After almost a decade of start-and-stop updates, the live-action Naruto movie is finally acting like a real movie. Not a rumor, not a press release that gets buried six months later. Actual movement.

Where this thing stands

• Lionsgate first announced a Naruto adaptation back in 2015. Then... mostly crickets.
• It now has a filmmaker: Destin Daniel Cretton is writing and directing. He previously helmed Marvel's 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' and is attached to direct 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.'
• Masashi Kishimoto is involved creatively. That matters. A lot.
• Producers are Avi Arad (through Arad Productions) and Jeremy Latcham, both very familiar with large-scale franchise filmmaking.
• Global casting has kicked off for the three leads: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. The search is looking beyond the usual Hollywood names.
• Supporting roles will be cast after Team 7 is locked in.
• This is the clearest sign yet the project has moved from endless pre-production into active development.

So, who is playing Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura?

We do not have names yet. Lionsgate has opened a worldwide hunt for the three core roles, which tells you they are trying to find the right fit instead of forcing star power. After those three are chosen, they will move on to the rest of the cast.

Fans are already weighing in with, shocker, very strong opinions: some are begging the studio to treat the series like the top-tier property it is, and others are reminding everyone to be decent human beings to whichever young actors land these parts. Both points are fair.

What are they adapting?

No official synopsis. If you are taking bets, the safest money is on starting where the manga starts: Naruto as a scrappy, lonely academy grad desperate for recognition, which naturally tees up Team 7 with Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi. That gives you the character foundation before the story scales up in later movies.

Why the optimism now?

Kishimoto is not just rubber-stamping this; he is publicly excited about Cretton's take. The big swing with Naruto is not the fireworks, it is the character work — grief, found family, grudges, forgiveness. That is the stuff you have to nail in live action or the kunai throwing means nothing.

'Miracles are happening to me one after another. My work, Naruto, is actually becoming a Hollywood movie! And an even bigger miracle is that the film will be directed by the one and only Destin Daniel Cretton. I still cannot believe it! If so many miracles have already happened, then let us hope for even more...'

Again, a creator this enthusiastic about the director is not nothing. It is a rare bit of encouraging signal in a genre that usually gives us noise.

When could we actually see it?

No release date yet. Casting has only just begun. Filming is not publicly scheduled, and the studio has not announced when production starts. Given how these things go — casting, shoot, heavy VFX, long post — the realistic window people are floating is 2027 or 2028. Not official, but sensible. Translation: patience.

Bottom line

After years of speculation about whether Hollywood could do justice to ninja villages, clan drama, and one very loud orange jumpsuit, this version finally has momentum. If Cretton and company capture even a slice of the heart that made Naruto a global phenomenon, the wait might actually be worth it. Your move, Hidden Leaf.

If you have been waiting to watch 'Obsession' at home, the wait finally has an end date. After chewing through the box office way longer than anyone expected, the streaming plan is locked.

When and where to watch

'Obsession' hits Peacock on July 17, 2026. The digital rollout got pushed because the theatrical run just kept printing money. Focus let it play, and play, and play — and now the at-home window is officially here.

How big did this get?

• $370 million worldwide on a production budget under $1 million. Yes, those zeros are in the right places.
• Now the highest-grossing release in Focus Features history.
• Focus originally picked it up for $14 million at the Toronto International Film Festival before it exploded.
• Opened to over $17 million domestic, then did that rare thing where the momentum actually grew in the weeks after.
• Audience and critic marks were strong: an A- from CinemaScore and a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The takeaway: a scrappy, psychological indie can still blow up without big-studio muscle if the movie hits a nerve. This one did.

The filmmaker who came in through the side door

Curry Barker did not start with a studio deal. He built an audience online, turning out tense little nightmares and comedy bits on his YouTube channel 'That's a Bad Idea' with collaborator Cooper Tomlinson. If you want to see the DNA of 'Obsession' in miniature, check out shorts like 'Contemplation', 'Real World', and 'WesternTown' — quick setups, sharp execution, no wasted motion.

That run opened a lot of doors fast. Barker is writing, directing, and starring in an upcoming horror film called 'Anything But Ghosts', and he is also attached to direct a new 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' reboot for A24. Not bad for a guy who was programming his own channel not that long ago.

'been watching obsession interviews the whole afternoon damn curry barker is genius'

So, should you rewatch it?

If you missed it in theaters or you are ready for round two, Peacock is your date on July 17. And if you have seen that headline about it breaking a Bruce Lee record from 1978 — yes, that is a thing people are talking about too. Either way, the movie that went from internet roots to full-on commercial juggernaut is finally coming to your couch.

If you grew up on the old show or just know the books from school, Netflix’s new Little House on the Prairie is not a nostalgia cash-in so much as a reset. It goes back to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s early timeline, treats the prairie like a real place with real stakes, and asks if this story still hits in 2026. Short version: mostly, yes.

What this version actually covers

The series sticks closer to Wilder’s novels than the 1974 TV hit. We meet the Ingalls family as they leave Wisconsin and try to start fresh on the Kansas prairie, specifically on the Osage Nation Reservation, across 1869–1871. Instead of cranking up plot twists, the show leans into everyday life: Charles raising a cabin from nothing, Caroline holding the family together, Laura poking her curious nose into everything while Mary keeps a steadier head. It’s a family hangout drama with frontier-level consequences.

As the settlement grows, the world widens around the girls. Laura’s friendships with John and with Good Eagle feel lived-in, not stapled on, and the show actually pays attention to the people who were already there before the Ingalls rolled in. That shift matters, and the series makes space for it.

Episode 7 flips the camera, then the season lights a match

Midseason, the focus turns hard toward the Osage community. Their leaders aren’t budging on giving up land despite the pressure, and that tension hums in the background while the Ingalls deal with more immediate problems. Money runs out, so Caroline goes looking for work. Laura, who’s been more observer than orator, steps up and starts speaking in public. By the end of the episode, a harsh revelation tied to Dr. George Tann leaves Emily gutted, and the Osage face new threats that aren’t going away.

The finale doesn’t pull punches either. A double hit of betrayal and a prairie fire threatens everything the Ingalls built. Laura and Mary want in on the fixing; Charles and Caroline say no, which leads to a quiet, honest father-daughter talk that lands. The season closes with a heartfelt community send-off and the Ingalls making a tough call: they sell the house to clear Emily’s debt. It’s bittersweet, and it works.

The cast is the engine

• Main family: Alice Halsey centers the show as Laura with curiosity and a real emotional spine; Skywalker Hughes gives Mary a grounded warmth that pairs perfectly with Laura’s spark; Luke Bracey’s Charles is steady without being dull; Crosby Fitzgerald’s Caroline projects quiet strength and slowly checks her own blind spots.
• Osage and community focus: Laura and Good Eagle’s friendship evolves naturally, and the story brings the Mitchell family and the wider Osage community to the front of the frame. The production casts Indigenous actors in these roles and actually engages with displacement, community, and colonialism instead of treating them as wallpaper.
• Standouts around town: Warren Christie brings easy warmth to John Edwards; Jocko Sims makes Dr. George Tann one of the settlement’s most compassionate figures; Barrett Doss charts Emily’s emotional arc with detail and restraint.

How it looks and sounds

Shot in Manitoba, the show gets a lot of value out of big skies and open plains, letting the landscape carry both awe and loneliness. The period build-out feels tactile: cabins that look hammered together by actual hands, clothing that reads as worn, lighting and props that sell the day-to-day. Dan Romer’s score supports rather than smothers, the sound design sells the environment, and the editing keeps eight episodes moving at a steady pace. The one obvious digital seam: the CGI wolves in the opener. You’ll notice them. You’ll also move on.

Dates, renewals, the housekeeping

Netflix first rolled out the Ingalls casting on May 2, 2025. The series premieres July 9, and it’s already been renewed for Season 2. So if you’re in, there’s more coming.

The verdict

This is a thoughtful adaptation that respects Wilder’s books while widening the lens to the people who were there before the homestead. It doesn’t force 2026 talking points into 1870, but it also doesn’t pretend the prairie was empty. Strong performances, a lived-in production, and a clear-eyed look at community and family make it an easy recommend for newcomers and anyone who wore out syndicated reruns.

Netflix's new Little House on the Prairie wraps its first chapter with the Ingalls family doing the unthinkable: packing up and leaving the land they bled for. It is not a twist for shock value. It is a slow-motion avalanche of bad breaks, messy town politics, and one truly brutal fire. The show gets sentimental, sure, but it earns it. And yes, it already has a Season 2 on the way.

So... do they actually leave?

They do. And it is not a spur-of-the-moment wagon-wheel spinout. Money is tight, Caroline picks up work, and Charles keeps grinding, but a betrayal from people they trusted threatens their home and land. Then a prairie fire rips through and takes most of the settlement with it. Rebuild? The Ingalls girls try, but Charles reads the room: there is no starting over here.

Before they go, he sits Laura down for a talk that hits the thesis of the whole series right on the nose:

"Your strength comes from the values you live by, not the patch of ground under your feet."

It is not just Charles and Laura. Laura says a hard goodbye to Good Eagle. Mary parts ways with Caleb. The town, hearing the Ingalls are leaving, rallies to send them off properly. And in a very specific, very telling move, the Ingalls sell their house to clear the debt tied to Emily's store and to give another family — explicitly including an Osage family — a shot at a fresh start in the place they built. That detail matters.

The Edwards of it all

Edwards does his own version of a curtain call. He steps back during the town farewell, then quietly waits for the Ingalls down the road. Mid-journey, Jack peels off... only to come back with Edwards, who basically says, I was never going to let you do this alone.

And he has a plan. Edwards tells them his ex-wife's cousin is in a Minnesota town called Walnut Grove. Her husband works there. He even pulls out a drawing of the local store like a traveling salesman of new beginnings. It is a little random, a little sweet, and exactly the kind of nudge this family needed. With Edwards leading the way, they point the wagon at Walnut Grove — not as a retreat, but as a reset.

What the ending is really saying

Laura has leveled up. By the finale she is not the kid we met at the start; she is confident enough to stand up and speak in public. Leaving the prairie hurts, but the show makes a clean argument: home is a set of values, not coordinates on a map.

For Charles and Caroline, the arc is just as clear. Poverty and disaster can shove you off your land; they do not have to knock you off your principles. The final image is equal parts misty-eyed and forward-leaning: the Ingalls say goodbye to what they built, keep what actually matters, and roll toward Walnut Grove.

Where this leaves the show

Little House on the Prairie is based on the classic books and premieres July 9. Netflix has already renewed it for Season 2, so this goodbye is more midpoint than ending.

• Premiere: July 9 (Netflix)
• Renewal: Season 2 confirmed ahead of the debut
• Main cast: Alice Halsey as Laura, Luke Bracey as Charles, Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline, Skywalker Hughes as Mary
• Story beats that matter: betrayal in town jeopardizes the Ingalls' land; a wildfire wipes out much of the settlement; Laura says goodbye to Good Eagle; Mary parts from Caleb; the Ingalls sell their house to clear Emily's store debt and to give another family — especially an Osage family — a new start; Jack momentarily leaves and returns with Edwards; Edwards points them to Walnut Grove (Minnesota) via his ex-wife's cousin and a sketched-out store

Conor McGregor is about to test the most talked-about comeback of his career at UFC 329, streaming on Paramount+. After a long layoff, the former two-division champ keeps saying this one means more than any fight he has ever had. For once, everyone around him is nodding along. His camp has been different. Like, actually different.

What changed this time

• He kept his distance from longtime partner Dee Devlin during camp and abstained from sex for the first time in his career. Yes, really.
• He essentially moved into the gym. Coach John Kavanagh says McGregor asked to put a bed in a storage room so he could crash there before big sparring days.
• This started around Christmas and stuck. What was supposed to be a quick experiment turned into several nights a week at the facility.
• Waking up in the gym narrowed his world to training, recovery, and sparring. No errands, no noise, no excuses.
• The discipline surprised even his own team. Kavanagh says the weight is coming off without drama and the overall camp has been, in his words, fantastic.

Why the self-imposed bubble

Kavanagh laid it out on Welcome to the Ariel Helwani Show: they tried the live-at-the-gym idea and expected it to fade after a week. It did not. The routine clicked. Being on-site reshaped McGregor’s day and, according to his coach, his mindset. Physically, he looks sharper. Mentally, he is locked in. It is a very old-school move for a guy whose life is usually anything but.

"I had a storage room, and he asked if he could put a bed in it."

McGregor’s read on himself

In clips shared by Ariel Helwani on July 8, 2026, McGregor said the fire in his belly is roaring and about to be let loose. He is promising a performance fans will remember when he finally steps in with Max Holloway. And to be fair, that tracks with how Kavanagh is talking about him right now.

Why this matters if you actually watch the stuff

If you saw his Netflix docuseries, this stripped-down version of McGregor will feel familiar: fewer distractions, more grind. The difference is how far he pushed it this time. Between the bed-in-the-storage-room routine and the no-nonsense personal life rules, this looks like the most immersive prep he has had in years. Whether those sacrifices cash out as a win is up to the cage.

UFC 329 is on Paramount+. Holloway is no soft landing. But if Kavanagh is right, we are about to see the most focused Conor McGregor in a long, long time.

Think this version of McGregor changes the fight with Holloway? Drop your call in the comments.

Remember that 2012 rumor that Shia LaBeouf knocked out Tom Hardy on the set of Lawless? It has lived rent-free in film Twitter brains for a decade. Turns out the story is kind of true, kind of not, and way dumber than the legend.

So... did Shia really KO Tom Hardy?

Back when they shot Lawless, things did get heated. Director John Hillcoat has said the tension between LaBeouf and Hardy was real enough that they had to be pulled apart at least once. That much checks out.

This week, LaBeouf finally walked through the so-called knockout on Hot Ones with host Sean Evans. He says there was no real bad blood — just a lot of messing around backstage.

"Yeah, it is a bunch of bullshit. We used to wrestle all the time and [Tom Hardy is] a big f****** person, especially then. He was getting ready [to play] Bane."

The key detail there: Hardy was bulking up for The Dark Knight Rises, so he was massive. According to LaBeouf, Hardy barged into his room after a gym session, it turned into friendly roughhousing at the top of a staircase, and then Hardy stepped wrong and went tumbling down the stairs. Not exactly Fight Club.

"For the rest of the shoot, he told everybody I knocked him out."

So yes, someone hit the floor — but it was a stumble during horseplay, not a clean Shia right hook. And Hardy, apparently, was happy to let the myth ride.

Meanwhile: Tom Hardy and MobLand look back on track

On the TV side, Hardy’s series MobLand on Paramount+ has had its own share of behind-the-scenes chatter. He was rumored to have clashed with showrunner Jez Butterworth during Season 2 over things like late scripts, limited on-set presence, and other production headaches. That spiraled into talk that Hardy might bail on the franchise.

The temperature seems lower now. Deadline reports Hardy is expected to return. There is not an official Season 3 pickup yet, but conversations about the next chapter are happening and he is said to be part of those plans. No release date in sight.

Also worth noting: the show’s official account posted on July 8, 2026 — "Back to Bloody Business. Teaser tomorrow." Read that how you want, but it sounds like the machine is moving again.

Bottom line: the LaBeouf-Hardy dustup was more pratfall than punch-up, and MobLand looks like it is keeping its star. Frankly, both outcomes make more sense than the rumors ever did.

The explanation has less to do with Larroquette than with a show fighting for its life.

A show already on borrowed time

Created by Stephen J. Cannell and starring Robert Conrad as real-life Marine ace Greg "Pappy" Boyington — who served as a consultant on the series — Baa Baa Black Sheep premiered on September 23, 1976. Critics weren't kind. The Washington Post greeted the debut by calling it a series aimed

"at anyone who remembers World War II as a rousing, blowzy, fraternity turkey-shoot."

NBC dropped the show after one season, then brought it back for midseason under a new name, Black Sheep Squadron, with season 2 premiering on December 14, 1977. The reprieve came with a catch: the ratings had to improve, fast — and the show was up against ABC's Charlie's Angels, the biggest hit on television.

The retool that cleared the flight line

NBC and the producers answered Charlie's Angels the least subtle way possible. For the show's final seven episodes, the cast list was revamped: several squadron pilots were dropped, a 16-year-old flier named Jeb Pruitt was added, and four nurses arrived on the island — promptly nicknamed "Pappy's Lambs." The Lambs included Denise DuBarry as Lt. Samantha Greene and Nancy Conrad, Robert Conrad's own daughter.

Larroquette exited after the sixth episode of season 2, right as the revamp hit. Anderson got no death scene and no goodbye; he just stopped appearing.

He wasn't the only one

• James Whitmore Jr. (Capt. Jim Gutterman) — one of the squadron's original leads, gone after the first season.
• Robert Ginty (Lt. T.J. Wiley) — also written out during the season 2 shake-up.
• The replacements — Jeb Stuart Adams as teenage pilot Jeb Pruitt, who lasted just seven episodes, plus the four nurses meant to lure away the Charlie's Angels audience.

Did the gamble work?

No. The nurses couldn't outdraw the Angels, and NBC ended the show on April 6, 1978, with "A Little Bit of England" — a finale best remembered for its guest star, rock legend Peter Frampton, in his only fictional role on American television.

Larroquette's own 1970s were rough — he has been open about the alcoholism he battled through the decade — but the exit from the flight line turned into a launchpad. He got sober, and by 1984 he was stealing Night Court as prosecutor Dan Fielding, on the way to four consecutive Emmys.

Anderson never got a farewell episode. Neither, really, did the show.

The plan was always "the present"

For All Mankind starts from a single point of divergence — the Soviets beat America to the Moon in 1969 — and each season jumps roughly a decade closer to now. Creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi built the show around one question: how different could today look if the space race never ended? Fans long assumed a seven-season plan. Nedivi corrected the record in a March 2026 Collider interview:

"We'd always said it'd be 'like six or seven.'"

The goal, he explained, was always to reach the present day — and after mapping out season 5, the team realized one more season would complete the story. The season 5 finale's flash-forward lands in 2020, putting the finish line one jump away. The show isn't being cut short. It arrived early.

What season 6 has to resolve

• The Titan discovery — season 5 ended with evidence of microbial life on Titan. Wolpert has said the discovery is the thrust of the final season.
• The Mars-94 mystery — the Soviet ship from season 3 reappeared in the finale, a loose thread the showrunners promise will loop together in unexpected ways.
• Happy Valley's new order — after the violent standoff on Mars, the settlement won greater autonomy, with Miles sworn into a senior post in the closing montage.
• The alternate 2020s — the season will finally show the present the entire series has been building toward since 1969, likely moving around within the decade rather than sitting in a single year.

When it arrives — and what happens to the franchise

Filming on season 6 began on March 16, 2026, with a 2027 release expected and Daniel C. Connolly joining as an additional showrunner; Topher Grace has been reported among the new cast. And the universe isn't shutting down with the flagship.

Star City, an eight-episode spinoff telling the story from the Soviet side with Rhys Ifans in the lead, premiered on May 29, 2026 — the same day the main show's fifth season wrapped its run.

For All Mankind launched on November 1, 2019, alongside Apple TV+ itself. Now it gets the thing almost no streaming-era show gets: a finish line its creators chose.

Every death in the episode

• 1st Lt. Thomas Meehan III — Easy Company's commanding officer, killed when his C-47 takes anti-aircraft fire and goes down in flames. His death is what puts Dick Winters in command.
• 1st Sgt. William Evans and the rest of Meehan's stick — the plane carried 17 paratroopers and a crew of 5. Nobody survived. Twenty-two men, gone before a single boot hit Normandy.
• Winters' co-pilot — killed by a shell burst moments before the jump, panicking the pilot into flipping the green light early.
• Pvt. John Hall — the radioman Winters links up with on the ground, killed by an explosion in the trenches at Brécourt while running back for more TNT. The episode's gut punch, and the loss Winters visibly carries out of his first day of combat.
• A lost GI at Brécourt — an unnamed soldier who raises his head at the wrong moment and takes a round.
• The German gun crews — killed as Winters' men roll up the trench line, gun by gun.
• The German prisoners — the episode heavily implies that Lt. Ronald Speirs machine-guns a group of POWs after handing out cigarettes. It's shown obliquely, and treated as rumor for the rest of the series.

The real Meehan crash

Meehan's aircraft — plane 66 — was hit by German flak over Normandy in the early hours of June 6, 1944. The pilots tried to put it down in a field near Beuzeville-au-Plain, but the plane clipped a hedgerow and burst into flames, killing everyone aboard.

Because no one witnessed the crash and lived to report it, Meehan was carried as missing in action for years; the wreckage wasn't properly identified until 1952. Before boarding, he had handed off one last letter to his wife, Anne. It ended: "I love you Sweetheart — forever."

The death Winters never forgot

Hall feels like a screenwriter's invention — the friendly stranger who bonds with the hero and then dies. He wasn't. John D. Hall was a real trooper from Able Company, killed in the Brécourt assault.

The show's version is played by a very young Andrew Scott, years before Sherlock's Moriarty and Fleabag's Hot Priest.

Not everyone hit at Brécourt stayed down, though: "Popeye" Wynn is shot in the backside and apologizes for goofing up, and Joe Toye survives two absurdly close calls with the same grenade sequence.

What the show gets right

The series is built on Stephen Ambrose's 1992 book, itself drawn from interviews with the surviving men of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Nearly every named character was a real soldier — no invented heroes, almost no composites.

The big set pieces all happened: the runs up Currahee under Herbert Sobel, the D-Day assault on the guns at Brécourt Manor (still taught at West Point as a model small-unit attack, and the action that earned Winters the Distinguished Service Cross), the frozen siege at Bastogne, the discovery of the Kaufering concentration camp in April 1945, and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest.

Producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg spent roughly $125 million — then the most expensive television production ever made — and ran the cast through a boot camp led by military advisor Dale Dye to get the details right.

Where it gets things wrong

• Albert Blithe — the show's biggest documented error. The epilogue claims Blithe never recovered from the wound he took in Normandy and died in 1948. In reality, he recovered fully, jumped into Korea with the 187th Airborne, earned a Silver Star, and stayed in uniform until his death in 1967. The mistake came from what Easy's own veterans genuinely believed had happened to him.
• Lieutenant Norman Dike — portrayed as a hollow careerist who freezes during the attack on Foy. The real Dike held two Bronze Stars, and historians have argued the show flattens him into a villain the record doesn't fully support.
• Joseph Liebgott — depicted as one of Easy's Jewish soldiers, which gives the concentration camp episode extra weight. Later research indicates Liebgott was actually Catholic, of Austrian descent.
• The Speirs legend — the story of Ronald Speirs gunning down German prisoners on D-Day is presented as rumor in the show, and rumor is what it remains. No one ever verified it.
• Compression and invention — timelines get shuffled (Nixon's demotion, for instance, actually preceded the Operation Varsity jump rather than following it), dialogue is written, and some minor figures are merged or repositioned for clarity.

So how true is it?

Truer than almost anything else in the genre. The framework, the battles, the casualties, and the men are real; the connective tissue — conversations, small moments, exact sequencing — is dramatized. Some errors were inherited from Ambrose's book, which leaned on memories already half a century old.

Easy Company's cost was not exaggerated, though: the unit suffered roughly 150 percent casualties across the war, as wounded men were replaced and the replacements were hit in turn.

The last word belongs to the series itself. In the finale, the real Dick Winters quotes a letter from Sergeant Mike Ranney, describing what Ranney told his grandson when asked if he'd been a hero in the war:

"No… but I served in a company of heroes."

That line wasn't written for television. Neither was most of the show.

The reason was the same one the real Nixon carried through the entire war: drinking.

What the show tells us

In "Why We Fight" (2001), Nixon returns from the Operation Varsity jump a wreck — his plane took a direct hit, and most of the men aboard never got out. Winters breaks the news that he's been demoted from Regimental S-2 to Battalion S-3.

The next day a letter arrives: his wife is divorcing him and taking everything. The episode never spells out the cause of the demotion, but it doesn't have to. Nixon spends most of it hunting occupied Germany for a bottle of Vat 69.

The true story behind the demotion

The real demotion came in the spring of 1945 at Mourmelon, France, after the Battle of the Bulge — and it came straight from the top. Colonel Robert Sink had run out of patience with his regimental intelligence officer's drinking and wanted Nixon transferred out of the 506th entirely. In his 2006 memoir Beyond Band of Brothers, Winters recorded Sink's complaint bluntly:

"The man's drunk all the time."

Winters intervened for his friend, telling Sink he could still get good work out of Nixon if the man served directly under him. Sink relented. Nixon kept his captain's bars but lost the regimental post, moving down to 2nd Battalion S-3 under Winters. By Winters' account, Nixon took the demotion without a fight.

The show shuffles the order slightly.

In reality, the demotion came first — then Winters sent Nixon as an observer on Operation Varsity, the Rhine crossing of March 24, 1945. Nixon was jumpmaster on a C-46 that took a direct flak hit, and he was one of only four men to get out before it went down. Third combat jump, third brush with death, still not a single shot fired in anger.

Nixon's war in four facts

• Three combat jumps — Normandy, Market Garden, and the Rhine, without ever firing his weapon at the enemy.
• The vice — Vat 69 blended Scotch, which he could famously source anywhere in Europe. In the show he admits to a case hidden in Winters' footlocker.
• The demotion — Regimental S-2 down to 2nd Battalion S-3, spring 1945, rank retained.
• The telegram — the divorce notice was real, and it arrived at the worst possible time.

What happened to him after the war

The bleakness didn't end in 1945. Nixon went home to run the family business, Nixon Nitration Works, and kept drinking through a second failed marriage. The turn came in 1956, when he married Grace Umezawa — Winters was his best man — and finally got sober for good. The two officers stayed close friends until Nixon's death on January 11, 1995.

Winters never wavered on him, calling Nixon "the best combat officer who I had the opportunity to work with under fire."

The show gave Nixon's story a dark chapter. Real life gave it something rarer — a recovery.

Turns out even Eleven short-circuits sometimes. Millie Bobby Brown went on Hot Ones and told a very relatable story: she ran into Michelle Pfeiffer in an elevator and nearly melted into the floor. The reason? A lifelong Grease 2 obsession that suddenly had a face… and cheekbones… right in front of her.

The elevator moment

Brown says her Pfeiffer fandom goes way back to childhood, when she was singing along to Grease 2 on repeat. So when she unexpectedly saw Pfeiffer in an elevator, her inner kid freaked out in real time.

"One time I saw her in an elevator and I almost collapsed on the floor because I was like, that was my childhood growing up."

Yes, this is a person who grew up on red carpets and monster movies, and she still had the classic starstruck reaction. Same, honestly.

The Grease 2 of it all

The whole thing came up because Sean Evans asked Brown why she thinks Grease 2 tops the original. She did not hesitate. According to Brown, Pfeiffer is the reason the 1982 sequel lives rent-free in her head, and she still knows those songs cold. She called Cool Rider the best track in the entire Grease universe and fully admitted that is a hot take. In the spirit of scientific inquiry, she even made her husband, Jake Bongiovi, watch both movies. He sided with the original. Marriages have survived worse.

Wings, chaos, and a pop-quiz curveball

Because it is Hot Ones, the interview also included Brown trying to form sentences through the last, cruel wing while Evans randomly quizzed her on marine life. She roasted him mid-sweat, jokingly telling him to shut up and asking if he had ChatGPT write the questions. It was unhinged in the best way and very watch-this-clip-with-the-volume-up energy.

Where Brown is at right now

Beyond Stranger Things, Brown has been steadily building the rest of her career: producing, running her beauty and lifestyle brand Florence by Mills, and generally toggling between film sets and business meetings. She has also been settling into married life with Bongiovi, which, per the Grease debate, includes the occasional pop-culture stalemate.

On the franchise front, she and Louis Partridge recently hinted they are not shutting the door on more Enola Holmes. And she has talked about the roles that almost happened for her, a reminder that even for someone with a packed resume, there are always a few what-ifs in the rearview.

Bottom line: Brown’s Pfeiffer story is a nice reminder that no matter how famous you get, the person you were as a kid still shows up sometimes — especially when your childhood hero walks into your elevator.

What’s your ruling: Grease or Grease 2? And have you ever actually kept your cool in a surprise-celebrity encounter?

Netflix is rolling into the 78th Emmys like it owns the place. Two limited series are doing most of the damage, but there are nominations sprinkled across drama, TV movies, and even a stand-up special. The quick version: voters really liked what Netflix put out this year, and the platform is staring at north of 50 nominations overall.

The big swing: 'Beef' leads everyone with 16

'Beef' is the nomination hog, topping the Limited or Anthology Series field with a massive 16. It racked up acting nods across the board and a few of its stars picked up extra recognition for producing. Netflix even did the victory-lap tweet about Oscar Isaac on July 8, 2026, because of course they did.

Right behind it: 'The Beast in Me' lands 9

'The Beast in Me' scored 9 nominations, also in Limited or Anthology Series. It is a psychological drama built around two heavy-hitting leads who showed up in a big way.

The 7-nomination club

Three different shows hit the same mark from different angles: a traditional drama, a true-crime entry, and another specialty limited series. Range matters, and Netflix is flexing it.

The rest of the slate, from 3 down to 1

A handful of smaller titles still made noise with single and double nods, from a crowd-pleasing TV movie to a high-profile comedy special. Even the one-off nominations are notable names.

• 'Beef' — 16 nominations (Limited or Anthology Series). Carey Mulligan for Lead Actress, plus an additional nod for her executive producer credit; Oscar Isaac for Lead Actor, also with an extra nom for producing; Youn Yuh-jung for Supporting Actress; Charles Melton for Supporting Actor, and he, too, has a producing nod bringing him to two total.
• 'The Beast in Me' — 9 nominations (Limited or Anthology Series). Claire Danes for Lead Actress and a second nomination for producing; Matthew Rhys for Lead Actor, with three total across the night.
• 'The Diplomat' — 7 nominations (Drama Series). Keri Russell for Lead Actress, plus a producer nod bringing her to two; Rufus Sewell for Lead Actor; Allison Janney for Supporting Actress.
• 'Monster: The Ed Gein Story' — 7 nominations (Limited or Anthology Series or Movie). Charlie Hunnam for Lead Actor (Netflix highlighted this as his first-ever Emmy nomination on July 8, 2026); Laurie Metcalf for Supporting Actress.
• 'Black Rabbit' — 7 nominations (Limited or Anthology Series or Movie). Jason Bateman for Lead Actor here, and he is sitting at four nominations total across multiple projects.
• 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' — 3 nominations (Television Movie). Sally Field is up for Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
• 'Nobody Wants This' — 2 nominations (romantic comedy).
• 'Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable' — 2 nominations (comedy special).
• 'Death by Lightning' — Nick Offerman is nominated for Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
• 'People We Meet on Vacation' — 1 nomination (Television Movie).
• 'The Four Seasons' — 1 nomination, with Colman Domingo up for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

A quick awards-nerd note: a bunch of these actors are credited as producers, which is why you see some of them with two or more nominations tied to a single show. It is a smart way for stars to stack recognition when the work merits it.

Bottom line: Netflix is the heavyweight at this year’s ceremony. Between a 16-nomination steamroller, a 9-nomination runner-up, and a deep bench that includes prestige drama, true crime, and comedy, the platform is set up to walk away with plenty of hardware.

Thoughts on Netflix crossing the 50-nomination line? Drop them below.

World Cup fever is back, which means everyone suddenly remembers they like soccer. Great. While we all argue about icons and greatest-ever goals, there is a wild chapter from the sport that most people have never even heard of. If you want a legit jaw-dropper, it just landed in an easy place to watch.

Copa 71: the buried women’s World Cup that packed stadiums in Mexico

Copa 71 is a feature documentary released in 2024 that digs into the unofficial 1971 Women's Soccer World Cup, which took over Mexico decades before the women's game finally got a real global stage in the 1990s. The movie is 1 hour and 30 minutes, directed by Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine, and it spends its time talking to the women who were actually there. It's the kind of story that makes you excited and a little mad that it got erased for so long.

Where to watch: it's available to rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. Easy.

• What it covers: an unofficial world tournament in 1971, hosted in Mexico, that drew teams from multiple countries and massive crowds
• Who organized it: the Federation of Independent European Female Football (FIEFF)
• Why it matters: more than 100,000 fans showed up to watch matches — a record-setting burst of interest that most history books forgot
• The gut punch: the tournament was never staged again and gradually slipped out of public memory
• What the film does: revisits the players, the atmosphere, and the impact, pulling a lost phenomenon back into the spotlight

Keep the run going: The Root of the Game on Netflix

If Copa 71 gets you in the mood for more, Netflix has The Root of the Game, a new documentary set in São Paulo that basically bottles why Brazil breathes soccer. It follows players and neighborhood powerhouses in the Super Copa Pioneer — the city's biggest and most prestigious amateur tournament — played on traditional grass pitches in front of serious crowds. Translation: it's not a sideshow; it's the bloodstream.

Cafu and Raphinha show up to talk through their experiences and how this scene shapes people and careers. And yes, some notable players really did start here. As a double feature, it pairs nicely with Copa 71: one film resurrects a forgotten high point, the other shows you the everyday engine that keeps the sport alive.

Seen either of these yet? Drop your take. I'm curious which one hits you harder.

Quick refresher before the inevitable 2026 Emmy chatter kicks into overdrive: Taylor Swift and trophies go way back. We are talking Grammys (plural, with history-making records), ridiculous American Music Awards totals, VMAs, Billboard Music Awards…the whole museum wing. Awards don’t define what she does, but every era seems to leave a dent in the culture big enough to get a plaque. So with another TV milestone on the horizon, here’s the thing people always ask: has Taylor actually won an Emmy before?

Short answer: yes — and it happened years ago

This surprises a lot of folks who only connect her TV cred to the concert film universe (hi, 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show'). But her first Emmy happened more than a decade ago, and it was for something wonderfully nerdy.

• Year and show: 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards
• The win: 'Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - Original Interactive Program'
• Her role: executive producer and featured star
• The project: the 'AMEX Unstaged Taylor Swift Experience' app
• What it actually did: gave fans an immersive, walk-around-the-set tour of the mansion from the 'Blank Space' music video, peeling back her storytelling in a way that felt like being inside the video
• Why it matters: it showed she was thinking beyond the recording studio long before concert films turned into event programming on streaming

Why this gets overlooked

Because the category is ultra-specific and lives in a techy corner of the Emmys that most viewers only hear about in passing. But yes, it’s a real Primetime Emmy category, and yes, she won it. Consider it the stealth Swift Emmy.

So what about 2026?

With the 2026 Emmy Awards coming up, she’s back in the TV spotlight for a new milestone push. Just know this isn’t a first-time moment — it’s a return trip. The headline now is how far she’s come since that interactive detour: the scale is bigger, the audience is bigger, and the TV footprint is no longer experimental.

Bottom line: Taylor’s career keeps stacking milestones, and while the music will always be the point, the trophies keep telling the story of how each chapter lands. The Emmys included.

Westeros loves to recycle names like family heirlooms, which is great for tradition and terrible for anyone trying to keep their Joffreys straight. So let me untangle the Joffrey situation in House of the Dragon and how he fits next to the other, more infamous Joffrey you probably thought of first.

Who Joffrey Velaryon is in House of the Dragon

Joffrey in House of the Dragon is the son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her first husband, Ser Laenor Velaryon. He is their third-born child and, after the deaths of his older brothers Jacaerys and Lucerys, he is the only surviving son. He is a Targaryen by blood through his mother, but on paper he carries the Velaryon name.

As with his brothers, there are persistent whispers that Joffrey is actually the biological son of Ser Harwin Strong, not Laenor. The show has kept him around since Season 1 (he appears in both Seasons 1 and 2), played by Oscar Eskinazi, but in Season 3 he is being kept far from the shooting war to keep him safe.

Why he is named Joffrey

The name is not a coincidence. In the books, Laenor insists on naming the baby after his lover, Joffrey Lonmouth, who was killed by Ser Criston Cole. Rhaenyra is understandably not thrilled at first, worried the choice will just pour gasoline on the paternity rumors. In the end, she goes along with it and the boy is named Joffrey.

