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.

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.

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!

Major spoilers for The Odyssey lie ahead, so read on at your own risk.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been acclaimed by critics, and it’s not hard to understand why. The filmmaker mostly stays true to Homer’s epic poem in this book-to-screen adaptation and sticks to the themes that make it such a timeless story. While there’s plenty of spectacle to be found, from daring sword fights to a “dank” encounter with a Cyclops, there are intimate moments that are also poignant. And, when lead actor Matt Damon spoke to CinemaBlend, he talked about being shocked by the final scenes.

At the center of the film’s story is the treacherous journey that Odysseus (Damon) and his men make in order to return home to Ithaca after The Trojan War. Odysseus is ultimately the only one to return and, in the film’s third act, he attempts to keep his identity a secret from his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland). During his interview with CB, Damon spoke about the irony or “twist” that resulted from his character actually making his way back to the aforementioned Greek island:

In time, a cloaked Odysseus finds himself having a confessional with Penelope, who’s unaware of his true identity. He then goes on to convey the shame he feels over the invasion of Troy, as it resulted in copious casualties. (One of those is even linked to Zendaya’s Athena.) For Damon, that scene was huge, and Hathaway contributed to that sense of awe in a key way:

Penelope and Odysseus’ scene is indeed an emotional gut punch, and both Damon and Hathaway act it out so beautifully. That’s a massive reason why the following scene, which sees Odysseus revealing himself and doing battle with Penelope’s various suitors, hits so hard. And, ultimately, Damon’s character doesn’t die in the film, but he emerges victorious and exiles himself. From there, he and Penelope sail west to honor the former’s fallen comrades and find solace in each other’s company.

This particular moment isn’t just a testament to the actors’ skills, but it’s also a credit to Christopher Nolan’s stellar screenplay. It’s nothing short of amazing that even throughout massive action sequences and surreal, creature-centric scenes, Nolan can still keep character at the forefront of the proceedings. As a whole, the film “walloped” me for that reason but, like Damon, I’ll also long be enamored by that reunion scene.

Check out The Odyssey, which is playing in theaters now alongside other 2026 movie schedule entries. With that, you’ll bear witness to all the tweaks Christopher Nolan made to the story as well as the scenes that ring true to the original text.

Among upcoming horror movies on the 2026 movie schedule is a mysterious one called The End Of Oak Street. For much of the year, I’ve been curious about what to expect from the J.J. Abrams-produced thriller, and now I have a much better idea. It’s a dinosaur movie with a twist – they're somehow invading a typical American suburb.

CinemaBlend had the opportunity to experience fourteen minutes of The End Of Oak Street in 4DX and hear from producer J.J. Abrams. It’s about a nuclear family with a dog led by Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway (in her fourth of five movies this year alone). They live in a quiet suburb, but one morning there’s a number of dinosaur sightings that rattle them enough to attempt to leave home. The problem is at the end of their street now has a cliff that leads to a prehistoric land. Here’s what Abrams said of how he got involved:

There’s absolutely a mystery afoot in The End Of Oak Street. But, when Abrams mentioned an “Amblin vibe” I was expecting a lot more comparisons to Jurassic Park than to Poltergeist. Between his comments and the footage we watched, I totally see what he’s saying. Check out this new clip:

This new summer flick and the actually cursed 1982 Spielberg movie feel like they come from the same DNA. Why? Because, it’s really more about the family and their dynamics than the creatures they are trying to survive. As Abrams put it:

The End Of Oak Street was written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, who was previously behind It Follows and Under The Silver Lake. In the same conversation, the filmmaker talked about wanting to connect “the average and mundane” with something fantastical. And, he had always wanted to make a dinosaur movie. In a quick interview with him at the event, I had to ask how much of his horror sensibilities to expect in the family-centered film. He said this:

How exciting! The End Of Oak Street may very much be a dinosaur movie, but it’s drawing from much different influences than I expected. And, that only has me more interested in it. The End Of Oak Street comes to theaters on August 14.

As a fantasy fan, one of the most exciting movies in production right now is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. The title on the 2027 movie schedule will see Andy Serkis return as Gollum alongside a mix of returning and new cast members. One of the actors joining Middle-earth for the first time is Anya Taylor-Joy. So, of course, we had to bring up the casting when CinemaBlend chatted with her.

Anya Taylor-Joy Reacts To Joining Lord Of The Rings

Anya Taylor-Joy will be playing the role of Seren, who is an elf. The actress has described her as a "trusted and lethal agent" who works under Lee Pace’s King Thranduil. (Move over, Legolas!) Here’s how she reacted to the casting in our interview:

The 30-year-old started smiling from ear to ear when I brought up her next project. It happened while we were chatting about her new TV show, Lucky, now streaming for those with an Apple TV subscription. Check out the moment below:

Obviously, she can’t say too much about the new LOTR movie, but her excitement certainly says a lot about what she’ll bring to the role. When talking to Variety, Taylor-Joy said she was about to read the books after officially falling in love with the original movies during the COVID-19 lockdown. She also said that if her “tombstone can say ‘Lethal Elf’” she’s done a “good job on this planet.” The Queen's Gambit star also said she’s been an elf her “whole life,” so her being part of this movie just makes sense.

What Else Is Going On With The Hunt For Gollum?

If you’re just catching up on the new Lord of the Rings movie, there’s more to say. Andy Serkis is actually directing it himself whilst working with the team of producers and crew from the original films over in New Zealand. (Yes, including Peter Jackson).

We also know that Ian McKellen’s Gandalf is officially back along with Elijah Wood’s Frodo Baggins and Lee Pace’s King Thranduil. The movie is also bringing in Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan and Leo Woodall to Middle-earth for the first time.

