TV/Film
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Bluey is coming to a movie theater near you. Don’t tell your kids just yet — you’ll have to wait a couple years to see it.
A CG-animated feature film based on the hit series is slated for a 2027 release from The Walt Disney Company and BBC Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’ll stream on Disney+, and it will air on ABC iview and ABC Kids in Australia, after the global theatrical run of the movie.
The feature is set to “continue the adventures of Bluey, a loveable, inexhaustible, blue heeler dog, who lives with her Mum, Dad and her little sister, Bingo,” reads a description from a statement announcing the film.
Vocal talent families already know — including Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack (as Bluey’s mum and dad, Chilli and Bandit Heeler) — are on board for the film, as well as the series’ music composer, Joff Bush.
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BBC Studios will finance and license the Bluey movie for distribution, while Disney will release it in theaters worldwide. Bluey creator Joe Brumm is writing and directing, and Ludo Studio is producing in collaboration with BBC Studios.
Series creator Brumm said, “I really enjoyed the experience of working with a longer format on ‘The Sign’ in Series 3, so going even further with a feature film feels like a natural extension of that. I’ve always thought Bluey deserved a theatrical movie. I want this to be an experiential event for the whole family to enjoy together.”
Last month the Bluey franchise’s latest soundtrack, Bluey: Rug Island, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Kid Albums chart. Available on vinyl (in a sunset orange edition, or as a picture disc), on CD and as a digital download, almost 60% of the Oct. 25 releases’s 3,000 first-week sales came from vinyl purchases.
Bluey: Rug Island is the third soundtrack album from the series, following Bluey: The Album (2021) and Dance Mode! (2023). At press time, Bluey: Rug Island ranks at No. 7 on the Kid Albums chart — the chart is currently led by the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s classic A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack as the holiday nears.
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The Billboard Family Hits of the Week compiles what’s new and worth your family’s time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget the mind-numbing scrolling and searching “what to watch for family movie night” … again. The best in family entertainment each week is all in one place, in this handy guide. Isn’t it satisfying to cross something off your list?
Leading up to winter break, you might be looking for ideas on how to entertain your kids while they’re out of school. If shiny new gifts and holiday cheer start losing their shine as the days go on, let Billboard Family step in with suggestions for what to check out together in mid-late December.
Need to get out of the house together? On Friday, Dec. 20, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King opens in movie theaters, featuring a superstar mother-daughter duo on the cast list. Among the voices lending their talent to the film is 12-year-old Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, Simba and Nala’s daughther. Blue Ivy is the real-life daughter of parents Jay-Z and Beyoncé, who reprises her role as Nala in the franchise’s latest theatrical release.
Would you rather stay in? Gather up some holiday treats (maybe you’d like to try baking Taylor Swift‘s chai sugar cookies with cinnamon eggnog icing) and cozy up at the couch for the Inside Out spin-off Dream Productions, a miniseries now streaming on Disney+. At just four 20-minute episodes, it’s about the length of a typical family movie.
We’re always looking for contenders to add to our holiday season playlist, and Lady Gaga‘s new rock cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” puts a fun twist on a classic.
Always here with a rec for the Swiftie in your home, I’ll say that if you haven’t watched them yet, this series of behind-the-scenes clips (just uploaded to YouTube on Swift’s birthday) are worth tuning in to with fans of any age. They give a glimpse at the work the singer puts in off the stage and behind the camera, in the less glamorous but just as creative role of director.
Find out more about this week’s top picks in the Billboard Family Hits of the Week:
Stream Pixar’s ‘Dream Productions’ on Disney+
A Lionel Messi-inspired animated series will soon premiere on Disney Channel after Disney Branded Television acquired Messi and the Giants from Sony Music Vision and Sony Pictures Television – Kids, Billboard has learned.
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The sci-fi animated show follows a 12-year-old boy named Leo, who is transported from his home in Argentina into an alternate universe. The series will demonstrate how the character faces adversity, builds a team, and discovers how to become a hero.
