‘Superman' Star David Corenswet Trades Cape for Kids' Book in CBeebies Bedtime Story
The bedtime story marks another star-studded addition to CBeebies' roster, which has featured everyone from Olivia Colman and Tom Hardy to Harry Styles and the Spice Girls. The beloved children's program, airing weekdays on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer, has been a family favorite since the channel's 2002 launch.
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'Superman' Star David Corenswet Reached Out to Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoechlin for Advice, but They Said We're 'Not Gonna Try and Give You Any Tips': 'Superman's Not So Much for Giving Advice'
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With over 300 archived episodes available on BBC iPlayer, CBeebies Bedtime Story has achieved numerous milestones, including the first British Sign Language story and the first reading from space by astronaut Tim Peake. Now, as Corenswet takes on the most iconic superhero role in cinema, he's adding storytime hero to his resume.
The BBC has assembled a championship cast for 'Dear England,' a four-part drama based on James Graham's Olivier-winning National Theatre play about Gareth Southgate and England's soccer team. Joseph Fiennes reprises his stage role as the manager tasked with transforming the world's worst penalty-taking team, while Jodie Whittaker joins as team psychologist Pippa Grange.
Left Bank Pictures is producing the series, which has begun filming in the south of England. The ensemble cast includes Jason Watkins (Greg Dyke), John Hodgkinson (Greg Clarke), Daniel Ryan (Steve Holland), Sam Spruell (Mike Webster), Adam Hugill (Harry Maguire), Josh Barrow (Jordan Pickford), Lewis Shepherd (Dele Alli), Will Antenbring (Harry Kane), Edem-Ita Duke (Marcus Rashford), Francis Lovehall (Raheem Sterling), Abdul Sessay (Bukayo Saka), Jacob Greenway (Jude Bellingham), David Shields (Jordan Henderson), Hamish Frew (Eric Dier), Alfie Middlemiss (Phil Foden), Riess Fennell (Jadon Sancho), Daniel Quincy Annoh (Ollie Watkins), Bobby Schofield (Wayne Rooney), Dom Rayner (Cole Palmer), and Alexander Parsons (Jesse Lingard).
The series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2026.
Ishan Chatterjee, currently chief business officer (sports) at Indian entertainment conglomerate JioStar, will take over from Sanjog Gupta as chief executive of sports. The transition comes as Gupta, who was CEO – sports and live experiences at JioStar, has been appointed as the new CEO of the International Cricket Council.
Chatterjee brings over 20 years of experience across business and revenue roles to his expanded leadership position. As chief business officer – sports revenue at JioStar, he leads overall monetization strategy and revenue growth for streamer JioHotstar, overseeing sports, small and medium businesses, and driving the creator ecosystem.
Before joining JioStar, Chatterjee served as managing director of YouTube India and held leadership roles across EMEA and APAC during his 13-year tenure at Google. His career includes strategic roles at McKinsey and Hindustan Unilever. He is an alumnus of The Wharton School and St. Stephen's College, Delhi.
Nippon TV and The Walt Disney Company (Japan) are launching 'Traveling with Snow Man,' a 10-episode travel reality series featuring the popular nine-member J-Pop boy band. The show premieres July 27 on Nippon TV, with an uncut version streaming globally on Disney+ immediately afterward.
The series follows Snow Man as they journey north from Okinawa to Hokkaido, meeting locals, savoring regional cuisine, and exploring Japan's sights. An AI-style robot named 'Tabi' joins as their 10th member, capturing candid moments throughout their adventures.
Centered around the theme 'One for Snow Man, Snow Man for One,' the series showcases individual contributions to group betterment. According to producer/director Takashi Kato, the show captures the members' 'genuine personalities and heartfelt dedication' while highlighting their 'deep passion for their work and the strong bond they share.'
The series marks the first-ever unscripted travel show from Japan to be released on Disney+.
Independent production company Finite Films & TV has launched an unscripted division with original celebrity competition series 'Wings & Waves.' The 16-episode water sports format releases July 7 on the North Sails Kiteboarding YouTube channel.
The series features six Italian celebrities participating in kiteboarding and wingfoiling competitions, working with three world-class instructors. Contestants include activist Martina Ragozza, food blogger Matteo Pelusi, Olympic silver medallist Giacomo Gentili, content creators Gianmarco Millo and Samara Tramontana, and model Gioele Arreghini.
