CrossTalk Entertainment Report Hollywood Heats Up, WWE Builds Toward Money in the Bank and Daytime Drama Explodes

From an Emmy night that reshaped the television landscape to a huge weekend at the movies, major movement in professional wrestling, reality television kicking into high gear and daytime soaps delivering the kind of chaos their audiences live for, there was no shortage of entertainment news this week. Hollywood is officially transitioning from the summer blockbuster season into its fall awards and television cycle, while streaming continues to change where — and how — audiences consume some of the industry’s biggest properties.

The Emmys Set the Tone for Fall Television

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were one of the dominant stories of the week. Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” captured Outstanding Comedy Series, while HBO’s “The Pitt” repeated as Outstanding Drama Series. Noah Wyle won Lead Actor in a Drama for The Pitt, Rhea Seehorn earned Lead Actress honors for Pluribus, and Matthew Rhys had an especially memorable evening, winning Lead Actor in a Comedy for Widow’s Bay while also taking Lead Actor in a Limited Series for The Beast in Me. HBO’s DTF St. Louis won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. (Los Angeles Times)

Another major moment came when “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” won Outstanding Variety Series following the conclusion of its CBS run earlier this year. Colbert used part of his acceptance speech to publicly encourage the television industry to hire members of his former production staff, highlighting the broader employment uncertainty surrounding late-night television. (Variety Australia)

The next Emmy headline may actually happen away from the stage. Variety reported this week that the Television Academy is in advanced discussions with Amazon Prime Video about a new licensing agreement that could move the Emmys away from traditional broadcast television for the first time. No final agreement has been announced, but the talks are another indication of how aggressively streaming services are pursuing programming that once belonged almost exclusively to broadcast networks. (Variety Australia)

The Box Office Has a New Horror King

After Practical Magic 2 took the top spot last weekend with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman returning as the Owens sisters, the box-office picture changed dramatically Friday.

Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” reboot opened with approximately $26.3 million on Friday alone, immediately taking over the top position at the domestic box office. Practical Magic 2 followed with roughly $3.3 million Friday, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day continued its historic run. (Box Office Mojo)

The Spider-Man story is even bigger than another strong weekend. Brand New Day has now moved past Star Wars: The Force Awakens to become the highest-grossing movie in domestic box-office history without adjusting for inflation. As of Friday, its North American total had climbed beyond $939 million. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey also continues its enormous theatrical run, sitting above $606 million domestically after becoming Universal’s highest-grossing global release. (Variety Australia)

Meanwhile, Practical Magic 2 opened last weekend to approximately $30 million domestically and $46 million worldwide. It was enough to end Spider-Man’s six-week run at No. 1, although the opening landed on the lower end of industry expectations for the long-awaited sequel. (AP News)

Bond Is Moving Forward — But Who Is 007?

One of Hollywood’s longest-running questions remains unanswered: Who will replace Daniel Craig as James Bond?

What we do know is that the next Bond movie is moving forward creatively. Screenwriter Steven Knight, best known as the creator of Peaky Blinders, confirmed that he has completed a first draft of the screenplay. The casting of the next 007 remains one of Hollywood’s most closely watched decisions, but completion of the initial script is a significant step toward returning Bond to the screen. (Variety Australia)

Elsewhere in film development, Universal’s upcoming Snoop Dogg biopic continues filling out its cast. Jonathan Daviss is playing Snoop, while SwayvoTwain has been cast as The Notorious B.I.G. The project is being positioned as a definitive look at Snoop’s rise from West Coast hip-hop star to global entertainment figure. (Variety Australia)

Streaming Wars: MobLand Returns and Fall TV Begins

One of Paramount+’s biggest crime dramas returned this weekend as “MobLand” Season 2 premiered September 18. Tom Hardy is back as Harry Da Souza alongside Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren, and after months of uncertainty regarding Hardy’s future with the series, Paramount+ has also confirmed that he will return for Season 3. (Variety Australia)

