“Love Island” is one of Peacock’s most thrilling reality shows, featuring a cast of attractive singles and an even hotter host. Ariana Madix, who first rose to fame on “Vanderpump Rules,” has become one of the dating competition’s most essential figures, known for her stunning features, extravagant looks, and killer catwalk. And speaking of catwalk, the viral slow-mo entrances that have taken the world by storm don’t happen by surprise. In a new interview, Madix revealed that nailing those scenes takes intentionality, and to get her mind right, she channels another superstar: Beyoncé.

@cnn Ariana Madix says she taps into Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce persona when filming her signature slow-motion walk. She explains the inspiration came from seeing the singer’s “Renaissance” tour. Join CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister as she interviews Emmy-nominated celebrities on anything from their career-defining moments to news-making reflections. Stream episodes of Coming Up on the CNN app now. #arianamadix #loveisland #beyonce #confidence ♬ original sound – CNN

For those who may be unfamiliar with the aforementioned scenes, Madix’s slow-motion walks on “Love Island” are one of the things fans look forward to most during the captivating dating series. Throughout her last three seasons, the former Bravo reality star has been seen strutting her stuff in iconic, flowy dresses, striking hairdos, and breathtaking makeup.

Her sultry walks only add to the drama, and in an interview with CNN, Madix said it’s all part of the game. According to the 41-year-old, Madix channels Beyoncé, specifically the moment when she walks a catwalk during her 2023 tour “RENAISSANCE.”

“During Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour, which I saw twice, I love Beyoncé. There is a moment where she does this catwalk and it’s the intro to the song ‘Energy’ […] And we were right there and Beyoncé was making a beeline right for us and that stuck in my head,” she said.

Ariana Madix Earned An Emmy Nomination For Her Work On ‘Love Island’

Madix’s attention to detail and commitment to making viewers fall in love with “Love Island” don’t go unnoticed. The reality star recently earned an Emmy nomination for best host for a reality or reality competition program.

She opened up about her feelings regarding the special moment in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that she learned of the accomplishment while filming season 8 of the show in Fiji.

“So I ran over to answer the phone, worried that something bad had happened. And it was my team calling to tell me about it and to congratulate, and we were all so excited on the phone,” she said.

Madix Gets Candid About Possibly Returning To ‘Love Island’ For Another Season

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In another interview with Us Weekly, Madix responded to fans’ concerns about her potential departure from the series and said she’s unable to speak about the show’s future, but seemed confident she’d be back for season 9.

“I do wonder about that sometimes. [People on social media have] been saying that every year, and I always wonder where that comes from,” she said. “I have seen comments online that say there’s some sort of two-year thing and I’ve always wondered where did that [rumor] come from?”

Why Madix Loves That Fans Are Concerned About Her Future On The Show

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And while the rumors can be frustrating to deal with at times, Madix said it makes her feel good to know that fans would be disappointed if she weren’t part of the program in the future.

“But you know what? It is really nice because so many of those comments will be so positive in the sense that they’re wondering because they’re hoping that I will be back. So that’s really great,” she said. “But yeah, nothing’s been said. So I don’t know where they come up with that.”

‘Love Island’ Isn’t Over Just Yet

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Although “Love Island” wrapped a few weeks ago, the season isn’t over just yet. Madix will team up with Andy Cohen in late August 2026 to host the season 8 reunion.

According to a previous report from The Blast, Madix said she had so much fun working on the reunion with Cohen in the past and even revealed that she learned a lot about the job from him.

“I learned a little bit like, ‘Oh, I’m allowed to do that,’ which is great,” she said, adding, “We had a lot of fun together.”

The 1990s are back in a big way. Baggy jeans and relaxed fits are all the rage in fashion, while beloved films from that era like Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion with original stars Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow and Heat are about to get long-awaited follow-ups soon.

Next month, another ‘90s classic, Practical Magic, is finally getting the sequel fans have been wanting for years.

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are back as Sally and Gillian Owens, two close sisters who share the same gift for, well, practical magic.