Executive producer Amy Gardner created the format, which she says 'takes televised sports to a new level' by capturing both competition and 'personal journeys and transformations.' The series is funded by North Sails, with Finite Films retaining global format rights.Best of Variety
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New Superman Re-Tells Same Story; Here's How That Can Make It Stronger
With WBD's and DC Studio's Superman beating expectations this weekend, it's worth noting how much this reboot and its success mirrors the beginning of the preceding DCEU, with all of the benefits and warnings this comparison brings. Major spoilers ahead as I compare Superman's plots, arcs, inspirations, and intentions to its DCEU predecessors Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and a dash of Justice League. David Corenswet suits up in "Superman." Superman Flying High The secret ingredients to Superman's success were marketing toward family audiences while putting the super-dog Krypto front and center, and delivering the same feeling Marvel gave audiences during the 'Infinity Saga." The latter of which means going back and learning lessons from past successes as well as past failures. Most of all, it means revisiting the DCEU, and even taking another stab at some of the same ideas. If that surprises you, take a look at just how much of the past has found its way into the present, and not for the first time in Superman's cinematic legacy… Superman vs Superman vs Superman Let's tell a story in broadly painted terms, and here's your last warning that there are spoilers ahead… Clark Kent works at the Daily Planet, and Superman has been around about three years. Lex Luthor instigates a battle in a region at war, and Superman intervenes, leading to controversy around Superman's actions. As Clark, he eventually has an argumentative scene with Lois about his actions, in which she presses him on the outcome of his intervention. Meanwhile, Luthor secretly conspires with members of the government, obtains access to Kryptonian technology, and devises a way to kill Superman if necessary. This leads to Luthor setting up Superman to battle an armored adversary (who tries to justify his actions by noting the threat Superman posed and destruction Superman caused) and losing the fight, Superman's first battle loss. Superman next teams up with other superheroes to fight and stop a giant monster set lose by Luthor. Eventually, Luthor's insanity and desire to destroy Superman at all costs threatens to unleash a destructive power that could destroy the city and threaten the entire world. Superman defeats a final mutated version of a Kryptonian 'boss' villain created by Luthor, suffering serious injuries in the process. Luthor is arrested and imprisoned. These events lead to the public considering Superman and his teammates heroes. Now, what film am I generally describing? By asking that question, it's immediately obvious the answer is 'more than one.' Just as Zack Snyder's Man of Steel essentially reimagined Richard Donner's first two Superman films within a more grounded and somber world, James Gunn's Superman has reversed the equation by essentially reimagining most of the main beats and arcs and themes of Batman v Superman (as well as some nods to Man of Steel, thus further mirroring the way Snyder's film conceptually merged Donner's two films, so to speak). Most notable in the repeat of Man of Steel elements and themes, there's the Kryptonian message threatening earth, which makes the public scared, so Superman turns himself in to government authorities. In the climactic battle, Superman fights an alternate 'rule the world' Kryptonian version of himself. Additionally, there's no real personality difference between Clark & Superman, just behavioral related to work and context. And Lois' character mostly revolves around Superman/Clark, both at work and in her private life, and almost every conversation she has with anyone is about him, one way or another. In these ways, which are in varying ways and degrees plot points and character arcs and themes throughout Man of Steel and Batman v Superman as well as this weekend's new Superman, WBD and DC Studios are mirroring not merely aspects of the stories and films directly, but also the broader concept of looking to earlier films for inspiration and combining previous Superman films into a single reimagined idea and story taking certain reverse tonal and visual approaches. Combine this deja vu with the fact we're seeing a new shared cinematic DC world launched separate from a much more grounded, adult-leaning Batman franchise that's a top earner for the studio, and the sense we are revisiting the start of the DCEU all over again – with the same choices and dilemmas confronting the studio and audiences – and this is where my concern about longterm momentum comes from. Because, as Thunderbolts* reminds us, a well-reviewed and well-liked big branded IP summer tentpole can still carry some elemental baggage or subtext that leads broader mainstream audiences to adopt a 'wait and see' approach to shelling out for tickets. The big opening weekend for Superman (and let's be clear, even at the modest estimates, it's ahead of expectations and a winning debut) points to at least a 'worst-case' but 'acceptable' north-of-$500 million