CrossTalk Entertainment Report: Fall Entertainment Arrives as Hollywood, Reality TV, WWE and Daytime Drama Heat Up

Summer may be winding down, but the entertainment world certainly is not. The calendar has turned to September, bringing with it the unofficial start of the fall movie and television season, the beginning of awards-season chatter, major reality television developments, a loaded WWE weekend and plenty of drama across daytime television. From Spider-Man continuing a historic box-office run to the return of The Gentlemen, a chaotic week inside the Big Brother house, Venice putting Hollywood back on the red carpet and WWE preparing for Sunday Night’s Main Event, there is plenty to unpack in this week’s CrossTalk Entertainment Report.

At the Movies: Spider-Man Keeps Swinging While Fall Arrives

The final box-office weekend of August once again belonged to Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The blockbuster collected approximately $22.2 million over the weekend to remain No. 1 for a fifth consecutive frame. Its domestic total has climbed past $890 million, while its worldwide haul sits above $2.3 billion. Sitting behind it was one of Hollywood’s more unlikely comeback stories: Coyote vs. Acme. The once-shelved Looney Tunes film opened with approximately $15.5 million after being rescued and released by Ketchup Entertainment, giving the distributor its biggest opening to date. Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, however, had a significantly softer debut with roughly $8 million.

Now the calendar changes and Hollywood begins shifting toward its fall lineup. Two noteworthy theatrical releases arrive Friday, September 4. By Any Means pairs Yahya Abdul-Mateen II with Mark Wahlberg in a crime thriller inspired by events surrounding the 1966 murder of civil-rights leader Vernon Dahmer. Abdul-Mateen portrays an FBI agent working alongside mobster and FBI informant Gregory Scarpa, played by Wahlberg. Also opening is Adam Wingard’s Onslaught, starring Adria Arjona as an Army sniper attempting to protect her daughter when genetically engineered soldiers escape in the desert.

September also means awards-season conversation is officially underway. The 83rd Venice International Film Festival began August 31 and runs through September 12, with Hollywood stars, prestige films and prospective Oscar contenders arriving on the Lido. Danny Boyle’s Ink opened the festival, while filmmakers and stars including George Clooney, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Rooney Mara, Kate Mara, John Malkovich and others are part of this year’s lineup. Venice has long served as one of the first major checkpoints on the road toward the Academy Awards, meaning the movies generating buzz over the next several days could remain in the conversation well into early 2027.

Streaming and Television: September Comes Out Swinging

Streaming services wasted little time loading up their September schedules. Netflix brought back Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen for Season 2 on September 3, once again following Theo James’ Eddie Horniman and Kaya Scodelario’s Susie Glass as their criminal operation expands. Netflix has already confirmed that the series will continue into a third season.

Hulu also welcomed back Glen Powell’s Chad Powers on September 3. All six episodes of Season 2 arrived together as Russ Holliday continues attempting to maintain the increasingly complicated secret behind his Chad Powers identity. The series is moving deeper into the relationship between Russ and Ricky while placing more pressure on the elaborate lie that has driven the series from the beginning.

Disney+, meanwhile, added Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu on September 2 following its theatrical run. The arrival was paired with an official companion podcast and a new LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian special, giving Disney a mini-Mandalorian event to open the month. Prime Video added Gal Gadot’s thriller The Runner the same day, with Gadot playing a London lawyer forced to follow a series of demands after her son is abducted.

Apple TV has one of this weekend’s biggest streaming premieres with Mayday, which arrives September 4. Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh headline the Cold War action-comedy about a U.S. Navy pilot stranded behind enemy lines who forms an unlikely alliance with an ex-KGB agent. Apple held the film’s New York premiere earlier this week with Reynolds, Branagh and the cast in attendance.

Looking into the coming week, Peacock brings back The Paper on Wednesday, September 9. The Office-universe mockumentary returns for Season 2 with Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei and Oscar Nuñez continuing the story of the struggling Toledo Truth Teller newsroom. All episodes arrive at once.

There was also an ending this week. The Kelly Clarkson Show aired its final episode on August 31 after seven seasons. Clarkson closed the Emmy-winning daytime run with a special final “Kellyoke” celebration before saying goodbye to the program she had hosted since 2019.

