but not even the most acclaimed artists can have a hit on their hands 100% of the time. As Disney has gone through different eras with its animation and live-action releases, the studio has had its fair share of flops. More recently, with a shift in emphasis on live-action remakes of its classic animated tales, Disney has disappointed audiences as it shallowly attempts to cultivate nostalgia by translating beautifully animated musicals into CGI-inundated, bland, poorly-written content.

Though these frequent missteps are new, Disney isn't a stranger to less-than-desirable films. The studio has had similar issues with audience reception during their early 2000s period and even back in the 1980s after Disney's first PG-rated animated film, The Black Cauldron, severely tanked at the box office. Seeing such faulty storytelling and filmmaking from Disney can be hard to stomach, especially for their most loyal fans.

Academy Award-winning director, and controversial Hollywood star, Mel Gibson, is back behind the camera for this month’s action thriller, Flight Risk. Reuniting with his Father Stu co-star Mark Wahlberg, who stars as a tricksy, balding assassin and the villain of the piece, the reviews for Flight Risk are now in, with the action outing crash landing with critics and debuting with a score of 30% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Peter Gray of The Au Review couldn’t have enjoyed Flight Risk much less, awarding the movie a rating of just 1.5/5 and criticizing Gibson’s surprisingly lackluster direction.

“Gibson’s unable to land this thing successfully. He doesn’t even revert to autopilot, instead content with a crash landing, failing to let us brace for any immediate impact.”

Subsequent reviews did not get much better, with the film's chances of really flying being grounded from the start. The Wall Street Journal's Zachary Barnes...

Quick Links Ace Cluck Was Supposed to Be a Girl An Iconic Sitcom Actor Finally Secured the Role Despite Its Many Changes, the Film Was Panned by Critics

Disney's Chicken Little may not be the most iconic Disney movie of all time, but it was a big deal back when it was released in 2005. Fans appreciated the unique animation style as well as the compelling story, even if the film didn't manage to hit every nail on the head. The film also boasted an all-star cast, all of whom added their own sense of flair to this compelling film.

Audiences will recognize Zach Braff as the voice of Ace Cluck, but he wasn't the team's first choice at all. In fact, Chicken Little was set to be a very different film and even had a strikingly different cast. So, who was cast as Cluck before Zach Braff, and how did...

Generally, there are two types of films, with most genres featuring both live-action and animated options. The distinction is obvious, as live-action movies feature real people, objects, and settings, while animated movies rely on handmade or computer-generated images and utilize humans primarily offscreen. Disney features an extraordinarily wide variety of both types.

Walt Disney essentially pioneered animation, with his first notable animated feature, the short film Steamboat Willie, coming out in 1928 and introducing the world to the internationally beloved Mickey Mouse. Around a decade after Steamboat Willie's release, Disney officially entered the movie game with the first feature-length animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The world of animated movies hasn't stopped spinning a century later and probably will never stop. Walt Disney Animation Studios has over 50 movies under its belt, with Disney-owned Pixar and rival studio DreamWorks producing even more films to make some of the most underrated Disney features blur into obscurity.

Parker Finn’s Smile 2 has officially hit the screens, and early reviews suggest that the sequel is not only living up to the original but, in some ways, surpassing it. With a solid 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Smile 2 is being hailed as one of 2024’s top horror surprises. Critics are especially praising Naomi Scott’s gripping performance and the film’s blend of terror, emotion, and dark humor.

Naomi Scott Shines as the Emotional Core

At the center of Smile 2 is Naomi Scott, who plays pop sensation Skye Riley, a star whose world tour is derailed by nightmarish events following the death of a grinning man. Critics across the board have highlighted Scott’s portrayal of the unraveling pop star, with many noting the intensity she brings to the role.

Mark Kennedy from the Associated Press commended Scott’s dedication, writing, “She goes for it all-out—smeared blood,...

The Oscar race for Best Animated Feature heats up with the theatrical release of “The Wild Robot,” in which the title character (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) is shipwrecked on an island and develops relationships with the local animals. Directed by Chris Sanders, the film opened on September 27 from Universal Pictures.

SEEBox office preview: DreamWorks’ ‘The Wild Robot’ takes on Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ and others

As of this writing the film has a sky-high MetaCritic score of 86 based on 30 reviews counted so far — all of them positive. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, where reviews are considered simply positive or negative, the film is generating just as much goodwill, rated 98% fresh based on 102 reviews, only two of which give the film a thumbs down. The Rt critics consensus says, “A simple tale told with great sophistication, ‘The Wild Robot’ is wondrous entertainment that dazzles the eye while filling your heart to the brim.