gross, but a 'good enough' underperformance would be another flashback to Man of Steel finishing good but below-expectations. This is also where the racist anti-immigrant backlash from rightwing extremist circles toward Superman becomes more than a wrongheaded, racist, and false but insignificant factor in the box office equation. If enough audience decide to "wait and see" on Superman, then that plus even a small rightwing boycott and negative talking points could further erode the likelihood some of those 'wait and see' show up later. And the sense that this is all a more fun and bright version of what we saw before, however great it may be, could still lead audiences to decide that's not where they're spending their box office dollar. Indeed, the fact of Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman, and Fantastic Four all releasing this month doesn't mean they can't all enjoy a rising tide moment, but the more audiences are given reasons to hesitate and make a choice, the more likely they will. For Superman, that means preventing any of the negatives that do initially arise from becoming obstacles or bandwagon narratives in the press. For example, the anti-immigrant backlash (premised on the absurd notion that Superman, an alien who flew here in a rocket ship from another planet and has lived under an assumed name pretending to be a born resident, isn't an immigrant, and more to the point that immigrants and immigration are somehow inherently negative) could be countered by the fact most of the moviegoing public doesn't care about such esoteric-seeming conceptual complaints around flying aliens if they want to see it bad enough. Even better, lean into the answer that yes of course Superman's an immigrant and of course Superman wants to help and save everyone, and why would any normal sane decent person oppose that? You know who hates Superman for being an immigrant, and who spends his time trying to convince the public to distrust and hate Superman for being from somewhere else, and who wants to kick Superman out? Lex Luthor. The evil supervillain. Learn the right lesson from that comparison, if you're the sort who needs the lesson. That's the message DC Studios should send in response to anyone whose xenophobia taints their ability to hear and follow the moral lessons of their supposed heroes. Box office is box office, and so I still retain concern that the DC brand is showing resilience and promise as it did in the early-2010s, when The Dark Knight Trilogy was still underway and Superman's own reboot by that same Batman creative team was in the works, and studios making a lot of the same choices with projects that look similar. That doesn't at all mean the same outcome is likely, of course. Even if that were the case, it's worth noting the early DCEU films, from Man of Steel and Batman v Superman to Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman and Aquaman, grossed $4.27 billion combined, for an average box office of $853.8 million per film. That's not that far behind Marvel's own per-film average, including all of the Avengers movies, at about $985 million. And DC did it with their first slate of movies. Superman and the Justice League I omitted Justice League because it's the actual point at which things went so wrong it wrecked the entire DCEU going forward. Aquaman was released after Justice League, but the full brunt of the damage done to the DCEU by executives had not fully manifested yet, nor had audience disinterest taken firm root. Which is why I always point out that despite the false denials over the years by certain WB and WBD executives, the so-called 'Snyder Cut' existed and the version on hand was more than enough to see the vision and potential. Had it been completed and released as Snyder filmed and intended it, the final version (minus additions he added for his Zack Snyder's Justice League, or ZSJL, version released on HBO Max much later) would've been enough to split into two films of 1 hour 45 minutes each, which is fitting since the version Snyder shot was a forced-combination of two planned movies. I think anyone being honest about it would admit there's a final edit of ZSJL that is good enough to generate at least reasonably $600-700 million or more per 'chapter' if split into two films, or $1.2-1.4 billion combined. That's Avengers-tier money for WB's spend on a single Justice League movie split into two films. Which could've been enough to keep audiences interested in the DCEU (especially if these JL films were followed by Aquaman, a popular billion-plus grosser), while maintaining a style and vision that was radically different from the MCU but capable of putting up equivalent box office while tilting more toward adult audiences. Why is this relevant? "I don't know, ask the studio," is a fair answer, since I'm only pointing out what they did in the past, how it ruined their success, and how their new plans do in some crucial ways hew closely to their previous choices. Which, in turn, is why the comparison isn't just a warning of sorts, it could instead be a glaring hint at why the new DCU will be a rousing success. If this DCU is noting and replicating what worked the previous time(s) and adjusting the things that didn't, based on 'previous times' that were in fact more successful than most admit and