The hit series has been a must-watch on Prime Video, and audiences have utterly warmed to the presence of a teenagd Elle Woods, played by the fabulous Lexi Minetree, and the journey that Elle takes as she navigates first love, friendship, family upheaval, and discovers the inner strength that will ultimately define her. Stylish, nostalgic, and full of heart, the series blends the sunshine of Beverly Hills with the rain-soaked grunge influences of 1995 Seattle, creating a unique visual identity that gives the franchise an exciting new edge.

In celebration of Elle’s arrival on Prime Video I was very fortunate to be able to sit down with the series costume designer Sara Byblow, to discuss the enormous task of recreating an entire decade, and for Byblow, joining Elle was a rare opportunity to build a character whose future audiences already know so well.

Watch the full interview below:

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Sara was exceptionally love to chat with, and her passion for exploring this new, and previously unseen chapter of Elle Woods life, and along with re-creating an entire fashion decade was an utterly fun project to work on, and proves that pink never goes out of style.

Filled with heart, humour, fabulous fashion, and genuine emotional warmth, Elle has completely won over the hearts of audiences everywhere, with this series delivering both a feeling of comforting nostaslgia and refreshingly original take on this fabulius character.

Elle is streaming now on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video

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Directed by acclaimed New Zealand theatre-maker Benjamin Kilby-Henson, who earned widespread praise for last year’s dreamlike and deeply affecting production of Romeo & Juliet, this new interpretation dives headlong into Shakespeare’s exploration of power, obsession, paranoia and madness. Judging by everything we’ve learned, this is shaping up to be one of the year’s must-see theatrical events.

With rehearsals only recently wrapped, we had the opportunity to sit down with cast members Maaka Pohatu and Marianne Infante, who portray Lord and Lady Macduff, to discuss the ambitious production and the haunting new world Kilby-Henson has created.

Rather than placing Macbeth within a recognisable historical period, the production embraces an entirely original setting.

“It’s been described as an anachronistic world,” explained Pohatu. “It’s not set in any particular time period. There’s a shade of World War Two or Mad Max to the setting. Lots of found objects, lots of things that belong in different time periods that are scrounged and put together. Everyone lives underground because the world above has been blown to pieces—it’s warring and destroyed—so we all hunker down in the sewers. It’s easier to escape the madness above down there.”

For Infante, that distinctive environment becomes central to the emotional and psychological journey of Shakespeare’s characters.

“Ben is really finding a new definition of ecstasy and madness in the setting,” she said. “With us losing touch with nature—being deprived of sunlight and the natural elements—it raises questions about what happens when those who hold power are brought down to the same level as everyone else. What kind of madness does that create? That was one of the things that really spoke to me about this version.”

That dystopian vision naturally extends into the play’s supernatural elements, with both actors revealing that Kilby-Henson has leaned heavily into horror. They even likened aspects of the production’s atmosphere to Resident Evil, creating a uniquely unsettling interpretation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy.

Despite this striking new aesthetic, the production remains firmly rooted in Shakespeare’s original language, something both actors say became one of the company’s greatest strengths throughout rehearsals.

“This cast and this creative team, under Ben’s leadership, have done a brilliant job of honouring the text,” said Pohatu. “He brought his whole Shakespeare library for us so we could really dig into the gold that’s in the writing.”
Infante agreed, adding that embracing Shakespeare’s language became an essential part of building the world.

“It’s really about going back to the elements of the language, the iambic pentameter and the breadth of the work. It’s such a rich resource. At the same time, the world we’ve imagined this story taking place in feels incredibly expansive.”

Both actors were equally enthusiastic about the production’s exploration of power, politics and social hierarchy. While Shakespeare originally wrote Macbeth in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, they believe the themes resonate just as strongly in today’s increasingly fractured world, giving this production a striking contemporary relevance.

When discussing Lord and Lady Macduff, Pohatu and Infante also reflected on how their characters mirror, and contrast with, Lord and Lady Macbeth, portrayed by Mark Mitchison and Sara Wiseman.

Initially, Infante viewed the two couples as complete opposites, but that perspective gradually shifted during rehearsals.

“At the beginning I definitely saw them as complete opposites,” she explained. “But the deeper we got into the work, and as I watched Sara’s journey into Lady Macbeth, I realised they’re actually on the same spectrum—just at different points. Lady Macduff is fiercely protective of her relationship, her children and her family. That made me realise they’re both driven by love, but it manifests in completely different ways.”

Infante also revealed that becoming a mother profoundly influenced her portrayal of Lady Macduff.