The other Joffrey you are thinking of

Yes, there is also Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones, played by Jack Gleeson. Different house, different century, different vibe. Not a Targaryen.

Season 3 check-in: why Joffrey suddenly matters

In Season 3, Episode 3, Joffrey pops up in conversation during a public dispute. Rhaenyra refuses to legitimize Corlys Velaryon’s illegitimate son, Addam, as a Velaryon because doing that could chip away at Joffrey’s standing as Laenor’s lawful heir. That does not sit well with Corlys, who fires back by publicly labeling Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey as illegitimate.

'b*******'

It is a quick exchange but a big signal: this fight over names, blood, and titles is about to get much uglier.

Where he sits in Rhaenyra’s growing family

After Laenor exits the picture, Rhaenyra marries Prince Daemon Targaryen and they have three children together: Aegon III, Viserys II, and Visenya. Those kids carry the Targaryen name outright. Joffrey, meanwhile, remains Laenor’s legal heir, which is exactly why Rhaenyra is so protective of his status.

One quick cheat sheet (so you do not need a cork board)

• Joffrey Velaryon: Rhaenyra and Laenor’s third son; only surviving son after Jacaerys and Lucerys die. Velaryon in name, rumored Strong by blood. Played by Oscar Eskinazi. Sheltered from the fighting in Season 3.
• Joffrey Lonmouth: Laenor’s lover, killed by Ser Criston Cole. The reason the kid is named Joffrey.
• Joffrey Baratheon: The Thrones-era tyrant, played by Jack Gleeson. Not related to the above beyond sharing a first name.
• Addam: Corlys Velaryon’s illegitimate son. Rhaenyra refuses to legitimize him to avoid undermining Joffrey Velaryon’s legal claim.

A note on the chatter

Fans have been buzzing about Joffrey’s status — including a June 21, 2026 post hyping him as about to be the older brother and heir to the Iron Throne. Setting the hype aside, the gist is simple: after his older brothers’ deaths, Joffrey is the surviving son in Rhaenyra’s Velaryon line, which makes every conversation about his legitimacy a live grenade.

If you have been watching Zendaya work the carpet for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, you already know the brief: channel Athena and do not break character. The Paris stop took that memo and cranked it. This one is the loudest, most committed look of the tour so far, and yes, I mean that as a compliment.

Paris: the Louis Vuitton showstopper

At Wednesday night's Paris premiere, Zendaya rolled out in custom Louis Vuitton that basically read as a marble statue come to life. The whole thing was engineered to a surgical level and, per the house, ate up almost 800 hours of work. Entertainment Tonight even blasted out the moment on July 8, 2026, because of course they did.

• Long white gown with a sculpted, column-like silhouette and soft gathering near the neckline
• Strategic bodice cutout that runs toward the waist
• Thigh-high slit for movement and a train that followed her down the carpet
• Cropped bolero with frilled lace detailing over the shoulders
• White satin pumps
• Messika jewelry: a statement necklace, studs, and rings for a low-key sparkle

If you are sensing a theme, you are right. The styling across this tour has been a straight line to Athena. Paris just put it in bold, underlined, all caps.

How we got here: the tour wardrobe that sticks to the bit

Each city has riffed on the same mythic thread. In London, she jumped between Schiaparelli couture that was literally flown in day-of (the kind of logistics only a few people on Earth can pull off), a Jacquemus halter gown, and a vintage Givenchy piece from Alexander McQueen's era, all nodding to Greek iconography in different ways.

Worth remembering: Zendaya has been a Louis Vuitton ambassador since April 2023. She fronted the Capucines handbag campaign and popped up again earlier this year for the brand's monogram anniversary push. So when LV goes all-in for her movie about gods and heroes, it is not random synergy; it is the partnership doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

On-screen, she is not just dressing like Athena

In Nolan's retelling of The Odyssey, Zendaya plays Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy, and the main force watching over Odysseus. After her time as a desert fighter in the Dune films, this is a pivot straight into myth — but she says it never felt remote or airy.

'The humanity of the character was already on the page and is a big part of her story. I did not need to do much other than follow the beautiful material that was already there for me.'

— Zendaya, May 6, 2026

She has made a similar point about Chani in Dune: both characters are driven more by conviction than raw power. That makes all the ethereal wardrobe flourishes click into place — the looks are big, but the person underneath is not getting lost.

Bottom line: Paris is the peak of this run so far. It is theatrical without feeling like costume, and it pushes the Athena concept right to the edge without tipping over. Your move, next city.

If Bardem as Anton Chigurh still lives rent-free in your head (same) and you are wondering if you can just fire up Netflix and revisit that nightmare bob and the captive bolt gun... short answer: no. But the movie is absolutely streamable elsewhere, and Bardem is also back doing Very Bad Things on Apple TV+ in a new 'Cape Fear' series. Details below.

Where to watch 'No Country for Old Men' right now

It is not on Netflix. Here is where you can find it at the moment:

• Streaming: Kanopy, Paramount+, Fubo
• Digital rental: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

Availability can shift by region and date, so double-check your apps before you press play.

Quick refresher on why this one still hits like a truck

Released in 2007 and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, 'No Country for Old Men' is a lean, vicious neo‑Western about choices and consequences. Vietnam War vet Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles onto the aftermath of a botched drug deal in the Texas desert and pockets a satchel with $2 million. That decision sets off a ruthless pursuit led by Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a soft-spoken force of nature with a coin toss philosophy and a captive bolt pistol that you will never forget. Trailing the wreckage is Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), trying to make sense of the violence before it swallows everything.

Bardem won the 2008 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Chigurh, and rightfully so. The haircut alone is nightmare fuel; the performance is colder than dry ice. The movie’s ending is famously open to interpretation, which is a polite way of saying you will argue about it long after the credits.

Also along for the ride: Kelly Macdonald and Woody Harrelson, both doing sharp, memorable work.

Bardem’s latest villain turn: 'Cape Fear' on Apple TV+

If you want more of Bardem being unsettling, he is currently playing Max Cady in the series 'Cape Fear' on Apple TV+. The show pulls from John D. MacDonald’s novel 'The Executioners' — the same source that inspired the 1962 film and Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake — but updates the setup for a world wired with modern tech. Bardem has said his version stays true to the character’s core while taking a fresh route, and he is flanked by Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, Lily Collins, and a stacked supporting cast. Recent episodes have been getting strong buzz for full-on psychological horror vibes, so plan your bedtime accordingly.

Bottom line: 'No Country for Old Men' is not on Netflix, but you have solid streaming and rental options. And if you are on an Apple TV+ kick, Bardem’s new Cady is waiting for you there too.

Big Disney premieres are usually all spectacle and step-and-repeat. This one had that... and then Dwayne Johnson went full proud dad in the middle of it.

At the Hollywood Bowl, The Rock got soft

The live-action Moana world premiere took over the Hollywood Bowl, under the stars, with roughly 5,000 people in the crowd. Between the big musical numbers and all the shiny premiere stuff, Johnson carved out a quiet beat to talk about what actually hit him: seeing his kids and Catherine Laga'aia up there.

"Just as a proud girl-dad of three, is how beautiful it was to see my not only my daughters up there, who are 10 and 8, but also to see Catherine up there. I was so proud of her, and it was so cool to see this Hollywood Bowl, 5,000 people under the stars, it was awesome."

He was there with Jasmine (10) and Tiana (8), his daughters with wife Lauren Hashian. His oldest, Simone Garcia Johnson, is 24 and has done her own thing in WWE as Ava Raine. The focus stayed squarely on the next generation, especially newcomer Catherine Laga'aia taking on Moana in front of that massive audience for the first time.

And then he casually confirmed Moana 3

While promoting the live-action film in Rio de Janeiro, Johnson said a third animated Moana is officially in development at Disney. The reveal came during a press conference and was captured in a video posted by Almanaque Disney on X that has since been deleted. He named Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller as the writers. The live-action movie lands first; there are no plot details, release date, or casting specifics yet for the threequel.

Where the franchise stands right now

• The 2016 animated original made about $687 million worldwide and remains one of Disney+'s most-watched titles.
• Moana 2 sailed past $1 billion globally, even though it started life as a planned series before pivoting to a feature.
• Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho are expected to return as Maui and Moana for the third animated film.
• On July 1, a first-look at Te Fiti from the live-action remake made the rounds online.

So yes, the premiere had all the usual big-night energy, but the lasting image was The Rock quietly beaming over his daughters and cheering on Catherine. Not the headline he probably planned on making, but easily the one that mattered most.

While the 2026 slate is busy yelling for attention, Tom Holland and Zendaya have been doing the opposite and somehow making louder noise. They slow-burned a will-they-won't-they into a years-long mystery, capped it with an internet-shattering kiss, and then — in the most on-brand move for two very famous private people — quietly made it official as Mr. and Mrs. Holland. Here is how we got from co-stars to forever, with more twists than a Marvel third act.

2016–2017: Co-stars, chemistry, and the first whispers

They met in 2016 when they stepped into the Spider-Man world as Peter Parker and MJ. The on-screen chemistry wasn't exactly staying on-screen. Holland started popping up on Zendaya's socials. There were poolside pics, goofy Comic-Con bits, and even a shared magazine cover. By the time Spider-Man: Homecoming hit in 2017, the off-camera intrigue was basically its own subplot in the MCU.

Then July 2017 happened. Reports said the two had quietly started dating during Spider-Man and were just keeping it under wraps. The response? Deflect and joke. They riffed about supposed secret vacations, and Zendaya played it down again, framing it as two very young people handling a very weird job together.

"We are friends. He is a great dude. He is literally one of my best friends. This past how many months we have had to do press tours together. There are very few people that will understand what that is like at 20 years old."

Translation: believe what you want, but we are not giving you the play-by-play.

2018–2020: The public sees crumbs, the pair keeps it cool

The whispers did not go anywhere. In 2018, they sat together at the Oscars, got spotted at a Los Angeles comic book store, and started trading increasingly cheeky birthday posts. Holland hyped Zendaya after her Joan of Arc-inspired Met Gala look; she countered with a birthday clip of him messing around with a lightsaber. When Holland later marked her birthday with a shot from that same comic shop outing, the rumor cycle spun up again — and then, as usual, got waved off.

The long game pays off

Eventually, fans got the big moment (yes, the kiss that basically took over the internet). And somewhere between saving the world on screen and guarding their actual lives off it, they pulled off the stealth move: a low-key wedding that turned the long-running guessing game into a done deal. Mr. and Mrs. Holland, no press tour necessary.

Dwayne Johnson might be the biggest action star on the planet, but at home he is firmly in Girl Dad mode. He carves out time for his kids, whether that means a low-key Valentine hang or yet another tea party. And this week, the whole crew showed up for him: all three daughters joined Johnson on July 8, 2026 at the Moana 2 premiere in Oahu, Hawaii, along with his wife, Lauren Hashian, and his mom, Ata Johnson. The best part? One of his girls once told him his live Maui singing was ruining the movie, and now they are on the red carpet cheering him on. Growth.

Simone Alexandra Johnson (born August 14, 2001)

Johnson shares his eldest, Simone, with ex-wife Dany Garcia. She mostly grew up in Florida, and when she wrapped high school in 2019, Dad made a point of flying in from Los Angeles to be there. That same year they did a father-daughter Valentine’s trip to Miami, and Simone joined him at Sundance for the premiere of Fighting with My Family. She also started at NYU in 2019.

On Live with Kelly and Ryan, he made it very clear he is... aware of the dating thing.

'I like to think whoever she brings home is going to be a good quality person. And if they are not ... bang!'

In 2020, Simone signed with WWE, making history as the company’s first fourth-generation Superstar and, at the time, its youngest signee. After training at the WWE Performance Center, she made her TV debut in 2022 under the ring name Ava Raine. She has said she is proud to carry the family’s wrestling legacy while also building her own name. Earlier this year, she announced she was leaving WWE after her contract ended.

Jasmine Lia Johnson (born December 16, 2015)

Johnson and Lauren Hashian’s older daughter, Jasmine, has basically grown up around her dad’s spotlight and handles it like a pro. She was at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2017 and melted the entire crowd by telling him 'I love you' on the mic. She has also popped up at premieres, including for the live-action Moana.

Back when he tried to prove to her that he was the voice of Maui, it did not go the way he planned. From his 2019 chat with People:

'Maui starts singing, and I then start singing, and within 10 seconds, she is trying to put a pillow over my mouth and says, "You are ruining the song."'

These days she is more into the whole fame thing than shutting it down. In a 2021 Today interview, Johnson said one of his favorite moments is when Jasmine proudly introduces him to people as 'my dad, The Rock.' She also had a big role at her parents wedding in Hawaii in 2019 as the flower girl, and Dad has shouted her out on social media for wins like her 2022 horse-riding competition. Beyond the highlights, he is vocal about teaching his girls confidence, self-love, and straight-up girl power.

Tiana Gia Johnson (born April 17, 2018)

Before Tiana arrived, Johnson told Jimmy Kimmel he was fully leaning in to life with a house full of women.

'I was raised by women all my life, basically. And this is my third daughter. [I am] surrounded by estrogen. Bring on the estrogen!'

Since then he has shared plenty of dad-life snapshots with Tiana: hair-styling duties, tea parties, the works. In March 2021, he posted an International Women’s Day video nudging her to describe herself as not just 'pretty' but 'awesome' too — a small moment that says a lot about the values he is pushing at home.

His daughters even made their way into his business. If you have a bottle of his Teremana tequila around, look at the engraving: 'TIJASI' is a nod to the first two letters of each of their names — TIana, JAsmine, SImone.

Bottom line: whether he is carrying a franchise or carrying a miniature tea set, Johnson shows up for his girls. And seeing Simone, Jasmine, and Tiana by his side in Oahu for the Moana 2 premiere — with Lauren and Ata right there too — just underlines the point. Honestly, no critic is tougher than a daughter telling you to stop singing your own Disney song.

Christopher Nolan rolled out 'The Odyssey' and then, right when you thought the night was over, he landed the cleanest final note: a dedication to David Keighley, IMAX's first Chief Quality Officer. For a movie that pushes the format harder than anyone ever has, it fits.

The after-credits moment

After the screening, Nolan addressed the crowd and revealed the film carries a dedication to Keighley — the IMAX legend who worked with him for more than two decades and helped turn the director's big-format experiments into a real thing Hollywood could rely on. It was a quiet, classy capper to a very loud (and very large) movie.

"Dedicated to David Keighley, IMAX's first Chief Quality Officer."

And while Tom Holland was apparently sweating whether he could impress Nolan, the director made sure the last word on 'The Odyssey' belonged to the guy who made so many IMAX dreams actually possible.

Who David Keighley was, and why he mattered

Keighley was not just an executive with a fancy title. As IMAX's first Chief Quality Officer, he personally oversaw post on more than 500 IMAX films, setting (and policing) the standard for how those massive images should look and sound. When Nolan started pushing IMAX into mainstream studio filmmaking back on 'The Dark Knight', Keighley was one of the earliest people inside IMAX to champion that push. Before he passed away, he supervised the processing and printing of every single frame of 'The Odyssey' — which makes the dedication feel less like a formality and more like the film's final, earned beat.

The IMAX leap 'The Odyssey' takes

Nolan has been using IMAX for years, but this one goes further. He became the first filmmaker to shoot an entire major feature on 70mm IMAX cameras. That sounds romantic until you remember those cameras are famously huge and thunderously loud. So Nolan and IMAX reworked the toolkit to make it viable for everything from whispered conversations to the kind of practical mayhem he lives for.

• The whole movie was photographed on 70mm IMAX, start to finish — a first for a major feature.
• IMAX and Nolan's team developed quieter camera systems so actors could actually talk on set without the camera drowning them out.
• They engineered custom mirror rigs to physically position those giant cameras in places they normally could not go, letting intimate dialogue scenes sit in the same format as the big stuff.
• They ran about 2 million feet of 70mm film through this production. Yes, million.
• Before his passing, David Keighley personally oversaw the processing and printing of every frame.

Why this tribute hits harder than a standard end card

Nolan has always treated reality like the best visual effect in the toolbox. He bought an actual 747 to crash it into a hangar for 'Tenet'. He planted 500 acres of corn for 'Interstellar' and then torched it on camera. He built a 100-foot rotating hallway so Joseph Gordon-Levitt could actually tumble around in 'Inception'. He put a restored French destroyer back to work for 'Dunkirk'. And he recreated the Trinity test in 'Oppenheimer' with practical effects instead of leaning on CG.

That mindset demands a format that can take a beating and look pristine doing it. Keighley was one of the people protecting and perfecting that format from the lab to the projection booth. Dedicating 'The Odyssey' to him is not just a tip of the cap — it is Nolan acknowledging the behind-the-scenes craft that lets his very analog, very ambitious ideas land as cleanly as they do on a six-story screen.

After months of watching this play out from the sidelines, Justin Baldoni and his wife, Emily, finally broke their silence about the Blake Lively legal mess tied to the film It Ends With Us. They posted a candid Instagram video, and it is the first time they have talked about the emotional fallout since the case wrapped with a settlement earlier this year.

Why they waited, and why now

The Baldonis say they kept quiet on purpose. According to them, the plan was to let the legal process do what it was going to do, without adding noise. Now that everything is settled, they felt ready to share how they have been dealing with it personally — not in court filings, but at home, with their people, trying to move forward after what they describe as a traumatic stretch.

"We are healing. If you’ve ever been through something traumatic, you know that healing isn’t linear. It looks different every day."

Justin also says the whole ordeal reset his priorities. In his words, the things that actually held them up were simple: family, friends, community, and faith. That foundation is how they are moving on.

The quick backstory

• The dispute involved Blake Lively and centered on It Ends With Us.
• After months of legal back-and-forth, it ended in a settlement earlier this year.
• Both sides put out statements at the time, but Justin and Emily stayed quiet for nearly two years — until now.
• Their new Instagram video is about the emotional toll and what healing has looked like for them since.

There are no new legal revelations here — this is about how they coped once the cameras and courtrooms went quiet. It is a personal check-in after a long, messy chapter, and a reminder that even when a case is closed, the people involved still have to figure out what comes next.

Cancellation number one: Happy Days

The series premiered on September 23, 1976, with Robert Conrad as Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington, leading a Marine squadron of self-described misfits through the South Pacific. Created by Stephen J. Cannell, it was a big, old-fashioned action show — and NBC parked it on Tuesdays at 8pm, directly opposite ABC's Happy Days, then the most popular show on television. Critics weren't kind either. On debut day, The Washington Post sniffed that it was aimed at:

"anyone who remembers World War II as a rousing, blowzy, fraternity turkey-shoot"

The ratings never escaped the time slot, and NBC canceled the show in the spring of 1977 after 23 episodes.

The resurrection

Then NBC's fall 1977 lineup happened. New launches like The Richard Pryor Show, Rosetti and Ryan, and Quark flopped so fast that the network suddenly had holes to fill — and a hangar full of Corsair fighter planes it already owned. Pappy got the call. The show returned on December 14, 1977, with a new name, Black Sheep Squadron, and a new night: Wednesdays.

Cancellation number two: Charlie's Angels

The new slot put it head-to-head with Charlie's Angels, one of the hottest shows in America. NBC's answer was a mid-run makeover — the final seven episodes dropped several pilots and added a teenage flyer plus four nurses, billed as "Pappy's Lambs," in an unsubtle bid for the Angels audience. It didn't work. The final episode aired on April 6, 1978, and this time there was no reprieve. Final tally: 36 episodes plus the two-hour pilot.

What the real Black Sheep thought

The genuine Pappy Boyington — Medal of Honor recipient, and a Japanese POW for 20 months after being shot down in January 1944 — served as the show's technical consultant and even cameos in the pilot.

He was also blunt that the "misfits and screwballs" framing was Hollywood: of all the men on screen, he said, only his own character was real.

Several actual VMF-214 veterans bristled at the portrayal too.

For the record: Boyington earned the nickname "Pappy" because, at 30, he was a decade older than his pilots. Robert Conrad played him at 41 — the one piece of casting where the show out-aged reality.

A script nobody wanted for 12 years

Frank — the screenwriter behind Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Logan — originally wrote Godless as a feature film in the early 2000s and spent roughly 12 years hearing no. Steven Soderbergh stayed attached as a believer, and Netflix finally cracked the problem: don't compress it, expand it. The two-hour script grew into a seven-episode limited series, which Frank wrote and directed in its entirety. It premiered on November 22, 2017.

The history underneath it

The premise — La Belle, New Mexico, a town populated almost entirely by women after a mine disaster wipes out its men in a single day — came from Frank's longtime researcher, who stumbled onto a real frontier phenomenon. As Frank told Variety in 2017:

"Sometimes all of the men would die in a single day in an accident"

— and the women left behind would either scatter or run the town themselves. That discovery, he has said, was the moment the story clicked. The real-world echoes are easy to find:

• Dawson, New Mexico — a coal town one county over from the real La Belle, where a 1913 explosion at the Stag Canyon mine killed more than 230 men, and a second blast in 1923 killed 123 more — some of them sons of the first disaster's victims.
• Jackson, Wyoming — elected the first all-woman town council in the United States in 1920.
• La Belle itself — a genuine New Mexico ghost town, though no such mining accident happened there. Frank borrowed the name and invented the tragedy.
• The outlaws — Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) is fictional, but modeled on the era's real scripture-quoting killers, riding the same territory where Billy the Kid was gunned down in 1881.

So what does "based on" mean here?

Frank has described his process as a "reverse adaptation": years of frontier history first, characters second.

Roy Goode, Alice Fletcher, and Mary Agnes are inventions, but nearly everything about how they live — and what they're up against — was pulled from the record.

It's history without a single historical character in it.

The gamble paid off. Godless collected 12 Emmy nominations, and both Merritt Wever and Jeff Daniels won acting Emmys in 2018. Not bad for a script that spent twelve years in a drawer.

Damnation was USA Network's biggest swing in years: a dust-caked 1930s labor drama on a channel known for sunny lawyers and slick hackers. The swing missed. The network canceled the show on January 25, 2018, after a single 10-episode season, and the reason is right there in the ratings sheet.

The numbers told the story

• The premiere — November 7, 2017, drew a respectable 1.4 million viewers once three days of delayed viewing were counted.
• By January — the audience had collapsed to roughly 500,000 per episode.
• The season average — 682,000 viewers and a 0.18 rating among adults 18–49, dire numbers even by cable standards.
• The verdict — canceled one week after the finale aired.

An expensive Depression-era period production simply couldn't survive on half a million viewers, even with Netflix co-producing and holding international streaming rights to offset the cost.

It didn't fit the network either

USA had built its brand on contemporary, glossy dramas — Suits, Mr. Robot — and Damnation was a deliberate departure: 1931 Iowa, farm strikes, corrupt bankers, and the Black Legion, a real fascist vigilante group of the era. Critics were split. Rotten Tomatoes settled at 64 percent from reviewers, while the audience score sat at 91 percent — a gap that tells you the people who found it loved it, and almost nobody found it.

Reviewing the series for Variety in 2017, Sonia Saraiya called it "a clear homage to HBO's golden-age drama 'Deadwood'" — and being measured against one of the greatest shows ever made cuts both ways.

The same day USA dropped Damnation, it also scrapped its planned series American Rust. The network was done with the experiment.

What was Damnation about?

Created by Tony Tost, with James Mangold among the executive producers, it starred Killian Scott as Seth Davenport, a man posing as a small-town Iowa preacher while secretly organizing a farmers' revolt — and Logan Marshall-Green as Creeley Turner, the Pinkerton strikebreaker hired to crush it. The hook: the two men are estranged brothers, and almost nobody in town knows.

Where to stream it

Two places, depending on your subscription:

• Crunchyroll — streaming the special now, with subtitles, following its Fuji TV broadcast in One Piece's regular Sunday slot.
• Netflix — the special lands worldwide on July 11, 2026, joining the platform's growing One Piece collection alongside the main anime and the live-action series.

No theatrical release, no premium rental. If you have either service, you're covered.

What it actually is

Heroines is a one-off anime TV special adapting "episode: NAMI," the first chapter of One Piece novel HEROINES — a light novel collection by Jun Esaka, illustrated by Sayaka Suwa, that Shueisha began publishing in 2021. The novels spotlight the women of One Piece in stand-alone stories, and the anime adaptation was announced at the One Piece Day event on August 10, 2025. Haruka Kamatani directs, and Aina the End performs the theme song, "Blue Shining Star."

Timeline-wise, it slots between the Wano and Egghead arcs — canon-adjacent comfort food rather than required viewing.

What's the story?

Low stakes, high style. Nami buys a pair of shoes that wreck her feet, marches back to the shop to complain, and meets the flamboyant designer Lebno — who offers her a custom-made pair on one condition: she models in his fashion show. The real talent turns out to be his put-upon shoemaker, Miucha, and things spiral from a runway gig into a full jewel caper, with Robin slipping in as backup.

Will there be more?

Nothing confirmed — but the source material is sitting right there. The novels contain three more stories ready to adapt:

• Robin — deciphers an ancient stone tablet alongside Koala and Sabo of the Revolutionary Army.
• Vivi — untangles the mystery of a love letter that has the whole kingdom talking.
• Perona — goes to war with Zoro and Mihawk over the last bottle of wine.

And if you're settling into Netflix for this one, mark the calendar: The One Piece, the ground-up anime remake from Wit Studio, arrives there in February 2027.

• Seth Bullock — the show's lawman was a real hardware merchant who arrived in Deadwood in August 1876 and became the camp's first sheriff in 1877. He later built the Bullock Hotel, still standing today, and died in 1919.
• Sol Star — Bullock's real business partner, who went on to serve as Deadwood's mayor for roughly a decade.
• Al Swearengen — very real, and by most accounts worse than Ian McShane's version. He ran the Gem Theater, a notorious saloon and brothel, and lured women west with fake job offers. He died broke in Denver in 1904, found dead near the train tracks.
• Wild Bill Hickok — shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall at Nuttall & Mann's No. 10 saloon on August 2, 1876, holding the aces-and-eights "dead man's hand."
• Jack McCall — acquitted by a hasty miners' court, then retried legally in Yankton (Deadwood sat on Indian territory, so the first verdict didn't count) and hanged on March 1, 1877.
• Calamity Jane — real, though her claimed closeness to Hickok was heavily embellished. She's buried beside him at Mount Moriah Cemetery.
• Charlie Utter — Hickok's loyal friend, who really did organize his funeral.
• E.B. Farnum — the weaselly hotelier was a genuine merchant and the camp's first mayor.
• A.W. Merrick — co-founder of the Black Hills Pioneer, Deadwood's first newspaper.
• Reverend Smith — Henry Weston Smith, the camp's first preacher, though the show changes his death. The real Smith was murdered on the road in August 1876.
• George Hearst — the season 3 villain was a real mining magnate who bought the Homestake claim in 1877. It became one of the richest gold mines in history, operating until 2002 — and his son was William Randolph Hearst.
• Jack Langrishe and Tom Nuttall — the theater impresario and the No. 10's owner, both real.

How close does the show stick to the facts?

Closer than you'd think. Bullock and Star really did roll into camp a day or so before Hickok was killed, exactly as season 1 stages it. The lawlessness was literal — Deadwood was an illegal settlement on land granted to the Lakota, which is why McCall's first trial meant nothing.

Bullock's later life outdid the show. He became lifelong friends with Theodore Roosevelt, who made him a US Marshal.

Roosevelt, in his 1913 autobiography, remembered Bullock as: "a true Westerner, the finest type of frontiersman"

Who was invented?

Alma Garret, Trixie, Doc Cochran, Joanie Stubbs, and Cy Tolliver are all Milch's creations — though Tolliver's Bella Union saloon was a real Deadwood establishment. They're the connective tissue between the historical figures.

For the record: when Roosevelt was inaugurated in 1905, Bullock rounded up a troop of cowboys and rode them down Pennsylvania Avenue in the parade. The finest type of frontiersman, indeed.

Christopher Nolan just traced his love of broken timelines back to two things he discovered as a kid: a heady British novel and a movie built out of a rock album. If you have ever wondered where his time-bending obsession started, this is the origin story.

Where the timeline-scrambling began

On the Fred Asquith podcast, Nolan said that two early encounters basically rewired how he thinks about storytelling, especially memory and time. The timing is key: he hit them both when he was young, and they landed hard.

• Graham Swift's 'Waterland' (1983): Nolan says he read it as a kid. The novel slices up time into parallel strands and keeps jumping between them, which clearly stuck with him. Context matters here too: it is set in the marshy Fens of eastern England and follows a history teacher who ditches the official curriculum to tell his students tangled family sagas and local lore instead. In other words, it is literally about reordering time and history to get at something deeper.
• 'Pink Floyd: The Wall' (1982): Around that same period, he watched Alan Parker's film, which turns the album into a cinematic narrative. It is a full-tilt musical drama that mashes image, music, and memory into something that does not care about straight lines. That fusion of sound and fractured storytelling clearly lit up the same part of his brain.

"I read that right about the same time I watched Alan Parker's film of Pink Floyd: The Wall."

Nolan singled out 'Waterland' for how boldly it fractures time into parallel threads, and he put it side by side with 'The Wall' as a formative one-two punch. He is basically saying these works opened his eyes to how elastic narrative could be, whether on the page or on screen.

He stops short of drawing a dotted line to any one movie of his, but the takeaway is pretty clear: before he was Hollywood's go-to guy for temporal puzzles, these two pieces of art gave him permission to mess with chronology, braid memory into story, and treat time like clay. Not bad for a couple of things he stumbled on as a kid.

Homeland showed up in 2011 like a polite show about spies and then immediately wrecked your sleep schedule. One episode turned into five, because the hook was just that good: was Marine hero Nicholas Brody hiding something dangerous, or was Carrie Mathison chasing ghosts? The Emmy-winning thriller paired edge-of-your-seat plotting with Carrie’s razor instincts, messy personal life, and mean cliffhangers. It became that show everyone needed to talk about the next morning — and somehow, it kept bumping into real life along the way.

The eerie streak

Homeland had a reputation for going big, but starting in the mid-2010s it started landing uncomfortably close to the headlines. Not because the writers could see the future, but because they were paying closer attention than most of us.

• Season 5 (premiered October 2015): The story centers on a planned, large-scale attack on a European capital. Weeks after production wrapped, the November 13, 2015 Paris attacks happened, and the parallels were hard to ignore. The same season also built a major arc around a whistleblower who leaks thousands of classified intelligence files, echoing the debate set off by Edward Snowden’s 2013 NSA revelations. Surveillance wasn’t background noise here — it actively shaped diplomacy, public trust, and international friction.
• Season 7 (premiered February 2018): The focus shifts to Russian-backed disinformation, phony news networks, and coordinated social media manipulation designed to sway U.S. politics. Meanwhile, in the real world, U.S. intelligence officials and lawmakers were publicly investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. The timing felt... surgical.
• Season 8 (premiered February 2020): The final season zeroes in on fragile peace talks and an American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Weeks later, on February 29, 2020, the U.S. signed the Doha Agreement. Fiction and reality were suddenly jogging in step.

So how did they keep calling it?

No crystal ball. Just obsessive homework.

Per The Hollywood Reporter’s oral history, showrunner Alex Gansa and co-creator Howard Gordon institutionalized a pre-season research gauntlet they nicknamed Spy Camp. Each year in Washington, D.C., the writers, producers, and even cast members spent days meeting with intelligence officials, diplomats, journalists, and national security experts before they broke the story for a new season. After Season 3, that routine got even more formal — less about chasing yesterday’s headlines and more about interrogating the biggest threats shaping the near future. That’s why Homeland’s storylines kept rhyming with reality: the team wasn’t guessing tomorrow; they were reading today with unusual precision. Save the clairvoyant crown for The Simpsons.

The second life online

The show keeps making the rounds. Fans revisit episodes and notice how often fiction brushed shoulders with real events. Case in point: on November 28, 2025, Abdullah (@3bo9x1) posted in Arabic that the entire series was available on Netflix. And the cast still pops up together — Claire Danes and Damian Lewis had a Homeland reunion at the Actor Awards on March 2, 2026, even joking that they 'made' Timothee Chalamet, as Deadline quipped.

Bottom line

Homeland didn’t magically predict the news; it did the work. That discipline — plus that first-season Brody mystery and Carrie’s relentless, chaotic brilliance — is why the show still plays in 2026. If you’ve been rewatching, what moment felt the most uncomfortably on time to you? Drop it in the comments.

Christopher Nolan went full myth-maker with 'The Odyssey' — a big, brawny spin on Homer about a war-tired Odysseus dragging himself home after Troy. It is, unsurprisingly, stacked with stars. And because I am who I am, I went down the rabbit hole of who in this ridiculously loaded cast is actually the richest going into 2026. Spoiler: there are some big swings between franchise titans, stealth moguls, and people who’ve quietly built empires while we weren’t looking. The film hits theaters only on July 17, so consider this your money-side cheat sheet before the gods start throwing lightning.

'We would hike to this cave called Zeus' cave. They say it’s where Zeus was born. The rigging guys, they basically turned it into a soundstage.'

— Matt Damon on building a 60-foot Cyclops setup for filming, on 'Good Hang with Amy Poehler'

1. 10. Elliot Page (Sinon) — estimated $8 million

   Page balanced indies and tentpoles from 'Juno' to Nolan's 'Inception', then locked in steady, headline-making TV money with Netflix's 'The Umbrella Academy'. In 2021, Page launched PAGEBOY Productions and has been backing queer-led stories, including producing the acclaimed 'Close to You'. The memoir 'Pageboy' sold big — book rights, audiobook, the works — and fashion partnerships kept the checks tidy. 'The Odyssey' is another sharp addition to a diversified setup that mixes acting, producing, publishing, and brand work.

2. 9. Lupita Nyong'o (Helen/Clytemnestra) — estimated $10 million

   Nyong'o built her wealth by choosing precisely, not constantly. An Oscar right out of the gate for '12 Years a Slave', then global muscle with 'Black Panther' and 'Wakanda Forever'. She doubled down on range with 'Us' and 'A Quiet Place: Day One', and kept the voice-acting revenue stream flowing with the 'Star Wars' sequel trilogy and 'The Wild Robot'. Off camera, long-term luxury work with Lancôme and owning her own IP — her children's book 'Sulwe' is a bestseller — round things out. In 'The Odyssey', she’s tackling a two-hander as both Helen and Clytemnestra, which is a bold, very-Nolan choice.

3. 8. Jon Bernthal (Menelaus) — estimated $12 million

   Bernthal’s money isn’t from one giant payday; it’s the accumulation of a decade in the trenches. 'The Walking Dead' broke him out, Marvel's 'Daredevil' and 'The Punisher' made him a must-cast, and 'The Bear' proved he can steal a show with minutes of screen time. He’s been writing and producing more, and yes, doing the sensible thing with real estate. Next up: 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' plus 'The Odyssey'. He even joked his signature 'Let me tell you something' is in every script — which, if you’ve seen his work, feels right.

4. 7. John Leguizamo (Eumaeus) — estimated $25 million

   Leguizamo is the definition of diversified. The 'Ice Age' movies (Sid the Sloth forever) are residuals you feel in your sleep, 'Encanto' added another global smash, and his self-written Broadway shows, producing, and directing give him ownership where most actors don’t get a slice. Between animation, stage, film, and now 'The Odyssey', he’s built a portfolio that pays across platforms and over time.

5. 6. Tom Holland (Telemachus) — estimated $30 million

   Spider-Man is the engine here — each installment upped his salary and backend — but Holland didn’t park after Marvel. 'Uncharted' kept the blockbuster reps warm, he’s been poking at work behind the camera, and he’s expanding off-screen with BERO, his non-alcoholic beverage company. Add luxury deals (Prada among them), and you get a 20-something with a grown-up balance sheet. Nolan even called him one of the greats, and now he’s Odysseus’ kid, Telemachus, to prove it at myth scale.

6. 5. Zendaya (Athena) — estimated $40 million

   She turned early-star momentum into long-term leverage. As star and executive producer of 'Euphoria', Zendaya secured a massive TV deal and creative control. On the film side, 'Dune: Part Two', 'Challengers', and now 'The Odyssey' keep her in the box-office conversation. She’s also a luxury-brand MVP — Lancôme, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton — and has invested in real estate and producer plays. Translation: she owns things, not just headlines.

