This week on Checkin the Gate, Owen Rogers checks in from the working actor grind with one audition on the books, an upcoming photography show, and progress on the indie film Edgewood. Then it’s time for industry headlines: a Game of Thrones movie in development, Zendaya and Tom Holland’s wedding making waves across Hollywood, Abbott Elementary renewed again, and Byron Allen making a major media power move. Owen spotlights the streaming sci-fi drama In the Blink of an Eye, starring Daveed Diggs and Rashida Jones, a series that’s less about time travel and more about grief, compromise, and the choices that shape our lives. Plus: updates on Hijack, Industry Finale, Paradise, the Atlanta-shot crime series DTF St. Louis, the Scrubs revival, and another wild entry in Cartoon Corner. On the film side, Owen dives into the Black indie feature 2021's "Millennials" starring Kyle Massey and Philip Daniel Bolden before breaking down the weekend box office led by Scream 7. Prestige TV, industry insight, horror franchise analysis, and the reality of chasing a career in Hollywood.
This week’s real-life update:
1 audition completed
Upcoming photography art show
Currently working on the film Edgewood
Industry headlines discussed:
A Game of Thrones feature film reportedly in development
Zendaya and Tom Holland married, a major pop-culture moment
Abbott Elementary renewed for Season 6
Michael Jai White joining an HBCA martial arts film alongside Tai Mai and Walter Jones
Media mogul Byron Allen acquiring a 10.7% stake in Starz
The larger conversation: who is gaining power in the entertainment business and how those shifts affect working actors.
This week’s series spotlight is In the Blink of an Eye.
Starring Daveed Diggs and Rashida Jones, the show explores three timelines unfolding at once.
Owen’s take:
Themes of loss, compromise, and acceptance
The human consequences of impossible choices
A standout performance from Kate McKinnon, possibly her most layered dramatic work yet
The question the show keeps asking: what would you sacrifice to fix the past?
In Hijack Episodes 7 and 8:
Double agent exposed
Pure suspense with almost no action
Season leaning more psychological than explosive
First four episodes of Paradise bring:
A bigger world than last season
James Marsden appearing in flashbacks
A shocking cliffhanger setup
A short but impactful arc from Shailene Woodley
In Industry:
“Both/And” philosophy in action
Yas becomes the true power broker
Eric’s tape becomes leverage
Harper pushed toward emotional depth
Whitney disappears after taking the fall
Henry breaks under the system but survives
The show keeps asking whether becoming powerful requires losing part of yourself.
The crime mystery DTF St. Louis features:
Jason Bateman doing peak Jason Bateman
David Harbour adding tension
Cristin Milioti rounding out the cast
Filmed in Atlanta but dressed to look like St. Louis.
Scrubs revival announced
Most of the cast returning
JD now the Chief of Surgery
Darwin Incident reveals Lucy’s dark secret involving kidnapping
Owen reviews Millennials, streaming on AMC Networks platform ALLBLK.
Cast includes:
Kyle Massey
Phillip Daniel Bolden
Creative team:
Written by Orren and Rugg Williams (father-son duo)
Directed by Rugg Williams and Bentley Kyle Evans
Observations:
Acting energy reminiscent of early child sitcom performances
Dialogue often feels like first takes
Story centered around an internship dynamic
Standout comedic performance: Aaron Grady as Todd.
This week’s numbers:
Scream 7 – $65M opening
GOAT – $12M
Wuthering Heights
Twenty One Pilots We Could Never Imagine
Inside the Scream 7 conversation:
Neve Campbell returns after missing the last film
Melissa Barrera absent after controversy
Jenna Ortega absent due to scheduling
Courteney Cox appears again
Highlights:
Legacy characters returning
Guest appearances from previous killers
Tech evolution in modern horror
Best kill of the movie: the bar spike sequence.
The power shifts happening in Hollywood ownership
Sci-fi storytelling about grief and compromise
Prestige TV power dynamics
Black indie filmmaking ecosystems
Horror franchise evolution
What it means to build an acting career in real time