The Hunt for Gollum just started filming last week, too. Here’s the first video from set:

Between this and the fact that Rings of Power Season 3 is on the way, it’s a good time to be a Lord of the Rings fan! Anya Taylor-Joy is going to fit right into Middle-earth, and we can’t wait to return for the first live-action LOTR movie in over a decade. The Hunt for Gollum is set to be released on December 17, 2027.

Big Brother's 1,000th episode is approaching, and Julie Chen Moonves is hoping to get every past Houseguest involved. As fans watch BB online and wait for the big milestone to hit the 2026 TV schedule, the Chenbot pitched CinemaBlend her grand plan for how and when to bring a litany of Houseguests back from every prior season.

I recently had a chance to speak to Julie about the 1,000th episode, and tried to get some details on what we should expect. The host admitted that there are still plans being talked out amongst the Big Brother creatives, but was more than happy to share the suggestion she made:

Fortunately, it's not Julie's job to come up with the answers. She's just the host, and apparently part-time security, but there are likely plenty of producers and other execs who can figure out how to make a large-scale reunion happen.

Thus far, Big Brother has done a solid job working in legends from the past. Rachel Reilly returned from her elimination the season prior only to "die" in a volcano, and Howie Gordon returned to keep Dr. Will Kirby from taking control of the future. Man, this show is just so weird sometimes. I almost feel bad for the Survivor fans tuning in.

Maybe the solution is to do some competition that involves multiple Houseguests. I'm not sure they can realistically get "every" Houseguest from the past in one segment, but I'd applaud the effort to try. Maybe even get superfan James Gunn to direct a special intro to the episode or something! He might just do it, especially since he didn't get to feature Rick Devens in the Superman sequel.

More to Julie's point, if they can get every Houseguest they can to gather for a group picture on the CBS lot, that would be pretty awesome. Many of these people are scattered all across the nation, so it would be no small feat to pull it off. I'd appreciate the effort, even if it was a small moment in a larger episode.

Whatever the case is, I'm excited to see a reality series like Big Brother still going strong with 1,000 episodes. The level of interest in this season so far has me thinking that this show could easily last another 1,000 episodes, especially if they keep bringing on stars from other reality franchises.

Big Brother continues on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Episodes are also on Paramount+, and those who have a subscription have commercial-free access to the live feeds! For those who don't have the money, Pluto TV is a pretty good alternative for those who don't mind ads.

As iconic and successful as it's been, The Big Bang Theory had its share of critics during its run on television. Now, as we reach the point in the 2026 TV schedule where its latest spinoff, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, comes out, creator Chuck Lorre is firing back. While some may say the original series poked fun or made jokes at nerdy peoples' expense, Lorre has strong feelings pushing against that.

I spoke to Lorre and the other co-creators of Stuart Fails To Save The Universe about the original show's reputation, and how the upcoming series available with an HBO Max subscription feels more "geek-coded" in comparison.

Lorre didn't see his characters as nerdy, nor does he feel the same way as Stuart Fails To Save The Universe and its cast. Kevin Sussman's character still owns a comic shop in the series, ironic because Sussman worked in one as he started out in acting. I wouldn't call Sussman an inherently geeky person, so maybe Chuck Lorre made a good point.

Co-creator Bill Prady, who also helped make The Big Bang Theory, also chimed in. He brought up that, at times, he felt fan complaints characterized him and the writers as punching down on the geeks and nerds. In reality, Prady was pitching and writing moments from his own life:

Prady's point being, even if the show was making fun of "nerds," it wasn't from a place of them being above those experiences or awkward encounters. I don't think it should come as a surprise to any reader that the creators and writers of The Big Bang Theory could also be nerdy, seeing as they invited guest stars like Star Trek's Wil Wheaton regularly.

Now, they've created Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, a series that turns the world of The Big Bang Theory on its head and puts Stuart and friends in wild situations across the multiverse. The trailer for this sci-fi series shows this is a series that feels more like something Leonard and the guys would watch in his apartment, rather than anything that may feel like mockery to its prospective audience.

It's the third spinoff from The Big Bang Theory, and I'm sure HBO is hoping it'll succeed as the next major hit for the growing franchise. Things are a bit different this time around, with the show relying on violence and edgy material rather than wholesome family comedy made for a CBS audience. I'm eager to see how the world responds, and if Chuck Lorre and company can make television magic yet again.

Stuart Fails To Save The Universe premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Thursday, July 23rd. Be prepared for the world of The Big Bang Theory in a way it's never been seen before, and prepare to see some familiar faces in a brand new way.

Gameplay is a surely a major aspect of Big Brother that viewers zero in on, yet those who pay close attention may also wonder about more nuanced aspects of being in the house. For example, there's food to think about and, apparently, if someone wants to make a meal in the house, they better have it committed to memory. Season 28's first evictee, Ashley Trail, was kind enough to take me behind the scenes and share some details about what there is and isn't when it comes to vittles.

CinemaBlend's been watching Big Brother online and streaming the live feeds with a Paramount+ subscription. As I've watched this year, it had me thinking about food. I mean, after all, cooking meals for 16 Houseguests feels daunting, so having a cookbook containing recipes that serve mass meals would theoretically be helpful. I asked Ashley if something like that existed, and she confirmed Houseguests have to rely on their knowledge to make meals:

I used to think being a cook in the Big Brother house wasn't an advantage but, now, I think it could be a minor boost for those who want to win. Of course, it's not going to keep you off the block but, if the votes are close and I have to vote between the person who can make carbonara by heart and the person who can't, I think it's obvious which one I'm choosing.