The broader streaming calendar is quickly getting crowded. Slow Horses is back for its sixth season, while new and returning programming across Netflix, Apple TV, Prime Video, Peacock and Paramount+ is beginning to fill out the fall schedule. (Tom’s Guide)

One Marvel-related series will not be part of that future. Prime Video’s “Spider-Noir,” starring Nicolas Cage, was canceled after one season, despite earning 11 Emmy nominations and strong critical scores. It is another reminder that even recognizable franchises and awards attention do not guarantee renewal in the current streaming economy. (Variety Australia)

Reality TV Season Is Officially Here

If scripted television is entering awards season, reality television is entering one of its busiest stretches of the year.

“Dancing with the Stars” Season 35 launched with a two-night premiere September 15 and 16 on ABC and Disney+. Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are back as hosts, with Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough judging another large celebrity cast. The competition returns Tuesday, September 22, with “Viral Hits Night.” (ABC)

The first eliminations have already generated conversation. Conner Leavitt became the first celebrity eliminated during premiere week, while Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson also became a talking point after receiving low judges’ scores. Carson later publicly defended her partner and said some of the scoring felt overly harsh. (People.com)

Meanwhile, “Big Brother 28” delivered its late-season double eviction Thursday night. The game has reached its final stretch, with the house reduced to five players following a rapid-fire eviction night that significantly reshaped the remaining alliances. CBS also used Friday’s Big Brother: Unlocked to examine the fallout while opening voting for America’s Favorite Houseguest. (CBS News)

Peacock is also expanding one of reality television’s strongest franchises. “The Traitors: New Blood” debuted September 17 with an all-civilian cast, while host Alan Cumming is coming off another Emmy victory for hosting the franchise. Peacock has already announced another celebrity edition for 2027. (People.com)

Soap Opera Digest: Port Charles Is Exploding

Few areas of television produced more plot twists this week than daytime.

On “General Hospital,” the storyline surrounding Jack Brennan’s disappearance has engulfed Port Charles. Nina was arrested after evidence pointed toward her, but viewers learned that Drew had framed her. Ava confronted Drew and extracted an admission, while Nina was ultimately taken into WSB custody. At the same time, Jason and Britt ended their relationship, Chase moved out after his problems with Brook Lynn reached another breaking point, and Charlotte launched a potentially dangerous plan designed to trap Drew and destroy his reputation. (Soap Opera Digest)

Heading into the week of September 21, Sonny and Jason are set to reconnect, Curtis receives an important prison visit, Valentin faces another parenting crisis involving Charlotte, and Scout and Rocco continue navigating their young relationship. (Soap Opera Digest)

On “The Young and the Restless,” relationships remain every bit as complicated. Nate and Stephanie have become increasingly serious, Kyle and Victoria’s affair continues, and Sally’s life remains tied into the increasingly complicated relationship dynamics surrounding Billy and Chelsea. Next week, Nikki’s continued presence in Jack’s life creates additional tension for Diane, while Phyllis is left trying to figure out exactly what Matt is doing. The latest preview is also teasing the continued shadow of Aunt Jordan over Genoa City. (Soap Opera Digest)

“The Bold and the Beautiful” has leaned heavily into Steffy’s increasingly complicated pregnancy storyline. Carter has floated an extraordinary solution involving Daphne and surrogacy as the characters try to keep the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy from destroying multiple relationships. Finn is growing concerned about Steffy, while Taylor has also sensed that something is wrong. (Soap Opera Digest)

On “Beyond the Gates,” Bill ended the week facing Dani with a major confession while changes at the hospital have Shanice and Ashley worried about what comes next. Andre, Kat, Chelsea, Eva and Ted are also moving into new conflicts as Fairmont Crest continues building out its interconnected families and rivalries. (Soap Opera Digest)

And on “Days of Our Lives,” EJ is digging deeper into the mystery surrounding Dominic Marino, Holly continues dealing with Mason, Belle has uncovered another clue that she brings to Marlena, and Sydney’s unexpected encounters with Philip and Gabi in Monte Carlo have pushed her toward returning to Salem. (Soap Opera Digest)

In other words, daytime is doing exactly what daytime does best: secrets, affairs, arrests, pregnancies, betrayals and several characters making decisions that almost certainly will make their lives considerably worse.

