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The Verge
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Stranger Things 5's first trailer promises an epic showdown
It's been a long time coming, but we finally have a real look at the end of Stranger Things. Netflix just released the first teaser trailer for the show's fifth season, which will also be its last when it starts streaming later this year. As was alluded to in the finale of season 4, the new trailer — which, despite being called a teaser, clocks in at nearly three minutes long — is focused on the major showdown with Vecna that will presumably end the string of supernatural bad luck in Hawkins, Indiana for good. Here's the official setup for the finale, according to Netflix: The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time. The finale of Stranger Things is a big deal for Netflix, particularly after Squid Game wrapped up earlier in the year and as its other big genre franchise, The Witcher, also has an end date in sight. Because of this, the streamer is stretching out season 5 across three different releases. Volume 1 will start streaming on on November 26th, followed by a second volume on December 25th. Things then culminate in a finale on New Year's Eve. It's similar to the strategy for season 4, which was divided into two halves when it premiered back in 2022. Of course, while this is the end of the main series, Netflix isn't letting go of Stranger Things just yet. There are spinoffs in the works, including an animated series called Tales From '85, and series creators the Duffer brothers are working on other projects for Netflix as well.
Wales Online
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
The Couple Next Door season 2 cast, start time and episodes as new stars take over
The Couple Next Door season 2 cast, start time and episodes as new stars take over The Channel 4 drama is back for a second season and this time around is set to follow two love triangles, with a brand new cast The Couple Next Door airs on Channel 4 (Image: CHANNEL 4 ) The Couple Next Door returns for its much-anticipated second series, building on the suspense-filled narrative that captivated audiences with Poldark's Eleanor Tomlinson and Outlander's Sam Heughan leading the first season. In a fresh twist, creator David Allison delivers a brand new story featuring an entirely new ensemble of actors to bring it to life. Sharing insights with Radio Times, Allison described the shift in dynamics: "The first series was about two couples that collided with each other - a square. Whereas this is more two love triangles... so the dynamic is really different." He further revealed the focus on more mature characters, stating, "The other thing is this is about characters who are a little bit older. They're in their 40s - it's about a mid-life crisis and there's different things going on in those relationships as well." Here's what you need to know about the upcoming series. The Couple Next Door stars Annabel Scholey and Sam Palladio (Image: CHANNEL 4 ) Article continues below Who is in the cast of The Couple Next Door season 2? Taking the role of the enigmatic new nurse Mia is Aggy K Adams, known from The Witcher, alongside Never Have I Ever's Sendhil Ramamurthy playing Charlotte's former interest, Leo. The line-up also includes Hugh Dennis from Outnumbered as Alan and Jeff Rawle from Hollyoaks portraying Henry. Adam James of Vigil fame joins as Ben, while Maimie McCoy, remembered from The Musketeers, appears as Gemma. Completing the cast are Barney White cast as Brandon, Jackie Clune playing Annette, Janine Duvitski stepping into the shoes of Gloria, and Tanya Moodie filling the role of Yvonne. The Couple Next Door stars Hugh Dennis (Image: CHANNEL 4 ) When does The Couple Next Door season 2 start? The first instalment will begin at 9pm and continue for an hour, concluding at 10pm. Here are the air dates for the episodes: Episode 1 – 14 July Episode 2 – 15 July Episode 3 – 16 July Episode 4 – 21 July Episode 5 – 22 July Episode 6 – 23 July You can also catch the episodes on Channel 4's streaming platform. The Couple Next Door season 2 has a brand new cast The series' inaugural season was Channel 4's largest scripted streaming success, with the premiere gathering over a million viewers in its first week. The official season two description states: "Leo's return sparks a change in Charlotte and Mia seizes the opportunity to work her way into Jacob and Charlotte's confidence, their street, and eventually even their bed, befriending cul-de-sac outcast Alan (Hugh Dennis) along the way. "But it's not long before Mia's past comes back to haunt her, leading Charlotte and Jacob to question who she really is, especially when patients at the hospital start mysteriously dying. One thing is clear - giving in to their desires could have deadly consequences." Article continues below The Couple Next Door returns for season 2 on 14 July on Channel 4.
