When Freaky Friday hit theaters 22 years ago, it marked the start of Chad Michael Murray’s rule as one of the main teenage heartthrobs of the 2000s. Now, the One Tree Hill actor is set to show audiences he’s still got that obsession-worthy quality about him, by reprising one of his most popular roles in the aforementioned film’s upcoming sequel. As for what his character, Jake, has been up to, Murray’s had a couple decades to think about the stereotypical bad boy’s story, and what he initially had in mind is wild.
Freakier Friday is set to hit theaters as part of the 2025 movie schedule in August, and it’s sure to be jam-packed with plenty of 2000s nostalgia. Murray is one of the many OG cast members returning for the sequel. When it comes to his latest turn as Jake, he told Entertainment Weekly he’s excited for his character to develop a little more depth to his backstory, sharing what he had in mind for adult Jake involved Jamie Lee Curtis’ Tess:
When I asked the question, ‘Where has he been?’ I always thought Jake had a room somewhere, in the closet of his house, where he’s got this wonderful Tess shrine, and that he’s been in love with her and he keeps a faded photo of her in his wallet, but he still loves it and opens it up from time to time and touches it. That was all part of the backstory that was going along with who Jake is in this fantasy world that he’s put himself in.
Cinderella Story sequel pitch. While it was part of the hilarious gag in the original that Jake starts to fall for Anna while her mom is inhabiting her teenage daughter’s body, I think a lifetime obsession with Tess takes it a little too far. Murray’s past advice for his character would have been to not get involved with Anna at all, so I’m a little surprised by this wild idea.
Perhaps Chad Michael Murray just has a strong fondness for co-star Jamie Lee Curtis, which would explain their cheeky exchanges on social media. Nevertheless, Murray poses a good question. What will be Jake’s story in this movie? I highly doubt the writers took to Murray’s wild Tess shrine idea, but I’d love to see the characters meet again.
However, it seems though that Murray’s role as the lead character’s love interest has shifted a bit from the OG movie. It’s already been revealed that Lindsay Lohan’s character, Anna, has a husband, played by The Good Place’s Manny Jacinto. The trailer seems to depict a fun, laugh worthy comedy, but will infidelity strike?
What we do know is that Lindsey Lohan teased Jake’s epic entrance on his motorcycle, fans receive a glimpse of in the trailer. I’m excited to see Murray’s chemistry with Lohan on the big screen again. Most of all, I’m excited to see Lohan and Curtis as partners in crime, rather than family frenemies.
Not to mention, we will see a whole new generation of Colemans involved in the inevitable body-swap fiasco, and the writers have made sure to update the movie with some Gen-Z humor per the Freakier Friday trailer. Speaking of, I wonder if Chad Michael Murray knows he’s got rizz. Regardless of that, you can see him as Jake once more when the film opens in theaters on August 8. In the meantime, stream its predecessor using a Disney+ subscription.
Landing a job on one of Peak TV’s most popular comedies seems like it’d be an enviable gig no matter what the details were. And while that is likely the case more often than not, horror stories within the industry do indeed exist, with The Office alum Lindsey Broad non-enjoying a first-person experience with just how despicable fandoms can get where controversial characters are involved.
First appearing in what’s arguably The Office’s worst cycle, Season 8, Broad arrived in the seventh episode as temp worker Cathy Simms, who landed at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch to help fill in as Pam transitioned into her maternity leave. Despite her seemingly normal behavior early on, it’s soon clear that Cathy doesn’t really mesh well with others, but harbors romantic feelings for Jim, eventually culminating in her brazen attempts to sleep with him in “After Hours.”
Jim and Pam’s picture-perfect relationship timeline, Cathy’s arc was cut short soon after, but that was only the beginning of Lindsey Broad’s years of dealing with obsessive and wildly immature Office fans who spew hateful messages online, even during her attempts to mourn her dead dog. Speaking with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey on their beloved podcast Office Ladies, Broad shared:
I will say the Internet is just a really crazy place. And there was a moment — I tweeted something back when I used to be on Twitter. When my dog was killed and I had posted on Instagram that my dog had died, there was a bunch of comments underneath being like, ‘Fuck you, Cathy. You deserve it.’
We all know the Internet is gonna Internet, regardless of whether there’s justification for it or not. But to angrily target an F-bomb at someone mourning a dog’s death due to a fictional character they did not create, but only portrayed across roughly 20-25 total minutes of screentime? That’s abysmal behavior for anyone to have to deal with.