While there isn't a BB cookbook to speak of to help Houseguests prepare meals, Ashley did reveal the existence of another cookbook of sorts to CinemaBlend. The Have-Nots may have to endure cold showers and bland food, but at least they have a pamphlet that helps them jazz it up a bit:

Slop has been a hot-button issue in recent seasons of Big Brother, with some campaigning for it go away completely. I was one of those people who would prefer we went back to Houseguests eating nothing but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. However, it sounds like the non-cooking Houseguests are surviving on less than that even when they're not on punishment!

The food situation might get even weirder in Season 28 specifically, as Week 2 HOH Rick Devens "declared war" on the other side of the house. His strategy might be a bit short-sighted, because I think the "other" side of the house has the people who have been doing all of the cooking. So this whole situation could turn into a hunger strike pretty soon. Maybe Ashley should be happy she got out when she did!

I'm glad Ashley could add some intel to what goes on in the Big Brother house, just on the heels of us learning about the hidden security measures via Julie Chen Moonves. Now, if I can just learn who is responsible for some of the worst Have-Not rooms, I'd love to pick their brain about how some of the most devious elements have come together.

Catch new episodes of Big Brother on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Season 28 is off to a great start, and I have a feeling this season will really get things going, so make sure to get caught up!

Spoilers for Ride or Die are ahead! You can stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription.

While Debbie (Octavia Spencer) finds out that Judith (Hannah Waddingham) is an assassin early in Ride or Die, the fact that she kept that secret for so long looms large over the entire show. So, as I watched the project on the 2026 TV schedule, I couldn’t stop stressing about said secret. That's why I asked Hannah Waddingham about it and how long her character kept it.

Throughout Ride or Die, Waddingham’s character fights off bad guys, but she also has to deal with inner demons and secrets. This specifically applies to the state of her friendship with Debbie, as Judith didn't tell her she was an assassin for decades. Considering how long she kept her true profession under wraps, I asked the Ted Lasso actress if her character ever thought about confessing to her pal. In response, she said:

As I was watching the show, I couldn’t help but think about how natural that secret became. Judith’s life with Debbie was an escape from her professional life, and telling her about it would endanger both of them. So, she just kept on keeping this massive part of her life to herself.

To that point, Waddingham explained that she made sure her performance acknowledged the fact that keeping this information from her best friend was second nature:

In the Ride or Die trailer alone, Debbie and Judith’s bond is on full display. So, you can imagine both how hard it might have been to live with that secret and how terrible it was for both of them when it was revealed.

As the show goes on, Debbie reckons with Judith’s real job, and it impacts their friendship in a big way. However, while she was utterly blindsided by her pal’s reveal, I also couldn’t help but wonder if she was ever suspicious about all this. So, I asked Spencer about it, and she said:

Waddingham went on to say that both characters coped with their lives by hiding things, and they’ve each gotten so used to it that it was something they could do without thinking about it too much. So, there was no suspicion. However, once the cat was out of the bag, all of this became unavoidable conflict.

That became the driving force behind Season 1 too, as these women reckoned with Judith’s secret and worked through their history together (while also fighting off bad guys). Overall, this all helped make Ride or Die a complex story about female friendship, and Waddingham and Spencer played the nuances of it all very well.

Now, to see how all this plays out in detail, you can stream Ride or Die on Prime Video.

SPOILERS AHEAD for Obsession.

I don’t know about you, but I got so freaked out and squeamish while watching the darkly amsuing Obsession. It’s going to take a lot for another one of the upcoming horror movies to top it. And when CinemaBlend had the chance to chat with Curry Barker, one thing I had to ask about that cat scene.

If you’ve seen the surprise box office smash you must remember the moment Bear realizes he’s eating the meat of his dead cat. It’s absolutely disgusting, so I just had to ask “But, why?” to the writer/director. Here’s how he responded:

I respect it. Curry Barker’s job is to get us freaked out while watching Obsession, and he absolutely aced that job by including the scene. Another filmmaker might not have been able to pull off something like this without it getting “silly.” But, Barker knew how to get under our skin with this sequence.

What really horrifies me is the idea of Nikki digging up the cat from his burial site and then cooking it. The idea of the smell of the house when she did that alone disturbs me to no end. I know a lot of people thought Bear got what he deserved, but come on, no one deserves that experience.

Outside of Barker’s answer, I’ve seen so many theories about how Bear’s cat plays into the storyline of Obsession I wasn’t expecting. Many think there’s metaphorical comparisons to Nikki and a cat because perhaps she’s just a piece of meat to Bear. The scene where she soils herself while waiting for him to come home could also be compared to Nikki becoming like a pet/cat.

There’s other ways to look at it, though. I’ve seen someone suggest that Nikki cooked the cat to punish Bear for wanting to be a food critic. It would mean more time away from her. I’ve also seen someone (via Reddit) suggest that the cursed Nikki has a very literal, almost childlike logic. So when Bear said he wanted his cat back, she felt like she gave it to him with the cat sandwich. Another example of her logic would be when she shallowly got Sarah’s tattoos to look like her – thinking that would make her more desirable to Bear.

Curry Barker definitely thought up something completely twisted with that cat sandwich. I’m kind of mad at him for thinking of such a gross idea, but he’s also kind of a genius. And, what makes Obsession the movie that keeps on giving is all the discourse it inspires - including for the cat sandwich.

Stuart Fails To Save The Universe is not The Big Bang Theory, and that'll be apparent enough in the opening minutes of Episode 1. Beyond the switch from traditional sitcom to serialized multi-camera exploits, those who watch can expect occasional violence, swearing, and even some R-Rated humor they would've never heard on the acclaimed CBS series. It may not be embraced by everyone, but Chuck Lorre and his fellow co-creators explained why they had to make this new show more edgy than the previous series.

