From Muppets to Margot, New Films Ignite Screens & Spark Debate

A new revival of "The Muppet Show" is set to premiere on ABC and Disney on February 4, according to Time magazine. This comes after decades of various Muppet-themed shows, including "Muppet Babies" in the 1980s and the 2015 sitcom "The Muppets," which Time notes was a mockumentary in the style of "The Office." The original "Muppet Show" is considered by many to be the best Muppet TV project, and this revival follows several attempts to recapture its magic, such as "Muppets Tonight" in the 1990s and "Muppets Now" in 2020, Time reports.

Meanwhile, in Iran, authorities reportedly shut down the internet on January 8 and ordered security forces to quell widespread uprisings, according to Time. The resulting crackdown led to a massacre, with Iranian health officials telling Time that the death toll could exceed estimates, potentially reaching 30,000 in 48 hours. Time reports that the events followed promises from then-President Donald Trump that the U.S. would intervene, which ultimately did not happen.

In film news, Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights," starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, was screened for the press ahead of its February 13 release. Variety reports that early reactions highlight the chemistry between Robbie and Elordi, describing it as a "whole other level of hot" in a "bodice-ripping crowd-pleaser."

Also reviewed by Variety was Brydie O'Connor's documentary, "Barbara Forever," which explores the life of lesbian film pioneer Barbara Hammer through her own images and voice. According to Variety, the film forgoes conventional biography to reassemble Hammer's life through her "defiant vision."

Jay Duplass directed "See You When I See You," starring Cooper Raiff, which Variety describes as a "too-familiar traumedy" about dealing with a sister's death. Peter Debruge of Variety notes that Duplass adapts comedian Adam Cayton-Holland's familiar look at how a family copes with sudden loss.