With Practical Magic 2 set to bewitch moviegoers on September 11, Watch With Us is getting ready by watching some of Bullock and Kidman’s best movies — and, let’s be honest, some films that are so-bad-they’re-entertaining.

And to save some money to fund our holiday trip to Fiji, we’re going to one of our favorite FAST platforms to stream some of the best free-to-watch movies around.

Related: Owens Sisters Reunite in ‘Practical Magic 2’ Trailer to Stop Love ‘Curse’

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are back as the Owens sisters in the official Practical Magic 2 trailer — and this time around, a dead ex-boyfriend is nowhere in sight. “No magic is stronger than sisterhood. Cast by fate, tested by time and never broken,” Aunt Frances “Franny” (Stockard Channing) reveals in the trailer, released […]

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Where Can You Watch Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s Movies for Free?

Pluto TV is streaming some of Bullock and Kidman’s movies for free in August.

The following Sandra Bullock films are now available on-demand on Pluto TV:

Miss Congeniality
Miss Congeniality 2
Two Weeks Notice
Gravity
The Net
Forces of Nature
The Thing Called Love

Aside from the mediocre Forces of Nature, you can’t go wrong with any one of these titles. The Miss Congeniality movies have long been adored by Bullock’s fans, and Gravity is a top-tier sci-fi that gave the actress her second Oscar nomination.

If you only had time to watch one of these films, I’d recommend Two Weeks Notice. The 2002 film, which stars Bullock as a lawyer who has a combative love/late relationship with her boss, the demanding George Wade (Hugh Grant), is a top-notch rom-com that features both of its lead stars at the top of their game. It’s a low-key charmer that not a lot of people have seen.

The following Nicole Kidman films are available on-demand on Pluto TV:

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Cold Mountain
The Peacemaker
The Hours
Margot at the Wedding
Rabbit Hole
The Family Fang
Grace of Monaco
The Human Stain
The Paperboy
Genius

Is there any better encapsulation of the sheer oddity of Kidman’s filmography? The Aussie actress won an Oscar for The Hours and received critical acclaim for Margot at the Wedding and Rabbit Hole, but also starred in The Paperboy, a lurid thriller where she urinates on Zac Efron to save his life. (No, I’m not joking.)

Related: Sandra Bullock Is ‘Excited’ About ‘Practical Magic 2’ With Nicole Kidman

Fans have already started to prepare their midnight margaritas in anticipation of Practical Magic 2 — and star Sandra Bullock is thrilled to be returning for the sequel alongside Nicole Kidman. “Sandra’s really excited about Practical Magic 2,” a source exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “Nicole is someone she adores, and […]

Kidman is one of the most interesting actors working today, but I’m a huge fan of one of her more traditional films, The Hours. A literate drama about how the lives of three women from three different time periods are affected by Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway, The Hours features a star-studded cast that includes Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, John C. Reilly and Claire Danes, a brilliant score by Philip Glass and intelligent direction by Stephen Daldry. But Kidman won an Oscar for a reason, and her Virginia Woolf is a fascinating character — brilliant yet plagued with doubt, she lives to write even if it drives her mad. It’s such an impressive performance that she beat out co-star Moore (for Far From Heaven) and Diane Lane (for Unfaithful) to win her first, and so far only, Academy Award.

Netflix is giving Mizu the chance to finish her revenge story.

The streamer has officially renewed its acclaimed animated series Blue Eye Samurai for a third and final season, confirming that the upcoming chapter will bring Mizu’s story to an end. The announcement comes well ahead of Season 2, which is now set to premiere in January 2027.

Season 3 is currently planned for 2028, meaning fans won’t have nearly as long to wait between the show’s final two seasons. Production on Season 2 has reportedly wrapped, while work on the third season is already underway.

Created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, Blue Eye Samurai debuted on Netflix in 2023 and follows Mizu, voiced by Maya Erskine, a mixed-race swordmaster pursuing a brutal quest for revenge in 17th-century Japan.

