A little late but better than never...

Here's everything that's been happening in the world of Pop Culture this past week... in case you missed it! Feel free to comment on any of the stories and info shared here, add any news bits that you caught going on that may have been missed, or at least show us some love if you read the post but have nothing to comment on by clicking on that little heart icon at the bottom of the post...

GENERAL POP CULTURE NEWS:

- The US Department of Justice announced it had secured a $400 million settlement in its Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act case against online social media platform TikTok. The DOJ said it resolved its 2024-filed litigation with TikTok, ByteDance, and affiliated entities over collection of children’s personal information, marking one of the largest financial recoveries ever in a COPPA case, though there was no statement on who or what exactly receives the settlement money.

- A coalition of US state attorneys general unveiled a proposed settlement with Meta, the corporate parent of social media sites Facebook and Instagram, for up to $17 billion along with remedies designed to help protect teens from alleged mental health harms associated with social media use. The settlement, subject to court approval, would bring the end of the current trial being held in US District Court for the Northern District of California against Meta – who the collective of AGs allege designed and deployed harmful features on their social media sites that drive compulsive use by children and teens to their mental and physical detriment, all while misleading users, their families, and the public regarding the existence and severity of these risks. The settlement “provides for strong injunctive terms designed to help protect children from the mental health harms associated with social media, including default daily time limits on social media and a block on overnight use that can only be lifted by a parent, enhanced parental supervision tools, robust age assurance measures to detect users under 18 and children under 13 that are on the platform, and the appointment of an independent auditor to oversee compliance;” it also calls for monetary payment of up to $17 billion to the states over 10 years. The base settlement amount is around $12 billion, it will rise to $17 billion only if other major social media platforms adopt the time management obligations laid out in the list of Meta’s remedies and agree to financial penalties. Meta has defended its child-safety practices and denied the accusations in the case and does not admit any fault as part of the settlement.

- NAMES, HASHTAGS, MEMES, AND TRENDS FROM THIS PAST WEEK –

LINDSAY CLANCY trial; US/Canada trade war; DOLLY PARTON; ‘Lake America’

GOVERNMENT 101 -

- US: The Supreme Court ruled that construction on President DONALD TRUMP’s White House ballroom project can continue, sidelining a lower court order to halt the project that had a deadline to cease construction as of last Friday. Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS signed an order the same day construction was due that stays a preliminary injunction issued by a district court in April. The stay will be in effect “pending further order of the undersigned or of the court”; there was no explanation for the court’s decision. Lower courts had ordered construction on the ballroom to stop until Congress gives approval to continue with the project, citing that only Congress was allowed to approve changes to the White House as the legislature is the only part of the government that can determine how funds can be spent and Trump did not get prior approval from Congress before tearing down the East Wing of the White House and starting construction on his ballroom project.

THE ROYAL REPORT -

- Norway: King HARALD V, the longest-reigning monarch in Europe, has died. He was 89. Harald was Norway’s first king born in Norway since the 14^th Century having been born shortly after the country regained its independence from Sweden; notably, Harald fled to America with his mother and two older sisters when he was 3 after the country was invaded by Nazi Germany early in World War II (which was depicted in the historical docudrama limited series “Atlantic Crossing”). He ruled for 35 years and will be remembered as a popular and reforming figure who modernized the monarchy, particularly when he broke with tradition and married a commoner. He has been succeeded by his son HAAKON.

- Uganda: King OYO NYIMBA KABAMBA IGURU RUKIDI IV, leader of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom for 31 years, has died. He was 34. Rukidi succeeded to the throne of Tooro in 1995 at the age of 3, following the death of his father, though at the time a regency was established until his official coronation in 2010 upon his 18^th birthday. He was acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as recently as February 2025 as the youngest reigning monarch. While he was not officially married, the country’s prime minister assured the media that the king “leaves behind a Prince as his heir… whose identity will be formally revealed at the appropriate time, in accordance with the traditions and customs of the Tooro Kingdom.”

ON BROADWAY/ THE WEST END -

- Actor RUPERT GRINT, who played Ron Weasley in all eight “Harry Potter” films, will reprise the role on Broadway this winter in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”. Grint will portray the grown-up version of the role he played as a child, following in the footsteps of actor TOM FELTON, who appeared in the films as Draco Malfoy as a child and currently is playing the adult version of Draco in the Broadway show. Grint and Felton unfortunately will not share the stage – Grint will begin his 17-week run as Ron Weasley on February 2, 2027; Felton’s stint as Draco Malfoy, barring any agreed upon extension, is expected to end January 3, 2027.