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Couple Next Door season 2 cast, start time and episodes as new drama unfolds
The Couple Next Door is back for a second season, with a brand new cast and an entirely new storyline. Here's all you need to know about the Channel 4 series. Following the gripping first series, 'The Couple Next Door' returns for a second season, boasting an all-new narrative and cast, leaving fans eager for more of the psychological drama that stars Poldark's Eleanor Tomlinson and Outlander's Sam Heughan. The show initially captivated viewers with the tale of two neighbouring couples and a scandalous affair between the characters played by Tomlinson and Heughan. However, neither will appear in the new outing. This season, creator David Allison promises a fresh take on the drama, revealing to Radio Times: "The first series was about two couples that collided with each other - a square. Whereas this is more two love triangles... so the dynamic is really different." Allison also hinted at a shift in character dynamics, noting: "The other thing is this is about characters who are a little bit older. They're in their 40s - it's about a mid-life crisis and there's different things going on in those relationships as well." Here's the lowdown on what to expect from the new instalment. Who is in the cast of The Couple Next Door? Season two of 'The Couple Next Door' introduces a stellar lineup, including The Witcher's Aggy K Adams as enigmatic nurse Mia and Never Have I Ever's Sendhil Ramamurthy portraying Charlotte's former beau Leo. The series also features Hugh Dennis of 'Outnumbered' fame as Alan, Jeff Rawle from ' Hollyoaks ' as Henry, Adam James of 'Vigil' as Ben, and Maimie McCoy, known for 'The Musketeers', as Gemma. Completing the ensemble are Barney White as Brandon, Jackie Clune as Annette, Janine Duvitski as Gloria, and Tanya Moodie taking on the role of Yvonne. When is The Couple Next Door on? The first episode of The Couple Next Door will kick off at 9pm and is set to entertain viewers for a full hour until 10pm. Wondering how many episodes are in The Couple Next Door? Here's the lowdown on the episode schedule: Episode 1 - July 14. Episode 2 - July 15. Episode 3 - July 16. Episode 4 - July 21. Episode 5 - July 22. Episode 6 - July 23. Catch-up will be a breeze as the episodes will also be up for grabs on Channel 4's streaming service. Channel 4 witnessed its biggest scripted streaming debut with the first season of The Couple Next Door, as the opening episode racked up over a million streams within just seven days. Season two's official synopsis teases: "Leo's return sparks a change in Charlotte and Mia seizes the opportunity to work her way into Jacob and Charlotte's confidence, their street, and eventually even their bed, befriending cul-de-sac outcast Alan (Hugh Dennis) along the way. "But it's not long before Mia's past comes back to haunt her, leading Charlotte and Jacob to question who she really is, especially when patients at the hospital start mysteriously dying. One thing is clear - giving in to their desires could have deadly consequences." Tune in for The Couple Next Door season 2, premiering on July 14 on Channel 4.
North Wales Live
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
The North Wales beauty spots that leave Hollywood swooning
As we commonly favour the iconic imagery of Paris, New York, and LA in cinema, a less expected location is gaining cinematic fame. With its rugged coastlines, towering mountains, and historic castles, Wales serves as an idyllic setting for many narratives, catching the eye of streaming behemoths. And North Wales has landed one of the biggest shows with the Game of Thrones prequel, House of Dragons. HBO took a new tack for their House of the Dragon series, shifting base from Northern Ireland to Warner Bros Leavesden Studios in England. However, they've captured several exterior scenes across Wales, Cornwall, Devon, and European locations such as Spain and Portugal. Northwest Wales was prominently featured in the second season, with eight locations utilised. Half of these were situated on Anglesey, including Beaumaris and Porth-y-Cŵch. Llanddwyn Beach, located near the village of Newborough, was a popular filming spot and is believed to have served as the backdrop for parts of Dragonstone. Excitingly for Welsh fans, the breathtaking landscapes of North Wales are slated to play a pivotal role in Season 3. The region's rugged mountains, dramatic coastline, and historic castles provide the ideal dramatic scenery for the fantasy series. The series delves into the history of House Targaryen, chronicling their struggle for the Iron Throne 200 years prior to the events depicted in the smash hit Game of Thrones series, which concluded in 2019. Game of Thrones has consistently been a significant catalyst for screen tourism, and Visit Wales is undoubtedly anticipating the third season of House of Dragons, will continue to attract fans to the enchanting filming locations. The well-liked Netflix Witcher series has also utilised numerous Welsh locations for filming, chiefly in Eryri National Park and along the Gower Peninsula in South Wales. Specific sites include Llyn Padarn, Zip World, Dolbadarn Castle, and the National Slate Museum in Snowdonia, as well as Nash Point and Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula. In September 2024, film crews descended upon the village of Llanberis at the base of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) for the third series of The Witcher. The village underwent a transformation, with artificial boulders and a "fake" forest assembled in the Gwynedd village and black screens erected at Y Glyn, a popular beauty spot more commonly known as The Lagoons. Wales has also benefitted massively as a whole. A recent study shows that Netflix has poured over £200 million into the UK's economy since 2020, through its focus on Welsh film and TV projects. The streaming powerhouse has produced hit series like Sex Education, The Crown, and The Witcher in Wales, branding it a prime filming location. Anna Mallet, Netflix's VP of Production for the UK, commented: "Blessed with incredible creative talent and beautiful natural landscapes, Wales is an amazing place to make entertainment, so Netflix is delighted that our Welsh productions can continue to create such enduring cultural and economic opportunities." Netflix is set to enhance its presence with their latest project, the biggest feature film ever entirely shot in