Reality TV Watch: Big Brother Chaos, Housewives Return and DWTS Reveals Its Stars

If viewers wanted chaos this week, Big Brother 28 delivered it. Following the show’s 1,000th-episode celebration, the game was disrupted by a medieval-themed twist that temporarily shut down the live feeds and eliminated Haley Thogmartin through a competition sequence rather than a traditional eviction. The game quickly reset with Drew Campbell taking Head of Household and a new group of nominees hitting the block.

Thursday night then brought another major elimination. Rick Devens won the BB Blockbuster to remove himself from danger, leaving LaTrice “LaLa” Verrett and Taylor Brown vulnerable.

LaTrice was ultimately evicted 4-2 and became the season’s first jury member. The result leaves alliances increasingly unstable as the competition enters the portion of the season where every vote becomes considerably more important. CBS continues airing new episodes several nights each week as the field moves toward the endgame.

Bravo is about to jump directly into the fall conversation as well. The Real Housewives of New York City returns for Season 16 on Tuesday, September 8 at 8 p.m. Eastern. The new season includes Carole Radziwill’s return to the franchise alongside Sai De Silva, Erin Lichy, Jessel Taank, Hailey Glassman, Erika Hammond and Daisy Toye. Episodes stream the following day on Peacock.

There is movement elsewhere in the Housewives universe. Leah Remini has joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for Season 16 and was photographed this week alongside castmates Kyle Richards and Sutton Stracke as production continues. Bravo has not yet announced the season’s premiere date.

Dancing With the Stars also made noise this week by unveiling the celebrity lineup for Season 35. Among the names entering the ballroom are Julia Stiles, Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, Tatyana Ali, Tyler Cameron, Giada De Laurentiis, Jenna Dewan, Guillermo Rodriguez and others. Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro return as hosts with Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough judging. The season begins with a two-night premiere September 15 and 16 on ABC and Disney+.

Before then, Project Runway reaches its Season 22 finale on September 10. The remaining designers will present original capsule collections, with one competitor ultimately claiming the season’s top prize.

Celebrity, Music and Hollywood Buzz

The entertainment community continues to mourn two enormous personalities lost late last month. Dolly Parton died August 25 at 80 following a brief battle with cancer, prompting tributes from across music, film and popular culture. Her catalog experienced an enormous surge in listening in the days afterward as longtime fans and younger audiences revisited songs spanning one of the most influential careers in American music history.

Tim Curry also died at 80 on August 25. The beloved actor behind unforgettable performances in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, It, Annie and countless stage and voice roles was remembered throughout the entertainment world this week. His cause of death was subsequently reported as coronary artery disease, with his history of stroke and kidney cancer listed as contributing conditions.

Ariana Grande, meanwhile, closed another chapter of her career Tuesday night in London. Grande completed her 41-date Eternal Sunshine Tour at the O2 Arena and delivered an emotional farewell to fans before beginning a planned break from the public spotlight. She had previously announced that she intended to step away following the tour.

Among the celebrity stories coming out of Venice, Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun generated plenty of attention after being photographed kissing while riding through Venice during the film festival. As always with celebrity buzz, photographs can establish what occurred publicly without necessarily answering every question about the status or future of a relationship, but the images were enough to become one of the week’s major celebrity talking points.

Music releases also begin filling the September slate this weekend. Ellie Goulding’s I Know Too Much and Natalie Imbruglia’s Algorithm are among the new releases landing as the industry moves toward the final major album cycle of 2026.

CrossTalk Soap Opera Digest

Spoilers ahead for the September 4 episodes and continuing storylines.

General Hospital has been operating at full soap-opera speed. Drew’s increasingly vengeful behavior, the fallout surrounding Jack Brennan’s death and Ava’s attempts to protect herself are all converging. Friday brings Trina into possession of shocking information while Anna crosses paths with Jason, Drew becomes furious and Ava is forced to think quickly. Alexis also assists Sonny with a legal matter. Away from the storyline itself, General Hospital legend Genie Francis will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Daytime Emmys on October 30, recognizing a daytime career that began with her arrival as Laura in 1977.

On The Young and the Restless, Victor has given Victoria his blessing to move against Jabot, Phyllis has become entangled in Matt Clark’s latest situation and Nate faces a pivotal moment involving surgery on his injured hand. Friday’s developments include Jack and Diane seeing their romantic getaway take an unexpected turn while Nate’s family rallies around him and Nick finds himself in a compromising situation.

