Showmances are fun in Big Brother, but it's not a guarantee they'll have a happy ending. Season 28's Rome Seymour and Lyric Medeiros could be the next Brendon and Rachel Villegas, or they could be the next Christian Birkenberger and Alyssa Lopez. Rome told CinemaBlend he's prepared for both possibilities, and he shared his honest thoughts about Lyric potentially moving on.

As those watching Big Brother online with a Paramount+ subscription witness the aftermath of the Week 4 Head of Household competition, I sat down and talked to Rome about the possibility of Lyric moving on while he's outside of the house. As I was talking about the hypothetical scenario, Rome said he had this exact convo with her before his eviction:

He smiled while talking, but I'm unsure if that was because he was so certain it wouldn't happen, or a bit anxious about having to acknowledge he has no control over the situation. Either is valid, in my opinion, as it would certainly suck to meet someone who could be "the one" and then potentially not have contact with them for two and a half months.

All I know is what Rome said, and he went on to say he's not worried about Lyric. Ultimately, the relationship will be what it's meant to be, and if things don't work out and she moves on before leaving, he's at peace with that:

Rome and Lyric have been a hot topic since Big Brother Season 28 started, with their showmance starting as early as Day 2 in the house. Since then, we've seen them kissing a lot on the feeds, cuddling together while they sleep, and there was a "boner walk" controversy.

The showmance wasn't really a factor in Rome's eviction, as he was seen by Angela Murray and others in the now-formed Tool Shed alliance as the ringleader of the other side of the house. Angela pushed that evicting Rome would "cut off the head of the snake" and leave everyone outside their alliances scrambling to organize.

So far, it seems she's right, as those outside the Tool Shed alliance have yet to formalize any big alliance to effectively combat being unceremoniously evicted in the opening weeks of the game. Unless someone within the Tool Shed decides to blow it up, I don't see how any of them can hope to stay in the game for long.

Big Brother continues with new episodes on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET unless otherwise noted. Fingers crossed this week is more entertaining than I expect it to be, but we can only wait and see.

I started watching Big Brother this season to support Devens and Dee, and two weeks in, I’m fully in the deep end. I’m making real alliances, sleeping in the have not room, making fake alliances, reattaching my microphone and eating slop. I think this show is just going to be a part of my summer routine moving forward, but as a Survivor fan, I need to talk about the confessional situation because yikes.

At least eighty percent of everything we see come out of the Diary Room is inauthentic trash. So many of these confessionals sound like the houseguests were given a paper to read from. Perhaps even worse, a healthy percentage of them are just narrating plot action that we’re all literally watching on the screen or detailing the most obvious surface level motivations that we don’t need to hear.

During Wednesday’s episode this week, we all watched Lala go over the rules of the Veto Competition in really extended and specific detail. Then, for unclear reasons, we got a confessional of Lyric blandly explaining the exact same rules to the audience like thirty seconds later, once again in really specific detail, down to telling us how many pieces they had to find (12) and how they needed to fit on the board (“flush”). What could have possibly been the thought process behind including that confessional? Choose one or the other!

Sadly, that’s a recurring theme with so many bits we see from the Diary Room. Let’s just focus on that same Veto Competition as an example. We also got confessionals from multiple houseguests explaining to us that some of the pegs have more space around them so that must be where the bigger pieces go. That’s obviously a good strategy observation and worth hearing about, but did we need that same a-ha moment from both Jason and Angela? No, we did not. Choose one or the other!

And don’t get me started on the references and puns. I love bad puns, and I love cheesy references. I kind of like how kitschy Big Brother is. I was fine with Rachel getting murdered by a dinosaur during the first episode, but a confessional either works or it doesn’t. If the houseguest sounds like they’re delivering a rehearsed line, it shouldn’t make the final edit. There are at least four or five confessionals every week that sound so inauthentic coming out of the houseguest’s mouth. It’s shocking so many of them make the final edit.

After a few episodes of this, I asked the other people on staff here at CinemaBlend who watch Big Brother what the story is with the Diary Room content, and they both said some version of, that’s just how the show is. You’ll get used to it. Why is that an acceptable answer? It's certainly not fine with some former players who have complained about it.

I watch so many reality competition shows. I watch Survivor, The Traitors, Top Chef, MasterChef, Dancing With The Stars, Project Runway, Tournament Of Champions, The Amazing Race and like a dozen more. None of the other shows have this problem. Not a single one consistently includes content that feels repetitive and inauthentic. It doesn’t have to be that way.

It’s all particularly frustrating because each episode does contain some legitimately terrific confessionals, and if you watch the live feeds, these people have a lot of charisma and are always hooking up and scheming. There is a reason they were chosen to move into the house. There is plenty for producers to work with.

Unfortunately, it seems to me like those same producers are encouraging players to distill their thoughts down into generic euphemisms, obvious observations ("I need to win to get myself off the block!") and corny line reads they're literally handing them. Why is that the goal? Who decided this was the most optimal Diary Room content?

The team needs to change their strategy for getting Diary Room content, and they need to be more thoughtful about what they’re choosing from the material they do get. We need less obvious narrational content. We need less inauthentic line reads. We need less generic summaries. Instead, we need more confessionals that show off the personalities and emotions of the houseguests.

You can catch new episodes of Big Brother 28 multiple times a week on CBS, and you can watch the live feeds on Paramount+.

Sometimes comedy hurts, literally. To prove that point, after Will Ferrell previously credited Molly Shannon for saving Saturday Night Live with her character Mary Katherine Gallagher, she explained that she actually got a ton of bruises while playing her. So, while those sketches must have been painful for the SNL star, it also, clearly, paid off.

Now, recurring characters on SNL are a must. When something works, it’s consistently brought back and is made even better. During Shannon's time on SNL from 1995 to 2001, she had a few recurring characters, including Mary Katherine Gallagher. The fan-favorite character made her debut during Season 21 in 1995, and Shannon shared on Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend that the sketch, which frequently called for intense stunts, gave her some bruises the day after the show:

An unpopular teen Catholic schoolgirl, Mary had a tendency to be pretty dramatic and have socially awkward exchanges with her fellow peers before ultimately falling over, crashing into a wall, or destroying something. This would then lead her to utter her iconic catchphrase, “Superstar!” and show everyone that she was okay. It happened in every single sketch, and, in true Mary Katherine Gallagher fashion, it was always overdramatic.

So, I can't say I'm surprised that the actress got beaten up doing these bits. She was literally throwing herself around the set. The fact that Shannon didn’t even feel anything during or right after the sketch is impressive.

Many actors have gotten bruised on projects, such as Alan Ritchson, who goes through the wringer each season for Reacher. SNL cast members can get battered and bruised too, which is really not surprising, considering the amount of physical acting and comedy required for a lot of the sketches.

While Shannon was on Saturday Night Live until 2001, she stopped doing Mary Katherine Gallagher on a frequent basis in 1999. She brought the character back in February 2001 during Season 26 for her final episode. That was not the last time that fans saw the chaotic Catholic schoolgirl, as she stepped back into the uniform one last time in 2007, when she hosted SNL during Season 32. She returned to host in 2023, reprising a couple of other fan-favorite characters, but not Mary Katherine Gallagher. And knowing how bruised she got doing that bit, I can't say I blame her.

Now, fans can watch those sketches and every single season of SNL with a Peacock subscription. And if you see Shannon doing Mary Katherine Gallagher, maybe give her an extra round of applause, because not only did Ferrell say she saved SNL with that character, but she also committed to the bit so hard she wound up with bruises.

Whatever you think of the Daredevil movie with Ben Affleck, there’s no disputing that Jennifer Garner is a badass in it. Even if you hadn’t seen the physical work she was capable of as the star of Alias, watching her show off her skills as Elektra Natchios was impressive. She was really able to display her efforts with the sai training scene, which is one of the most standout moments of the film.

But no fight scene or physical stunt is as easy as it looks, especially if you’re doing it correctly. And when you’re working with sais, which are pointed weapons used in martial arts that resemble a hand fork, you have to be prepared for anything to happen... and quickly react if it does. While revisiting some of the most memorable moments from her career with Vanity Fair, Jennifer Garner recalled a scary moment from that specific night:

For someone adept at stunts but not a seasoned professional, it must have been a terrifying moment to realize that you’ve pushed yourself so hard that you might have a serious physical injury if you don’t act immediately. Thankfully, the actress had a crew member step up to help her out before things got worse.

Another super defining aspect of that Elektra scene in the film is the smash hit Evanescence song, “Bring Me To Life,” that plays over it. Having first appeared in the film and on the soundtrack and later becoming the band’s debut single from their first studio album, Garner isn’t surprised that she’s become associated with the tune. She said:

The 13 Going on 30 star was also quick to shout out her stunt double, Shauna Duggins, who she worked alongside of on Daredevil and Elektra. Diggins used 20 years of ballet training to help pull off such a memorable moment, and had has since evolved into a stunt coordinator and second unit director. Garner reprised her role as Elektra in Deadpool & Wolverine, to the joy of fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order. That movie reignited her love-hate relationship with the character's signature weapons. “These stupid sais and I have really been through it,” the mom of three declared.

For the moment, Garner has hung up her sais to play a woman unable to move forward after a devastating loss who decides to host a weekend away with three friends in The Five Star Weekend. But I would definitely be down to see Garner play Elektra again in upcoming Marvel movies. Even if that’s not the case, some of the best Garner movies and shows have put the actress into epic action, and I’d be happy to watch her utilize her particular set of skills in any of them. Until then, you can stream both Daredevil and Alias with a Disney+ subscription.

I’m sure everyone has wanted to take a swim during working hours. But for one Disneyland cast member, this was taken quite literally when he jumped into Rivers of America. I just hope it was his last day on the job, because it's a truly wild situation that's quickly gone viral.

According to the video, this wasn’t a first time visitor to the park, but actually a cast member working there. You can even see his white unfirom pants. Though it is currently unknown his reasoning for jumping in, or why he chose to toss his work items (reportedly threw in his keys and walkie talkie) ahead of doing so. But by the looks of it, he doesn’t seem to have any regrets. Check out the moment below:

The man simply goes for a shirtless swim and then returns to land. However, this isn’t the first time a Disneyland cast member went the extra mile to make a point. A cast member once performed a one man show after audio during the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway stopped working. While most employees are in it for the long haul, it doesn’t seem to be the case for this unidentified cast member. Not knowing why he jumped in seems to have caused a stir online as people have taken to the comments to theorize about his motivations.

Some believe he’s just that committed to quitting, while others suggest heat sickness is a factor. User Plane_jelly has a simple summary, stating, “basically said I quit, deal with it.” Meanwhile, thenatalieholtmacdonald blames the heat: “Maybe he was just freaking hot.”

But it could be as simple as a last day tradition. Laceylanham14 says, “a lot of times when people are quitting, they do pranks or shenanigans on their last day.” This idea seems to be supported by several alleged former Disney parks workers, such as kipp_hart who says, “It used to be a last day tradition to jump off the Mark Twain into the river.” Though the3obafett, claims to be in the background of the video, and provides a first-person account:

On the other side of the theories are those who feel he will be facing disciplinary action (if this isn’t his way of quitting). The_vchavez states, “[He is] most likely going to be placed on a leave of absence and then terminated.” Regardless, Disney has yet to make any statements about the incident, though a report claims they are looking into it.

No promises you'll catch any Disneyland cast members doing anything viral, but for those looking to take a trip should be aware of inevitable price increases at the park. The average increase is around 8 percent. Though there is some good news for families. Disney is offering a way to make vacations cheaper with the Kids' Summer Ticket. It is also important to note that the reservation system for the park is not going away. This should be taken into account when planning your vacation.

Chances are you won't be seeing a certain cast member there. And I recommend not taking a swim in Rivers of America.

The best video game movies have ben released over the last few years, including Simon McQuoid's pair of Mortal Kombat films. The sequel recently arrived on streaming for those with a HBO max subscription, and now fans like me can re-watch the R-rated adventure over and over again. Bodybuilder and actor Martyn Ford plays the villainous Shao Khan, and spoke to CinemaBlend about the "horrible" process of transforming into the beloved video game character.

Mortal Kombat II hit theaters in May, and now folks can stream the movie over on HBO Max. I had the chance to speak with the movie's cast ahead of its release, where i asked Ford about what it was like becoming Shao Khan. He got honest about the transformation, joking it was:

While Martyn Ford made playing Shao Khan look easy, the reality of becoming the Outworld antagonist was something very different. Namely because of the extensive prosthetics that were applied to his body and face for every single day of shooting. And the latter was used even though the character wore his signature helmet throughout almost all of Mortal Kombat II's 116-minute runtime. Talk about dedication.

While Ford was honest about the difficulty of becoming Shao on the set of Mortal Kombat II, it wasn't all bad. Later in our same conversation he spoke about why playing the video game character was still ultimately "rewarding." He told me:

Despite the hours of makeup and costumes needed before filming Mortal Kombat II, it sounds like Ford is still over the moon about his experience and the video game movie as a whole. And even though Shao Khan was killed by Kitana in the movie's final fight sequence, we'll have to wait and see if the actor ends up reprising his role if a third movie ends up being green lit by Warner Bros.

You can check out my conersation with Martyn Ford about his MK II role below:

While Mortal Kombat II's writer has plans for four more movies, it's currently unclear if Warner Bros. is planning to move forward with the burgeoning franchise. The movie made $129.5 million at the box office, which is significantly more than the first. If it performs well on HBO Max hopefully the studio will decide to green light a threequel. After all, there are tons of stories and characters to mine from.

Mortal Kombat II is streaming now on HBO Max as part of the 2026 movie release list. And it's going to be different watching Ford's performance knowing just how difficult it really was to become Shao Khan.

While movie-goers might see Robert Pattinson’s character in The Odyssey as a villain, he would beg to differ. In the 2026 movie release, Antinous is one of the suitors with his eyes on the throne, left empty by absent war hero Odysseus (Matt Damon), and Penelope, Odysseus' wife. As Penelope (Anne Hathaway) waits for the return of her husband, Antinous is hoping for his moment to rise above the other suitors. But since taking over as the king of Ithaca would mean eliminating Odysseus and Penelope’s son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), it’s not surprising that she wouldn’t be thrilled with the prospect.

Part of what makes Robert Pattinson so delightful is that every time he has a new project to promote, you never really know what he’s going to say, but it will likely be memorable. During the press tour for The Odyssey, Anne Hathaway called out his take on the villainous role but then agreed that he does actually make a good point. Talking to IGN, the British actor explained his defense of Antinous and why he sees him as a legitimate option for Penelope. You can hear him sell his point of view in the clip:

No character is a villain to the actor portraying them, but listening to Robert Pattinson talk about Antinous feels like he’s recast his character in a comedy. In the interview, the Twilight actor calls out Penelope’s mixed signals and, in his defense, points out that she never asks him to leave at any point in the movie’s three-hour runtime.