“I always dreamed of being involved in a project that would share the values of sports, the very same values that have been so important to my career, with younger generations,” Messi expressed in a press release. “Nothing truly is impossible with teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. I look forward to sharing this series with kids around the world, and I hope I will inspire them and motivate them to achieve their own dreams. Ever since I was a kid, I always loved animated series, and I look forward to watching this series with my own kids.”
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Each episode of Messi and the Giants is 22-minutes long and will premiere on Disney Channel, followed by Disney Channel On Demand and globally on DIsney+, and will be available in English, Spanish and other languages.
Messi and the Giants
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“Football — or soccer as we call it in the United States — is the world’s most beloved sport, uniting and captivating millions of fans of all ages,” noted Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We are proud to work with Lionel Messi and Sony Pictures Television to bring ‘Messi and the Giants’ to our passionate, global kids’ audience. We know that its themes of family, friendship, and teamwork will resonate with not only football enthusiasts but everyone everywhere who loves a great story.”
“It’s been a privilege to team with Leo and our colleagues at Sony Music on this first-time collaboration,” Joe D’Ambrosia, EVP and general manager, Sony Pictures Television – Kids added. “We’re thrilled that Disney is giving a global platform to this fun take on a classic tale and look forward to launching a global consumer products and branded partnerships program alongside the show’s debut.”
“There is an incredible team all working together on this project, with Leo’s magic as the inspiration behind it all,” said Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia. “We are thrilled that Disney has now joined our roster to help bring this imaginative series to audiences and inspire fans all around the world.”
To date, Messi is the only athlete in the world to win eight Ballon d’Or Awards and six Golden Boots. In July, he joined the MLS team Inter Miami.
Guy Toubes will serve as executive producer, and Atlantis Animation, and director Dan Creteur will serve as the show’s animation studio. The series was developed by Toubes and Creteur under the creative direction of Sony Music Vision and SPT – Kids, in partnership with Messi.
The Kelly Clarkson Show has been renewed by NBC Owned Television Stations group for a seventh season.
“Kelly Clarkson is a national treasure,” Tracie Wilson, executive vice president, syndication studios and E! News at NBCUniversal, said in a statement. “…There’s an appetite in talk for stories that entertain and inspire, and The Kelly Clarkson Show is a shining star that delivers for our stations and connects with viewers across multiple generations in meaningful ways.”
Valari Staab, chairman, NBCUniversal Local, added: “Kelly and her team continue to raise the bar in daytime television. The show’s consistent viewership, engaging content and high production quality has made it a valuable part of our programming lineup across the NBC-owned stations.”
Since its launch in 2019, The Kelly Clarkson Show has collected 22 Daytime Emmys. Clarkson has won personally won eight of those awards (compared to three Grammys over a much longer period of time). Impressively, she has won at least one Emmy in each of the five seasons.
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The Kelly Clarkson Show won outstanding daytime talk series for the fourth consecutive year at the 2024 Daytime Emmys, which were held in Los Angeles on June 7. In accepting the award, Clarkson gave special thanks to NBC for listening to her concerns when she proposed moving the show from Los Angeles to New York.
“Thanks to NBC for believing in our show. …The fact that NBC, a huge company, took time and listened when I said ‘Hey, my life is not going super great. I don’t know if I can live here [in L.A.] anymore. I don’t know if I can do this.’ And they really wrapped their arms around us and they helped us move. And the move has been so great for not just me and my family but our whole show. It takes a lot of time and money and effort to do that. It is not unnoticed. I just want to say thank you for thinking of mental health as well as, you know, a product.”
For the 2024-25 season, The Kelly Clarkson Show averages 1.2 million viewers per day, and consistently ranks as one of the top syndicated talk shows. The show airs in syndication on more than 200 stations across the country.
The Kelly Clarkson Show films in studio 6A at 30 Rockefeller in New York City. Alex Duda is executive producer and showrunner. Clarkson is also executive producer.
The second half of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked films might be nearly a year away, but fans got their first major detail about the sequel on Monday (Dec. 16) when Universal Pictures announced its official title. According to a social media teaser, the follow-up to the Nov. 22 live-action musical starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana […]
It looks like Owen Wilson is a fan of the hood’s hottest princess. The actor went viral over the weekend, as a fan in attendance captured him with his jaw on the floor as he watched Sexyy Red perform her song “Hellcats SRTs” on the Rolling Loud stage in Miami. The St. Louis rapper caught […]
By day, LISA‘s character in White Lotus appears in a new teaser to be a buttoned-up hotel staff member. But by night?