Keegan-Michael Key touched upon giving Bumblebee a voice in Transformers One. Prior to this, Transformers One director Josh Cooley threw shade at a brutal review from Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press.

Key brought this subject up in an interview with Collider, professing that he was "chomping at the bit," because "there's no rules." He went on to further note, "Nobody can tell us what to do! This is the origin story. So it was so exciting and fun that Josh Cooley, the director and I, we just got to kind of build this together however we wanted to do it. And, and of course, you know, there's guidelines given the script and the story and the journey of his, of his life and how it, you know how it escalates and ebbs and flows. But I was just ready to tear into the steak of this role of what it was gonna be,...

Josh Cooley couldnt help but crack up at an incredibly scathing assessment of his new film, Transformers One. As the latest installment in the storied franchise readies to roll out this Friday, Cooley laughed out loud at a particularly overwrought critique of Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henrys animated adventure as Orion Pax and D-16. The rather overbearing review was penned by Mark Kennedy for the Associated Press. And as the writer makes his arguments against Transformers One, he denounces it as not even being airworthy: not worth being an in-flight movie, apparently. Check out an excerpt from what can arguably be called a hit piece below (per the AP):

Movie origin stories finally reach their nadir this week with Transformers One, the super-violent, toy-selling vehicle that tells the tale of how Optimus Prime and Megatron went from besties to foes. Did anyone ask for this? Did Wile E.

Transformers One director Josh Cooley recently threw shade at a brutal review from Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press. Before this bit of news, Cooley touched upon why Transformers One changed Megatron's origin story.

Over on X, Cooley shared the review, professing in response to one line from it, "Lol! 'Transformers One isn't good enough to watch on a plane, even a trans-Pacific flight. The inflight map is better.' Great idea, who owns the inflight map I.P.? I'm In."

Related 'We've Got Some Ideas': Transformers One Producer Reveals Rough Outline for Animated Trilogy

Transformers One producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirms plans for an animated trilogy and shares some of the ideas they have for the sequels.

Lol!Transformers One isnt good enough to watch on a plane, even a trans-Pacific flight. The inflight map is better."Great idea, who owns the inflight map I.P.? I'm In.

Transformers One director Josh Cooley has shared an absolutely brutal review of the animated prequel, which declares his movie isn't even good enough to be watched on an airplane. Reviews for Transformers One have been overwhelmingly positive, with the movie currently sitting at a 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has been praised for its vibrant animation, gripping story, and complex characters, with some critics declaring it the best movie in the franchise since 1986s Transformers: The Movie. This high praise, however, hasn't been delivered by every critic who's reviewed the film.

Now, Cooley has responded to a review of Transformers One from Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press, joking about one line that claims the in-flight map on a flight is better than the movie. The review also goes on to criticize the film for using established Transformers lore so heavily, and for the level of violence involved in its action sequences.

Netflix has sparked an impressive new action franchise with the release of Rebel Ridge. Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge features a strong cast led by Aaron Pierre, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, and Don Johnson. The film follows a tension-fueled premise of an ex-Marine getting framed by corrupt cops in a small town in southern America. The ex-Marine is named Terry Richmond, played by Pierre, who ultimately gets into a showdown with Johnson's Chief Sandy Summers after having tens of thousands of dollars stolen from him while being unethically detained by officers Evan Marston (Denman) and Steve Lann (Emory Cohen).

By the end of Rebel Ridge, Terry must fight against corrupt local law enforcement to bring them to justice and get revenge using his highly advanced close combat skills. After being released on Netflix on September 6, 2024, Rebel Ridge has become the most popular movie on the streaming platform,...

Following the New York premiere of It Ends With Us on Tuesday evening, the first reviews of the film from critics have been coming in, and they’ve been decidedly mixed.

The romantic drama, based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 best-selling novel of the same name, was directed by Justin Baldoni (who also plays Ryle). The film follows Lily (Blake Lively) as she overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life. But after getting romantically involved with neurosurgeon Ryle, she sees sides of him that remind her of her parents’ abusive relationship. And when someone from her past, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), reenters her life, it complicates things even more and Lily must learn to rely on her own strength to move forward.

The film has previously faced criticism for its depiction of domestic violence, with some fans claiming it romanticizes the subject. However, a common theme among the early...