As we prepare for the series' premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, I had the honor of talking to co-creators and EPs Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn about the big change from TBBT. Lorre admitted some may be surprised by the tonal shift, but that, he thinks, plays to the series' advantage:

I love the Star Trek reference by Chuck Lorre, using the classic line from Spock to salute the continuing legacy of The Big Bang Theory. Beloved as it is, the series is in syndication and on streaming for those with an HBO Max subscription, and that wasn't the show that he and the co-creators wanted to make now. They set out to make a series that emulated some of the best sci-fi movies and superhero shows, not another sitcom.

That much is understandable, but then why risk alienating that audience from The Big Bang Theory, who may not like the new cast swearing, blowing people up, or any of the other wild stuff that happens in the trailer? Bill Prady spoke to me about how it's more or less a necessity, as the reactions help sell the stakes of the story:

The stakes have to feel earned in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, and as the title may suggest, the stakes are very high. Though the verdict is still out on whether the show's title will ultimately be a massive spoiler for the series like Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, it's evident enough that we'll see Stuart fail at saving the universe more than he'll succeed.

Zak Penn was last to chime in with why the swearing happens in the new series, and while he's speaking tongue in cheek, it's still worth sharing with the prospective audience:

The co-creators added that while Stuart Fails To Save The Universe didn't necessarily hold back on the swearing, it did limit some of the more severe cases for key moments. The same goes for the violence and other wild things that occur, and while I can't get into specifics, I can confirm it's all usually done in service to the plot.

For fans of The Big Bang Theory curious about the series, there is plenty of connective tissue between the two shows that helps boost the story when it can. All this to say, superfans and even casual viewers should make a point to clock that July 23rd premiere date, and have their schedule cleared because this is a show people will be talking about.

Overall, I can't wait for people to watch Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, and be surprised by the many things that happen in this wild series. I'm still crossing my fingers and hoping for a crossover with Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, which Montana Jordan did weigh in on when speaking to CinemaBlend a while back. However, for now, I'll just enjoy this new (and slightly more R-rated) corner of the Big Bang universe.

When Kyland Young was evicted from the Big Brother house in Season 23, the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Kyland had a showdown with former ally and eventual winner Xavier Prather and began to antagonize him by implying his nephew would be ashamed of him for going back on his word. The two men stood inches from each other as host Julie Chen Moonves shouted over the loudspeaker for Kyland to leave, and the live episode went on without further incident.

We have yet to see a fight on a Big Brother live eviction show, or an instance where a Houseguest outright refuses to leave. As the series airs on the 2026 TV schedule, however, I'm fully aware the show often "expects the unexpected." So I had to ask the host what might happen should a fight or something of that nature happen during the live show. While fans have never seen it, there is a hidden security team ready to go should it come to that:

I can't express how much I love that Julie refers to herself as Chenbot, but I'm also relieved to hear that Big Brother has security on standby for when the unexpected arises. I do have to admit it's interesting we have yet to see them, given a couple of past Houseguest expulsions that could've easily gotten out of hand.

So, if those watching Big Brother episodes online or streaming the feeds with a Paramount+ subscription start to get antsy for a Houseguest's safety in Season 28 and beyond, rest assured, backup is off-camera. Also, if Julie's there and it's the live show, she made it clear to me she has no problem going in there and setting people straight herself:

If Julie Chen Moonves went sprinting into the Big Brother house to stop a fight, it might just go down as one of the best reality television moments of all time. Hopefully, though, we never have to see that happen. Overall, however, it is comforting as a fan to know that there is a plan in place for just about every contingency imaginable.

Season 28 is leaning into the eras of past seasons of the show, which means we'll see icons from the past appear in episodes. I'd love to see both Xavier and Kyland, who did eventually privately bury the hatchet after the very public confrontation, again. It might even be funny to have them on and pretend to fight again, if only to see how the Houseguests might react.

As for tensions in the house, the Big Brother Season 28 cast seems pretty friendly at the moment. There is the usual amount of snide comments and backstabbing, but hey, that's the nature of the beast. I'm just hoping it leads to a little more action, because so far, this cast is a little too passive.

Big Brother airs on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET unless otherwise noted ahead of time. Tune in to see who ends up winning next week's HOH, and how they might shake up the game in a way that, hopefully, won't require security to step in.

Zendaya has landed some major roles during her career and, funny enough, many of them just happen to fall on the 2026 movie schedule. What wasn’t a laughing matter, though, was the sheer amount of coordination necessary for the A-lister to be in a whopping four movies that have or will be released this year. Not to mention she also had to shoot a certain TV show. Matt Damon, her co-star on Christopher Nolan’s historical drama, spoke about her schedule with CinemaBlend, and I really like how he describes it.

This year, the former Disney Channel star has or will appear in The Odyssey, The Drama, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Dune Part Three as well as the since-ended HBO drama Euphoria. In Nolan’s movie, she plays the role of the goddess Athena, who guides Matt Damon’s Odysseus amid his journey home to Ithaca. While speaking to CinemaBlend alongside co-star Anne Hathaway, Damon showered praise upon Zendaya and made note of how frequently she had to dip in and out of the set:

“Parachute in” is a funny way for the Oscar winner to put it, but it’s actually quite accurate, given what’s known about his co-star’s wild shooting schedule. Zendaya previously talked about working on Odyssey, Dune 3 and Euphoria simultaneously. As she recalled, she could have a night shoot on a ranch for her TV show and would then have to memorize her Chakobsa dialogue for Denis Villeneuve’s threequel. And, from there, she’d travel to Iceland to shoot her material for Nolan’s film.

