Category: 5. Entertainment

Summer is the perfect time to dive into a new story, whether you’re on the move or just looking for an escape. With Spotify Premium, eligible listeners in select markets can enjoy hours of audiobook listening time each month included with their plan. Our audiobook offerings continue to grow, and with hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, there’s never been a better moment to discover your next great listen.

Not sure where to start? Our editorial team has handpicked a collection of standout audiobooks that span genres, continents, and cultures.

“When we curate titles for a campaign like this, we take it seriously—but we also have a lot of fun doing it,” said Suzanne Galvez, Director of Editorial and Spotify Publishing. “There’s real responsibility in choosing stories that speak to the moods and moments that matter to our listeners, many of whom aren’t traditional readers. So getting it right? That’s the goal.”

“Music memoirs always strike a chord—Tina Knowles’s Matriarch and Mark Hoppus’s Fahrenheit-182 have been big wins,” she continued. “And when a household name like Stephen King is having a pop culture moment? Even better. His latest Holly Gibney installment, Never Flinch, is a standout. Romantasy continues to be a powerhouse with our listeners, and we had a blast weaving in some buzzy new releases to keep things fresh. We’re excited about this lineup and hope our listeners fall in love with these titles just like we did.”

From romantasy sensations to international bestsellers, here are seven titles Suzanne and her fellow editors are loving:

A Court of Thorns and Roses

By Sarah J. Maas
Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

After killing a wolf in the woods, young huntress Feyre is dragged to a treacherous magical land as punishment. What begins as captivity soon transforms into something deeper, darker, and more seductive. The first in Sarah J. Maas’s wildly popular series, A Court of Thorns and Roses topped Spotify’s Global Audiobooks of the Year list in 2024.

Why our editors love it: It’s a TikTok sensation for a reason—Sarah J. Maas’s immersive worldbuilding, action-packed scenes, flirtatious banter, and satisfying slow-burn romance easily drew in both the traditional fantasy readers and romance lovers on our team.

Atmosphere: A Love Story

By Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrated by Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan, and Taylor Jenkins Reid

Set during the 1980s space shuttle era, Atmosphere follows Joan Goodwin, a quiet physics professor who dreams of the stars. When she’s selected to join a newly recruited group of women scientists training for spaceflight, she finds friendship, passion, and love—but everything changes when a mission takes a devastating turn.

Why our editors love it: Our team has long been fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, and her newest did not disappoint. We loved exploring a tender, emotional, and forbidden love story during such a pivotal moment in history. Plus, we’re absolute suckers for a great story about found family.

Never Flinch: A Novel

By Stephen King
Narrated by Jessie Mueller and Stephen King

Stephen King’s latest thriller follows two converging threats: a revenge-obsessed killer threatening mass murder, and a stalker targeting a feminist speaker on tour. With Holly Gibney on the case, the clock is ticking. Twisting and relentless, Never Flinch introduces an exciting new cast of characters and builds to a chilling conclusion.

Why our editors love it: We fell for the character of Holly Gibney back when reading Mr. Mercedes and have eagerly awaited each new installment of her story. And typical of King, this one doesn’t shy away from moral extremes, highly twisted motives, and the profound effects of trauma.

Matriarch: A Memoir

By Tina Knowles
Narrated by Tina Knowles, Beyoncé, Solange, Kelly Rowland, and Angie Beyincé

Tina Knowles traces her journey from a spirited girl in 1950s Galveston, Texas, to the matriarch of a family whose influence spans music, style, and culture. Told in her voice and those of her daughters, Matriarch celebrates love, resilience, and motherhood.

Why our editors love it: Matriarch is a beautifully honest portrayal of Black motherhood in America. We loved this listen for its candor, emotional depth, and for Tina’s ability to transcend the role of mother to a celebrity and create a highly relatable story about motherhood that spans generations.

Fahrenheit-182: A Memoir

By Mark Hoppus and Dan Ozzi
Narrated by Mark Hoppus

In this sharp, funny, and heartfelt memoir, blink-182’s Mark Hoppus traces his path from angst-ridden kid to pop-punk icon. Along the way, he opens up about identity, anxiety, fame, and his fight with cancer—all in his own unmistakable voice.

Why our editors love it: We adored Mark Hoppus’s candid and honest memoir. From his relatable struggles with chronic anxiety and depression to behind-the scenes blink-182 band lore, there was something for everyone. And Mark’s narration was the icing on the cake.