Quick Links Sonic the Hedgehog Opens the Door to Platformers Fallout Took Fans on an Original Adventure The Last of Us Goes Scene-for-Scene with the Game

Video game adaptations have been around in Hollywood for years, and they try to get better, but some do not follow suit. Hollywood has been trying for years to perfect the art of video game adaptations, and among the hundreds of movies and television series over the years, few stand out. The main players in this revolution in Hollywood are Sonic the Hedgehog, The Last of Us, and the newest player, Prime Video's Fallout series.

While there are other great video game adaptations, such as The Witcher, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Arcane, the immense popularity and media coverage of Sonic the Hedgehog, The Last of Us, and Fallout have changed Hollywood forever. These adaptations demonstrate that story-based video games and even platforming...

Though The Garfield Movie may become a box office hit, the upcoming animated film chronicling the eponymous cat is getting less than purrfect reviews. Ahead of the film's U.S. premiere, the latest big-screen take on the Monday-hating character receives little love from critics.

Per Rotten Tomatoes, The Garfield Movie has a 47% critical rating on the review aggregator website at the time of writing. Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy called the film a "curious new animated attempt to monetize the comic icon again by giving him an origin story and then asking him to do things a galaxy away from what he does in the funny pages." Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail's Barry Hertz claimed director Mark Dindal "sadistically stretches out his tale, which is not only plodding but fundamentally misunderstands its title character." Leigh Monson of the Av Club piled on, stating, "When brand perpetuation is as soulless and milquetoast as this,...

Disney has created so many timeless classics that there were always going to be a few films that simply slipped through the cracks. While each one has a cult following, it's fair to say that many of the entries listed below have been largely forgotten by mainstream audiences despite their incredible potential.

Each of these movies contains a gem of an idea, a specific concept, or an animation style that surely should have meant that it would stick around for the ages. Most of these pictures deserve a second look and a chance to shine once more in a new era. Indeed, The Walt Disney Company's storied history wouldn't be quite the same without these projects.

Chicken Little Boasted a Brilliant Premise The Film Arrived at the Wrong Time

Chicken Little GAdventureComedy

After ruining his reputation with the town, a courageous chicken must come to the rescue of his...

Five Nights at Freddy's is receiving atrocious reviews from critics, with a 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting that only fans of the game will appreciate it. Despite the negative reviews, the film is expected to make $50 million over its opening weekend, possibly due to its release during the Halloween season. Some critics have praised the film for capturing the essence of the game's quirky horror and providing enough scares for horror fans while still being enjoyable for general audiences.

The scariest thing about Five Nights at Freddy’s might be its Rotten Tomatoes score. Director Emma Tammi's horror flick has officially begun its Thursday previews at the box office. As a result, the critics’ reviews are beginning to trickle in — and they are atrocious. At the time of this writing, Five Nights at Freddy’s is registering a 25% rating on the Tomatometer. Adam Graham of the Detroit News writes:

Only fans...

Old Dads received low critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes due to its offensive and outdated humor, making it an overall failure. The characters in Old Dads are unrealistic caricatures, particularly the younger characters, which weakens the overall message of the movie. The lack of a meaningful message, scattered storyline, and unlikable characters contribute to the negative reception of Old Dads among critics.

Old Dads has a very low critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and specific reviews provide detailed insights into everything wrong with the movie. The Netflix comedy follows three best friends and middle-aged dads – Jack Kelly, Connor Brody, and Mike Richards – who don't know how to adapt to the surrounding culture. This is further exacerbated when each of them faces new challenges related to their businesses and relationships. Despite Old Dads ranking high on Netflix's viewership charts, critics don't recommend streaming it.

Comedian Bill Burr co-wrote, produced, and starred in the divisive movie,...

On Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 8:00 Pm on A&e, “The First 48” returns with its Season 24 Episode 18 titled “I Killed.” In this episode, viewers will follow the real-life investigation led by Detective Mark Kennedy.

The case begins when a shocking discovery is made: a man is found inside a truck, having been brutally stabbed a staggering 45 times. This gruesome crime scene sets the stage for a high-stakes investigation.

Detective Kennedy faces the daunting task of not only identifying the victim but also tracking down the person responsible for this heinous act. To aid in this mission, the detective turns to the bilingual Tulsa community, recognizing the importance of their assistance in solving this perplexing case.

“The First 48” is a documentary series that takes viewers into the critical first 48 hours of homicide investigations, a crucial time frame for solving these crimes. With a focus on real cases and real detectives, the...