“Honestly, I feel really privileged to have been given this role. I was about six months postpartum when I was cast to play a woman with two children facing unimaginable tragedy. Those feelings naturally became part of how I approached Lady Macduff. I think she almost senses that things won’t end well for her, and that creates a really fascinating moral complexity. Why do the loveliest flowers always get plucked first?”

As for what audiences should expect, Pohatu and Infante promised a production filled with raw emotion, genuine suspense and several unforgettable moments. They even teased that the show features its own version of a “Red Wedding” sequence—one that is sure to leave audiences stunned.

With its striking visual identity, horror-infused atmosphere and deeply human performances, Auckland Theatre Company’s Macbeth looks set to offer audiences a thrilling new way to experience one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.

Macbeth runs from July 28 to August 22 at Auckland’s ASB Waterfront Theatre. Get your tickets here.

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With the Blacks and Greens now locked in a brutal struggle for power, the battle for the Iron Throne is set to consume the Seven Kingdoms in a devastating conflict that promises fire, blood, and unimaginable consequences. Season Three is shaping up to be the most ambitious chapter yet, plunging audiences deeper into the political intrigue, shifting alliances, and all-out warfare that define George R.R. Martin’s richly imagined world.

The arrival of the new season also coincides with the launch of HBO Max in New Zealand, a milestone made even more exciting by the arrival of House of the Dragon star Steve Toussaint. Best known for his commanding performance as Lord Corlys Velaryon, the legendary Sea Snake and Lord of the Tides, Toussaint journeyed to Auckland to help celebrate the launch, bringing a touch of Westeros to Kiwi shores.

We were fortunate enough to sit down with Steve to discuss everything that awaits fans in Season Three, and the result was a fascinating conversation packed with insight, enthusiasm, and a genuine love for the craft of storytelling.

Check out our full interview below:

During our discussion, Steve reflected on the immense scale of the upcoming season, including the much-anticipated Battle of the Gullet, one of the most significant events in the lore of Westeros. From the physical preparation required to bring such a monumental conflict to life, to the extraordinary level of detail that goes into the series’ world-building, Steve offered a compelling look behind the curtain of one of television’s most ambitious productions.
The conversation also explored the enduring appeal of fantasy storytelling, the responsibility of portraying a character as beloved and formidable as Corlys Velaryon, and the values embodied by House Velaryon and its proud words: “The Old, the True, the Brave.”

Throughout it all, Steve proved himself every bit as engaging off-screen as he is on it, offering thoughtful reflections on the series, the character, and the creative process that has helped make House of the Dragon a global phenomenon.

The launch of HBO Max in New Zealand marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for local audiences, bringing with it an extraordinary catalogue of premium entertainment led by the return of one of television’s most talked-about series.

House of the Dragon Season Three premieres on HBO Max on Monday, 22 June, promising breathtaking spectacle, ruthless political manoeuvring, devastating conflict, and enough fire and blood to satisfy even the most devoted fans of Westeros.

Winter has already come to Aotearoa New Zealand, but the Dance of the Dragons is about to ignite in spectacular fashion.

Learn more about HBO MAX here.

Image: HBO MAX

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Following the breakout success of My Fault: London, anticipation is sky-high for this follow-up, which promises even more romance, tension, jealousy, and emotional fireworks as Noah and Nick find their relationship tested like never before.

Ahead of the film’s release, we were fortunate enough to sit down with stars Asha Banks and Matthew Broome to discuss returning to these beloved characters, the enduring appeal of YA romance, and what audiences can expect from this exciting new chapter.

Watch our full interview with Asha Banks and Matthew Broome below:

After the explosive events of My Fault: London, Noah and Nick return stronger, closer, and more in love than ever. But as life begins to pull them in different directions, their relationship faces its toughest challenge yet. Noah heads to Oxford to pursue her studies, while Nick becomes consumed by the growing demands of work. As new people enter their lives and unexpected emotions begin to surface, jealousy, temptation, and uncertainty threaten to pull them apart. With trust tested and passions running high, Noah and Nick must decide whether to fight for the love that brought them together; or risk losing it forever.

During our conversation, Banks and Broome were incredibly open about why the YA romance genre continues to captivate audiences around the globe.

“They’re so addictive,” said Banks. “What I always say about this movie, our movie, is it’s a recipe for entertainment.”

Broome expanded on the phenomenon, highlighting how perfectly these stories fit the streaming era.

“The streaming platform just works so well with it,” he explained. “It’s addictive, and so is streaming. You can almost watch all of them and just keep going. And with social media, and all the TikTok edits, it’s just all-consuming.”

