Updated every Friday 12:00 PM
November 15 - November 21

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Apple TV+ announced an all-new 10-part docuseries, “The Secret Lives of Animals,” narrated by SAG Award winner Hugh Bonneville (“Paddington,” “Downton Abbey”). “The Secret Lives of Animals” highlights 77 unique species in 24 countries over three years, revealing stunning, never-before-seen animal behaviors and highlighting the remarkable intelligence of the natural world. Hailing from the acclaimed BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the series will debut globally on December 18 on Apple TV+...

Planet of the Apes fans make connections to the franchise in reaction to the news about more than 40 monkeys escaping a facility. On Wednesday, November 6, 43 monkeys that were used to develop vaccines escaped from a lab in Yemassee, South Carolina, and are still on the loose. Rise of the Planet of the Apes sees apes used for drug development break out of their facility. The film ends with a deadly global pandemic. Since the news broke, movie fans are making connections between the incident and Planet of the Apes franchise. Some point out the news articles about police advising residents to secure their windows and doors is "literally the plot for Rise of the Planet of the Apes," questioning what kind of science was being done. Many are sharing a GIF from the movie, showing the shocking "real life" resemblance to the movie's plot...

In partnersh ip with Paramount Pictures ahead of Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” Airbnb is opening the doors of the famous Colosseum in Rome to up 16 guests for an unforgettable after-dark Gladiator experience. While guests won’t be able to stay the night at the Colosseum (“The Colosseum is a place of combat, not of rest,” the listing states), they’ll have the choice to book one of two, three-hour experiences for up to 16 guests — at a whopping $0 person. The event will take place May 7 and 8, 2025. Guests will be responsible for their own travel to and from Rome, Italy...

The Museum of the Moving Image and the Sloan Foundation have selected nine Sloan finalists, granting them the opportunity to work with mentors year-round and complete a science-themed screenplay. Two winners will receive a $20,000 prize. The program’s mentors include author Graham Slack (“The Harvard Computers,”) screenwriter Gillian Weeks (“Let There Be Light”), writer and director Temi Ojo (“A Man with a Missing Face”), filmmaker Chadd Harbold (“The Wrath of Becky”) and Jordan McCray (“Committed”). The foundation partners with six film institutions: the American Film Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, New York University, University of Southern California, and UCLA. Finalists from these schools will compete for the Sloan Grand Jury Prize. Simultaneously, finalists from six other schools will compete for a separate prize, the Sloan Discovery Prize, still working with mentors for guidance...

Allies of the film industry in the Louisiana Legislature said Wednesday they will work to salvage the state’s production incentive, after the House voted to repeal it this week. The state House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to sunset the $150 million program on June 30, 2025, as part of a tax reform package that lowers the state personal income tax to 3%. The bill includes the phaseout of tax credits for the film industry, as well as for historic preservation and other activities...

DiCaprio’s Appian Way is set to produce an authorized biographical documentary on the life of Serling, the host, creator, narrator, writer, and political activist best known for his series “The Twilight Zone.” The untitled film will be directed by Jonah Tulis, who previously directed “GameStop: Rise of the Players” for Neon and “Console Wars” for Legendary Pictures and Paramount+. The Serling documentary will explore how Serling’s writing helped change television forever. The film will look at Serling’s humble beginnings in television and how he later used his platform to affect change both on and off the screen, including his battles with censors and how he grappled with thought provoking issues of racism, war, the dangers of technology, and morality via the genre-bending, sci-fi parables. The first season of “The Twilight Zone” aired in 1959 on CBS and ran for five seasons, sparking controversy, spawning later remakes, and leaving an indelible imprint on popular culture. Serling was also known for his teleplays such as “Patterns” and “Requiem for a Heavyweight” that were each later turned into films and netted him six Primetime Emmy Awards throughout his career. He also is the co-writer on the original “The Planet of the Apes” alongside Michael Wilson. Serling died at the age of 50 in 1975...