Every comic book hero has an origin story. The First 48 utilizes a similar idea through the long relationships it's forged with certain police departments, particularly Tulsa Police Homicide. In their appearances on the A&e true crime series, both Chase Calhoun and Max Ryden have given TV viewers insight into how someone gets to be a homicide detective -- and made the general public more aware of what happens once someone gets there.

Most TV audiences understand that homicide is considered the pinnacle of detective work. However, far fewer grasp what it takes for a police officer to advance to the homicide unit. Even less understand the growth process that continues past that point. Thanks to having been in Tulsa for so long and having detectives within Tulsa Homicide who are willing to open up to camera, The First 48 better contextualizes the meaning of being a homicide detective by showing how...

The lengthy relationship A&e's The First 48 has with the Tulsa Police Department has enabled the series to explore aspects of law enforcement that no other true crime show has covered. Tulsa deserves credit for helping to expand the public's view on policing, and that principally comes from the conduct and personality of their detectives. There's no shortage of experienced officers being shown on TV -- it's how Tulsa Homicide does their jobs and who they are as people that makes them the class of a crowded field.

One of the angles that Tulsa has given viewers insight into is the long-term realities of policing. Scripted procedurals and unscripted series alike have painted an idea of the veteran cop as a cynical, world-weary officer either detached from or worn down by the job. They're dour, they're predictable and they're just not that interesting. But that's not the case with Tulsa...

Contains spoilers for "Fast X"

It's clear with each new addition in the "Fast and Furious" franchise that these movies are about family, not physics. What began as "Point Break" with cars has evolved into the ever-more-ridiculous exploits of a super spy team stacked with heroes — and villains and villains turned heroes. From racing the streets with the all-powerful Nos to racing into space, this saga left plausibility in their rearview many moons ago. Luckily, for the most part, the movies are held together thanks to the chemistry of the "Fast Family" and action sequences so knowingly bonkers the audience feels in on the joke. As Mark Kennedy summed up in his review for The Associated Press, "Fast X" is pure popcorn lunacy."

After "F9: The Fast Saga" showcased the possibly too-silly adventures of Tej (Ludacris) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) in space and a climax with a super magnet that...

The 10th instalment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise was off to the races this weekend, knocking “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” out of first place and easily claiming the No. 1 spot at the box office. “Fast X” earned $67.5 million in ticket sales from 4,046 North American theatres, according to estimates from Universal Pictures on Sunday.

It’s on the lower end of openings for the series which peaked with “Furious 7’s” $142.2 million launch, the sole movie in the series to surpass $100 million out of the gates. “Fast X’s” domestic debut only ranks above the first three. The last movie, “F9”, opened to $70 million in 2021.

But this is also a series that has usually made the bulk of its money internationally, often over 70%. True to form, overseas it’s on turbo drive. “Fast X” opened in 84 markets internationally, playing in over 24,000 theatres, where it earned an estimated $251.4 million.

Thor Odinson becomes the first MCU hero to headline four solo films with the arrival this week of “Thor: Love and Thunder.” But for critics, the “love” is in short supply.

That’s not to say the film isn’t enjoyable. Many early reviews point out that director and co-writer Taika Waititi’s humor remains as strong as it was in “Thor: Ragnarok.” But the struggle to see where this film fits in with the ongoing story of the MCU at large is hard to overlook.

As TheWrap’s own Alonso Duralde writes, “Love and Thunder” contains “many of the surface pleasures of an MCU movie but also a nagging sensation that none of this quite works.”

“Similar to ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ before it, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ [is] an excellent example of Marvel still not being quite sure how to pick...

The backlash after the first few trailers and teases for Disney’s live-action remake of “Aladdin” were loud and clear, with audiences perplexed at the look 0f Will Smith’s blue, CGI Genie.

But while some critics in their first reviews of the film say “Aladdin” was as disappointing and unnecessary a remake as feared, others were quick to say that any concerns about Smith were wildly overblown.

“Like ‘Dumbo,’ the new movie is a big, lavish fantasia that no one asked for or particularly needs,” EW’s Chris Nashawaty wrote in his review. “And yet, the new ‘Aladdin’ is hardly the folly that the advance bad buzz prepared us for. The candy-colored costumes and production design are stunning, Alan Menken’s songs are as infectious as ever, the dance numbers have an electric Bollywood flair, and some of the bazaar chase sequences have a ‘Young Indiana Jones’ sense of rollicking,...