Blue Eye Samurai [netflix]

Season 2 will take that journey far beyond Japan. After the events of the first-season finale, Mizu heads to London in pursuit of the remaining men connected to her past. Meanwhile, the story will continue back in Japan as Akemi and Taigen navigate Edo Castle under a dangerous new shogun and Ringo searches for a new purpose.

Erskine is expected to return alongside Brenda Song as Akemi, Darren Barnet as Taigen and Masi Oka as Ringo.

Netflix’s decision to order the final season this early gives Noizumi and Green something increasingly rare in streaming television: the opportunity to plan a definitive ending. Rather than leaving Mizu’s fate dependent on another renewal after Season 2, the creators can now build toward a planned conclusion.

The series has become one of Netflix’s most acclaimed animated originals since its debut, earning multiple awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.

Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 premieres on Netflix in January 2027, although an exact date has not yet been announced. The third and final season is expected to arrive in 2028.

Meghan Markle is reportedly considering returning to acting when she and husband Prince Harry move back to the U.K.

Australia’s news.com.au broke the news on Friday, August 21, that the Duchess of Sussex, 45, has been offered a role in an upcoming project based in the U.K. Details about the project have yet to be revealed.

The BBC and The Telegraph reported Friday that sources close to the Sussexes “have not denied” the reports.

Us has reached out to Meghan and Harry’s representatives for comment.

Related: Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s U.K. Move Change Their Royal Roles?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to return to the United Kingdom, but will they resume their duties as senior working royals? News broke on Wednesday, August 19, that Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, planned to move back to England in time for their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, to start […]

On Wednesday, August 19, People and other outlets reported that Meghan and Harry, 41, are relocating to the U.K. later this month with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.

According to the BBC, the royal couple will live in a “private, non-royal residence outside London,” and their children are already enrolled to start school in the U.K. in September.

Harry and Meghan will reportedly keep their home in Montecito, California, and their vacation residence in Portugal.

Us understands Harry’s father, King Charles III, only learned of the pair’s move on Sunday, August 16.

Harry and Meghan left the U.K. for California in 2020 after stepping down as senior working members of the royal family.

Before joining the royal family in 2018, Meghan was best known for playing paralegal Rachel Zane on the hit legal drama Suits. She was a main cast member for the show’s first seven seasons before leaving upon her engagement to Harry, at which time she stepped away from acting.

“I think what’s been so exciting [transitioning] out of my career and into, as you said, the causes I can focus even more energy on, very early out of the gate, [is that you] have a voice that people listen to, a lot of responsibility,” Meghan said at the time.

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“I’ve been working on my show seven years, we were so fortunate to have that longevity, and I feel like I checked that box and am very proud of the work I’ve done there,” Meghan added of Suits.

Since her acting retirement, Meghan has largely focused on documentary and lifestyle television shows, such as With Love, Meghan, which aired for two seasons on Netflix and was recently nominated for an Emmy, as well as her lifestyle brand, As Ever.

In November 2025, news broke that Meghan had filmed a cameo in the new movie Close Personal Friends, marking her first acting role in eight years. Meghan is expected to play herself in the film, which stars Oscar winner Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding.

We’re now at half a decade since Daniel Craig was exploded as James Bond in No Time to Die, and we’re somehow still none the wiser about who will inherit the tuxedo, bloodstains not included. This is the first time the role has needed to be recast in more than two decades, and plenty has changed since Craig was announced as Pierce Brosnan’s successor in 2005. Amazon MGM Studios now has creative control over the franchise, a new movie is finally starting to take shape, and seemingly every British actor between the ages of 25 and 45 has been linked with 007 at some point. Well, one of them isn’t up for it.

Theo James, who has regularly appeared among the frontrunners to become the next James Bond, has effectively ruled himself out of contention. Speaking with British GQ, The Gentlemen and The White Lotus star pointed to his age as one reason he doesn’t see himself taking over from Craig. “I’m definitely too old now, for one.”