- A stage musical adaptation of the Universal Pictures/Working Title family film “Nanny McPhee”, with a book written by the film’s star, EMMA THOMPSON, is officially set to open in London’s West End in summer 2027.

- Broadway musical “Six”, which uses modern pop songs to retell the stories of the wives of late former British King HENRY VIII from the women’s point of view, will close on January 3, 2027, after nearly six years and 2, 178 performances.

TECH TALK -

- The ESPN app is set to raise its rates later this year. ESPN Select (formerly known as ESPN+) will increase its subscription price by $1 a month from $12.99 to $13.99 or by $10 annually from $129.99 to $139.99; an ESPN Unlimited subscription will increase by $2 a month from $29.99 to $31.99 or $20 annually from $299.99 to $319.99. Price changes go into effect as of September 17^th.

- Apple TV announced it is raising its subscription prices an additional $2 per month (making monthly plans $14.99 a month) or an additional $20 a year for a yearly plan (to $119.99). The price increase is effective immediately for new customers; existing subscribers will be given one month notice. Apple has also raised the price of its Apple One Individual plan (which bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, cloud storage and other features) by $2 to $21.95.

MOVIE NEWS:

- Actor/director MICHAEL SHOWALTER is set to direct a remake of cult-classic romantic comedy “Serendipity” for Amazon MGM Studios and Miramax. The film described as a modern retelling of the 2001 original that starred JOHN CUSACK and KATE BECKINSALE, will be penned by MARC KLEIN (who also penned the original film). Casting is currently underway.

- Recent A24 thriller “Backrooms” from first-time director KANE PARSONS, which stars actors CHIWETEL EJIOFOR, RENATE REINSVE, and MARK DUPLASS, will be available to stream on HBO Max beginning September 25^th. The film will premiere on the HBO linear channel on September 26^th.

- AMC Theatres announced it will honor late country icon DOLLY PARTON, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 80, with a limited re-release of two films Parton starred in. 1982 comedy “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and the 1989 dramedy “Steel Magnolias” will play at 200 AMC locations at discounted prices from August 28^th to September 2^nd. Participating theaters will show two matinee screenings daily where possible, including one of each title.

- Disney/Pixar animated feature “Toy Story 5” will begin streaming on Disney+ on September 23^rd.

TV NEWS:

- Peacock announced it will air a three-part documentary about former daytime talk show “The Wendy Williams Show” tentatively called “Clap If You Care: The Wendy Williams Show”. The series will follow how former talk show host WENDY WILLIAMS started her career as a radio host before becoming “a voice that would forever change the daytime talk genre”. While Williams will not be involved in the series, former “Wendy Williams Show” executive producer SUSANNE BASS will serve as an executive producer on the docuseries. “Clap If You Care: The Wendy Williams Show” will premiere on Peacock sometime in 2027.

- Fox announced scheduling changes for the remainder of the current season of game show “Beat Shazam”. The series, which had been airing on Tuesdays at 9pm/8pm CT, aired on both Monday and Tuesday this week and will do so again next week, August 31^st at 8pm/7pm CT and September 1^st and 9pm/8pm CT. The series’ season 8 two-episode finale, which will include the show’s 100^th episode, will air September 7^th starting at 8pm/7pm CT.

- Netflix announced seven new episodes of comedian/actor KEVIN HART’s interview series “Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls” will premiere September 20^th. The series will see Hart join athletes such as SERENA WILLIAMS, ROB GRONKOWSKI, and NOVAK DJOKOVIC “for unforgettable conversations in ice tubs filled with humor, heart, and unexpected moments.”

- HBO Max and NFL Films are reviving the offseason edition of the NFL reality series “Hard Knocks”. The offseason edition, which focuses on front office and coaching staff as they navigate free agency, the NFL Draft, and the combine, first debuted in 2024. The next season will premiere next year.

- The BBC confirmed that motoring series “Top Gear” is about to be rebooted with a new line-up of presenters. The series was “rested” in 2023 following a severe on-set crash involving former presenter FREDDIE FLINTOFF which left Flintoff badly injured. The BBC did not disclose when exactly the series would be returning to screens or who was being considered to host; it is also unclear if the series, which previously aired in the US on BBC America, would still be available on the cable channel or would move to another linear channel or streaming service in the US upon its return.

- CBS announced it will air another special to pay tribute to late country icon DOLLY PARTON, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 80. The network, which already aired a news special about Parton the night her death was reported, is set to air the “Entertainment Tonight” special “Remembering Dolly: A Rhinestone Life” – hosted by “Entertainment Tonight” cohosts KEVIN FRAZIER and NISCHELLE TURNER and featuring past “ET” interviews with Parton and new tributes from her famous friends and acquaintances – on Sunday at 8pm ET. As a result of the scheduling, Sunday’s “Big Brother” episode will air an hour later.

