First Nations actress Paulina Alexis revealed how her personal passion for Indian Relay horse racing helped her prepare to ride horses in the new television series Anna Pigeon.
Alexis, a 27-year-old native Canadian best known for her role in Reservation Dogs, portrays national park ranger Zoey Bear Child in the USA Network drama. She shared details of her experience during an exclusive joint interview with costar Ronnie Rowe on E!'s Hot Goss, hosted by Eyal Booker and Lonnie Marts IIV.
Alexis explained that filming the series allowed her to fulfill a long-held ambition on screen. "I did get to ride in Anna Pigeon, that was cool," Alexis said. "I never got to ride on any TV [show]."
Although Alexis felt comfortable mounting a stallion for the show, she admitted to being a late bloomer on horseback. She taught herself to ride at age 21 after attending a live show with friends. "I watched Indian Relay. My friends took me to a show one time and I was like, 'Yo, that looks so sick. I'm gonna do that,'" Alexis said.
Indian Relay is a high-intensity bareback sport played by Indigenous tribes of North America. The competition features four teammates and three horses, with riders racing around a track and switching horses after each lap. Alexis described the sport as demanding, noting, "It's pretty extreme. You gotta be super, super fit."
Alexis emphasized that women also participate in the sport. "And it's not just for tribesmen," Alexis added. "They have a lady warrior race and it's these ladies, they ride bareback around the track just once. And they do have ladies relay with two horses."
Despite her comfort with horses, Alexis faced a tough challenge driving a manual vehicle for the production. She was required to operate a real stick shift truck on set, a skill she had never attempted prior to filming. "I had a real stick [shift] truck on Anna," Alexis told E!. "I never drove a stick and it's a real stick truck." She noted with a laugh that she struggled initially, adding, "I kept stalling and I'd f--k up the scene."
Anna Pigeon Series Context and Broadcast Details
The drama series Anna Pigeon is based on the Nevada Barr book series of the same name. Costar Tracy Spiridakos, previously known for playing Hailey Upton on Chicago P.D., stars as titular character Anna Pigeon alongside Rowe and Alexis. The series premiered on August 7 on USA Network, where it airs Fridays at 10 p.m.
In the show, Anna Pigeon trades city life for nature following a devastating loss, working as a national park ranger who solves crimes while confronting personal demons. Both E! and USA Network are part of the VERSANT family. New episodes of Hot Goss stream Thursdays at 11 a.m. PT on E! Online and @eentertainment YouTube, where Alexis and Rowe also discussed topics such as influencers becoming actors and dating costars.
Summer Book-to-Screen Adaptations
Anna Pigeon forms part of a broader slate of fan-favorite books adapted for television and film. Netflix released Little House on the Prairie on July 9, based on the Laura Ingalls Wilder series and her childhood diaries. The series follows the Ingalls family traveling through the Midwest in the late 19th century, starring Alice Halsey, Luke Bracey, Skywalker Hughes, Crosby Fitzgerald, and Jocko Sims. Netflix has confirmed a second season is in development.
Peacock launched Five-Star Weekend on July 9, based on Elin Hilderbrand's 2023 novel. Alias alum Jennifer Garner stars as food blogger Hollis, who hosts a getaway with close friends after a tragedy. The cast includes D'Arcy Carden, Chloë Sevigny, Regina Hall, Gemma Chan, and Timothy Olyphant.
Apple TV premiered Lucky on July 15, based on Marissa Stapley's 2021 novel about a young woman returning to life as a con artist to secure her future. Produced by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, the show stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Drew Starkey, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, Clifton Collins Jr., and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.
In theatres, Universal Studios released Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey on July 17. Following his Oscar success with Oppenheimer, Nolan directed an ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron as Greek warrior Odysseus journeys home after the Trojan War.
Autumn Cinema and Streaming Releases
On September 18, 2026, Practical Magic 2 opens in theatres from Warner Bros., adapted from Alice Hoffman's 2021 novel The Book of Magic. Nearly three decades after the original movie, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Weist return as Sally, Gillian, Frances, and Jet Owens alongside Joey King to face a family curse affecting the next generation.