Exactly two months ahead of the premiere of the hit show’s third season, HBO dropped a minute-and-a-half trailer Monday (Dec. 16) featuring the BLACKPINK band member as an employee of the fictional titular hotel chain’s Thailand location. In one clip, she smiles professionally while telling guests, “Welcome to The White Lotus in Thailand, ka.”
But in another clip, LISA looks like an entirely different person. Dressed in a traditional-looking headpiece at what appears to be an after-hours bonfire celebration, the star makes smoldering eye contact with someone offscreen while giving a sly smile.
With Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey and more actors also starring in the next chapter of White Lotus, the rest of the teaser shows the new season’s characters exploring the city streets and nature of sunny Thailand before quickly succumbing to the temptations of nightlife. “Everyone runs from pain towards pleasure,” says a voice-over. “But they get there only to find more pain.”
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HBO first announced the Thai rapper’s casting in the show’s third season in February. In August, LISA opened up about securing her first onscreen gig in an interview with Elle, telling the publication, “I’m super excited and nervous, because it’s my first acting project.”
Calling White Lotus director “a genius,” the performer added that she “cried” when she learned she’d been tapped for the season. “I was happy for a second, and then I was like, ‘Oh, wait, wait, how am I going to deliver this?’” she said. “It’s pretty new to me, but I think it’s similar to shooting music videos. I’m excited for my fans to see it. I feel like people are going to fall in love with Thailand even more.”
Fans got their very first look at LISA’s acting in February, when she briefly appeared in a teaser welcoming hotel guests to the resort.
The new teaser comes about a month after LISA announced that her debut solo album, Alter Ego, is slated to arrive Feb. 28. The project is preceded by “Rockstar” — which reached No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 — “New Woman” with Rosalía and “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me).”
The third season of White Lotus arrives on HBO and streams on Max Feb. 16. See LISA in the new teaser above.
The holiday season just got brighter with the surprise release of A Carpool Karaoke Christmas, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Starring Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan, the festive installment of the Emmy-winning Carpool Karaoke: The Series dropped on Dec. 15, delighting fans with holiday cheer and star-studded musical moments.
Hosted by Zane Lowe, the hour-long special takes viewers on a whirlwind global caroling adventure. The trailer teases a festive road trip, with Lowe chauffeuring his celebrity passengers from Tokyo to Missouri to Los Angeles. Along the way, the trio shares candid conversations, heartfelt moments, and lively renditions of holiday classics and chart-topping hits.
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Lady Gaga, who recently dominated the Billboard charts with her global smash “Die With a Smile,” revisted her saucy 2008 single “Christmas Tree.” Known for its cheeky lyrics, Gaga calls it her idea of a family singalong with a wink. The journey ends with Gaga and Lowe performing a spirited rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” with her band, a performance now available as a standalone audio track.
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Dua Lipa brings her signature energy to the Tokyo leg of the adventure, sharing a karaoke version of the Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” alongside her own mega-hit “New Rules.” Lipa also reflects on her rise to fame, recounting how a Katy Perry concert inspired her to pursue a career on the world’s biggest stages.
Chappell Roan’s portion of the special is as heartfelt as it is fun. Taking Lowe on a tour of her family farm in Missouri, Roan introduces a chicken named after Lady Gaga before hitting the road with her parents for a singalong of “Pink Pony Club,” as well as her take on Wham! classic “Last Christmas.” Emotional moments surface as Roan’s parents share their pride in her artistry and message of inclusivity, calling her a beacon of love and acceptance.
“I started to tear up just listening to her sing it just now,” says Roan’s mother, Kara. “We love her so much and we’re so proud of what she does and who she is and what she stands for. I love singing it with her at her shows and I love it when you can just see the people just respond to that song so much. And even when we’re grown up, we really care about what our parents think about us.”