That’s an interesting assessment given that James is 41 years old, while Craig was 38 when Casino Royale arrived in theaters, and Brosnan was actually older than James is now when GoldenEye introduced his version of 007 at 42. But maybe Amazon just wants someone who can spend a decade playing the role, similar to Craig’s five-film, 15-year run. Starting at 41 could potentially leave James playing Bond into his 50s.

Theo James Doesn’t Want Everything That Comes With James Bond

But it’s not just age that James is bothered by. He, quite understandly, is entirely uninterested in the fame that comes with the role. “Imagine, suddenly, you and I cannot walk down the street,” James said, particularly highlighting the effect that level of attention could have on his children. “None of that, to me, is worth it.”

James acknowledged that being offered an enormous, career-altering role can be “very intoxicating,” but questioned whether the consequences would ultimately justify accepting it. And when it comes to Bond, he feels like it’s a point of no return.

“At the time, it’s very intoxicating, being offered some huge, sexy part that would change your life forever. But it really wouldn’t ultimately be worth it. That would be an example of a place you could never come back from.”

There is currently no official date for the next James Bond movie.

Sophie Rain is turning James Fishback’s failed campaign proposal into an opportunity to support the educators he claimed his controversial tax would help. After Fishback finished a distant third in Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary, Rain announced that she would begin clearing classroom wish lists for teachers preparing for the upcoming school year. The pledge arrived after months of tension between Rain and Fishback, who personally targeted the content creator while promoting his proposed 50% “sin tax” on earnings generated through adult content platforms.

Rain announced the initiative in a TikTok video that quickly gained attention online. “This week, I’m gonna be clearing schoolteachers wish list. James Fishback, a Florida gubernatorial candidate who just lost the race, wanted to tax me 50% of my income, because he deems my job a sin, and that’s on top of the federal taxes I already paid,” Rain began.

She then questioned whether money generated through Fishback’s proposed tax would have reached Florida’s educators. “He said this, and I quote, ‘Sin Tax would be used to help school teachers in Florida,’ but we all really know where the money’s going,” she continued.

Rather than simply celebrating Fishback’s primary defeat, Rain said she wanted to help teachers directly. “So, in honor of his failed campaign, I am pledging to clear teachers’ wish list for this upcoming school year,” Rain announced. “I know how incredibly fortunate I am to be in the position I am, and I want to use my privilege to be able to give back to the teachers who really need it.”

The content creator invited educators to submit their classroom and school supply lists for consideration. “So if you’re a teacher and if you have a classroom or a school wish list, please send it to me. I’m gonna go through as many as I possibly can to start clearing them,” she said. “I love you guys, and I’m very grateful to be in the position I am, and to all the teachers out there, thank you so much for what you do.”

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Rain did not disclose how much money she intends to spend or how many teachers she expects to assist.

Content Creator Took A Victory Lap After The Election

Rain’s TikTok pledge followed several mocking posts directed at Fishback after the primary results were announced. After a post declared that U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds had defeated Fishback, Rain responded on X, “looks like i am keeping my money [laughing face emoji].”

Rain then resurfaced Fishback’s Election Day message encouraging supporters to remain in line and vote. “Better luck in 2030 maybe? [laughing face emoji],” she wrote.

James Fishback Finished A Distant Third

Donalds won the Republican nomination with approximately 47.8% of the vote, according to Spectrum News. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins finished second, while Fishback received approximately 10.5% of the vote.

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Donalds will face Democratic nominee David Jolly in November’s general election as voters select a successor to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cannot seek another consecutive term.

Fishback’s defeat prevents him from pursuing the tax as Florida’s governor during the upcoming term. However, even a victory would not have allowed Fishback to impose the levy independently. Under the Florida Constitution, a new state tax requires approval from two-thirds of the membership of both legislative chambers before being presented to the governor.

Fishback’s proposal never advanced beyond the campaign stage and was not enacted into Florida law.

