Prime Video has released first look images and teaser art for the upcoming spy-thriller series Butterfly, starring and executive produced by Daniel Dae Kim, and based on the BOOM! Studios’ graphic novel series created bycreated by Arash Amel, written by Arash Amel andMarguerite Bennett, and illustrated by Antonio Fuso andStefano Simeone.. The spy-thriller series will debut on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, with all six episodes. Alongside Kim, series regulars include Reina Hardesty, Piper Perabo, and Louis Landau.
Butterfly is a character-driven spy thriller that explores complex family dynamics within the treacherous world of global espionage. It’s centered on David Jung (Kim), an enigmatic, highly unpredictable former US intelligence operative living in South Korea, whose life is blown to pieces when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt him, and he finds himself pursued by Rebecca (Hardesty), a deadly, sociopathic young agent assigned to kill him, and Caddis, the sinister spy organization she works for.
The previously announced recurring cast includes Kim Ji-hoon, Park Hae-soo, Kim Tae-hee, Charles Parnell, Sean Dulake, and Nayoon Kim, with Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa appearing in guest roles.
Ken Woodruff serves as showrunner and co-creator for the adaptation alongside acclaimed novelist Steph Cha. Executive producers include Ken Woodruff and Steph Cha; Daniel Dae Kim and John Cheng for 3AD; Stephen Christy and Ross Richie for BOOM! Studios; and Arash Amel for The Amel Company. Additionally, Adam Yoelin serves as Co-EP for BOOM! Studios. Kim’s production company, 3AD, developed the series under their first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios. Kitao Sakurai directed the first two episodes of the series.
Hasbro has announced the upcoming 36-episode CG-animated original series, Transformers: Cyberworld, will debut on the official Transformers YouTube Channel on July 12.Transformers: Cyberworld is a high-energy CG animated series for kids 6–11 that hurls Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Elita-1, Megatron, Grimlock, and more into a hostile, video game-inspired universe. In Cyberworld, nothing is as it seems — alliances shift, challenges evolve, and Energon is the key to survival.
Artist Barbara Shermund (1899- 1978) was one of the first women cartoonists for The New Yorker and other major magazines, from the 1920s into the ’60s. But she died with barely a trace – and her reputation lay dormant, until a distant relative and a cartoon historian teamed up to connect the dots of Shermund’s life and work. Correspondent Faith Salie talks with investigator Amanda Gormley and curator Caitlin McGurk (author of “Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund”) about resurrecting a trailblazing humorist and her scintillating takes on sex, marriage and society.
I’ll admit I haven’t had a chance to watch Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse which is airing on PBS as part of the 39th season of the award-winning documentary series American Masters. After this latest revelation, I’m not sure I want to. Originally reported by Anthony Kaufman for Documentary, PBS cut out a 90-second segment of the film where Spiegelman referred to President Trump’s “smug and ugly mug.” PBS has been embattled with the President and Republican part who have been trying to cut funding for the broadcast channel.
In May, the President signed an executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR as well as root out other indirect sources of public financing for the two. Trump and Republicans claim the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’” It’s not hard to connect the dots that this is the reason for the editing demands.
According to the Documentary article, the filmmakers of the documentary were told to cut a 90 second sequence twelve days before it was broadcast on April 2017. The segment is from 2017 and Spiegelman discusses an anti-Trump cartoon he created for the 2017 Women’s March newspaper.
The filmmakers, directors Molly Bernstein and Philip Dolin, who produced the film alongside Sam Jinishian and Alicia Sams had to choose to either back their licensing deal or agree to PBS’ decision and let it be broadcast with the edit.
You can see some of the deleted scene in this Instagram post:
In the scene, Spiegelman scholar Hillary Chute says:
“In this Trump and post-Trump moment, [Spiegelman] recognized how useful Maus was as a text for people explicitly reacting to and fighting fascism.”
PBS also removed Chute’s words “in this Trump and post-Trump moment,” which alters the meaning of her comments and the original context.
The decision to censor the film was made by the programming executives at PBS National and agreed to by the leadership of WNET which is one of the largest PBS networks and makes up 350 member stations and produces American Masters.
A WNET spokesperson said in response to the edits:
“as it was no longer in context today. The change was made to maintain the integrity and appropriateness of the content for broadcast at this time.”
While that might be the official statement of WNET and PBS, it’s hard not to think the real reason is that Executive Order and Trump’s focus on defunding PBS and NPR.
It also follows a pattern of media bending over backwards to not anger Trump and Republicans. Trump has threatened and launched investigations as well as filed lawsuits in a revenge tour and media has generally caved to the mad tyrant. In December, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump, agreeing to offer a written apology and make a $15 million “charitable contribution” to Trump’s future presidential foundation and museum. Trump has also filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS claiming they edited a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. He also sued The Des Moines Register, its parent company Gannett, and pollster Ann Selzer for publishing a poll suggesting Trump would lose Iowa. There’s an attack on free speech by the administration and instead of fighting against it, fights the media would likely win, they’re giving in, a step towards total fascist control. In PBS’ case they’re worried about funding, as if this editing would change that. In others, it’s Trump’s power over broadcast licenses and parent corporations. Jeff Bezos, whose companies true value is in their government contracts, censored The Washington Post‘s opinion section to be less critical of Trump resulting in contributors and editors to leave. Democracy didn’t die in the dark, it died when the broligarchs took over the media and news.
There’s irony in capitulating to a Fascist by censoring a documentary that is anti-fascist. Remember this when PBS says it fights for free speech during its next pledge drive.