However, he’s also previously and quite accurately called the character “the worst stepfather you could possibly have.” And that is easily understood when you consider how shallow Antinous is and the fact that he wants to kill Telemachus.

The Odyssey has been acclaimed by critics for its epic storytelling, which is well-deserved, but I can’t stop laughing at the way The Batman star has been talking about his despicable character. It’s a bit weird to think of Antinous as a good option for Penelope, but if anyone is going to champion the villain, it should be the actor playing him. Pattinson said:

Ultimately, Damon’s character doesn’t die in the film, but his absence allows for plenty of time to watch Robert Pattinson enjoy being the bad guy. Antinous is the kind of villain that you love to hate because he knows the pain he’s causing but doesn’t care who gets hurt along the way.

But if you follow the actor’s take on the role, he’s the hero of his own story, just trying to win the girl. I know that I, for one, hope that Pattinson continues to take on villainous characters in his career, and that he continues to share his hilarious takes on them with us.

While Game of Thrones' ending is a controversial one, folks have returned to Westeros thanks to its spinoffs (which are streaming with an HBO Max subscription). While we're currently in the midst of House of the Dragon Season 3, fans are also looking forward to the second season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. However, the showrunner explained why filming its sophomore season has been brutal. And after hearing his recollection, I totally get that description.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms trolled the fans with its first few episodes, and its comedic tone set it apart from the rest of the GOT franchise. Eventually, the drama came with Duncan's trial, and I can't wait to see what happens in Season 2 of the book-to-screen adaptation. In a conversation with THR, creator/ showrunner Ira Parker spoke about how challenging it's been filming the second time around, offering:

Yikes. While one might have thought that the HBO show's scale and epic medieval battles made filming difficult, but for Season 2 it was mostly about the weather. Indeed, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms had to stop filming Season 2 due to historic rains that flooded the set in Gran Canaria, Spain. One can only imagine what a logistical nightmare that created for the cast and crew, as well as how it affected the shooting schedule as a whole.

Later in the same interview, Parker went on to share more about the chaos that happened when the drought set surprisingly flooded in the middle of principal photography. In his words:

My mind is spinning, and I'm not actually involved in A Knight of the Seen Kingdoms. While one might assume that the hardest part of filming its sophomore season would be meeting fan expectations after Season 1, but that wasn't the case. Instead, they dealt with an unprecedented situation that must have been a headache to figure out. And production is still happening as a result of the weather that complicated things back in April.

It's not all bad, though. Ira Parker also praised his cast's work during the ups and downs of bringing Season 2 to life. In his words:

While the weather has brought new challenges to AKotSK, at least Parker could rely on his cast. Specifically, it's two leading actors who play Dunk and Egg, respectively. And at least the first season racked up a bunch of 2026 Emmy nominations.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently expected to return for Season 2 sometime in early 2027. For now, new episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule.

It’s safe to say that when anyone thinks of Ferris Bueller, they probably think about skipping school, as Matthew Broderick’s character is infamous for having the most epic "sick day" ever. Though this doesn’t mean Ferris would stay the same aloof guy we loved in the iconic John Hughes high school movie. And it turns out Broderick is thinking the same thing. When the actor stopped by The Guardian to spill some BTS moments, he shared what he believes happened after the movie. And his comments about Ferris as an adult are bumming me out.

This isn’t the first time Broderick has shared BTS trivia, having previously revealed some conflicts with Hughes when filming Ferris Bueller. The actor once thought the chance of a sequel was possible (until Hughes' passing), but that hasn’t prevented him from thinking about "what happened to Ferris." He gives the answer, along with some cheeky shade at ‘80s hair. If you don’t like the idea of Ferris as an adult, you may not like Broderick’s answer:

Truthfully, at some point Ferris would have to grow up. What was beloved about him as a ‘teen’ may not play as well in an adult. Admittedly, it’s harder to think about Ferris growing up after hearing from Broderick how much went into fine-tuning his character to the perfect blend of slacker and charmer. Hughes even nixed a scene after a screen test in fear of how it’d make Ferris come across.

Bringing this character to life was truly a collaborative effort, from specific details of his costume to even making the dance scene feel spontaneous. In fact, you can relive these moments with a Paramount+ subscription. It was important to the actor that Ferris was “a little cool and aloof,” but more importantly, he says:

But there’s one thing that Broderick feels would have held his character back from fame, and it has to do with his and sidekick Cameron's hairstyles. Since they were coming off the Gene Saks’ military play, Biloxi Blues, they had “timeless hair-dos." But the actor can't help thinking about how they could have easily had “crazy mullets, in which case, it would not have become a timeless classic.” Broderick's most recent projects include a guest appearance on Elsbeth. Meanwhile, his co-star Alan Ruck can be seen playing a jerk on Rooster.

Though I do have good news for Ferris Bueller fans as Broderick and Ruck will be reuniting after 40 years for a new movie. The Jon Turteltaub-directed film, The Best is Yet to Come, is currently in production and will bring the costars back together for a bucket list road trip adventure. The two will be playing best friends who set off to do everything they’ve always wanted to do before life got in the way.

If you squint just right, this almost feels like a Ferris Bueller sequel. Surely, we’ll get a few nods to the classic movie and maybe even an idea of what an adult Ferris would be like.

While Ethan Hunt’s time leading the Mission: Impossible movie series is probably over, I’m never getting over all the behind-the-scenes stories about the franchise. Tom Cruise has a reputation of being fearless in those movies. And Ghost Protocol director Brad Bird just shared one nerve-wracking story about the making of the 2011 fan-favorite.

Brad Bird (who also helmed The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille) had his own panel at San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H on Thursday night. During the sprawling conversation about his career that CinemaBlend was in attendance for, here’s what he recalled about making Ghost Protocol with Tom Cruise:

It’s incredibly nail-biting to watch Tom Cruise accomplish the stunts he’s done on the Mission: Impossible movies alone. But I never thought of how that might feel from a director’s point of view. As Bird communicated, being in proximity with Cruise while shooting Ghost Protocol was not for the faint of heart. Here’s what he had to say about filming the famous Burj Khalifa scene:

If you didn’t know already, Ghost Protocol was actually shot on location in the Burj Khalifa, which is the the tallest building in the world. The structure in Dubai stands 2,717 feet tall. In the scene, Ethan Hunt must scale the Burj Khalifa in order to intercept an exchange of nuclear launch codes happening on the 130th floor.

While the production originally was only going to film a few shots there, nearly the whole sequence was shot at the Burj Khalifa. And it was done for IMAX! But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a stress test for Brad Bird. As he added:

The next time I’m worn over work, I’m going to think about Brad Bird. At least I’m not responsible for Tom Cruise and his stunt antics – I’m just writing about it! If you’re itching to rewatch Ghost Protocol after this story, it’s streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

And, if you’re curious what Brad Bird is up to, he has a new animated film on the 2026 movie release schedule. It’s called Ray Gunn, and it’s a science-fiction noir movie he’s been wanting to make for 30 years. The new Brad Bird film is coming to Netflix on December 18.

Ever since The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ended on the 2026 TV schedule, it’s been interesting to see how the other late-night shows’ ratings have changed. Specifically, Jimmy Kimmel’s ratings have improved since Colbert’s series ended. Now, the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live, who is also a friend and outspoken supporter of Colbert, has wryly reacted to his own ratings boost.

Since May, Kimmel’s ratings have been on the rise, and they’re the highest they’ve been in six years among the 18 to 49 demographic. Specifically, Jimmy Kimmel Live had a record-breaking month in June, as it averaged 3.15 million viewers. Without context about what happened one month earlier, that’s great news. With the knowledge that Colbert’s show, which was the highest-rated late-night show, ended in May, it’s not as fantastic. When asked about this during a conversation with Variety, Kimmel “slyly” said:

Considering this statement was described as sly, and the track record Kimmel has of supporting Colbert, this comment feels quite sarcastic. The late-night host was very opposed to the cancellation of The Late Show, and he even put up a billboard to support Colbert’s Emmy campaign over his own last year. So even though, yes, a bump in ratings is good, it seems he is considering the unfortunate reason they could be that way.

Plus, in the same report where Kimmel spoke about his “strong” ratings, he also said the door is open if Stephen Colbert wants to come and host Jimmy Kimmel Live. In fact, Kimmel said he asked the former host of The Late Show if he wanted to be a guest host on the ABC program this summer. So, all in all, it’s pretty obvious the two comedians are on great terms, and it would seem that the one still hosting a late-night show is being wry about his own increased ratings.

Across the full season, Kimmel was up 34% from last season, growing from 1.95 million to 2.62 million. That means he’s had his most-watched season of Jimmy Kimmel Live since his 2014-2015 season. So, on a more sincere note, Kimmel explained that these numbers show that people are still interested in late night, and he means all late night, not just his own show:

There’s been plenty of conversations about whether late-night is dying, and the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show certainly amplified them. Jimmy Kimmel was also suspended for a few days, which led to questions about the future of the format. However, as he said, there’s clearly still an interest in these programs.

So, while The Late Show came to an end, Jimmy Kimmel Live and others will carry on. To watch Kimmel’s show, specifically, be sure to tune in to ABC weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET.

As a tennis player, I wasn’t planning to watch The Dink on the 2026 movie schedule. The very noise the pickleball makes is obnoxious enough to deter me, and there are myriad articles on the Internet about why tennis players get frustrated having to share courts with casual picklers. I won’t get into those in depth, except to say that despite loving Jake Johnson, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about the new comedy flick. But then the reviews dropped.

Can I say I’ve changed my mind? Yes, yes I have. This week a bunch of journalists shared their opinions, and they make some compelling arguments. For instance, Kristy Puchko of Mashable says in her review of The Dink that director Josh Greenbaum — who’s also helming the upcoming Spaceballs sequel — combines wacky humor with physical comedy, resulting in a laugh-out-loud yet heartwarming crowdpleaser. Jake Johnson and Mary Steenburgen have crackling chemistry and sublime comedic timing, she says, continuing:

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics says Josh Greenbaum keeps The Dink just grounded enough to deliver a charming message in a sports comedy that “scores more than it hits the net.” In the critic's words:

OK, let’s not get carried away here. I said I’d watch the movie, not fully jump ship. But if anybody’s mind is going to be changed, Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert seems to think Jake Johnson and Mary Steenburgen might be the ones to pull it off. Johnson’s Dusty is the right mix of ego and vulnerability, while Steenburgen’s Candace is effortlessly charming. The critic rates The Dink 3 out of 4 stars, writing:

Matt Schimkowitz of AV Club gives it a B in his review of The Dink, writing that this Apple TV movie isn’t trying to be Challengers. However, its leisurely action, low-lift laughs and enthusiastic cast allow it to “hit hard with light taps.” The critic says:

Lindsey Bahr of the AP says the grounded and goofy humor, coupled with eccentric characters and some fun cameos, add up to make this quite an enjoyable watch. She rates it 2.5 out of 4, writing:

Look, The Dink sounds like it’s actually pretty good, and another quality outing for those with an Apple TV subscription. My co-worker Heidi Venable loved it. So, I humbly submit I will bow down to the pickleball gods, give it a watch this weekend, and try to keep my judgy personal opinions to myself.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals the results of The Ultimatum Season 4, including the finale and reunion, which can now be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Season 4 has wrapped, and as far as partner-swapping Netflix reality shows go, I found it quite underwhelming. Nobody fully bought into the trial marriage portion of the experience, and several cast members were problematic or obnoxious to the point that they were hard to root for. The season finale hit the 2026 TV schedule this week and was severely lacking drama with its way-too-predictable ending. Thankfully, Nick Lachey came through in the reunion with a move that saved it for me.

It Was Obvious That Every Season 4 Couple Would Get Engaged

With no cast member catching feelings for anyone else on The Ultimatum Season 4, it was pretty clear that all four original couples were going to get engaged at the end — regardless of whether or not that was a healthy choice. Blake Robertson proposed to Hayley Hendrich despite their continued fights throughout their trial marriage, as did Killian Grondin and Ashley Wilson, who never stopped talking during their weeks apart.

It was extra discouraging to watch, because days before the finale aired, news broke that Blake Robertson was arrested in October 2025, per TMZ, on accusations of assaulting Hayley Hendrich. She chose not to press charges, and the case was dismissed with all records expunged. Page Six reports that Robertson has denied all abuse allegations and said his actions were in “self-defense,” but either way, an incident like that zaps all the fun out of your TV love story.

Add to that a complete lack of suspense regarding the fates of the other three couples involved, and I found myself struggling to keep my focus on the screen.

Nick Lachey Singing ‘I Do (Cherish You)’ Was The Highlight Of The Ultimatum’s Finale And Reunion

Just like The Ultimatum Season 4 finale was predictable, I wasn’t surprised that only two couples remained together when the reunion was filmed a year later — Casey Douglass and David Atkinson were still betrothed, as were Monica Payne and Luke Wesselhoff.

However, I can’t say that I expected Casey to ask Nick Lachey to officiate a legal ceremony for them, right then and there. The Ultimatum’s host is ordained to perform marriages in California, and Casey and David needed to be legally married in the United States before their Italian nuptials in September.

It wasn’t just that Nick Lachey performed the ceremony — a simple but sweet vow exchange — that roped me back into the show. It struck me just how cool it would be to have the singer of 98 Degrees officiate your wedding. Like, this is the dude who sang “I Do (Cherish You)” in the glorious TRL days when I was a lovesick high-schooler. Was this man really going to perform an actual wedding and not sing the iconic song?

I was aghast as the couple officially became husband and wife without Nick Lachey’s musical accompaniment … but then there was the bouquet toss. As Casey Douglass prepared to designate the next bride-to-be, the 98 Degrees frontman broke into an a capella version of “I Do (Cherish You),” certainly making Casey and David’s big day complete.

It was a really cute moment, because honestly, how many people can say they were serenaded with that song on their wedding day — by Nick Lachey himself? I’m not sure it made up for all of my issues with the dating show, but it did leave me on quite the unexpected high.

The Ultimatum Season 4 is available to stream now on Netflix.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are currently gearing up for the release of the upcoming Marvel movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day. That blockbuster will star both Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal, but the two actors have shared a bond for years before their MCU project. And the Uncharted star recently shared a funny story about how a piece of lemon stopped Bernthal from a vow of silence he'd taken while filming another project.