The idea of having a schedule like that just seems nerve-wracking to me but, then again, I’m not a seasoned performer like the Challengers alum. And, to top it off, she and her stylist – Law Roach – were already planning out her looks for the respective press tours this year. Their hard work seems to be paying off now, though, as Zendaya has sported some particularly fresh fits while promoting The Odyssey. Most recently, at the film’s New York premiere, she wore a feathered gown that Roach went to great lengths to coordinate.

Of course, the Malcolm & Marie star’s preparation for her acting work also paid off, and that was certainly the case with her work on Christopher Nolan’s set. Matt Damon previously revealed that Nolan gave the Athena actress a major compliment, as she was the only star on set to get a “perfect” from him after finishing a scene. That praise even served as a humorous point of contention for Damon and Tom Holland, the starlet’s husband.

So what’s next for Zendaya you might ask? Well, she’ll soon mark the release of her fourth Spider-Man movie and will promote Dune: Part Three later this year. After this big year of hers concludes, she’s “disappearing for a little bit.” I’d say that after having to “parachute in” and out of projects for a year and then promote them the following year, I’d say she’s more than earned it. For now, check her out in The Odyssey, which opens in theaters on July 17.

Minor spoilers for Ride or Die are ahead! You can stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription.

We know Hannah Waddingham is a comedy queen; her Emmy-winning performance in Ted Lasso proves that. We also know she’s a great dramatic actress. However, in Ride or Die, her new show on the 2026 TV schedule, she proves she’s an action star too. In fact, there’s one scene in this new series she went so hard for that her own stunt double had to “raise her game.”

In Ride or Die, Waddingham plays an assassin named Judith, and in Episode 5, she finds herself captured in a bathroom with a bag on her head. As she struggles to free herself, she bites a guy and fights with three others. It’s a sequence that feels like something straight out of the Mission: Impossible movies, and it turns out the Ted Lasso actress took a page out of Tom Cruise’s book as she worked on her own stunts. Explaining how that impacted her stunt double, Waddingham said:

While Hannah Waddingham has had supporting roles in action movies like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and The Fall Guy, she takes center stage in Ride or Die and is very involved in its biggest set pieces. She looks like a natural on screen too. It seems like that really was the case on set, as well, considering her own stunt double had to step up her game. To that point, the actress told me:

That’s quite the feather in Waddingham’s cap, and the sequence all around is very epic. I also love that she took it so seriously and went so big that her stunt double had to get on her level. That’s a testament to how committed the actress was to the action in this show.

Overall, Waddingham is epic throughout the show, not just in this scene. Her co-lead Octavia Spencer noted that too. Earlier in our interview, I asked about moments that made Ride or Die’s stars feel the most badass. As they were talking about Judith’s skiing sequence that opens the show, The Help actress had this to say about her co-star:

As you can see in the trailer for Ride or Die alone, both Waddingham and Spencer kick butt in this show about two women who wind up on quite the action-packed adventure together.

Now, to watch the action sequences mentioned in this story, and to see exactly why Hannah Waddingham is “the whole potato” when it comes to these sequences, you can stream Ride or Die on Prime Video now.

A lot of Moana fans are talking about the similarities between the OG Disney animated movie and the live action adaptation, but to me, a lot of the more interesting conversations are around the changes that were made. Some of them are bigger and will be obvious to anyone who has seen both movies, but there are also a lot that are more subtle and won’t immediately be noticeable to the casual viewer.

As an example, mega-star Lin-Manuel Miranda no longer sings “We Know The Way.” He’s the most prominent voice in the original version of the standout track that’s been streamed nearly 300M times on Spotify. He returned to work on the music for the new movie, but ultimately, the team decided to replace his vocal with one from Moses Mackay.

CinemaBlend recently had the chance to interview director Thomas Kail during the press day for the movie, and he gave us a pretty detailed explanation of the shake-up. Apparently, Miranda wasn’t supposed to sing on the track in the original movie either. He recorded a vocal demo to work as a placeholder. It went over really well, and since he was such a huge star, the original directors and the team behind the movie decided to just keep it.

When it came time to make the new movie, however, both Kail and Miranda felt like it was a good opportunity to turn the track over to a Polynesian voice. Here’s a portion of his quote…

Miranda and Kail have worked together for more than a decade. Kail was the director on Manuel’s breakout musical In The Heights, and he was heavily involved in Hamilton, directing the workshop, the off-Broadway version, the original Broadway version and the movie adaptation. As such, it wasn’t exactly a surprise the two continued working together on Moana.

In fact, when the subject of Miranda came up, Kail couldn’t stop talking about what a joy it was to be working with his longtime collaborator. He said the two have been scheming and working together constantly since they first met more than two decades ago, and to actually be together on set was a dream.

The critics reviews of the collaboration haven’t been positive, with many pointing to how similar the finished product is the original film, but thus far, the audience scores have been quite strong. It’s sitting at around 90% for the fan numbers on Rotten Tomatoes, and the word of mouth has been strong from the target audience. Its disappointing box office, however, has likely been a sign that it’s having trouble attracting casuals and people outside that target demographic.

You can check out the live action adaptation of Moana in theaters right now. Dwayne Johnson is back, and his wig is worth the price of admission alone. All the great songs and fun acting are just an added bonus.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for a few things. One is the impressive rate of new releases hitting theaters and for those with a Disney+ subscription, and the other is the studio's tight security. Case in point: fans still don't know who Sadie Sink is playing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, despite the movie arriving later this month. And producer Amy Pascal revealed how No Way Home actually influenced the top-secret nature of Sink's character.

The trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day featured heroes like Hulk and Punisher, but we haven't seen any footage of the Stranger Things star as of yet. During an interview with our sister outlet SFX Magazine, Pascal name dropped the last Spider-Man movie by saying:

She's not wrong. Despite Andrew Garfield lying for a year about returning as Peter Parker, plenty of fans were anticipating all three Spider-Men uniting when seeing No Way Home in theaters. Leaks and rumors about this crossover had followed the movie's production, and that was something that the powers that be were hoping to avoid for Brand New Day.

There are a number of lingering questions surrounding the upcoming Marvel movie, but Sadie Sink's mysterious role is arguably the biggest. Amy Pascal went on to speak about how important secrecy is for the beloved franchise, offering:

While folks are eager to find out who Sink is playing in Brand New Day, the producer maintains that fans still want to be surprised. And that's a major reason why the Stranger Things alum's character has been kept under wraps all this time. Now we're just weeks away from answers coming with the movie's release.

Of course, Sadie Sink is used to guarding spoilers after her years as Max in the Netflix series. Her character was in a coma at the end of Season 4, and Sink promoted the fifth and final season without ever revealing what was going to happen to her. So having to keep the secrets of Spider-Man: Brand New Day was just another day at the office for the 24 year-old actress.

Answers will finally come when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to see if any of the rumored characters end up being legit, with the most popular being Jean Grey.

I can't believe it, but it's been almost six years since many of us learned who Anya Taylor-Joy was as she broke big in Netflix's The Queen’s Gambit. Since then, the actress has become a full-blown movie star, between starring in a ton of horror films, landing the voice of Princess Peach and joining Dune. This week she’s back on the small screen; however, returning to the small screen in Lucky. This time, the notoriety she's built up since the Netflix hit definitely shows.

If you liked The Queen’s Gambit, I’d gamble you’re going to like her new series. It’s also about a young woman who’s especially gifted at one thing. (No, not chess.) Anya Taylor-Joy's new series is about the daughter of a grifter who’s been expertly trained him in the art of a good con since childhood. The show’s creator, Jonathan Tropper, said this to CinemaBlend about how the return to TV came about.

Oh, how the tables turn! While Taylor-Joy was a relatively unknown actor for hire when she was approached for The Queen’s Gambit, this time she was one of the first names on Lucky . She was approached; she didn't audition. This also marked her debut as a producer alongside the likes of Reese Witherspoon.

As Tropper added, it wasn't just Reese's involvement that got Taylor-Joy involved in the 2026 TV release. It was fate. Even author Marissa Stapley had pictured the actress in the role.

Lucky starts with a longtime couple, Lucky and Cary, who are getting ready to go on the run with millions of dollars in their hands. However, when Lucky wakes up the following morning to find her husband and the money nowhere to be found, she must avert the authorities (and other parties who want the money) all on her own.

When CinemaBlend chatted with Anya Taylor-Joy about the role, she recalled shooting the pilot across twelve days and nights in and around Las Vegas’s Caesar’s Palace. She also told me she was “so proud” of herself after running for twelve hours straight to film one scene in the first episode where Lucky is trying to get out of the famed hotel and disappear.

Lucky’s co-showrunner Cassie Pappas said the actress really put her heart and soul into wearing all these different hats in order to make Lucky as great as it is.

How cool is it that Taylor-Joy got to work on Lucky from the inside out? You've got to love seeing more talented women movie stars like her taking the reins behind the scenes. Pappas also said this of collaborating with her as well:

Lucky also stars Outer Banks’ Drew Starkey as Lucky’s husband and Timothy Olyphant as Lucky’s dad. Annette Bening also plays a chilling mob boss after her named Priscilla and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is FBI Agent Billie Rand, who is on her tail throughout. The TV series was shot not only in Las Vegas but across various terrain in Southern California where Taylor-Joy and the cast got to pull off a series of action scenes and nail-biting car chases.

The two-episode premiere of Lucky hits Apple TV this Wednesday, July 15, with new episodes coming out on subsequent Wednesdays. It's been a long time since Anya Taylor-Joy has made a TV show, but this one seems to be well worth the return to the medium.

Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of House of the Dragon, titled "Tumbleton".

Game of Thrones' finale might still be controversial, but fans have jumped back into Weteros thanks to its spinoffs. While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms got some Emmy nominations, we're currently watching a new season of House of the Dragon on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The fourth episode revealed that Helaena Targaryen was secretly pregnant, and Olivia Cooke spoke to CinemaBlend about where Alicent's relationship with her daughter stands.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a doozy so far, with epic battles, major character deaths, and plenty of twists. Chief among them is the reveal that Helaena was with child, which further complicates the ongoing Dance of the Dragons. Cooke spoke to me and other journalists ahead of the Season 3 premiere, where I asked about Alicent and her daughter. She started by gushing about actress Phia Saban, saying:

While Alicent's children are spread across Westeros, the one she's closest to both physically and emotionally seems to be her daughter Helaena. Clearly Cooke and and Saban get along on set, and it should be fascinating to see the way their characters' relationship changes as we get deeper into this season of HOTD.

Fans are keeping track of which House the Dragon belongs to who, but it's also important to pay attention to the ever changing interpersonal dynamics of the show. Cooke went on to share more about what's going on with Alicent and Helaena, telling me:

Helaena has had a unique role in HOTD so far. Despite being the rider of the dragon Dreamfyre and having prophetic visions, she's often ignore by the rest of her family. But it sounds like Alicent is going to see her daughter as a much more powerful figure moving forward. Is it Sunday yet?