7. 4. Anne Hathaway (Penelope) — estimated $80 million

   Hathaway’s career has hauled in over $6.8 billion worldwide, which buys you leverage: top-tier fees, backend, and long-tail benefits. 2026 is a big swing year — she’s Penelope in 'The Odyssey' and reuniting with fashion hell in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2', where she’s reportedly set for an elite paycheck plus profit participation. Endorsements with Bulgari, Versace, and Shiseido layer on top, and she’s sitting on high-value properties in California and New York. That’s how you do longevity.

8. 3. Robert Pattinson (Antinous) — estimated $100 million

   Twilight money set the foundation — later contracts brought big upfronts and box-office bonuses, and streaming/licensing still kick off residuals. 'The Batman' kept him in mega-IP territory, while his production company Icki Eneo Arlo means he’s also betting on himself behind the camera. Dior Homme has been a long-running, very-lucrative partnership, and quiet real estate moves help. Early chatter on 'The Odyssey' says Pattinson might be delivering a career-best turn as Antinous, which is wild considering his post-Twilight run has already been stacked.

9. 2. Matt Damon (Odysseus) — estimated $170 million

   Decades of smart deals add up: the 'Bourne' run, 'The Martian', and performance-based backend that clicks when a movie overperforms. He’s been on a nice Nolan streak — 'Interstellar', 'Oppenheimer', now headlining 'The Odyssey' — and he leveled up outside acting by co-founding Artists Equity with Ben Affleck. Add ad campaigns and a healthy property portfolio, and Odysseus is sailing home with a war chest.

10. 1. Charlize Theron (Calypso) — estimated $200 million

    Theron tops the cast’s money mountain. She’s commanded $20 million-level salaries on tentpoles ('Mad Max: Fury Road', 'The Fate of the Furious', 'Fast X'), runs her own Denver & Delilah production banner, and has one of Hollywood’s most recognizable luxury deals with Dior. Add smart real estate and producer ownership, and you get a fortune that doesn’t depend on any single franchise. As Calypso, she adds another myth-sized credit to an already imposing résumé.

A couple of fun extras from this shoot: Damon says the crew literally built out a 60-foot Cyclops rig inside an actual cave tied to Zeus lore (deep-cut, very nerdy production detail), and Jon Bernthal is leaning into the thing fans quote him for anyway. Meanwhile, early critics are buzzing that Pattinson might have delivered his best performance yet, which tracks with how dialed-in he’s been lately.

Bottom line: beyond the gods, monsters, and Nolan-sized spectacle, this cast is a case study in how to make Hollywood pay — mix franchises with ownership, stack long-term brand money, and keep your options open. Which 'Odyssey' cast member’s bank account surprised you the most? Drop it in the comments.

Saturday Night Live does not so much show up to awards season as treat it like another recurring bit. Every time the Emmys roll around, NBC's late-night staple finds a way back into the conversation. And with the 2026 nominations, the streak keeps cruising.

The headline numbers

• New nominations in 2026: 11 more
• All-time Emmy nominations: 359
• All-time Emmy wins: 98
• On the air since: 1975
• Areas the Television Academy keeps rewarding: writing, performances, directing, production design, music, and a whole lot of technical craft

Why that is wild

Put it this way: there really is not another scripted comedy or variety show that has been recognized this consistently, over this many decades. SNL has been part of TV culture for more than five decades and is still stacking Emmy nods like it is season 5. The 2026 haul just underlines the obvious — this thing is not slowing down.

How they keep doing it

Since 1975, the show has reinvented itself with each generation while riding alongside American pop culture. That constant refresh — from the cast to the topical jokes to the way the show is built week to week — keeps the Academy coming back to honor not just the big flashy moments, but the nuts-and-bolts work: tight writing, sharp performances, slick directing, detailed production design, the music, and all the behind-the-scenes wizardry that makes a live show land.

Bottom line: another Emmy cycle, another chapter in SNL's record-setting run. The legacy is not just intact — it is growing.

HBO did what HBO always seems to do on Emmy morning: clean up. Under chair and CEO Casey Bloys, the network keeps cruising at the top of TV even as streamers torch cash and companies keep marrying and divorcing each other. The total this year: 122 nominations. That is a flex.

So... where was Heated Rivalry?

Here is the odd part. One of HBO's most-watched, most-chatted-about shows on the platform right now, the hockey drama 'Heated Rivalry', did not show up anywhere on the ballot. Not a single nomination. Not even a technical nod. And no, that does not mean people suddenly stopped watching it.

The short version: the Emmys have rigid eligibility rules, and they are not built for splashy international pickups. 'Heated Rivalry' is a Canadian series HBO acquired, not a U.S. production HBO made. That distinction matters to the Television Academy, and it makes the show technically ineligible. A very Hollywood problem: massive hit on your service, but the awards gatekeepers say it does not count for them.

• HBO scored 122 Emmy nominations this year, continuing its dominance under Casey Bloys.
• 'Heated Rivalry' is one of HBO's buzziest, heavily streamed titles right now.
• It was completely absent from the nominations because the Emmys require entries to be U.S. productions.
• As a Canadian series that HBO acquired, 'Heated Rivalry' was ruled ineligible despite its popularity.

"I'm just proud to have season two. I mean, Emmys would be nice, but this is first and foremost a Canadian show. They're gearing up for production and I'm excited it will be on our platform," Casey Bloys told The Hollywood Reporter.

Translation: Bloys is not sweating the snub. He is happy the show is coming back, and happy it will keep streaming on HBO, even if the Emmy math says 'thanks, but no thanks.' It is one of those rulebook quirks that makes perfect sense if you live in awards bylaws, and almost none if you just, you know, watch TV.

Lawrence Kasdan just had one of those full-circle weeks: Emmy love for his Martin Short doc, plus a fresh look back at the brutal but right call that once chopped Kevin Costner out of a movie and, weirdly, helped set up the guy’s western run decades later.

Emmy nods for Marty, Life Is Short

Kasdan picked up two Emmy nominations for his Netflix documentary Marty, Life Is Short, which spotlights his longtime friend Martin Short using never-before-seen footage and new interviews. The film is nominated for outstanding documentary, and Kasdan is up for directing. The editors, Sierra Neal and Bennett Piscitelli, were also recognized for their work. The doc hit Netflix on May 12, 2026.

"It’s nothing I was thinking about while trying to make this movie as good as we could."

"I was trying to honor my commitments to my friend and be fair about everything."

That sums up Kasdan’s approach pretty neatly: loyalty first, then sweat the craft until it sings.

The Big Chill cut that changed things

Kasdan’s history with tough choices goes back to 1983 and The Big Chill, the ensemble drama with Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum, and more. Kevin Costner shot flashback scenes for the movie… which Kasdan then cut to keep the story locked in the present. He told Deadline in May what he told Costner at the time:

"Look, I got some bad news."

Costner took it on the chin:

"That’s okay, Larry."

And it wasn’t a total loss for him. Costner has said the month-long rehearsal period on that film ended up being the best education of his early career. Still, getting sliced out of a high-profile release hurts, no matter how zen you are about it.

Making good: Silverado and the western domino effect

Kasdan felt the grace in how Costner handled it and made a promise to make it right. He followed through with Silverado in 1985, casting Costner as the live-wire gunslinger Jake alongside The Big Chill alums Kevin Kline and Jeff Goldblum. That western turned into a launchpad for Costner, nudging him toward the lane he would later dominate with Yellowstone.

Yellowstone, exits, and the growing Dutton-verse

Costner eventually led Yellowstone for five seasons as John Dutton, the ranch patriarch at the center of Taylor Sheridan’s TV empire. He exited ahead of the show’s finale, but the franchise kept expanding: prequels 1883 and 1923, the upcoming 1944, and current entries Marshals and Dutton Ranch are now carrying the banner. If you’re trying to watch in chronological order, the suggested path is: 1883, 1923, 1944, Yellowstone, Marshals, then Dutton Ranch. The 6666 spinoff is still in development. And yes, there was chatter back on August 27, 2024, that the series could return for a Season 6 without Costner, with Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser in talks to headline.

How it all lined up

• 1983: Kasdan cuts Costner’s filmed flashbacks from The Big Chill to keep the story present-tense.
• 1985: Kasdan keeps his promise and casts Costner in Silverado, alongside Kevin Kline and Jeff Goldblum.
• Years later: Costner anchors Yellowstone for five seasons before exiting ahead of the finale, as the franchise branches into 1883, 1923, 1944, Marshals, and Dutton Ranch, with 6666 on the runway.
• 2026: Kasdan’s friendship-first approach pays off again with Marty, Life Is Short landing Emmy nominations for the film, his direction, and the editing team.

It’s a tidy irony: the guy who once cut his friend out of a movie is now getting Emmy recognition for a film built on honoring a friend. Different projects, same compass.

Will Ferrell just pulled a very Will Ferrell move: he landed a SKIMS campaign, but not as Will Ferrell. He did it in character as Lonnie Hawkins, the washed-up golf legend he plays in Netflix's upcoming comedy series The Hawk. The internet is having fun with it, and so are his kids, who crowned their dad with a title he is probably not going to argue with.

The SKIMS stunt, explained

This is not a random underwear ad. SKIMS built the whole thing around Lonnie Hawkins, Ferrell's fictional pro who leans hard into faded-glory swagger and, apparently, a side hustle in fashion design. It is cheeky, it is self-aware, and it is timed perfectly to hype the show.

• Ferrell appears in character as Lonnie in SKIMS Mens latest Cotton Briefs campaign
• Shot by photographer Nadia Lee Cohen with a glossy, retro vibe
• A companion video is narrated by Kim Kardashian
• Digital billboards lit up Times Square to push it
• Sample slogan energy: 'His body says retire, his SKIMS say one more round'

What Ferrell's sons said (and yes, they went there)

At The Hawk's Los Angeles premiere on July 9, 2026, Entertainment Tonight asked Ferrell's sons, Magnus and Mattias, what they thought of Dad channeling Lonnie in his underwear. They were fully on board. Magnus joked that his father is 'the sexiest man alive' and tossed in 'GQ' for flair. Mattias, equally supportive, said their dad has 'a great body' and nailed the shoot. Ferrell later laughed that their reaction was exactly what he was hoping for.

He also gave credit where it was due: according to Ferrell, Kim Kardashian was the one who pitched the idea to feature Lonnie Hawkins in the campaign, and everyone jumped on it immediately. Smart play — it ties the brand to the bit and the bit to the show.

'People, if you don't give it to me this year, then we know the fix is in.'

That was Ferrell, still in full promo-mode bravado, joking about chasing People magazine's annual crown after the SKIMS splash.

So, what is The Hawk?

The Hawk is Netflix's new golf comedy built around Lonnie Hawkins, a once-great player whose body is not cooperating anymore, but his ego and love for the game absolutely are. In the campaign, Lonnie is presented like a retired pro (who also dabbles in fashion); in the show, he is the guy refusing to hang it up. Ferrell stars alongside Molly Shannon, Jimmy Tatro, Fortune Feimster, and Chris Parnell.

Release timing and rollout

The series premieres July 16, 2026. Ahead of launch, the cast has been out working the circuit, and Ferrell has been posting on Instagram in character as Lonnie — the SKIMS tie-in is the splashiest swing yet.

As far as hype plays go, this one is pretty clever: if the ad makes you laugh, you are already halfway sold on the show. Are you into Ferrell-as-Lonnie hamming it up for SKIMS, or is this a club too far? Let me know.

Projects bounce around town all the time, but every now and then one actually sticks the landing. Case in point: producer Scott Glassgold just walked his horror movie 'Seasons' from Netflix over to Amazon MGM without letting it die on a spreadsheet. Given how often good ideas get strangled by development purgatory, that alone is worth a slow clap.

How 'Seasons' slipped at Netflix and landed at Amazon MGM

Glassgold, who has wrangled genre movies like 'Tarot' and the indie cult favorite 'Prospect', broke down the whole saga on The Town with Matt Belloni. And no, this was not some messy creative showdown. The project simply lost oxygen when the Netflix execs who bought it left the building. With its internal cheerleaders gone, the movie stalled and eventually reverted back to the producers.

"It was where it was meant to be."

That is Glassgold on finally parking the movie at Amazon MGM. The person who made that happen: Amazon MGM executive Alicia Holmes. She had chased 'Seasons' back when she was at MGM but lost the bidding war to Netflix. Years later, when the rights snapped back into play, Holmes moved fast and brought it in. Persistence beat paperwork.

The quick timeline

• MGM circles the project, but Netflix wins the initial bidding war.
• Netflix loses momentum after the execs who acquired it exit.
• Rights revert to the producers when the project stalls.
• Alicia Holmes, now at Amazon MGM, swoops in and sets it up there.

If that all sounds familiar, it is. Studios shift, regimes change, and movies get orphaned. Ask 'Superman Lives' or Guillermo del Toro's 'At the Mountains of Madness' how that goes. This one just got lucky - and had someone refusing to let it gather dust.

So what is 'Seasons'?

It is a supernatural horror story that did not come out of nowhere. Matt Query first posted it as a six-part hit on Reddit, then expanded it into the novel 'Old Country'. That viral-to-page-to-screen path usually breaks somewhere along the way. This one kept picking up speed and sparked a real Hollywood bidding war.

The setup: Harry, a veteran trying to settle into civilian life, and his wife Sasha score an idyllic ranch in rural Idaho after their surprisingly low offer is accepted. Neighborly welcome wagon? Not quite. Locals warn them the valley has a malignant presence, and survival depends on following a strict list of rules left by the previous owners.

The hook that makes it squirmy: the entity shows up with clockwork precision at the start of each of the four seasons. Every few months, a new round of dread. The calendar becomes the countdown.

Why the move makes sense

Given the story's momentum and that tightly wound concept, you can see why Glassgold thinks the movie ended up where it belongs. Amazon MGM is now the one bringing it to life. And in a business where projects often get buried by changing guard and ballooning budgets, this is one that crawled out of the grave and kept walking.

Curious where you land on this: did 'Seasons' dodge a bullet, or did Netflix let something special slip? Tell me.

On screen, Marley has moved to Portugal after a brutal breakup. Off screen, Tasha Smith had a scheduling conflict that kept her out of production.

The in-show explanation: Portugal

Season 3's first episode handles it quickly. Marley and Daphne — the rising politician she fell hard for in season 2 — have split, and a heartbroken Marley booked a one-way ticket to Portugal for a total reset.

The detail surfaces when Mavis's new doctor asks about her support system, and Mavis has to explain that one of her two best friends now lives an ocean away.

It's abrupt, but it isn't out of character.

Marley never did anything halfway, and staying in New York while her ex's face was on every campaign poster was never going to suit her. The show frames the move as adulthood rather than a falling-out: the friendship survives, just at long distance.

The real-world explanation: a directing gig

Smith isn't only an actress — she's a busy director, and the calendar simply collided:

• November to December 2025 — Smith directed the Netflix film Tis So Sweet, starring Taraji P. Henson.
• December 2025 to early February 2026 — Survival of the Thickest filmed its final season in New York City.
• The overlap — with post-production on her film running straight into the shoot, a full-season return as Marley wasn't practical.

The timing appears to have shifted late, too — Netflix's own season 3 preview copy still described Marley standing by Mavis's side across all eight episodes.

Did it hurt the season?

Most reviewers thought so, at least a little. Marley had been upgraded from recurring player in season 1 to series regular in season 2, and critics called her absence the final season's most noticeable gap — especially with Mavis making the biggest decisions of her life, including that finale wedding. The show compensates by promoting Luca (Marouane Zotti) to series regular and giving Tone Bell's Khalil more emotional weight, which mostly works. Mostly.

Could Marley return?

The door was left deliberately open. Marley wasn't killed off or written into a feud — she's just abroad — and Michelle Buteau, asked by The Queer Review in 2026 about revisiting these characters someday, didn't hesitate:

"I'm wide open, definitely."

Whether that ever becomes a special, a spin-off, or nothing at all is up to Netflix.

You do not have to have lived through an era to be obsessed with it. Case in point: Gen Z, who are apparently better at nostalgia than the people who were actually there. It explains why decades-old tracks like 'Pretty Little Baby', 'Dreams', 'Running Up That Hill', and 'Murder on the Dancefloor' keep boomeranging back via TikTok, TV soundtracks, and streaming charts.

What Vevo found when they measured the throwback effect

Music video platform Vevo commissioned a global survey called 'Then is Now: A Study on Modern Nostalgia' and polled 1,800 people across the US, UK, and Australia. The group was split evenly among Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. The headline: younger viewers are the most nostalgia-driven, even when the memories are secondhand.

Two numbers jump out: 64% of Gen Z say nostalgia strongly shapes the content they watch, and 88% say nostalgic experiences make emotions feel more intense. Vevo argues that streaming flattened generational walls, so younger audiences don’t have to wait for reruns or dusty hand-me-down records to discover older music. They can just tap, play, and build their identity around any decade that hits.

Vevo calls it "borrowed nostalgia" — emotional ties to eras you never actually lived through.

And it is not just numbers on a slide. The culture checks out. Even on X, you see posts tallying which 'old' things Gen Z has reclaimed — wired earphones, Polaroid cameras, baggy jeans — often with a wink. One July 8, 2026 tweet from @jr_mdg_ even joked that if we are reviving trends, maybe we could bring back basic empathy too.

Why film, TV, and ads are turning catalog cuts into new hits

Here is where it gets fun for anyone who pays attention to syncs and soundtracks: a single scene can put a decades-old song back on the map overnight. Vevo tracked some big spikes tied directly to on-screen moments and campaigns:

• After Disney rolled out 'The Beatles Anthology' documentary in November 2025, Beatles views on Vevo jumped 62%.
• Harry Styles' 'Sign of the Times' surged 547% following its prominent use in Amazon MGM Studios' 'Project Hail Mary'.
• On TV, Sade's 'No Ordinary Love' climbed 52% after featuring in FX's 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette'.
• Even ads do it: Kelis' 2003 hit 'Milkshake' rose 66% after a Gap campaign.

Vevo executive Rob Christensen’s takeaway is pretty straightforward: new releases and new screen moments are not replacing older music — they are acting like springboards that launch people back into the catalog.

So what is actually going on here?

This is not just another fleeting social trend. The study suggests a deeper driver: with everything available all at once, discovery is less about what is new this week and more about what feels meaningful right now. New films, series, documentaries, anniversaries, and live events become gateways, nudging younger viewers to explore older catalogs instead of only chasing fresh drops.

Whether it is a forgotten ballad, a killer music cue in a prestige drama, or a TikTok that will not leave your For You page, nostalgia has become one of music’s most powerful discovery engines. Gen Z is not merely visiting the past; they are recruiting a brand-new audience for it.

What is your theory on why Gen Z leans so hard into nostalgic music — the algorithms, the vibes, or the screen moments that make old songs feel new again? Tell me below.

In May 2025, Netflix confirmed the show would return for a third and final season. That's the key detail: this was a planned sendoff, not a show yanked off the schedule.

A farewell, not an axing

The renewal-as-finale was announced on May 14, 2025, during Netflix's upfront presentation — the kind of public, celebratory framing streamers don't give to shows they're burying. The creative team then got a full runway: the final season shot in New York from December 2025 to early February 2026, Amy Aniobi stepped in as showrunner, and co-creators Michelle Buteau and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel made their directorial debuts on episodes 5 and 3.

Buteau has been open about what that advance notice was worth:

"It was really a gift knowing that it was going to be the last season," she told Gayety in 2026.

She has also acknowledged, in a January 2026 Distractify interview, that ending at three seasons wasn't her choice — she'd have kept going — but that she's proud the show got to close on its own terms rather than vanish mid-story.

The numbers behind the decision

The trajectory tells the business side of the story. Season 1, released July 13, 2023, spent three weeks in Netflix's global top 10 and logged 35 million viewing hours. Season 2, released March 27, 2025, ranked 297th on Netflix's engagement report for the first half of 2025, with 22.4 million hours watched. That kind of drop usually means a quiet cancellation.

Instead, Netflix greenlit a proper final chapter.

The show at a glance

• Season 1 (July 2023) — 8 episodes. Mavis Beaumont rebuilds her life post-breakup and claws her way up as a stylist.
• Season 2 (March 2025) — 8 episodes. Mavis launches her own inclusive fashion showcase and chooses her career over both her ex and a move to Italy.
• Season 3 (July 2026) — 8 episodes. Mavis levels up from stylist to designer, reunites with Luca, and gets a real ending — light spoiler: there's a wedding.

The final season also went out like an event, stacking guest appearances from Wanda Sykes, Ice-T, Kandi Burruss, Ashley Graham, D.L. Hughley, and Jenna Lyons.

So what actually ended it?

Call it a mutual landing. Softer numbers meant Netflix wasn't going to run the show indefinitely, but instead of an abrupt cut, the streamer and Buteau agreed on a final season built to resolve everything — Mavis's brand, her chosen family, and the Luca question that had been simmering since season 1.

Letterboxd, the app where we all log movies and bicker about half-stars like it actually matters (it does), is suddenly a hot acquisition target. Multiple big players are circling. If this deal happens, it could be the app's biggest plot twist since half the site decided to pretend The Last Jedi is secretly great.

What is actually happening

Puck News says Letterboxd's majority owner, Tiny Ltd., is exploring a sale of its controlling stake. Merchant bank LionTree is running the process, and the number floating around is roughly $250 million. Early talks have reportedly included Netflix, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount, and Versant. It is not just studios and streamers either: private equity firm TPG and Alexis Ohanian's venture outfit Seven Seven Six have also been in the mix.

Why everyone wants a piece now

Letterboxd is not just a cute diary for cinephiles anymore. The platform has crossed 30 million users, it launched a Video Store feature with movie rentals baked into the app, and TV tracking is on the way. In other words: a massive, engaged audience that already lives in the entertainment lane, with features that touch discovery and actual transactions. That's catnip for companies that want to steer what you watch and where you watch it.

Who is kicking the tires, and what they might do with it

• Netflix, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment: The obvious play is turning watchlists, ratings, and recommendations into a subtle conveyor belt toward their own catalogs. Think 'you liked this' turning into 'and conveniently, it's streaming right here.'
• Versant: The reporting floats a scenario where Letterboxd could sit alongside things like Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes in a broader movie ecosystem. Quick reality check: Rotten Tomatoes is owned by Fandango, not Versant. So any version of that would be about partnerships or strategy rhyming with that model, not a single corporate umbrella.
• TPG (private equity): Expect the classic playbook — tighten the screws on subscriptions, advertising, and paid features to drive revenue.
• Seven Seven Six (Alexis Ohanian): Venture mindset. Likely growth-first with a big emphasis on community features and creator tools to keep engagement high — and monetizable.

The catch (and it's a big one)

Even if the money and the interest line up, co-founder Matthew Buchanan reportedly has veto power over any deal. That means this does not close unless the original team signs off. It's a built-in safeguard, and frankly, a necessary one if the goal is to prevent Letterboxd from getting sanded down into a generic promo machine.

The mood among users

Some longtime members already bristled at the TV-tracking announcement, worried the app might drift from its movie-first identity. Pile a potential buyout on top of that and you get understandable nerves: Will the vibe survive a corporate landlord? Will discovery stay neutral? Will reviews and lists start nudging us toward one company's pipeline?

What to watch next

These are early talks — half of Hollywood lives in 'early talks' forever — but there is real heat here. If a sale moves forward, the winner is buying a community, not just a product. If that community feels steered or boxed in, the value evaporates fast. The whole game is keeping Letterboxd feeling like Letterboxd while building smarter business lines around it. Simple to say. Tricky to pull off.

The Crow Girl season 1 runs six episodes of roughly 47 to 60 minutes each — about five hours of viewing in total. The whole season dropped as a box set on Paramount+ in the UK on January 16, 2025, and rolled out to US viewers in September 2025.

What it's about

Based on the bestselling trilogy by Erik Axl Sund — the pen name of Swedish writing duo Jerker Eriksson and Håkan Axlander Sundquist, later merged into a single doorstop novel — the series relocates the story to Bristol. Bodies of young men are turning up beaten and dosed with the anesthetic lidocaine.

DCI Jeanette Kilburn (Eve Myles) leads the hunt alongside DI Lou Stanley (Dougray Scott), and when the case stalls, she enlists Dr. Sophia Craven (Katherine Kelly), the psychotherapist of the prime suspect. What they uncover reaches back decades: buried child disappearances, historic abuse, and police corruption.

Critics went for it.

The Guardian's Lucy Mangan gave the show four stars, calling it "a very well-made, pacy drama"— one of several four-star reviews from major UK outlets in January 2025.

The episode-by-episode arc

• Episode 1 — a young man's frozen body is found on the street; Kilburn's investigation leads her to Dr. Sophia Craven.
• Episode 2 — a second body brings fresh leads, while Sophia can't shake thoughts of a former patient: the mysterious Victoria.
• Episode 3 — Kilburn comes under fire from above; Madeleine is in danger as Victoria closes in.
• Episode 4 — a cold case pulls the investigation in a new direction, and Sophia receives distressing news.
• Episode 5 — Kilburn and Craven dig into Victoria's past while Madeleine plans her escape.
• Episode 6 — Kilburn's world starts to crumble, and Victoria goes looking for revenge.

Each episode ends on a genuine escalation, which makes the box-set format dangerous. Plan accordingly.

Is there a season 2?

Yes — and this is the part searchers usually want. Paramount+ ordered a second season in October 2025, so the story continues beyond those six episodes.

As of July 2026, no premiere date has been officially announced, but with season 1 adapting only part of a very thick source novel, there's no shortage of material left.

For the record: the unlikeliest name in the credits is Slash. The Guns N' Roses guitarist boarded the series as an executive producer in 2024 and contributed to its soundtrack — which reviewers described as understated and spooky.

People are weirdly obsessed with how much money Matt Damon has, so let’s get into it. He’s one of the very few stars who can jump from brainy dramas to big, bruising action hits and still cash massive checks. The short version: the guy’s bank account makes sense once you see how he’s played the long game.

The headline number

Per Celebrity Net Worth, Damon sits at an estimated $170 million. That pile comes from decades of steady box office, a handful of huge franchise deals, and the occasional strategic gamble that paid off.

The franchise checks (and one very modern deal)

The inflection point was obvious: after the early acclaim, he strapped into an action series and never looked back. The Bourne run turned him from respected actor into A‑list closer, and then projects like The Martian kept the premium price tag intact. He’s also doing the new-school thing: for the upcoming Netflix thriller The Rip, Damon and Ben Affleck worked out a base salary plus a viewership-based bonus. Translation: guaranteed money now, upside later if the movie pops on the platform.

The prestige discount

Even when he’s not headlining a tentpole, Damon routinely takes smaller up-front fees to work with heavyweight directors or in ensembles. It’s the classic career balance: trade a little salary on the art films, make it back (and then some) on the crowd-pleasers.

By the numbers (all figures as listed by Celebrity Net Worth)

• The Bourne Supremacy: global box office $214 million | Damon’s salary $26 million
• The Bourne Ultimatum: global box office $225 million | Damon’s salary $26 million
• The Martian: global box office $630 million | Damon’s salary $25 million
• Jason Bourne: global box office $292 million | Damon’s salary $25 million
• Air: global box office $160 million | Damon’s salary $30–40 million
• The Instigators: global box office $10 million | Damon’s salary $10 million
• Good Will Hunting: global box office $225 million | $600,000 (script) + $350,000 (acting)
• Saving Private Ryan: global box office $481 million | Damon’s salary $1.7 million
• The Talented Mr. Ripley: global box office $292 million | Damon’s salary $2.25 million
• Ocean’s Eleven: global box office $450 million | Damon’s salary $5 million
• Oppenheimer: global box office $975 million | Damon’s salary $4 million
• The Rip (upcoming on Netflix): base salary + viewership-based bonus (numbers not disclosed)

The early grind

Before the megadeals, he was on standard base or scale for smaller projects and the kinds of films where the box office could go either way. Think Mystic Pizza, School Ties, Courage Under Fire, and Geronimo: An American Legend. From there he took straightforward studio terms leading The Rainmaker and even for the Farrelly comedy Stuck on You. It wasn’t flashy, but it built the resume that made those later negotiations very easy.

A quick note on the weird bits

You may notice a couple eyebrow-raisers in that breakdown (like The Instigators showing a $10 million global gross alongside a $10 million salary, despite it being an Apple release) and some box office totals that don’t match what you might remember. I’m sticking with the figures as presented by Celebrity Net Worth here. Also, the source I’m pulling from randomly references something called Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey at the end. That movie does not exist; odds are they meant to nod to Damon’s role in Nolan’s Oppenheimer or just Nolan in general.

The takeaway

Big picture: Damon’s wealth comes from toggling between two lanes without losing leverage. He takes the pay cut when it buys him great collaborators, then turns around and commands eight-figure checks when it’s time to run a franchise. Do that for 25-plus years and, well, $170 million stops sounding surprising.

The character is quietly written out four episodes later, in "Elliott's Pond," when the team learns he has resigned and entered witness protection. Off screen, the story was messier: Thomas Gibson had been fired.

The exit, step by step

• Season 12, episode 2 — Gibson's final appearance after 11 years as the BAU's unit chief.
• Season 12, episode 3 ("Taboo") — Hotch is said to be on special assignment at the Director's request; Emily Prentiss arrives to fill the gap.
• Season 12, episode 6 ("Elliott's Pond") — the real explanation lands: Hotch has resigned and taken his son Jack into witness protection.
• Season 13 — a follow-up reveals Hotch left the program after Mr. Scratch's death and chose to stay a full-time dad rather than return.
• Season 15 finale (2020) — his true final appearance, in flashback.

The reason it wasn't his call

On July 26, 2016, while filming that second episode of season 12, Gibson got into a physical altercation with writer-producer Virgil Williams after a dispute over a line of dialogue. Gibson later described the contact as minimal — his foot "came up and tapped him on the leg" — but the studio saw a pattern, not an isolated incident. Back in 2010, Gibson had shoved an assistant director and was sent to anger-management classes over it.

He was suspended first. Then, on August 12, 2016, after an internal investigation, ABC Studios dismissed him outright.

Gibson made his feelings plain in his statement at the time:

"I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won't be possible now."

He also told People that it took years to build a good reputation and a minute to damage it. He never appeared on the show again outside of archive flashbacks.

How the show explained it

The writers leaned on an existing villain. Serial killer Peter Lewis — Mr. Scratch — had been stalking Hotch, and the threat extended to his son Jack. For a character who had already lost his ex-wife Haley to a serial killer, walking away to protect his only child was the one exit that felt earned rather than invented. Prentiss took over as unit chief, and the series ran four more seasons.

Could Hotch ever come back?

He was written out, never killed off — a meaningful distinction in this franchise. The revival, Criminal Minds: Evolution, has been running on Paramount+ since 2022, and Hotch's whereabouts remain an open thread: alive, retired, raising Jack. Gibson has not appeared in the revival, and there's no indication that will change.

Still. In the Criminal Minds universe, an unclosed file is never really closed.

Disney's live-action Moana just hit theaters worldwide, and yes, the title role went to a total newcomer. So who is Catherine Laga'aia, and how did she land one of the biggest jobs on the planet at 19?

Meet Catherine 'Katie' Laga'aia

Laga'aia is a Sydney-born Australian actress of Samoan and English descent, and she is one of eight kids in a very musical family. If her last name rings a bell: her dad is Jay Laga'aia, a veteran actor who played Captain Typho in the Star Wars prequels.

She trained at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and logged an early screen credit in the TV series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart before Disney came calling. When the Moana casting news broke, her classmates were stunned — partly because she had quietly disappeared from school to shoot in the U.S., and partly because some friends thought the official Disney photos were AI or a prank. Hard to blame them when, outside of school choirs, she barely had professional experience yet.

"You'll never know unless you try."

The audition that felt like buying a lottery ticket

Laga'aia told USA Today she almost did not audition because the odds were ridiculous: around 32,000 actors submitted tapes. Her mom pushed her to send one anyway (hence the quote above), and she ended up making the cut. Then everything froze during the Hollywood labor strikes, and for a minute she thought the whole movie might be dead.

Disney ultimately zeroed in on her raw potential — even though, by her own account, she considers herself the weakest singer in a family of strong ones. The original animated Moana, Auli'i Cravalho, emailed her a warm welcome early on, and her dad went from anxious to relieved once he saw she could hold her own. With time, practice, and a lot of support, she found her footing on a massive stage.

So, how is she in the movie?

The film itself has been getting mixed reviews, but Laga'aia is coming out of it with across-the-board praise for her performance. Not a bad way to make your feature debut.

Quick facts

• Age: 19; often goes by Katie
• Hometown: Sydney, Australia
• Heritage: Samoan and English
• Family: One of seven siblings; dad Jay played Captain Typho in the Star Wars prequels
• School: Newtown High School of the Performing Arts
• Early credit: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (TV series)
• Moana casting: Chosen from about 32,000 submissions
• Process hiccup: Paused during the Hollywood labor strikes; she worried it might be canceled
• Support system: Welcomed by Auli'i Cravalho; proud, relieved dad; very musical siblings
• Current status: Moana is out worldwide; her performance is widely praised even amid mixed reactions to the movie

The short answer: it's a kill switch. A pipe running into each silo from somewhere outside, ready to pump in enough poison to wipe out all 10,000 residents if they rebel, escape, or learn too much. The silo isn't protecting its people. It's holding them.

The Safeguard in brief

• What it is — a poison line connected to an outside source, capable of exterminating an entire silo through its vents.
• Who controls it — an unseen outside power, enforced by the voice known as the Algorithm.
• Where it sits — according to Solo, the pipe in Silo 18 is located on level 14.
• The precedent — Silo 17 was already destroyed by it after a failed rebellion.
• The weakness — it can be physically capped. Solo's parents did exactly that.

How the reveal unfolds

The word first surfaces when Lukas Kyle decodes Salvador Quinn's letter — "they created the safeguard" — and follows the trail to a hidden tunnel at the very bottom of Silo 18. There, the Algorithm delivers a chilling warning: share what you're about to learn, and the Safeguard will be implemented.

Meanwhile, over in the ruins of Silo 17, Steve Zahn's Solo remembers what his parents knew. Poison, fed through a pipe from outside.

His silo's rebellion started when a cleaner named Ron Tucker wrote "LIES" on the camera, convincing everyone it was safe to walk out. The Safeguard is what came after.

Solo's parents managed to cap the pipe — proof the kill switch can be beaten, and the reason anyone in Silo 17 survived at all.

Why it rewrites the premise

For two seasons, the central question was whether it's safe to go outside. The Safeguard makes that question almost quaint. It doesn't matter how cleverly the residents rebel, how much truth they uncover, or how close they get to the door — someone on the outside has always been one button away from ending them.

Every uprising, including the Great Rebellion of silo legend, was playing out inside a trap.

Bernard's whole arc collapses under this. The man spent decades enforcing the Pact to "save" his silo, only to learn from Lukas that salvation was never on the table. And there's scale to the horror: Bernard reveals the founders built 51 silos. Silo 17 already got the pipe.

What it means for season 3

Season 3 premiered on July 3, 2026 — a 10-episode run on Apple TV+, with weekly episodes through September 4. Juliette survived the airlock fire but returned with her memory shredded, meaning the Safeguard knowledge she carried is now locked inside her own head.

The new season also jumps 352 years into the past, following journalist Helen Drew and Congressman Daniel Keene in the years before the silos — the origin story of the people who considered a kill switch a reasonable design feature.

The show has a confirmed endpoint, too: Apple renewed it through a fourth and final season, so every Safeguard thread is heading toward an actual answer.

For the record: showrunner Graham Yost has said the Silo 17 rebels who walked out didn't die for quite some time — another detail season 3 is expected to unpack.

Hollywood is window-shopping Reddit for movie ideas. Not a joke. Producer Scott Glassgold went on Matt Belloni's podcast 'The Town' and explained the behind-the-scenes playbook: studios are mining viral posts, going straight to the original posters, and in a lot of cases not paying Reddit a cent for the privilege.