It's a big summer for the two A-list actors, who are starring in both Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which is in theaters now. But they actually met while filming 2017's Pilgrimage, during which Bernthal went method and decided not to speak while playing a mute. During a recent appearance on Hot Ones, Holland shared a story about his co-star, offering:

Despite the age gap between the two stars, it's clear that they hit it off immediately. In addition to helping each other audition for their Marvel roles, it sounds like Tom Holland was all too happy to be Jon Bernthal's voice in the midst of shooting Pilgrimage. And as the 30-year-old actor recalled, his buddy Jon started off pretty well with his vow of silence. As he put it:

So what went wrong? After all, plenty of actors use method acting to help stay in character. It turns out that things went awry when Holland and Bernthal went out to get a meal together. The Spider-Man actor shared how the two went to a restaurant together, where he was the only one who could speak with the wait staff. He went on:

This went on for some time, but one particular interaction between Tom Holland and a server ended up being the final straw in Jon Bernthal's vow of silence for Pilgrimage. It all came down to the request for lemon, which ended the method acting in one fell swoop. The story concludes with:

And just like that, the Punisher actor returned to the land of speaking. It's unclear how far into shooting Jon Bernthal's lemon-based revelation happened, but regardless, he still offered a great performance in the 2017 movie. And his friendship with Tom Holland is one that's still going strong to this day.

Bernthal and Holland can both be seen in The Odyssey, in theaters now. And they'll have yet another title together when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully we get to see these two buddies on screen more in upcoming Marvel movies.

The staff at TODAY experienced a pretty scary situation last week, when an intruder entered the studio where the NBC morning show is filmed after bypassing security. Thankfully, no one was physically harmed in the incident, but network executives reportedly began looking into their protocols immediately in hopes of preventing further incidents. Now, word has gone out to publicity firms regarding big changes for future guests.

A man was arrested July 16 after allegedly entering an unauthorized area of 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 1A in search of Al Roker. There, he encountered Craig Melvin and reportedly lunged at the news anchor and used a slur. The Today Show team has since made some adjustments, Variety reports, sending an email to publicists to alert them to “stricter security protocols effective immediately.” The message read:

A security guard was let go after it was reported that the intruder was able to enter TODAY’s studio by closely following behind an employee who used an access card to get inside. It seems that by only allowing two additional people per guest of the show to be in the studio, NBC is hoping to decrease the opportunity for people to piggyback on those with access.

The Today Show’s guests are still allowed to bring others with them; however, anyone beyond the two authorized by the guest will have to wait elsewhere during the interview. The email acknowledged this may be inconvenient, writing:

Craig Melvin, Al Roker and the rest of the team reportedly continued on with Thursday’s edition of The Today Show without mention of the incident. However, Melvin later assured fans via social media that he was “just fine,” and also addressed the situation on the air the following morning.

Savannah Guthrie, who has been through a lot this year after her mother was abducted from her home in February, was not at work when the man entered the studio. She will be taking some time off for the next few weeks for reasons unrelated to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance or the scary Today Show intrusion.

The alleged trespasser, identified as Andrew Truelove, was charged with burglary as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime, criminal trespass as a hate crime and harassment.

You can continue to catch The Today Show on the 2026 TV schedule each weekday morning on NBC.

NCIS is such a massive franchise on the 2026 TV schedule, and it's been a mainstay on television for decades. So, it's hard to imagine a time when there were battles and questions about it. However, back in the early days, there were. In fact, there was one fight that happened between CBS and CSI over NCIS's title.

NCIS co-creator Don McGill appeared on the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast, where he told hosts and NCIS stars Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover how the show’s title came to be. Even though it is only four letters long, it evidently became a pretty big problem for a different show whose title is only three letters long:

Considering how similar NCIS and CSI are when it comes to the title, it makes sense that the latter would make a big deal out of it, especially since they were on the same network. Plus, CSI was only a few seasons in by the time NCIS launched, so the series was still trying to find its footing before it went on to top the TV ratings. So the team at NCIS had to go through a couple of title variations during the show’s early years before eventually landing on the title that would stick for over 20 years:

It’s pretty insane knowing that the spinoff of JAG could’ve been stuck with Navy NCIS, which is saying Navy Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The second one wouldn’t have been as bad, since CSI’s full title is CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. It might have followed in CSI’s footsteps, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as close as NCIS and CSI. However, NCIS definitely fits better. It’s simple, it’s short, and it’s easier to say and tack a spinoff title onto.

I am definitely thankful that CSI ultimately backed off when NCIS was really starting to forge its own path, because it’s hard to imagine the franchise having any other name. Plus, Navy NCIS: Origins and Navy NCIS: New York don't have the same ring to them as just NCIS: Origins and NCIS: New York.

The NCIS franchise will be back on the 2026-2027 schedule with a total of four shows airing throughout the year. So there will be plenty more of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, just not the entire name, and fans can watch most of the franchise now with a Paramount+ subscription.

After years of waiting, we finally got a teaser for the third season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and it was filled with lots of characters and stories I’ve been waiting to see. However, it also inspired something within me, as I realized I want two characters who will surely play a big part in this fight against Sauron to form an “uneasy alliance” when the series returns on the 2026 TV schedule.

As you can see above, this trailer shows us Sauron forging “one ring to rule them all” and his armies going after Galadriel and many other important characters. We also get a good look at Gandalf (who found his name at the end of Season 2) and our first look at Galadriel’s love, Celeborn (who is played by Stranger Things’ Jamie Campbell Bower). Overall, it’s epic, and it’s inspiring a whole lot of theories and questions.

It’s also made me realize a dream I have: I’m desperate to see Galadriel and Gandalf work together. And I really hope it happens when Rings of Power premieres.

Up to this point in Rings of Power, we’ve seen Daniel Weyman’s Gandalf interact with Nori and the other Harfoots. Last season, he also shared some moments with Tom Bombadil. However, he has not spent time with any of the elves, dwarves or men in the series. I feel like that could all change in Season 3.

In the trailer, we see him having a conversation with The Dark Wizard:

• The Dark Wizard: Middle-earth will burn.
• Gandalf: Has it not yet occurred to you? Death might well be the price of saving it.

To me, this implies that the wizard will find himself and finally be thrust into the greater battle going on in Rings of Power. And I hope he does that by working with Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel.

In the teaser, we see her reunite with Celeborn, and it seems they’re on their own journey to take down Sauron. Personally, I’m hoping it will involve Gandalf.

The synopsis of this footage notes that Sauron’s quest will cause “new, and sometimes uneasy alliances to be formed to try and stop him.”

Considering Gandalf has only just found his powers and his name, I’d imagine he hasn’t fully harnessed them yet. And overall, he’s still a fairly mysterious figure in Middle-earth. Plus, during a conversation with Deadline last year, Weyman said he was excited to explore his character’s “plethora of possible pitfalls, errors and failings.” He went on to say that his wizard has to mess up royally to become the wise man we know in The Lord of the Rings movies and books. That seems like fertile ground for an “uneasy alliance,” and maybe one of those could be with Galadriel.

She’s right in the center of the fight against Sauron. Plus, she’s found herself in some precarious and uneasy alliances before – with her partnership with Halbrand going sideways in Season 1 when it was revealed he was Sauron, and her alliance with Adar proving to be quite useful (but dangerous) last season. So, I’d love to see her in another uneasy alliance, but this time, it’d be with an actually good character who is simply still figuring himself and his power out.

Plus, we know Galadriel and Gandalf become friends and work closely together, so it’d be amazing to see the origins of their relationship in this show.

Now, to see if this happens, you’ll be able to stream the first four episodes of The Rings of Power’s third season on November 11 with an Amazon Prime subscription.

As someone who got into the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by listening to the audiobooks, I'm not even remotely surprised to see so many positive reactions to the news out of Comic-Con this week that Jeff Hays would be voicing the role of Princess Donut for the book-to-screen adaptation.

As the narrator of all eight (so far) Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobooks, Hays does an outstanding job, particularly in the way he shifts from one voice to the next. I think it would've been a bit of a challenge to adjust to a new voice behind the beloved feline when the TV adaptation debuts, so I'm glad we won't have to. From her tone to her style of speaking and huffy reactions, Hays brings so much personality to Donut. It's a good sign that he's being included for the Dungeon Crawler Carl TV show, which will be available at some point for people with a Peacock subscription.

Can He Voice The AI Too?

Beyond the excited reactions I've seen around social media about Hays voicing Donut, I've also seen people mentioning another role they hope he'll voice. To be clear, no other roles have been cast for Dungeon Crawler Carl, but there are some fans still holding out hope that Hays will also voice the role of the system AI. This "character' in the book is responsible for announcing Neewww Achievements, loot boxes, warnings and other rules Carl and the other characters need to be aware of throughout the "game" they're playing. Like so many other characters in the DCC audiobooks, the AI's voice is distinct and full of personality (for better or cringy worse), and it'd be hard to get used to another voice behind it.

Seth MacFarlane And Alan Tudyk Are Other Great Suggestions I've Seen

Jeff Hays isn't the only name I've seen mentioned by fans online when talking about voicing the AI. With Seth MacFarlane on board as a producer, it's not a stretch to wonder if he'll provide a voice or appear on screen, and some fans think he'd be a great option for the AI. Alan Tudyk is another fantastic suggestion, given how many of his best performances involve his skill at voice acting. I've seen fans bring his name up when discussing casting for Mordecai too. Really, there are a lot of fun character options for Tudyk, if he's interested and in consideration for the series.

Obviously, fans have a lot of ideas and hopes for these roles, but as I said, nothing official has been announced for anyone, apart from Hays voicing Donut.

WARNING: We Don't Even Know How AI Will Appear In The DCC Series

I just want to throw this out there because I've been thinking about it, and it occurred to me that the AI is a DCC character with a bit more wiggle room for the adaptation than most. The AI appears primarily as text in the book, but is that how the show plans to depict it? They could include flashes of text boxes with audio to deliver the AI's updates and warnings, but is it possible that they'll develop the character to be an actual on-screen presence? Someone who pops in to provide updates rather than having them be text only?

I'm not saying this would be a better option than text on screen with a voice reading it, but how to bring the AI to the screen is presumably among the creative decisions that need to be made. Cost could factor in, especially when we consider the likely abundance of visual effects that will be necessary to bring this wild story to life.

At the end of the day, I just hope they do whatever works best to bring the character into the TV show and ideally maintain all of its personality and weirdness. Yes, that includes the creepy way it talks about Carl's feet.

We'll have to wait and see what updates come out. Fans are obviously excited to know who will be playing Donut's co-lead, Carl in the TV series, and there are so many other roles that need to be cast. It's going to be exciting to see what updates pop up as the series continues to be developed.

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon have made their mark on the entertainment industry with The Morning Show, as women taking a stand both in front of the camera, starring as fictional TV hosts, and behind it as executive producers of the series. So it’s not surprising that the impending end of one of Apple TV’s best original series drew mixed emotions from the pair. There were both tears and laughter after they wrapped The Morning Show Season 5.

The actresses — who first met when they played sisters on Friends back in 2000 — confirmed this week that Season 5 will be The Morning Show’s last. That announcement came alongside images and videos from behind the scenes that show both the love amongst the cast and the bevy of emotions that come with closing this chapter. Jennifer Aniston wrote on Instagram that she was “laughing and crying,” posting:

The first image of Reese Witherspoon caught in the middle of a huge, open-mouthed laugh seems to show how much fun these two could have, while the next slide shows how much they all care about each other.

Mark Duplass holds both Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in a hug as they appear to cry, kissing each on their heads. In a statement confirming the TV show’s cancellation, Aniston said they’d all become such a family. She said:

It apparently didn’t come as a surprise that this would be The Morning Show’s final season, so hopefully that allows them to bring each character’s narrative to a satisfying end.

Reese Witherspoon also shared an emotional Instagram post — a video that included some big hugs with Jennifer Aniston, a good bit of her dancing and a peek at some of the incoming Season 5 cast. Check it out:

In addition to plenty of familiar faces, Reese Witherspoon’s video showed glimpses of Reneé Rapp and Lizzy Caplan, who are joining The Morning Show’s final season along with Jeff Daniels, Jesse Williams, Sean Hayes and more. In her own statement, Witherspoon — who celebrated her 50th birthday this year — said working on the drama series was “the honor of a lifetime”:

Joining Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston for one more round of storylines pulled from real-world headlines are Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Nicole Beharie and Jon Hamm. Unfortunately, Greta Lee appears to really be gone after we saw Stella’s career ruined by an AI chatbot in Season 4.

The Morning Show Season 5 won’t be ready in time to make the 2026 TV schedule, so pull up your Apple TV subscription and make sure you’re caught up to watch the final season when it premieres in 2027.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, thanks to new projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. As such, fans are constantly wondering about upcoming Marvel movies, and hoping to see their favorite characters appear. For years now fans have been waiting for Spider-Man Miles Morales to join the MCU, and Kevin Feige finally revealed when we should expect that to happen.

Fans who have been watching the Marvel movies in order have likely seen the online discourse about Miles Morales. The character has been gaining a ton of popularity in recent years, thanks to the Spider-Man PlayStation games as well as the Spider-Verse franchise. During a conversation with China's Watching Hollywood (via Deadline), Feige spoke about bringing Miles to the shared universe, offering:

Do you hear that? It's countless Marvel fans cheering. Because not only does Kevin Feige seemingly want to bring Miles Morales into the MCU, but he's got a timeline. Namely, after the animated Spider-Verse franchise ends and the character is freed up to appear in the live-action Spider-Man movies.

This timeline makes a ton of sense, as Chris Miller and Phil Lord's animated Spider-Verse movies have been an Oscar-winning success. So Feige and company have to wait until that story is finished before finding a way to bring Miles to life in live-action. Still, the fact that it's going to happen one day is thrilling.

Fans aren't the only ones who have been calling for the web-slinger to join the MCU. Tom Holland himself wants to bring Miles Morales into the fold, possibly with his Peter Parker serving as a mentor the way that Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark did for him earlier in the shared universe.

In the comics, Miles Morales in a teenager who ends up (you guessed it) bitten by a spider that gives him superpowers. But his abilities are different from the traditional Spider-Man, including invisibility and bio-electric manipulation. Both the Spider-Verse movies and the Sony video games have shown him as a partner to Peter Parker, with the older hero helping to guide him as he becomes a vigilante in New York City. Folks are ready to see this dynamic play out in live-action, although we'll have to wait for the animated franchise to conclude first.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man will return to the big screen when Brand New Day arrives on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. As for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, that animated blockbuster will hit theaters June 18th, 2027.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the Big Brother live feeds as of Friday, July 24th. Stream the feeds with a Paramount+ subscription or on Pluto TV, and read at your own risk!

Despite Lyric Medeiros setting the stage for them both to stay in the house, Rome Seymour was sent packing at the end of Week 2, another big win for the Tool Shed alliance. The majority alliance of Big Brother Season 28 had a chance to continue their steamroll with the Week 3 Head of Household, and the odds of that happening are good.

CinemaBlend was watching Big Brother online when the live feeds returned, and can confirm the Week 3 HOH result is great news for one Houseguest, but bad news for two others. Obviously, there are many others affected, but these Houseguests stick out to me more than others.

Kamu Won The Week 3 HOH

Kamu Kirk won the Week 3 HOH, which is another great win for the veterans and the Tool Shed alliance. While it may be disappointing for those hoping for unexpected targets and shocking twists, this is a huge win for Rick Devens, Angela Murray, and Dee Valladares, who found a good soldier who will stick to the script and grant them another week of safety. Assuming Dee and Angela don't do anything reckless and intentionally blow up the Tool Shed, it'll be smooth sailing for them.