could've sustained a successful DCEU with just a few of those adjustments, that implies this time they're doing what they should've done last time. At least, that would seem to me to be their position and intent. In an interesting way, that's a sort of validation of the DCEU's first phase, as it were, especially if we replace the theatrical Justice League with a hypothetical ZSJL (even better, a two-parter from that movie). Just a little bit less deconstruction, brighter colors, and just a bit more fantastical tone (DCEU's early films were attempting more 'grounded sci-fi' approaches to the superheroism, particularly around Superman), and how far off is it? Gunn's Superman could easily be tweaked into a sequel to Man of Steel, just as Gunn's The Suicide Squad works perfectly well as a sequel to Suicide Squad. Instead, it is born of those lessons and carries many of them forward, just as happened before. The cycle repeats, and seeks the different way to think about these stories and characters, each time reaching back to what came before and trying to apply the right lessons and addressing what didn't work last time, seeking a core vision shared by them all. 'The son become the father, the father becomes the son.' This is all possible why? Because instead of a bunch of different people with different motives and goals from different divisions or departments or projects weren't all competing for control and voices within a system that had no official leadership and control structure of its own to oversee everything, there is instead a newly minted DC Studios with official leadership and control. And that alone makes everything else possible now. I'll have updates on Superman's box office and much more in the coming days, as well as looking ahead to Fantastic Four: First Steps and updating Jurassic World: Rebirth's enormous upcoming $500+ million post-weekend total so far.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Superman': Critics say the James Gunn film is ‘overstuffed but enjoyable' in upbeat first reviews
James Gunn's Superman has officially arrived, marking not only a fresh reboot but also the first chapter of Gunn's DC Universe. With David Corenswet donning the iconic cape, Rachel Brosnahan stepping into the role of Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult offering a fresh take on Lex Luthor, the film has drawn a wide range of reactions, mostly positive, from critics. David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter describes the film as 'very much a comic-book action-adventure but one with a warm human heart.' He acknowledges some structural issues, writing, 'Gunn's screenplay can certainly be faulted for piling on too many elements, making it at times seem lumpy and overstuffed. But what matters most is that the movie is fun, pacy and enjoyable, a breath of fresh air sweetened by a deep affection for the material and boosted by a winning trio of leads.' More from Gold Derby 'Superman': Instant Oscar odds for the James Gunn reboot Liam Payne confirmed as judge for Netflix singing competition, 'Superman' hits hard, and today's other top stories At Variety, Owen Gleiberman offers a slightly more measured take. 'The super-busy quality of Superman works for it and, at times, against it. The movie rarely slows down long enough to allow its characters to meditate on their shifting realities. That's one reason it falls short of the top tier of superhero cinema (The Dark Knight, Superman II, The Batman, Guardians). I'd characterize the film as next-level good (a roster that includes Iron Man, Thor, Batman Begins, Captain America, and the hugely underrated Iron Man 3),' writes Gleiberman. Richard Roeper at highlights Gunn's thematic intentions but ultimately finds the film lacking emotional weight. 'There are a number of well-executed, dialogue-driven scenes sprinkled among the CGI mayhem and the existential wailing and the chuckle-inducing cameos, and writer/director Gunn admirably leans into the narrative of Superman as the embodiment of the classic American immigrant story—but this first entry in the new DC Universe left me with a cinematic fast-food vibe. You enjoy the flavors well enough, but you're left feeling as if you've consumed a familiar, empty-calorie (relatively) Happy Meal.' Meanwhile, Maureen Lee Lenker at Entertainment Weekly singles out Corenswet's performance as a major strength. 'Corenswet is a marvel as Superman/Clark Kent, seemingly born for the role (remarks upon his resemblance to Reeve far predate his casting). He layers a patina of boyish charm with a quiet intensity and intelligence, making Superman's All-American, cornfed upbringing a symbol of his genuine decency.' However, she's less impressed with the film's script: 'If only that narrative weren't mired in paper-thin geopolitics, a carousel of characters whose names we barely have time to register, and an assumption that superhero shorthand will do the work of good story development.' Superman currently has an 86 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 71 percent "generally favorable" score on Metacritic. Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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‘Superman': Instant Oscar odds for the James Gunn reboot
