Americas

Ryan Murphy on Toning Down Sex in ‘The Shards’ and Why L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Could Do a ‘Much Better Job’ Bringing Productions Back to Hollywood

• Producer Ryan Murphy insisted on filming 'The Shards' in Los Angeles despite higher costs compared to shooting in Canada
• Murphy deliberately minimised graphic sexual content in the show, focusing on character relationships to align with Gen Z audience preferences
• Los Angeles experienced a 3.1% production volume decline in Q2 2026 as shows migrate to regions offering stronger tax incentives

FX’s “The Shards,” Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis thriller novel, is a love letter to Los Angeles. Filming there, he told his producers, was a non-negotiable. “We shot it in L.A. and, of course, it could have shot in Canada,” the showrunner told Variety at…

How Mark Ruffalo’s ‘Task’ Monologue Became the Heart of the Emmy-Nominated HBO Drama

• HBO's Emmy-nominated drama 'Task' follows a former priest managing an FBI investigation whilst facing a family crisis involving his adopted son
• A lengthy monologue by Mark Ruffalo becomes the emotional core, exploring themes of forgiveness and redemption
• The production devoted a full day to film the sequence with multiple camera angles, earning Emmy nominations for writing, directing, and editing

One of the unofficial rules of prestige television is that the penultimate episode is for the mess and the finale is for the cleanup. This is particularly true for limited series — or any series with ambiguous renewals. And “Task,” creator Brad Ingelsby’s Emmy-nominated HBO drama about the…

Forget War and Whales. Celebrity Docs Have Taken Over the Emmys

• Celebrity documentaries now dominate this year's Emmy nonfiction nominations.
• Four of five doc-special and three of five doc-series nominees are celebrity-focused.
• Streaming competition has driven the shift from issue-led to celebrity-led documentaries.

This year's Emmy documentary categories are dominated by projects centred on famous people, marking a marked shift from the genre's traditional focus on weightier social and historical subjects. Four of the five nominees for best documentary/nonfiction special and three of the five nominees for best documentary/nonfiction series are…

Live-Action ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Movie Officially Finds Its Main Villain

• Uli Latukefu will play Ganondorf in the Zelda film.
• Zelda, Link and Ganondorf have now been cast.
• A multi-picture deal suggests potential sequels.

Uli Latukefu has been cast as Ganondorf, the principal villain in Nintendo and Sony’s live-action *The Legend of Zelda* film. The announcement completes the film’s central trio alongside Bo Bragason as Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link, while indicating that the adaptation will feature the franchise’s familiar…

Abbe Lane, Glamorous Singer and Actress, Dies at 93

Once married to bandleader Xavier Cugat, she starred on Broadway with Tony Randall and in films with Glenn Ford, Van Heflin and Vittorio De Sica.

The 6 best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus and more (August 7-9)

The House of the Dragon season 3 finale, a new Star Wars show and the return of Ted Lasso are among this week's must-watch streaming releases

Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid agree new six-year deal

Brazil winger Vinicius Jr is set to stay at Real Madrid after agreeing improved terms with the Spanish side amid interest from Arsenal.

Ne-Yo Sued Over Alleged Dog Attack on Delivery Woman: ‘Vicious and Dangerous’

The lawsuit comes after Chris Brown was hit with a similar dog-biting case in which a jury awarded a woman $13 million in damages.