How the Reddit-to-movie pipeline actually works

• Ownership stays with the writer: According to Glassgold, if you post a story on Reddit, you still own it. Reddit does not.
• Studios deal directly with creators: Production companies can negotiate options and purchases with the original poster, just like they would with any writer.
• There is still a platform sign-off: Even though Reddit does not claim rights, studios still ask Reddit to sign a simple release confirming it has none.
• No fee to Reddit (historically): Glassgold says Reddit has been signing those releases for free, meaning no platform cut or royalties even if the movie turns into a monster hit.
• Cheap IP, fast: That setup lets Hollywood scoop up high-concept ideas without the usual acquisition sticker shock.

"This could potentially be a hundred-million-dollar grossing movie and Reddit gets nothing?" - Matt Belloni

"They get nothing!" - Scott Glassgold

The catch: paperwork, not money

There is a wrinkle. Glassgold says the industry is shifting a bit because that extra Reddit release is an administrative speed bump. It does not cost anything, but it is still one more document, one more signature, one more hoop. When you are trying to package something quickly, that can be annoying enough to change behavior.

Why Reddit is catnip for studios

Beyond sourcing stories, Reddit is basically a giant, real-time test kitchen for entertainment:

Execs and PR teams lurk on big subs to see what is landing with audiences and what is not. Dropping a trailer or a clip into the right community gets blunt feedback in minutes. That same hype machine can turn a tiny indie into a word-of-mouth breakout, and fan communities are famously good at rallying renewal campaigns when shows get axed.

Writers are also reading fan theories to keep twists from feeling predictable, and horror forums in particular get combed for fresh concepts that can be optioned for streaming. Track which genres are heating up online, and you can make smarter calls about what to greenlight next. The kicker, per Glassgold: because Reddit typically does not charge a platform fee in these scenarios, studios can go straight to the writer and keep the deal clean.

The reaction out in the wild

People have thoughts. Off the back of all the Backrooms buzz, a user named NecroEmber flagged a Reddit story called 'The Thompson Extention' on June 19, 2026, tagging Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, A24, and Neon like a DIY pitch meeting. A few days later, on June 25, 2026, another user, alphaserendipi, suggested studios skip Reddit entirely and mine those old PSA and PIF compilations for truly unnerving horror instead, with the warning that only the sharp execs would execute the idea right.

The bottom line

If you have a viral story on Reddit, you own it, and a studio might call. Reddit, per Glassgold, has been signing off with no financial stake, so the only real friction is logistics. For creators, that is leverage. For studios, it is a cheap way to source IP that has already been stress-tested by the internet. And for Reddit? As it stands, it is facilitating the pipeline without sharing in the upside.

Thoughts on the strategy Glassgold laid out? Drop your take in the comments.

What the series is

This is a documentary, not a drama. Narrated and executive produced by Hanks, it retells the entire arc of the war — from Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939 through Pearl Harbor, Stalingrad, D-Day, and the atomic bombings, all the way to the uneasy peace that followed.

Each hour-long episode takes one milestone or theme: the fall of France, the Battle of the Atlantic, Guadalcanal, the Holocaust, the codebreakers of Bletchley Park, the Pacific island campaigns, and more.

It was developed in collaboration with the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, which contributed research, archival footage, and on-camera veteran interviews.

The vital stats

• Seasons — one.
• Episodes — 20, each about an hour. Roughly 20 hours in total.
• Premiere — May 25, 2026, on The HISTORY Channel, with a worldwide rollout across 200 territories and 40 languages.
• The blueprint — critics keep comparing it to The World at War, the landmark 1973 British docuseries narrated by Laurence Olivier. This is the 21st-century version of that idea.

Why Hanks?

Few people in Hollywood have spent more screen time on this war: Saving Private Ryan as an actor, then Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Masters of the Air, and Greyhound as a producer and star. Speaking to TIME in May 2026, he explained the pull of the subject by calling the war

"an example of probably 600,000 of the greatest stories ever told."

Reviews have been solid rather than rapturous — The Guardian gave the series three stars out of five, judging it a good grounding in the basics while arguing that even 20 hours can't contain a conflict this size.

Gyp Rosetti (Bobby Cannavale) dies in the Boardwalk Empire season 3 finale, "Margate Sands," first aired December 2, 2012.

The man who kills him is his own lieutenant, Tonino Sanfilippo — a knife in the back on the beach, delivered while Gyp is happily singing to himself. But the betrayal that actually doomed him happened earlier, in a back room, and it wasn't Tonino's.

How Gyp lost the war

For most of season 3, Gyp is winning. The Sicilian gangster chokes off Nucky's liquor routes at Tabor Heights, bombs the Boardwalk — the blast that kills Nucky's mistress, Billie Kent — and finally seizes Atlantic City itself, backed by an army of Joe Masseria's soldiers from New York.

Then Nucky rebuilds.

He allies with Chalky White's men and the Chicago gunmen Al Capone brings east, and together they ambush and slaughter Masseria's departing troops. The decisive blow, though, is a business deal: Arnold Rothstein agrees to make Masseria pull his support — in exchange for Nucky handing over a 99 percent stake in Mickey Doyle's Overholt distillery.

Masseria withdraws. Gyp is suddenly a general without an army.

The knife on the beach

While Richard Harrow storms the Artemis Club alone and wipes out Gyp's remaining crew to rescue Tommy Darmody, Gyp slips away to the shore with Tonino. He's in a good mood — mocking Nucky, singing the novelty song "Barney Google" — when Tonino, who understands exactly how this war has ended and wants to survive it, drives a knife into his back. Tonino is then sent to New York to tell Masseria how it all turned out.

It's a fitting exit for a man who announced his worldview in his very first episode, "Resolution":

"Nothing's personal? What the f*** is life, if it's not personal?"

The moments that made him unforgettable

• The tire iron — in his first scene, he beats a helpful stranger to death over a harmless remark, then takes the man's dog.
• The gas station — he douses the sheriff of Tabor Heights in gasoline and sets him alight for a perceived slight.
• The belt — his private appetites, discovered at Gillian's brothel, hand Nucky's side leverage nobody wanted to know about.
• The sing-along — even his death scene is a joke at his expense; the knife lands mid-verse.

Why he only lasted one season

Gyp was built as a one-season antagonist — a man so thin-skinned that every insult became a war, which made his downfall inevitable from the start. Bobby Cannavale made the most of the runway: the role won him the 2013 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

The official job — and the actual one

On paper, Bernard manages the silo's computer systems. In practice, he steps into the mayor's office himself after Ruth Jahns dies in season 1 — but the title barely matters. His authority was never elected, and it doesn't come from the Pact everyone else lives by. It comes from what only he is allowed to know.

Where his power really comes from

• The Order — a secret manual for controlling the silo, passed from each head of IT to a hand-picked "shadow." It contains instructions for managing rebellions and keeping 10,000 people compliant.
• The Legacy — a hidden archive of the world before the silo, locked away from a population that isn't allowed to remember oceans, birds, or history.
• The surveillance — IT sees everything. The cameras hidden throughout the silo answer to Bernard's department, not the sheriff.
• The safeguard — the darkest secret of all, learned in season 2: the silo's unseen masters can exterminate everyone inside it at any time. Bernard's job, as he understands it, is to keep them from ever having a reason.

That's the answer to "why does everyone answer to him" — because Bernard believes, sincerely, that his lies are the only thing standing between 10,000 people and extinction. Hugh Howey's source novels (Wool, Shift, and Dust) built the character the same way: the IT head as the silo's true ruler.

What happened to him in season 2?

The season 2 finale left Bernard trapped in the airlock with Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) as the fire-cleansing system ignited around them both. For a year and a half, his fate was the show's biggest open question.

Where things stand now

Season 3 premiered on July 3, 2026 — a 10-episode run ending September 4 — and answered it fast, and brutally. Spoiler: Robert Sims tells the silo that Bernard died of his burns. Flashbacks reveal the truth — Bernard survived the fire, and Sims killed him, then buried the evidence. The silo's puppet master got played.

There's a defined endpoint here too: Apple renewed the show through a fourth and final season back in December 2024.

Creator Graham Yost promised "an incredibly satisfying conclusion to the many mysteries" when the pickup was announced. Season 4 has already finished filming.

What Anna did

Anna was Cady's defense attorney. During the trial she became convinced her own client was guilty — so she quietly sabotaged him. Instead of mounting a real defense, she steered Cady into a plea deal and a confession, effectively working against the man she was sworn to represent. Cady has spent 17 years piecing together exactly when and how she did it.

What Tom did

Tom sat on the other side of the courtroom: he was the prosecutor who secured the conviction. The series strongly implies the two coordinated across the aisle — defense and prosecution working the same direction — and the optics afterward were terrible. Anna left her then-partner while pregnant and married Tom almost as soon as Cady was sentenced. Savannah noticed. Cady never forgot.

How Cady got out

The conviction collapsed when Cady's former mistress, Amy Brancato, died by suicide and left behind a written confession claiming she — not Cady — killed Melissa. She even left the murder weapon on her kitchen table for police to find. Convenient? The show wants you to wonder. Either way, Cady is exonerated, free, and soon rich: a lawsuit against the private prison company nets him a $4.2 million settlement, plus a documentary crew to follow him around.

He isn't shy about what those years cost. In his charity gala speech in the premiere, he describes prison as "death by a thousand cuts" — cutting away fingers and toes until nothing of you is left.

How this differs from the earlier versions

• The 1957 novel — in John D. MacDonald's The Executioners, Sam Bowden is a witness who testified against Cady over a wartime rape.
• The 1962 film — Robert Mitchum's Cady goes to prison on Gregory Peck's testimony; Bowden is a bystander who did the right thing.
• The 1991 film — Martin Scorsese's remake makes Nick Nolte's Bowden the defense attorney who buried evidence that could have helped his client. Robert De Niro's Cady knows it.
• The 2026 series — creator Nick Antosca, with Scorsese and Steven Spielberg producing, splits Bowden in two: the defense attorney and the prosecutor, now married with kids.

The five-season plan

• Season 1 — premiered January 28, 2022; 12 episodes. The Briarwoods arc, funded in part by the show's record-breaking Kickstarter.
• Season 2 — January 20, 2023; 12 episodes. The Chroma Conclave attacks, and the hunt for the Vestiges begins.
• Season 3 — October 3, 2024; 12 episodes. The Conclave falls, but the ending teases a far bigger threat: the Whispered One.
• Season 4 — premiered June 3, 2026. The party reunites to go after him — and Delilah Briarwood is back.
• Season 5 — the finale. Announced, written, partly animated. No release date yet.

Why announce the ending in advance?

Because the ending was always known. The series adapts the first Dungeons & Dragons campaign from Critical Role, a story that concluded on stream years ago — the show simply needed enough seasons to reach it. Executive producers Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham, who also voice Scanlan and Grog, put it plainly in the renewal announcement:

"It's so rare for any television series to get to tell a complete story"

Five seasons gets them there, with the Whispered One — Exandria's answer to Vecna — as the closing boss.

When will season 5 actually arrive?

No date exists, and the wait may be long. Riegel told The Direct in June 2026 that the scripts were finished roughly two and a half years ago and some episodes are already complete, but animation, dubbing, and worldwide localization all take time. The gap between seasons 3 and 4 was twenty months. Going by that pace, season 5 lands in late 2027 at the earliest.

For the record: this whole franchise exists because of a 2019 Kickstarter that raised over $11 million — at the time, the most-funded film or TV project in the platform's history.

The backers asked for a cartoon. They're getting five seasons and a spinoff.

Well, here is something I did not expect to type this year: Ali G might be back on the big screen, and the new movie is reportedly already in the can. Yes, really.

'Booyakasha.'

So, what happened?

According to trade tip-sheet The InSneider, Sacha Baron Cohen quietly shot a brand-new Ali G movie in secret. The report says filming is done, and the whole thing was kept under wraps. No plot, no cast, no release date — nothing else has been made public yet.

Why this is a big deal

Ali G was the character that launched Cohen into global fame more than 20 years ago. The tracksuit, the faux bravado, the brazen interviews — the bit worked because it was fearless and ridiculous, and it helped shape a lot of the comedy that came after. If this report is accurate, it would mark Ali G’s first movie since the early 2000s and a full-on return to theaters after more than two decades.

• Who is saying this: The InSneider is reporting it; Cohen has not announced anything official.
• What we know: A new Ali G film was reportedly shot in secret and has wrapped.
• What we do not know: Literally everything else — story, cast, distributor, release window, marketing plan.
• Why fans are buzzing: The character is iconic, and the idea of dropping a completed movie out of nowhere is catnip for comedy nerds.
• The timing wrinkle: Cohen has also been in the news lately for reasons beyond his work, which adds another layer of curiosity to when and how this gets rolled out.

The tricky part

Reintroducing Ali G to modern audiences is not simple. The character lives on confrontational satire and awkward interviews — the kind that skate right up to the line. Pulling that off now, in a camera-everywhere world that clocks a setup in two seconds, would take some clever maneuvering. Which, to be fair, is what Cohen does when he is at his best.

Bottom line: if this report holds, Ali G is about to make a very loud, very unexpected comeback. And if the team kept an entire movie under wraps, do not be surprised if they roll it out just as quietly — until it is suddenly everywhere.

Christopher Nolan might finally go full dark. He has spent years dancing right up to the edge of horror without planting the flag, and now he is openly saying he wants to make a straight-up horror movie — if the right idea actually grabs him.

So, is Nolan actually doing horror next?

Short answer: not announced, but the door is wide open. In a recent interview tied to promoting 'The Odyssey,' Nolan said horror remains high on his to-do list. He was clear about the condition, though — it has to start with a killer premise, not just vibes.

'I'd love to do a horror movie but it's all about the idea. That's all about. Is there a story that really compels you?'

— Christopher Nolan, speaking with Fred Asquith

Why this makes perfect sense if you have seen, well, any Nolan movie

Nolan has basically been horror-adjacent for years. The dread pulsing through 'The Dark Knight' is still unmatched for a studio superhero film, and 'Interstellar' spends plenty of time in that cold, existential headspace where the universe does not care if you make it home. His whole thing — precision, tension, big-scale anxiety — has always known how to make an audience squirm. So the idea of him finally leaning all the way in is both surprising and kind of inevitable.

What he says he already sees in his own work

Nolan added that he thinks some of his recent output already carries horror DNA. He specifically pointed to 'Oppenheimer' and the new film he is finishing right now. That tracks: living with the weight of world-ending consequences is basically a waking nightmare, and Nolan likes to trap characters (and us) inside that pressure cooker.

• He wants to make a horror movie — it is on his wish list.
• He will only do it if the idea is strong enough to justify the plunge.
• He sees horror elements in 'Oppenheimer' and in the project he is currently wrapping.
• These comments came while promoting 'The Odyssey.'
• The quote above comes from his chat with Fred Asquith.

The read between the lines

No title, no dates, no studio. Just interest, and the sense that he is already thinking in that direction. Given how much of Nolan's filmography flirts with fear, a no-jump-scare, idea-driven horror film from him feels weirdly overdue. If and when the right story shows up, do not be shocked if he finally takes the plunge.

On The Bear, Carmy and Sydney sizzle because they clash, collaborate, and care without always saying it out loud. Off camera, Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri have a similar spark — quick, teasing, and very fun to watch. Case in point: a GQ friendship quiz that turned into Ayo gently steamrolling Jeremy in the most charming way.

Ayo pulls a fast one (and it works)

Early in the quiz, Jeremy tries to flex and recall Ayo's full given name. He gets partway there but stalls out. Ayo calmly reveals it herself — her first name is Funmilayo — and then hits him with a perfect deadpan that says everything.

"Obviously."

It is such a clean little moment: Ayo takes the wheel, Jeremy grins and plays along, and the whole thing feels like their on-screen rhythm transplanted into real life.

What tripped him up

• Her full first name: It is Funmilayo, not just Ayo. Jeremy almost got it, but not all the way.
• Her birthday: He blanked, and she had to bail him out with the actual date.

If this were a service, Jeremy's ticket got sent back a couple times. Not a crisis, just funny — and very them. The Bear works because that push-pull between Carmy and Sydney feels lived-in and real. Watching Ayo casually keep Jeremy on his toes during a lighthearted quiz? Same energy, different kitchen.

Horror just pulled off the kind of math studio spreadsheets dream about. Obsession went from a shoestring to a steamroller, and along the way it knocked Bruce Lee off a box office perch that stood for more than 50 years. Not bad for a 26-year-old filmmaker and a film about a wish that curdles into a nightmare.

The record it just shattered

For decades, Bruce Lee's 1973 classic Enter the Dragon held the crown as the biggest-grossing movie ever made on a sub-$1 million budget. That film reportedly cost about $850,000 and piled up roughly $400 million worldwide across multiple releases. Obsession has now passed that global total and taken the title.

How we got here

Director-writer Curry Barker premiered Obsession at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025. Focus Features swooped in after the buzz and, per industry chatter, paid around $14 million for distribution — a huge bet on a tiny movie. The theatrical rollout started May 15, 2026, and it turned into one of those rare runs that keeps growing instead of burning out.

• Budget: about $750,000
• World premiere: TIFF, September 2025
• Theatrical release: May 15, 2026
• Box office: $245+ million domestic, $158+ million international, $403+ million worldwide
• Record passed: Enter the Dragon's roughly $400 million lifetime worldwide total on a sub-$1M budget
• Distributor: Focus Features (now the biggest hit in the studio's 24-year history)
• Home release: streaming as of June 30; 4K Blu-ray and DVD set for July 14

The movie, the hook, the faces

The logline is simple and nasty: a guy makes a wish to win over his crush, gets exactly what he asked for, and pays for it in genuinely ugly ways. Inde Navarrette leads as Nikki, opposite Michael Johnston as Bear, with Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, and Haley Fitzgerald rounding out the cast. Navarrette, in particular, has been a breakout talking point, and the awards conversation has started circling the film's performances and Barker's direction.

Why this run feels... unusual

Indie horror overperforming is not new. But a microbudget feature blowing past a half-century-old milestone set by a martial arts legend — and doing it after a festival sale to a specialty label — is rare air. The turnout was strong enough that the studio pushed back its video-on-demand plans to keep the theatrical legs going. And yes, the return on investment here is wild: a sub-$1 million spend into $403+ million worldwide is north of a 500x multiple.

Who is Curry Barker, and what is he doing next?

Barker built an audience online with short-form work before jumping to features with Obsession. Now he is speed-running a career. He has already shot Anything But Ghosts, another horror movie set in the same universe as Obsession, due in 2027. He is also lining up a new take on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Given how Obsession leans into wish-fulfillment gone wrong, do not be surprised if his next stories keep poking at that idea from new angles.

So, did it earn the hype?

Between the record, the crowd momentum, and the late-arriving home release (June 30 on streaming; discs July 14), it is hard to argue Obsession did not connect. Celebrity shoutouts have not hurt either — the movie has been a magnet for that kind of attention as the box office climbed.

Have you seen it yet? And does the historic run feel deserved, or just perfectly timed lightning in a bottle?

Millie Bobby Brown is not just the Stranger Things kid anymore. Between starring in and producing the Enola Holmes movies and running her beauty line Florence by Mills, she has been quietly angling toward something else: calling the shots behind the camera. And with Enola Holmes 3 now streaming on Netflix, she revealed she actually directed a piece of it.

The reveal (and the scene)

In a new chat with ScreenRant, Brown was asked point-blank if she would consider directing an Enola Holmes movie down the line. She played it modest at first, but after some nudging from the host and her co-star Louis Partridge, she let it slip that she already did a little of that on Enola Holmes 3.

"I never thought it would really make the cut, and in the first cut, it didn't. And I was like, hilarious, and then the last cut it did, and it's in the film."

The scene in question: Enola trying to convince people to attend her wedding. Brown says she picked the spot and literally grabbed the camera to shoot it. That is a very specific bit of filmmaking trivia you do not usually hear an actor admit in a press stop, but it tracks given how much time she has spent on sets the past few years. ScreenRant even flagged it as a 'secret' directorial debut in a July 8, 2026 post. And yes, Enola Holmes 3 is up on Netflix now (Movie Coverage flagged it July 1, 2026).

• Brown is 21, and beyond acting she produces the Enola Holmes films and runs Florence by Mills.
• She says she directed a scene in Enola Holmes 3 where Enola tries to persuade people to come to her wedding.
• She chose the location herself and took the camera out to film it.
• Initially, that shot did not make the first cut, but it survived the final pass and is in the movie.
• Louis Partridge and the ScreenRant host encouraged her when asked if she would direct more in the future.

This was not her first time calling the shots

Enola Holmes 3 is the first time she has directed something that ended up in one of her features, but Brown stepped behind the camera at 18 for a Samsung short film (Teen Vogue covered it at the time). She also starred in it. The whole thing was shot on a Galaxy S22 Ultra using its Nightography tricks, which is a very brand-campaign way to make a movie, but it still counts: the short follows a young girl, played by Honey, who gets encouragement from her older self, played by Brown, and it features a poem she wrote and performs.

Where this could be heading

After working with a pile of directors and producing her own films, it is not exactly shocking that Brown is edging toward directing. If she is already scouting a spot and rolling camera on a wedding invite scene, the next step is obvious: doing it on purpose for more than one scene. For now, the takeaway is simple — if you watch Enola Holmes 3 on Netflix, keep an eye out for Enola hustling up wedding guests. That moment is Brown testing out life on the other side of the lens.

Matt Damon is riding a wave of early love for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, but even a potential career high does not protect you from the toughest critic in the house: your own kid. And yes, she still brings up The Great Wall.

At home, 'The Great Wall' is just 'The Wall'

On Marc Maron's WTF podcast, Damon said his daughter has a running bit where she skips the movies she suspects are actually good and instead zeroes in on the ones that face-plant. Exhibit A: 2016's The Great Wall, which she rebranded as The Wall because, in her words, there was nothing great about it.

'She just likes giving me shit. She's playfully hard on me. She doesn't go to see my movies on purpose, the ones she thinks might be good. She crushes me on the ones that don't work.'

He knew 'The Great Wall' was in trouble while making it

Damon was blunt about when his stomach dropped: during production. He says director Zhang Yimou was squeezed by Hollywood financiers, and somewhere in that tug-of-war the movie lost its shape. Damon could feel the pieces stop fitting together, and he calls the grind of finishing something you suspect will not work one of the worst creative feelings you can have on a set.

The Great Wall went on to earn north of $330 million worldwide against a reported $150 million budget. On paper that sounds solid; in reality, brutal reviews and hefty costs turned it into a disappointment.

From that mess to 'The Odyssey' glow-up

Cut to now: Damon is front and center in Nolan's The Odyssey as Odysseus, the war-battered king clawing his way home after the fall of Troy. The film had its world premiere in London earlier this month and hits theaters July 17, 2026. Early reactions are calling his performance one of the strongest of his career, and the awards chatter has already nudged him into the Best Actor conversation.

This one did not come easy. Damon has called The Odyssey the most demanding shoot he has ever done. Nolan kept things practical and physical, dragging the production across multiple countries and asking Damon to inhabit a beat-up, relentless Odysseus without much movie-magic cushioning.

In a bit of candid shop talk, Damon also said he only landed the role after Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, and Leonardo DiCaprio passed, noting that Nolan typically pulls from a familiar bench: Christian, Tom Hardy, Leo, Matthew, JD, Rob, Hugh Jackman, and so on. However the dominoes fell, they ended with Damon.

For the London premiere on July 7, Damon made a rare full-family red-carpet appearance with wife Luciana Barroso and all four of their daughters. If the buzz holds, this might be the first time in a while his in-house critic runs out of jokes.

If you blinked during the nearly two-year gap between Seasons 2 and 3, you are not alone. House of the Dragon is back in the thick of it and tossing out names like we all remember the family tree by heart. So, quick reset: here is who Joffrey is, why he matters right now, and how his name just got dragged into the mess again.

Who Joffrey actually is

Joffrey is Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen's third son from her first marriage to Ser Laenor Velaryon. The show has done everything but draw a neon arrow to suggest he is actually Ser Harwin Strong's biological child, same as his older brothers. Either way, on paper, he is Laenor's son.

He is also a dragonrider. His dragon is Tyraxes.

In the series, Joffrey is played by Oscar Eskinazi.

Where he went (and why you have barely seen him)

After Jacaerys and Lucerys were killed during the war, Joffrey was sent away for his own safety. That makes him the only surviving son from Rhaenyra and Laenor's line. Given how many people are suddenly very interested in names, heirs, and bloodlines, that matters a lot.

Why his name pops up in Season 3, Episode 3

Lord Corlys Velaryon wants his two illegitimate sons, Alyn and Addam, to carry the Velaryon name. He pushes Rhaenyra to back him. She refuses, at least when it comes to Addam, because handing the Velaryon name to Corlys' unacknowledged sons would undercut Joffrey, who is Laenor's legally recognized heir. Translation: it looks bad for the succession math Rhaenyra needs to protect.

Corlys does not take that well. He goes public and accuses Rhaenyra's first three boys — Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey — of being bastards. Subtle it is not, and it lands right as Rhaenyra is trying to consolidate power.

Meanwhile, Queen Rhaenyra inherits a mess

Yes, she won the Iron Throne — but the victory lap is not happening. She walks into an empty treasury, starving smallfolk, and a rat problem in the Red Keep. On top of that, she still has enemies to deal with and now has Corlys pressing his case in a way that challenges her authority. The to-do list is long and most of it is political dynamite.

• Joffrey = Rhaenyra and Laenor's third son (strongly hinted to be Harwin Strong's biologically)
• Dragonrider bonded to Tyraxes
• Portrayed by Oscar Eskinazi
• Sent away after Jacaerys and Lucerys were killed; now the only surviving son from that marriage
• Season 3, Episode 3: Corlys pushes to give Alyn and Addam the Velaryon name; Rhaenyra refuses for Addam to protect Joffrey's standing as Laenor's heir
• Corlys fires back by publicly calling Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey bastards
• All of this lands as Rhaenyra is dealing with an empty treasury, hungry citizens, and a literal rat infestation in the Red Keep

So if you heard 'Joffrey' and had Red Wedding flashbacks to a very different Joffrey, different guy. This one is alive, bonded to Tyraxes, currently stashed away for safety, and suddenly very important to how the Velaryon name — and Rhaenyra's rule — holds together.

Disney did not play it safe with the live-action Moana premiere — they went big. And honestly, if you’re going to remake a modern favorite, that’s the move. The team showed up at the Hollywood Bowl and basically turned a red carpet into a full-on performance to make their case.

They turned the Hollywood Bowl into a stage show

The world premiere hit the Hollywood Bowl, where Dwayne Johnson, new Moana lead Catherine Laga'aia, and a crew of Polynesian dancers took the stage for a live number. They were in performance-specific costumes, the whole thing was choreographed, and the crowd ate it up. It read less like a promo stunt and more like a statement: this adaptation isn’t here to coast on nostalgia.

Plenty of familiar faces were in the house. Johnson was there, obviously, and he’s back as Maui in the film. Laga'aia — more on her in a second — is stepping into Moana’s sandals. Auli'i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated original, showed support from the audience, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the songwriter behind those earworms from the first movie, also attended.

Meet Catherine Laga'aia (your new Moana)

Laga'aia is a 19-year-old Samoan-Australian actor who was picked from thousands of submissions to lead the film. This is her feature debut — she’s jumping from performing arts in high school straight to carrying a Disney tentpole, which is… not a small leap.

Director Thomas Kail says he knew almost immediately that she was the one. He told People:

"She’s something special."

"I would say to her, 'If you can do this, at any point in your career you can do anything.' Nothing will be as big of a leap as that."

There’s also a fun lineage note: Catherine is the daughter of Jay Laga'aia, who played Captain Typho in the Star Wars prequels. So yes, Moana now has a family tie to the galaxy far, far away.

How she’s approaching the role

Laga'aia grew up with the animated film and basically considers it a perfect movie — her words in spirit, not mine — which she knows you can’t just copy in live action. Instead of trying to replicate Auli'i Cravalho’s performance, she’s aiming for a fresh interpretation. That’s the right instinct. No one needs a karaoke cover of Moana.

• World premiere: Hollywood Bowl, with a live stage performance by Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga'aia, and Polynesian dancers in custom-made costumes
• Who was there: Dwayne Johnson (reprising Maui), Catherine Laga'aia (new Moana), Auli'i Cravalho (original Moana voice), Lin-Manuel Miranda (songwriter from the animated film)
• Catherine Laga'aia: 19, Samoan-Australian, chosen from thousands; this is her feature-film debut after high school performing arts
• Director Thomas Kail: clicked with Laga'aia within seconds and says this leap will set her up for anything
• Fun fact: Laga'aia’s dad is Jay Laga'aia, aka Captain Typho from the Star Wars prequels
• Release: Moana (live-action) hits theaters July 10, 2026

Bottom line: between the Bowl performance and the casting energy, they’re signaling respect for what made the original work while giving the new version room to breathe. Now it’s on the movie to deliver.

Turns out Robert Pattinson was just as baffled by Tenet as the rest of us. Himesh Patel, who played Mahir (the very capable fixer who shows up when things get dicey), shared a story that basically confirms the cast was living inside a logic puzzle while shooting the movie.

So what happened?

On Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast — while promoting Enola Holmes 3 — Patel said there was a moment on set when Pattinson looked at John David Washington and genuinely questioned his own existence. Not metaphorically. Like, plot-wise.

"Am I dead?"

That was Pattinson, mid-shoot, asking Washington if his character had already died. If you saw Tenet (released in 2020), you know why this is funny and also extremely understandable. The movie is a blast, but it is not exactly a straight line from A to B.

The Pattinson theory that did not survive contact with reality

Patel also pointed to a GQ chat where Pattinson admitted he cooked up a whole theory about Neil — his character — being, well, not alive. Washington, who starred as the Protagonist, shut it down fast.

"I think I'm dead. I think I've always been dead."

According to Pattinson, that was his pitch, and Washington immediately told him he was wrong. End of ghost theory.

Why this tracks

Tenet is a Christopher Nolan special: time runs both ways, cause and effect fold in on themselves, and even a seasoned cast can lose the thread when you are shooting scenes that literally play in reverse. Audiences wrestled with it when it hit in 2020, and apparently the people making it were having the same kind of brain-melt — in a good, gallows-humor way. Patel makes it sound like that confusion led to some very funny exchanges between the leads, and honestly, same.

Matt Damon just told a very Matt-and-Robin story that pretty much explains why Good Will Hunting still hits as hard as it does: Robin Williams never stopped tinkering. He was the guy who would crush a scene, then immediately wonder if there was a better version hiding around the corner.

How Damon remembers Robin on set

Damon and Ben Affleck spent years grinding on the Good Will Hunting script, and when Williams showed up, he was fully locked in. Prep for days. But that didn’t mean he was done. Damon says Robin kept poking at moments that already worked to see if they could work even better. That relentless refining is part of why the movie still sits near the top of 90s dramas.

The new detail Damon just shared

On Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Damon pulled back the curtain on how deep Williams would go. He brought up something Terry Gilliam told him about working with Robin on The Fisher King: after long shoot days, Robin would call Gilliam late at night to keep digging into character. Not just riffing — obsessing. Once Damon heard that, he started seeing the same pattern firsthand on Good Will Hunting. If something nagged at Robin, they would go back for it — even after a mountain of takes — just to chase the version that felt right.

"Robin would get home, and he would call. He was a ruminator, there were things we went back and and and did another pickup of a thing we shot it 15 times already," Damon said of his late Good Will Hunting co-star.

• Where Damon said it: Good Hang with Amy Poehler
• The film: Good Will Hunting, from a script Damon and Ben Affleck developed over years
• How Robin worked: arrived totally prepared, then kept questioning scenes to make them better
• The Gilliam angle: during The Fisher King, Robin would phone Terry Gilliam late at night to talk character — a habit Damon recognized on set later
• The extra mile: Damon says they even returned for pickups after 15 takes if Robin felt there was still something to find

It tracks: everyone remembers Robin as a legendary improviser, but Damon is basically reminding us he was also a perfectionist. The jokes and spontaneity were there, sure, but the engine underneath was a guy who would not let go until the scene felt true. You can feel that in Good Will Hunting — it’s the quiet pressure of a crew that kept going until the thing clicked.

Graves' causes hyperthyroidism, which can bring rapid weight loss, changes around the eyes, and visible changes to the face. Moriarty has consistently denied having plastic surgery, and no procedure has ever been confirmed.

Here's how a private illness turned into years of public speculation.

Where the speculation started

Around The Boys season 3 in 2022, viewers began posting side-by-side comparisons of Moriarty across the seasons, attributing her slimmer, more contoured look to fillers, rhinoplasty, or buccal fat removal. None of it was ever verified — it was fans reading faces off screenshots. But the threads multiplied, and by 2023 "what happened to Starlight's face" had become a recurring internet topic.

The Megyn Kelly incident

In January 2024, Megyn Kelly ran a before-and-after segment on her show, mocking Moriarty's appearance and framing it as plastic surgery obsession. Moriarty hit back in a since-deleted Instagram post — attributing the selfie in question to heavy contouring makeup — and then left the platform altogether. The episode hit her hard.

As she later told The New York Times: "For a few months, I thought my career was over."

The diagnosis that reframed everything

What nobody arguing online knew was that Moriarty was getting sick. She was diagnosed with Graves' disease in May 2025 and went public that June. In 2026, she described the years before the diagnosis as a physical and psychological ordeal — she was hospitalized in August 2025 following a severe mental health crisis — and addressed the commentary directly:

"To have my physical symptoms be speculated about, trivialized and dismissed was devastating," she said in May 2026.

She has said the disease cost her years — professionally, creatively, and personally — describing herself as physically present but mentally unreachable for long stretches.

That's half the length of the 18-episode first season — the show settled into the tighter 8-episode format with season 3 and has kept it since.

The full episode schedule

• Episode 1: "All In?" — May 15, 2025. Wrexham arrive in League One, and the owners face the rising cost of staying competitive.
• Episode 2: "High Hopes" — May 15, 2025. The season kicks off against promotion rivals Wycombe, and Birmingham City — with Tom Brady among its investors — looms as the division's giant.
• Episode 3: "Disney FC" — May 22, 2025. Early wobbles, and the club answers accusations of being a Hollywood vanity project.
• Episode 4: "Built to Last" — May 29, 2025. Aging stars deliver while the club builds a youth academy for the long run. Channing Tatum drops by.
• Episode 5: "Anything's Possible" — June 5, 2025. The January transfer window forces decisions about the squad's future.
• Episode 6: "Red Dragons" — June 12, 2025. Fan favorites Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer struggle for form as the run-in approaches.
• Episode 7: "Life or Death" — June 19, 2025. A six-point showdown at Wycombe, with everything in the balance.
• Episode 8: "Do a Wrexham" — June 26, 2025. The final five games decide the automatic promotion race.

What season 4 actually covers

The 2024–25 campaign — Wrexham's first in League One in two decades — and it ends the way this club's story improbably keeps ending: with promotion. Wrexham finished second behind champions Birmingham, sealing a third consecutive promotion and a place in the Championship, one tier below the Premier League. No club had ever climbed from the fifth tier to the second in three straight seasons before Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's team did it.

Is there more after season 4?

Plenty. Season 5 — covering the Championship campaign — premiered May 14, 2026, and ran another 8 episodes through June 25, 2026. In April 2026, the show was renewed for three more seasons, taking it through 2029. There's also a spinoff, Necaxa, following Reynolds and McElhenney's venture into Mexican football alongside Eva Longoria.

Dave is David Scott of Mount Sterling, Kentucky — a deputy jailer at the Montgomery County jail, a husband, and a grandfather. On the morning of May 26, 2018, his neighbor Frances Zaayer walked into his home with a gun and shot him and his wife, Shawna. Shawna, shot in the face, survived. David was shot through the heart and died at the scene.

How it started

Frances Zaayer had history with the family. Taken in by Shawna's relatives as a teenager, she returned to Mount Sterling around 2016 during a divorce, bought the plot of land across the street, and — while her house was being built — moved in with Shawna and David as a guest.

Within weeks, her controlling behavior and an incident that left the couple's grandson in tears got her asked to leave.