Why Kamu's Win Is Bad News For Jason And Lyric

The big losers in Kamu's HOH week are Lyric Medeiros and Jason De Puy. Losing Rome was a huge blow to both of their games, and Kamu nominating them potentially sets the precedent for all future HOH winners to put them on the block until they're evicted from Big Brother.

It's a bad situation to be in, and may dissuade other Houseguests from associating with them. Jason and Lyric only really have each other to lean on at the moment, and will need a lot of luck to escape this week unscathed, with Kamu already stating he plans to nominate Lyric and backdoor Jason if he has the opportunity.

Why Kamu's Win Is Great News For Taylor

The big winner in Kamu's Head of Household week is someone that I'm shocked I don't hear more people talking about. Taylor Brown is in good with Kamu, and despite suggestions from the Tool Shed, he's made it clear he doesn't want her on the block this week. This could mark three weeks Taylor has skated by without being nominated, and she's played the game so far without getting blood on her hands.

Granted, she hasn't made any big moves in Season 28 either, but if you want to win Big Brother, Taylor is playing the popular early game strategy of laying low. At a time when it feels many Houseguests are competing for the spotlight and running the house, it's a great position to be the one unaffiliated but also without enemies.

This means, when the hammer does drop on this alliance, and former allies start to turn on each other, people like Taylor can come alive as critical pieces to new alliances. I could see her easily sliding in with the Red Corner if they go solo again, and finding some protection for when others get a chance to target her. I'll be watching her this week and waiting to see if she capitalizes on this opportunity.

Big Brother continues with a new episode on Sunday on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in to see Kamu's big win, and how the rest of the Houseguests react to this upcoming week.

Just when you think Zendaya’s method dressing can’t get any more iconic, she somehow manages to up her game. We’re a week out from Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s debut on the 2026 movie calendar, and not only did the MJ portrayer don another great dress with nods to the upcoming MCU flick at the premiere in Shanghai, China — she showed off her new microbangs to take the look over the top.

Zendaya has been absolutely slaying with her looks while promoting The Odyssey — going full goddess mode in dresses that reference her character Athena — as well as her outfits for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Attending the Chinese premiere for the Marvel movie, the actress donned a webby Versace dress, but it was her hairstyle that really made a statement:

I mean, we’ve heard of breakup bangs, but newlywed bangs may be a creation unique to Zendaya after marrying her Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland. The baby bangs are jaggedly cut, with the rest of her long, brown hair straightened to fall down her back for a very sleek look.

The haircut provided an edgy complement to the vintage couture 2016 Versace gown, which was a tasteful take on the naked dress. Zendaya showed a lot of skin, thanks to the dress’ open weave, but white fabric draped across her body and down to the floor in a look that also had an air of Athena to it.

The bangs are definitely a new (and I’d say welcome) addition to her Spider-Man: Brand New Day press looks. Zendaya chopped off all her hair after filming Euphoria’s final season and Dune: Part Three, flirting with a pixie look in an open-backed spiderweb gown at an earlier appearance. She also featured the cutest short ‘do in a sparkly red-and-blue number that showed off her abs.

Her long hair returned, however, when she started donning ethereal gowns ahead of The Odyssey’s release, with messy curls adding the most perfect touch to that gorgeous winged dress. A loose braid was added to another look that featured a sculpted corset and beaded fringe, with her long curls cascading down her back.

If Zendaya’s goal with her method dressing is to get us excited about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’s definitely working (and I’m also starting to wonder how I might look with microbangs, if I’m being honest). There’s so much hype surrounding the summer blockbuster, with Tom Holland toppling one rumor and his wife mercifully keeping him from spoiling the ending.

Meanwhile, Sadie Sink has had an easier time keeping those Marvel secrets, as we still don’t know which character she’s playing. There’s a reason that Sink’s role has been kept secret, and while she is straight up trolling Spider-Man fans at this point, we haven’t seen her following in Zendaya’s footsteps to drop hints with her fashion. (What DID all those black outfits mean?!)

Thankfully, we don’t have too much longer to wait until our questions are answered. Spider-Man: Brand New Day premieres Friday, July 31.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Season 19 finale of Criminal Minds: Evolution, streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.

Throughout its original run, Criminal Minds had some pretty shocking character exits, and that hasn’t changed with the revival. Criminal Minds: Evolution just wrapped its 19^th season on the 2026 TV schedule, which was a roller coaster from start to finish. Between additional character deaths, such as Luke’s beloved dog Roxy, and some surprising twists, the latest season never slowed down. When it came to the finale, everything was heightened, and it included yet another character exit. And this one is definitely a bummer.

Thursday’s finale, “Bad Blood,” officially saw the last of Zach Gilford’s villainous Elias Voit/Sicarius, at least for now. Voit had to save his daughter Holly from this season’s unsub James Crowley/The Fan (Justin Kirk). Crowley, who had lured Voit to escape prison, nearly ended up killing him, until Holly got the drop on him and stabbed him. Voit took the fall for his daughter, and he was transferred to another prison to serve a whopping 64 consecutive life sentences. Gilford told Us Weekly that seeing Voit go out the way he did gave him a mix of emotions, especially knowing that this would be it for him:

Fans were introduced to Voit in Season 16, the first season of Criminal Minds: Evolution. Of course, the show has had unsubs that have returned numerous times, but he was really Criminal Minds' first season-long unsub. He was then brought back for the next two seasons, once again giving the BAU headaches with his sarcastic and sadistic attitude... while also helping them at times. What was always his top priority was his family, so it makes sense that he would do whatever it took to protect his daughter, even if it meant never getting out.

That being said, Voit definitely made things a bit more entertaining, and you never knew what he could have up his sleeve that could harm or help the team. Even though some people may have found his arc was overdone because they’re not used to seeing the same unsub on screen for more than a few episodes, it’s hard to imagine Evolution without him. Gilford shared his thoughts on leaving the series, and I am just as bummed out as he is:

Gilford has confirmed that he is, in fact, no longer on Criminal Minds. But since the show has found ways to bring Voit back before, it’s possible this won’t be the last we see of him. It might just be a little longer than fans are used to. The Friday Night Lights alum revealed just how hard it was to say goodbye to Voit and the show, and I honestly never thought I would feel sad about no longer seeing an unsub on Criminal Minds:

Criminal Minds: Evolution has already been renewed for Season 5, the 20^th season overall of Criminal Minds, so if anything, fans won’t have to wait too long for more. The Season 19 finale set up the next season, with body parts being sent to various FBI field offices across the country. So there is going to be a lot to look forward to, even if Elias Voit isn’t involved. All 19 seasons of Criminal Minds are streaming on Paramount+, so it can’t hurt to do a rewatch while waiting.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Stuart Fails To Save The Universe episode "Spoiler: Gary Dies." Stream it with an HBO Max subscription and read at your own risk!

Stuart Fails To Save The Universe got off to a hot start, bringing back a major character from The Big Bang Theory only to kill him off later. Raj Koothrappali made his big return to the 2026 TV schedule, though he was a lot different than fans may remember, and he died quickly. While that was shocking, I am thrilled about the doors it potentially opens.

Stuart was on a mission to save the universe after it was thrust upon him by another version of himself from the same universe as where The Big Bang Theory takes place. For all intents and purposes, this Stuart is largely the same as the one fans remember, minus the fact that everyone here lived in a post-apocalyptic wasteland that had giant moths and other fearsome creatures. Here's how the first leg of the adventure played out, and what it sets the stage for in future episodes.

How Raj Died On Stuart Fails To Save The Universe

Stuart and friends crossed paths with Raj when they were taken captive in an effort to try to fix the universe. They learned the universe was broken thanks to a quantum device built by Leonard, Sheldon, and Howard, and Raj believed he had a way to fix it. They just had to find the device, but there was one major obstacle in their way.

Barry Kripke, the jerk character from The Big Bang Theory, had seized power when the world collapsed and was now a dictator over the Pasadena area. The world had gone to hell, but as far as he was concerned, it was fantastic. As such, he didn't want to change things and was hellbent on preventing anything that may change the status quo.

This led us to the episode's end, in which Raj, Bert, and Stuart found the quantum device. Raj got to work trying to fix it, but before he could make too much progress, he was shot in the back by Kripke. He died, but Stuart, Bert, and Kripke jumped to another reality in which the circumstances are presumably as off the wall as what we saw in the trailer.

There Are, Presumably, Plenty Of Other Versions Of Raj (And Other Beloved Characters) In The Multiverse

Raj is dead, but as we've learned in the best superhero movies, no one is truly dead in the multiverse. There are, presumably, other versions of Raj, just as there are other versions of everyone else.

So, his death opens the door to the characters seeing him again, and maybe seeing some other wild cameos from people from The Big Bang Theory cast as well. After all, if you can kill, transform, or change versions of these people with little to no permanent consequences, the sky's the limit on the wild things the writers can do to these characters.

It's one of the reasons I love Stuart Fails To Save The Universe more than The Big Bang Theory. I feel like the door has been enthusiastically swung open for even more actors we know and love to show up and act out these crazy and shocking storylines, and then come back again for another.

However, it's not the only reason I am here for this show. I also love how this episode made Bert Kibbler look super cool, as he created homemade grenades to blow Kripke's minions up.

On that note, I do wonder how Bert and Stuart will be able to move forward with Kripke, who they just witnessed kill a friend in cold blood. I'm not sure I'd trust him on this mission, as he wasn't exactly a stand-up guy before the apocalypse either. Then again, people change, and anything is possible in the multiverse, so maybe he'll surprise everyone as the series continues.

Stuart Fails To Save The Universe continues on HBO Max with new episodes showing up on Thursdays. Continue to stick with the series as they explore this brave new universe they were sucked into, and wait for more potential cameos from people from The Big Bang Theory.

The first full trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is here, and at the risk of sounding alarmist, I'm worried. While I'm excited for the upcoming Marvel movie and know it's going to make a big splash with audiences, I can't help but be concerned about the X-Men and their place in the story.

Kevin Feige already confirmed the upcoming movie is heavily influenced by two prominent comic book storylines, but I have a feeling a third is in play. Is it possible this movie is also influenced by Avengers vs. X-Men, and we're going to see an adaptation of that play out in the movie?

Why I Think Avengers: Doomsday May Be Loosely Adapting Avengers Vs. X-Men

If you watch the Avengers: Doomsday trailer clearly, one thing stands out above all else. The Avengers and the X-Men are never seen fighting alongside each other or meeting, but we see them fighting other Avengers. There's a quick shot of Gambit fighting Shang-Chi, and it also seems Mystique transforms into Yelena Belova in the midst of a battle.

It has me wondering if the X-Men are allied with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, and he's appealing to a cause that benefits both. Note that we see Magneto and Professor X united as equals at a table, rather than at odds. Also, Gambit and Mystique are usually on opposing sides in the comics, so why would they both be fighting the Avengers?

The Avengers vs. X-Men arc is more than just the name implies, of course, as you'd also need a character who can harness the Phoenix Force to complete that. Oh wait, isn't Sadie Sink heavily rumored to be playing Jean Grey in the MCU? You know, the same Grey who has harnessed the Phoenix Force before?

The comics had Hope Summers be the conduit to the power, but that doesn't mean the Russos and Marvel Studios couldn't take some creative liberties. To me, it feels like the table is set for Avengers: Doomsday to loosely adapt Avengers vs. X-Men, and factor in Doctor Doom to help get his story off the ground. Is it possible these mutants, and ones we haven't seen yet, are the "bad guys" in this?

I Would Sooner See That Story Told In A Separate Film, Not As The B-Plot To Service Doomsday

I would love to see Avengers vs. X-Men adapted in the MCU, but not like this. The story of the mutants being torn between saving their species and fighting The Avengers is fantastic and worthy of its own movie. I'd rather see that fleshed out in a meaningful way, rather than pared down just to fill time for Avengers: Doomsday to cross the finish line.

To be clear, I have no idea whether Avengers vs. X-Men is going to be adapted at all in Avengers: Doomsday. Regardless, I still have questions about the X-Men's involvement in the MCU overall, and how they factor into this story.

What I will say is that I've been waiting too long to see the modern iterations of the Mutants added to the MCU, and I would hate to have one of its better stories used as a B-plot when there are plenty of other ways to handle a Doctor Doom story. Unfortunately, it's all cut and in the can now, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see alongside others what this story will be about.

Avengers: Doomsday is in theaters on December 18th. I'm excited for its release for now, and hoping we get more information on what's going on with the mutants closer to its release date.

Disney laid off a lot of employees this week, with Pixar being a highly affected division. It turns out, the studio reportedly informed the state it was cutting people with a document that featured shockingly adorable letterhead. And yes, adorable is the right word too, because Pixar’s letterhead features Mrs. Incredible on it.

It was reported that Pixar informed the state that it was cutting 108 Bay Area jobs on Mrs. Incredible letterhead by SF Gate’s Matthew Brown. In a post on X, it was explained how many employees were laid off, and there was a screenshot of said letterhead; take a look:

Considering the serious matter at hand, the adorable letterhead was a bit shocking to see. However, I also assume the company’s regular letterhead features Mrs. Incredible or other characters from the best Pixar movies. Personally, I’m a bit surprised it’s not the classic lamp.

Plus, considering the plot of The Incredibles (which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription), I can't deny that I was a bit surprised by the character featured at the top of this document. I mean, in the first movie, Mr. Incredible literally loses his day job as he’s getting back into being a superhero.

Overall, the letterhead is fun without considering what is written below it. However, all things considered, I’d assume it doesn’t make the news easier to hear. While this kind of letterhead does feel on-brand for Pixar's day-to-day use, seeing a beloved character on a document reportedly about layoffs hits different.

For context, on July 21, it was reported that several hundred positions were cut at Disney. Specifically, this affected Pixar and National Geographic in a big way, according to Deadline. Specifically, National Geographic was the most impacted, as it had layoffs at the cable network, editorial and operations.

Along with that, about a dozen ABC News employees were let go. Overall, Disney Entertainment Television and Studios cut just under 100 employees.

When the news broke, it was reported that Pixar laid off around 100 people from production and operations. This latest update says the number was specifically 108. This notably comes two years after Pixar went through a big round of layoffs in 2024.

All of this has also happened on the heels of Toy Story 5’s box office success. The studio also released Hoppers this year. Among the upcoming Disney movies, Pixar plans to release Gatto on the 2027 movie schedule, and Incredibles 3 is currently slated for a June 16 premiere in 2028.

Considering Incredibles 3 and the love for the first two movies, I can see why Mrs. Incredible was on the letterhead at Pixar. In fact, it’s an adorable detail. However, the last thing I expected was to see really difficult news allegedly delivered on objectively adorable letterhead.

