Official promotional material for Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 for this year's San Diego Comic-Con confirmed a major change to the show's main cast. Disney+'s adaptation of Percy Jackson introduced Tamara Smart as Thalia Grace, the daughter of Zeus. In the show's established lore, she was a demigod who sacrificed herself years earlier. Zeus transformed her into a pine tree on Half-Blood Hill to preserve her life force and protect Camp Half-Blood from threats. Season 2 primarily featured Thalia through flashbacks and prophetic visions, highlighting her friendship with Annabeth and Luke, as well as the tragic events that led to her sacrifice. 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 finale set the stage for Thalia's bigger role in Season 3 after showing her return to her true form, reuniting with Percy and Annabeth and shaking up the status quo at Camp Half-Blood. With The Titan's Curse (the book Season 3 will adapt) as the source material, the show elevates Thalia Grace from recurring guest star to a full cast member, evidenced by a promotional banner for the show's upcoming presence at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026. Percy Jackson Season 3 premieres on Disney+ on November 20. 

Tamara Smart's Thalia Grace stands alongside the rest of the main cast in the banner, which also includes Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, and other core regulars. 

Chris Parnell has voiced Jerry Smith since Rick and Morty first premiered in 2013, making him one of only a handful of cast members who have been with the Adult Swim series for its entire 13-year run. In an exclusive interview with The Direct, Parnell reflected on more than a decade playing Morty's goofy dad and revealed insights into Season 10 and beyond.

Season 9 is still airing new episodes weekly, with the finale releasing on July 26, but Parnell confirmed the animated show is well past the finish line on what comes next. He told The Direct the cast has "recorded all of season 10" and that the writers' room is "even on to Season 12 in terms of breaking stories."

Rick and Morty Season 9 broke a 12-year franchise tradition: the March poster deliberately omitted specific plot and character teases to build mystery and hype for the season.

For fans of period pieces and crime stories, MGM+ has a new series just for you with Westies. The series follows Tom Brittney's Jimmy and JK Simmons' Eamon Sweeney, two members of the crime gang the Westies, as they contend with the Italian mafia in the 1980s while working to profit handsomely from the construction of the Javits Center in New York City.

The Direct sat down with Westies stars Titus Welliver (Glenn Keenan) and Jessica Frances Dukes (Birdie Polk), alongside co-creators Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, to discuss how the series will offer a unique spin on the criminal underbelly of NYC in the 1980s.

For coverage on more MGM+ shows, be sure to check out The Direct's interviews for Robin Hood.

House of the Dragon's Season 3 Episode 4 twist may rectify one of the series' early adaptation changes that garnered author George R.R. Martin's ire. The HBO Max series is an adaptation of the Targaryen civil war depicted in Martin's Westeros history book, Fire & Blood. While staying close to the source material in many areas, House of the Dragon has sometimes taken liberties with the story and characters of Fire & Blood, much to Martin's disapproval.

One such change was the removal of Maelor Targaryen, the third child of Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban). In the book, Helaena and Aegon have three offspring: Jahaera and Jahaerys, twins, and Maelor, a boy born four years later. However, in the show, Helaena has only the twins, not a third child. 

It seems that might be about to change following a twist reveal in Episode 4 of Season 3, which saw Alicent (Olivia Cooke) discover that her daughter, Helaena, is pregnant once again. The major difference here is that Helaena's pregnancy comes after Rhaenyra has taken King's Landing and after the controversial Blood and Cheese event that resulted in Jaehaerys' death. 

House of the Dragon is going to include its own version of the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones, and many fans don't even realize that it has already started. The Red Wedding is arguably the most shocking event that has ever occurred in a television series or feature film. The sequence, which happened during the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones' third season, has become incredibly iconic, and many look back on it as one of the most influential moments from the franchise.

House of the Dragon takes place roughly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, bringing to life a Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Like the War of the Five Kings, the Dance of the Dragons has proved to be a bloody affair. However, one major event that took place in George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood (the source material for House of the Dragon) is beginning to happen in the HBO show, and just like how the Red Wedding brought an end to the War of the Five Kings, this shocking and devastating event will help bring an end to the Dance of the Dragons.

House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 4 (titled "Tumbleton") served as more of a set-up chapter for the rest of the third installment. Not a lot of important events or conversations took place, but, at the same time, it seemed like nothing occurred that was unimportant, either. However, one major moment from the episode came when it was revealed that some citizens of King's Landing had written a vulgar message on the stone walls of the city.