Once she moved into her own house, the guest became a menace. Property-line disputes with Shawna's father. A complaint filed against a friend's salon. Near-daily police calls. After a physical altercation between the two women, a court placed restrictions on Shawna — including a distance requirement that effectively barred her from parts of her own property — and Frances spent the following months trying to bait her into violating it.

The racism behind it

The episode is direct about this: David Scott was Black, and Frances Zaayer's hostility toward him was openly racist. She had shown the couple a video of herself at a bigoted rally, hurled slurs at David and his children, and became convinced that his job at the county jail meant the police and courts were conspiring against her.

She wrote complaint letters to every authority she could think of, up to and including the president. David's response, consistently, was to ignore her and de-escalate. He did nothing to provoke what came.

What happened to Frances Zaayer

She holed up in her house after the shooting and was arrested the same day after neighbors called 911. Detectives said she never expressed remorse. In 2022, she took a plea deal — guilty to murder, second-degree assault, and wanton endangerment — and was sentenced to 35 years. She is incarcerated at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women in Shelby County and becomes eligible for parole in 2038, when she will be in her seventies.

Why the episode resonates

• The escalation was documented — a year-plus paper trail of complaints, court orders, and police visits preceded the murder.
• The victim did everything "right" — David avoided confrontation at every turn, and it did not save him.
• The survivor tells it herself — Shawna Scott appears in the episode, recounting the feud and the morning she lost her husband.

He quit at the absolute peak — on purpose

"Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra, sold more than 13 million copies, topped the Billboard Hot 100, and won Record of the Year at the Grammys in February 2013, with its parent album Making Mirrors taking Best Alternative Music Album. The follow-up move was obvious: strike fast with another hit.

Instead, De Backer described feeling burned out by the song's omnipresence, and in a 2014 newsletter he told fans exactly where things stood:

"There will be no new Gotye music. Wait, maybe there will be."

He added that he wasn't entirely sure, and that there were "many contingencies." Twelve years on from Making Mirrors, that fourth album still hasn't materialized — though he has repeatedly said one is in the works.

What he's been doing instead

• The Basics — his Melbourne trio since 2002, in which he plays drums. They released The Age of Entitlement in 2015 and the covers album B.A.S.I.C. in 2019, retired from touring in April 2021, then reunited in a New York studio in 2025 to record new material — starting with the bilingual English-Russian single "Don't Be Deceived."
• Spirit Level — the independent label he co-founded with Tim Shiel in 2014, home to left-field Australian artists.
• Forgotten Futures — his nonprofit dedicated to restoring rare early electronic instruments, above all the French proto-synthesizer the Ondioline. He befriended its most famous player, Jean-Jacques Perrey, archived his music, and formed the Ondioline Orchestra to perform it after Perrey's death in 2016. In August 2025, he launched a tribute website to Perrey through the nonprofit.
• A quieter life — after years in Brooklyn, De Backer relocated with his family to the south of France in 2025.

The song won't retire, though

In March 2025, Doechii's "Anxiety" — built on a heavy sample of "Somebody That I Used to Know" — went viral and cracked the US top 10, topping charts in Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Its video even recreates the original's body-paint imagery, with lookalikes standing in for De Backer and Kimbra. The original clip, meanwhile, has passed 2.4 billion YouTube views.

For the record: De Backer has long said he keeps ads off his own YouTube channel — meaning one of the most-watched music videos in history was never treated as a cash machine by the man who made it.

Now that's somebody worth knowing.

The site behind the story issued a correction on November 13, 2025, within about a day of it spreading. No announcement, no press release, no casting call. Nothing.

Here's why fans keep falling for these — and why a real revival almost certainly isn't coming.

Why the hoax spread so fast

Because a Deadwood revival has been "almost happening" for two decades. HBO canceled the show in August 2006 after three seasons and 36 episodes, then immediately promised two wrap-up TV movies.

Those movies spent thirteen years in development limbo, with cast members openly doubting they'd ever get made. When one finally did — Deadwood: The Movie, in 2019 — it proved the impossible was technically possible. So when a headline says "Deadwood is back," fans have been trained to believe it might just be true.

This time it wasn't.

Why a revival almost certainly won't happen

• David Milch — the creator and principal writer revealed in 2019 that he has Alzheimer's disease. Deadwood without Milch's dialogue isn't Deadwood, and he is no longer able to write it.
• Ian McShane — Al Swearengen himself has been blunt about the movie being the end. He also said doing something subpar would only "blemish" the original.
• The cast — nearly two decades older than their characters. The 2019 film already had to work around that carefully.
• The story is finished — the movie resolved the Hearst conflict and gave Swearengen, Bullock, Trixie, and the rest their closure.

McShane put it plainly to The Hollywood Reporter after the film aired in 2019:

"This is finite. There's no more after this, this is it."

The one soft note in all this: Timothy Olyphant. In an August 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he spoke warmly about revisiting old roles in general, comparing reboots to Broadway revivals. That's an actor keeping a door ajar — not a project in development.

The ending Deadwood already has

Deadwood: The Movie premiered on HBO on May 31, 2019 — thirteen years after the abrupt series cancellation. Set in 1889 during South Dakota's statehood celebrations, it reunited nearly the entire surviving cast, brought Gerald McRaney back as George Hearst, and earned eight Emmy nominations. For a show whose ending was considered stolen for over a decade, it's a remarkably complete conclusion.

Netflix is dusting off 13 Going on 30 for a new generation, and yes, cameras are already rolling in Los Angeles. It is not a shot-for-shot redo of the 2004 rom-com; it is a reimagining with new character names, a modern spin, and some familiar hands steering it. If you still know the 'Thriller' routine by heart, you are the target demo here, along with anyone who likes a body-swap-adjacent, be-careful-what-you-wish-for coming-of-age story.

So what exactly is Netflix making?

According to Deadline, Netflix kicked this version into gear with production underway and a plan to honor the original movie’s core premise without retracing it scene by scene. Instead of Jenna Rink and Matty Flamhaff, the story now centers on Grace Fischer and Ollie Brown. Same vibe, new names; think spiritual successor rather than carbon copy. The streamer is clearly betting that the charm that made the 2004 film a long-haul favorite (memorable characters, that 'Thriller' dance, the whole heart-on-its-sleeve arc) still plays in 2026.

Who is involved and when is it arriving?

• Leads: Emily Bader and Logan Lerman play the adult versions of Grace Fischer and Ollie Brown (the new counterparts to Jenna and Matty).
• Director: Brett Haley.
• Writers: Script by Hannah Marks, with revisions by Flora Greeson.
• Producers: Jennifer Garner is back as an executive producer, teaming with original producers Susan Arnold and Donna Roth.
• Production status: Filming began in Los Angeles on June 23 and is scheduled to wrap August 11, 2026.
• How we know: Deadline first reported the project on March 24, 2026, framing it specifically as a reimagining rather than a remake.

Where things stand right now

They are actively shooting in LA on a tight summer window. That lines up with a fairly standard mid-budget rom-com schedule: quick, focused, and designed to hit a release timing sweet spot without overcooking the nostalgia.

Jennifer Garner is not in front of the camera this time, but she is watching over it

Garner’s connection to the franchise is still strong, even if she is behind the scenes now. On Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast, she admitted that despite 13 Going on 30 being one of her defining movies, she has not sat through the entire thing since it premiered back in 2004. She has only dipped into scenes here and there for work over the years.

"You know what’s weird? I haven’t watched it since the premiere in full,"

She also put Jenna Rink near the top of her personal favorites — 'one or two' — because making that character was pure fun and spontaneity. But Alias’s Sydney Bristow still takes the crown for her, since that show changed her career and confidence in a way few projects can. It tracks: Alias made her a star; 13 Going on 30 made her an icon for anyone who ever wished they could fast-forward to adulthood and then realized, oops, consequences.

The bottom line

Netflix’s take is doing the smart thing: keep the wish-fulfillment heart, switch up the details, and let a new cast run the play. If they can land that mix of goofy, sincere, and secretly gut-punching that the original nailed (plus, let’s be real, at least one great needle drop), this could work. We will see if Grace and Ollie spark the same magic Jenna and Matty did — and whether this new version finds its own 'Thriller' moment without living in its shadow.

Matt Damon rolled up to Christopher Nolan's new one, 'The Odyssey', with the whole squad in tow, and yes, the internet noticed. The London premiere on July 6 turned into a full-on Damon family outing at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square — wife Luciana and all four daughters on the carpet, doing the proud-but-chill thing while Dad works the cameras. If you were wondering who everyone is and how this unit came together, here’s the quick tour.

The red-carpet moment

Photos from the July 6 London premiere show Damon, Luciana, and their daughters all there together — a rare, public family night for a guy who usually keeps his home life out of the spotlight. With the movie opening July 17, it’s not surprising the visibility is dialed up. Damon has even called this one "the hardest movie of my career."

How this family came together

Luciana met Damon in Miami in 2003, after her divorce from Arbello Barroso. She already had a 4-year-old daughter, Alexia, when she and Damon started dating. Damon and Luciana married in December 2005, and over the next few years their crew grew to four girls. If you have ever heard Damon joke about being outnumbered at home, this is why.

Alexia Barroso

Alexia was born in 1999 in Argentina to Luciana and her then-husband, Arbello Barroso. After Damon and Luciana married in 2005, he became Alexia’s stepdad. She even popped up briefly alongside him in 'We Bought a Zoo' and, now 27, still seems into the film-and-TV world. Fun bit of trivia that tends to surprise people who only think of Damon as a movie star: Alexia was around long before the tabloids decided to pay attention.

Isabella Damon

Isabella, Matt and Luciana’s first child together, was born in Miami on June 11, 2006. She is now 20 and, by Damon’s own telling, has zero interest in coddling Dad’s ego. She apparently loves to dig up his less-loved movies and use them against him — which is a very teenager move and, frankly, kind of great. Damon has also called her one of the funniest people he has ever met. As for being impressed by fame? Not really. The only time she has reportedly been star-struck was for Harry Styles, and her sisters are pretty much the same.

Gia Damon

Gia arrived next, born in Miami on August 20, 2008. She and her sisters started traveling with Damon early, visiting sets while he worked. Gia was a toddler when she visited him on the 'True Grit' set in New Mexico in 2010 — the kind of early crash course in moviemaking that probably explains why they all seem so unbothered by premieres now. She is 17, and yes, still part of the home team that has Matt outnumbered.

Stella Damon

Stella, the youngest, was born in New York City on October 20, 2010. Damon has talked about how everything shifted again once Stella showed up — a new gear for the family dynamic. During COVID, when the Damons were spending time in Ireland, Stella and her sisters dyed their dad’s hair red and gave him a mohawk. So if you ever wondered who actually runs that house, there’s your answer. She is now 15.

Where this leaves them heading into 'The Odyssey'

Damon has been a family guy for close to 21 years now, balancing the circus of a film career with an intentionally low-key home life. The London premiere made that balance visible — everyone together, supporting what he says is his most demanding project to date. We will see how the movie plays when it lands July 17, but the Damons already got their win: they showed up as a unit, and they looked like they were having a good time doing it.

Christopher Nolan is going full myth. His next film is 'The Odyssey', and he is rolling it out with a globe-trotting promo push that is almost as long-winded as Odysseus sailing home. If you want to see Nolan and one of the most stacked casts he has ever assembled doing the red carpet thing, here is the plan, the why, and how to actually get in.

The movie, the hook, the cast

'The Odyssey' is Nolan’s big-screen spin on Homer’s epic. We follow Odysseus, King of Ithaca, trying to get back home after the Trojan War while dodging monsters, angry gods, and relentless seas. It is a decade-long grind to reunite with Penelope and Telemachus, and Nolan is clearly not shying away from the scale.

Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, with Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, and more filling out what might be Nolan’s most star-packed ensemble yet.

The itinerary at a glance

• London (July 6, 2026) — World premiere and kickoff, a nod to Nolan’s British roots. Early press screenings run during the European start (July 6–8). Cast sightings at the premiere included Lupita Nyong'o, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and the rest of the crew.
• Mumbai (main window: July 10–16) — The first time an official Nolan film premiere has been hosted in India. After 'Oppenheimer', India has become one of his strongest international markets, so this stop is a statement.
• Paris (July 10–16 window) — High-profile press and red carpets in one of Europe’s core cinema hubs.
• New York (July 10–16 window) — Anchors the North American push with media screenings and promo hits leading right into release week.
• Seoul (August 3, 2026) — A rare post-release stop. Nolan will thank South Korean audiences directly; the country has been one of his best overseas markets. It is the only event after the movie is already in theaters.

Key dates and the bigger strategy

The tour starts July 6, 2026, with the London world premiere and runs as an 11-day sprint into release. After the European kickoff (July 6–8), the main promotional window shifts July 10–16 across Mumbai, Paris, and New York with red carpets, interviews, and wall-to-wall press. The movie opens worldwide on July 17, 2026. Then, in a curveball designed to keep buzz humming past opening weekend, the tour wraps with a special event in Seoul on August 3.

What a day on the tour actually looks like

This is a tightly clocked machine. Mornings into mid-afternoon (about 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM) are press junkets with Christopher Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and the cast doing interviews, photo calls, and TV hits. Fan zones typically open between 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM so people can get in position. The red carpet runs roughly 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM with arrivals, interviews, autographs, the works. Premiere screenings kick off around 8:15 PM, usually with the team introducing a nearly three-hour film before the lights go down.

One practical note: travel, weather, and security can nudge these times around. If you are planning to go, check official updates from Universal Pictures and local event partners 24 to 48 hours before each stop for gate times and any last-minute changes.

How to actually get in

Two ways. First, the red carpet fan zones: they are free, first-come, first-served, and they do cap capacity, so arriving early is not optional. Second, the premium route: a ticket to the exclusive IMAX premiere screenings where Nolan and the cast appear. Those tickets drop in limited batches via local theater booking sites, sell out fast, and availability varies by city. If you miss out, regular theatrical showtimes start worldwide on July 17, 2026.

The bottom line

Nolan and Universal are turning this release into a traveling celebration: marquee cities, a regimented schedule, fan-heavy events, and a late-breaking Seoul stop to stretch momentum. Whether you are lining a barricade or watching the clips roll in from your couch, the campaign is built to keep 'The Odyssey' front and center well beyond opening weekend.

Anne Hathaway is out promoting The Odyssey, and somewhere between screenings and step-and-repeats she basically shrugged off the kind of wardrobe hiccup that would send most people sprinting for a cloak. Yes, the woman who once starred in The Devil Wears Prada is still human. And honestly, her response makes the whole thing better.

The red jumpsuit moment (and why she is not sweating it)

In the last days of June 2026, Hathaway hit New York in a cherry red peplum jumpsuit from Ashlyn's Spring collection. Sharp-eyed fashion people noticed it was on backward: the runway version puts a high neckline in front, and she wore the scooped side forward. Instead of ducking the chatter, she leaned right in, cutting a playful Instagram video together with headlines calling out the flip. It read like: saw it, got the joke, moving on.

Her take, straight from the press tour

While doing The Odyssey promo, she was asked about the mix-up in a recent Entertainment Tonight interview (ET posted the clip on July 6, 2026). No crisis energy, just perspective and a little self-aware humor.

"You have to grow into that."

"It's me, so there's plenty more of that where that came from."

Translation: fashion fun is part of the package, and she is not about to apologize for it.

Meanwhile, her Penelope is not here to be quiet

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey puts Hathaway in full command as Penelope, Queen of Ithaca, opposite Matt Damon as Odysseus. This take leans on Emily Wilson's acclaimed translation, which treats Penelope as Odysseus's intellectual match, not a passive placeholder. Hathaway has described her as someone whose calm is a cover for a steady burn — a strategist managing a rotten palace without losing her grip.

She is not crushed by nearly twenty years of waiting. Instead, she channels controlled fury and actively outplays more than a hundred pushy suitors, led by Robert Pattinson's calculating Antinous. Even her costumes make a point: bright, defiant colors, no mourning black, because she refuses to concede that Odysseus is gone. Damon handles the sea-monster odyssey part of the odyssey, but the film's heart is the Penelope–Telemachus dynamic, with Tom Holland as the son trying to grow up under siege.

• Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Queen of Ithaca
• Matt Damon as Odysseus
• Robert Pattinson as Antinous, the chief suitor
• Tom Holland as Telemachus

So yes, a backwards jumpsuit grabbed a headline. But the bigger story is Hathaway stepping into a version of Penelope that is all spine and strategy. If she wants to keep stirring in a little fashion chaos on the side, that just makes the press tour less boring.

Everyone dunked on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey after the trailer — the look, the tone, Matt Damon as Odysseus — it all got dragged before the movie even touched a theater. Cut to the first press screenings, and the early word is so glowing it makes all that pre-release doomposting look pretty silly.

So... what are people actually saying?

Critics walked out buzzing. Collider's Perri Nemiroff called it a full-on feast of filmmaking. Andrew J. Salazar from Discussing Film went big with the superlatives too, labeling it a staggering achievement loaded with set pieces that are both spectacular and genuinely scary. Variety's Jazz Tangcay echoed that energy, calling it astonishing and a triumphant, massive epic. Across the board, people keep hammering the same points: enormous IMAX scale, real emotional heft, and a surprisingly unsettling dive into Greek mythology.

"Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement."

That particular mic drop came from Fandango's Erik Davis, who also said it feels like everything Nolan has been building toward with IMAX comes together here. Others chimed in with similar takeaways: critic Patrick urged you to do whatever you can to see it in IMAX 70mm, calling it strange, stunningly beautiful, and unlike anything Nolan has made before; Collider's Steven Weintraub said he was blown away, praised the performances across the board, and loved how fully the movie embraces the supernatural — again, with the strong IMAX 70mm recommendation.

The performances getting singled out

Matt Damon is pulling headline duty as Odysseus and, by early accounts, commanding the screen. Robert Pattinson, playing the scheming Antinous, is the other big talking point — Davis called the character conniving, manipulative, and wildly entertaining, and pegged it as one of Pattinson's best turns. Tom Holland is also earning kudos for bringing real warmth and vulnerability to Telemachus.

What kind of Nolan movie is this?

Here’s where it gets interesting. One early viewer said it might be Nolan's most straightforward movie — and somehow also his most impressive. Another called it totally unlike anything he has made before. Those thoughts can coexist: think epic and accessible, but also bold, eerie, and unafraid of the myth's stranger corners. One comparison that kept popping up: the sheer scale and attention to detail reminded a critic of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Not subtle praise.

The setup (for anyone who skipped Homer)

This is Odysseus fighting his way home after the Trojan War — a brutal, years-long trek back to his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland). The world of monsters, gods, and nightmares is very much in play, and Nolan apparently leans into it.

• Matt Damon as Odysseus
• Anne Hathaway as Penelope
• Tom Holland as Telemachus
• Robert Pattinson as Antinous
• Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, and Himesh Patel round out the ensemble

The tech flex (and why IMAX keeps coming up)

Nolan reportedly shot more than two million feet of film across a 91-day schedule, making The Odyssey the first narrative feature filmed entirely with IMAX cameras. Translation: it is built to be huge. That's why so many early reactions include some version of see it in IMAX 70mm.

The vibe shift from backlash to buzz

For months, the internet nitpicked costumes, dialogue, and trailer frames like they were solving a crime. Now that the actual movie is in front of people, the tone has flipped. One account even framed it as Nolan landing another summer smash — and if it hits anywhere near Oppenheimer levels, a lot of Those Tweets are going to age like milk.

Bottom line (and when you can see it)

The Odyssey has early viewers dropping words like astonishing, flawless, and perfection, with special love for the production design, the action, and the mythic, occasionally terrifying ride of it all. If this wave holds, the film might turn its loudest skeptics into its quietest audience.

The Odyssey opens July 17, 2026.

Zendaya showed up to the London world premiere of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey like she owned Mount Olympus, and Tom Holland happily took on hype-husband duty. If you like a little showmanship with your red carpets, this was your night.

London premiere: Tom, meet your muse

At the July 6 world premiere, Holland paused mid-press line to marvel at Zendaya's first look and basically turned into the rest of us.

"I mean give me a break. And it lightens up like a lamp. Let's get it girl."

For anyone keeping score, Zendaya has made 'method dressing' a sport at this point. She leaned hard into the theme earlier this year with that 'Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue' run during The Drama press tour. Now, for The Odyssey, she is fully in Greek-goddess mode, nodding to her character, Athena.

The looks (because there were two)

• Look 1: A Schiaparelli moment built around a structured white corset and a beaded fringe skirt that catches light like crazy — the 'lamp' effect Holland was joking about. She stacked a tiered diamond collar up top and finished it with a Grecian rope braid as a clean wink to Athena. Longtime stylist Law Roach is behind the styling, as usual.
• Look 2: Later, she switched into a Mediterranean-leaning Valentino gown, olive-draped with a bodice shaped like green vines. Different vibe, same signal: still Athena, just off-duty on a terrace somewhere.

A clip of Holland hyping her up made the rounds on social media via fan accounts on July 6, and trade outlets posted her arrival footage the same night. So yes, not just you — the internet noticed.

And yes, they are married — they actually said it

After months of will-they-say-it-or-not, Holland finally acknowledged he and Zendaya are newlyweds in a June 16 Esquire interview. He brushed off those AI-generated 'wedding' images by pointing out that their actual friends and family were there for the real thing — and then he shut the door with a classic 'that's all you're getting' move. It's the first time either of them has said it publicly, though Law Roach hinted back in March at the Actor Awards that the two had already tied the knot.

Between locking that down and launching The Odyssey's promo push, it's a stacked year for both of them. Holland even hinted they've wrapped the big personal celebrations and are now heading straight into the work grind. Translation: savor these premieres; it's about to get busy.

Quick fashion nerdery note: that 'lamp' comment was not random. The Schiaparelli skirt is lined with intricate beading that throws off a shimmer under flashes — it's a design meant to move and light up on camera, which is why it looked like a walking chandelier in the best way.

What did you think of Zendaya's Odyssey looks — the luminous Schiaparelli or the vine-wrapped Valentino? Drop your pick in the comments.

Robert Pattinson skipped the year's buzziest wedding, and no, it wasn't because he hates cake. Batman called. And when Gotham is on the schedule, even a Taylor Swift–Travis Kelce blowout takes a back seat.

Pattinson picked Gotham over the Swift-Kelce spectacle

Catching up with Entertainment Tonight at The Odyssey premiere, Pattinson said he was literally on set the same day as the wedding. Translation: no time for a plus-one moment with Suki Waterhouse, no couples photos, just work boots and Batsuit.

"I was working! I was shooting Batman. I was shooting Batman this morning."

"They were giving away lots of stuff? What did I get???"

That second line was him laughing about missing the party swag, which, honestly, is the most relatable way to duck a star-studded invite. A clip of the exchange made the rounds online via a Pattinson fansite on July 6.

His current red-carpet look is reading a little more polished Bruce Wayne than brooding recluse, which sure feels intentional if the sequel nudges Bruce further into the public eye. Either way, the guy is locked in. The Batman: Part II is aiming for October 1, 2027, and you don't hit that mark by hopping from set to dance floor.

Where the sequel stands (and what fans are guessing)

• Pattinson's filming schedule is tight enough that he worked the morning of the wedding. Priorities: Gotham first, gift bags never.
• Release date is currently set for October 1, 2027.
• Matt Reeves is keeping the plot sealed up, so tiny clues are getting magnified. Case in point: Sebastian Stan's newly bald, clean-shaven look has fans spinning theories.
• Early chatter had Stan pegged for Harvey Dent, but recent reports suggest someone else might be playing Dent, which opened the door to a different guess: Victor Zsasz. The shaved head certainly fits Zsasz's unsettling vibe better than DA hair.
• Stan previously teased he's preparing for "many roles" in the film. At first that sounded like a cheeky nod to Two-Face. Now it could just mean multiple facets, disguises, or something we haven't considered yet.
• Reeves has hinted the sequel would spotlight a villain who hasn't had a proper big-screen deep dive. Two-Face has been done; Zsasz, not so much. Still, nothing is confirmed.
• Meanwhile, fans are still wondering if Barry Keoghan's Joker is back in the mix. The studio hasn't said a word.

So, did Pattinson miss anything?

Besides the open bar and whatever was in those gift bags? Probably not. If the goal is to deliver a sharper, more evolved Bruce in Part II, this is the grind. The wedding will survive without him. Gotham, famously, will not.

What do you make of Pattinson's decision and the Sebastian Stan guessing game? Drop your take in the comments.

Christopher Nolan is usually Fort Knox with casting, but Tom Holland just told a very Tom Holland story about how he quietly let Zendaya know Nolan wanted her to play Athena in The Odyssey. Also worth noting: after the early trailer backlash, first reactions have been glowing, and this IMAX beast is almost at the finish line.

How Tom told Zendaya (and yes, he made it a game)

In a recent Access Hollywood sit-down, Holland said Nolan carefully floated a question during their meeting: would he be cool if Zendaya played Athena? Holland admitted his first panicked thought was that Nolan was about to ask him to wear lifts to look taller. Instead, he loved the idea and volunteered to be the messenger.

Back home, when Zendaya asked how the meeting went, he refused to just blurt it out. He told her to reread the script and really zero in on Athena. He watched the penny drop in real time as the corners of her mouth started to give it away.

"Just read it again, but read Athena really closely."

Robert Pattinson was there for the interview too. He plays Antinous, and early reactions are already shouting him out for being deliciously manipulative.

The lineup

• Matt Damon as Odysseus
• Anne Hathaway as Penelope
• Tom Holland as Telemachus (Odysseus and Penelope's son)
• Zendaya as Athena
• Robert Pattinson as Antinous
• Plus: Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, and Mia Goth

Where the buzz stands now

The first big trailer on May 4, 2026 had people side-eyeing some choices, but early reactions since then have flipped the narrative hard in Nolan's favor. Holland, Pattinson, and the rest of the very stacked ensemble are getting singled out, and the whole thing is being framed as a massive IMAX event you actually need to experience on a giant screen.

When and where to see it

Universal dropped a final countdown trailer on July 1, 2026. The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17, 2026. It was shot entirely with IMAX cameras, so if you can swing a true IMAX, this is the one.

What the movie covers

It is Nolan doing Homer: after the Trojan War, Odysseus tries to get back to Ithaca and spends a decade dodging divine grudges and mythological death traps while Penelope and Telemachus wait at home. Expect gods and monsters, the Cyclops, Sirens, Circe, and a whole lot of no-easy-way-out problem solving.

So yes, Holland turned a major casting offer into a cute at-home riddle. The movie, on the other hand, is done teasing. It lands July 17.

Christopher Nolan has a new epic swinging into 2026, and The Odyssey is already soaking up attention for two reasons: the cast is stacked, and Nolan hired Travis Scott to play The Bard. Yes, that Travis Scott. People have been arguing about it since the first teaser, and now both Scott and Nolan have finally explained how this happened and why it actually makes sense.

Travis Scott says Nolan called with a wild idea, and he just said yes

At the film's premiere, Scott told Deadline the whole thing started with an out-of-the-blue phone call from Nolan pitching an unconventional role. No marathon audition, no labyrinth of deals — just a filmmaker with a curveball and an artist who was game.

"I just got a call from Nolan. He has this crazy idea... I am down to rock, I really wanna do it."

That laid-back answer tracks with what we see here: rather than overthink the weirdness of being a rapper dropped into Homer, Scott leaned into it. And given the part he landed — The Bard — the vibe fits.

Nolan’s reasoning: The Odyssey started as something performed out loud — which is kind of the point

Nolan told Time he saw the complaints online coming, but his logic for casting Scott is baked into the DNA of the story. The Odyssey was passed down for centuries as spoken poetry, not something you silently read in a book. In Nolan’s view, putting a contemporary performer steeped in rhythm, cadence, and wordplay into the film nods directly to those roots. He was not going for a stunt cameo; he wanted a living echo of how this tale originally traveled — voice to ear, performance to audience — and modern rap is a clean parallel to that tradition.

So, yes, on paper it looks like a left-field celebrity pick. In context, it is Nolan being very Nolan: thematic, a little cheeky, and absolutely intentional. With Scott embracing the vision from the jump and the role literally being The Bard, this particular swing feels a lot less random than the discourse made it sound.

Julia Garner just lined up another true-crime project, and this one comes with a twist: she is playing two characters. Apple TV+ has officially ordered 'Guilty Creatures', and it sounds like the kind of slow-burn crime story that sticks with you.

'Guilty Creatures' on Apple TV+: what it is and who is making it

Based on Mikita Brottman’s non-fiction book 'Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida', the series tracks two lovers whose secret affair spirals into murder, then haunts them for nearly 20 years. Apple announced the greenlight on July 6, 2026, and they leaned into the tone with a pretty blunt teaser line:

"Sex, God, murder, and the Florida panhandle."

The show is being built with a lot of familiar, very capable hands. Think of it as a package that came together fast because the star and the director already had deals in place with the studio. Garner is not just starring — she is executive producing through her Alma Margo banner and, yes, juggling two roles in the series.

• Star: Julia Garner, playing two characters; also executive producing via Alma Margo
• Director/EP: Craig Gillespie ('Pam & Tommy'), executive producing through Fortunate Jack Productions
• Showrunner/EP: Stuart Zicherman
• Producers: Tomorrow Studios (an ITV Studios partner), developing through existing deals with Alma Margo and Fortunate Jack
• Additional EPs: Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Alissa Bachner (for Tomorrow Studios)
• Source material: Mikita Brottman’s book 'Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida'
• Premise: A clandestine affair leads to a killing; the fallout stretches across two decades
• Status: Newly ordered at Apple TV+; more casting to come

On paper, it is a lean, propulsive setup with a stacked creative team, and Garner doing double duty in front of and behind the camera is a smart fit for this kind of morally knotty material.

Garner’s other (very busy) 2026–2027 slate

Garner is not exactly easing up elsewhere. After recently showing up in 'Weapons', she is also headlining and executive producing Netflix’s limited series 'The Altruists'. Anthony Boyle co-stars opposite her. The show centers on Sam Bankman-Fried (played by Boyle) and Caroline Ellison (played by Garner) — two hyper-bright, change-the-world types whose grand plan to overhaul global finance ends with them stealing $8 billion. Netflix has already lined up additional cast: Hudson Williams, Jennifer Grey, Terry Chen, Elizabeth Adams, Hannah Galway, and William Mapother. No date yet, but Netflix is aiming for late 2026 or early 2027.

On top of that, Garner is teaming with Charlize Theron on Amazon MGM Studios’ 'Tyrant', and she is slated to appear in season 2 of Apple TV+ comedy 'The Studio'. Translation: expect to see a lot of her over the next 12–18 months.

Bottom line

'Guilty Creatures' sounds like a pulpy true-crime hook with a heavy psychological hangover, and putting Garner in two roles under Craig Gillespie’s watch is a compelling swing. Apple has not shared a release window yet, but with the series now officially moving forward, expect casting news next.

The July calendar

• Moana (July 10) — Disney's live-action remake, with Dwayne Johnson back as Maui and Catherine Laga'aia as Moana. Tracking has softened after Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters drained the family market, but it's the last big family tentpole of the summer.
• Evil Dead Burn (July 10) — horror counter-programming in roughly 3,000 theaters, aimed at everyone not going to Moana.
• The Odyssey (July 17) — Nolan's Homer adaptation, with Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Anne Hathaway. Studio-adjacent tracking puts the opening at $80–100 million; independent forecasts average closer to $118 million.
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31) — Tom Holland's fourth solo outing, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Long-range tracking sits between $212 million and $255 million for opening weekend, with $228 million the midpoint.

The film tipped to win: Spider-Man

Even with only one July weekend, Brand New Day is the forecasters' pick. A $228 million start would make it just the seventh MCU film ever to open above $200 million, slotting between No Way Home's $260 million and Deadpool & Wolverine's $211 million.

The demand signals back it up: the strongest first-day US presales of any film in five years — a record No Way Home itself previously held — with domestic presales already past $40 million, and Fandango's biggest first-day pre-sale of 2026.

Prediction markets currently give it a 54.5% chance of finishing as the year's top domestic earner.

One $228 million weekend would likely out-gross what any other release earns across the entire month.

Don't count out Nolan

The Odyssey has history on its side — July gave Nolan The Dark Knight, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer. No non-Batman Nolan film has ever opened above $100 million, but Oppenheimer was tracking at $40–50 million before it exploded to $82.4 million, and Universal is running the same playbook: IMAX-dominated presales, early social reactions from July 6, full reviews on July 15.

If the reviews land the way Oppenheimer's did, that $118 million forecast is a floor, not a ceiling. The film has weathered waves of trailer rating-bombing; presales suggest audiences aren't listening.

The strangest subplot of the month: both heavyweights star the same man. Holland plays Telemachus in The Odyssey two weeks before he puts the suit back on.

"The Odyssey almost saved Spider-Man," Holland told GQ in June 2026 — the six-month delay to film Nolan's epic is what freed Cretton to direct Brand New Day.

For the record: whichever film takes July, Tom Holland wins twice.

The short answer: the Dance of the Dragons gutted them, and the house never truly recovered.

The peak: the Sea Snake's fortune

The Velaryons are old Valyrian blood — by tradition, they arrived in Westeros before the Targaryens did. But the house's golden age was built by one man: Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake, whose nine great voyages made him, at his height, richer than the Lannisters and the Hightowers. He raised the castle of High Tide on Driftmark to hold his treasures, and he spent a lifetime obsessed with legacy.

"History does not remember blood. It remembers names," Corlys says in season 1 of House of the Dragon.

That line turned out to be the house's epitaph.

The Dance took almost everyone

The civil war between the Targaryen Blacks and Greens (129–131 AC) fell hardest on the family bankrolling the Blacks. The losses, in order:

• Laena Velaryon — Corlys's daughter, dead in 120 AC, before the war even began.
• Laenor Velaryon — dead in the source material; in the show, smuggled off to Essos, never to return either way.
• Lucerys Velaryon — killed above Storm's End by Aemond and Vhagar; his death is the spark that ignites the whole war.
• Princess Rhaenys — the Queen Who Never Was, Corlys's wife, dies at Rook's Rest with her dragon Meleys.
• Jacaerys Velaryon — dies in the Battle of the Gullet, the naval catastrophe that opened House of the Dragon season 3.
• Joffrey Velaryon — killed during the Storming of the Dragonpit.
• High Tide itself — burned and looted during the war, its treasures never fully recovered.

Add a Velaryon fleet mauled protecting the blockade, and the richest house in Westeros ended the war bled white.

Heirs in name only

Corlys survived the Dance and served the boy king Aegon III before dying in 132 AC. Every trueborn heir was already gone, so Driftmark passed to Alyn of Hull — officially Laenor's bastard son, though the histories heavily imply he was Corlys's own. Alyn "Oakenfist" became one of the most celebrated admirals Westeros ever produced, but even his fame couldn't rebuild a fortune the war had burned. The name survived. The dynasty didn't.

Where they are by Game of Thrones

In the books, the Velaryons limp on as Lords of the Tides, minor bannermen of Dragonstone. Lord Monford Velaryon backs Stannis Baratheon and dies at the Blackwater when the wildfire trap goes up, leaving a six-year-old heir, Monterys. The liveliest Velaryon left is Aurane Waters, the Bastard of Driftmark, who charms Cersei into handing him command of a rebuilt royal fleet — then steals the ships and sets up as a pirate lord in the Stepstones. The Game of Thrones TV series cut every one of them.

The obvious question: barely anyone knew where Carter was. So how did the cartel find him? The honest answer is that the episode never says outright — but it leaves two credible explanations and one prime suspect.

Who actually knew

Carter walked out on Beth and Rip in episode 8 and holed up at the ranch of Dwight White — the shady mentor Beth and Rip never even knew existed, and who was shot dead by Sheriff Handy Wade back in episode 5.

By the finale, exactly two people had the location: Oreana Jackson, who figured out where he'd go and drove there herself, and Sheriff Wade, whom Carter had asked to meet at the ranch about a job.

That's it. Beth spent the whole finale calling Carter and tearing through Rio Paloma without ever finding him. The cartel drove straight to the door.