Florida Candidate Proposed A 50% ‘Sin Tax’

Fishback launched the dispute in January when he announced what he described as the country’s first “OF Sin Tax.” “As Florida governor in year one, I will push for the first-of-its-kind OF Sin Tax,” Fishback declared. “If you are a so-called OF creator in Florida, you are going to pay 50% to the state on whatever you so-called earn via that online degeneracy platform…”

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The investment firm CEO said the revenue would be directed toward Florida’s education system. “We will raise hundreds of millions of dollars of income on the OF Sin Tax,” he continued. “If we don’t raise that income, you know what it’ll mean? It’ll mean something even greater has materialized for the young women and young men of our state…”

Fishback did not stop at outlining the proposal. He singled out Rain by name and directly challenged her to leave the platform. ”Hey @SophieRaiin, pay up or quit OF. As Florida Governor, I will not allow a generation of smart and capable young women to sell their bodies online,” he wrote.

Rain, a lifelong Florida resident, quickly pushed back and accused the candidate of using her profile to generate attention for his campaign.

Sophie Rain Previously Accused Fishback Of Seeking ‘Clout’

Rain previously addressed Fishback’s proposal in comments provided exclusively to The Blast. “I have not heard of this guy until now, and I have lived in Florida all my life. He’s looking for clout,” she told The Blast.

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She argued that she already pays significant federal taxes and questioned why Fishback wanted to single out creators for an additional 50% levy. “First of all, imposing a tax on OF girls is quite possibly the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of. I already pay my taxes, millions in taxes, actually,” Rain said. “Also, why are you taxing the creator, why not the subscriber?! By that logic, this makes no sense.”

Rain also warned that targeting creators could push them to relocate outside Florida, costing the state money generated through housing, tourism and other local spending.

Fishback maintained that his proposal was intended to discourage participation in an industry he considered immoral while raising money for education.

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Gwyneth Paltrow is poking fun at a viral invitation, purportedly sent by the actress for a dinner in honor of OpenAI billionaire Sam Altman.

Entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni recently reported in his Puck newsletter that “invites are going out this week for a ‘private, off-the-record al fresco dinner’” with Altman at Paltrow’s home in the Hamptons.

A purported invitation included in the story has since gone viral on social media, with some leveling criticism at Paltrow, 53, for hosting an event honoring the OpenAI CEO, whose company is behind artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT. One X user described it as “tone-deaf.”

On Thursday, August 20, the Oscar winner took to Instagram, seemingly responding to her critics with mocked-up versions of the invitation welcoming guests to enjoy dinner with horror movie character M3gan, Sex and the City’s Samantha Jones, Shrek, Jessica Rabbit and viral TikTok character Chanty Beluga.

“We’re serving swordfish burritos, cheddar foam lattes on request,” Paltrow captioned the post.

Us has reached out to Paltrow’s representative for comment on the alleged dinner as well as the authenticity of the now-viral invitation.

Paltrow previously shared how her company, Goop, is embracing AI while speaking at the Meltwater Summit in New York City.

“The train’s left the station. We’re in a time of incredible upheaval,” she said in May, per PRWeek, explaining that Goop uses AI to drive efficiency, including managing workflows.

At the time, she joked that AI functions like “a chief of staff” at her company.

In June, Paltrow made headlines when she opened up about her political beliefs.

“I notice with my own husband — who is the best person ever in the world — he’s so progressive,” Paltrow said on an episode of her “The Good Podcast,” referring to her partner Brad Falchuk.

“Like, he has such a sweet heart and he wants to make sure everybody is looked after,” she continued. “I’m pretty centrist, and my husband thinks I’m a Republican. Which, I’m not a Republican.”

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Related: Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk: A Timeline of Their Relationship

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Filled with Glee! Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk have the ultimate Hollywood romance, beginning with their TV meet-cute that led to a modern marriage and blended family. After being introduced in 2014 on the Glee set —Paltrow played Holly Holliday and Falchuk was a cocreator of the series — the couple’s professional relationship quickly turned […]

Paltrow said, “I don’t feel anything right now, to be totally honest with you. I feel I’m completely an Independent.”

During the episode, Paltrow told guest Trae Stephens — cofounder of the AI defense company Anduril — that the current political and cultural climate in the U.S. is “so charged.”