The pair also spoke warmly about each other’s characters, revealing the qualities they most admire in Noah and Nick.
Reflecting on Banks’ portrayal of Noah, Broome praised her fearless attitude.

“I like how you just don’t take shit,” he laughed. “I just liked how you turned up at that race, got in that car, and just went for it.”

For Banks, Nick’s defining trait is the depth of his devotion.

“I think I really love how much Nick cares,” she said. “He genuinely cares a lot. It comes out in slightly annoying ways, but he cares about Noah a lot.”

What stood out most throughout our conversation was the genuine affection Banks and Broome have for both their characters and the story they’re telling. Their enthusiasm for Noah and Nick’s journey is infectious, and it’s clear they’ve fully embraced the heightened emotion, thrilling drama, and irresistible romance that have made this franchise such a sensation with audiences.

With bigger stakes, deeper emotions, and plenty of sparks flying, Your Fault: London looks set to deliver exactly what fans are hoping for: an adrenaline-fuelled romantic drama packed with passion, heartbreak, and plenty of surprises.

Your Fault: London arrives exclusively on Prime Video on June 17.

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We were very fortunate to be able sit down with stars Li Jun Li, Jack Huston and Abraham Popoola, who portray Cat Hardy, an alluring femme fatale nightclub singer; Flint Marko/The Sandman, a damaged WWI veteran and bruising mob enforcer; and Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone, a misunderstood giant forced to turn to criminality to survive; to discuss the series and how the series ambience, costuming and design helped to bring them into the world of Spider-Noir.

Along with chatting to LiLi, Jack and Abraham, we were also able to speak with Spider-Noir showrunner Oren Uziel to discuss the new season, and how the duality of Authentic Black & White and True-Hue Full Colour presents an interesting opportunity for audiences to experience this radical new take on the Spider-Man mythos.

Watch the full interviews here:

 

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Both the cast and Oren were incredibly insightful and thoughtful in their answers to our questions, and really presented us with an altogether new understanding of the Spider-Noir series, and it was fascinating to hear about the creative process that went into discovering their characters.

Embrace the action, adventure, decadence, glamour and excitement of Spider-Noir NOW on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video.

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We were very fortunate to sit down with Bernstein for an interview where he discussed the new film at length, and talked about how he amped up the action for a larger canvas, including the film’s all-out final sequence, how he looked to explore a new shade of Krasinski’s Jack Ryan in the series as a ‘tip of the spear’ operator, along with commenting on how actress Sienna Miller as MI6 operative Emma Marlow really changed up the dynamic of the narrative opf the film.

Check out the full interview below:

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Here’s the official synopsis:

In this new film, Jack Ryan is reluctantly thrust back into the world of espionage when an international covert mission unravels a deadly conspiracy, forcing him to confront a rogue black-ops unit, and the clock is ticking. Operating in real time with lives on the line and the threat escalating at every turn, Jack reunites with battle-tested CIA operative Mike November (Michael Kelly) and former CIA boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce), their combined experience the only edge they have against an enemy who knows their every move. Backed by an unlikely new partner – razor-sharp MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller) – Jack and the team navigate a treacherous web of betrayal, facing a past they thought was long put to rest – making this the most personal, high-stakes mission any of them have ever faced.

For fans of tech-thriller military action, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War fully amps up the action, and this is a film with plenty of run and gun action that delivers a whole heap of hard charging action that will leave audiences amped.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is now streaming on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video

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To mark the arrival of Season Five of The Boys, we also had the privilege of catching up with Billy Butcher himself, Karl Urban, for a rapid-fire chat about what this season has in store and his all-time favourite Butcher moments.

Check out the full interview with Karl Urban below:

 

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Right from the start, Karl was an utter solid chap, who was open and inviting and delved into the utter chaos that audiences can expect from Season Five, along with what it’s like to step back into the combat boots of a character that you can genuinely feel means so much to him.

Karl was very open about how he’d come to build the character of Butcher over the years, circling back to the original IP of the original graphic novel series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, and how he’s been able to push this character to ever more crazy moments from season to season, and that getting the chance to continually play him is like “putting on your favourite jumper, as soon as I put that jacket on, and throw the boots on he’s right there.”

Further describing the offering of Butcher and his ultimate “Butcher” moment as a “luxury of choices”, Urban went straight back to the the original series pilot saying that throwing Jack Quaid’s Hughie Campbell into the chaos, and engaging into a punch up with invisible supe Translucent (Alex Hassell) was a real treat and that the fun of this character has continued to grow from there.

“Right from the get-go, there’s been so many fantastic Butcher scenes, y’know, driving a speedboat into a whale, I mean, no other show on the planet do you get to do crazy things like this.”