The theories, ranked

• Sheriff Handy Wade tipped them off — the fan-favorite suspect. He knew the exact location, he's already shown he'll operate outside the law, and he's one of only two people holding the information.
• A phone trace — Mariano's people somehow obtained Beth's private number to deliver threats, and Rip points out in the episode that anyone who can pull their numbers can pull their license plates too. A cartel that can do that can ping a teenager's cell phone.
• Oreana — effectively ruled out — she's secretly pregnant, almost certainly with Carter's child, and was literally packing to run away with him when the cartel struck. She had every reason to protect him.

What the stars say about season 2

The kidnapping is the engine of the next season, which Paramount+ has already greenlit with new showrunner Benjamin Cavell.

"We're going to see them tear up Texas to get him back," Kelly Reilly told TV Insider after the finale.

Cole Hauser has said Beth and Rip spent season 1 on their back foot after losing everything in Montana — and that Carter's abduction flips them back onto offense. Expect the Yellowstone-mode versions of both, an uneasy alliance with Beulah Jackson, and Mariano as the season's big bad. He engineered plenty in one episode: it was on his orders that Joaquin murdered his own brother, Rob-Will, moments before Carter was taken.

For the record: both 2026 Yellowstone spinoffs — this one and the Kayce-led Marshals — ended their first seasons with a Dutton boy kidnapped, echoing Tate's abduction all the way back in Yellowstone season 2. In this franchise, kidnapping is practically a family tradition.

The clips that ended it

The trouble started before the season even premiered. On June 2, 2025, a Love Island subreddit surfaced a 2021 podcast clip of Escobar using the N-word; TMZ published a second clip the following day, in which she reportedly says the slur multiple times while discussing past relationships.

The backlash was immediate — her social media flooded with comments, and fans vowed to vote her out the moment the app allowed it.

Escobar, sealed inside a phone-free villa in Fiji and freshly coupled with Ace Greene, had no idea any of it was happening.

• June 2, 2025 — a Reddit thread unearths the 2021 podcast clip.
• June 3 — season 7 premieres on Peacock; TMZ publishes a second clip.
• June 4 — episode 2 airs: "Yulissa has left the villa," 18 minutes in, with no further comment.
• June 6 — Escobar posts a written apology on Instagram.
• July 2025 — she shares her "real story" of the removal on TikTok.

Her apology

Escobar addressed the clips directly once she was out, apologizing for using a slur she said she had no right to use.

"I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it," she wrote on June 6, 2025.

She added that intention doesn't excuse impact, that she had changed since her podcast days, and that she was sorry to everyone disappointed or offended.

Her version of the exit

The show made her removal look like a vanishing act. In her July TikTok, Escobar pushed back on the dramatic theories: no middle-of-the-night extraction, no producers dragging her out of bed. She said it was an ordinary day — she was waiting with the other islanders for the arrival of bombshells Cierra and Charlie when producers called her over, and she assumed she was filming a confessional. Instead, they told her a video had resurfaced and it didn't look good.

She was driven to a hotel and left without her phone for two days while her episodes aired. Only when she got it back did she grasp the scale of what had happened.

The pattern that followed

Her exit turned out to be the first of two. Weeks later, Cierra Ortega — one of the bombshells who arrived the very day Yulissa left — was also removed after her own resurfaced posts containing a slur, this time against Asian people. Season 7 became the season that forced a hard conversation about how thoroughly the franchise vets its cast.

Minions & Monsters took the crown, Toy Story 5 kept printing money, and the real story was Young Washington, the historical drama nobody expected in the top three. Here are the numbers, based on estimates for the July 3–5 frame.

The top of the chart

• Minions & Monsters — $36.4 million (No. 1) — Universal and Illumination opened on Wednesday, July 1 and led the three-day frame, with $61.4 million over five days. It's the franchise's seventh straight No. 1 debut — and its lowest opening ever. The series still crossed $2 billion domestic in the process.
• Toy Story 5 — $31 million (No. 2) — down 56% in weekend three, now at $366.3 million domestic and $764 million worldwide after 17 days.
• Young Washington — $20.8 million (No. 3) — the weekend's surprise, from just 2,700 theaters.
• Supergirl — $9.6 million (No. 4) — a brutal 74% second-weekend drop, for $58.5 million domestic and $100.5 million worldwide.
• Disclosure Day — $6 million (No. 5) — Steven Spielberg's thriller in its fourth weekend.

Why Young Washington over-performed

Tracking pointed to an opening around $15 million. Jon Erwin's drama about George Washington's French and Indian War years — with William Franklyn-Miller in the lead — beat that by nearly 40%, averaging $7,721 per theater against Hollywood's two biggest family franchises.

The timing did a lot of work. A film about young Washington, released July 3, during the country's 250th-anniversary celebrations.

Audiences handed it an A CinemaScore, more than 65% of the gross came from the Midwest and South, and Chris Pratt — who has nothing to do with the film — boosted it on social media.

It's now the second-biggest opening in Angel Studios history, behind David's $22 million and ahead of Sound of Freedom's $19.7 million. Erwin announced within days of the debut that writing has begun on a sequel, titled 1776.

Is Minions & Monsters in trouble?

Not really. A franchise-low start stings when Despicable Me 4 opened to $122 million two years ago, but this one carries an $85 million budget, an 89% critics' score, and roughly $160 million worldwide already. Analysts project a domestic finish anywhere from $130 million to $180 million. A softer hit is still a hit.

The bigger picture

The three-day weekend totaled $121.3 million, putting 2026 about 13% ahead of last year's pace. Toy Story 5, now the No. 3 film of 2026 domestically, is tracking toward roughly $450 million stateside, buoyed by a $14.6 million Japan launch — the biggest ever there for a Hollywood studio. And the family pile-up isn't over: Disney's live-action Moana lands July 10.

For the record: Toy Story 5's $160 million debut is still the biggest opening of 2026. It has about four weeks left to enjoy the title.

Fans filled the silence with grim theories about what happened to her. Showrunner Steve Holland has answered them directly.

Paige's story in brief

• The character — a fellow child prodigy introduced in season 2 (2018), Sheldon's rival in Dr. Sturgis's university class and, for a while, the closest thing he had to a peer.
• The arc — her parents' divorce sent her into a downward spiral: acting out, shoplifting, rebellion.
• Last seen — season 6's "A Stolen Truck and Going on the Lam" (2023), running away from home with Missy.
• Total appearances — just nine episodes, despite her outsized popularity.

The dark theories

Adult Sheldon never once mentions Paige in The Big Bang Theory — and since her final Young Sheldon episodes showed a kid in freefall, fans connected the dots in the bleakest possible way. The most persistent theory held that Paige's spiral ended in tragedy, and that she was dead by the Big Bang era.

What the showrunner said

Speaking to TVLine in May 2024, executive producer Steve Holland acknowledged the theories and shut the darkest one down:

"I don't think she's not mentioned because she went down a dark path"

— and, crucially, he does not believe she's dead by the time of The Big Bang Theory. Paige, he explained, was a mirror image of Sheldon — another road the same gifts could take — and the show felt that parallel had fully played out.

By season 6 she was more Missy's friend than Sheldon's, and the writers never saw her story as an arc that needed more closure than it got.

The real reason she wasn't in season 7

Scheduling. Grace had become a genuinely in-demand movie star — Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire landed the same spring the show ended — and the shortened, 14-episode final season left no window to get her back. Holland said he'd have loved to have her return.

As for the Big Bang silence, the explanation is even less sinister: only three of Paige's episodes aired before The Big Bang Theory wrapped in 2019, so there was never a chance to write her into the mothership.

Zoe Slater's exit aired in June 2005 — and for the next two decades, she stayed gone. Then, on June 16, 2025, she walked back in.

Why she quit

Ryan announced her departure in January 2005, after five years and more than 200 episodes. She wasn't pushed; she was restless. As she put it at the time:

"Doing the same thing day in, day out. It's just so boring," she told the Bristol Evening Post in 2005.

She'd always viewed the soap as an apprenticeship — a launchpad, not a destination — and she wanted to test herself in different roles, including a shot at America.

How Zoe left the Square

Her five years contained one of the most famous scenes in British soap history: the 2001 "You ain't my mother!" reveal, when Zoe learned that her sister Kat was actually her mother.

Her exit storyline was nearly as big. Zoe was one of three women caught up in the murder of Den Watts — she struck him and fled Walford believing she'd killed him, only for it to emerge that Chrissie Watts had delivered the fatal blow. Zoe confessed her part to Kat and left for a new life in Spain.

What she did next

• Bionic Woman (2007) — the lead in NBC's big-budget remake, cut short after eight episodes when the writers' strike hit.
• Merlin (2008) — the sorceress Nimueh in the BBC's fantasy hit.
• Doctor Who (2009) — jewel thief Lady Christina de Souza in "Planet of the Dead," a role she kept playing in audio dramas all the way through 2023.
• Twenty years of "no" — she repeatedly turned down offers to return to Walford.

The return, two decades later

In May 2025, the BBC confirmed the unthinkable: Ryan was coming back. New executive producer Ben Wadey had put Zoe on his returnee wish list before he even took the job, and the timing finally aligned.

Her unannounced first scene aired on June 16, 2025 — Zoe turned up bruised, claiming to be on the run from loan sharks and refusing all contact with Kat — followed by a full-time return later that summer. By Christmas, she was at the center of a stalker storyline. Ryan, now 41, said returning felt like "coming home."

The series

Created by David Milch, Deadwood is set in the 1870s in the lawless gold-rush camp of Deadwood, South Dakota, as it claws its way toward becoming an actual town. Timothy Olyphant plays Seth Bullock, the newly arrived lawman; Ian McShane plays Al Swearengen, the profane, magnetic saloon owner who really runs the place. Each season is 12 episodes of roughly 55 minutes:

• Season 1 (March–June 2004) — the camp, its power games, and the arrival of Wild Bill Hickok (Keith Carradine), whose fate becomes the season's defining event.
• Season 2 (March–May 2005) — Deadwood organizes itself into something like a real town, with elections, property wars, and the looming threat of annexation by the Dakota Territory.
• Season 3 (June–August 2006) — mining magnate George Hearst (Gerald McRaney) arrives and starts bending the entire camp to his will. It ends with major storylines hanging.

Why it was canceled

Money. Deadwood cost around $4.5 million per episode — steep even for HBO. The network offered Milch a shortened fourth season of six to eight episodes; he turned it down, feeling it wasn't enough to finish the story properly. Two TV movies were promised as a compromise.

Only one was ever made. It took thirteen years.

The 2019 movie

Deadwood: The Movie premiered on HBO on May 31, 2019 — written by Milch, directed by Daniel Minahan, and running 110 minutes. It's set in 1889, about a decade after season 3, with South Dakota's statehood celebrations pulling the surviving characters back together and the old war with Hearst flaring up one last time. Nearly the entire original cast returned: Olyphant, McShane, Molly Parker, Paula Malcomson, John Hawkes, McRaney, and more. For most fans, it delivered the closure the series had been denied.

Total watch time

Starting from scratch? Budget about 35 hours — roughly 33 for the three seasons and just under 2 for the movie. The original broadcast rhythm of one episode at a time holds up, but the show also binges beautifully.

The cast exodus that started the question

In July 2025, ahead of season 3, Tracker announced that Eric Graise (tech whiz Bobby) and Abby McEnany (Velma) would not be returning. Robin Weigert, who played Teddi, had already exited after season 1. That's half the original ensemble gone — so when fans typed Reenie's name into search, they were bracing for the worst.

They didn't need to. Showrunner Elwood Reid confirmed she'd return as a series regular, with plans to build out her world rather than shrink it:

"This is all part of my 'evil plan' to use Fiona more," Reid told TVLine in 2025.

What Reenie actually went through

Season 2 was brutal for her. She opened her own criminal law firm, then a case involving fixer Leo Sharf ended with a security breach at that firm, Reenie kidnapped, and her boyfriend shot. She entered season 3 shaken and rebuilding — which is exactly what the writers used to reshape the show around her.

Season 3 made her a co-lead

• A new home base — Reenie's law office became the team's unofficial headquarters, staffed by new tech specialist Randy (Chris Lee) and associate Mel Day (Cassady McClincy Zhang).
• Her own case — she spent the season taking on Prader & Rockwell Properties Group over a toxic housing development, a storyline that ran parallel to Colter's missing-persons work.
• A stalker — surveillance photos and being tailed in public rattled her enough to buy a gun and take up boxing.
• The finale — in the May 2026 closer, it was Reenie, not Colter (Justin Hartley), who got the call from Russell Shaw (Jensen Ackles) before he vanished, leaving her holding the season's biggest secret.

Is a spinoff coming?

Nothing is announced, but critics have noticed that Reenie's standalone storylines increasingly play like a backdoor pilot for a legal series. What is confirmed: Tracker returns for season 4, with production relocating from Vancouver to Los Angeles.

The night Quinn "died"

Quinn was snatched on her wedding day — still in her dress, on her way to marry Charlie — by Rowan, a.k.a. Papa Pope (Joe Morton), who held her hostage as leverage against Olivia. His price: his freedom and his beloved dinosaur bones. When Olivia called his bluff and refused to trade, Rowan walked down the basement stairs, two gunshots rang out, and the screen cut to black. Quinn's DNA later turned up in a car Rowan blew up, and her team at QPA held a funeral for their boss.

Case closed. Or so it seemed.

Why everyone believed it

Real life sold the lie. Katie Lowes gave birth to her son, Albee, on October 5, 2017 — weeks before the episode aired — and Shonda Rhimes leaned into the exit rumors on Twitter that November:

"It's the final season you guys, you know we had to go all out," Rhimes wrote, adding that everyone was happy Lowes could have this time with her baby.

A new mother stepping away, a final season with no untouchable characters, no body shown on screen. The pieces fit almost too well.

The twist

On January 25, 2018, the episode "Good People" rewound the clock and revealed the truth: Rowan deliberately missed. He fired the shots to convince Olivia he'd done it, but he couldn't bring himself to kill a pregnant woman — B613's old code of "mothers and children first" won out.

Quinn then gave birth to a daughter, Robin, right there in the basement, with Papa Pope as an improvised midwife. Mother and baby hid out in his house while Olivia grieved. The previous week's episode had even been titled "Robin." The show was hiding the answer in plain sight.

So she never left?

No. The production simply shot episodes out of order so Lowes could go have her baby, and she stayed with Scandal through the series finale on April 19, 2018.

Quinn ends the show alive and well — reunited with Charlie, raising Robin, and back at the head of the firm that bears her name.

For the record: the basement birth was filmed while Lowes was nine and a half months pregnant herself, using a real baby for the crying shots and a doll covered in grape jelly and cottage cheese for the messy ones. Television glamour at its finest.

How Baz died

The exit was pure Cody family business. In the season 2 finale, Baz framed Smurf for murder and had her arrested, clearing his path to grab the family's money and run to Mexico. He never made it — a masked shooter put multiple bullets in him, and he died in the hospital as season 3 opened.

The whodunnit ran for another season before the show revealed Mia Benitez pulled the trigger, on Smurf's orders. In that family, betrayal was always an inside job.

The showrunner's story

Executive producer John Wells framed the death as the plan all along. The series was based on David Michôd's 2010 Australian film, where Baz dies in the first 15 minutes — so the character was living on borrowed time from episode 1.

Wells told Entertainment Weekly in 2018 that the show had actually delayed the death by a year because there were more Baz stories to tell, and that Speedman had always been told the role wouldn't run five or six seasons.

"It came kind of organically out of the storytelling," Wells said.

The star's story

Ellen Barkin, who played Smurf, told it differently. In a 2019 HuffPost profile, she said Speedman simply asked to leave to pursue other projects — and got his wish without a fight.

The sting, for Barkin, was the contrast: she said she had asked to leave the show herself and been refused, and that her male co-stars "were treated with much more respect" on set.

Which version is true?

Probably both, in pieces:

• Wells' version — Baz's death was on the shelf from day one, borrowed straight from the source film.
• Barkin's version — Speedman wanted out, and the timing of the death followed the request, not the other way around.
• The tell — the exit news broke abruptly, alongside reports Speedman was joining Grey's Anatomy. Long-planned deaths don't usually surprise the trade press.

Speedman walked straight into that Grey's Anatomy role — Nick Marsh, who eventually became Meredith Grey's love interest — while Animal Kingdom filled the Baz-shaped hole with flashbacks and a younger recast. The show ran four more seasons without him. The arguing over why he left has now outlasted the show itself.

Jennifer Esposito's exit was announced in June 2017, and the explanations have never fully satisfied anyone.

The official explanation

According to the original Deadline report, the decision came from producers, with the show heading in a new creative direction for season 15. Esposito's statement was gracious — she called the job "a great experience" — and when fans worried her health was the real cause, she shut that down herself on Twitter:

"Was not meant to be there long but happy I was."

The health worry wasn't random. In 2012, Esposito's exit from Blue Bloods turned into a public fight with CBS after she collapsed on set and was diagnosed with celiac disease, and the network put her character on leave.

This time, she insisted, there was no illness and no drama — just a one-season arrangement running its course.

How the show wrote her out

Quinn wasn't killed off. Season 14 had already planted the seed: her mother, Marie, appeared showing signs of Alzheimer's, and in the finale Quinn took two mysterious phone calls from her. The season 15 premiere then explained — offscreen — that Quinn had taken a leave of absence to care for her. Door closed, but never locked.

Why fans still question it

Because the setup didn't look like a one-year plan:

• Quinn was built to matter — showrunner Gary Glasberg created her to help fill the hole left by Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo.
• Glasberg died suddenly — on September 28, 2016, just as season 14 was starting. New showrunners Frank Cardea and George Schenck inherited his plans, and the theory goes that Quinn was Glasberg's project, not theirs.
• The threads were left dangling — those phone calls played like the start of an arc, not the end of one.

Whatever the truth, Esposito landed fine: a film with John Travolta, a recurring role on The Boys, and eventually a return to Blue Bloods in season 13. And Quinn is still out there, alive, on a leave of absence. In the NCIS universe, that's practically an open invitation.

What happened in the jail

On the night of December 26, 2025, corrections officers doing routine checks found Ollinger's cellmate — 42-year-old Christopher Kelly — lying motionless with blunt-force injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Prosecutors allege Ollinger smashed Kelly's head into a metal bed frame and strangled him.

Ollinger, 41, was rebooked on open murder — a Nevada charge that lets a judge or jury later decide the degree, anywhere from first-degree murder down to involuntary manslaughter.

The detail that made headlines came from the arrest report: Ollinger claimed a "supernatural ability" to identify child predators, insisted the killing was "righteous" because he believed Kelly was one, and expressed no remorse. Detectives noted there was no evidence behind the claim. When officers arrived to photograph his injuries, the report says he told them:

"Good luck cracking the case."

How he ended up in that cell

The murder charge sits on top of a long slide:

• November 2024 — arrested in Amarillo, Texas, after fleeing police on his motorcycle; indicted for evading arrest in January 2025.
• July 2025 — reported missing by his family in New Mexico, then found in Albuquerque shortly afterward.
• August 2025 — the fifth and final season of Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch finished airing.
• October 27, 2025 — arrested in Las Vegas on trespassing and larceny-related charges after being removed from the Encore hotel, then held as a fugitive from the Texas case and for contempt of court. He was roughly two weeks from release when Kelly died.

Where the case stands

On January 28, 2026, Judge Christy Craig reviewed three doctors' evaluations — two found Ollinger incompetent — and ordered him committed to a state mental health facility for competency restoration. That halted the criminal case. In June 2026, his lawyers moved to dismiss the charge entirely, arguing the state blew its deadline to actually provide him a treatment bed. Prosecutors pushed back hard, calling him "far too violent and dangerous" for ordinary restorative treatment.

The family took another blow in the middle of it: Duane Ollinger — Chad's father, the ranch's owner, and the show's patriarch — died on June 2, 2026, at 68, from complications of ALS.

The show spent five seasons hunting a rumored $3 billion in Aztec gold under a Utah ranch. Its biggest unresolved mystery now sits in a Nevada courtroom.

How Derek died on the show

After witnessing a car accident, Derek pulled over and saved everyone at the scene. Then, stopped on the road, his car was struck by a truck. He was taken to a poorly equipped hospital where the doctors failed to order a head CT in time, and by the time anyone understood the damage, it was too late. Meredith made the decision to take him off life support. Brutal, sudden, and — fans noted — entirely avoidable.

What Dempsey said at the time

Very little, and very carefully. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2015, he described the exit in almost passive terms:

"It just sort of evolved. It just kind of happened."

He talked about wanting more time for his family and his motor racing — and he wasn't bluffing about the racing. Weeks after Derek died on screen, Dempsey took a second-place class finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

What the tell-all book revealed

In September 2021, journalist Lynette Rice published How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy, and the polite version fell apart. Former executive producer James D. Parriott went on the record about Dempsey's final stretch on set:

"He sort of was terrorizing the set."

According to the book, there had been HR complaints — described as not sexual in nature — along with long-running friction with Ellen Pompeo and a star who made no secret of wanting out. Producer Jeannine Renshaw recalled Dempsey openly complaining about being there. Faced with all of it, Shonda Rhimes chose a permanent ending over a revolving door: Derek would die, not drift.

Dempsey has never publicly gone point-by-point on the book's claims.

On screen, the blame tilts one way; in the historical record, it tilts another. And in neither version does anyone come out clean.

What the miniseries says

The three-part series aired on History over May 28–30, 2012, pulled a record 13.9 million viewers on night one, and won Emmys for Costner and for Tom Berenger's snarling Jim Vance. Its answer to "who was right" is built into the casting: Costner's Anse is measured and reluctant, Paxton's Randall curdles into a bitter, God-haunted wreck, and most of the worst decisions get routed through Uncle Jim Vance, the designated villain.

The show also invents its founding grievance.

It opens with Anse deserting the Confederate army while Randall stays and suffers — a personal betrayal the real record doesn't document.

That framing quietly stacks the deck: the feud becomes a tragedy that happened to a reasonable Anse, rather than one he helped run.

Viewers finishing the series sympathetic to the Hatfields are reacting to a writing choice, not the evidence.

What the record says

The first blood was McCoy blood: Asa Harmon McCoy, a returning Union soldier, was hunted down and killed in January 1865, with blame falling on Jim Vance and his Logan Wildcats. Nobody was prosecuted. The 1878 hog trial went to the Hatfields before a Hatfield justice of the peace, and the key witness, Bill Staton, was later killed by two McCoys who walked on self-defense.

Then the two acts nobody can defend.

In August 1882, three McCoy brothers stabbed Ellison Hatfield 26 times and shot him at an election-day fight; when Ellison died, Devil Anse's men — Anse very much present — tied the three to pawpaw bushes and executed them with roughly 50 shots.

On January 1, 1888, a Hatfield raid led by Vance and Cap Hatfield burned Randall's cabin, killed his daughter Alifair and son Calvin, and beat his wife nearly to death.

The law's answer came after the US Supreme Court's 1888 Mahon v. Justice ruling let Kentucky try its Hatfield prisoners: life sentences all around, and Ellison "Cottontop" Mounts hanged before thousands in Pikeville on February 18, 1890. His reported last words from the scaffold:

"The Hatfields made me do it!"

The verdict, on both scoreboards

• On screen — the miniseries pins the engine of the feud on Jim Vance and hotheaded sons, softening Devil Anse into a man swept along. Even-handed in its atrocities, generous in its portraits.
• In the record — the McCoys had the stronger grievance: Randall lost five children and a brother, the two worst massacres were Hatfield operations, and every conviction and the only hanging landed on the Hatfield side.
• The McCoy stain — three of Randall's sons committed the murder that lit the fuse, and their allies gunned down Jim Vance without trial during the 1888 manhunt.
• The real fuel — timber money and a 5,000-acre land dispute between Devil Anse and lawyer Perry Cline did as much as honor ever did.

So: history's sympathy goes to Randall McCoy, who died broken in 1914 from burns suffered in an accidental fire, while Devil Anse got baptized, prospered, and died in bed in 1921. The show's sympathy runs the other way. Take your pick of scoreboard.

For the record: the families settled it themselves eventually — an official truce signed by descendants in 2003, and before that, a 1979 face-off on Family Feud, playing for cash and a pig.

Netflix has been stacking 2026 with big, loud titles — and quietly ushering a few good ones out the door. Case in point: the Hilary Swank/Alan Ritchson tearjerker 'Ordinary Angels' is about to rotate off the service. If you missed it the first time around, this is that little nudge to hit play before it vanishes.

Heads up: when it leaves

'Ordinary Angels' exits Netflix on July 24, 2026. Translation: the clock is ticking.

What the movie is (and why you should bother)

Directed by Jon Gunn, the 2024 film is based on a true story and tied to the brutal 1994 North American cold wave. Swank plays Sharon Stevens, a Kentucky hairdresser with plenty of her own baggage who flips her life upside down to help Ed Schmitt (Alan Ritchson), a widower drowning in medical bills while his 5-year-old daughter waits on a liver transplant. What starts as one person pushing a boulder uphill turns into a full-on community sprint against the weather and the clock.

Ritchson dials way down from his 'Reacher' swagger here — it is one of his most openly emotional turns — while Swank drives the movie with that familiar steel. The cast also includes Nancy Travis, Tamala Jones, Skywalker Hughes, and Emily Mitchell. Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig shaped the screenplay, and the film draws from a book of the same name by Sharon Stevens Evans. During the promo run, Swank even chatted about teaming with Ritchson on 'The Tonight Show' back in February 2024.

If you want something heartfelt that is not syrupy, this one lands. People called it 'breathtaking' for a reason.

Netflix is already lining up replacements

The streamer is not exactly leaving a gap. There is a pile of new stuff queued up around the same time and later this year, including a Kevin Hart thriller with a tagline that is doing a lot of work:

'The night is young. He isn't.'

• July 24: Kevin Hart in '72 Hours'
• August: 'One Hundred Years of Solitude: Part Two', 'Alley Cats', 'The Last House'
• November: 'Steps'
• December: David Fincher's 'The Adventures of Cliff Booth' (starring Brad Pitt) hits Netflix on December 23, plus 'In Waves' and Brad Bird's 'Ray Gunn'
• Also looming large: Greta Gerwig's 'The Chronicles of Narnia' is still one of Netflix's most-watched-upcoming titles
• On the series side: new seasons of 'Lupin' (S4), 'Outer Banks' (S5), 'The Gentlemen' (S2), and newcomers 'Black Doves' and 'The Hunting Wives'

Bottom line

'Ordinary Angels' is packing its bags on July 24. If you want to see Alan Ritchson step out of his comfort zone opposite Hilary Swank — and get a true-story payoff that actually earns it — now is the moment.

If you were still hanging on to the idea of another Narcos run, it might be time to let that go. Co-creator Chris Brancato just gave the clearest update yet, and it is basically a full stop.

While out promoting his new MGM+ crime drama The Westies, which premieres July 12, Brancato told Deadline that, in his view, the Narcos story has reached its natural end.

"I specifically attended to the Pablo Escobar portion of Narcos and that story is told, as far as I am concerned."

That tracks with his role on the original series, which launched in 2015 with the Escobar arc before expanding into Narcos: Mexico. Fans have been wondering since Narcos: Mexico wrapped in 2021 if Netflix might circle back for another chapter. Every time Brancato queued up a new crime project, hope flickered. Consider that candle pretty much snuffed out.

So what is he doing instead?

He is not leaving the crime world. Far from it. Brancato says a lot of his recent work carries the same storytelling DNA that powered Narcos, just in different settings and with new characters. In other words, if you liked the way Narcos told its stories, you will probably recognize the vibe even if the title is different.

• The Westies arrives on MGM+ July 12
• Premise: a fictionalized take on New York Citys Irish-American gang in the early 1980s, charting their violent run-ins with rival crime families and a city in transition
• Team: Brancato is joined by his longtime collaborator Michael Panes
• Scope: Brancato and Panes have mapped out a larger multi-season arc and are already talking future projects as part of his ongoing relationship with MGM+
• Expect the Narcos feel without the Narcos name

Asked if Narcos could ever return in some new form, Panes took the lighter route: "After we populate Mars, maybe there will be a Narcos: Mars." Translation: do not hold your breath.

A quick reality check on the legacy

Narcos started in 2015 with Escobars rise and fall, then morphed into Narcos: Mexico, and along the way became one of Netflixs defining original dramas. It pulled in multiple Emmy nominations, traveled globally, and set the tone for a lot of streaming-era crime storytelling. Even if the franchise never spins up again, its fingerprints are still all over what Brancato is doing next.

Bottom line: another Narcos chapter is not in the cards right now. But if you are craving that sharp, propulsive crime energy, The Westies looks like the next stop.

Naomi Osaka walked into Wimbledon like she had just stepped out of an anime, then backed it up by steamrolling her first match. Fashion and forehands in one go. It was fun.

The entrance

Before playing France's Elsa Jacquemot on Day 1 of the tournament, Osaka arrived in a flowing, all-white kimono that looked ceremonial and very intentionally dramatic. Social feeds grabbed it immediately — even ABC News posted a clip on June 30, 2026 — because the look wasn’t just pretty; it was pointed.

After the match, she explained exactly what we all suspected: it was a deliberate nod to both movies and anime, with a little character role-play energy baked in.

"The kimono... we had to get it from Japan... there’s this anime called Bleach. It’s one of my favorites."

She also said the outfit makes her feel like she is channeling a character when she wears it. Not a bad mindset heading into a Grand Slam match.

The match

Then she won. Osaka beat Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5 in a tidy, confident return after a foot injury cut short her Bad Homburg run. Scoreline says routine; the second set had some pushback, but she handled it. The takeaway: the game looks sharp, and the theatrics did not distract.

Why Bleach fans spotted it instantly

That kimono wasn’t just 'anime-adjacent'. It read like a real-world riff on the white outer robes worn by the Soul Reaper Captains in Bleach — crisp, minimal, elegant, and meant to make an entrance. No Zanpakuto on her, obviously, but the silhouette did plenty of talking. Osaka also name-checked O-Ren Ishii from Kill Bill as an influence, which tracks with the whole pristine-but-deadly vibe.

Quick hits

• Outfit: a custom white kimono brought in from Japan, inspired by Bleach and O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill.
• Result: Osaka def. Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5 at Wimbledon, Day 1.
• Context: her first match back after a foot injury ended her Bad Homburg campaign.
• Reaction: social and anime fans clocked the Bleach reference fast; one fan account was already calling Bleach 'Anime of the Year' on July 5.

Why her Bleach shout-out lands

If you know Bleach, you get it. The series turns blades into personalities — Zanpakuto that evolve through Shikai and then go full spectacle with Bankai. Shiro Sagisu’s score leans jazz, rock, and hip-hop, and the worldbuilding bounces from the Living World to Soul Society to Hueco Mundo without losing steam. Characters like Ichigo Kurosaki, Kisuke Urahara, and the ever-calculating Sosuke Aizen power the story as much as the fights, and their fingerprints are all over modern shonen.

So yeah, Osaka shouting it out at Wimbledon is not random; it’s a mainstream athlete tipping her cap to a landmark series. And while Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle I just hit Crunchyroll and is eating the discourse this week, Bleach still found a way to grab the spotlight for a minute — courtesy of a Grand Slam champion who turned the walk-on into a mini-cosplay and then made it count on the scoreboard.

Supergirl sputtered at the box office, and now everyone is staring at James Gunn like he left the lights on. A new report pegs his and Peter Safran's DC Studios contracts as ending either late 2026 or sometime in 2027. Nothing official from Warner Bros. Discovery yet, but the timing has people asking what the next chapter looks like if the two architects of the rebooted DC universe hit a renewal moment right as key projects roll out.

What the new report actually says

• The Hollywood Reporter says sources believe James Gunn and Peter Safran's current DC Studios deals end at the close of 2026 or in 2027. Warner Bros. Discovery has not confirmed either date.
• There is no indication Gunn is being pushed out or that DC has decided against an extension. This is a clock-check, not a pink slip.
• Gunn and Safran stepped in back in 2022 and rebuilt DC as a single, connected slate across films, TV, animation, and even games. They are not traditional hands-off execs; they greenlight, steer story arcs, and choose which characters get the spotlight.
• Because they wear both creative and executive hats, any change at the top would ripple through the entire shared universe. If they walked, DC would be staring at another reset midstream. Again.
• That reported contract window lines up with big-ticket releases like Clayface and Man of Tomorrow, the latter directed by Gunn. If the dates are accurate, the renewal decision would arrive as those titles hit.

Why Supergirl suddenly matters in this convo

Supergirl underperformed, which has put every DC move under a microscope. THR also reported the movie had a bumpy post-production: director Craig Gillespie and DC Studios reportedly pushed different creative approaches, and separate cuts were assembled and tested with audiences before the studio chose its preferred version. That is the boring-but-credible version of events.

On social media, a louder narrative is floating around that Gunn personally swooped in and took over Supergirl in post after creative differences with Gillespie, changing a bunch of things on the way to the final cut. Treat that as exactly what it is: a rumor. The sourced reporting is that multiple edits existed, they were tested, and the studio moved forward with its choice.

The numbers (and the reception)

Box office: Supergirl opened to $37.1 million domestic and has reached about $89.1 million worldwide so far. The reported production budget is in the $170–180 million range. On a movie that size, you generally want to be comfortably north of $400 million worldwide to break even after marketing and distribution. This one is not on that path.

Audience and critics: it landed a B- CinemaScore. THR says internal test screenings mostly scored in the 60s, with the peak hitting 70. Critics have been mixed: Milly Alcock gets a lot of love as Kara Zor-El, but pacing, story, the humor, and the villain took hits.

Publicly, DC leadership is keeping the long view. Peter Safran told the New York Times that while Supergirl did not meet commercial hopes, it is a single chapter in a much bigger plan. The studio has also addressed the box-office outcome in that same spirit, framing it against their multi-year slate rather than as a referendum on the whole reboot.

The Gunn factor

Part of why this all magnetizes to Gunn is because he is everywhere: running the studio with Safran, writing and directing films of his own, and constantly engaging fans online. That visibility makes wins feel like his and losses feel like his too. For example, he has confirmed that Robert Pattinson will not be the DCU Batman, a call that continues to rile a chunk of the fandom who still want the universes merged.

So what actually happens next?

If THR's timeline is right, Warner Bros. Discovery will have to decide whether to extend Gunn and Safran as Clayface, Man of Tomorrow, and several new DC shows land. Realistically, those results will carry more weight than whatever date is on a contract. For now, this is less a changing-of-the-guard story and more a reminder that the guard will need renewing soon — just as the plan they designed is finally hitting screens.

Where are you on this? Keep Gunn and Safran steering the ship past 2026/2027, or is it time for fresh hands at the wheel?

House of the Dragon season 3 is about to turn a sleepy Reach town into a problem nobody can ignore. Tumbleton, which barely registered as more than a market stop, is suddenly the board space that could flip the Dance of the Dragons. The show’s latest reveal points to Ormund Hightower already moving to plant a flag there, which cranks up the pressure on Rhaenyra in a big way.

Where exactly is Tumbleton?

Tumbleton sits in the Reach, that fertile stretch of southern Westeros long tied to House Hightower. It is a market town positioned roughly 60 leagues southwest of King's Landing — close enough to loom over the capital, but not inside its day-to-day grip. It also lies near the Mander, one of the region’s major rivers, which turns the place into a handy hub for moving troops, feeding armies, and staging whatever comes next when a war heats up.

Why this little town suddenly matters

• The quiet market stop is now a battlefield, and one that could reshape the Dance of the Dragons.
• Ormund Hightower appears to be taking control, giving the Hightower side a fresh foothold in the Reach.
• It is within striking distance of King's Landing while still outside the capital's immediate control — perfect for pressure without overextension.
• Sitting by the Mander makes it a natural artery for movement and supply lines, which is priceless in wartime.

Short version: Tumbleton just graduated from background scenery to strategic prize. If Ormund locks it down, Rhaenyra has to answer, because whoever runs that junction controls how fast armies move, how well they eat, and how close they can get to the capital without knocking on the front door.

Netflix bounces between war sagas, swoony romances, and fantasy worlds like it is allergic to staying put. One thing it never seems to drop? True crime. If you are in the mood for the kind of viewing that keeps you checking your door locks, here are seven titles on Netflix that dig into messy investigations, broken systems, and very human disasters — the kind of stories you start late at night and regret in the morning.

