Emmys Buzz and More: What You Missed This Week

It was a week of Emmy history, franchise announcements, major casting moves, and TIFF surprises. Widow’s Bay truly stole the spotlight with its record-shattering 14 Emmy wins, but plenty more made noise across Hollywood. Netflix’s live-action, Greta Gerwig-led Narnia film is underway, the return of World War Z, and Hungary’s Oscar contender were among the week’s biggest stories.  

Widow’s Bay Continues its Hot Streak

Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay won big at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards 2026, taking home 14 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series, and other categories.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series broke the all-time single-season record for most Emmy wins by a comedy series, surpassing the previous record of 13 wins. Adding to the excitement, Matthew Rhys made history by winning two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor for his performances in Widow’s Bay and Netflix’s The Beast in Me (2025) in one night. 

Other notable victories were The Pitt (2025-) winning Outstanding Drama Series for the second year in a row, Noah Wyle winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in The Pitt, Rhea Seehorn winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus (2025-), Allison Janney winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat (2023-), and Sally Field winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Remarkably Bright Creatures. 

Netflix Takes on Live-action Stranger Than Heaven and Crazy Taxi

Two live-action feature films are coming out of the landmark Netflix and SEGA deal: Crazy Taxi and Stranger Than Heaven. The former will be adapted into a comedy film about clock-racing and jumping cabbies. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the duo behind 2025’s reboot of The Naked Gun, are tapped to write the script. 

Stranger Than Heaven is intended as a live-action crime film, with Toru Nakahara (SEGA’s Senior Executive Officer) attached to produce. At its core, the game follows a foreigner who climbs the social ladder, from a stranger to a feared yakuza.  

Hungary Selects Silent Friend for International Feature Race

Variety reports that Hungary selected Ildiko Enyedi’s Silent Friend for the Oscars 2027 in the International Feature category. The film received six awards at the 82nd Venice Film Festival and follows the relationship between humans, plants, and time.

The cast includes Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm, and Léa Seydoux. The film is a co-production effort of Germany’s Pandora Film, Hungary’s Inforg-M&M Film, France’s Galatée Films, and China’s Rediance Films.  

Anne Hathaway’s Alone at Dawn Sets Christmas 2027 Release Date

After phenomenal performances this year in Mother Mary, The End of Oak Street, and The Odyssey, Anne Hathaway’s next project is scheduled for a Christmas 2027 release. Directed by Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13) under Imagine Entertainment, Hathaway will star alongside Adam Driver as one of the leads in the upcoming drama Alone at Dawn. 

The film is based on Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz’s 2019 book about Air Force combat controller John Chapman, Deadline reports. Later, an intelligence officer strives to run an investigation into Chapman’s death in an attempt to save his fellow soldiers, leading him to secure the Medal of Honor for Chapman.

Michael Russell Gunn adapted the screenplay. Producers include executives and filmmakers from Imagine Entertainment, Hideaway Entertainment and Thruline Entertainment. 

John Leguizamo Joins Joseph Kosinski’s Miami Vice ’85

John Leguizamo, lauded for his recent performance in The Odyssey, secured a villainous role in Miami Vice ‘85, per THR. The cast includes Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Austin Butler (Elvis), Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures), Whitney Peak (The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping), Camila Morrone (Something Very Bad is Going to Happen), and Danny Ramirez (Captain America: Brave New World). 

Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, F1 The Movie) is directing a new take on a 1980s TV show. The project is set to begin filming this November, with shooting in New York and Miami. 

World War Z Sequel is Finally Happening

Paramount revives plans for a World War Z sequel to be directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), via Deadline. Brad Pitt has been signed to return in the long-awaited sequel to the 2013 original, based on Max Brooks’ bestselling 2006 novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.  

Plot details of the sequel are still under wraps. Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner will produce it under Plan B Entertainment, with Berger on board as executive producer and Dennis Kelly writing the script. 

Gerwig’sThe Magician’s Nephew Continues Development

Netflix released new behind-the-scenes images of Greta Gerwig’s debut Narnia film, titled Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Gerwig is attached to write and direct at least two films for Netflix’s expanding franchise. The film is the chronological prequel that shows Narnia’s creation, based on the second-to-last of the seven books.

The cast includes Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan, Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew, and Emma Mackey as Jadis. Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma are also in the cast. 

The Magician’s Nephew will hit the big screen on February 12, 2027, before its streaming debut on Netflix on April 2, 2027, allowing a full theatrical run. 

Biting First Reactions to The Last Photograph

Zack Snyder’s passion project and his first indie production, The Last Photograph, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival this week. Snyder co-wrote it with Kurt Johnstad (Rebel Moon). The story centers on an ex-DEA agent traveling into the South American mountains to find his murdered diplomat sibling’s children. He takes help from a photographer who witnessed the killings.

The filmmaker’s original story has been in development for the past two decades, with a cast that includes Stuart Martin and Fra Fee. THR notes that the initial reactions to the film tag it as “grotesque, shameless and an utter disgrace from start to finish.” It is categorized as “easily the worst film” at TIFF, as it is believed to be a “real nasty piece of business” due to its “boring, bloated, brutally violent” storyline. 

Update Courtesy of Madiha Ali