The festive edition of Carpool Karaoke continues the franchise’s tradition of bringing major star power and holiday spirit, with Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and Chappell Roan making the special a must-watch event. A Carpool Karaoke Christmas is now available to stream exclusively on Apple TV+.
Watch the trailer for A Carpool Karaoke Christmas here.
Weekend Update had SNL‘s Jane Wickline singing a comedic song as Sabrina Carpenter Saturday night (Dec. 14) — one that named pop stars like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, both of whom the internet has no problem gossiping about when it comes to sexuality. Carpenter apparently hasn’t been a big part of that particular rumor mill. In the sketch, Wickline portrays the “Taste” singer as feeling left out.
“A lot of people on the internet like to start these juicy rumors about whether pop stars are gay, and this is a new song that I, Sabrina Carpenter, wrote called ‘When Will Even One Person Do That About Me?’” the SNL cast member explained ahead of performing a parody based on what Carpenter might think of it all.
Of course, the song sounded nothing like an actual Carpenter hit. “I can’t look or sound like her. She’s completely perfect,” Wickline said, but added, “For the purposes of this song, I am her.”
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“Taylor Swift sings about a crush on her best friend/ And you all cry ‘lesbian’ because she didn’t phrase it ‘my boy best friend,’” she sang in front of a keyboard.
“In a music video, I make out with Jenna Ortega/ No one doubts me at all when I say this is a metaphor for one of my ex-boyfriends/ And that is all it was, but no one ever wondered,” Wickline’s Carpenter said. In the next verse she pointed out that making out with her female co-star in “Taste” merely resulted in online chatter like “I heard this song is about Shawn Mendes.”
“Help me/ Just tell me where I’m doing wrong/ Why am I the only straight pop star/ Taken at their word?/ It’s lonely/ I do gay stuff and you don’t get mad/ I just want the same treatment/ I want to have mystique/ Why don’t you think I’m either bi or pretending that I might be/ I’m not bi or pretending, but why does no one think I’m lying/ I just want you to think I might have secrets,” she sang.
Wickline went on to remind everyone that Carpenter also locked lips with a female alien during the MTV Video Music Awards stage in September, while performing a medley of her hits.
“I also made out with a girl alien at the VMAs/ Nothing!” she lamented in her song.
Carpenter hasn’t commented on the bit.
Watch the “Weekend Update” that pokes fun at Carpenter in the clip below. Elsewhere during the Chris Rock-hosted episode, musical guest Gracie Abrams played “That’s So True” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry.”
Travis Scott was joined by a surprise guest Owen Wilson during his headlining set at Rolling Loud Miami 2024.
On Saturday (Dec. 14), the Houston rap star invited the Loki actor to the stage to perform “FE!N” from Scott’s 2023 album Utopia.
Fan-captured footage from the festival, held at Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium, shows Wilson enthusiastically helping Scott deliver the high-energy track, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2023.
“I’m feigning for more,” Owen shouted to the crowd, wearing a white hoodie, after briefly embracing Scott. The 56-year-old actor then jumped up and down to hype the audience as “FE!N” kicked off.
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The surprise appearance comes amid news that Wilson is set to star in Rolling Loud, a film inspired by the annual music festival. The R-rated comedy, which also features comedian Matt Rife, follows an overprotective father (played by Wilson) who attends the festival with his 13-year-old son, a reckless co-worker (Rife) and a festival volunteer, according to Deadline. The film is written and directed by Jeremy Garelick.
It remains unclear if footage of Wilson’s onstage moment with Scott at Rolling Loud Miami will appear in the film.
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The cameo added to the excitement surrounding Rolling Loud’s 10th anniversary celebration this year. Along with Scott, the 2024 Miami lineup featured headliners Future and Playboi Carti. Other performers included Metro Boomin, Lil Yachty, Don Toliver, Kodak Black, Sexyy Red, Lil Baby, Bryson Tiller, Shaboozey and Rich The Kid.
Next up, Scott is set to return to Coachella in 2025. In late November, the hip-hop superstar teased that he’ll be giving the festival grounds in Indio, Calif., a Cactus Jack makeover. He also hinted at a “new chapter,” where he’ll debut music from his upcoming era for fans at the Empire Polo Club.