Prime Video debuts The Love Hypothesis on September 23. Based on Ali Hazelwood's 2021 novel, which originated as Star Wars fanfiction centered on Rey and Kylo Ren, the romantic comedy stars Riverdale alum Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, the real-life husband of actress Daisy Ridley.
Jane Austin's 1811 novel Sense and Sensibility reaches U.K. theatres on September 25, 2026, and U.S. theatres on October 16, 2026. The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Frank Fillane, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw as three Dashwood sisters seeking romance and security in Regency-era England following their father's death.
On October 2, 2026, the feature film Verity, adapted from Colleen Hoover's 2021 book, opens in theatres. The psychological story stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, following a struggling writer asked to complete a bestselling series after the author suffers a mysterious accident.
Late 2026 Blockbusters and Franchise Premieres
Lionsgate releases The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping in theatres on November 20, 2026. Adapted from Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel, the film stars Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Elle Fanning, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jesse Plemons, and Ralph Fiennes. The storyline follows a young Haymitch Abernathy, who served as mentor to Katniss and Peeta in the 74th Hunger Games, during his victory in the 50th Games.
Director Denis Villeneuve completes his sci-fi trilogy with Dune: Part 3 on December 18, 2026. Based on Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah, the film tracks Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya) as they confront Scytale (Robert Pattinson), who aims to overthrow Paul from his role as Padishah Emperor. The cast features Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Javiar Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Josh Brolin.
HBO premieres Harry Potter Season One on December 25, 2026. Based on J.K. Rowling's 1997 book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the series stars Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, Arabella Stanton, Janet McTeer, Nick Frost, Paapa Essiedu, and John Lithgow. HBO plans to film over the next decade, exploring book details omitted from the film series starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
Upcoming Romantic Dramas and Future Adaptations
Prime Video is preparing Season 2 of Off Campus, adapted from Elle Kennedy's third novel The Score. Following the relationship of Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli), the new season focuses on Allie Hayes (Mika Abdalla) and Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn), alongside cast members Jalen Thomas Brooks, Antonio Cipriano, Khobe Clarke, and India Fowler.
Netflix will release Bridgerton Season 5 in 2027, based on Julia Quinn's sixth novel When He Was Wicked. Following the death of Francesca Bridgerton's husband John Stirling (Victor Alli) in season four, the sixth sibling (Hannah Dodd) takes center stage in a queer love story. A season five synopsis notes, "Two years after losing her beloved husband John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons," but when John's cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, "Fran's complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions."
On May 7, 2027, Beach Read arrives in cinemas starring Phoebe Dynevor as January Andrews and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Gus Everett, alongside Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon, and Kristen Davis. Adapted from Emily Henry's 2020 novel about two rival writers swapping genres, author Henry remarked on Today that she is "along for the ride with the readers and we just have to trust the vision."
Apple TV is adapting Holly Gramazio's 2024 novel The Husbands, starring Juno Temple, Joe Alwyn, Richard Gadd, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Joel Kinnaman, Daniel Ings, Bob Morley, Fehinti Balogun, Tom Basden, Joe Wilkinson, Gemma Whelan, Rebekah Murrell, and Shazad Latif. The story follows a woman named Lauren whose home produces a stream of replacement husbands from her attic after she meets a spouse named Michael whom she has never seen before.
HBO and Canadian streamer Crave will air Season 2 of hockey romance Heated Rivalry in spring 2027. Combining Rachel Reid's 2022 novel The Long Game and her novel Role Model, the season follows elite athletes Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) entering their 30s, alongside cast members Francois Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Callan Potter, and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova.
Netflix is developing an animated series based on Stephenie Meyer's 2020 novel Midnight Sun, retelling Twilight from Edward Cullen's perspective. Netflix is also adapting Emily Henry's 2024 bestseller Funny Story, which follows main character Daphne navigating life with help from Miles after her fiance Peter leaves her for childhood friend Petra.
Additionally, Tessa Bailey's 2021 novel It Happened One Summer is being adapted into a film starring Nina Dobrev as exiled L.A. socialite Piper Bellinger and Tyler Hoechlin as king crab fisherman Brendan Taggart. Author Bailey told E! News: "I'm just excited to see what they bring to the characters," adding, "I think they're both such talented actors, and they're both really funny. So, I'm really excited to see the spin they put on Piper and Brendan. I think they're going to kill it."