Amanda Knox (2016)

Before social media could jury-rig a verdict in real time, tabloids were doing the job. This film revisits the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, and how Amanda Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito went from roommates to global headlines. Knox was initially sentenced to 26 years and spent four years in prison before being acquitted in 2015. Directors Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn put Knox, Sollecito, prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, and reporter Nick Pisa in the same narrative, and watching those versions of the same story coexist is... a lot. It earned two Primetime Emmy nominations and sits at 78% on Metacritic. Also, odd bit of trivia: years later, Knox popped up playing herself on Peacock's 'Laid' in 2024, which no one had on their bingo card.

American Godfathers: The Five Families (2024)

Think corporate history with a body count. Based on Selwyn Raab's bestseller 'Five Families,' this three-part series covers roughly seven decades of New York's organized crime across the Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno, Colombo, and Lucchese families. It tracks the arc from Lucky Luciano reorganizing the underworld to the FBI squeeze that followed later. Michael Imperioli (yes, that Michael Imperioli) narrates and executive produces, while Raab, ex-Colombo captain Michael Franzese, historians, authors, and legal pros break down the Mob's machinery. Across three feature-length chapters, expect illegal rackets, drug wars, wiretaps, betrayals, and the moment many insiders decided loyalty had a shelf life. It is a history lesson that does not sand off the edges.

Amy Bradley Is Missing (2025)

Family cruise, Caribbean sunrise, and then a 27-year question mark. On March 24, 1998, 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley vanished from Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas as it approached Curaçao. She was there, and then she was not — while thousands of passengers prepared to disembark. Directors Ari Mark and Phil Lott rebuild the timeline over three episodes using home videos, archival material, investigators, witnesses, and the voices of Amy's parents Ron and Iva and her brother Brad. The series lays out the botched early response on the ship, reported sightings across the region, and competing theories — tragic fall, abduction, trafficking — none of which have ever closed the book.

The Crash (2026)

What looked like a horrific teenage car wreck in Strongsville, Ohio, turned into something much darker once investigators realized there were no skid marks. On July 31, 2022, 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla drove into a brick building at roughly 100 mph, killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and his friend Davion Flanagan. Director Gareth Johnson's 94-minute documentary assembles court footage, witnesses, families, and both sides of the legal aisle — and includes Shirilla's first interview since her arrest. She was convicted in 2023 and received two concurrent life sentences with a chance at parole after 15 years. The film digs into the toxic relationship and the evidence that reshaped the case, hit No. 1 globally on Netflix, and holds an 80% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Grim, meticulously built, and yes, it moves fast.

Escaping Twin Flames (2023)

Dating is hard. Paying for a soulmate curriculum that turns your life upside down is worse. This three-part doc looks at Twin Flames Universe, an online spiritual business run by Jeff and Shaleia Divine that promised a roadmap to your perfect match. Former members describe coercion, isolation, forced pairings, pressure to pursue people who did not want to be pursued, and leaders allegedly calling the shots on extremely personal decisions. Director Cecilia Peck uses archived footage of the Divines alongside testimonies from ex-members, frantic family members, and cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich. The show picked up a Primetime Emmy nomination and won an ACE Eddie Award — and it is a rough watch if you have ever rolled your eyes at a 'find your person' upsell.

Our Father (2022)

A home DNA test is supposed to turn up a third cousin who loves genealogy, not a crime scene with your own medical history at the center. When Jacoba Ballard discovered seven half-siblings, she started pulling a thread that led to Indianapolis fertility doctor Donald Cline, who had secretly used his own sperm to inseminate patients without their knowledge or consent. Director Lucie Jourdan focuses on Ballard, Cline's biological children, affected mothers, and reporter Angela Ganote as the sibling count climbs and the legal system scrambles to catch up. The fallout helped push new fertility-fraud laws in multiple U.S. states. The film went to No. 1 on Netflix globally and sits at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is one of those stories where every new match makes you queasier.

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart (2026)

It sounds like a movie pitch until you remember it really happened. On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken at knifepoint from her bedroom in Salt Lake City as her 9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine, watched in terror. What followed was nine months of captivity, a chaotic investigation that chased bad leads, and a massive search while Elizabeth remained frighteningly close the entire time. Director Benedict Sanderson's 91-minute film makes the most important voice the loudest by putting Smart firmly in control of the narrative. With Mary Katherine, their father Ed Smart, and journalists who were on the ground, plus archival footage of Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, the documentary retraces the nightmare without losing sight of Elizabeth's survival — and the advocacy she built out of it.

From a cruise ship that emptied out while a young woman disappeared to a fertility scandal that exposed holes in the law, these docs are less 'whodunnit' and more 'how did we let this happen.' Pick your rabbit hole wisely — sleep may not be included.

So that long-running The Simpsons prediction about the World Cup? England just kicked dirt on it. A wild last-16 match torched weeks of internet theorizing and closed the book on a Mexico vs Portugal final that people had basically willed into existence. Reality, as usual, was messier and way more fun.

What actually happened in Mexico City

• England beat Mexico 3-2 in a ferocious World Cup last-16 tie at the Azteca Stadium, which kills off the cartoon's dream final outright.
• Jude Bellingham scored twice early to hand Thomas Tuchel's side control, before Mexico clawed back with two penalties from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez.
• Harry Kane delivered the decisive third for England, booking a quarterfinal date with Norway.
• The bit most recaps missed: Jarell Quansah was sent off for a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo, leaving England to survive with 10 men.
• Bookmakers had the Mexico-Portugal finale priced at 45/1 before kickoff — a fun flutter, not a serious forecast.
• Because of a weather delay, the match kicked off at 2 a.m. in the UK, and pubs stayed open until 5 a.m. to ride it out.
• For extra trivia points: the cartoon version even threw in Pele as a guest. Not exactly replicable.

Why that Simpsons 'prophecy' fizzled

The bracket lined up just enough for people to convince themselves The Simpsons had nailed a Mexico vs Portugal final back in the day. Then you get a real match with early goals, two pressure penalties, a red card, and last-ditch defending — and the theory evaporates. England sent Mexico home, and with it went the meme. Sometimes the ball just refuses to obey a storyboard.

Meanwhile, Springfield is taking over summer 2027

While one prediction dies, the brand is very much alive on the movie side. The Simpsons 2 hits theaters on July 23, 2027 — and it is muscling into a prime weekend that used to belong to capes and multiverses. Disney quietly pulled an untitled Marvel title from that slot, which leaves a noticeable MCU breather between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Translation: Springfield is stepping into the big ring.

"The Simpsons 2 is officially in the works and set to release in theaters on July 23, 2027. The film has taken the place of an untitled Marvel project, which has been removed from the studio's schedule."

Context check: the first movie in 2007 made $536 million worldwide, and the series still does steady business on Disney+. The teaser poster is classic Homer — pink donut front and center, a wink of a tagline promising his return — but they are keeping plot details locked up. Fans are already combing the trailer for new 'predictions,' because of course they are. For now, Bellingham already rewrote one tiny slice of Simpsons lore all by himself.

What do you make of England popping that Springfield bubble? Drop your take below.

Too hot outside? Same. Netflix just loaded up the first week of July with a mix of horror chills, glossy drama, true crime mess, and a couple of rock-solid movies you probably have not rewatched in a while. A bunch of big titles land later this month, but there is already more than enough to keep the AC humming. Here is what to queue up this week.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

With Tom Holland swinging back into theaters on July 31, 2026 in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, now is a great time to rewind to the start of his run. Homecoming is Holland’s first solo outing, where Peter tries to be a normal high school kid and a friendly neighborhood hero at the same time. Michael Keaton makes a chewy villain, Zendaya’s dry wit steals scenes, and yes, Robert Downey Jr. pops in. It is on Netflix right now, so the rewatch is easy.

"Almost 10 years later and we’re still here Spider-Man Homecoming is now on Netflix!" — Netflix (@netflix), July 5, 2026

The Witch

Robert Eggers’ breakout creeper drops you into 1630s New England with a Puritan family whose baby vanishes, paranoia sets in, and the woods start to feel like they are looking back. Anya Taylor-Joy makes a striking feature debut, flanked by Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, and Lucas Dawson. With twisted horror titles like Obsession and Backrooms pulling huge numbers right now, this is the perfect slow-burn reset if you want dread without jump-scare fatigue.

Human Vapor

Premised like a pulpy manga but played straight, this new sci-fi crime thriller series premiered July 2, 2026 and riffs on Toho’s 1960 tokusatsu film The Human Vapor. Detective Kenji Okamoto teams with reporter Kyoko Kono to track a killer who can literally turn into gas and walk through any barrier. Their case uncovers a long-buried tangle involving a meteorite crash, government cover-ups, and a shadowy organization called White Center — while the Human Vapor works his own revenge list.

It looks sharp too: the VFX come from the Academy Award-winning team behind Godzilla Minus One. Shun Oguri, Yu Aoi, and Suzu Hirose star. Eight episodes, roughly 45 minutes each, so it is a quick binge.

Summer '36

Glitz, gossip, and a body on the Riviera. Set on the Cote d'Azur in 1936, this limited series follows four women from very different worlds who get pulled into a murder at the opulent Riviera Hotel. Expect secrets, class tension, and the kind of revelations that change your read on every character. Julie de Bona, Sofia Essaidi, Nolwenn Leroy, Constance Gay, and Arthur Pichon lead the ensemble. Six episodes, about 55 minutes each.

Queen & Slim

On what should be a forgettable first date, a routine traffic stop turns deadly in self-defense, and two strangers become reluctant fugitives on a cross-country run. Directed by Melina Matsoukas and starring Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, and Chloe Sevigny, the film premiered at AFI Fest in 2019. It finally hits Netflix, and it still stings — stylish, tense, and not shy about its point of view.

Apollo 13

Ron Howard’s 1995 docudrama remains one of the best nail-biters about people doing their jobs under impossible pressure. After an explosion knocks out the spacecraft, astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew fight to survive while Mission Control hustles to find a way to get them home with dwindling power, oxygen, and time. Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise keep the tension grounded and human. If your Fourth of July weekend needs a classic, this one still delivers.

Worst Neighbor Ever

Because sometimes the real horror is the house next door. This true crime docuseries looks at real disputes that escalated way past petty, with each standalone episode tackling a different case. All four episodes dropped July 1, 2026, so you can burn through the whole thing in an evening and then side-eye your HOA group chat.

Also newly streaming this month if you want comfort rewatches: The Boss Baby, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gone Girl, White Chicks, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. More animated series and thrillers are on deck later in July, but this first wave is already stacked.

What are you starting with? Tell me in the comments — and if you pick The Witch after dark, that is on you.

Apple TV is finally doing the thing everyone in sci-fi has talked about for 40 years and no one could actually pull off: a live-action Neuromancer. If there was ever a project that needed TV-sized breathing room instead of a two-hour squeeze, it is William Gibson's neon-noir brain-melter.

So what changed after four decades of almosts?

Gibson's 1984 novel didn’t just help define cyberpunk; it basically fed half the genre. That created a weird paradox: every time Hollywood tried to adapt it, it either felt too dense to follow or too familiar to feel fresh. Apple is betting the answer is a series, not a movie — and honestly, that tracks.

"42 years ago, William Gibson introduced the world to Neuromancer. Now, the next chapter is loading."

Why this thing has been stuck in development purgatory

• The book speaks its own language. Gibson drops you into cyberspace, AIs, and black-market biotech without hand-holding. That vibe is a feature on the page and a nightmare when you have to explain it in 120 minutes.
• It accidentally got pre-adapted by everything it inspired. The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, Akira — all owe it a debt. Do it straight now and casual viewers might think they have seen it already, which is a deeply ironic problem to have.
• It is expensive on every level. You need dense world-building, heavy VFX, and a believable virtual/physical duality. Plenty of cheaper riffs got made; the real deal kept getting priced out.
• Other formats tried. There have been comics, audio dramas, even a video game — but a big, faithful live-action version never quite landed.

Why Apple doing it as a series actually makes sense

TV gives the story room to breathe. You can ease into hacker Case's world, layer in the rules of cyberspace, and translate the abstract ideas without dumbing them down. That extra runtime fixes the exact thing that always doomed the movie versions: too much plot, too little space.

Apple also has the stomach (and the wallet) for this kind of show. Their sci-fi slate is already stacked with visually ambitious series, including a current U.S. sci-fi hit that proves they will fund the scale and patience this needs.

The people making it (and why that matters)

William Gibson has been involved in development — which is the kind of behind-the-scenes detail you actually want to hear on a project this easy to mess up. The cast so far includes Joseph Lee, Mark Strong, Brianna Middleton, and Peter Sarsgaard, which is a very solid 'we are taking this seriously' lineup.

Production-wise, Apple is not flying solo. The streamer flagged Paramount Television Studios, Anonymous Content, and DreamCrew Entertainment when it started beating the drum, which tells you this is a true heavyweight package and not a one-and-done curiosity.

Timeline check

Apple publicly said Neuromancer was in production back on July 1, 2025 (complete with a sly nod to the Chatsubo bar for the fans). A year later, on July 1, 2026, they marked the book's 42-year legacy with that 'next chapter is loading' tease. Translation: this is not vaporware — the machine is actually moving.

The bottom line

After decades of false starts, Neuromancer finally has the two things it always needed: a format that can carry its complexity and a studio willing to bankroll the vision. If this show works, it will be because it embraces the novel's density instead of sanding it down — and because TV, not a movie, gives Gibson's world the oxygen it has always required.

Rhaenyra may have clawed her way back to the top in House of the Dragon season 3, but the show keeps hammering the same, uncomfortable truth: winning power is fast; keeping it is slow, messy, and personal. Case in point: Corlys Velaryon. He has been one of Rhaenyra's anchors since day one, and the latest episode makes it very clear how quickly that anchor can start to drag when family, legacy, and pride get in the way.

Corlys does not do yes-man

Steve Toussaint, who plays Corlys, told Variety that the Sea Snake is not built to take orders quietly, even from a queen he supports. That stubborn streak is not just personality color. It has consequences, especially now that court politics and bloodlines are crashing into each other.

The breaking point

According to Toussaint, the moment that snaps Corlys's patience is Rhaenyra refusing to legitimize his sons, Addam and Alyn, as true Velaryons. If you are not deep in Westerosi paperwork, legitimizing would flip their status from recognized but unofficial to fully lawful heirs of the Velaryon name. That is not a small ask. It reshapes who gets to claim the family legacy and, by extension, the future of Driftmark.

"He does it without thinking."

- Steve Toussaint on Corlys's outburst, speaking to Variety

Toussaint describes Corlys's reaction as a blunt blurting of a truth he has decided is obvious. He is essentially throwing down a challenge to the room: go ahead, try to contradict me. In his mind, the facts do not bend just because Rhaenyra will not say them out loud.

• What is actually at stake here: family, legacy, and pride colliding with political survival.

Why this matters for Team Black

Rhaenyra needs the Velaryon fleet and name as much as Corlys wants his line secured. That mutual need is what made their alliance powerful. It is also what makes this standoff dangerous. If Corlys keeps pushing and Rhaenyra keeps stonewalling, the fallout does not just bruise egos. It risks tilting the balance of power, right when she can least afford a wobble.

Bottom line: season 3 is not just dragons and battle lines. It is the uncomfortable math of rule, where the throne asks you to deny someone else's version of the truth, and the someone in question happens to command your ships.

Prime Video is gearing up to tell Muhammad Ali's story again, and yeah, the bar could not be higher. The Greatest is an eight-episode limited series with Michael B. Jordan on board as executive producer, and the first trailer just landed on July 4, 2026. It debuts November 4 on Prime Video. Which means one thing: everyone is already thinking about Will Smith.

The Will Smith factor (and why it still looms)

Back in 2001, Michael Mann's Ali wasn’t just another sports biopic. It zeroed in on a turbulent, defining stretch of Ali's life and let Will Smith fully disappear into the role. He trained like crazy, nailed the cadence and the swagger, and turned in a performance that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and a mountain of critical love. More than 20 years later, that portrayal is still the measuring stick for any on-screen Ali. Fair or not, that’s the reality The Greatest is walking into.

What this new series is actually doing

"Before there was Ali, there was Clay."

• Format: Eight episodes, which gives the show room to go beyond the greatest-hits fights and dig into family, activism, humanitarian work, and the personal cost of being Ali.
• Authorization: This is the first authorized scripted series about Muhammad Ali's life.
• Who’s steering it: Executive producers include Michael B. Jordan (through his Outlier Society banner) and Ali's widow, Lonnie Ali.
• The lead: Newcomer Jaalen Best is stepping into the gloves as Ali.
• Tease and timing: The first trailer dropped July 4, 2026, with Prime Video confirming a November 4 premiere.

How it can stand on its own

The smart move here is that The Greatest isn’t trying to redo Mann’s film. A series can breathe in ways a single feature can’t, and Ali’s life absolutely warrants that space. If it leans into the off-the-mat chapters with the same intensity the film brought to the ring, it doesn’t have to beat Will Smith’s performance; it can complement it. And with Lonnie Ali involved and Jordan backing it, there’s a good chance the show hits the details fans care about.

Bottom line: the expectations are massive because of what came before, but the angle here is different enough to matter. If The Greatest sticks the landing, it could be the companion piece Ali’s story has been missing. Are you in?

Beth and Rip tried to outrun Montana and start over in Texas. Season 1 made it pretty clear that ghosts do not respect state lines.

How the Season 1 finale leaves them

The finale, titled 'El Padrino,' slams the brakes on any fantasy of a clean slate. It is a hard, bloody pivot that redraws the map for Season 2.

• One major character is killed.
• Another is kidnapped.
• Mariano steps up as the big bad going forward.
• Beulah Jackson admits she was involved in a fentanyl pipeline connected to Mariano's family.
• The show finally answers who triggered the earlier foot-and-mouth outbreak that wrecked the ranch.

If you were wondering how we got there: Beulah passes control of the 10 Petal Ranch to her son Rob-Will, not Joaquin. Joaquin, furious and feeling cut out, retaliates by inviting Mariano into the mess. That decision lights the fuse that blows up Beth and Rip's tenuous new life and puts their family in the crosshairs. It is the kind of cause-and-effect twist this universe loves: one slight, and suddenly the entire board is on fire.

Season 1 in a sentence

Nine episodes, a lot of new enemies, a few shaky alliances, and mounting threats that never stopped stacking — and then the finale kicked the door in instead of closing it.

What the cast says about where this is going

Kelly Reilly told THR she does not think Beth and Rip are 'karmically built' for a quiet life.

In a separate chat with TV Insider, Reilly and Cole Hauser said Season 1 was designed to strip the couple of what they built in Montana and force them to adapt to Texas on the fly. They also teased a bigger Season 2 presence for Ed Harris, and said Beth, Rip, Beulah, and Everett will be front and center as they try to rescue Carter and square up to Mariano. Reilly would love to see Beth and Rip make it back to Montana someday, though even she admits that path looks impossible right now.

Behind the scenes: the show is not slowing down

Paramount+ renewed Dutton Ranch for Season 2 before Season 1 even wrapped. The early pickup was fueled by a record launch: 12.9 million global viewers in the first week, plus an 89% critics score and 85% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. No premiere date yet. Fan chatter has been loud — lots of 'nine episodes was not enough' and '10 out of 10' energy — and the finale basically dares Season 2 to go bigger.

The bottom line

Beth and Rip survived Texas, technically. But with a body on the ground, a kidnapping in play, and Mariano now fully in the spotlight, the real war is just getting started. I would not bet on a calm, porch-swing Phase of Life for these two anytime soon.

If you were wondering how Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were going to top their engagement, here you go: they got married at Madison Square Garden on July 3, turned one of the most public arenas on Earth into a very private room, and kept the focus squarely on family. Cameras were parked outside. The real details? Those came from a relative who was actually in the room.

What we actually know

• Date and place: July 3 at Madison Square Garden.
• Timeline: They started dating in 2023 and got engaged in 2025.
• Privacy: No cameras inside; paparazzi were left guessing from the sidewalk.
• Guest list: Both families plus a tight circle of friends from music, sports, and Hollywood. Exclusive without feeling showy.
• Attire: Custom Christian Dior Haute Couture ensembles attributed to Jonathan Anderson, leaning classic and understated.
• Wedding party: No bridesmaids or groomsmen. Taylor’s brother, Austin Swift, was her Man of Honor; Travis’s brother, Jason Kelce, was his Best Man.
• Officiant: Adam Sandler ran the ceremony, a left-field pick that apparently makes sense if you know their circle.
• Reception vibe: On the food front, the answer offered from inside was simply that it was plentiful.
• Scale: Easily the year’s biggest celebrity wedding, but deliberately personal in execution.

The aunt who quietly set the scene

The most vivid picture of what went on inside came from Taylor’s aunt, who spoke to LBC News. There’s a bit of confusion over exactly which aunt it was — outlets have floated the names Robin and Alison — but her description cut through the noise.

'They cried and they laughed and they hugged and they danced and they kissed.'

Asked about dinner, she kept it short and sweet: 'It was lots.' A clip of those comments made the rounds online on July 4, and that, more than any leaked snapshot, became the memory everyone grabbed onto.

Family first, by design

Skipping bridesmaids and groomsmen — and elevating Austin as Man of Honor and Jason as Best Man — made the ceremony feel less like a celebrity summit and more like, well, a wedding. That tracks with everything else: zero cameras inside, a curated guest list, and an officiant who reflects actual relationships instead of headline-chasing.

MSG, but make it intimate

Turning Madison Square Garden into a warm, low-key space is a flex. The fashion choice leaned classic instead of costume-y, and the whole thing read less like a spectacle and more like two families merging in a very famous room. For an artist whose catalog has spent years writing toward this kind of moment, it felt like a closing chapter that tees up a new one — sentimental without getting syrupy.

Just when it felt like the silence had become part of the bit, Beyonce hit the big red button. No tease, no countdown, no nothing — just a brand-new track landing in your feed before coffee. Happy Fourth.

The drop

In the early hours of July 4, Beyonce surprise-released a new single called 'MORNING DEW (DONK),' her first original music in two years. According to Parkwood Entertainment, the timing pulls double duty: it nods to the holiday and kicks off a 60-day countdown to two things circling September 4 — her birthday and the 20th anniversary reissue of 'B'Day,' the 2006 solo-cementing album.

The result: fans woke up to find July 4 basically rebranded as Beyonce Day. Again.

What you need to know about 'MORNING DEW (DONK)'

• Release: Dropped with zero rollout in the early hours of July 4
• Credits: Written by Beyonce, Pharrell Williams, The-Dream, and Darius Dixon
• Production: Co-produced by Beyonce and Pharrell
• Where it lives: Featured on the upcoming 20th anniversary edition of 'B'Day'
• Visuals: Arrives with a lyric video cut from archival footage, put together with longtime collaborator Cliff Watts — the photographer who shot her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover back in the 'B'Day' era
• Parkwood framing: A holiday surprise that also starts a 60-day countdown to her Sept. 4 birthday and the 'B'Day' reissue

The vibe and the why

This isnt a grand pivot or a new era announcement. It plays more like a love note to the fans who have ridden through two decades of reinvention — a quick charge of classic Beyonce energy aimed squarely at the people who were here for 'B'Day' and never left. It is also a very Beyonce move: wait out the speculation, skip the promo calendar, and own the day in one shot.

Worth noting: the last few months were oddly quiet on the music front, at least publicly. She was busy in other ways — celebrating the legacy of 'Cowboy Carter,' adding new pages to Grammy history, and generally dominating the conversation without actually saying much — while the Hive read tea leaves. Then she flipped the switch like only she does.

The current run she is on

Since 2022, she has treated every cycle like an event. 'Act I: Renaissance' re-centered dance music around the Black queer club lineage it came from, and the Renaissance World Tour that followed turned into a global juggernaut — one of the highest-grossing tours ever by a female artist. This new single, tied to 'B'Day' turning 20, feels like her taking a quick victory lap through her own history while keeping the momentum humming.

Netflix just dropped the third Enola Holmes, and yep, the game is back afoot. Only this time, the big mystery arrived before anyone hit play: those early Rotten Tomatoes numbers are rougher than fans probably expected.

Quick refresher on the vibe

These movies (pulled from Nancy Springer’s books) turn Sherlock’s kid sister into the star: Enola breaks the fourth wall, cuts through Victorian nonsense, and barrels through puzzles like it’s a sport. The first two films built a loyal crowd off that playful tone, snappy cases, and the easy chemistry between Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Louis Partridge.

How Enola Holmes 3 opened on Rotten Tomatoes

Enola Holmes 3 started streaming July 1 and bowed with the franchise’s softest scores at launch. Numbers shift as more reviews land, but the opening snapshot is pretty clear:

• Enola Holmes: Critics 91%, Audience 71%
• Enola Holmes 2: Critics 93%, Audience 79%
• Enola Holmes 3 (at debut): Critics 70%, Audience 69%

So, lowest of the three on both fronts out of the gate. Not a disaster, but definitely a step down from the first two.

What changed behind the camera

The script still comes from returning writer Jack Thorne, but there’s a notable shift in the director’s chair: Philip Barantini (Adolescence) takes over for Harry Bradbeer, whose energetic style helped define the franchise early on. If you sense a tonal or stylistic wobble this time, that’s likely why. It’s a big swing to change captains on movie three.

The new case: sun, vows, and a missing Holmes

This round moves the action to Malta, swapping London fog for coastal sun. Enola heads there expecting to marry Lord Tewkesbury (yes, Louis Partridge is back), only for the festivities to get nuked when Sherlock vanishes under sketchy circumstances. That disappearance drags Enola into her most personal hunt yet, complete with coded messages, wartime secrets, hidden treasure, and a conspiracy that reaches well past the Holmes family tree. Brown and Cavill are front and center again, and the story tries to go bigger on stakes without losing the wink-and-nudge charm.

Bottom line

Critics seem split early, but Enola Holmes thrives on personality as much as puzzle-box plotting. If the Maltese detour, the family drama, and the treasure-trail hook you, the scores may not matter. Either way, it’s now streaming, and we’ll see if word of mouth nudges those percentages up from their wobbly start.

Backrooms is riding a bonkers wave at the box office, so Kane Parsons just pulled a very Kane Parsons move: he dropped an extended cut in theaters with 15 extra minutes tacked on after the credits. It is not a different movie, but it is a meaty epilogue, and yes, it leans hard into the eerie YouTube-found-footage energy that started this whole thing.

What Parsons added, how to see it, and that DIY twist

The version in theaters right now is titled 'Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition.' It runs 2 hours and 6 minutes, up from the original 1 hour and 51 minutes. Parsons' feature debut first hit theaters May 29 and has been breaking box-office records, bringing a whole new audience to a franchise that began as a scrappy YouTube series.

The new material is all post-credits footage, and here is the extremely nerdy production detail: Parsons built the extra 15 minutes entirely in Blender on his personal laptop, in under two weeks. That is both wild and very on-brand for him.

'Super cool being able to follow the usual YT pipeline but have it delivered at such a ludicrously huge scale.'

So what is actually in those extra 15 minutes?

• It is an epilogue set on June 18, 1990. A team from the Async Research Institute, suited up in hazmat gear, enters the Backrooms. One of them is filming; the narration plays like an on-duty field log. We hear about Dr. McCarthy being eager to examine 'indicators' himself. The team spots signage that looks exactly like the pieces from Clark's store — the same place where Clark dressed up like a ship captain to lure customers into a failing business.
• The next day, they return to study three signs. They try to figure out if they are copies or pulled from different sources, arranging them in descending order to compare. Verdict: the signs are screen-printed and hung on steel wires. An off-screen supervisor tells them to 'break through the fourth wall' — not a meta gag, a literal instruction — because they suspect a fourth sign is hidden. They punch through and, sure enough, find it.
• They push deeper. A hand is sticking out of a beam, visible through the wall's wood paneling. Panic creeps into the narrator's voice, but orders are orders. The hand turns out to belong to a mannequin stationed by a ship's wheel. The space opens onto more signs, coat racks, and random lawn furniture — like a clearance aisle melted into a nightmare.
• A distant clanging starts up. They keep searching and find another mannequin and another steering wheel, this one half-sunk into the floor. A TV keeps blinking between a blue screen and bursts of what looks like stray footage.
• The noise gets louder. Command finally tells them to pull out. As they retreat, a figure appears out of nowhere and slams into them, tossing bodies and the camera to the ground. Cut.

How it connects to the ending you just saw

In the main film's final moments, Mary escapes and meets Async researcher Phil in a tucked-away spot — a quiet reveal that Async is the outfit responsible for cracking open the portal to the Backrooms. The epilogue sticks with Async from there. It does not hand over big answers (Mary's long-term fate, Async's endgame, etc.), but it does widen the lore and sink back into that unsettling, bureaucratic-exploration vibe that longtime YouTube fans love.

Bottom line: if you want resolutions, this cut is more breadcrumb than feast. If you are here for liminal weirdness, analog dread, and a few new nightmare images, it is absolutely worth catching in theaters.

Netflix dropped a tidy little grenade with 'I Will Find You' — a lean, twisty crime thriller that mashes up prison break tension with family heartbreak. It took off fast, and now that the finale is out, a lot of you are asking the same thing: is there more coming?

Short answer: no Season 2

'I Will Find You' was built as a one-and-done. It adapts Harlan Coben's standalone novel, resolves its central mystery in the finale, and Netflix has not teased any extension. This was never a split-season trick — it premiered complete, and it ends complete.

"Probably not, it's always with the intention of never writing these characters again."

That is Coben himself on whether he'd write a sequel to the story after Season 1, in an interview with TV Insider.

Why it stops here

The behind-the-scenes logic is straightforward. Coben, 64, says the series was designed to tell a full story in eight episodes — questions asked, answers given. He also made a point about fairness: it is not right to make viewers invest in a whole season and then leave them waiting years for a follow-up. So there is no secret road map for extra episodes and no sequel novel in the works. The finale wraps the mystery, period.

What the show actually is

If you missed the buzz: the series follows David Burroughs, a father serving a life sentence for the murder of his young son. When a piece of evidence suggests the boy might still be alive, David breaks out of prison to chase the truth. That chase blows open long-buried secrets, shady alliances, and betrayals way bigger than his original conviction. He picks up allies and enemies (not all of them trustworthy), stays a step ahead of law enforcement, and tries to separate fact from lies. It is crime, mystery, and family drama in one package — and yes, the final episode closes the loop.

Release and rollout

• Premiered June 18, 2026
• Eight episodes, all dropped at once
• Marketed and released as a full miniseries (not split in halves)
• Netflix has offered zero hints about extending it
• The finale resolves the central mystery by design
• Based on Harlan Coben's bestselling novel

The reaction (and a little spice)

Part of why the show popped is simple: it is a propulsive mystery with real emotional stakes and a couple of sharp turns that get people talking. Not everyone is swooning, though. On June 30, 2026, an Arabic-language post from @kndrr11 said they finished the whole thing in one sitting and appreciated the short, fast, no-filler approach — then immediately dinged it for plot holes, shaky logic, and thin build, joking it caters to viewers who just want quick hits. Two days later, July 2, 2026, @YopCarbon recommended the eight-part U.S. miniseries in Spanish, calling 'Te encontraré' a solid watch. So yes, buzzy — and a little divisive — across languages.

The bottom line

Even if you want more (totally fair), this story is meant to be a closed box. 'I Will Find You' is a complete ride, not the start of a franchise. If you need another fix in the same lane, Netflix has plenty of other Harlan Coben adaptations waiting in the queue.

Maggie Gyllenhaal keeps getting labeled a rule-breaker. She says that was never the mission. At Karlovy Vary, she put a pin in it while picking up a major honor just two movies into her directing career.

What she actually said

Honored with the President's Award at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Gyllenhaal pushed back on the idea that she set out to smash taboos. Her goal is simpler and, frankly, more interesting: making room for experiences that usually get squeezed out of frame.

"No, I am just trying to make space for my own experience to be expressed, to make space for The Bride's Jessie Buckley's experience to be expressed, to make space for my production designer's experience to be expressed."

Not a manifesto. More like a north star.

Why that tracks if you have followed her work

Before directing, she built a career choosing characters who don’t sit neatly in a box: 'Secretary,' 'Sherrybaby,' 'Crazy Heart,' 'The Dark Knight' — all women with edges, contradictions, and lives that refuse a tidy label. When she finally got behind the camera, that same energy showed up in 'The Lost Daughter,' which refused to sand down the messy parts of motherhood. And now she is back with 'The Bride!' (2026), a Frankenstein riff told through the Bride's perspective with Jessie Buckley at the center — less thunderbolts, more intimacy and bite. It makes sense that Karlovy Vary looked at that trajectory and said: here, take this award.

About that new movie

'The Bride!' is stacked with a cast that feels purpose-built for fireworks. Here is who is in the mix:

• Jessie Buckley
• Christian Bale
• Jake Gyllenhaal
• Peter Sarsgaard
• Penelope Cruz
• Julianne Hough
• Annette Bening

Yes, that is a lot of star power in one gothic sandbox.

Karlovy Vary opened with a flex

The festival — the second-oldest in the world after Venice — kicked off its 60th edition in the Czech spa town with a reminder that it loves its legends and its risk-takers. Running through July 11, it is a meeting point for veterans and new voices, with a slate around the 200-film mark and names like Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Jesse Eisenberg popping up on opening night.

Hoffman accepted the honorary Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema and used the moment to stump for festivals as guardians of the art form. He looked back on a career that includes 'The Graduate,' 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' 'Tootsie,' 'Rain Man,' and 'All the President's Men,' and shared a bit of Robert Redford wisdom about how artists are usually too busy building the work to think about their legacy. Seeing his own career laid out hit him hard — emotional, humbling, the whole thing.

The takeaway

Gyllenhaal’s point lands because it is practical: change often starts with a filmmaker carving out space for voices that were always there but rarely centered. Not bad for someone two features in — and a timely reminder, on a stage built for big declarations, that the quiet intentions can be the ones that actually move the needle.

Haymitch Abernathy is finally getting the spotlight, and Lionsgate knows exactly how to fan the flames. Right before the prequel hits theaters, the studio dropped a new 'Meet Haymitch' featurette for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and it is very much a 'here is how the legend was made' situation.

So, what did they drop and when?

Lionsgate rolled out the featurette on Saturday, July 4 — which the promo cheekily frames as an 'auspicious date in Panem' — as one last push before the movie lands November 20. The film adapts Suzanne Collins' latest Hunger Games novel and rewinds to the early life of District 12's most notorious victor, long before he was Katniss Everdeen's grumpy mentor. Joseph Zada plays the young Haymitch; Woody Harrelson, of course, owned the role in the original trilogy.

What the featurette shows

It is a proper sampler platter: literal sunrise on Reaping Day, the Capitol pageantry and interview circus, and quick, brutal flashes from the 50th Hunger Games — the Quarter Quell that turns Haymitch into a champion. You also get behind-the-scenes bits and cast-and-crew sit-downs about how they built out Haymitch's backstory, plus a peek at the scale Lionsgate is throwing at this thing. It is the first extended look at Zada in action, and it plays like a mission statement for who Haymitch was before the sarcasm set in.

• Title: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling novel)
• New video: 'Meet Haymitch' featurette (released Saturday, July 4)
• Theatrical release: November 20
• Focus: Haymitch's origin and the 50th Hunger Games (the Quarter Quell that crowns a District 12 victor)
• Haymitch Abernathy: Joseph Zada
• Familiar names playing younger versions of key figures in Panem: Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Jesse Plemons, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr.
• Effie Trinket: Elle Fanning
• New roles: McKenna Grace, Glenn Close

Fans are already memeing Haymitch

As soon as the featurette hit, social media did what it does: one viewer joked that Haymitch swapped his Capitol wine for a YouTuber cocktail; another decided he looks like he could cruise through a zombie apocalypse; someone else noted he seems suspiciously sober and energized. The hype is here too — plenty of people saying every new clip cranks their excitement another notch and that Haymitch's story has been a long time coming.

'Haymitch is one of the franchise's most iconic characters, so seeing more of his story is something longtime fans have been waiting for. This looks like it could add real depth to the Hunger Games universe.'