It’s a well-documented fact that the Baywatch movie cast really trained hard to get fit. The Rock's pretty much always fit, but amped things up for the movie. Zac Efron has most notably talked about going overboard to the point where he set unrealistic standards for himself. His co-star Alexandra Daddario also worked hard for her Baywatch body, and nine years later she’s still holding onto those abs.

Daddario is a well-known yogi and has partnered with Alo Yoga before while getting bikini fit. Whilst on Baywatch, she admitted to adding strength training into her routine to help those muscles pop. She’s kept up her deep core workouts in the time since, however, and showed off the work during an episode of White Lotus a few years later. Now, she’s sharing exactly how she’s kept fit with some deep core moves.

There's some glute work in there, but I mostly love she's doing a reverse crunch into a shoulder stand, which is great for isolation. These moves have been trendy on social media in recent years as people have moved away from the crunches and situps that dominated traditional workouts for years. With isolation exercises like these you can really hone in on either your upper or lower abs, and these aren't crazy fitness moves that only mavens could do. Anyone can try or work into what Daddario is doing here.

While spot targeting is a myth, and fat loss is always ultimately the best way to land a 6-pack, you do really need to be working out all abs and not just upper abs. This is a really good way to achieve that, and it’s nice to see Ms. Daddario still going hard with work outs years after her swim-forward film. Of course, she doesn’t need to worry about looking “supernaturally” fit these days, but wanting to stay in shape is never a bad goal, particularly for someone who spends a lot of time on camera as Daddario does.

The now 40-year-old actress (I know, time flies) and her ex Andrew Form had a kid back in the fall of 2024 before their split. Moms everywhere know getting back into shape afterward is no mean feat. It’s on brand that she’s sticking to her roots with yoga and pilates moves, and it’s nice to see her going about her workouts with intention. Plus, I'm always enthusiastic when celebrities share how they do it at the gym, even if her Baywatch co-star The Rock and others are sometimes reticent to do so. I’m just saying, more where this came from, please.

What could have been. That’s what a lot of WWE fans are saying amidst rumors of what the original SummerSlam card was allegedly supposed to look like before Rhea Ripley got injured. The WWE Women’s Champion is officially missing what’s considered either the second or third biggest show of the year, and her absence apparently created a ripple effect that may have altered as many as three matches, one of which has people particularly worked up.

Let’s back up real quick and make sure we’re all on the same page. Rhea Ripley suffered a partially torn meniscus during her Clash In Italy match against Jade Cargill at the end of May. Because it wasn’t a full tear, WWE reportedly took a wait and see approach to figure out if the biggest star in the women’s division would be back for SummerSlam. If she healed up, the initial plan was allegedly for her to face either Alexa Bliss or rising star Jacy Jayne. Recently, however, they decided not to risk it and announced she would miss SummerSlam.

With Ripley unable to defend her title, WWE announced qualifying matches for a five-way ladder match to crown an Interim WWE Women’s Champion. We’re partially through those qualifiers right now, but we do know Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill are both in the match with three more slots left to be decided this week in the lead-up to the show. The thing is, if the rumors from Wrestlevotes and Fightful Select are to be believed, both Stratton and Cargill were scheduled for different matches at SummerSlam.

The first one is obvious. Cargill has been feuding pretty consistently with Charlotte Flair for quite a while. WWE has been teasing the two finally settling their differences, and it would have made all the sense in the world for them to have an official match at SummerSlam. It’s a shame we’re not going to see that, but fans aren’t super worked up about it because we’ll almost certainly get it at a big event in the future. Flair will likely be in the ladder match as well before it’s all said and done, and whatever happens there will only add more flavor to their clash whenever it happens.

Stratton’s match, however, feels like a much bigger loss. The plan was apparently for her to face incoming star Blake Monroe, who has only been seen in backstage segments and microphone work so far. Because Stratton is from the Minneapolis area and because there’s so much fan excitement to see Monroe actually get in the ring, the match would have been an opportunity to elevate the United States Women’s Championship, which Stratton currently holds and has been woefully underbooked. The belt wasn’t defended at WrestleMania, and there are a lot of fans who want to see it treated as a more important prize.

Many have taken to social media to complain about what’s going on with the United States Championship, and many have also expressed confusion as to why Stratton needed to be included in the ladder match at all. Obviously, given her popularity and roots in Minnesota, she was always going to appear on the card, but a lot of people, myself included, are confused about why WWE didn’t just keep her separated from the ladder match and move forward with the Blake Monroe stuff. Maybe they’re planning to let her win? Or maybe they just thought the hometown fans would be a little more invested in that match if she were in it?

Either way, it’s not a guarantee we’ll get back to the Stratton and Monroe stuff, and it’s very likely even if we do eventually get the tilt, fans won’t be as invested because it almost certainly won’t happen at a show as big as SummerSlam. That’s a missed opportunity, and it’ll go down as a big what-if, especially if Monroe ends up being as big of a star as we all hope.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly treating us to new projects, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The next highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie heading to theaters is Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will finally follow up on No Way Home's twist ending. We'll be in a world that has completely forgotten about Peter Parker, and are there still photos of him in existence? The director weighed in.

Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have been not-so-patiently waiting to see how Tom Holland's hero was doing now that he's basically alone in the world. Brand New Day's trailer showed a glimpse of this, but in an interview with IndieWire, Cretton was asked a simple question: is Peter's picture still in his yearbook? The Shang-Chi filmmaker responded with:

It sounds like the team behind the new Spider-Man movie had some debate about whether or not photos of Peter Parker are still out there in the world of the MCU. Destin Daniel Cretton's ultimate answer is that yes, the web-slinger's image would still be in places like this yearbook... even if no one retained any memories of his years at Midtown School of Science and Technology.

Later in the same interview, Cretton went on to share how much the photo question actually influenced the way Brand New Day was shot. He purposefully didn't include any of them in the movie thanks to the questions they might inspire from the audience. In his words:

Maybe it's better that fans don't think too hard about how Doctor Strange's memory-erasing spell actually works. Rather than getting in the weeds about it all, perhaps we should just watch Brand New Day and focus on the fact that Peter Parker's loved ones no longer remember him. Holland's hero was shown monitoring MJ and Ned from afar in the trailer, which you can see below:

This new blockbuster is set four years after No Way Home, which is a long time for Spider-Man to be living in solitude. He clearly misses Ned and MJ, and additional trailers have confirmed that he'll eventually step in to protect the latter from an unknown villain. And it should be fascinating to see if Zendaya's character ends up remembering her relationship with Peter, or if they have to start fresh. Either way, the truth about Strange's spell is bound to come out sooner or later.

All will be revealed when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Luckily for us, the wait for that long-awaited blockbuster is nearly over. Just don't look for any photos during its runtime.

I’ve been a big fan of watching Alan Ritchson’s Reacher with my Amazon Prime Video subscription since Season 1. In fact, it’s probably (now) my second favorite show on Amazon, and of course I’m also excited for the Neagley spinoff. However, in recent days we did get a new announcement about the upcoming 2026 TV series that has me a little concerned. Hear me out.

Previously, Reacher Had Been A Winter TV Show

For its first three seasons, Reacher was a winter TV show, premiering after the holiday season. It hasn’t had the exact same trajectory, however, premiering in February during Season 1 and 3 and in December for Season 2. It’s not like the show premieres exactly at the same time every year, but prior to this it had not been attempting to compete with network TV’s fall lineups.

Instead, it was doing its own thing during wintertime and premiering at times where it would not directly compete with network TV. Primetime is basically off the air in December. Reacher was essentially competing with the likes of soon-to-air Christmas movies in Season 2. In Seasons 1 and 3, while audiences have been trained to tune in for winter premieres, those are frequently in January. February is a month where people don’t like to get out and the shiny newness of returning network TV has dulled a bit. In short, the winter has been very good to Reacher.

Everything is changing with Season 4, however, and that also directly impacts the Neagley spinoff, which does have me concerned. It all has to do with Amazon Prime completely shifting its airing strategy for both Reacher and its spinoff.

Neagley Is Going To Have To Compete With Fall TV

Reacher Season 4 is coming, and soon. While I’ve been excited with Alan Ritchson calling it the “best” one yet, it’s not getting its traditional wintertime release. Instead, the powers that be have pushed Reacher to the summer, with Neagley following right after.

It was Maria Sten who broke the news on social last week, and who has said in general a Neagley spinoff is very much needed. The way the structure looks right now?

• Reacher Season 4 will run from August 12-September 16th
• Neagley will drop in full on September 16th

This has its pros and cons, and I’m not fully mad at every choice Amazon has made here. First, I like that Amazon is wrapping Reacher’s finale onto the same date as Neagley Season 1. Secondly, given we don’t know fully if audiences will embrace Neagley as an extension of the Ritchson-led series, I don’t think it’s necessarily a poor choice to drop all of the spinoff episodes at once, at least for Season 1. (They can always talk about spacing Season 2 out if it becomes a megahit.)

I just don’t understand why the streamer is shifting the series up so it’s butting up against fall TV. Right now, for example, my appointment TV viewing is nearly wide open. I just finished The Five-Star Weekend (and want more!) and House of the Dragon is airing on Sunday nights, but I’m mostly just rewatching old seasons of Survivor with my Paramount Plus subscription.

That’s going to change drastically when fall TV comes back and I watch everything from game shows like The Floor and newcomer The Traitors: New Blood to dramas, sitcoms and even cable fodder like South Park, which actually drops on the same day as Neagley. Heck, even Monday Night Football kicks off on September 14th, just two days before Neagley hits. My fall TV dance card gets full fast.

Sure, some network TV doesn’t hit the schedule until October now, which gives the show a bit more of a window than it might’ve had a few years ago, and this new Reacher and Neagley schedule won’t deter me from watching personally, but I still have concerns about whether it's the best choice. Winter was Reacher’s. It could have been Neagley’s thing, too. That schedule worked great for me and other TV viewers, and I just don’t get why they’ve changed a format that was already working well.

I do hope it pays off, and I hope it pays off in blood and violence. Just kidding. Sort of.

It’s uncomfortable saying anything negative about The Odyssey right now. In an age of mediocre sequels and uninspired live action adaptations, it feels necessary to exclusively put good vibes into the universe about a big budget event film with high art aspirations that’s doing its own thing. Most of us want more movies like it, and because of that desire, it’s more comfortable to just tell people, “The Odyssey is great! Go see it.”

The truth, however, is that The Odyssey is not great. It’s merely good, and the reason why it’s a step below great is because it has a major side character problem. More specifically, it’s filled with dozens of disposable side characters with one-note personalities who are merely there to advance the plot.

It’s Mostly A Problem Of Structure

I know The Odyssey is a long movie, but even for a long movie, a lot of stuff happens. We get the Trojan Horse and the destruction that comes afterwards. We get the bit with the cyclops, the bit with the sirens and the bit with Scylla and Charybids. There’s an extended sequence with Calypso and the Lotus Flowers. There’s the cattle of Helios and the entire fallout from that. There’s the stuff with Circe and Odysseus’ men and then the stuff with Circe and Odysseus himself. There’s the scene where he meets with the soldiers who have died, and the scene where they have to escape the man-eating giants.

And that’s just the stuff involving Odysseus while he’s on his extended adventure. We also get a parallel plot that runs throughout the movie that involves his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. She has to fend off the suitors who want to marry her and take her place, and Telemachus goes on his own side quest to Sparta to meet with Menelaus and try to figure out if his father is really dead.

Altogether, it’s too much plot for a single movie. It would have been an impossible task to get through all of this in three hours without abridging and trying to move through everything with a brisk momentum.

But That Doesn’t Change The Fact That These Side Characters Are Not Good

Most of The Odyssey’s runtime follows Odysseus’ quest to get home alongside his men. Unfortunately, we spend almost no time with those actual men at all. There are a few scenes of plot-driven banter and minor character development between Matt Damon’s Odysseus and Himesh Patel’s Eurylochus, but there’s nothing particularly memorable or noteworthy about their relationship.

They don’t have a fun rapport or any distinct conversations. And we get almost nothing from anyone else, apart from occasional reaction shots and maybe the odd bit of dialogue here or there. They have no quirks, eccentricities or memorable facets to their personalities. They’re just around to move the plot along.

Unfortunately, that’s a recurring theme with most of the characters in the movie, even the ones that should stand out. Take Charlize Theron’s Calypso. Odysseus spends years eating the Lotus Flowers and living with her on the island, but for the sake of runtime, we’re really just told about it. We don’t see them spending any real time together, and she’s not even given a fully developed personality. Theron has been nominated for three Oscars and has a long track record of doing really weird and memorable things with many of her characters, and yet, she feels so subdued here.

You could go down the list and say the same thing for side character after side character. Zendaya's Athena, Jon Bernthal’s Menelaus, Lupita Nyong’o’s Helen Of Troy and Mia Goth’s maid servant, are all, in theory, key characters played by acclaimed actors who should have a memorable impact on the movie, and instead, they’re just kind of there. Sometimes they deliver really emotional and weighty dialogue, but since we’re not given time to get to know their characters, they just feel like words moving along the plot.

I can’t imagine anyone leaving The Odyssey and saying, ‘you know what side character I really loved?’ Even the ones who are in the movie for a substantial amount of time feel so shallow and without. Robert Pattinson is, I guess, trying to be a little quirky with his portrayal of Antinous, who is the stand-in for the suitors that we see the most, but he’s still ultimately a stock villain from the sleazy handbook.

Samantha Morton’s Circe and John Leguizamo’s Eumaeus are getting a bit of positive buzz, but in my opinion, they still feel semi-neutered or at least like unrealized potential. Morton is in the movie for like fifteen minutes, maybe, and chooses to go a bit more understated than the set buzz had me believe, and almost all of Leguizamo’s scenes are just an old man getting picked on and looking downtrodden (apart from that wild puppy scene).

It’s A Missed Opportunity

Once again, none of this is to say The Odyssey is a bad movie or not worth your time. It’s a good movie that is worth your time. You should go see it because it’s (for the most part) an achievement in what’s possible and has a ton of scenes that work really well. There’s so much about the film that’s worth praising, but none of it has to do with character development, which is mediocre at best for Damon's Odysseus, as well as the other two leads Anne Hathaway (who makes the most of her one-note widow) and Tom Holland (who is decent as the one-note meek son).

I don’t know how Nolan could have possibly developed all these characters in three hours, but ultimately, he picked this story and this format. Maybe it should have been two movies. Maybe it should have been a miniseries. I don’t know what the answer was, but I think we should be honest that the path he picked has obvious limitations.

It sucks that the sirens were a three minute afterthought because there wasn’t time to develop their characters. It sucks that we didn’t get more from Theron or Bernthal or Nyong’o. It sucks that Morton’s Circe was only around for like ninety seconds before she showed her true intentions. All of these characters could have been the centerpiece of entire movies or episodes or at least hour long chunks. Instead, they’re underdeveloped. Instead, they’re part of a side character problem that can’t be overlooked.

