April 21st Celebrity News Roundup

Published April 21, 2026

Tom Hooper is set to direct Millie Bobby Brown in Netflix’s adaptation of Nineteen Steps, a film based on the bestselling novel co-authored by Brown and Kathleen McGurl. The 2023 novel takes place in wartime London and draws inspiration from Brown’s grandmother’s personal experiences. Hooper, known for directing The King’s Speech and Les Misérables, last helmed the 2019 film Cats.

Alex Garland’s live-action version of the popular video game Elden Ring is scheduled for release on March 3, 2028. Currently in active production, the film is being shot for IMAX presentation. Kit Connor, recognized for his role in Heartstopper, will star and reunite with Garland following their collaboration on Warfare. The cast also features Ben Whishaw, Cailee Spaeny, Tom Burke, and Havana Rose Liu.

The 32nd annual Critics Choice Awards will take place on Sunday, January 3, 2027, at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The event will be broadcast live on E! and USA Network from 7 to 10 p.m. ET and 4 to 7 p.m. PT. E! has extended its broadcast partnership with the Critics Choice Awards for an additional two years. Nominations for the 2027 ceremony will be announced on December 4.

Producer and director Frank Marshall, known for Back To The Future and the Indiana Jones series, revealed that ESPN2 pulled his documentary Rachel, Breathe just one hour before its planned Sunday airing due to a rights dispute. Negotiations are ongoing. Marshall both directed and produced the documentary, which chronicles marathoner Rachel Foster’s journey through recovery and her return to the Boston Marathon.

Ryan Phillippe is joining ABC’s 9-1-1: Nashville as a new series regular for its second season. He has reportedly signed a multi-year contract to portray a sharp, unconventional detective who moves from New York to Nashville. His character, described as charismatic with a complex past, will spearhead an investigation into a mysterious criminal threatening the city.

HGTV’s Renovation Aloha is facing a lawsuit after an episode aired on April 14th included footage showing human remains discovered on Hawaii’s Big Island. The Hawaii Attorney General’s office filed for a restraining order to prevent the broadcast of this footage, but the episode aired regardless. Subsequently, HGTV re-edited the episode to remove the footage from future broadcasts. The show’s hosts have issued an apology regarding the incident.