Wales. The new Tom Hardy flick, Havoc, portrays a botched transaction and the subsequent rescue mission from a dark criminal network to save a politician's alienated offspring. While the critics have branded the film as "insanely violent" and "relentlessly brutal," commendations were high for its action-packed sequences filmed across Welsh locales, reports Wales Online. In recent years, screen tourism, or 'set-jetting', has become one of the most dynamic sectors within the travel industry, with Wales well-placed to benefit from this burgeoning demand. Seren Welch, a Screen Tourism Specialist, commented on the trend's impact: "This is an area of tourism that's seen exponential growth in the last ten years." Supporting evidence comes from Expedia's 2023 trends research, which revealed that 40% of trips booked through their platform were influenced by film or television content. Streaming giants like Netflix have played a pivotal role in driving this trend. Their worldwide audience has been introduced to stunning landscapes and historical sites, fuelling curiosity and prompting visits to these filming locations. Welch pointed out Netflix's 2022 findings: "Their subscribers were 2.4 times more likely to put a destination at the top of their travel list after seeing it in a show... something a tourist board can only dream of." She further noted, "Platforms can even track destination search spikes exactly when a new show seen with Emily in Paris and Bridgerton." The link between on-screen storytelling and real-world discovery underscores the allure of enchanting filming locations, many of which are found throughout Wales. Other stories filmed in Wales include the BBC's much-loved series Gavin and Stacey, with the emotional Christmas Day finale becoming one of the most viewed scripted TV programmes of the century, attracting over 19 million viewers. Barry Island was one of the show's primary locations, and it's difficult to find a scene without it! Since 2004, the producers of the popular science-fiction drama Doctor Who have made Wales the show's home. The country has hosted multiple Time Lords, Daleks, and a myriad of other monsters. Doctor Who has become so intertwined with Wales due to its extensive filming across the country, especially in Cardiff, Newport, and other locales, that Bad Wolf Studios in Cardiff acts as the show's main studio hub. The Batman film The Dark Knight Rises also featured a breathtaking waterfall in the Brecon Beacons, for exterior shots of Batman's clandestine hideout, the Batcave. During a BAFTA Cymru event before the show's premiere on 25 May, BBC Wales head Rhuanedd Richards expressed her joy over Death Valley being set in her native Mountain Ash. Even though Death Valley is set in the Cynon Valley, the majority of the series was filmed in various locations across South Wales. For over a decade, the Casualty production team has used Cardiff as the setting for countless dramatic and heart-wrenching storylines on the BBC's long-standing medical drama. The show is primarily filmed at BBC Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff Bay, which also houses the set for the Welsh-language soap opera Pobl y Cwm. Despite Casualty being set in the fictional Holby City Hospital, elements of Welsh culture and identity are often woven into the narrative by the writers and producers. The show has successfully showcased the diversity of Wales to a national audience. And the Young Sherlock production team shot scenes at several locations in Monmouth, telling the origin story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective. The town centre was transformed with extras donned in Victorian attire and temporary shopfronts to create a genuine period backdrop, complete with stacks of fruit and veg outside a greengrocer's façade. Filming locations included the Shire Hall, the Punch House pub, and the Oxford Coffee Shop. An employee from the Punch House revealed that extras were dressed and made-up inside the pub.
Gizmodo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The New ‘Wednesday' Season 2 Trailer Is All About Suffering From Success
Netflix has finally released the official trailer for its popular Tim Burton Addams Family spin-off series, Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega. If you need a reminder of the chaos and drama from season 1, we've got you covered. However, the official trailer for season 2 of Wednesday assumes you remember everything that happened back in 2022, and are ready to see the titular sardonic teenager thrown back into the action. In the trailer, we see Wednesday return to Nevermore Academy, only this time she's become the most popular girl in school, thanks to her saving the school from doom in the first season—a new claim to fame she's visibly struggling with. If that weren't enough, Wednesday now must prevent a deadly prophecy that'll claim her roommate Enid Sinclair's life. Alongside returning stars like Catherine Zeta-Jones, Emma Myers, and Luis Guzmán, the official trailer also gave us a glimpse of Steve Buscemi as the newest addition to Wednesday's cast, playing Nevermore's principal. Interspersed in the trailer are clips of the rest of the Addams family pitching in to help Wednesday prevent certain doom for her friend, Wednesday placing traps to prevent her adoring public from encroaching on her private life, as well as Wednesday being haunted by nightmares of Enid cursing her for not saving her. Other than that, the trailer is filled with other spooky things like zombies, werewolves, and cloaked cultists who are sure to make Wednesday's time at Nevermore all the more stressful. You know, the usual school things. One person of note who wasn't showcased in the new Wednesday trailer was Mother Monster herself, Lady Gaga, who was announced with great fanfare to be a part of the season 2 cast. While her role in the show has been kept under wraps, it'll be interesting to see how the multi-time award-winning songstress will mesh into Wednesday's world. For now, we'll always have her TikTok Wednesday dance and her live 'Abracadabra' performance with Ortega in tow for Netflix's recent Tudum event. Following the trend of major Netflix shows such as The Witcher, Sandman, and Stranger Things, the second season of Wednesday will also be divided into two parts. The first part of Wednesday Season 2 is scheduled for release on August 6th, while the second part will be available on the streaming platform on September 3rd. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