- Netflix has ordered to series a spinoff of former NBC-turned-Netflix drama series “Manifest” three years after the original series’ fourth and final season concluded. The new series, dubbed “Arrivals: A New Manifest Mystery” and hailing from the creatives behind the original series, will be set in the same world as the original series but will follow a new group of characters. No word yet on when the series is expected to premiere on the streamer.

 TV CASTING UPDATE –

- Actor KIT HARINGTON is joining the season 2 cast of HBO drama series “Harry Potter”. Harington will play Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart. Actor NICHOLAS HOULT had been set to play the role but reportedly had to drop out due to scheduling issues.

- Fox News personality EMILY COMPAGNO will join Fox News series “The Five” as a full-time co-host. As a result of that decision, Compagno will depart noon ET Fox News series “Outnumbered” effective September 8^th. A Fox News personality will fill that seat until a permanent co-host is decided on.

- Actress LEAH REMINI and former “Million Dollar Listing” star TRACY TUTOR are joining the season 16 cast of Bravo reality series “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”.

- Actress J. SMITH-CAMERON is joining the season 28 cast of NBC drama series “Law & Order: SVU” in the recurring role of jury consultant Gwen Sharpe.

- Model/actress ELIZABETH HURLEY is joining the season 2 cast of Peacock horror-comedy series “The ‘Burbs” as a series regular. Hurley will play Beverly Fisher, the mother of actor JACK WHITEHALL’s character, Rob Fisher.

- TV RENEWALS* AND PICKUPS/EXTENSIONS** -

* “Alice and Steve”, Disney+, renewed for season 2

* “Furious”, Hulu, renewed for season 2

* “Vanderpump Villa”, Hulu, renewed for season 4

* “Being Gordon Ramsay”, Netflix, renewed for season 2

* “The Gentlemen”, Netflix, renewed for season 3

* “House of Guinness”, Netflix, renewed for season 2

* “Legends”, Netflix, renewed for season 2

* “The Black Hamptons”, Paramount+, renewed for season 3

* “The Family Business”, Paramount+, renewed for season 7

* “Tyler Perry’s Divorced Sistas”, Paramount+, renewed for season 3

* “Zatima”, Paramount+, renewed for season 6

* “Love Island USA”, Peacock, renewed for season 9

- TV CANCELLATIONS* AND TRIMMED/NOT-EXTENDED SEASONS** -

* “Not Suitable for Work”, Hulu, cancelled after one season

MUSIC NEWS:

- Australia’s Recording Academy announced that songs that heavily feature AI will not be counted on the record charts in the country following the recent internet success of a cover of MADONNA’s “Like a Prayer” released by a DJ that featured AI-created vocals and AI-created instrumentation. The academy noted that the only songs that will be permitted to be counted for the charts will be songs written by humans, sung by humans, and with music produced primarily by instruments operated by humans, not created by AI. The same criteria will be applied to the ARIA Awards, the country’s equivalent of the Grammys.

- Spotify shared that overall streaming of music by late country icon DOLLY PARTON, who passed away earlier this week, skyrocketed over 1,260% globally following news of her death compared to the seven day average from August 18^th through 24^th. In the US the spike was even higher – 2,320%. Seven of Parton’s songs made it into the streamer’s US daily top songs chart the day after her passing as well, with “Jolene” and “9 to 5” taking the No. 2 and 3 slots, while “Islands in the Stream”, her duet with fellow late country music legend KENNY ROGERS, reaching No. 8.

- LAST WEEK’S NEW #1 SINGLES AROUND THE WORLD –

Australia/South Korea: “Animal” by KATSEYE

Greece: “Ores” by SASKE

Italy: “La Testa Gira” by FRED DE PALMA, ANITTA, & EMIS KILLA

Japan: “Yes! Tokyo” by EBIDAN

Mexico: “Riki” by NETON VEGA

New Zealand: “Man I Need” by OLIVIA DEAN

- LAST WEEK’S NEW #1 ALBUMS AROUND THE WORLD –

Australia/ UK: “Lost Weekend” by PHOEBE BRIDGERS

Canada: “Dandelion” by ELLA LANGLEY

Ireland: “The User’s Guide to Being Human” by THE SCRIPT

Italy: “Tutto E Possibile” by GEOLIER

US: “Wild (EP)” by KATSEYE