WWE: Sami Zayn’s Reign Begins as Money in the Bank Takes Shape

WWE had one of its busiest weeks of the fall.

On Raw in Mexico City, Roman Reigns successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Penta in a high-profile main event. Chad Gable retained the Intercontinental Championship against Dragon Lee, while Je’Von Evans and Lola Vice earned places in the upcoming Money in the Bank ladder matches. After Raw went off the air, LA Knight attacked Reigns with a BFT, setting up their championship match for Money in the Bank. (WWE)

Then came Friday night.

One week after Sami Zayn defeated CM Punk to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship, Zayn defended the title against longtime friend and rival Kevin Owens. CM Punk ultimately became involved, striking Owens with the championship and allowing Zayn to retain. Trick Williams and Jacy Jayne also qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder matches. (WWE)

WWE’s road now runs directly toward Money in the Bank on October 10 in New Orleans, where Roman Reigns versus LA Knight is already official. The company also has WWE/NXT/AAA Worlds Collide scheduled for September 26 in Chicago as WWE continues deepening its relationship with AAA. (WWE)

The biggest takeaway from WWE right now is that the championship scene has changed rapidly. Roman Reigns remains World Heavyweight Champion, Sami Zayn suddenly sits atop SmackDown, Stephanie Vaquer has emerged with the Women’s World Championship and the Money in the Bank qualifiers are beginning to create several new routes into the title picture.

Music: Vegas Becomes the Center of the Industry

The music world has descended on Las Vegas this weekend for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival, taking place September 18 and 19 at T-Mobile Arena.

Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the two-night lineup includes BTS, Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, Benson Boone, Ciara, Lainey Wilson, Kenny Chesney, Muse, Weezer, The Smashing Pumpkins, LE SSERAFIM, Major Lazer and Zara Larsson, among others. Disney+ and Hulu are serving as streaming destinations for the festival. (iHeartMedia)

It is also a significant release weekend for new music. Carly Rae Jepsen released the double album “Day and Night,” Miley Cyrus released “Bass Persuades,” and new projects arrived from Beck, Beabadoobee and several other major and independent artists. (Pitchfork)

Hollywood Buzz

Away from premieres and release calendars, celebrity culture also had a busy week surrounding the Emmys, New York fashion events, movie premieres and the iHeartRadio Music Festival.

Zendaya and Tom Holland made headlines with appearances surrounding Emmy week, while Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson were among the stars promoting Brothers. Selena Gomez continued a busy stretch of public appearances, and stars including Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway, Miley Cyrus, Cardi B, Christina Aguilera and Celine Dion were among the notable names appearing at premieres, fashion events, charity functions and music events during the week. (People.com)

But as always, the distinction matters between celebrity sightings and actual news. The industry is overflowing with speculation involving casting, relationships and future projects, and until studios, representatives or the talent themselves confirm those stories, CrossTalk will keep the rumor mill labeled exactly as that.

What’s Next

The entertainment calendar only gets busier from here.

Dancing with the Stars returns Tuesday with Viral Hits Night. WWE continues filling the Money in the Bank ladder matches while building Roman Reigns versus LA Knight. The daytime soaps return Monday with multiple cliffhangers waiting to explode. Fall television premieres will continue rolling out across broadcast and streaming platforms, while the theatrical industry gets its first full look at how strongly Resident Evil can carry its opening weekend.

And beyond all of it sits awards season.

Venice has already generated early Oscar conversation, the Emmys have officially closed one television awards cycle and studios are preparing their biggest prestige movies for the final months of 2026.

Summer entertainment may be ending, but Hollywood’s busiest season is just beginning.

CrossTalk Entertainment Report

Your weekly look at television, movies, streaming, WWE, soaps, reality TV, music and everything making noise across the entertainment world.