House of the Dragon fans want to know what will happen to Daeron Targaryen in the HBO show, specifically regarding what role he plays in the Dance of the Dragons and how he eventually dies in the source material. House of the Dragon Season 3 reached its midway point with the release of Episode 4, "Tumbleton." The show is still dealing with the fallout from the Battle of the Gullet and the Fall of King's Landing, but as it has proved in past installments, the characters can't rest for long, as there are new conflicts popping up every day.

House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 4 introduced Daeron Targaryen properly for the first time. In the last episode, a white-haired character named Daeron Targaryen was shown by Ormund Hightower, but it later turned out he was a decoy, and the real Daeron was still with Ormund. Episode 4 featured Daeron by Ormund's side in the city of Tumbleton. Tumbleton has always been known as a peaceful town with little means of fighting, but its citizens are loyal to Rhaenyra and the Blacks.

After Ormund Hightower took over Tumbleton and essentially used it as a place for the Hightower army to stay safe, Daeron Targaryen finally got some major screentime so viewers could get to know him. Essentially, the most important aspects of Daeron's character are that he is the son of Viserys Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, meaning that he has an extremely strong claim to the Iron Throne and could be Rhaenyra's biggest enemy.

The Five-Star Weekend revealed whether Tatum McKenzie (Chloë Sevigny) has cancer in the show's emotional season finale, Episode 8, "Monday Morning Departures." Peacock's latest drama series is an adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling 2023 novel of the same name, which follows Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner, who returned to the MCU as Elektra in Deadpool & Wolverine) as she reunites with the four women from different chapters of her life after her husband's death. One of them is Tatum, Hollis' childhood friend, who harbors a deep secret about her health that quietly unravels through their reunion and weekend getaway. 

As the weekend unfolds in The Five-Star Weekend, Tatum's anxiety about her health adds a different kind of tension to the group's dynamic. Tatum keeps her worries tightly guarded, sharing them only with her husband, Kyle (David Denman), rather than the other women. This hidden struggle becomes one of the series' most emotional threads, culminating with a major reveal in the finale.

Does Tatum Have Cancer in 'The Five-Star Weekend' Show?

Two important werewolf characters are expected to play big roles in Netflix's Wednesday when Season 3 arrives. Wednesday is known for having characters with incredible superpowers, pulling from all corners of the Addams Family universe for a new story. This includes the ever-popular lycanthropes, who have made a major impact on Wednesday's life in her time at Nevermore Academy.

Emma Myers' Enid Sinclair and Billie Piper's Isadora Capri are back for roles in Wednesday Season 3. Both of these characters are werewolves, as was unveiled in the first two seasons. Enid revealed herself to be a werewolf in Season 1 but explained to Wednesday that she had not yet been able to "wolf out" and transform into her wolf form. This happened in the season's final episode, as the blood moon and her extreme emotions for Wednesday pushed her to change into her werewolf body for the first time.

A new ruling monarch in Westeros was finally revealed by HBO in House of the Dragon, marking just the second time in history that a woman has sat on the Iron Throne as the sole ruler of the continent. At its core, the A Song of Ice and Fire world and story revolves around who sits on the Iron Throne. For eight seasons, Game of Thrones captivated audiences by featuring a conflict where multiple characters sat on the throne while everyone else tried to get them off it so they could claim it for themselves. House of the Dragon is a bit different in the sense that there are only two major characters fighting for the right to rule.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is currently airing on HBO and HBO Max. Episode 2 (titled "Queen's Landing") gave fans the chance to see a new ruler sit on the Iron Throne, and it was extremely historic. Specifically, Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen flew on their dragons, Syrax and Caraxes, from Dragonstone to King's Landing.

They did so because Aegon II Targaryen (who was the sitting king) fled the city and his brother, Aemond, took his own dragon and flew to Harrenhal to search for Daemon. Alicent Hightower, the Queen Dowager, secretly promised Rhaenyra that she would allow Rhaenyra to take King's Landing for herself after Aegon and Aemond were gone, and that is exactly what happened.

Mr. Edwards' backstory in Netflix's reboot of Little House on the Prairie is tied to a devastating loss he suffered after returning from the Civil War. The brand-new frontier drama is a modern adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic book series and the NBC TV series of the same name. The series follows the Ingalls family's fresh start in the Indian Territory, as they face the harsh realities of pioneer life in the American West. 

A compelling character in the Ingalls' new community is Mr. John Edwards (Warren Christie), a whiskey-drinking loner and neighbor to the Ingalls who hides a tragic backstory. While he initially came across as someone with a short fuse after a scuffle with Charles "Pa" Ingalls, the Netflix reboot pulled back the curtain on why he was portrayed as a broken man. 