(Image credit: Peacock)
Broad previously addressed fans’ harsh treatment at a point when the online comments seemed to be more prevalent, when the show was still streaming on Netflix ahead of shifting to Peacock. And despite multiple years going by, it’s still kind of shocking to hear that she’s dealt with such unfiltered negativity online for such a relatively minor role in a largely forgettable season. Maybe if any of her appearances happened in the best Office episodes of all time, but that’s not the case.
Thankfully, it appears as if Lindsey Broad’s experiences with sour viewers has been limited to online reactions, and her daily life isn’t plagued by such interactions. But part of that is because she purposefully doesn’t advertise her past career heights. As she put it:
As far as I know, it doesn’t really affect my real life, because my real life — I compartmentalize. I use the same last name as my kids, I try to be pretty unassuming in my real life. So I don’t know how much it bleeds over into how certain people see me or treat me. Occasionally, if I meet somebody and they just like really don’t like me despite the fact that I’m being very friendly, I’m always like in the back of my head, like, ‘Is that what it is?’
It appears as if Broad has been able to curb disturbing online reactions by limiting her social media activity, since that more easily allowed Office fans to track her down line. But the actress is more welcoming to having real-world dialogues with fans, since the very act of recognizing her in public is a sign that they’re a true fan and not just a disgruntled Pam and Jen stan. In her words:
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Here’s what I will say. The internet is a crazy place. I’ve gotten used to people calling me Cathy. However, when I meet people in real life, people are so excited. If people are big enough fans of The Office that they can recognize me, and again, I’m sort of an unassuming looking person. I’m not like, very flashy looking. So if they recognize me, they’re a big fan. People are so excited to see somebody from this show that they are just incredibly nice. The Internet is a different story.
The Office‘s popularity reached the point just this year in 2025 where a formerly closed Chili’s in Scranton, Pennsylvania reopened specifically to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the spinoff debuting on NBC. So I guess it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that certain pockets of the fandom chose to go all scorched-earth anytime an obstacle (human or otherwise) got in the way of Jim and Pam’s happiness. But it’s been 13 years since Cathy came and went, so maybe those feelings can be put to rest.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to make its highly anticipated debut on the 2025 movie schedule later this year and, based on what’s been shared about it thus far, it’s going to be a true epic. The third installment in James Cameron’s science-fiction saga is set to continue the story of the Sulley family and, unsurprisingly, they’ll encounter new challenges in this latest film. Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri won’t be immune to any kind of problems either, as the actress shared some worrying thoughts about how “pain” is going to impact her character.
2022’s The Way of Water (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription) sees Neytiri going through considerable changes. Early on, she and her brood must leave her native Omatikaya for the Metkayina to evade the revived Miles Quaritch and the RDA. The family experiences its share of challenges throughout the film, and that all culminates in the death of Neytiri and Jake’s first-born son, Neteyam. Zoe Saldaña reveals that her character’s grief definitely factors into Fire and Ash’s story:
That pain is seamlessly followed up on. And because it doesn’t really have anywhere to go, and doesn’t go away, rage can also come from it. [The Sullys] are going to be tested as a family.
upcoming sci-fi movie. Neytiri can be headstrong under the best of circumstances, so I can’t even predict how grief might fuel her actions. While speaking with Empire Magazine, the Oscar-winning actress also suggested that her character is going to deal with both external and internal struggles:
Not only would everything that’s happening compel her to question the bond she has with her husband but also her bond with herself, her people, her land, and the way the Na’vi are. She’s going to question everything.
I get the feeling Neytiri is going to have to make some crucial decisions, which will likely impact not only her but those around her as well. All of the Sulleys are apparently going to have to lean on each other in a big way in this threequel. The film is set to introduce a clan of evil Na’vi known as the Mangkwan (or the Ash people). To that point, Zoe Saldaña also mentioned during her interview that Neytiri will “meet her match” in the clan’s leader, Varang, who’s played by Oona Chaplin.
Considering Fire and Ash’s lengthy runtime, there’s a lot of narrative real estate for James Cameron and co. to play with. It’s natural for fans not to want to see their favorite characters experience pain but, if they’re going to evolve, that needs to be the case. So I’m definitely eager to see this third Avatar film, though I’m still hopeful that Neytiri doesn’t end up doing anything she’ll ultimately regret.
Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19. Considering the spectacle associated with this franchise, I’d wager that you should see the film on the biggest screen possible.
It has been over a year since Shōgun arrived on FX and Hulu and took the world by storm. With dozens of awards (including 18 Emmys – a new record), so much recognition, and a massive following by TV viewers and folks with a Hulu subscription, the global sensation is returning for a second season in the near future despite initially being planned as a limited series. And with the more we learn about Shōgun Season 2, the more I’m getting excited, especially with this whole time jump business.