You will believe that a man can fly... to the Academy Awards. After months of pre-release hype, James Gunn's highly anticipated Superman relaunch — which introduces David Corenswet as the Man of Steel — is landing in theaters on July 11. Fan reactions from early screenings have been largely out of this world, while critics' takes range from the enthusiastic to the Kryptonite-tinged. Attention has also been laser-focused on the film's opening weekend box-office prospects as a harbinger for both the future of the DC Comics cinematic universe and superhero cinema in general. More from Gold Derby Oscars 2026: A positively premature look at the state of the race based on initial prediction data 'The Young and the Restless' leads the 2025 Daytime Emmy nominations (so far) with top bids for series, actress, and actor Gunn himself addressed the box-office question in a recent GQ interview, saying: "[People] hear these numbers that the movie's only going to be successful if it makes $700 million or something and it's just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn't need to be as big of a situation as people are saying." When it comes to the awards race, Superman's Oscar track record places a distant second to his World's Finest partner, Batman. Gotham City's champion boasts multiple nominations and five statuettes across his multidecade big-screen crimefighting career. (Although, to be fair, two of those Oscars were for a solo movie starring his clown-faced nemesis, which also landed the extended Bat-franchise's only Best Picture nod to date.) Comparatively, the Last Son of Krypton has only been invited to the Oscars twice. Richard Donner's inaugural Superman outing in 1978 scored four nominations and won a special achievement statuette for its pioneering special effects. He returned nearly three decades later courtesy of 2006's Superman Returns from Bryan Singer, which also mustered a VFX nod. (We're only counting live-action features; but it's worth noting that animation pioneer Max Fleischer received an Oscar nomination in 1942 for his classic Superman cartoon shorts.) To date, Joker and Black Panther are the only two superhero comics-derived movies to break into the Best Picture race. Based on our viewing, Gunn's Superman is unlikely to join them. While it offers an agreeably fresh take on a tough-to-crack character and plenty of good humor, the film's cluttered storytelling and emphasis on fan facing worldbuilding has less to offer Oscar voters. Corenswet is similarly poised to be passed over in the Best Actor category. Even as he creates a version of Superman that successfully stands apart from Christopher Reeve, the long shadow cast by his predecessor — who was never nominated for his beloved portrayal — never entirely dissipates. Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor also isn't the kind of grandiose supervillain performance that ticks the Best Supporting Actor Oscar box like, say, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight or Al Pacino in Dick Tracy. But Superman should still soar in some of the below the line races. See our snap predictions below. Cracking the super-suit code is the first and most important task of any successful Superman movie. And Gunn's regular costume designer, Judianna Makovsky, meets that challenge by crafting an update on Superman's red-and-blue ensemble that feels both classic and contemporary. Corenswet's suit is sturdier than the thin leotard worn by Reeve, while also feeling hand-tailored — unlike Henry Cavill's more militaristic Man of Steel armor. Maovsky also creates distinct looks for the other metahumans in the cast, including Nathan Fillion's Green Lantern and Edi Gatheg's Mr. Terrific, the movie's breakout hero. Here's a new band to add to your next comic book movie mixtape: The Mighty Crabjoys. The fictional rock group has become a running gag in the rebooted DC Comics cinematic universe and we hear their signature song over the movie's closing credits. Cowritten by Gunn, it's a spot-on parody of turn of the 21st century butt rock that also happens to be a pretty catchy tune. A live Mighty Crabjoys performance at next year's Oscars would be a surefire way to get the audience on their feet. John Murphy and David Fleming know they can't possibly top the instantly recognizable Superman theme from John Williams — and they wisely don't try. Instead, the duo treat the "Superman March" as a ringer, weaving its grand notes into the soundtrack at key moments for extra super-oomph. But their own score also stands on its own two feet, incorporating crunchy electric guitar riffs that complement Gunn's rough-and-tumble action choreography. Donner's Superman was previously nominated in this category, and Gunn's version has a richly mixed superhero soundscape as well. Fantastic Four: First Steps seems set to be its only other serious comic book-based competition, while the noisy dinos from Jurassic World: Rebirth could also break through among the summer blockbusters. Granted, with Avatar: Fire and Ash on the way later this year, every other Visual Effects nominee is likely to be an also-ran. But with plenty of VFX eye candy — from giant kaiju creatures to teeth-rattling fistfights — Superman seems like a shoo-in to be one of the movies that gracefully loses to James Cameron's return to Pandora come 2026. Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article.
