movies

Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Heroes’ Co-Star Jack Coleman Pays Tribute

Published

4 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

As Hollywood and fans mourn the death of Hayden Panettiere, her Heroes onscreen dad is recalling the late actress’ talent and heart.

Jack Coleman, who starred as Claire’s (Panettiere) father Noah Bennett on the NBC superhero drama, remembered Panettiere as a “prodigious talent” and “extraordinary young woman” in a heartfelt statement after her death at age 36.

“I’m heartbroken. I couldn’t begin to put my thoughts into words until now, and they will be inadequate,” he began on Instagram. “I’ve loved Hayden since day one of the pilot of Heroes, 20 years ago, when she introduced herself by shouting ‘daddy’ and throwing her arms around me. From that day on, she called me daddio. She was Haydini, because she was a magician.”

Coleman continued, “She was a prodigious talent. During an early scene, a tear rolled down her cheek on the same line, take after take. I marveled at her technique. ‘It’s not technique,’ she corrected me. ‘I’m not a trained seal. I feel it and the tears just happen to come at that moment.’ She was 16.”

The actor took aim at the members of the press who “routinely asked obnoxious questions, mostly some version of ‘when are you going to go off the rails?’ Today, we’d recognize those questions for the misogynistic provocations they were.”

“She was hunted,” he recalled. “Everywhere she went, there were photographers with 300 millimeter lenses—the kind that can make even the most innocent activity look sinister. Once, when she came to our house, paparazzi hid in the bushes behind our yard and drove onto neighbors’ lawns. They were predatory. No one, especially a teenager, should be targeted that way.”

Coleman starred alongside Panettiere for the show’s four-season run from 2006 to 2010, during which she played a high school cheerleader who has regenerative powers. Unbeknownst to Claire, her father Noah works for a secret agency that wants to terminated people with special abilities.

“She brought joy to the set and a photographic memory,” Coleman continued. “Everyone was in awe of her ability to bring it every take. A tiny colossus who loved to laugh. We laughed a lot. That shining face, that megawatt smile, that wasn’t just for the camera. That was her. She glowed.

“Today I’m filled with sorrow and regret. And anger. But that’s for another time. Right now I want to remember an extraordinary young woman who was blessed and cursed. She was vulnerable. She felt everything. It made her a remarkable actor and susceptible to the heartache and thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.”

Coleman added, “I love you, Hayden. I’ll miss you. I’m so sorry you suffered. I’ll remember how happy you were on set and on the European press tour; how you championed Tess when she was being bullied; your commitment to animal welfare and the courage to put yourself in harm’s way to protect them. I only wish you had been given that same protection. Good night, sweet girl. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

On Monday, Panettiere’s rep confirmed the actress’ death to Deadline, as police in Greenville, South Carolina initially announced that no foul play was suspected.

movies

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Box Office Set to Beat ‘Insidious’ Sequel

Published

10 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

qasimgillani

Spider-Man: Brand New Day looks to continue its indefatigable run at the box office against such new challengers as horror sequel Insidious: Out of the Further and the Jason Statham-led Mutiny.

Sony Pictures releases Insidious: Out of the Further in roughly 3,000 North American theaters on Friday, with the studio projecting an opening weekend around $23 million. Hailing from Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films and Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Out of the Further is the sixth title in the franchise that kicked off with 2011’s Insidious and carries an $18 million production budget.

Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea and Lin Shaye star in writer-director Jacob Chase’s film that centers on a young mother who can bring spirits back with her to the real world. Out of the Further follows 2023’s Insidious: The Red Door, which saw the return of original series stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne and opened to $33 million domestically before hitting a global total of $189 million for its run.

Insidious: Out of the Further holds a 65 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Frank Scheck wrote that the film “proves routine in its elaborate plot machinations that remind you how tiresome a place the Further can be.”

Jason Statham as Cole Reed in *Mutiny.*

Dan Smith/Lionsgate

Opening in roughly 2,700 North American locations is Mutiny, starring Jason Statham as a former Marine who sets out to prove his innocence after he is framed for murder. Lionsgate releases the movie that is tracking to open in the high single-digit range and carries a $40 million production budget. MadRiver Pictures and Punch Palace Productions produced the project.

