Penélope Cruz, our guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, which was recorded in front of an audience at 1 Hotel Toronto, is the most celebrated Spanish film actress of all time and one of only a handful of Europeans who have become bona fide A-list stars in Hollywood.

Over the 34 years since her big screen debut in the Spanish film Jamon, Jamon (opposite Javier Bardem, who is now her husband), she has consistently done extraordinary work on both sides of the Atlantic, though she is probably best known for her seven collaborations with the great Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar: 1997’s Live Flesh, 1999’s All About My Mother, 2006’s Volver, 2009’s Broken Embraces, 2013’s I’m So Excited!, 2019’s Pain and Glory and 2021’s Parallel Mothers.

The only person who has won at least one acting award from each of the five most prominent European film academies, she has also starred in two films that won the best international feature Oscar (1992’s Belle Epoque and All About My Mother), became the first Spanish actress ever to be nominated for an acting Oscar (for Volver), subsequently received three additional acting Oscar noms (for 2008’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2009’s Nine and Parallel Mothers), and became, in 2009, the first — and, to this day, only — Spanish actress to win an acting Oscar (for Vicky Cristina Barcelona).

But never has Cruz had a single year quite like 2026, in which she has given three great performances: as a bohemian sexologist Olivia Wilde’s The Invite (A24); as a bawdy cabaret singer entertaining troops during the Spanish Civil War in Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s La Bola Negra (Netflix); and as a book editor enduring marital strife in Florian Zeller’s Bunker (Sony Classics).

During this episode, Cruz reflects on her path from her mother’s hair salon to her hero Almodóvar’s cinematic universe; the challenges of navigating a career across continents and languages; and her incredible 2026. Specifically, she discusses the unusually collaborative way in which Wilde and her Invite writers Rashida Jones and Will McCormack worked with their actors to construct the film’s script; the intense months of work that led up to her big musical number in La Bola Negra, and how her performance of it came in the midst of a health scare — and as a surprise to the hundreds of extras in the scene; what it was like reuniting on screen with Bardem in Bunker, a film that raises social issues important to both of them; plus more.

Paramount+ has renewed the Sylvester Stallone-led Tulsa King for a fifth season ahead of the show’s fourth season premiere on October 16. Production just kicked off in New York, a new location replacing Atlanta due to the storyline that will explore Dwight “The General” Manfredi’s (Stallone) mafia roots.

Similar to his deal for seasons 3 and 4, Stallone recently signed a new deal that helped clinch the show’s Season 5 renewal.

Scarlet Rose Stallone will return as Spencer for Season 5 with a promotion to series regular. There will also be 5 new series regulars joining the fold: Erik Palladino (I Play Rocky), Glenn Fleshler (Billions), Anthony Skordi (The Last Frontier), and Nickola Shreli (Power Book IV: Force). New character descriptions are under wraps.

“We are thrilled to bring fans even more of this incredible series, and to be shooting the next season of Tulsa King in New York, where Dwight Manfredi’s story will continue to evolve. We’re proud of the work we’ve done in Georgia, and it remains an important venue for us,” shared Drew Brown, EVP, Physical Production, Paramount Television Studios.

And New York is also welcoming the cast and crew to their new home.

“We’re excited to welcome the cast and crew of Tulsa King to New York State for its fifth season. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York has built an unmatched home for film and television—world-class talent, iconic locations, and a Film Tax Credit Program that delivers real jobs and investment for New Yorkers. Tulsa King represents the latest in a growing list of projects proudly filmed in New York,” said Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight.

While Season 5 is in production, Season 4 will keep fans satiated as they follow Dwight as he fights to legitimize his empire and protect his crew as corrupt politicians, dangerous new enemies, and a crushing personal loss hit from every direction. However, every hard-won gain comes with even harder truths: about loyalty, leadership, and the cost of ambition. Each move drags Dwight deeper into the street instincts he left behind in New York – turning Tulsa into a battleground and Dwight into the one threat no one can afford to underestimate.

In addition to Stallone, Season 4 stars Martin Starr, Jay Will, Vincent Piazza, Annabella Sciorra, Chris Caldovino, McKenna Quigley Harrington, Frank Grillo, Mike “Cash Flo” Walden, James Russo, Kevin Pollak, Neal McDonough, with Garrett Hedlund and Dana Delany. Gretchen Mol also joins the cast as a series regular.

Terence Winter is head writer and executive producer. Tulsa King is also executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, Sylvester Stallone, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Thomas Kelly, and Keith Cox. The series is produced by Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios.

Call it Imperfect Woman. The trend of streaming limited series becoming ongoing ones continues with Apple TV ordering a second season of thriller Imperfect Women. Taking a spinoff approach, it will follow one of the limited series’ three titular characters, Eleanor, played by Kerry Washington.

Imperfect Women, based on Araminta Hall’s novel, revolved around best friends Eleanor and Mary (Elisabeth Moss) as they tried to solve the murder of the third member of their friends group, Nancy (Kate Mara).

Washington and Moss executive produced the original installment in addition to starring and will also both executive produce Season 2.

There is no second Imperfect Women book so there is no source material for Season 2. Instead, it is based on an original story from series creator Annie Weisman and Justin Hillian. The two will serve as co-showrunners on the second season, which will change locations from Los Angeles, where Season 1 was set.

In Season 2, Eleanor (Washington) returns to her hometown roots in the affluent black enclave of Martha’s Vineyard, only to find that beneath it’s idyllic surface, lie secrets and scandals that threaten to upend everything she thought she knew about her past.”

For now, there are no plans for Moss’ Mary and Nancy’s widower Robert (Joel Kinnaman) to be in the second installment which picks up on the Eleanor’s flash-forward scene in the finale showing her moving away from the toxic dynamic of her relationships and enjoying a new life on a yacht with a new love interest, which resonated with fans.

While cast deals are still being worked out, expected to return as part of the new Eleanor-centered installment are Leslie Odom Jr., who plays her brother, and Sheryl Lee Ralph who plays their mother.

As for the lingering question over Mary and Robert’s ambiguous glance at the end of the finale as the two were seen celebrating the birthday of Mary’s daughter together, that may still be answered by a reference on the characters’ status next season.

“We were thrilled to see how deeply these women and their stories resonated with audiences around the world, and I’m so excited to step back into Eleanor’s shoes,” Washington saod. “She’s intelligent and strong, but she also finds herself navigating complicated and sometimes messy situations. We at Simpson Street along with our incredible partners at Apple and Love & Squalor Pictures can’t wait to explore a fresh chapter for her and share where this story takes us next.”

Imperfect Women is a co-production between 20th Television and Apple Studios. The second season will be created, co-showrun and executive produced by Weisman and Hillian, and executive produced by Washington for her Simpson Street banner alongside Pilar Savone. Moss and Lindsey McManus, who initially optioned the book, via their production company Love & Squalor Pictures are executive producers alongside author Hall.

“After a wildly entertaining first season, driven by the performances of Kerry, Lizzie and Kate, we jumped at the opportunity to expand the world of ‘Imperfect Women’ through Kerry’s fan favorite character of Eleanor,” said Matt Cherniss, Apple TV’s head of programming. “Annie and Justin’s thrilling new story felt like an exciting and natural next chapter. We can’t wait for fans to experience it.”