Though I am all kinds of pumped up to see the return of Hiroyuki Sanada’s Lord Toranaga and Cosmo Jarvis’ John Blackthorne, I must admit that I’m also a tad bit anxious about the show coming back to the airwaves and one of the best streaming services around. Come along with me as I work out everything that has me stoked and apprehensive about the return of one of the best TV shows in recent memory.
(Image credit: Katie Yu / FX)
I Feel Like I’m Obligated To Say I’m Beyond Excited For More Shōgun
The Bear and Reservation Dogs, this expertly crafted show’s first season was on the same scale as Game of Thrones (it was even compared to the HBO fantasy series ahead of its debut), and it never let me down.
That said, I feel like I’m obligated to say that I’m beyond excited for more battles, more political intrigue, more complicated relationships. And maybe, just maybe, please hold off on any more of those unexpected and heartbreaking character deaths this time around. But we all know that’s not going to happen with a show like this.
(Image credit: Katie Yu / FX)
And I’m Thrilled To Experience The Continuation Of Lord Toranaga And John Blackthorne’s Respective Stories
Shōgun Season 1 gave viewers a lot to love, especially when it came to the incredible and deeply impactful character arcs for the likes of Lord Toranaga, John Blackthorne, and Anna Sawai’s Toda Mariko (RIP). I can’t wait to see how the stories for the surviving characters continue when the show returns in the future. When we last saw Toranaga and Blackthorne, they were preparing for an epic battle after the lord of Kanto revealed his big secret, and the Anjin was starting to rebuild his ship and an accompanying fleet.
With so much unfinished business set to be resolved, it felt like Shōgun ended in a way that concluded enough to be considered a great standalone limited series while also teasing just enough for future seasons, and I’m so glad it was the latter in this situation. But now I’m over here just trying to figure out where these two instantly iconic characters will go from here.
(Image credit: FX)
The Whole ‘Time Jump’ Business Has Me Intrigued
When I first read a Deadline report about Shōgun Season 2 having a time jump and picking up 10 years after the events of the Season 1 finale, I was admittedly more than a little intrigued. Not picking up directly after the first season ends is a bold choice by creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, and I have to applaud them for not throwing viewers directly into the future Battle of Sekigahara, the conflict heavily teased when things left off.
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How much has Japan, and the world around it, changed in the decade between the two seasons? How has the relationship between the two main characters changed? Is it stronger, strained, or non-existent? The unknown of the next season (where is the jumping off point?) has me excited for what’s to come.
(Image credit: FX)
But At The Same Time, The Big Jump Has Me Kind Of Bummed
However, I am also a little bummed out that we’re going to be missing out on so much of what happened in the immediate fallout of of Lord Toronaga’s brilliant chess game with his enemies near the end of Shōgun Season 1. I know I just went on about how a time jump opens a lot of doors for the story to continue, but I hope we don’t get a lot of talk like in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, where Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker joked about all their crazy adventures instead of showing the audience.
It’s a minor complaint, but a complaint nonetheless. We had so much momentum in the final moments of the show’s first season, and I hope we don’t have to spend an entire episode alluding to crazy moments, battles, and adventures we’ll probably never get to see.
(Image credit: FX)
I’m Also A Little Concerned About The Second Season Not Being Based On James Clavell’s Novel
Perhaps my biggest concern about Shōgun Season 2 is the fact that, unlike the first installment, it won’t be based on James Clavell’s massive novel, but instead will be an original new chapter, whatever that means. While I do have faith in series creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks’ vision for the show moving forward, the past has shown us that deviating from the source material doesn’t always end up being received all that well.
I mean, just look at the later seasons of Game of Thrones, which had to fill in the gaps as George R.R. Martin had yet to finish The Winds of Winter (he still hasn’t, by the way). This resulted in a massive drop in quality for the once-beloved series, and audiences turned on it in the final two years of its run. Hopefully, Shōgun doesn’t fall into that category with these changes.
(Image credit: Katie Yu / FX)
Shogun Started Out As A Limited Series, And I Hope The Show’s Spark Isn’t Lost In A Second Season
As several of my colleagues pointed out in early 2024, Shōgun started out incredibly strong (and didn’t let off the gas) when it premiered last year, a time in which we all thought it was going to be one-and-done limited series like Chernobyl, The Queen’s Gambit, or When They See Us. However, now that the show is being turned into a proper series with a new season (and most likely more to follow if it’s successful) on the way, I hope that the show’s spark isn’t lost or at least muddled down due to having more episodes to fill.