The Bold and the Beautiful spent the week juggling complicated alliances and relationships. Taylor and Brooke reached an agreement, questions surrounding Carter and Steffy continued developing and Katie’s situation with Dylan became increasingly tense. Friday brings a confrontation as Darcy lashes out at Katie over her treatment of Dylan, while RJ decides to accept responsibility for his actions.

Over on Days of Our Lives, Salem remains its usual mixture of romance, mystery and family drama. Gwen turned down an offer from EJ, Philip stunned Gabi with a proposal and Johnny and Chanel received good news earlier in the week. By Friday, however, Chanel is questioning Johnny’s loyalty while EJ, Chad and Belle are unknowingly being watched. Holly opens up to Tate and Rita decides not to follow EJ’s instructions exactly as ordered.

CBS’ Beyond the Gates continues building its own sprawling network of secrets. Bill and Hayley remain locked in an unpredictable dynamic, Smitty’s suspicions are growing and Dani and Andre are preparing for Seoul while Andre struggles with paranoia. Vanessa and Deanna also uncover information connected to the period before Doug’s death, giving that storyline another potentially important piece.

WWE Report: Penta Earns His Shot and Sunday Night’s Main Event Takes Center Stage

Monday Night Raw produced one of the week’s most significant WWE results when Penta defeated his brother Rey Fenix in the final of the World Heavyweight Championship No. 1 contender tournament. The victory earns Penta a match against Roman Reigns when Raw heads to Mexico City on September 14. Elsewhere, Raquel Rodriguez successfully defended the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Sol Ruca after interference from Lyra Valkyria, while Roman Reigns delivered a Superman Punch to LA Knight amid growing tension surrounding the World Heavyweight Championship picture.

SmackDown takes over Friday night with several stories needing answers. Sami Zayn created chaos in last week’s No. 1 contender match involving Kevin Owens, Finn Bálor and Gunther, leaving CM Punk without a newly established challenger. Cody Rhodes is also scheduled to address the WWE Universe just two nights before his showdown with Randy Orton. Giulia faces Blake Monroe in their rescheduled match, while Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki meet The Miz and Kit Wilson in tag-team competition. SmackDown airs Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern on USA Network.

The bigger WWE event arrives Sunday. Sunday Night’s Main Event takes place September 6 from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, headlined by Cody Rhodes against longtime mentor-turned-rival Randy Orton. WWE is leaning into their two-decade history together as the centerpiece of the event.

The card also includes a major battle between Oba Femi and Bron Breakker in a matchup designed around two wrestlers WWE has positioned as central figures in its future. In one of the night’s more unusual attractions, Lil Yachty faces United States Champion Baron Corbin; if Yachty can survive five minutes, Trick Williams earns a U.S. Championship rematch later that evening. Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley will face Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab in six-woman competition, while Quavo is scheduled to open the event with a performance. Sunday Night’s Main Event begins at 8 p.m. Eastern on Peacock in the United States.

What to Watch Next

The coming days will be busy. The Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies take place Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, beginning the final march toward the televised 78th Emmy Awards. Mariska Hargitay will host the main ceremony Monday, September 14 at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC and Peacock.

Before that, WWE owns Sunday night, The Real Housewives of New York City returns Tuesday, The Paper drops Wednesday and Project Runway crowns its winner Thursday. Venice continues producing premieres and potential Oscar contenders throughout the week, while Hollywood watches closely to see whether Spider-Man: Brand New Day can extend its remarkable box-office streak or whether September’s new releases finally knock it out of the top spot.

Later in the month, the entertainment calendar becomes even more crowded. Dancing With the Stars returns September 15, the Primetime Emmys arrive September 14 and the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards take over Los Angeles on September 27. Madonna leads this year’s VMA field with 11 nominations, followed by Taylor Swift with nine as the show returns to the West Coast and airs simultaneously on CBS and MTV while streaming through Paramount+.

September is here, and with it comes the point in the entertainment calendar where everything begins happening at once. Summer blockbusters are finishing their runs, awards contenders are beginning theirs, broadcast television is preparing its fall launch, streaming platforms are rolling out major titles, reality franchises are returning and WWE is continuing to build toward its next wave of major events.

That makes this one of the most interesting stretches of the year to follow—and CrossTalk Media will continue tracking all of it.

The CrossTalk Entertainment Report covers the biggest stories across movies, television, streaming, celebrity news, reality television, daytime soaps, professional wrestling and pop culture.