With even more madness on the horizon and an ending set to leave jaws on the floor, Karl Urban is making good on his word: Season Five of The Boys will go out with the most diabolical bang.

Season Five of The Boys is now streaming on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video

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At the heart of this cannon-blasted spectacle is writer-director Frank E. Flowers, a native son of the Cayman Islands who set out to do something audacious: rip the pirate adventure away from romantic swashbuckling clichés and reforge it into something raw, savage, and dangerous. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Flowers to talk all things The Bluff, and it quickly became clear that this wasn’t just another genre exercise — it was a filmmaker with a vision and the firepower to see it through.

Watch our full interview with director of The Bluff, Frank E. Flowers, below.

From the moment the conversation began, Flowers’ energy was infectious. Passionate, focused, and brimming with enthusiasm, he spoke about The Bluff as a film driven by tension and brutality rather than nostalgia. He described it as a “home invasion movie”, an inspired angle that immediately reframes the pirate genre through a far more claustrophobic and menacing lens. Drawing influence from the cult classic Straw Dogs, Flowers leaned hard into moral ambiguity, escalating violence, and psychological pressure, choices that give The Bluff its ferocious edge.

That edge is sharpened even further by Karl Urban’s performance as the ruthless and vindictive rogue buccaneer Captain Francisco Connor. Flowers spoke candidly about Urban’s commitment to the role, praising the actor for bringing a raw, almost unsettling intensity to the character. Connor is a villain, no doubt about it: brutal, violent, and terrifying, but Flowers was keen to explore the idea that even monsters believe they’re justified. That sliver of perspective adds weight to the film’s central conflict and elevates its stakes beyond simple good-versus-evil theatrics.

And then there’s Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, who brings an explosive savagery to her role as Ercell Bodden aka Bloody Mary that firmly cements her as a top-tier action force. Flowers shared stories of working closely with her to ensure the character’s ferocity felt earned and grounded. The result is action that doesn’t just dazzle — it bites. Bone-crunching, visceral, and relentless, The Bluff delivers set-pieces that feel physical, dangerous, and thrillingly out of control.

What resonated most throughout our chat was Flowers’ sincerity. Open, genuine, and refreshingly down-to-earth, he spoke about The Bluff not as a product, but as a deeply personal project, one born from a desire to push boundaries and reclaim danger in blockbuster storytelling. It was an absolute pleasure to talk shop with a filmmaker so fully invested in every frame of his work.

The buzz surrounding The Bluff has been impossible to ignore, with audiences diving headfirst into its bold, brutal action. The film’s momentum has been matched by enthusiastic promotion from the cast and crew, including a glittering Los Angeles premiere where Chopra-Jonas, in particular, set the red carpet ablaze.

The Bluff pulls no punches and brings teeth, fangs, and fury roaring back into the pirate genre. If you’re craving action cinema with real bite, the kind that leaves splinters in the floorboards and smoke in the air, then this one is not to be missed.

The Bluff is streaming now on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video

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We were very lucky to be able to sit down with Cross’s central star Aldis Hodge, alongside Season Two’s new addition Matthew Lillard, both of whom are two eclectic and extremely talented actors, and we were able to share a very open and eager chat about the series, and the intrigue that awaits audiences this season.

Check out the full interview with Aldis Hodge (Detective Alex Cross) and Matthew Lillard (Lance Durand_ below:

Both Aldis and Matthew were fantastic to talk to, and their enthusiasm for the new series had us buzzing, not to mention that they were extremely open about the moral grey aras that this new season takes’ Cross’ narrative into, and how this season will offer up plenty of insightful drama that will get fans talking amonst themselves when it comes downs to the action of right and wrong, justice and vigilantism, and just where a hero sits in a corrupted system.

Watch Season Two of Cross NOW on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video

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To celebrate the film’s January 28 arrival on Prime Video, we caught up with director Ángel Manuel Soto, and the conversation was as electric as the movie itself. Open, genuine, and excited for fans to finally see the film, Soto spoke with wicked enthusiam and creative detail about how he brought his style to shape this modern action bruiser that knows exactly when to hit hard — and when to hit harder.

During our chat, Soto dug into how filming in New Zealand helped inform the film’s narrative texture, why he cranked the intensity on a key Dave Bautista fight sequence, how anime influences fed into the design of the film’s menacing Yakuza villain, and how he layered a dark, noir edge over Hawaii’s postcard-perfect surfaces.

Watch the full interview here:

The Wrecking Crew is an action picture that roars forward with relentless intensity and unapologetic swagger — and it’s streaming now on Prime Video.

Image: Prime Video

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