Again, I could be totally wrong here, and my anxiety about multiple seasons watering down the impact of the show could be nothing more than unsubstantiated fears. However, I’m still going to be worried and cautiously optimistic about the future of the series until I’m shown otherwise. I hope I’m wrong.
Only time will tell what’ll happen with Shōgun moving forward. Though I’m a tad bit anxious about it, I’ll be there the day it drops, ready to go back to Japan for at least one more adventure.
Is it just me, or have people been overly negative when it comes to how the new Predator looks in Predator: Badlands?
Well, as somebody who has watched every Predator movie, all I have to say is, I don’t care what anybody else has to say. I’m super PUMPED for this movie.
And, because of the relatively recent trailer, I have a few reasons why.
(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)
First Off, Predator: Badlands Is From The Same Director Of Prey, And Prey Rocked
a big change for the franchise with its protagonist being a Predator, I was thrilled. But, when I heard that Dan Trachtenberg was returning to direct, I was over the moon!
Any Predator fan will tell you: 2022’s Prey (which we gave a glowing review) was phenomenal, and Trachtenberg directed it (In fact, he also directed the upcoming animated film, Predator: Killer of Killers, mostly in secret, so there’s that, too).
So, with Prey being such a banger, and Killer of Killers looking like a phenomenal entry in the series, I will honestly follow Trachtenberg anywhere he goes when it comes to this franchise. He seems to have a really good handle on it.
more than the Alien franchise), and so anytime we get something new, I get excited. But, there’s one other reason why that recent trailer really got me pumped.
have been negative about how this new Predator looks, with some people thinking that he looks weak.
But, do people not realize that he’s not supposed to look like an alpha? He’s meant to be an outcast, and he’s completely out of his depth. Instead of purposely traveling to a distant planet to hunt the world’s best warriors, he’s being tested.
This is a really cool premise! I love that this is a Predator trying to prove himself, and that he’s pretty green when it comes to the actual hunt.
Plus, I love the way he looks, as he appears intimidated in that one shot that people keep harping on. A Predator that finds himself struggling? Now that I can’t wait to see.
What do you think? For more news on Predator: Badlands (and other upcoming sci-fi films), be sure to swing by here often.
Summer is a little over a month away, which means one of CBS’ keystone reality shows is about to hit the 2025 TV schedule. Big Brother fans probably don’t need any reminders, of course, as there’s no shortage of Season 27 discussions about and what fans want to see the most while losing hours on end of sleep through streaming with Paramount+ subscriptions. One viral tweet request recently rose above the rest, and I have to agree that I’m on board with older Houseguests coming into this season.
Big Brother is a game that favors the young, especially for those wanting to win BB through competitive dominance. That said, being a “comp beast” is rarely as entertaining for fans, at least compared to other ways that Houseguests can dominate. Case in point, look at how many people rallied behind this post highlighting an exchange between Season 26 Houseguests Matt Hardeman and Angela Murray:
???????????? #bb27 needs to casts more people age 50+ they make good tv ngl #bb26 pic.twitter.com/DUm0eH2AaPMay 3, 2025
she turned me into a fan by the end simply because of how entertaining it was to watch her spiral, with the live feeds offering that much more to gawk at.
Of course, Angela was a Houseguest with some TV experience, so her age may not have factored too strongly into her entertaining gameplay. That said, I think there’s something to be said about Big Brother bringing in older Houseguests, rather than loading every season with single twentysomethings who are just as invested in finding a showmance as they are in winning the game.
I’d be interested to see if Big Brother would take influence from The Bachelor franchise’s spinoff The Golden Bachelor, with a season in which every Houseguest was above a specific age. I’m honestly not sure how younger fans would respond to an entire cast loaded with olds, as it were, or if there are even enough applicants who would fit the bill and be able to drop everything in their lives to take part.
The theme and twist of Big Brother Season 27 has been a topic of debate as of late, as CBS teased a reveal for the premiere date is imminent. Typically, the announcement features some vague clue toward either the theme or twist, which can have a great impact on the game. This is especially true for those who are fans of Have-Not Rooms, of which we’ve seen some truly horrific ones to stay in over the course of the show.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some clues that point to more Houseguests of a certain age. But as always, I’ll continue to expect the unexpected until something official is shared.
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Big Brother is on the way to CBS this summer for Season 27, and I know we’re all hoping to see the A.I. Arena twist return in some fashion. For more on that, see what Season 26 winner Chelsie Baham had to say about the twist after speaking to CinemaBlend.