Jean-François Richet helmed the feature that holds a 49 percent approval score from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes. Statham’s recent films include Shelter, which opened to $5.5 million domestically earlier this year, while 2025’s A Working Man launched with an initial weekend of $15.5 million in North America. Next year sees the star leading The Beekeeper 2.

Tom Holland in *Spider-Man: Brand New Day.*

Jay Maidment/Sony Pictures

Other new theatrical offerings this weekend include the Andrew Garfield-led The Magic Faraway Tree and Spa Weekend, starring Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann and Anna Faris.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues its historic run into the waning days of summer, as the Sony Pictures juggernaut that stars Tom Holland and Zendaya is set to lead the box office for its fourth consecutive weekend. Having recently set the record as the fastest movie to hit $800 million domestically, director Destin Daniel Cretton‘s feature is expected to surpass 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home as the No. 3 highest-grossing title ever in North America.

The success of Brand New Day — along with other titles like The Odyssey and Toy Story 5 — has helped bring the 2026 summer box office to a total of $4.24 billion domestically as of Sunday, according to Rentrak, putting the season 23.7 percent above last year’s tally to that point. The all-time summer mark remains 2013’s $4.75 billion.

movies

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Box Office Set to Beat ‘Insidious’ Sequel

Published

10 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

qasimgillani

Spider-Man: Brand New Day looks to continue its indefatigable run at the box office against such new challengers as horror sequel Insidious: Out of the Further and the Jason Statham-led Mutiny.

Other new theatrical offerings this weekend include the Andrew Garfield-led The Magic Faraway Tree and Spa Weekend, starring Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann and Anna Faris.

movies

‘Saturday Night Live’ New Talent Auditions Wrap Across 3 Cities

Published

4 hours ago

August 19, 2026

qasimgillani

EXCLUSIVE: It’s that time in the comedy calendar when SNL begins taking major focus, with casting for the next season shaping up.

Up to this point, all that’s been announced for Season 52 is Chloe Fineman‘s exit after seven seasons as she shifts focus toward acting and other opportunities. But Tuesday, the SNL team wrapped their fifth and final showcase, with an eye out for talent for the upcoming fall season.

As is customary, staffers hit three big markets: Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Flying under the radar as the “Characters Showcase,” the first took place in L.A. on August 6th. Chicago showcases took place at Annoyance Theatre and The iO Theater on the 10th and 11th, respectively. Last but not least, there were the NY showcases, which we’re told took place at UCB on the 17th and 18th.

So who were the standouts? Names that emerged from L.A. included Trent Mason, Kaba Hues, Chase Rosenberg, and April Rock.

Peyton Ruddy, a 2026 JFL New Face, “dominated” in Chicago, per our sources. Meanwhile, everyone in New York was said to be “raving” about Joey Welsh. Other New York talents highlighted included Allisha Edwards, Amber Singletary, and Saidah Belo-Osagie, to name a few.

As far as big-picture thoughts behind the scenes, the sense is that there’s been a desire to to address the cast’s lack of Black female representation since Ego Nwodim’s departure in 2025 after seven seasons.

Something that’s been widely discussed among reps since last year, this seems to be reflected by the standouts our sources shared with us: Hues, Rock, Edwards, Singletary, and Belo-Osagie are all female performers of color.

Receive a comprehensive breakdown of talent showcasing this year by signing up for our Comedy Means Business newsletter at this link.

Other names that caught our eye out of the showcases included Ismael Loutfi, who made our list of Stand-Ups to Keep an Eye on in 2026, as well as Ethan Edenburg, Eric Jackowitz, and Tom McGovern — the three members of well known comedy rock band Wolves of Glendale.)

Next up in the casting process: Screen tests — we’re told that as of the last hour, calls to talent advancing to the next stage have begun going out.

Sources cautioned that our lists below should be taken with a grain of salt: there’s always a chance of omissions, and even a comedian who didn’t showcase may be asked to test. Also of note is the fact that two names — Leo Gonzalez and Megan Ramsey — came up on lists for both Chicago and New York, for reasons that remain unclear.

Reps for SNL didn’t respond to requests for comment. We’ll chronicle further developments as they happen.