Ironheart, Marvel Television‘s all-new series from executive producer Ryan Coogler, launches with a 3-episode premiere June 24 at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET, only on Disney+.
Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Nickelodeon have reached a tentative agreement on terms for their 2025 SAG-AFTRA/Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Inc. Basic Cable Television Animation Agreement (“Nickelodeon Animation Agreement”).
The Nickelodeon Animation Agreement is the contract covering animated programs for Nickelodeon basic cable and Paramount+ (The Loud House, Patrick Star Show, Kamp Koral, Rock Paper Scissors, Rugrats, Dora the Explorer, etc.).
Among the highlights of the contract are:
Pay increases worth over $3.25 million dollars in instant gains for members.
Retained higher Legacy rates.
Increased rates for Interstitials.
Increased promo tag rate to $93 per tag.
Special allocation of Health and Retirement contributions increase 75% to Health, 25% to Retirement.
New 25% premium for multitracking/sweetening.
Incorporate the updated Television Animation Agreement Made For New Media Sideletter, which includes 2023 SVOD budgets for animation, SVOD residuals improvements, a Success Bonus, new AVOD terms.
Increased clip use payments.
Payment due date moved up to 5 business days.
Substantial artificial intelligence protections and gains for voice actors from the Television Animation Agreement, that will automatically conform to any updated provisions secured in upcoming negotiations on that contract. These A.I. protections include:
Specific language acknowledging that the term “voice actors” includes only humans and that acknowledges the importance of human voice acting.
Removal of the requirement that a digital replica must exclusively sound like the recognizable natural voice of an actor in order to be protected.
Language specifying that “employment-based digital replicas” need only be recognized and identifiable via contracts and other regular business documents, confirming that it was in fact the performer’s voice used to make the replica.
Language specifying that “independently created digital replicas” need only sound like the “character voice” from which the replica was created.
Confirmation that if the voice actor’s performance is digitally altered into a foreign language, the voice actor shall be eligible for residuals based on the distribution of the foreign language version.
Language clarifying that when prompting a generative artificial intelligence system with a performer name or names, consent of those performers is required. The contract has removed the requirement, which exists in live action, that a “major facial feature” be included in the prompt with no substitute for that criterion.
The establishment of regular, mandatory artificial intelligence meetings with producers, which will include discussion of methods and systems to track the use of digital replicas.
The 2025 SAG-AFTRA/Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Inc. Basic Cable Television Animation Agreement is a three-year contract that will be considered for ratification by SAG-AFTRA’s National Board.
David Ozer has been sentenced to 18 months after being found guilty for defrauding investors in television productions. Ozer, the president of Strong Studios, is free on a $25,000 bond, but pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in the two separate criminal cases brought against him.
Ozer is the former President of IDW Entertainment, the sister company of comic publisher IDW Publishing, which was launched in 2013 and focused on funding, producing, and developing television properties. Ozer was named President of the new division. He left the company in 2018 to become an independent producer.
In 2023, prosecutors alleged that Ozer embezzled over $210,000 that was meant for the television series Safehaven. Ozer created fraudulent accounting records and faked invoices. He also stole over $200,000 meant for a series being developed called Endangered.
Ozer claims he fell victim to an extortion scheme and an individual had threatened to expose messages he had sent that would have damaged his career and marriage. He denied he used the money on luxury items.
Ozer was also ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution.
Harry must contend with another alien who looks a lot like him (but isn’t nearly as, you know, normal) and other out-of-this-world challenges inResident Alien Season 4. Watch the season premiere on June 6 at 11/10c on USA Network and SYFY.
Resident Alien is based on the comic series created by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse and published by Dark Horse. It debuted in 2012 with numerous mini-series being released since.
Resident Alien Season 4 starts with Harry (Alan Tudyk) and his baby Bridget stuck in prison on the Grey Moonbase, while a shape-shifting Alien called a Mantid (also Alan Tudyk) has taken over his body on Earth passing himself off as the real Harry Vanderspeigle. Harry manages to escape the Greys and arrives back on Earth for a showdown with the Mantid Alien, but soon finds he may not have what he needs to finish the job. Asta (Sara Tomko) and D’arcy (Alice Wetterlund) struggle to keep a secret from Ben (Levi Fiehler) and Kate (Meredith Garretson), who are both desperate to find answers to what has been happening to them. Sheriff Mike (Corey Reynolds) and Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen) attempt to solve some mysterious deaths in Patience that Sheriff Mike is beginning to think aren’t caused by anything human.
On one miraculous day in rural Wisconsin, the recently deceased suddenly rise from their graves. But this is no zombie story as the “revived” appear and act just like they once were. When local officer and single mother Dana Cypress is unexpectedly thrown into the center of a brutal murder mystery of her own, she’s left to make sense of the chaos amidst a town gripped by fear and confusion where everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.
Revival is based on the comic by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton and debuted in 2012 from Image Comics. It ran for 47 issues and featured more tie-ins.
The television show stars fan-favorite Wynonna Earp actress, Melanie Scrofano, alongside Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, and Andy McQueen. Recurring guest stars include Steven Ogg, Phil Brooks (CM Punk), Gia Sandhu, Katharine King So, Maia Jae, Nathan Dales, Mark Little, Glen Gould, Lara Jean Chorostecki, and Conrad Coates. It debuts Thursday, June 12 at 10 p.m. on SYFY with episodes available on Peacock a week after they air.
The Revival Compendium trade paperback is available at local comic book shops, independent bookstores, Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Indigo.