Clayface isn’t just the next upcoming DC movie; it looks like one of the most promising new horror films on the 2026 movie schedule. Since it’s still three months away, I wasn’t expecting to hear about the experience of watching the movie yet, but Jim Lee just spilled the tea!

CinemaBlend was in the audience for San Diego Comic-Con’s DC Comics panel. There, the publishing company’s very own president, publisher and CCO told us his thoughts on the fall release. And it has me very hyped for what’s to come. In Jim Lee's words:

Whoa! I love a movie that can make one feel like they just went to a full-service fancy restaurant with its content. Of course, Lee didn’t get into many specifics about why he made this analogy, but this is a really solid reaction. He also said this:

Clayface’s latest trailer definitely has enough to make one squirm. It introduces Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), an actor who becomes disfigured and feels like his life has been ruined since. So, he turns to a “fringe” scientist, Dr. Caitlin Corr (Naomi Ackie), who transforms him into something new. And the results are pretty terrifying. I know I can’t stop thinking about the plane sequence where his eyes are suddenly stuck shut. Check it out below:

I thought the horrors I witnessed in the trailer would be enough, but Jim Lee teased even more. The highly-anticipated DC movie was co-written by The Haunting of Hill House’s Mike Flanagan and produced by The Batman’s Matt Reeves. Here’s what Lee also said during the panel:

OK, so James Watkins did not come to play. The director has done a bunch of horror movies over the years, and this one is no exception. It might even be his creepiest yet. We’re already hoping it’s a big success so more horror-leaning DC movies are greenlit. Knowing more about how this one plays makes me even more optimistic. Here’s one more thing Jim Lee said about Clayface:

This is very, very high praise. Plus, it’s coming from a guy who’s considered one of the most influential names in comic books. He was notably part of the Batman: Hush comic book story arc, which had a great Clayface arc in it as well. The Clayface movie hits theaters on October 23. And this horror fan is more excited than ever.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds just premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, but the fun doesn't stop there. That's what stars Rebecca Romijn and Anson Mount believe, anyway, as the two stars and childhood fans of the franchise have me convinced we'll be watching new franchise entries via Paramount+ subscription before too long.

Before Rebecca Romijn moves on to reprise her role as Mystique in the Marvel universe, I had a chance to speak to her and Mount ahead of the Season 4 premiere of Strange New Worlds, which is currently streaming on Paramount+. When I asked the stars whether they could say anything to ease the minds of fans worried about what's next for Star Trek, seeing as no shows are in active development, she said this:

In no way does she sound worried about the future of Star Trek, and feels confident it'll still be around years from now, and as she mentioned above, it'll continue to be relevant to new generations.

Anson Mount agreed, and dropped a fact that blew my mind in the process. He couldn't claim it as his own, but I appreciated him passing it along during the interview all the same:

Translation: Star Trek is as American as apple pie. Perhaps more so, because apple pie actually originated in England. I guess the math does check out that if America is celebrating its 250th birthday, and Trek its 60th, that is somewhere in the ballpark of 25%.

Rebecca Romijn and Anson Mount's thoughts echo those of other prominent names of Star Trek, many of whom don't believe it will ever fully go away. I tend to agree, especially with Paramount still making efforts to bring it back to the big screen with a movie on the big screen.

Star Trek will continue, but I think there are solid fears from fans about how it will continue. How long will fans have to wait for a new television series, and who will be put in charge of making it happen? As it stands, it seems the company is ready to move on from Alex Kurtzman running its television department, leaving the door open for fresh blood to take the reins. Kurtzman did tell CinemaBlend a while back that fans shouldn't fear this transition period, merely because there's just so much Paramount has to tackle to complete its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

All this to say, it doesn't sound like anyone in charge is worried about Star Trek ending. So we'll continue to play the waiting game and remain optimistic that positive updates on the franchise are on the way. Beyond that, watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 on Paramount+ with new episodes streaming on Thursdays!

It was very sad to hear about the passing of screen legend Sam Neill this month. I’m a huge fan of many of his movies, and I’m also a huge fan of the James Bond franchise, but it wasn't until I read a story after his death that I learned he'd auditioned for the role of 007 back in the 1980s. The audition came after Roger Moore left the role after A View To A Kill. He even did a screen test in a scene from what would become.

Now, I’m a fan of the underrated Dalton era of Bond. I think the Welsh actor was given too short a leash, being replaced by Pierce Brosnan after just two movies, but I would have loved to see Neill in the role, and I think we missed out.

Neill Auditions Before Dalton Got The Role

Over the years, eight men have played James Bond, and after the Roger Moore-era ended with A View To A Kill, it was time for producer Cubby Broccoli and the rest of the production team to find the first new Bond in over a decade. Broccoli really wanted Pierce Brosnan to take over the role and offered the part to the actor who would eventually become Bond in the mid-’90. Unfortunately, he was tied up with his TV show, Remington Steele, and they couldn’t make it work. That meant a big search for who would replace Moore.

One of the actors who auditioned and screen-tested was Neill. At the time, before Jurassic Park and The Hunt for Red October, Neill was still somewhat unknown to much of the movie-going public. However, after watching his screen-test (and loving both of those movies), I can’t help but wonder, “What if?” Would Neill have been a popular Bond? Would it have meant we’d have missed out on those roles in Jurassic Park and Red October? It’s impossible to know for sure, but in a perfect world, maybe we get it all.

I’ve Never Been A Fan Of The Brosnan Movies

If I’m totally honest, the Brosnan-era of James Bond has long been my least favorite. It’s not that I think Brosnan is bad in the role, but the movies are just so cheesy. They all have that ‘90s sheen of slickness that is really off-putting. For me, they are the most dated-looking of all the Bond movies, and that’s saying something for a franchise that is over 60 years old. However, I think the two Dalton movies are by far the most underrated of all the Bond movies.

So, while I wouldn’t want to live in an alternate timeline without a Dalton Bond, I wouldn’t mind seeing what could have happened with Neill in the role over Brosnan. Interestingly, though, Neill himself said that he didn’t want the role, at least in part because Brosnan was gunning for it. Quite the conundrum. Personally, though, I think we missed out on something pretty cool.

We still don’t know who will be the next 007 in the yet-unnamed James Bond 27. As it was before The Living Daylights, there are tons of rumors about who the next actor to drink martinis and flash his Walther PPK handgun will be. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the updates!

Even though Clayface’s chilling new trailer has held the bulk of my recent attention, I’m still beyond pumped for the upcoming DC TV show Lanterns as the official next entry in the live-action DCU. Especially now that we’re less than a month away from seeing Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan suited up and investigating a mysterious murder alongside Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart. Lots of questions still remain, however, with comic book sorta-villain Sinestro at the heart of many.

In the new series streaming via HBO Max subscription, Sinestro (played by Ulrich Thomsen) is a former member of the Green Lantern Corps who was corrupted by the fearful energy of yellow light, and was booted from the Corps after a coup gone wrong. But before all of that, he shared a history with Hal Jordan, serving as a friend and mentor, so one can imagine how shaken up Hal was by the betrayal.

Star Kyle Chandler addressed that key relationship and more in an interview with EW. The Friday Night Lights vet is a practical guy, and both he and Aaron Pierre took more grounded approaches to exploring their characters' backstories. Speaking directly about Hal and Sinestro's past, Chandler shared:

It sounds like the actor was being as vague as humanly possible as not to reveal anything too specific, but that isn't stopping me from being beyond excited about it. I wonder if all the "little things" Chandler created for the characters will be explored on-screen, or if they're only in his head to bring more context to his performance.

While viewers don't yet have a clear idea of what Hal was like before things went sour with Sinestro, everything we've seen in Lanterns' previews makes him look overly pompous and lacking in empathy, patience, and several other virtues. Was he always like that, or did that hard-edged nature only start to form after Sinestro embraced fear?

I really hope we get to actually see Hal and Sinestro working together with the Green Lantern Corps in at least one episode. I'm perfectly fine with just hearing about their history through dialogue, but showing is always more functional than just telling.

To that end, I'm also eager to see how much Lanterns will showcase Hal's relationship with Carol Ferris, since she's also been known as a cause for Hal's brusque personality. (Also, is Laura Linney portraying Carol or what?) The fact that we haven't had a clear introduction for her makes me wonder if something awful happened to her, and if Sinestro was possibly responsible for it.

I guess I could spend all day speculating about what might go down when Lanterns arrives, but let's just watch the latest trailer instead.

Fear not, for Lanterns will make its debut on HBO Max on Sunday, August 16.

Even if you’ve never seen an episode of Baywatch, you’re still probably very familiar with the iconic red one-piece swimsuit that the female lifeguards wear on the show. It’s as famous, if not more so, than the show itself. And with filming for the reboot underway on the beach in California, we’re about to see a whole lot more of its new cast. Along with seeing more of them, we're also learning more about working on the show, and why filming on the beach and in that suit is both a chore and an honor.

Cast member Shay Mitchell spoke about working on the beach, putting on the swimsuit, and how, while it is very exciting to wear the iconic red costume and act by the ocean, it is, well, work. It's true, filming in a swimsuit may not always be so blissful, as the cast of the original series can attest; however, it's also great. Speaking to those points, the Pretty Little Liars star said on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle:

While she didn’t dive into details about why she doesn’t want to go to the beach for a while after they wrap on Baywatch, it’s not hard to imagine why that’s the case. When you spend so many hours in the California sun, it’s hot, you have to pick sand out of your hair, and it’s likely exhausting. However, overall, as the actress said, “The office is great,” but the beach is her job now, and work-life balance is important.

But don’t misunderstand, Mitchell is still grateful for the opportunity to wear that swimsuit, which is such an identifiable part of the series. The Dollface star said:

Since Baywatch won’t be hitting Fox before the 2026 TV schedule wraps (it’s set to make its debut in January 2027), you can check out how Mitchell looks in the suit in this Instagram post:

Mitchell is no stranger to iconic TV shows. After seven seasons playing Emily on Pretty Little Liars, she’s made her move to Baywatch as Trina, a former lawyer who left a top-tier firm to become a full-time lifeguard. Joining her on the beach, Stephen Amell is set to play Captain Hobie, the now-adult son of David Hasselhoff’s character from the original series, and reality star Brooks Nader will play Captain Selene.

The original series debuted in 1989, running for 11 seasons with an ensemble that, along with Hasselhoff, included Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, and Jason Momoa. Just because the reboot is a fresh take on Baywatch, from Burn Notice creator Matt Nix and executive producer McG, that doesn’t mean you won’t see some familiar faces. Actor David Chokachi, who played Cody Madison for three seasons on the original show, will be returning, while Erika Eleniak, Kelly Packard and Michael Bergin will guest star. Oh, and we can't forget the fact that this new show will also take place on the beach and feature those iconic red swimsuits.

Until the reboot debuts, we won’t know much about what type of stories they might tackle over the 12-episode season, but any good TV drama will likely have its share of tension, romance, and various obstacles to overcome. It will also be interesting to see how relationships evolve among the new cast members. According to Shay Mitchell, the Baywatch reboot will focus its first season on the friendships between the characters:

With the series being based around Mitch Buchannon’s son, Hobie, and a handful of familiar O.G. Baywatch faces already set to appear, the door is open to plenty of Baywatch cameos, especially if it’s a hit. It sounds like all the pieces are in place for what could be a really fun time, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out once it debuts.

However, in the meantime, I hope the cast is having fun filming on the beach in those incredible red swimsuits. I hope they get a nice break from them too, because as Mitchell implied, you can't be on the beach all the time, and while this gig is an honor, it's also still a job.

We got some great news recently, as it was announced that “the definitive documentary” about Julie Andrews will be released for those with a Disney+ subscription in 2027. However, many assumed this was very bad news at first, because they thought the post was implying that the iconic actress had died.

To be clear, she’s alive. Fans simply misunderstood the documentary announcement, so let’s break it all down.

Disney+ Announced A New Documentary About Julie Andrews

The documentary about Julie Andrews was announced on July 22 across Disney+’s social media accounts. The post included an image of the actress as well as a statement about the legend she is. Here's what it said:

The project will premiere on the 2027 movie schedule; however, a specific date and title have not been revealed. It’s being produced and directed by R.J. Cutler, who has directed documentaries like Belushi, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry and American High.

With this project, we’ll get a look into Andrews’ life as it covers everything from “her early days in British vaudeville to her meteoric rise as a global superstar.” Themes of “resilience, heartbreak, reinvention and enduring grace” will be explored, and the documentary will feature footage and interviews that haven’t been seen before.

Like many, I grew up on Julie Andrews' movies, like The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins and The Princess Diaries. So, I cannot wait to watch this next year. I’m also relieved that the news was about a documentary focused on her, not the much darker news some fans thought it was.

Fans Thought This Julie Andrews Died When They Saw This Post

Like I said, many didn’t get that this post was to announce a documentary at first. In fact, a lot of fans thought the 90-year-old actress had died, and this was a tribute to her. Here are some examples of people reacting to the nonexistent news:

• They cannot post a pic like this, I thought she was dead -@Shane_Monster
• If I see one more Disney+ ad about Julie Andrews that makes me think the worst happened -@SUNFLWRMAL
• DONT SCARE ME LIKE THST 😭 I thought she went to the kingdom above 😭-@melanwisegirl
• Bitch. I almost just started having the worst day -@R0SYLNS
• Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again -@wandasattorney

I do get why some thought Andrews had died and this post was a tribute to her. Tributes happen every time a well-known celebrity passes away. For example, right after news broke of Sam Neill’s death, fans, friends, and co-stars were posting tributes for the Jurassic Park star. If the Mary Poppins lead had died, her “courage, resilience, grace” would surely have been acknowledged in tributes.

But she’s not dead; she's alive and working.

She’s been the voice of Lady Whistledown on Bridgerton for four seasons, and I hope she’ll continue to be it for the new Lady Whistledown in Season 5. As showrunner Jess Brownell told CinemaBlend, they “didn’t want to squander the voice of Julie Andrews” after last season. So, I’d assume she’ll be back to tell us all the gossip going around the ton.

Along with that, The Princess Diaries 3 is in the works, and the author of the books said the script she read is “amazing.” So, hopefully said script includes Julie Andrews’ character. I mean, it’d be hard to have Princess Diaries without Clarisse Renaldi.

All this is to say, not only is Julie Andrews alive, there’s still opportunity to see her in new projects, including a documentary all about her life!

Christopher Nolan's movies are known for their epic scale and practical effects, and he's done it again with The Odyssey, which is crushing at the box office. The acclaimed book-to-screen adaptation is super ambitious, and Matt Damon recalled one wild moment on set that showed just how big of a production the latest Nolan movie truly is.