The Last Wish: Introducing the Witcher

By Andrzej Sapkowski
Narrated by Peter Kenny

Trained, mutated, and armed with magic, Geralt the Witcher is no ordinary killer. But in a world where the fair can be foul and the monstrous may yet be good, each hunt carries unexpected truths. The Last Wish begins the epic fantasy saga that inspired a hit TV series and popular video game franchise.

Why our editors love it: There’s little our team loves more than a morally gray hero, so the Witcher series is right up our alley. This book is clever and gritty, and it introduces an amazingly immersive world that’s enjoyable by both fans of the television series as well as people who just love great fantasy.

The Three-Body Problem 

By Cixin Liu
Narrated by Luke Daniels

The first novel in Cixin Liu’s visionary sci-fi epic is set against the backdrop of China’s cultural revolution. When a secret military signal reaches an alien world on the brink of collapse, Earth becomes the target of invasion. As the threat grows, factions begin to choose sides: resistance or surrender.

Why our editors love it: It’s a thought-provoking exploration of astrophysics and theoretical physics told through a fresh non-Western lens with highly complex, relatable characters in high-stakes situations. This series will challenge your worldview in the best possible way.

Ready to find your next great listen? Explore more titles in the Audiobooks hub on Spotify. To learn more about our audiobook offerings, visit Spotify.com/audiobooks.

What makes this collab even more hype-y is how closely it mirrors the roots of the Spezial range itself. When curator Gary Aspden launched the sub-line back in 2014, it was meant as a love letter to Adidas collectors, particularly those up in the north of England, where the Gallaghers were born. These weren’t trainers made for TikTok unboxings; they were made for pub gardens and record shops and gig queues. And now, with the Noel Gallagher x Adidas Marathon SPZL, it feels like a full circle moment.

The Noel Gallagher x Adidas Marathon SPZL ‘Night Navy’ is set to drop at Adidas, the Confirmed app, and select stockists on August 16—the same day as the band’s Dublin show. And yes, before you ask, Liam’s got a pair coming soon, too: The frontman will counter his brother’s collab with a take on the Achille SPZL in a ‘Stone Khaki’ colorway.

Noel Gallagher x Adidas Marathon SPZL ‘Night Navy’

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A version of this story originally appeared on British GQ.

Sofia Vergara is giving fans an update on her health after she recently spent time in the hospital following surgery. The “Modern Family” actress shared the news of her knee surgery with fans when she posted a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed on July 25.

Fans immediately reacted to the post, sending their well-wishes and showing their love. But how is Vergara doing now, two days later? The actress decided to update fans once again on her health.

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Sofia Vergara Updates Fans on Her Health Following Surgery

The photos Vergara posted on Instagram on July 25 showed her leg in a grey brace with a white bandage focused on her knee. In the caption, she shared her thoughts, writing, “It’s done. Round 2.”

Then on July 27, she posted several photos of herself and her loved ones on Instagram. In the caption, she wrote, “Con mis enfermeras preferidas las quiero @marisolgtzdep @margieheilbron,” which translates to “With my favorite nurses I love them.” The comment about her friends being her “nurses” suggests that she has been well taken care of and is on the mend.

The actress also shared a second photo on Instagram of her friends, a box filled with cakes, and her little dog. The last image shows her relaxing on a pool lounger. You can see a white bandage on her knee. “More post op love,” she wrote in the caption.

Once again, fans reacted to the post with messages of love.

“I’m happy your post-operation is going so well. It’s good to see how loved you are,” a fan shared. “Those are the heartfelt moments when we feel stuck or stagnant and the sprites of the world make our lives a little bit brighter. Heal gracefully.”

“Always magnificent lady,” another comment reads.

Other reactions include, “I hope you have a quick recovery,” “You are a Shining Star! GOD Bless,” and “Glad you are in the recovery stage.”

Her third image also gives fans a much better look at the bandage on her knee.

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What Happened to Sofia Vergara’s Knee?

Vergara has been open about her knee surgery before, and this is the second operation she has undergone. In April 2024, she created an Instagram Story celebrating her then-boyfriend, Justin Saliman, for helping her after the operation. “If u ever get a [major] knee surgery make sure u Get a handsome doctor who will sleep with u that night… !” she wrote, E! News reports “Luv u.”

Get well soon, Sofia Vergara!

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Eddie Murphy let slip some major Shrek news during a new interview.

The 64-year-old comedy icon was promoting his upcoming film The Pickup when he was asked about his upcoming role in Shrek 5. Murphy said he’s currently recording the DreamWorks release, but is then going to start recording dialogue for a Shrek spinoff film centered around his beloved Donkey character.