“I think in this climate, you know, sometimes I’m like, ‘Can you just listen to this?’” she said. “It’s become so binary, I think. And I am trying to, in my journey through being an American right now, trying to, I don’t know, I guess sort of weave together lots of different points of view and also to get out of that place of, like, righteousness and anger and fear.”

Widow’s Bay, a breakout streaming hit for Apple TV this summer, has been renewed for a second season, to no one’s surprise. The delightful horror comedy series stars Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis, an endearing mayor trying his darnedest to boost tourism on a New England island full of supernatural eccentricities. Namely, a haunted hotel, a back-from-the-dead bogeyman, a sea hag, and a curse tracing back to 17th-century founder Richard Warren all trouble the mayor’s aspirations to make this quirky little island into the next Martha’s Vineyard.

With its witty script, sharp plot twists, and genuine, never-overused jump scares, Widow’s Bay plays with horror conventions and tropes magnificently to create a series that feels both nostalgic and wholly original. Just as Widow’s Bay continually pays homage to a slew of classic horror films, such as The Fog and Jaws, these six books channel that same love of small-town coastal horror that makes the series so much fun. So, while you hunker down and wait for Widow’s Bay to make its return, here are six books that will satisfy your craving for strange, and likely outright cursed, seaside towns.

6

‘Scuttler’s Cove’ (2025)

By David Barnett

Image via Penguin Random House

Scuttler’s Cove by David Barnett is perhaps the closest Widow’s Bay book match for those looking for that perfect combination of seaside charm and, to quote Dale (Jeff Hiller), “this place is a death trap, run!” Set in a working village on the Cornish coast, the novel follows Merrin Moon, who returns to Scuttler’s Cove after her mother’s death and finds her humble hometown in the midst of a contemporary crisis. Wealthy second-home owners and rental companies have taken over and transformed the village, leaving locals struggling to remain in the place they’ve called home for generations.

Aside from financial woes, the townies have an even older problem brewing beneath its picturesque surface. The village locals have spent generations keeping the town’s supernatural secrets buried, but now those secrets are beginning to claw their way back into frame in this folk horror read. To sort out the trouble, it seems a sacrifice may be in order. Scuttler’s Cove is a brisk and bold story of old rites and new foes against the coastal idyll.

5

‘The Price Guide to the Occult’ (2018)

By Leslye Walton

Image via Candlewick Press

In The Price Guide to the Occult, the cursed island trope gets a wonderfully witchy makeover. The novel unfolds on Anathema Island, a remote Pacific Northwest community founded by eight settlers who made the terrible decision to burn Rona Blackburn, a witch, out of her home. Rona the witch naturally responds by cursing the island and its descendants. More than a century later, her lineage is still dealing with the consequences. Particularly, we meet descendant Nor Blackburn, the novel’s teenage protagonist with supernatural powers.

Leslye Walton’s magical realism fits into the YA classification, so if you want something a little more fun and spellbinding à la Patricia’s Sunset Cocktails, this is the book for you. Befittingly, Nor’s coming of age is tied to the appearance of a mysterious book that promises to cast any spell for the right price. Sounds simple enough, but readers will have their qualms. Things are bound to get stormy on this lush island with a dangerous, magical throughline.

4

‘Eynhallow’ (2024)

By Tim McGregor

Image via Raw Dog Screaming Press

Set in the Orkney Islands in 1797, Eynhallow is the only period piece of the bunch. Eynhallow follows Agnes Tulloch, a mother of four who has found her new island home to be not very paradisal. Her already difficult life takes an even stranger turn when an aristocratic stranger arrives on Eynhallow Isle and rents an abandoned cottage, and she gets hired out as a cook and washerwoman there. The mysterious newcomer is a scientist who has come to the remote island to fulfill a monstrous obligation. Said scientist is none other than Victor Frankenstein. Yes, this powerful novella is a Frankenstein rework, imagining what might have happened when Victor traveled to the Orkneys to create a companion for his creature.