The Odyssey's reviews have been super positive, and there's already Awards Season buzz surrounding the massive blockbuster. Matt Damon movies aren't known for being on indie budgets, but the level of production on Nolan's latest shocked even him. In a video from The Today Show's Instagram, the 55-year-old actor spoke about shooting one particularly epic sequence. In his words:

Talk about a crazy day on set. Damon is no stranger to huge movies, but it sounds like The Odyssey was on another level... even for him. Christopher Nolan has a reputation for preferring practical effects over CGI, and that includes employing tons of extras when necessary. Case in point: The Dark Knight Rise's epic final battle actually had hundreds of background actors rush at each other when Bane's forces collided with Gotham's Police Department. And the scale of The Odyssey is even bigger than that Batman movie (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription).

In the same interview, the Martian actor went on to tell the same story, and a comment by cinematographer Hoyt van Hoytema really highlighted what a huge movie they were filming. As Damon went on:

Talk about perspective. The fact that Christopher Nolan put this much money and effort into what would ultimately just be a flashback for The Odyssey proved how huge a movie it would become. That includes plenty of epic flashbacks, a stellar ensemble cast, and (of course) that wild Trojan Horse sequence.

Fans can see The Odyssey's scale for themselves as the movie is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Spoiler alert: the movie is HUGE.

Spoilers ahead for Heartstopper Forever.

Every streaming service has some popular hits, and Heartstopper is definitely on that list. Arguably one of the best Netflix shows to binge-watch, the acclaimed book-to-screen adaptation reached its conclusion with the movie Heartstopper Forever, which is out now for those with a Netflix subscription. I was originally bummed that one actor got recast for the movie, but after reading Alice Oseman's final book, Volume 6, I understand it.

Heartstopper Forever reviews have been praising the finale's contents, with fans finally getting a conclusion to Charlie and Nick's story. Oscar winner Olivia Colman played Nick's mother, Sarah Nelson, to perfection in the show's second season, but she was noticeably missing from Season 3. Many fans were hoping she'd show up again in the movie, but the role was recast with actress Anna Maxwell Martin. I've been sore about this for a while, but it made more sense after reading Heartstopper Volume 6.

Olivia Colman Had To Be Recast For Heartstopper Forever

Olivia Colman might have only appeared in ten episodes of Heartstopper, but she definitely made an impression. Nick's coming out scene in Season 2 was one of the most powerful moments of the entire show, and Colman's performance was a big reason why. The character Sarah Nelson was absent for the third season, but was necessary to bring back before the story ended forever. And that became especially clear when reading the source material.

In Heartstopper Volume 6, as well as in Forever, Nick ends up being the one struggling the most with his mental health. As such, it makes sense that he might open up to this mother about what he's dealing with. Additionally, Nick's relationship with both his father and his brother David ends up coming to a head. With so much happening with the character's home life, it would have been odd if Mrs. Nelson never popped up in the new Netflix movie.

So why didn't Olivia Colman get to reprise her role? Unsurprisingly, it was a scheduling conflict, as the 52-year-old actress is in demand and constantly working. Heartstopper Forever was filmed back in the summer of 2025, when the Favourite actress was busy shooting the upcoming romantic fantasy film, Wicker. Given the focus on Nick's psyche and home life in Forever, someone else needed to step in and play the role. And that's exactly what we got with Anna Maxwell Martin.

I read Heartstopper Volume 3 before tuning into Heartstopper Forever, so I was able to go into the Netflix movie enjoying its contents and not being so bitter about Olivia Colman's absence. Nick's mother might not have a huge role in the movie, but Sarah Nelson needed to appear in one way or another... especially since we've reached the conclusion of the beloved TV and book series.

Heartstopper Forever is streaming now on Netflix as part of the 2026 movie release list. While there's no Olivia Colman to be found, it's still worth the watch to see how Charlie, Nick and their friends ended up.

Many consider The Big Bang Theory to be one of the best sitcoms of all time, but that doesn’t automatically mean that every spinoff that continues its characters’ stories will be a hit. Sure, Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage found success, but Stuart Fails to Save the Universe — a new HBO Max series that hits the 2026 TV schedule on July 23 — is quite a big swing for creator Chuck Lorre. Despite its creative concept, critics’ reviews disagree on whether or not it’s actually funny.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe picks up where The Big Bang Theory left off, with the titular comic book store owner (Kevin Sussman, reprising his TBBT role) triggering a multiversal apocalypse. As he tries to set things right, he encounters multiple versions of himself, Denise (Lauren Lapkus) and their friends. CinemaBlend’s own Mick Joest says he was surprised that the show made him laugh out loud multiple times. In fact, he says he loves it even more than The Big Bang Theory, writing:

The Big Bang Theory fans have been promised easter eggs, and Amber Dowling of The Wrap agrees that’s part of what makes Stuart Fails to Save the Universe fun. The critic admits it’s a completely different tone — with more R-rated material — than TBBT that might take some getting used to, but the cast is game for anything and everything, and you can tell everybody — including creators Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn — are having a blast. Dowling continues:

Alison Herman of Variety says viewers should be firing up their HBO Max subscriptions for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe because it’s such a creative way to extend The Big Bang Theory universe — especially in an entertainment landscape with so many perfunctory prequels, sequels and spinoffs. Herman says:

Noel Murray of AV Club gives the series a B rating, saying the spinoff is wilder and nerdier than TBBT, but it’s also raunchier, cornier and more uneven. Its strengths are its emotional core and wonkiness, but the critic finds it lacking in humor and occasionally mean-spirited. Murray concludes:

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert also thinks that despite some “glimpses of ingenuity,” the actual Apocalypse will probably be funnier than Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. The jokes are repetitive, the plots are thin (largely clocking in under-20 minutes), and John Ross Bowie’s character Barry Kripke — horny, cruel and mocking people with speech impediments — was already stale when The Big Bang Theory ended seven years ago. In the critic’s words:

Several critics said you don’t have to have watched The Big Bang Theory to get into this new spinoff, though there are guest stars and references that will make more sense if you did. Critics don’t exactly agree on how funny the show is, which is reflected in its 70% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Tune in to see for yourself when Stuart Fails to Save the Universe premieres at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, July 23, on HBO Max. New episodes drop weekly.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that Season 4 of Ted Lasso will follow AFC Richmond’s women's team. I can’t wait to meet a new cast of characters, and I’m looking forward to seeing the new dynamics created among the ensemble when the show returns on the 2026 TV schedule. However, this big update also means not everyone from the original cast could return. It turns out, Jason Sudeikis personally called those actors too to break the sad news to them.

As of right now, actors like Toheeb Jimoh (Sam), Cristo Fernández (Danny), Phil Dunster (Jamie) and more will not be back for Ted Lasso Season 4. All these guys played important members of the AFC Richmond men’s team. However, with the focus shifting over to a whole new team, there wasn’t room to bring them back. Speaking to THR about making this choice, Jason Sudeikis said it was “very difficult” to call the guys and break this news to them. He also explained why it was vital for them to learn this news from him:

I can imagine how hard it must have been to both make and receive that call. For three seasons, this group was not only a team on screen, but off too. They experienced a phenomenon together as they made one of Apple TV’s greatest shows. So, finding out you won’t be returning for Season 4 must have been a hard pill to swallow.

I’m happy, though, that Jason Sudeikis personally called them all. I imagine this news was much easier to process after having a conversation rather than finding out about it online.

However, this is the way television works: casts evolve, stories shift and that causes big changes. In Ted Lasso’s case, this meant bringing in a full new team of female soccer players, and saying so long to the men’s team.

Of course, I’m optimistic the guys could make cameos. I mean, both Brendan Hunt and Brett Goldstein are in Season 4, and the last time we saw Beard and Roy, they were coaching the men. So, I don’t think it’s far-fetched to think we could see someone like Jamie or Danny pop in for a minute or two. However, we do know that no matter what, the guys will not be the regular players they were in Seasons 1 through 3.

Instead, a whole new team of women will be introduced. This new cast of characters will be played by Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey and Abbie Hern. Grant Feely has also joined the cast, and he’ll be taking over the role of Ted’s son, Henry (who was played by Gus Turner in the first three seasons).

The cast is not entirely new, though. As mentioned earlier, Sudeikis will, obviously, be back as Ted, and he’ll be joined by Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt, who play his fellow coaches, Roy Kent and Coach Beard. Hannah Waddingham will also return as the team’s owner, Rebecca. Juno Temple and Jeremy Swift will be reprising their roles as Keeley and Higgins, respectively, as well.

So, overall, Ted Lasso will be missing some familiar faces, and as the show’s lead said, it was hard to break that news to them. However, now, we get to enter a new chapter of AFC Richmond’s history with some of the characters we love and a whole new set of folks we get to learn about. To do that (and to spend time with the lads from Seasons 1 through 3), you can stream Ted Lasso with an Apple TV subscription and catch the premiere of Season 4 on August 5.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the Big Brother Season 28 live feeds as of Thursday, July 23rd. Stream the feeds with a Paramount+ subscription or on Pluto TV, and read at your own risk!

Things couldn't be going better for the reality television veterans in Big Brother. Rick Devens gave them some added power and comfort with his Week 2 Head of Household win, and the fact that he also won the Week 2 veto only made it sweeter. With the security of the Tool Shed, they can skate on to the midpoint of the game without much trouble, so of course they're probably about to ruin it by overthinking things.

Dee Valladares and Rick may know Survivor, but as Cirie Fields learned in Season 25, Big Brother is a different beast. In their eagerness to make moves, they may just blow up their majority alliance, and Angela Murray's paranoia is not helping.

The Vets Are Discussing Moves That Could Break Up The Crossovers

With it looking increasingly likely that this week ends with either Rome Seymour or Jason De Puy walking out of Big Brother in Week 2, Dee and Angela thought it was time to prepare to target their next enemies. Unfortunately, they're convinced that Crossover-alliance members Barrett Pfeiffer and Drew Campbell need to go to protect their position.

That alone is messier than Angela Murray badmouthing past Houseguests on the live feeds, but it gets worse. Angela and Dee are trying to form new separate alliances with people like Lala Verrett and Taylor Brown, but are realizing their current goals don't align with their new allies. It's messy, and despite Devens trying to advocate against turning on Barrett and Drew, it looks like the chances of that happening are growing, and it'd be the end of the Crossovers.

The Vets Have A Decent Chance To Steamroll The Season With The Tool Shed, And These Overplays Could Ruin That

While others watching Big Brother online may prefer the vets to blow up their games and shake up the house dynamic, I know Survivor fans may be upset that Dee and Devens might not be long for the house if they do this. I can't guarantee it'll happen, but what I can say is we've seen a past Survivor player engage in this kind of overthinking before.

Cirie Fields made similar mistakes when she played Big Brother in Season 25, opting to immediately target members of her own alliance rather than completely handle those outside of her numbers first. She went after solid allies Hisam Goueli and Red Utley to ensure she had a better grip on the alliance, but then dwindling those numbers ultimately led to her losing her closest allies, Izzy Gleicher and her son Jared Fields, soon after. Maybe Survivor players just can't adapt to the slow pace of Big Brother, and they try to make too many moves too fast?

The Tool Shed alliance, which consists of both the Crossovers and Red Corner alliances, was only recently set up. I wouldn't be surprised if that alliance quickly crumbles once word travels around that Dee and Angela are openly discussing cannibalizing it by targeting Barrett and Drew. I certainly wouldn't trust the alliance was real after that, and think this is going to blow up for the vets in a big way. I mean, at the end of the day, couldn't the Red Corner sans Devens just bring in Drew and Barrett and gang up on the vets?

We'll see how this all plays out after the Week 2 eviction, which airs on CBS on Thursday, July 23rd at 8:00 p.m. ET. Big Brother is delivering top-tier drama with Season 28 at the moment, and if The Crossovers blow up in Week 3, I'd clear my schedule to watch it all unfold on the live feeds!

Despite the franchise ending back in 2011, the Harry Potter movies continue to be a popular part of the pop culture landscape. Folks regularly re-watch the Potter films (which are streaming with an HBO Max subscription), and they are also celebrating the original movie's 25th anniversary. And AMC theaters are selling some magical popcorn buckets that I'm going to need to purchase for myself ASAP. Let's break it all down.

While folks are waiting for the upcoming Harry Potter TV show, it's also time to celebrate just how long it's been since The Sorcerer's Stone hit theaters back in 2001. A glimpse at the anniversary popcorn buckets was available at San Diego Comic-Con (via Instagram), and you can check out their epic designs below:

I mean, how cool are these? Both of these new AMC buckets have magical designs, immortalizing some of the most iconic aspects of the Wizarding World as a whole. Given the property's ongoing popularity, I have to assume that they're both going to quickly sell out.

While the Dune popcorn bucket remains arguably the most iconic (and infamous), these two Harry Potter ones are pretty gorgeous. In the above video, we see that the first is based on the Hogwarts Express, which transports students from the school to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The other looks like the Nimbus 2000 broom, which comes apart and becomes a stand for your bucket. Per the clip, they'll both be coming to AMC theaters in late August.

While some theaters' popcorn bucket designs are more successful than others, I think that both of these Harry Potter ones look absolutely gorgeous. And while they might be a bit bulky, they both look actually practical in their ability to store popcorn. They both look awesome as well, which is why I have to assume they'll sell out upon arriving in theaters. After all, Wizarding World fans span multiple generations. While we wait, you can check out the teaser for the Harry Potter TV show below.

Harry Potter has been a popular IP for decades now, starting with J.K. Rowling's books, and expanding to movies, video games, theme parks, and stage plays. While the Fantastic Beasts franchise is officially dead, there is still a ton of ongoing love for stories centered around Harry's time at Hogwarts. Although I'm still wondering what would have gone down with the final two Fantastic movies if the studio hadn't pulled the plug.

Luckily for young fans, all eight Harry Potter films are going to come back to theaters to celebrate the first movie's 25th anniversary. There are some moviegoers who will be seeing them on the big screen for the first time after years of streaming, so why not elevate the experience with an epic popcorn bucket?

The Harry Potter movies are expected to return to theaters on August 27th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Tickets will go on sale July 31st, while the TV series will premiere December 25th on HBO.

It has been a wild year for Taylor Frankie Paul, and I’m not sure there’s an end to the drama in sight. Ever since her season of The Bachelorette was pulled from the 2026 TV schedule, the MomTok leader has been battling exes Dakota Mortensen and Tate Paul — the fathers of her three children — for custody. Naturally, It’s all been playing out in public, too, as TFP is perpetually online and known for being an open book. To that end, she posted recently about dealing with online haters.

And boy are there lots of haters. Taylor Frankie Paul is the very definition of a polarizing figure, as The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star has staunch defenders in her corner, as well as a litany of people condemning her every move. A recent Instagram Story showed her giving advice to a friend via text on how to deal with the judgment of others, writing:

Everybody knows the Internet can be a toxic place, and it’s easy for people to lash out in really hurtful ways. Lots of celebrities have reminded fans that they, too, are affected by what others say — Billie Eilish has lost sleep over hateful comments, Kylie Jenner lets them fuel her and Selena Gomez highly recommends social media breaks.