Netflix's Little House on the Prairie has a star-studded cast led by Alice Halsey, Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald, Skywalker Hughes, Jocko Sims, and Warren Christie. Little House on the Prairie premiered on Netflix on July 9.

HBO boss Casey Bloys weighed in on the possibility of greenlighting any spinoffs for The Pitt, and his response may temper hopes for a Night Shift series. HBO and HBO Max's widely acclaimed medical drama series focuses on the long-enduring shift of doctors, nurses, and staff at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center (PTMC). While the series has centered primarily on the day crew, fans have been eagerly clamoring for more of the night shift team, specifically the crew led by Shawn Hatosy's Dr. Jack Abbot, to have their own spinoff. 

The buzz surrounding the potential Night Shift spin-off prompted direct questions about whether these shows could be greenlit. Speaking with Variety, Casey Bloys, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HBO and HBO Max Content, seemingly dismissed the possibility of doing any spinoffs for The Pitt in general, noting that he doesn't want to "mess with [the show's] success" because the cast and crew are "doing really well" with the current structure: 

"Listen, I think they’re doing what they’re doing really well. Don’t want to mess with success. I leave it to John [Wells], Scott [Gemmill] and Noah [Wyle], but as you said in the beginning, it’s also just a great success story on many different levels. Shooting in L.A., shooting more than eight episodes, annual return. I’m really proud of them, really happy to see a lot of performers get recognized. It was an excellent day for 'The Pitt.'"

Avatar: The Last Airbender has dominated the pop culture conversation since Season 2 debuted on Netflix in June, which shouldn't be a surprise given how beloved the original animated series is (whose legacy will continue in a new series). Season 2 adapted Book 2 from the original show and the story of Ba Sing Se, a fan-favorite location and story, with memories kept alive by one key line: "There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

Any Avatar fan will recognize that line the moment it is said, and the first person to utter it in the live-action version of Book 2 was none other than Amanda Zhou's Joo Dee. Not only does she get to deliver that line, but the actor also delivers the season's best performance as he character is brainwashed in the prisons below Omashu.

The Direct spoke with Zhou in an interview, where the actor broke down her performance and also opened up about the show's sets and costumes. The Direct also previously spoke with Avatar: The Last Airbender actor Thalia Tran, who teased what Season 3 has in store for Mai and Zuko.

Fans have been given a new look at the next lead Avatar in the upcoming sequel series, Avatar: Seven Havens. The animated Avatar franchise began in 2005 with three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender, followed by a sequel series in 2012 - Avatar: The Legend of Korra. Now, Avatar Studios is embarking on its third official animated sequel series, which will take place after The Legend of Korra with a new Avatar at the helm.

After initial announcements failed to shed much light on the new character at the head of Avatar: Seven Havens, it was eventually confirmed to be focused on a new Earthbending character, Pavi, who learns she is the successor to Avatar Korra. In the year or so since Avatar: Seven Havens was announced, there's been little information to go off of, but a new post from one of the series' creatives has provided a fresh look at Avatar Pavi and a hint of when more news will come. 

Sara Kipin, Avatar: Seven Havens' character designer, shared new artwork of Avatar Pavi on their Instagram page. This is only the second official look at Avatar Pavi, and it shows a close-up look at the character's design.

Netflix's Survival of the Thickest Season 3 made a mistake by omitting Tasha Smith's Marley Williams. The trending comedy-drama series revolves around Mavis Beaumont (Michelle Buteau), a designer navigating her career and personal life in New York City. One of the show's standout characters is Smith's Marley, Mavis' best friend, who often offers Mavis grounded advice while also being a force in her own right in the corporate world. 

Marley started as a recurring character in Season 1 of Survival of the Thickest before being promoted to a series regular in the show's sophomore run. The promotion came with deeper arcs for Marley, as the show explored her vulnerability, friendship with Mavis, and romantic interests. Despite her importance, Marley is notably absent from Survival of the Thickest Season 3. 

Survival of the Thickest Season 3 Episode 1 Confirms Why Marley Is Absent In the Show 

When Avatar: The Last Airbender returns on Netflix for Season 3, it will introduce a significant change for Zuko. The Fire Nation Prince is played by Dallas Liu in the live-action adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon animated series. Zuko was banished by his family and has been on the hunt for the Avatar ever since to earn back his place, but his journey has brought him through many trials.