Olivia Cooke spoke more about what's going on in Alicent's head in the official Inside the Episode video for Episode 4. She spoke more about how Helaena’s pregnancy has raised the stakes, offering:

Of course, getting out is easier said than done. After Rhaenyra took King's Landing and The Iron Throne, Alicent and her daughter officially became Team Black's prisoners. It sounds like Olivia Cooke's character might once again be shifting her alliance in order to ensure the survival of both Helaena and her unborn grandchild. We'll just have to wait and see if/how she manages to escape King's Landing in order to keep them both safe.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The season is really heating up, and it seems like no one is safe with the ongoing Targaryen civil war.

Superhero fans have been waiting a while for Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 and, now, it’s finally set to premiere amid the 2026 TV schedule. The first trailer for the new season teases the introductions of several classic villains but, of course, the most iconic among them is the Joker. The Dark Knight’s archenemy briefly appears at the tail end of Season 1, and he’s now expected to make his full debut this time around. Now, I have all kinds of feelings after an EP details the creative team’s take on the character.

Through the years, there have been plenty of portrayals of the Joker across TV and cinema, with each interpretation bringing something new to the table. It sounds like the Caped Crusader team is also striving to do something “different” when it comes to their version of the Clown Prince of Crime. Ironically, though, when executive producer James Tucker spoke to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend about this fresh take on Mr. J., he actually explained how it harkened back to the character’s roots:

In the realm of animation, shows like Batman: The Brave and the Bold and The Batman, have depicted a somewhat more gleeful takes on Joker, who enjoy inflicting chaos on Gotham City. Mark Hamill’s iconic version of the baddie has more layers but, for the most part, he can also be campy and quippy (when he’s not being downright scary). So far, Caped Crusader’s version of the antagonist isn’t so much interested in fooling someone with a bang flag gun than he is talking about the complexities of the human condition, and I love that.

The Season 2 trailer features hints of dialogue from Joker, who calls Batman to tell him he’s “come to awaken [him] and to show [him] something.” When the Bat asks what the mysterious man wants to show, the purple-clad baddie says, “what you are.” Check out the trailer for yourself below:

Clearly, this is a man who’s eager to not simply toy with the World’s Greatest Detective but to understand what makes him tick. The creative team is still keeping details on the character mostly under wraps (including the identity of the person voicing him). Still, Tucker shared more about making a unique version of this larger-than-life bad guy:

Considering how many versions of the Gotham City rogue have been created over the years, I’m excited to see that the Caped Crusader team is going for something so new. What makes me nervous, though, is how the people of the aforementioned town are going to suffer due to his machinations. During his brief scene in the Season 1 finale’s epilogue, the villain proved how sadistic he could be by killing several victims as part of his Joker toxin experiments.

Joker, of course, will be accompanied by a number of other notable villains like The Riddler, the Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and the returning Harley Quinn. But, of course, the clown’s presence is sure to loom large over the narrative and, with any luck, fans will be in for some serious action and drama. As Mr. J says in the trailer, “shall we begin?”

All episodes of Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 will drop on July 31 and will be available to Prime Video subscription holders. In the meantime, prepare for the vigilante’s new adventures by checking out the first season on Prime now. Fans can also read up on other upcoming DC shows.

I watch so many movies that only a select few get me misty-eyed, but one of the 2026 movie releases that really gets me there is Reminders Of Him. The film -- based on a novel by Colleen Hoover -- had me emotional over the journey Maika Monroe’s Kenna goes on after re-entering the real world in the aftermath of a six-year prison stint. Adding to the drama is the fact that Maika has never even met her own daughter due to her jail time. It’s a dramatic premise, but when I talked to the cast, I learned that Taylor Swift's music added some sweet vibes behind the scenes.

If you’ve seen Reminders Of Him already, I don’t have to tell you how adorable the child actor in the movie is. And, according to lead actress Maika Monroe, Zoe Kosovic really livened things up for everyone, too. In her words:

While I’d expect such a book-to-screen adaptation to have a more somber set, that wasn’t the case. thanks to the actress who played Kenna’s daughter, Diem. As a big Swiftie, she got the cast dancing around to her music, which sounds like a great on-set ritual. She also got especially close to the actor who played Ledger, Tyriq Withers. Monroe said the pair were “besties,"and Withers added this during our interview with them:

Given the child actor is just six years old, it’s certainly understandable she might get the actors’ names and characters mixed up, but hearing about it just makes you want to go “awww!” Check out the two actors -- who play out Reminders Of Him's main romance -- gush about Kosovic in the video below:

It sounds like the young actor really brightened up everyone’s day when she was on set in an otherwise serious film. Lauren Graham, who plays Grace, Diem’s grandma, also says this:

In Reminders Of Him, Kenna returns to her hometown, after pleading guilty for vehicular manslaughter in the wake of her boyfriend, Scotty, dying in a car accident. While Scotty's parents and Diem's grandparents won’t let Kenna meet her daughter, Scotty’s best friend, Ledger, starts to get to know Kenna and realizes she might not be the criminal she's been painted as.

Reminders of Him may have left critics calling it “predictable,” it was a crowd-pleaser when it came out earlier this year. And, if you’ve seen the film, you know how emotional the ending gets. I love the cast's behind-the-scenes stories about the making of this Hoover adaptation and, now, I’m eager to start a Taylor Swift dance party of my own.

Moana is a Disney Princess. That’s the official line from Disney at least, but not every fan is in agreement on who should or shouldn’t qualify as a Princess. Like everything else Disney-related, people have strong opinions about which of the ladies should be on the list. So, we decided to talk to an expert: the actress who is actually playing Moana in the new live action adaptation.