Through Agnes’ perspective, author Tim McGregor transforms the isolated island into a gothic terrain where the arrival of a Byronic outsider threatens to upend a fragile community and, more intimately, Agnes’ internal world. If your favorite aspect of Widow’s Bay is the show’s ability to make the island itself feel like a realized character, Eynhallow delivers that same sense of place, but across the pond in the richly folkloric archipelago off mainland Scotland.

3

‘The Lighthouse Witches’ (2021)

By C.J. Cooke

Image via HarperCollins

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke has all the coastal horror essentials: a remote Scottish island, an ominous lighthouse, missing children, witchcraft, and supernatural creatures lurking in the landscape. The story kicks off when single mother Liv travels to a remote island to paint a mural inside a 100-year-old lighthouse. She sees the job as an opportunity for a fresh start with her three daughters, but her plan goes spectacularly wrong when two of her children disappear. Only one returns.

Lune, the surviving daughter, circles back to the island 22 years later, still in search of her missing family members, when she receives a call that seems to offer an impossible breakthrough. The subsequent mystery narrative stretches across multiple timelines, gradually revealing the island’s dark history and the sinister folklore surrounding the lighthouse. Beneath the lighthouse is a cave that once imprisoned women accused of witchcraft, while local legends speak of supernatural “wildlings” capable of mimicking human children. It’s an especially good choice for Widow’s Bay viewers who were thrilled by the show’s still-blossoming supernatural mythology, tied distinctly to tunneling underground locations.

2

‘Duma Key’ (2008)

By Stephen King

Image via Scribner

There’s always a niche Stephen King title ready and waiting for any horror book list! This time, it’s Duma Key. A bit of a hefty read, clocking in at over 600 pages for the paperback edition, this book is more of a slow-burn supernatural horror story. Less comedic than Widow’s Bay, King makes excellent use of a distinctly tropical, remote setting off the coast of Florida. Sure, King is widely known for his Maine-based scares, but it turns out the Gulf Coast is just as eerie and effective a backdrop as New England.

The plot of Duma Key follows Edgar Freemantle, who lost his right arm in a construction accident. Reeling from the life-changing injury and a recent divorce, he decides to move from Minnesota to a Florida beach house. This psychologist-endorsed relocation, however, doesn’t turn out to be as peaceful as he hoped. Although Edgar rekindles his passion for art and receives recognition for his talent as a painter, his paintings seem to possess a power of their own. Indeed, Edgar’s newfound artistic calling has otherworldly undercurrents, connecting him to the island’s disturbing history and the troubled past of an elderly woman he befriends, named Elizabeth Eastlake.

1

‘The Lamplighters’ (2021)

By Emma Stonex

Image via Pan Macmillan

The Lamplighters is framed around a lighthouse mystery comparable to the missing fisherman incident that kicks off Widow’s Bay Season 1. Inspired by the real-life mystery of the Flannan Isles lighthouse keepers, Emma Stonex’s novel begins in 1972, when three men stationed on a remote tower off the Cornish coast disappear under bizarre circumstances. The lighthouse door is locked from the inside, and the table had been set for a meal that was never eaten. Stranger still, all the clocks had stopped at exactly 8:45, and although their weather log describes a violent storm, the skies were clear.

20 years later, a writer approaches the three women who the missing men left behind, hoping to solve the mystery. As their stories unfold, the final weeks the keepers spent in the lighthouse are sketched. Secrets begin surfacing, and the looming question of whether anything supernatural happened becomes increasingly difficult to answer. For Widow’s Bay fans who particularly enjoy the show’s overcast maritime atmosphere and mysteries, this read offers a more subdued but equally compelling dose of coastal dread.

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Release Date

April 28, 2026

Network

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Apple TV

Showrunner

Katie Dippold

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Directors

Sam Donovan, Andrew DeYoung, Hiro Murai, Ti West

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Writers

Alberto Roldán, Neil Casey, Kelly Galuska, Colton Dunn, Dave Harris, Katie Dippold, Mackenzie Dohr

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