“We’re still in the booth, and literally, we’re still doing Shrek,” he told Screenrant. “We start in September on Donkey — we’re doing a Donkey one, and that’ll [be released] three years from now. But we’re about two years into Shrek 5. Still in the booth and about to start Donkey in September.”

Continued Murphy: “Donkey‘s going to be like how Puss in Boots had his own movie, Donkey’s going to have his own movie — [his] own little story with his dragon wife and his kids that are half-dragon and half-donkeys. They’ve written this funny story. We’re doing that, starting that in September.”

Murphy has teased a Donkey movie in the past, but these are his most substantive comments yet.

DreamWorks had no comment, but a spinoff around the fan-favorite character certainly sounds like a viable project — especially given the box office success of the two Puss in Boots spinoff films (2011’s Puss in Boots and 2022’s stellar Puss in Boots: The Last Wish).

Donkey has been the giant green orge’s sidekick starting with the 2001 original, and continuing through three more films.

Murphy’s The Pickup is a heist action comedy coming to Prime Video that’s directed by Tim Story and stars Murphy, Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson. In the film, a pair of mismatched armored truck drivers (Murphy and Davidson) find their routine cash pickup escalating into chaotic mayhem when they’re ambushed by ruthless criminals led by the savvy mastermind (Palmer). The film will be released on Aug. 6.

Nineteen years after My Chemical Romance’s most acclaimed album, The Black Parade, was released, the New Jersey emo-rock band brought a cinematic and theatrical performance of the album to Los Angeles.

Playing two sold-out shows at Dodger Stadium, Saturday night’s kickoff show was the band’s (known by fans as MCR or My Chem) first L.A. show since 2019. Long Live The Black Parade, MCR’s first stadium tour, was a theatrical affair.

The band — currently consisting of members Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro and Frank Iero — played their 2006 hit emo-rock concept album, The Black Parade, in full, set against a backdrop best exampled in the tour’s teaser. The video’s description reads, “It has been seventeen years since The Black Parade was sent to the MOAT. In that time, a great Dictator has risen to power, bringing about ‘The Concrete Age’; a glorious time of stability and abundance in the history of DRAAG.

“His Grand Immortal Dictator wishes to celebrate our rich and storied culture, fine foods and musical entertainments by welcoming you to these great demonstrations of power and resolve,” it continues. “And lending voice and song for the first time in six thousand two hundred and forty six days, their work privilege ceremoniously reinstated, will be His Grand Immortal Dictator’s national band… The Black Parade.”

MCR introduced the Dictator, who “watched” the performance in his honor, along with several other characters. Frontman Way — donning a fake accent — acted as the leader of the band performing for the Dictator, staying in his Cabaret Emcee reminiscent character for the entire Black Parade set. The show then had a brief intermission before the band traveled to the B-stage to perform a set that included an unreleased song written just before their 2013 breakup (the group officially reunited in 2019), hits “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and “Helena” and a slew of B-sides.

Night one of MCR’s L.A. return was full of drama, excitement and nostalgia. Here are some of the highlights from My Chemical Romance’s Long Live The Black Parade tour in L.A.

A Truly Theatrical Production

MCR’s performance of The Black Parade in its totality would’ve been a hot ticket no matter what, but the band’s dedication to a full storytelling experience can’t be overstated. Led by Way’s over-the-top band leader, who, spoiler alert, meets a tragic end, The Black Parade portion of the evening was the perfect way to experience an album like this one.

At one point in the evening, following a grand performance of the album’s main track, “Welcome to the Black Parade,” Way, still in character, made a disclaimer to the crowd that they might be disturbed by what was to come. The guys of MCR were given Dodger Dogs by the character keeping them in line, even cutting to a video view of the Dictator eating the hotdog.

Then, a choice was introduced. Upon entering the stadium, fans were given “yea” or “nay” placards that were to be used to decide whether there would be a execution or an election would be held. “I’ve started to call it an elexecution,” Way told the crowd. After a vote, four prisoners — Way explained they were guilty of the crime of daring to question “the longevity of the Grand Immortal Dictator” — were brought onto the B-stage and “executed.”

To finish The Black Parade portion of the night, a clown took the stage as the group was performing on a burned and destroyed stage, stabbing Way in a bloody and theatrical moment before the rest of the group was taken off the stage with bags over their heads by officers. The clown then performed to the album’s hidden track “Blood,” before revealing to the crowd he had explosives strapped to his chest, igniting them on stage in an explosive scene. The sequence earned a standing ovation from the watching Dictator.