Avatar: The Last Airbender star Thalia Tran, who portrays Mai in the live-action series, revealed in an exclusive interview with The Direct that a shift in Zuko's relationship status is coming for Zuko in Season 3. 

HBO changed the House of the Dragon opening credits again in the show’s third season, and the latest update comes right after a major death. The show’s title sequence does not stay the same from one week to the next. It takes the form of a long woven cloth that records Targaryen history, and the imagery grows as the war for the Iron Throne pushes forward. The show stitches each new turn of the conflict into the cloth as it happens, so the opening changes across the season

The newest version of the credits adds the death of Jacaerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s eldest son, who died during the Battle of the Gullet. The fresh imagery turned up in the second episode of Season 3, which arrived on HBO and HBO Max on June 28. It shows Jace pierced by a cluster of arrows, with a spread of dark red, signifying blood, around him.

Season 2 of Sugar, which is streaming on Apple TV, has a lot to live up to when it comes to the antagonistic force set to oppose Colin Farrell's titular private investigator and surprise alien. Thankfully, audiences don't have anything to worry about because the show found the perfect villain for the role: Tony Dalton's Ray Vega.

Season 1 of Sugar pitted John Sugar against Eric Lange's Bryon Stallings, a vile criminal and human trafficker who did unspeakable things. Then there was Jason Butler Harner's Henry Thorpe, a fellow alien and trusted friend and confidant of Sugar's who, in a twist reveal, turned out to indulge in human cruelty and to have kidnapped Sugar's long-lost sister.

Cut to Season 2, with Daredevil: Born Again and Hawkeye star Tony Dalton joining the picture. John Sugar is up against the devilishly intelligent Ray Vega, a corrupt sheriff whose nearly all-encompassing influence in the police department lets him get away with narcotics crimes and various trafficking conspiracies.

HBO's Harry Potter reboot unveiled an updated Hogwarts logo that has divided the fanbase for its departure from the books and the movies. There's no denying that Warner Bros.' decision to reboot Harry Potter for a new generation and TV screens has yielded mixed reactions. The HBO series is striving to remain more loyal to J.K. Rowling's novels, but is still looking to put its own stamp on things, such as adding brand-new scenes, storylines, and flashbacks for beloved characters.

HBO officially released an open casting call (via Wizarding World Direct) for the role of Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter Season 2 (based on The Chamber of Secrets), after actress Gracie Cochrane exited the adaptation due to "unforeseen circumstances." Interestingly, the casting call listing also offered up the best look yet at Hogwarts' brand-new logo in the HBO series, and fans aren't happy.

Sullivan's Crossing Season 4, Episode 5 unpacked the tragic truth as to why Liam suddenly abandoned Maggie. The hit Canadian romance drama Sullivan's Crossing Season 3 ended with a major bombshell when Maggie's estranged husband, Liam, suddenly returned to her life just as things were going well between her and Cal, setting up major twists and turns in Season 4. The finale ended with Liam asking Maggie, "Is that any way to greet your husband?," shocking viewers and Cal about the fact that Maggie was married after all this time. 

Sullivan's Crossing Season 4 pulled back the curtain on Liam's backstory. As it turned out, Liam was a war correspondent and journalist, a career that takes him to dangerous places around the world. Liam and Maggie's relationship began as a summer fling that quickly turned serious, leading to their marriage after a short time together. However, Liam left after their wedding, and Maggie interpreted it as him abandoning her for his job. Liam never returned, and Season 4 finally explained why (with some claiming he was among the deaths in the first few seasons of Sullivan's Crossing). 

Sullivan’s Crossing Season 4 recently hit Netflix U.S. on June 30 and has quickly climbed the charts, currently holding the number 3 spot on the "Top 10 TV Shows in the US Today."

Apple TV's upcoming thriller Lucky wasn't just shaped by its writers; the series also evolved around Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as production got underway. During an exclusive interview with The Direct, co-showrunners Jonathan Tropper and Cassie Pappas reflected on the creative process of adapting the novel, including how their previous Apple TV successes informed the series. 

They revealed that Taylor-Joy's on-set performance was so compelling that it influenced how certain scenes were written and ultimately appeared on screen. Tropper, known for being the series creator of Your Friends & Neighbors and writing the upcoming blockbuster Star Wars: Starfighter, said he was "captivated" by Taylor-Joy's acting on set, adding that "it was almost like seeing a different human than the human we'd been talking to till that point."

Pappas, a producer and writer on Apple TV's Silo, noted that Taylor-Joy was "captivating" and "mesmerizing:"