Why this matters

This is the clearest look yet at how Sunrise on the Reaping plans to expand Panem — not just with bigger sets and splashier Capitol moments, but by actually digging into the guy who taught Katniss how to survive. Between the first extended footage of Zada as Haymitch and the glimpses of the Quarter Quell, the prequel is positioning itself as one of the year’s heavy hitters for fans and curious holdouts alike.

Can Joseph Zada make young Haymitch as unforgettable as Woody Harrelson's version? Drop your take in the comments.

Oasis finally dropped the first teaser for their reunion documentary, 'Don't Look Back in Anger'. Yes, it takes its name from the song you still hear at football matches and weddings. The movie is pitched as more than a nostalgia trip, and the rollout is bigger than you might expect.

Release plan

The film hits theaters worldwide on September 11, 2026, with select IMAX and cinema screens getting it first. After that exclusive theatrical window, it heads to streaming later in the year. Expect a limited global theatrical run, with participating IMAX locations and ticket info coming closer to launch.

The teaser itself arrived on July 4, 2026, exactly one year after the band kicked off their Live '25 reunion tour in Cardiff — a deliberate timestamp on their first shows together in 16 years.

Where to watch at home

Once the big-screen window closes, the doc lands on Disney+ internationally in 2026. In the US, it will stream on Hulu and Disney+ (availability varies by region).

What the film actually covers

This is not a cradle-to-grave biopic. It zeroes in on the Live '25 reunion and the uneasy truce at the heart of it: Liam and Noel navigating a return after a 2009 split that felt permanent. You get candid backstage access, rehearsals, live performances, and, headline item, the brothers' first joint interview in more than two decades. The film leans into why these songs still detonate in stadiums and what that connection looks like across generations of fans. It is framed as a second chapter rather than a pure retrospective.

Built for IMAX like a stadium gig

Instead of a straight concert capture, the IMAX cut is designed to feel like you are inside an Oasis stadium show. The immersive audio mix comes from Oscar-winning sound pros James Mather (Top Gun: Maverick) and Tarn Willers (The Zone of Interest), with the explicit goal of dropping you in the middle of the crowd.

Who is making it

Created and executive produced by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders), the documentary is being positioned as a story about reconciliation, legacy, and what it takes to put a band — and a family — back together. It is directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, the duo behind 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' and 'Meet Me in the Bathroom'. Producers are Sam Bridger ('Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now') and Guy Heeley. The project is presented by Disney+ and produced by Magna Studios in association with Sony Music Vision.

Why now

Short version: because the arc is finally complete. Oasis blew out of Manchester in the early 90s, turned working-class swagger into chart dominance, made 'Definitely Maybe' the fastest-selling UK debut ever, and with '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' essentially hardwired the Britpop era. By 1996, they were playing Knebworth for 250,000 people. Then came the public blowups and the final bust-up at Rock en Seine in Paris in 2009. For 16 years, a reunion looked like a punchline — until the 2025 Live '25 tour actually happened. This film is here to capture that rise, rupture, and reconciliation, with the Gallaghers finally sitting down together on camera.

About that title

'Don't Look Back in Anger' is not just a cute nod. The 1996 single from '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' was the first Oasis single with Noel on lead vocals, and it has long outgrown the band to become one of Britpop's defining anthems — and one of the most celebrated rock songs in UK history.

"Get ready to experience one of the most anticipated rock 'n' roll comebacks of our time. Witness the return of Oasis in 'Don't Look Back in Anger,' in cinemas and IMAX this September."

That is Disney's pitch. For once, the hyperbole feels earned.

Anime Expo just got loud: an original anime about ninjas fighting dinosaurs in near-future Tokyo showed up, screamed its head off, and vanished without telling us where it plans to live. It’s called 'Jurassic Shadows,' it looks dead serious about its bonkers premise, and yes, the trailer rules. The only problem? We still don’t know where we’ll actually watch it.

So where will it stream?

No platform has claimed 'Jurassic Shadows' yet. Avex Pictures dropped the project’s promo video straight to YouTube, which is how most of us met it in the first place. Crunchyroll jumped on the announcement fast, making it the obvious front-runner, but nothing is signed. Netflix and HIDIVE are also in the mix depending on how licensing shakes out.

The trailer made the rounds on July 4, 2026 — Culture Crave blasted it out and summed up the pitch in one line:

'It’s an anime about ninjas vs dinosaurs.'

As for timing: still a mystery. No release date yet, and no confirmed platform. Consider this the part where a T. rex circles just out of frame.

What is 'Jurassic Shadows' actually about?

The series is set in Tokyo, 2029. The hook: dinosaurs never really died out — they’ve been hiding by passing their DNA down through humans for generations. A secret ninja order exists to counter that threat using something called Ryugesho, a memory-charged pigment that, when applied, awakens ancient dinosaur abilities. It’s wild, but the show is playing it straight.

Creative team rundown: Kenta Ihara is writing the screenplay, Yukiko Nakatani is handling character designs, and visuals are coming from Cannon Code. On top of the anime, Kodansha is planning a manga adaptation to roll out alongside it.

While we wait: dinosaurs you can actually stream right now

If the trailer flipped a switch in your brain and now you need prehistoric chaos immediately, Netflix has a whole fossil bed to dig through. Availability can shift by region, so double-check in the app where you live, but here’s what’s currently parked there:

• Jurassic World collection: 'Jurassic World,' 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,' 'Jurassic World: Dominion,' and the newer 'Jurassic World: Rebirth.'
• Animated series: 'Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous' and its sequel series 'Jurassic World: Chaos Theory.'
• Younger-skewing picks: 'Dinotrux,' 'Gigantosaurus,' and 'Bad Dinosaurs.'
• Documentary event: 'The Dinosaurs' — a four-part series executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and narrated by Morgan Freeman, built with the same technique-heavy team behind 'Life on Our Planet' and premiered March 6, 2026.

Bottom line: between the stacked Netflix dino shelf and a manga on the way, there’s plenty to chew on. But 'Jurassic Shadows' itself is still keeping its debut plans under wraps. My bet is Crunchyroll — purely because of how fast they amplified the reveal — though Netflix and HIDIVE are absolutely plausible contenders.

Where do you think 'Jurassic Shadows' lands? And if it really is ninjas vs dinosaurs for 12 episodes, are you in?

Every year, once the sparklers burn out and the grills cool off, a different kind of fireworks goes off at the multiplex. July 4th is a day off for most people, the vibes are high, and the evening shows get flooded. It is routinely one of the biggest single box office days of the year. Below is the leaderboard of movies that have cashed in the hardest on Independence Day — and some of the titles on here come with fun quirks, tech milestones, and, in one case, a head-tilting entry for a movie that is not even out yet.

Why July 4th supercharges ticket sales

It is a perfect storm: a federal holiday, long weekend energy, schools out, and everyone already out of the house for parades and fireworks. That turns the nighttime showtimes into a magnet, which is why studios love to plant crowd-pleasers right on or around the date. The result: monster single-day numbers and, for a lot of these films, one of their biggest daily hauls ever.

The all-time July 4th single-day champs

1. 10. Men in Black II (2002) - $16,493,214

   As a time capsule, it is peak 2002: practical aliens with that Rick Baker tangibility rubbing shoulders with early-2000s CG that looks, well, early-2000s. The wildest swing is the Locker-World idea — Agent J finding a tiny civilization living inside a Grand Central locker, then teasing the possibility our whole universe is just another locker. It also flips the buddy-cop dynamic for a bit, with a weary J babysitting an amnesiac K, which nudges the franchise chemistry off its original axis in a fun, slightly odd way.

2. 9. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) - $18,033,185

   The Battle of Chicago is Bay in full command of mayhem you can actually follow: glass towers fold, streets ripple with shockwaves, and that space-bridge pillar pins the action together so the chaos reads clean. Sentinel Prime (Leonard Nimoy) is the cold heart of it — a traitor whose logic is chillingly practical: sacrifice Earth to save Cybertron. Shown in native 3D, the scale has room to breathe, which turns the spectacle into something you track, not just endure.

3. 8. Hancock (2008) - $18,527,967

   Landing right before superhero movies got locked into strict franchise grids, this one wrestles two personalities at once: a sharp, slightly mean satire of a wrecking-ball superhero and a mythic, melancholy romance. Early on (you can feel Vince Gilligan’s fingerprints), sun-blasted LA looks permanently dented by Hancock’s help. Then comes the curveball: Hancock and Mary’s connection literally weakens them, turning closeness into a hazard. It is messy by design, held together mostly by Will Smith’s star power, which is exactly why it stands apart now.

4. 7. Despicable Me 4 (2024) - $20,398,275

   At this point, Illumination is a precision machine. The movie does not reinvent the wheel so much as keep it spinning at a comfy speed: Gru gets shuffled into Mayflower suburbia, where domestic normalcy is its own stress test. Maxime Le Mal provides focused villainy, Poppy Prescott lobs chaos into Gru’s carefully balanced life, and the Minions go full slapstick escalation with Mega Minion antics. Bright, candy-coated visuals and snap-timed gags keep the rhythm exactly where fans expect it.

5. 6. Spider-Man 2 (2004) - $21,955,628

   Raimi plays it sincere and borderline operatic: Peter is pulled thin between duty and burnout. The horror-tinged hospital scene where Doc Ock’s arms wake up is still a brutal, wordless flex — metal claws hunting in a room where people are suddenly just prey. Even the laundromat gag quietly lands the weight of Peter’s double life. And then the train rescue turns the whole city into his support system for one perfect beat. Still hits.

6. 5. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) - $23,335,925

   Marc Webb rejiggers the tone for a new era: smaller-scale emotions, bigger teenage jitters. Andrew Garfield’s Peter is all nervous energy and deflective sarcasm wrapped around unresolved grief. Gwen (Emma Stone) is an actual partner, not a plot accessory, and Rhys Ifans pushes Dr. Curt Connors from earnest ambition to lizard-brained instability. Cooler hues and parkour-flavored web-swinging keep the action physical and grounded, so you feel the city in the stunts.

7. 4. Despicable Me 2 (2013) - $24,546,980

   This is where the franchise fully locks into its global groove. Gru, now domesticated (uneasily), gets yanked back into the Anti-Villain League after the PX-41 serum is stolen, with the unpredictable Lucy Wilde as his partner. Spying through a shiny mall and a cupcake bakery is a cute consumerist spin on cloak-and-dagger. The Minions go full silent-era slapstick, which is why their jokes land everywhere, and Gru’s arc is more about opening up than acting out.

8. 3. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - $25,720,128

   It is a high school trip hijacked by grief and geopolitics. Fury reroutes Peter’s getaway into a rolling crisis, and Mysterio is less a person than a weaponized infrastructure project — drones, projections, and storytelling as a blunt-force tool. The illusion sequence is deliberate disorientation; the movie gaslights Peter and us at the same time. Underneath, it is about imposter syndrome: the weight of a legacy Peter did not ask to carry, refracted through scenic European backdrops turned artificial battlegrounds.

9. 2. Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) - $26,235,450

   File this under: the oddball entry. The list parks a 2025 movie here with a very specific dollar figure, which reads like an early projection, not a verified record. The pitch tracks, though: Gareth Edwards leaning back into survival-thriller roots, humans dwarfed by an ecosystem that refuses to be tamed. A stranded civilian family collides with a Big Pharma mission strip-mining dinosaurs for medicine; consequence over expansion. David Koepp returning suggests a cleaner, Crichton-core warning about corporate hubris. Expect dinosaurs framed like weather, not characters.

10. 1. Transformers (2007) - $29,073,898

    Digital spectacle with real heft. Bay threads Spielbergian wonder through metal-on-metal demolition, anchored by the very sweet, very teen story of a boy and his first car — that just happens to be alive. Bumblebee’s radio-scrap chatter gives the movie its heart, while the transformations feel heavy, engineered, and tactile, not weightless CG. Layer in the post-9/11 military framing — Blackout’s desert strike hits like a war movie twisted by alien tech — and you get a blockbuster that defined a whole moment.

Bottom line: July 4th remains a box office cheat code. Long weekend energy plus big-brand spectacle equals huge single-day spikes, year after year. Which of these do you fire up when the fireworks fade? Drop your pick in the comments.

The truth had nothing to do with banishments, murders, or strategy. She tested positive for COVID-19.

What happened

Amanda — an emergency room nurse from Carlisle, Pennsylvania — was playing as a Faithful, and playing well, when she disappeared in episode 5 without a ceremony or an explanation. Weeks after the season dropped in January 2023, she cleared it up herself on Instagram: despite being vaccinated, masking on her flights, and quarantining before and after arriving in Scotland, she caught COVID and was pulled from the game on the spot.

"It was like the rug got pulled out from underneath of me," she said in the Instagram video.

The irony wasn't lost on anyone: a nurse who worked the front lines of the pandemic, taken out of a game show by the virus.

The rumors she shut down

Two theories filled the silence, and she knocked down both:

• "She was pregnant" — false. She addressed it directly, noting she and her husband were only planning to start fertility treatments later.
• "She quit" — emphatically false. She insisted she was no quitter, and said she'd have hobbled around that castle on two broken legs before walking away voluntarily.

Did it change the game?

Arguably, yes. Amanda was one of the sharpest Faithfuls in a cast that mixed reality TV veterans with newcomers, and she left in 12th place with every Traitor still hidden. Traitor Cirie Fields went on to win the season and its $250,000 prize — an outcome a healthy Amanda might well have complicated.

Amanda said afterward that she had unfinished business at Ardross Castle and hinted at coming back for revenge. As of mid-2026, that return hasn't happened — though she did share bigger news in January 2025: she'd become a mom.

Fetty Wap lost his left eye as an infant to congenital glaucoma — a rare childhood eye disease — and he's been telling the real story since 2015.

What actually happened

Born Willie Maxwell II in Paterson, New Jersey, on June 7, 1991, he was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma at around six months old. The condition stops fluid from draining out of the eye; pressure builds up and destroys the optic nerve. Doctors expected him to lose both eyes — but a specialist in Philadelphia managed to save the right one.

He set the record straight in a 2015 interview with DJ Self on Shade 45:

"The doctor saved one. I was blessed to still have my vision."

That's the whole story, in his own words — no shooting, no accident worth the mythology.

Why he doesn't wear the prosthetic

He did, for years. After reconstructive surgery at age 12, Fetty wore an ocular prosthesis through childhood, despite being bullied and getting into school fights over it. As a teenager he simply stopped — "I didn't want to look like everyone else," as he later put it. By the time "Trap Queen" made him a star in 2015, the bare eye was part of his identity, and he has described himself as one of the first artists to arrive on the scene with one eye and be completely comfortable with it.

The rumors, debunked

• "He was shot" — the most persistent one, and false. The eye was gone roughly two decades before anyone knew his name.
• "He lost it in a fight" — also false, though the bullying over his prosthetic did lead to plenty of childhood fights.
• "Fireworks / vaping accident" — pure internet invention, with no basis in anything he has ever said.

Where is Fetty Wap now?

The eye is the least of his recent news. Arrested in October 2021 over his role in a drug-trafficking ring, he was sentenced to six years in federal prison and served his time at FCI Sandstone in Minnesota. He was released in January 2026 — 11 months ahead of his original December 2026 release date.

For the record: Fetty has said the surviving eye tests better than 20/20. He didn't just keep his vision. He upgraded it.

Here's the real story, including the name they wanted first.

27 pilots nobody had claimed

The unit itself was commissioned on July 1, 1942, at Ewa on Oahu, originally nicknamed the "Swashbucklers." But the famous version was born in August 1943 at Turtle Bay airfield on Espiritu Santo, when Boyington — a former Flying Tiger — and Major Stan Bailey got permission to build a squadron out of unassigned replacement pilots. That's the "orphans" part.

The 27 weren't the misfits and washouts of legend; they ranged from combat veterans to brand-new arrivals from the States. What they lacked was a squadron — and Boyington had less than four weeks to make them combat-ready.

Why "Black Sheep"?

The pilots' own choice, settled in their commander's hut on the night of September 13, 1943, was "Boyington's Bastards" — a nod to their orphan status, their unreliable planes, and the man himself.

Marine public information officer Captain Jack DeChant killed it the next day: no newspaper would print the word. He suggested "Black Sheep," which meant roughly the same thing politely. The squadron's insignia kept the joke anyway — a black shield with a bar sinister, heraldry's mark of illegitimacy, plus a black sheep, twelve stars, and a Corsair.

The record: 84 days

Flying F4U Corsairs from forward bases in the Solomon Islands, the Black Sheep fought two combat tours totaling 84 days. The tally:

• 203 enemy aircraft destroyed or damaged
• 97 confirmed air-to-air kills
• 9 fighter aces produced from a single squadron
• A Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism

They fought with style, too. In October 1943 they offered to shoot down a Japanese plane for every baseball cap a big-league club sent them. The St. Louis Cardinals mailed 20 caps. The Black Sheep sent back 20 kill stickers.

What happened to Pappy Boyington?

On January 3, 1944, over the Japanese stronghold of Rabaul, Boyington shot down his final enemy planes — bringing his official tally to 28, counting his Flying Tigers claims — and was then shot down himself. Picked up by a Japanese submarine, he spent the last 20 months of the war as a POW while America presumed him dead; President Roosevelt awarded him the Medal of Honor "posthumously."

Boyington came home in 1945 to collect it in person, along with a Navy Cross.

The original Black Sheep's tour ended on January 8, 1944, five days after he went down, and the squadron was disbanded. He died on January 11, 1988, at 75.

The legend outlived them all. The 1976–78 NBC series Baa Baa Black Sheep (later syndicated as Black Sheep Squadron) starred Robert Conrad as Boyington and freely fictionalized the record. And the real squadron never went away: today, as VMFA-214, the Black Sheep fly F-35B stealth fighters out of Yuma, Arizona — with the bar of bastardy still on the patch.

Margaret in five seasons

• Season 1 — widowed on Nucky's orders, she becomes his mistress.
• Season 2 — marries him, then signs his fortune-making land over to the church.
• Season 3 — falls for Owen Sleater, loses him, and walks out on Nucky.
• Season 4 — brokerage secretary in Manhattan, and keeper of Arnold Rothstein's secrets.
• Season 5 — beats Wall Street with a short sale, and shares one last dance with Nucky.

From widow to wife

Margaret Schroeder arrives as a poor Irish immigrant with an abusive husband, Hans. Nucky has him killed — and framed — then takes Margaret as his mistress and, in season 2, his wife, conveniently ensuring she can't testify against him. The marriage curdles fast. After their daughter Emily is paralyzed by polio, a guilt-stricken Margaret signs Nucky's prized highway land over to the Catholic Church in the season 2 finale. He never really forgives it.

Owen, the pregnancy, and the crate

In season 3 she falls in love with Owen Sleater, Nucky's Irish enforcer, and the two plan to run away together. In "A Man, a Plan…" she tells him the stakes plainly:

"I'm pregnant. It's yours. You can do as you choose."

Hours later, Owen's body comes back from a failed hit on Joe Masseria — delivered to Nucky's suite in a crate. Margaret ends the pregnancy in the season finale, takes her children to a Brooklyn flat, and refuses Nucky's money.

The Rothstein years

By season 4 she's working as a secretary at a Manhattan brokerage when Arnold Rothstein turns up as a client under the alias "Abe Redstone." She keeps his secret; he arranges a decent apartment for her family. A deal with the devil, handled politely.

The short sale

Season 5 opens in 1931 with her boss shooting himself in front of the office after the crash. Worse, Rothstein is dead and his widow, Carolyn, threatens to expose the account Margaret helped him hide. So Margaret goes to the one man who understands leverage: Nucky.

Their reunion turns into a business partnership — using intelligence out of Joe Kennedy's orbit, Margaret shorts Mayflower Grain stock at exactly the right moment and makes them both a fortune. Their final scene together is a dance in an empty apartment, days before Nucky is shot dead on the boardwalk.

Joe Masseria's men killed him, after Owen walked into a trap while trying to assassinate the New York boss at a Turkish bathhouse. The crate was the message.

The murder in brief

• The victim — Owen Sleater, an IRA operative from Coleraine who became Nucky Thompson's driver, bodyguard, and enforcer in season 2.
• The killers — Joe Masseria's men, waiting at the bathhouse on Chrystie Street.
• The motive — Owen came to kill Masseria on Nucky's behalf. The ambush was ready for him.
• The crate — Masseria's way of returning the failed hitman to sender.

The hit that went wrong

Nucky wanted Masseria dead, and Owen knew the way in: the boss visited the Turkish baths on Chrystie Street every Thursday at 9 p.m., supposedly unguarded. Owen took the job as one last piece of dirty work — he and Margaret were planning to run away together, and she had just told him she was pregnant with his child.

His final on-screen words to her, in front of everyone, were a polite "Mrs. Thompson."

The show never spells out how the plan leaked. But with Gyp Rosetti sheltering under Masseria's protection that season, the alliance against Nucky had eyes everywhere.

Why the crate?

Because Masseria wasn't just disposing of an assassin — he was sending Nucky an answer. In the episode's final scene, a wooden crate arrives at Nucky's suite in the middle of the night. It's Margaret who looks inside, and her breakdown over the body tells Nucky everything about the affair in a single wordless moment.

Why the death happens off-screen

A fluke. Creator Terence Winter told TVLine in 2012 that the crew was about to film Owen's death when a heavy plaster rosette fell from the set's ceiling, and the shoot was scrapped. Director Tim Van Patten then argued the death might land harder unseen — and after watching a cut of the episode, everyone agreed. The audience opens that crate along with Margaret.

Winter didn't pretend the decision to kill Owen was painless:

"It's one of the challenges of doing a gangster show; people die," he told TVLine in 2012.

For the record: Charlie Cox's next defining role was Matt Murdock in Daredevil. He went from playing a hitman to playing the man who hunts them.

Supergirl was built like a tentpole and then pushed out like a test balloon. Warner Bros. and DC Studios reportedly spent about $170 million making it and another $120 million telling us it existed. Opening weekend answered back with $38 million domestic and $68 million worldwide. The more interesting part, though, was happening behind closed doors long before tickets went on sale.

Two visions, one cape

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the biggest clash on Supergirl was not hero vs. villain. It was James Gunn vs. director Craig Gillespie over what the movie should be. After early test screenings underwhelmed, DC Studios did something studios almost never admit to: it commissioned its own competing cut of the film, separate from the director’s version.

"They were not creatively aligned is the polite way of describing things."

By late 2025, both the studio and Gillespie reportedly knew the film was not landing the way anyone hoped. DC brought in Jeremy Slater to help in post. The final battle sequence got reworked. Music choices turned into another tug-of-war. What should have been polishing became a full-on rebuild.

The bake-off cut to cut

DC eventually staged a side-by-side test of the two edits — the director’s cut vs. the studio’s. According to THR, Gillespie’s version ran longer and leaned harder into the villain, and it actually outscored the studio’s on a few specifics. But when the final cards were tallied, the studio cut squeaked out the overall win by two points. Not exactly decisive.

• Runtime: Gillespie’s cut was reportedly 11 minutes longer.
• Villain focus: More screen time for Krem (played by Matthias Schoenaerts).
• Scores: The director’s version tested better on pacing, music, and the villain.
• Overall: The studio cut won the bake-off by a narrow two-point margin with test audiences.
• Source material note: Gillespie chose not to read the 'Woman of Tomorrow' comic to shape his own visual take.
• Post-production triage: Jeremy Slater joined late; the climactic battle and music were reworked.

The release that felt like a compromise

After months of dueling edits, Supergirl finally hit theaters looking like exactly what it was: a negotiated middle ground. The box office is still chasing break-even, and the fan response has been split — another DC title carrying the baggage of what might have been if one vision had actually won the day.

Why this sounds familiar

If you got Justice League flashbacks, you are not alone. Both productions hit the same potholes: rough test screenings, shaken confidence, and a post-production rescue mission. The key difference is who held the scissors. With Justice League, Warner Bros. executives pushed Zack Snyder aside for a friendlier overhaul. With Supergirl, multiple reports say James Gunn — wearing his studio-chief hat — ended up overriding fellow director Gillespie to keep the new DC game plan intact. Different leaders, same battleground. The box office deja vu is not great either.

Meanwhile, Snyder has been teasing a theatrical run for his cut of Justice League — the kind of reminder that these arguments do not just disappear; they hang around for years.

So... was there a better movie in there?

Going by the test-card math, there was at least a different one. Would I watch Gillespie’s longer, more villain-forward version? Of course I would. How about you?

ABC is parking one of its biggest crowd-pleasers until after the holidays. High Potential — the Kaitlin Olson procedural that has quietly become a prime-time pillar since 2024, pulling a massive 12 to 17 million viewers an episode — won’t be in ABC’s fall 2026 lineup. After two straight autumn launches, the network is changing the playbook for Season 3.

The scheduling switch

Season 3 is shifting to midseason, with ABC targeting January 2027. The logic: run the show straight through, week after week, instead of riding the fall’s usual schedule chaos. Fewer preemptions, fewer random gaps, more momentum. The trade-off is a shorter order; expect fewer episodes than Season 2’s 18.

• Premiere window: January 2027 (ABC’s midseason lineup), skipping fall for the first time
• Episode count: down from Season 2’s 18 (exact number TBD)
• Status: renewed in March 2026; production is underway
• Showrunners: Nora and Lilla Zuckerman step in, replacing Todd Harthan
• Returning cast: Kaitlin Olson (Morgan Gillory), Daniel Sunjata (Detective Karadec), Judy Reyes (Lieutenant Soto), Javicia Leslie, Deniz Akdeniz
• Steve Howey: not returning as a series regular; a brief guest spot to close Captain Nick Wagner’s arc is still possible
• Story threads: Wagner’s near-fatal cliffhanger; Morgan/Karadec’s slow-burn finally heating up; Roman’s long-running disappearance and the corruption tied to it
• Context: the series has been one of ABC’s steadiest performers since 2024, basically part of the network’s prime-time identity

About that finale cliffhanger

Season 2 ended with Captain Nick Wagner (Steve Howey) bleeding out in the final moments — the kind of last-second twist that practically begs for an immediate resolution. Here’s the rub: Howey signed on for a one-year stint and won’t be back full-time. ABC isn’t ruling out a quick guest appearance to close Wagner’s story, but the precinct’s chain of command is getting reshuffled either way. That leadership void is now baked into the Season 3 stakes.

What to expect when it returns

The Zuckerman sisters are taking the wheel and are expected to tighten the tone without sanding off what makes the show fun — the big-brain, high-chaos casework anchored by Olson’s Morgan Gillory. The midseason move should help one of the show’s core threads too: Morgan and Karadec’s slow-burn. With an uninterrupted run, that relationship can actually build week to week instead of stalling between preemptions.

Meanwhile, Roman’s disappearance — the serialized mystery running under the weekly puzzles — isn’t going anywhere. If anything, the corruption surrounding it keeps widening, and with Wagner out of the picture (at least for now), the stakes inside the precinct get even messier.

Is benching a hit until January a little surprising? Yep. But if ABC delivers a cleaner, no-breaks sprint — and the show lands its cliffhanger payoff — this could be the rare scheduling gamble that actually helps a broadcast procedural feel more bingeable in real time.

High Potential comes back in January 2027. Smart move by ABC or a momentum killer? Tell me where you land in the comments.

Solo Leveling is not slowing down. Instead of a quick Season 3 date drop, the franchise just leveled up to the big screen. Here is what actually got announced and how it fits into the larger plan for Sung Jinwoo and company.

So, what got announced?

Crunchyroll and Aniplex officially unveiled a theatrical anime film titled "Solo Leveling: Beyond the System." It picks up directly after the end of Season 2, so this is the next main chapter of the story, not a side quest. A-1 Pictures is back on animation, and the production lineup is stacked: Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C MEDIA, Kakao Piccoma, and Crunchyroll are all in the mix.

Release timing (and the trailer confusion)

The official reveal did not include a release date or a trailer. That is the clean version. Separately, a well-known leaker, @SugoiLITE (via fan accounts), is claiming a 2027 theatrical premiere in Japan with A-1 continuing on animation. Treat that as a rumor until the studios say it out loud. Also floating around: posts labeling a clip as an "official trailer." Until that shows up on the usual studio channels, consider it a teaser or a repost rather than the real rollout.

Where this fits in the bigger Solo Leveling push

• Title and format: "Solo Leveling: Beyond the System," a theatrical anime film.
• Timeline placement: set immediately after Season 2.
• Animation: A-1 Pictures returns.
• Production partners: Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C MEDIA, Kakao Piccoma, and Crunchyroll.
• Release status: no official date yet; a leaker pegs Japan for 2027, which remains unconfirmed.
• Trailer status: none included in the official reveal; "official trailer" uploads on social should be considered unverified for now.
• Season 3: still coming, expected later this year, but no locked premiere date.
• Live-action: Netflix is developing an adaptation that reportedly leans harder into the Sung Jinwoo/Cha Hae-in romance.
• Reception so far: the anime kicked off in January 2024, sits at 8.5/10 on IMDb, and both seasons carry a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Print momentum: according to Billboard Japan's Book Hot 100, Volume 25 was the top-selling physical book in Japan for the week of June 22–28.
• Big-picture context: it started as a web novel back in 2016 and has since become a global hit; in Japan, the manga run is nearing its final chapter.

Why a movie makes sense right now

Going theatrical keeps the franchise loud between TV seasons, and locking in A-1 means visual continuity with the show. It also lets the team swing bigger on scale (think set pieces and music cues) while Season 3 keeps cooking. Smart move.

What I am watching for next

Plot synopsis (how far into the arc this goes), the returning cast list, a real trailer from the official channels, and a release plan that spells out Japan vs. global timing. Until then, file "Beyond the System" under: officially happening, details to come. What do you want the movie to cover right after Season 2’s finale?

Anthony Mackie wanted the cat suit. He ended up with wings and, eventually, the shield. Not a bad consolation prize, but the road there is a fun little peek behind the Marvel curtain.

The role Mackie chased from day one

When Mackie first started nosing around Marvel, he was not window-shopping. He was campaigning. He has said he wrote the studio letters and kept telling anyone who would listen that he wanted to play Black Panther. This was not a casual idea for him; the character meant something to him long before there was an MCU slot to fill.

"And I wanted to be Black Panther because growing up I [expletive] loved Black Panther."

The meeting that swerved

Marvel being Marvel, nobody was spilling secrets. Mackie sat down with producer Nate Moore and directors Joe and Anthony Russo, and he walked in thinking all signs pointed to Wakanda. Then the reveal hit: not T'Challa, but Sam Wilson. He has said he was momentarily thrown, trying to figure out which other heavy-hitter they could be hinting at, before it clicked that they were handing him the Falcon. Curveball delivered, franchise altered. And because the universe sometimes has a sense of timing, Chadwick Boseman would go on to define Black Panther while Mackie took flight as Sam.

• 2014: Mackie debuts as Sam Wilson/The Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (yes, that was 12 years ago as of April 4, 2026)
• Next chapters: pops up across the Avengers mayhem, including Infinity War
• Where it landed: Sam Wilson is now the MCU's Captain America

Why Falcon fit him like a jetpack

From the jump, Marvel stuck him opposite Chris Evans and clearly trusted that easy, built-in charisma to hold the screen. It worked. Sam did not feel like a new character being introduced; he felt like a guy we already knew who just happened to have a very expensive backpack.

Mackie's Juilliard background shows in the physicality. The flying never looked like a dude dangling on wires; the movements had control and intention, like the wings were part of him instead of a prop he was fighting. And because Sam is one of the more grounded heroes in a universe that loves a power boost, Mackie leaned into the human stuff: the veteran backstory, the empathy, the guy-you'd-follow energy. It is why his leadership reads as earned, not injected. No super-soldier serum required.

The bigger picture

That detour at the meeting gave the MCU two wins instead of one: Boseman's definitive Black Panther and Mackie's Falcon-turned-Cap. And if you're keeping score on his film opinions, he has also been on record taking shots at Henry Cavill's Man of Steel in a resurfaced clip — which, agree or disagree, tells you the man is not shy about calling it how he sees it.

Would Mackie have crushed it as Black Panther? Probably. But watching him fly, then step up and carry the shield, it is hard to argue he did not end up exactly where he was supposed to.

Before he was Marvel's star-spangled golden boy, Chris Evans was doing what a lot of actors do: popping up wherever there was a camera and a paycheck. One of those early stops is the kind of credit even diehard fans forget about — a blink-and-you-missed-it role in a short-lived TV revival of The Fugitive, a franchise Harrison Ford had rocketed back into pop-culture dominance in the 90s.

The quick Evans cameo you probably forgot

Years ahead of the shield and the super-serum, Evans slipped into the 2000 television version of The Fugitive on CBS. His screen time was limited, but it is a neat breadcrumb in the trail that led to him becoming one of Hollywood's go-to action guys. If you ever stumble across it, it plays like a time capsule from the pre-Cap era when he was still stacking small roles and building a resume.

How this connects back to Harrison Ford's mega-hit

To untangle the franchise family tree: The Fugitive started as a 1960s TV series. Then, in 1993, Harrison Ford headlined a big-screen reimagining that turned into one of that year's biggest box-office smashes. Off that momentum, CBS tried a fresh TV take in 2000 — the one where Evans shows up — keeping the brand alive for one more run.

• 1960s: The original TV series premieres
• 1993: Harrison Ford's film reimagines the show and becomes a major hit
• 2000: CBS launches a new TV adaptation; Evans makes a brief appearance

The short-lived reboot that still mattered

The 2000 CBS series did not stick around — it lasted just one season. Still, it gave a handful of up-and-comers, Evans included, a shot to be part of a long-running, well-known property. It is not a career-defining moment, but it is a fun footnote: an early, almost throwaway credit that quietly links Chris Evans to a classic franchise decades before he became one himself.

If you missed Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle I in theaters (or just want to rewatch those jaw-droppers without the sticky floors), good news: the at-home release is finally locked.

The short version

• Streams on Crunchyroll starting July 28, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. PT.
• Announced during the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Celebration panel at Anime Expo 2026.
• Subs and dubs: a wide slate at launch, with exact languages varying by region.
• Digital purchase (sell-through) goes live the same day, July 28, in select territories including North America; pre-orders open July 4 on select platforms.
• Region wrinkle: Netflix will also carry Infinity Castle I across parts of Asia, excluding Japan, Mainland China, and India.

"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I is coming to Crunchyroll on July 28!"

Wait, I thought it was Crunchyroll-exclusive?

Mostly, yes, but with regional carve-outs. Crunchyroll is the home for the streaming debut in a lot of markets. In Asia, Netflix has its own window for this movie (not including Japan, Mainland China, or India). Welcome to the wonderful world of licensing, where the word "exclusive" tends to have a few asterisks.

Why this drop matters

Infinity Castle I is the first film in the trilogy that closes out the Demon Slayer saga, pulling Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the Hashira straight into Muzan Kibutsuji's fortress for the big one. It is directed by Haruo Sotozaki and animated by Ufotable, and after opening in theaters it did monster numbers — we are talking one of 2025's biggest anime releases worldwide and ultimately climbing to the No. 2 spot of all time at the Japanese box office. So yeah, the pent-up demand to stream it has been real.

About those Netflix "watch by" pop-ups

If you have been seeing "watch by" prompts on Netflix while binging Demon Slayer, you are not alone. People spotted the same thing back in January 2026, which sparked a whole round of panic that the series was leaving. What is actually going on: those alerts usually tie to specific regional windows or particular seasons, not the entire franchise vanishing in one go. As the Infinity Castle arc rolls out across services, expect the usual patchwork of rights by territory and by season. Annoying? Absolutely. But it does not automatically mean a full takedown.

So, what should you do?

If you are in a Crunchyroll market, mark July 28 at 8:00 a.m. PT and you are set — and if you prefer to own it, digital purchases land the same day in select regions including North America, with pre-orders from July 4. If you are in parts of Asia, check Netflix, keeping in mind the exclusions (no Japan, Mainland China, or India).

Either way, the timing is perfect. With two more Infinity Castle movies still to go, this puts the first one within easy reach before the next chapter drops. Clear your queue accordingly.