A Crowd of Adoring Fans

Unsurprisingly for a tour of this nature, the crowd was full of die-hard fans, both old and new. There wasn’t a song played throughout the entire set that nearly all of the crowd didn’t know — with the exception of an unreleased track. The iconic opening of “Welcome to the Black Parade” was a great example of how excited the fans were to see the group again, which had the crowd singing along at full volume.

The crowd also organized a fan project, distributing red hearts to put over attendees’ phone flashlights. The project illuminated the crowd red during the band’s performance of “Cancer.”

Warner Bros. Discovery has unveiled the corporate names and senior leadership teams for when the company separates into two separate entities, expected to be completed in mid-2026. The new publicly traded companies will be Warner Bros. (streaming and studios) and Discovery Global (comprising TV networks, Discovery+ and other assets).

The “Streaming & Studios” company, which will house Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, HBO Max and Warner Bros. Gaming Studios, as well as their film and TV libraries, will be called “Warner Bros.” According to WBD, that’s in “honoring the legacy of more than a century of industry-defining storytelling.”

“Global Networks,” which will include WBD’s entertainment, sports and news TV brands worldwide including CNN, Discovery, TNT Sports in the U.S., and free-to-air channels across Europe as well as digital products such as the Discovery+ streamer and Bleacher Report (B/R), will be called Discovery Global. That name, according to WBD, was selected “in recognition of the affinity and value this name has around the world in entertainment, news and sports.”

As previously announced, Warner Bros. will be led by president and CEO David Zaslav, currently president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. The TV-centric Discovery Global will be headed by Gunnar Wiedenfels, currently CFO of Warner Bros. Discovery, who will serve as president and CEO.

Following the split, Zaslav’s new employment agreement as CEO of Warner Bros. will “significantly reduce his target annual compensation,” the company said last month. Wiedenfels’ pay package will be upped from his existing CFO compensation “to reflect his expanded responsibilities” as chief exec of Discovery Global.

RELATED: Warner Bros. Discovery Split: What Will Happen to the Movie Studios, HBO Max, Cable Networks and Other Businesses?

Warner Bros. has begun searches for both the CFO and head of HR roles, while Discovery Global is looking to hire a chief communications and public affairs officer, according to Monday’s announcement.

“We will proudly continue the more than century-long legacy of Warner Bros. through our commitment to bringing culture-defining stories, characters and entertainment to audiences around the world,” Zaslav said in a statement. “Over the past several years, we have made important strides across the business, launching and investing in a profitable, global streaming service and reinvigorating our studios to return them again to an industry leading position. With our unmatched portfolio of storytelling IP coupled with our incredible creative partners, and now an executive team of proven, bold, and committed creative and corporate leaders, we are in a strong position to launch and continue to meaningfully grow a company worthy of our storied past.”

Other top execs at Warner Bros. following the split are set to include:

The Discovery Global leadership team includes:

Wiedenfels commented: “As we prepare for the launch of Discovery Global, our enthusiasm for the opportunities ahead only grows thanks to our leading portfolio of beloved brands and programming, our worldwide footprint for adults, kids, and families, and now the experienced and talented leadership team who will ensure strong operational execution to drive strategic investments and deliver compelling content to global audiences.”

Hulk Hogan, who has died of a cardiac arrest aged 71, was the most famous personality in the world of wrestling, a flamboyant figure whose deep tan, blonde horseshoe moustache, bright bandanas and heavily muscled body were known across the globe, even to those who had little interest in the sport.

As the most recognisable face of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the US, Hogan helped to build what had initially been a fairly parochial brand into a hugely lucrative phenomenon, watched on television by millions.

Though the wrestling was all fakery, Hogan held the WWF’s title belt a number of times across those boom years, including over a four-year stretch in the mid-1980s. Thereafter he largely maintained his dominance, while switching between the WWF and various other competitions over the next two decades.

During a typical bout he would soak up blow after blow from his opponent until defeat seemed inevitable, only to suddenly snap into a fury that would turn the encounter around, often finishing things off with a trademark leg drop by bouncing off the rope, leaping into the air and then landing, leg first, on to his foe.

Perhaps his most acclaimed performance came during 1987 in the third iteration of wrestling’s annual WrestleMania event, in front of 93,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, where he won the world heavyweight championship against the 2.24m (7ft 4in), 220kg (35st) André the Giant, who was said to have been unbeaten in the ring for almost 15 years. The bout set pay-per-view television records at the time, and confirmed Hogan’s position at the centre of WWF’s money-making machine.

Hogan was born Terry Bollea, in Augusta, Georgia, the son of Ruth (nee Moody), a dance teacher, and Peter Bollea, a building site foreman. Growing up in Tampa, Florida, where he went to Robinson high school, he first worked as a dockworker while developing his showmanship as a bass guitar player in local rock bands.