New York (AP) — It was a brutal Tuesday morning for some A-list stars on Broadway. Snubbed for Tony Award nominations were Denzel Washington, James Franco, Zachary Quinto, Michelle Williams, Orlando Bloom, Ethan Hawke, Zach Braff, Billy Crudup, Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig. Daniel Radcliffe struck out for his third consecutive Broadway show. Neil Patrick Harris, who won a nomination for his brilliant performance in the punk-rock show "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," said he was surprised by the final list. But he's been a Tony host and knows from experience the process is often rough. "Having been the host in previous years, it's always interesting and surprising," he said. "It's a small group of people that nominate and you're never quite sure what they're responding to. That being said, it does get to showcase the talents of people who often don't get their moment in the spotlight." One of the...

New York -- Jane Lynch has something to be gleeful about – she's about to make her Broadway debut.

The "Glee" star said Wednesday she'll be replacing Tony Award-winning actress Katie Finneran as the evil orphanage matron Miss Hannigan in the current revival of "Annie."

"I'm so thrilled I can't see straight," the actress said by phone from her home in Los Angeles. "It's a preposterous fantasy come true."

Lynch, a veteran of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, will play Miss Hannigan for eight weeks, from May 16 through July 14. Finneran will depart to film a new NBC comedy series with Michael J. Fox.

"It's a real joy for me to step into her shoes, which are large and scare the hell out of me," said Lynch. "But it's good to be scared. It's good to jump off a cliff."

Lynch will star opposite Lilla Crawford in the title role and Anthony Warlow as Daddy Warbucks.

New York — Attention, young people milling about outside the Al Hirschfeld Theatre: Nick Jonas will not be popping out to shake your hand after matinees of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

He's been asked to stay inside. Why? He will literally stop traffic.

"I would love to say hello to them, but they've advised me for traffic purposes and other reasons that it's best not to go out," says the youngest of the three heartthrob Jonas Brothers singer-songwriting siblings in his dressing room. "It could get interesting."

Downstairs and outside on 45th Street, scores of tweens and teens wait in vain for Jonas to emerge after his afternoon show. But it's a Wednesday – one of two matinee days – and all he can do is shower, sip coffee and check messages on his phone.

Michael Urie, the former "Ugly Betty" actor who stars alongside Jonas in the musical,...

New York — Attention, young people milling about outside the Al Hirschfeld Theatre: Nick Jonas will not be popping out to shake your hand after matinees of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

He's been asked to stay inside. Why? He will literally stop traffic.

"I would love to say hello to them, but they've advised me for traffic purposes and other reasons that it's best not to go out," says the youngest of the three heartthrob Jonas Brothers singer-songwriting siblings in his dressing room. "It could get interesting."

Downstairs and outside on 45th Street, scores of tweens and teens wait in vain for Jonas to emerge after his afternoon show. But it's a Wednesday – one of two matinee days – and all he can do is shower, sip coffee and check messages on his phone.

Michael Urie, the former "Ugly Betty" actor who stars alongside Jonas in the musical,...

The hit Broadway musical, Sister Act, is adding 3 weekday matinee performances to its spring schedule to accommodate ticket demand. The added performances will be on Thursday, March 22 at 2pm Friday, April 13 at 2pm and Thursday, May 17 at 2pm. Currently in its ninth smash month, Sister Act is performed at the Broadway Theatre 1681 Broadway. This winter, from January 2, 2012 through March 4, 2012, Sister Act will be performed on the following schedule Monday at 7pm, Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday at 2pm and 8pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm.Beginning March 5, 2012, the performance schedule will be as follows Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday at 2pm and 8pm, Thursday at 8pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm. The following changes will also be incorporated into the shows spring scheduleWednesday, January 11 2pm performance onlySunday, January 15 2pm and 730pmWednesday, February 15 2pm performance onlySunday, February 19 2pm and 730pmWednesday,...

With their 50th Walt Disney Animated Classic (not including Pixar movies), the Mouse House is returning to what they do best: fairy tale musicals. Based on the story by the Brothers Grimm, Rapunzel tells the story of a fair maiden (Mandy Moore) banished to a high tower with a single window. The witch (Donna Murphy) and later a dashing prince (Zachary Levi) gain access to Rapunzel by climbing her long hair.

Dean Wellins (Iron Giant) and Mark Kennedy (Tarzan, Hercules) developed a modern take on the traditional tale. Rapunzel is a more independent heroine who uses her 70-foot locks for more than just a ladder, like whipping and tying people up. Why she doesn’t tie the witch up remains to be seen.

The image below, scanned from the magazine Studio Cinelive by French site DisneyPixar.fr (via Slashfilm), gives a great look at the visual style Disney is working to achieve for this film.