Taylor Frankie Paul, however, doesn’t see the criticism as all bad, as her text to her friend continued:

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star feels like the negative feedback is a necessary evil of success, and she went on to say that random people’s judgments or opinions about her aren’t her business. That hasn’t necessarily stopped Taylor Frankie Paul from clapping back at friends and strangers alike as she continues her custody battles.

A leaked video of the fight that ended in Taylor Frankie Paul’s 2023 arrest — which appeared to show her throwing chairs at Dakota Mortensen and accidentally injuring her daughter in the process — was what ultimately led ABC to hold off on airing her season of The Bachelorette. Since then, many fans have maintained hope that the show will air at some point, while others insist there are no plans to do so.

Not helping the matter is Taylor Frankie Paul’s ongoing drama with Dakota Mortensen and Tate Paul. While TFP has been slowly gaining her custody rights back of Ever (the toddler she shares with Mortensen), her ex-husband Tate filed for (and was denied) an emergency change to their custody agreement after she voluntarily entered rehab for a couple of days in June.

The most recent development saw Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services asking a court to find that Taylor Frankie Paul's kids are “abused, neglected or dependent” after a visit to her home. Paul has addressed a lot of what came out of that visit extensively on social media, and we’ll have to see what, if anything, comes from it.

One thing TFP can pretty much bank on is that she’ll continue to get love from her supporters and hate from her online critics. Hopefully she deals with it all in the healthiest way possible.

Updated with video below.

Johnny Depp is known for his collaborations with Tim Burton, as well as various hit movies he's been in over the years. The 63 year-old has been out of Hollywood for a few years now, following his divorce from Amber Heard and their messy legal battle that reached its conclusion with its 2022 verdict. While he's taken on a few acting projects, he'll be getting his Hollywood return as the title character of Ti West's Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. And he recently shared the first public look at him in the upcoming book to screen adaptation.

While the first look of Depp as Scrooge came at CinemaCon, only those lucky enough to attend that event were able to feast their eyes upon it. But a poster just arrived on Instagram, showing what the top of half of Depp's face will look like as Ebenezer himself. Check it out below:

Now that's a humbug if I've ever seen one. While Depp will have to live up to the various Scrooges that have occupied the big screen over the years, the top of his head certainly looks the part in this poster. We'll just have to wait and see if his take on the character can live up to others like Michael Caine's legendary performance in The Muppet Christmas Carol (streaming with a Disney+ subscription).

UPDATE: Johnny Depp himself made an in-person appearance at San Diego Comic-Con in full costume as Ebenezer Scrooge, as our enterprising journalists encountered.

The rest of the article continues as it was originally written.

It's still the height of summer, but with Ebenezer hitting theaters in November, the promotional campaign for the upcoming Christmas movie is kicking off. On top of Johnny Depp sharing this poster on his Instagram Stories, he's also dedicated his entire page to the project. All of his posts have been archived or deleted, leaving just three posts which spell out Scrooge's catchphrase of misery "Bah Humbug".

It should be interesting to see exactly what Ti West and company bring to the table with this newest movie take on A Christmas Carol. In addition to Johnny Depp playing the title character of Ebenezer, he'll be joined by a supporting cast that includes Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, Sir Ian McKellen, Daisy Ridley and Trammell Tillman, among others. There's a ton of talent involved in this movie which, combined with Depp's long-awaited comeback, should help turn heads as the movie gets closer to its release in theaters this fall. The comments on the Ebenezer poster are filled with excited reactions, including:

• JOHNNY BACK ON OUR SCREENS YES!!!!
• Yes 🙌
• The legend has returned!
• MY GOAT IS BACK
• Welcome back King👏

Depp has generations of fans, who seem thrilled that he'll be back on the big screen this fall as Scrooge. Luckily they won't have to wait very long before the movie hits theaters.

Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol will arrive on the big screen November 13th as part of the 2026 movie release list. For now, his tenure as Jack Sparrow can be re-watched over on Disney+.

For decades now, moviegoers have watched the best Pixar movies in both theaters and eventually streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The animation studio has given us countless beloved movies, from Toy Story to Inside Out to The Incredibles. Unfortunately, they've also been the subject of massive Disney layoffs, with hundreds reportedly being dropped by the House of Mouse. And some previous comments from a Disney animator showed that history is repeating itself.

Disney made some major layoffs on Tuesday, and Pixar was reportedly hit especially hard. This comes shortly after Toy Story 5 crushed at the box office, resulting in plenty of chatter online. As a result, a Variety story from earlier this summer has resurfaced, where a Disney animator spoke about the state of the industry. In their words:

It certainly feels like history is repeating itself in the wake of the studio's latest shakeup, which reportedly resulted in 116 people being laid off. That's a massive sum of workers, and it happening so shortly after Toy Story 5's release is especially newsworthy. Of course, this isn't the first time Pixar has had serious layoffs, as they did just a few years ago in 2024, resulting in 14% of its staff being dropped aka around 175 jobs.

As the Variety story previously reported, folks working in animation have been in a precarious place for years now, despite the genre's ongoing popularity. In addition to Pixar's two big layoffs in just two years, Netflix restructured its animation department in 2023, with jobs and entire projects being eliminated. Just like Pixar's success, those with a Netflix subscription will recall how projects like KPop Demon Hunters have dominated pop culture following their release.

When considering the genre as a whole, the unnamed animator's quotes do make some sense. And they said this before Pixar went through even more layoffs less than a week later. We'll just have to see how the genre continues to perform in the coming years, and if there's more job security for animators.

Funny enough, Pixar's last round of layoffs also happened after a wildly successful movie release. While this time around it was Toy Story 5, back in 2024 they happened shortly after Inside Out 2's release, which made over a billion dollars. And that timing is definitely turning heads.

Toy Story 5 is still in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully the folks at Pixar are safe from any future layoffs after this latest round of viral firings.

After years of being featured on 90 Day Fiancé, Sumit Singh is finally coming to the United States with Jenny. It appears they'll try to move back to her home country so she can continue treatment for her ALS. Unfortunately, there's a catch, but hopefully not one that stops this from actually happening.

The news comes from Jenny's daughter, Christina, who discussed the situation on Instagram. As the couple's marriage story plays out on the 2026 TV schedule via 90 Day: The Last Resort, Christina explained why Sumit is now making the trip to the U.S. after spending years in India:

Christina added that she is traveling to India soon to be with her mother and will be accompanying them back on the flight to the United States should everything go well with Sumit's approval process. That said, she clarified that Sumit will not be pursuing a green card, despite being able to do so as Jenny's spouse.

The decision may be surprising and may remind others that Sumit has long said he doesn't want to live in the United States. That's not the reason why they're choosing to opt out of the green card route, however, as Christina explained, it comes down to time and the process involved:

It was not revealed the length of which Sumit's visa will allow him to stay, and what ALS treatments Jenny is undergoing or how long they will take. One does have to wonder, however, if she'll continue to live in the United States and he'll eventually have to go back to India without her.

Maybe that's putting the wagon before the horse because, as of writing, we don't know if Sumit will get approval to come to the United States or not. Christina mentioned that India has one of the busiest visa processes in the world, so it could take a while before he even gets an appointment for consideration.

As mentioned, Jenny and Sumit are currently part of Season 3 of 90 Day: The Last Resort. They've tackled a litany of issues thus far, including the fact that the restaurant they opened failed and Sumit took out a number of loans she didn't know about. Those who aren't watching can catch up with an HBO Max subscription, though the fact that Sumit is attempting to travel with her may spoil whether they're still together after the spinoff.

90 Day: The Last Resort has given them some lighter moments in the series involving sex jokes and the like, which is nice. Especially since, with her ongoing ALS treatment, we don't really know when Jenny will next appear in the TLC series after this latest appearance.

Those looking to watch Jenny and Sumit on 90 Day: The Last Resort can catch them on TLC on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. We'll see if Sumit gets approval to come to the United States, and what the next steps are either way.

One of the biggest questions related to any upcoming Marvel movies revolves around Sadie Sink’s mysteriously unspecified new role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which the stars have been keen to troll fans over. The two biggest theories have her playing either Spidey’s comic love interest Gwen Stacey, which seems fitting, or the all-powerful Jean Grey. (With a third avenue being that she’s actually one of the film’s many villains.)

Now, it appears we can remove the mutant telepath from the rumor mill, as Spidey portrayer Tom Holland himself has shut down the notion that Jean Grey will be in Brand New Day at all. In an interview with Natalia Kreuser (via Instagram), the actor was asked point-blank about the X-Men heroine, and he didn’t even craftily attempt to beat around the bush with his answer. As he put it:

There you have it, sports fans. Tom Holland, one of the crown kings of MCU spoilers, has seemingly confirmed that Jean Grey will NOT show up during the runtime of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

I Hope Tom Holland Is Telling The Truth Here

As awesome as it would genuinely be for the MCU's revamped Jean Grey to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it seemingly doesn't make that much sense for these characters' timelines, given the all-around lack of confirmed mutants on this Earth. That will all change with Avengers: Doomsday, which Kevin Feige pretty much explained will wipe out the timeline for Fox's X-Men characters, and then a new lineup of character will rise up to take their places for Secret Wars and beyond.

As such, it would be bizarre for the first new mutant to show up in this movie, five months before Doomsday hits. theaters, right? I think so, unless her arrival plays directly into how the storyline flips things around to set-up Spidey's eventual return in an Avengers sequel. But that just seems too messy for a movie that already has a dozen supporting characters. (O.G. Jean Grey Famke Janssen reportedly isn't in Doomsday, but I'm not sure that necessarily means anything about

Another reason I think we can hopefully trust Tom Holland here is because he's become so known for blabbing about details that others may have kept closer to the vest. And him shutting down rumors about a character's appearance is a more forgivable spoiler than if he'd come out and said exactly who Sink is playing. It's like Marvel producers gave him an olive branch by allowing him to say this one thing.

But maybe he IS lying, or is being controlled by the real Jean Grey to tell fans what she wants us to hear. Check out the interview clip below and see whether or not you think Tom Holland could be fibbing it up for the sake of the mystery.

Whether or not his scout's honor is authentic or not, fans will know for sure who Sink is playing when Spider-Man: Brand New Day swoops and whooshes through theaters on July 31, 2026

When the Dutton family parted ways after Yellowstone ended, two new shows were born: Kayce’s CBS spinoff, Marshals, and Rip and Beth’s Paramount+ show, Dutton Ranch. Now, we’re learning more about what it was like to continue these characters’ stories after the flagship show ended. In terms of Rip and Beth’s project, Cole Hauser opened up about why “everything changed” after Yellowstone ended and they started working on this Texas-set show.

Now, Kelly Reilly has shared her thoughts on how Beth changed between Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch. Ed Harris has also shared his grievances about working on the show. Plus, with a change in showrunner after Season 1, it was clear that this production wasn’t all smooth sailing. Cole Hauser also admitted that returning to Rip and his story was a “challenge.” He laid out the reasons why too, telling FilmInside:

Kelly Reilly has also spoken about how not having Taylor Sheridan captaining the spinoff impacted her too. He was the driving force of Yellowstone, so of course, new creatives mean change is bound to happen.

Plus, with the only major returning players being Hauser, Reilly, Finn Little and Christina Alexandra Voros, who has directed episodes for a lot of Sheridan’s shows, including Yellowstone, it’s not like they could work like this was Yellowstone Season 6. No, there was a whole new team they had to collaborate with, which meant they all had to learn how to work together for essentially the first time.

On top of that, over the last few months, there have been reports about alleged tension between the cast and creator/former showrunner Chad Feehan. While we don’t know exactly what led to his departure, it has been alleged that Ed Harris’ complaints about his character and the show had an impact on Feehan’s exit and the hiring of Benjamin Cavell as the showrunner for Season 2.

Alleged drama aside, Hauser did confirm that working with a different team and only having a few returning players made working on Dutton Ranch difficult. However, he still enjoyed his time, and he’s also excited to start working on Season 2. To that point, he said:

We worked our asses off this year. And I don't think a lot of the outside noise or the thought of 'What's the weight of this show?' was really apparent to me at the time. It was about putting my head down and working my ass off with what I had around me, the writers that we had, the new writers that we had. We had to figure out on our feet how to really perform and tell a story. I'm proud of what we accomplished, and I'm looking forward to doing it again.

I’m also looking forward to them doing this again. However, this time, I hope it’s a bit easier for all of them.

I also hope we’ll get to see new episodes sooner rather than later, too. Dutton Ranch was renewed for Season 2 a few weeks before Season 1’s finale, and we know production is set to start in early 2027. So, here’s hoping the cast and crew have an easier time making this series, and we’ll get to see this Yellowstone continuation thrive as it gets back in the saddle for its sophomore season.

NCIS has remained strong over the last two decades and continues to do so as the series prepares to head into its 24^th season on the 2026 TV schedule. Even with Mark Harmon’s exit believed to be the “death knell” of NCIS, it’s definitely managed to hold its own. Harmon had joined NCIS as Leroy Jethro Gibbs when it was still just a JAG backdoor pilot, and when it came time to cast the character, a co-creator’s wife made a spot-on prediction about Harmon.

When they were casting for NCIS, plenty of A-listers were being tossed around for the role of Gibbs, such as Harrison Ford. Not surprisingly, Harmon was on the short list for potential actors to play Leroy Jethro Gibbs that CBS had sent out. What is surprising is that one particular person had a feeling that if Harmon got the role, NCIS would go far. Co-creator Don McGill shared on the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast that his wife actually predicted the show’s success:

Of course, it’s hard to predict how far a show will really go, especially one that is the spinoff of an already successful show. And NCIS struggled during its early years, so you couldn’t really tell just how long it was going to last. Obviously, McGill’s wife turned out to be right, and I am so thankful that she was. I can’t imagine NCIS without Harmon as Gibbs, and he’s still such a big part of the franchise, so much so that he’s returning for NCIS: Origins’ upcoming third season.

There was no way of knowing just how much of a success NCIS would turn into, and I’m sure even McGill’s wife couldn’t have predicted 24 seasons and seven spinoffs by 2026. There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle that have made it successful, between the cast and the storylines, but you can’t argue that Harmon was definitely a big part of that, at least during the first half of the run.

Meanwhile, McGill’s wife may have predicted NCIS’ success because of Harmon, but Harmon admitted to being shocked that NCIS is still on the air. It did not do well when it was first starting out, struggling with ratings and trying to really find its footing. But knowing that it’s doing as well it is today is pretty remarkable. After over two decades, the NCIS franchise remains one of the most successful television franchises ever, and it doesn’t seem to be dying any time soon.

During the fall TV season, fans will be getting three NCIS shows, including Season 3 of NCIS: Origins, which will see Harmon reprising his role as Gibbs for all 10 episodes. Additional details about his appearance should be revealed in the coming weeks, but fans can watch the first two seasons of the prequel and all seasons of NCIS with a Paramount+ subscription.