After a short period at the University of South Florida, he dropped his studies in 1977 to pursue wrestling. Eventually taking the Hulk moniker, after the muscle-bound comic book character The Incredible Hulk, at 2m (6ft 7in) and 137kg (21st) he was certainly built for the name, to which he added the alliterative Hogan in 1979 when he joined the WWF. He came to wider attention in 1982 after a memorable appearance in the film Rocky III as the combative wrestler Thunderlips, who beats Rocky (Sylvester Stallon) in a charity fight.

Having initially been branded as a bad guy in the ring, by the mid-80s Hogan had been recast by the WWF as the opposite, and he was striding into the ring to the song Real American by Rick Derringer, fighting for national pride against sinister “foreign” rivals such as the Iron Sheik, nominally representing Iran, and Nikolai Volkoff, supposedly appearing on behalf of the Soviet Union.

Soon the US was subject to a long period of “Hulkamania” as Hogan reached even wider fame, selling out stadium events, commanding massive TV audiences and appearing in further wrestling-related film roles, including in No Holds Barred (1989) and Mr Nanny (1993), while also starring as a mercenary in the television series Thunder in Paradise (1994). He lent his name to video games, a chain of restaurants and a merchandising empire that was turning over $1.7bn by 1991.

In 1994, around the time he confessed that he had used steroids, Hogan moved to a new franchise, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), with whom he adopted a more villainous but equally popular persona. He was WCW’s star performer for several years until returning to the WWF (by then renamed WWE) in 2002, after which he left and returned several times, wrestling for other entities in between.

He was still taking part in occasional bouts into his 60s, but by then was more frequently in the public eye for other reasons, including from 2005 to 2007 in the reality TV series Hogan Knows Best, which looked in on his family life.

In 2012 Hogan sued the Gawker website for posting a video of him having sex with a friend’s wife, claiming invasion of privacy. Four years later a court awarded him $140m in damages, although he eventually settled for $31m as the website’s owners filed for bankruptcy. In 2015 the release of another section of the same video showed him using racist language, for which he apologised unreservedly.

In recent years he had been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, and last year he appeared at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, tearing off his top in typical Hulk style to reveal a Trump/Vance shirt underneath.

Hogan was married three times and divorced twice. He is survived by his third wife, Sky Daily, two children, Brooke and Nick, from his first marriage, to Linda Claridge, and two grandchildren.

Imax is getting into the AI business.

The exhibition giant has pacted with Runway AI for a limited run of the latter’s film-festival offerings.

Imax will run the shorts from Runway’s 2025 AI Film Festival from August 17-August 20 at ten locations around the U.S., including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Boston, Atlanta, Denver and Washington, D.C. The ten films that composed this year’s festival will be screened as a bloc, including More Tears than Harm, a painterly look at a difficult childhood in Madagascar and Jailbird, about a chicken rescued from a factory farm to serve as a companion to a prisoner in a real-life British program aimed at compassionate rehabilitation.

“The IMAX Experience has typically been reserved for the world’s most accomplished and visionary filmmakers and we’re excited to open our aperture and use our platform to experiment with a new kind of creator, as storytelling and technology converge in an entirely new way,” Imax’s chief content officer Jonathan Fischer said in a statement.

“The quality, variety and storytelling of these films deserves a premium viewing experience,” added Runway co-founder Cristobal Valenzuela.

The announcement shows how the new tech revolution could play out differently than the last one did in Hollywood. While streaming often put exhibitors at odds with the major new players, AI tools will, at least, not necessarily antagonize theater owners, who could see them as a way to create product that will attract fresh audiences to theaters, though AI’s personalization element could also potentially deepen at-home viewing.

Runway, a New York-based company producing a slew of AI filmmaking tools, holds an annual film festival in New York and Los Angeles. This year’s event, held last month at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York and the Broad Stage theater in Los Angeles, generated 6,000 submissions and drew crowds to both theaters.

“Three years ago, this was such a crazy idea,” Valenzuela said at the New York event. “Today, millions of people are making billions of videos using tools we only dreamed of.” The movies are still evolving as sound and photorealistic images remain iterative processes for AI companies (the work was often dreamlike) though few doubt they will reach those goals.

While many studios and distributors such as Netflix unofficially use AI tools, Runway in particular has been courting the industry, signing formal deals with the likes of AMC Networks and Lionsgate.

AI generally has both seized and terrified the imaginations of those work in film, with many worried it could replace humans and humanity and others arguing it could unlock a new golden age of cinema.