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Samantha Jones is back. Kim Cattrall will be reprising her role as Samantha Jones for the Season 2 finale of Max’s ‘And Just Like That…’, the revival of HBO’s hit sitcom, Sex and the City. Max confirmed the news on social media, retweeting an article from the New York Post with the caption: “Secret’s out…”

Cattrall starred as publicist Samantha Jones for six seasons on the HBO series — alongside Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes and Kristin Davis as Charlotte York Goldenblatt. She also reprised the character for two subsequent films.  Cattrall’s return comes as a surprise since she has repeatedly said that she would never return to the series, due in part to her very public feud with former Sex and the City co-star Sarah Jessica Parker. In May 2022, Cattrall spoke with Variety about leaving behind the character of Samantha Jones, saying: “It’s a great wisdom to know when enough is enough… I also didn’t want to compromise what the show was to me.”

Cattrall is set to make a cameo appearance in the cliffhanger finale for the second season of  ‘And Just Like That…’ Variety reported that Cattrall reportedly shot only one scene for the episode, filming it in one day back in March. The new season of the spinoff series will also feature John Corbett’s anticipated return as Aidan; and showrunner Michael Patrick King confirmed that Candice Bergen, who played Carrie Bradshaw’s Vogue editor, Enid Frick, on SATC and in the first of the franchise’s films, is officially reprising her role in the new season as well.

Season 2 of ‘And Just Like That…’ officially debuts on Max on June 22.

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HBO has shared the trailer for the HBO Original drama series The Idol, co-created by Sam Levinson and starring Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp. The series debuts Sunday, June 4th at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. The series also stars Dan Levy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Eli Roth, Hari Nef, Jane Adams, Jennie Ruby Jane, Mike Dean, Moses Sumney, Rachel Sennott, Ramsey, Suzanna Son, and Hank Azaria.

A series synopsis reads: “After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?”

Take a look at ‘The Idol” trailer – here.

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Actor Danny Masterson was convicted on Wednesday on two counts of rape during his retrial in Los Angeles. The Associated Press reported that the seven-woman, five-man jury deadlocked on the third count after deliberating for over a week. The actor has been free on bail since his June 2020 arrest by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

Wednesday’s verdict was delivered nearly six months after Masterson’s first trial ended with a mistrial, with jurors leaning towards acquitting the now 47-year-old star of “That ’70s Show”. Masterson was accused of raping three women he met through the Church of Scientology (to which Masterson still belongs) – identified at trial as Jane Doe #1, Jane Doe #2 and Jane Doe #3 — at his Hollywood Hills home from 2001 to 2003. He faced up to 45 years in prison if he was convicted on all three counts.

Masterson has denied all the allegations leveled against him by the women. Masterson never took the stand in either the first trial or retrial, and his defense attorneys declined to call any witnesses. The actor also denies assaulting a fourth woman, identified as Jane Doe #4, who told the court during his first trial he had raped her; Masterson has not been criminally charged with raping her. Both of Masterson’s trials have focused on the Church of Scientology, which Masterson’s accusers all said tried to cover up the allegations against the actor. The judge again allowed witnesses to testify how they were pressured by church officials not to talk to police about the rape allegations. Scientology spokeswoman Karin Pouw has denied the allegations, saying that church doctrine requires members to “abide by all the laws of the land.”

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Food Network announced in a press release that Selena Gomez will launch two new series at network. The singer/actress stars with Steve Martin and Martin Short on the popular Hulu series Only Murders in the Building.

The 30-year-old Gomez is developing two new projects, including a celebration-focused series for the holidays. She will launch a second series in 2024 that will see her meet up “with some of the best chefs in the country in a quest to cook their most popular dishes when she visits their kitchens.”

Warner Bros. Discovery chairman Kathleen Finch said in a statement: “The holidays are always huge for Food Network, reaching nearly 60M P2+ viewers, and having Selena kicking off the nearly 100 hours of new and returning holiday programming will certainly make this coming season one to celebrate.” Gomez previously collaborated with Warner Bros. Discovery on the cooking series Selena + Chef for Max, (formerly known as HBO Max).

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NCIS: Los Angeles star LL Cool J will reprise his role of Sam Hanna on Season 3 of NCIS: Hawai’i. The actor tweeted along with a photo of him with his new co-star Vanessa Lachey: “Let’s do this!!!”  The cast of Hawai’i also includes Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami and Jason Antoon.

LL Cool J had a cameo in the Season 2 finale NCIS: Hawai’i on CBS. Executive producers Matt Bosack, Jan Nash and Christopher Silber said in a joint statement: “All of us at NCIS: Hawai’i have been huge fans of LL Cool J for years and couldn’t be more thrilled or honored to be adding his spectacular talent to our ohana for Season 3” 

NCIS: Los Angeles wrapped up its 14-season run this year; CBS announced in January that it was not renewing the series for a 15th season.  Los Angeles starred Chris O’Donnell, Linda Hunt, Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Medalion Rahimi, Caleb Castille and Gerald McRaney.

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