During the press junket for Moana, CinemaBlend had the privilege of speaking with Catherine Laga’aia, and we asked her whether she views Moana as a Disney Princess. In return, she gave us a super thoughtful answer that I think encapsulates how the majority of us feel. Here’s a portion of her quote…

Laga’aia is right. A lot of fans lump Moana, Mulan and Pocahontas together into almost like a sub-category of Princesses. They technically qualify, but to some, they feel different because they’re more physically involved in the conflicts. I don’t really see how that makes them any less of Princesses though. In fact, I’d argue it’s especially important to categorize them as such because they offer an alternate path that shows younger viewers you can have a wide variety of personality types and life goals and still be a Princess.

The other group of Princesses or non-Princesses that Disney fans argue over includes entirely separate characters like Anna and Elsa from Frozen and Tinkerbell from Peter Pan. They all fit more into the traditional archetype of Princesses, but Disney doesn’t officially include them, allegedly because the company wants to keep them separate for branding reasons. That’s a separate article that could easily be a thousand words, but if nothing else, it’s a good representation of why fans don’t always agree with Disney’s official roster.

Regardless of how you classify her, Moana is back at the movie theater this weekend. The new take on her title film officially hits the movie release schedule today, and it’ll give everyone the chance to relive the magical Polynesian story with non-animated characters. Dwayne Johnson is back as Maui, complete with a gigantic tattoo suit and a ridiculous wig, and Laga’aia is ready to give fans a familiar yet unique take on the Disney Princess herself.

There’s a level of seriousness to many Christopher Nolan movies that you don’t always get from big budget films. That’s not to say there aren’t moments of levity, but there’s something about his direction (and his red scripts) that makes it all feel really grand and important. At least that’s how it comes across to viewers when you’re watching Oppenheimer or The Prestige or The Dark Knight, and apparently, it’s how it comes across a lot of times on the set too.

That was especially true while shooting The Odyssey this time around, both because it’s an over-the-top mythic adventure and because the famed director made the practical decision to shoot all of it with IMAX cameras. He’s worked extensively with the high tech format in the past for action scenes, but on The Odyssey, he decided to shoot the entire movie with IMAX cameras, which means he could only shoot for three minutes before calling cut.

The combination of that pressure to get things right, plus the gravity of the material they were shooting was a lot to deal with, at least for star Anne Hathaway. She recently told CinemaBlend during an interview at The Odyssey junket that it felt like being in a “birthing suite.” Here’s a portion of her quote…

Anne Hathaway plays Penelope in The Odyssey, who is the wife of Matt Damon’s title character Odysseus. She has, by all accounts, quite a few intensely emotional scenes in the movie. She’s also, by all accounts, great in the film, and I’m sure a lot of that has to do with her being able to stay with the emotions of her characters while stopping every three minutes. Because of that, it makes a lot of sense that everyone remained really serious.

That’s not to say there wasn’t the occasional break in character though. Hathaway said some takes definitely got disrupted, but her rule of thumb was she couldn’t break character or interrupt the seriousness unless Christopher Nolan did. If he broke then all bets were off…

It’s hard to call a movie a Best Picture frontrunner in July, but there are high hopes for the movie to put it modestly. It’s at the top of pretty much everyone’s Oscar boards at this point, and the early buzz from the set and the screenings has been overwhelmingly positive. Fans are going to love it, and like everyone involved in the movie, they’ll take it very seriously.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is switching up things with James T. Kirk's character, but fans can lower their phasers because this sounds like a great change. With Season 4 set to stream for those with a Paramount+ subscription on July 23rd, I was surprised to learn that we'll get an appearance by a Wrath of Khan character I didn't see coming.

David Marcus, Kirk's son, will appear in Strange New Worlds Season 4, as revealed by SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend in its cover interview. Henry Alonso Myers revealed the writing team wanted to do an episode that will show Kirk as a father to a younger David. He talked about the reason for the episode, hoping to add to, rather than retcon, the story of Kirk's son:

David Marcus was the love-child of Kirk and Dr. Carol Marcus, both of whom only occasionally saw each other due to their long-distance and on-and-off relationship. Rather than invite the implication that Kirk didn't really have a role in David's life until he was an adult, he was killed off in the third Star Trek movie, so we get robbed of a ton of father/son time.

So, when it comes to Strange New Worlds, what they're doing is not a retcon; instead, it's giving attention to something that the original series hadn't tackled during its run. Let's be real, Star Trek already has a history of showcasing imperfect fathers, with characters like Worf never getting to fully redeem their shortcomings as a dad. That won't happen with Kirk, as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will supplement what we know about him as a dad with more in this upcoming episode:

The goal of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was always to talk about what came before Kirk's captaincy on the Enterprise. While there's questions of whether Paramount+ would consider announcing a sequel to the series before the 2026 TV schedule ends is still up in the air, I think episodes like this could ultimately help show fans and executives why such a show should exist.

In that, Star Trek: Year One, or whatever it is eventually called, will never actually replace the original series. At the same time, it can strengthen and modernize it by introducing story arcs that help connect the dots for certain things shows made in the '60s weren't as focused on.

In addition to that, Strange New Worlds has plans to show us dinosaurs and an episode in which the crew is turned into puppets. Honestly, I'm just thrilled they're finding ways to give us something abstract and fun, while adding more emotional beats as well. The premiere can't get here soon enough!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is coming to Paramount+ starting on July 23rd. I can't wait for the new episodes, even if it moves us one step closer to the abbreviated final season.

I’m not sure there are many actors in Hollywood who have gotten more positive comments about their appearance over the past few decades than Dwayne Johnson. From WWE superstar to action staple to the biggest name in Hollywood, The Rock won the Sexiest Man Alive crown back in 2016 and hasn’t exactly gotten less attractive in the last decade. For the past several months, however, he’s been getting a taste of how the rest of us live, as he’s been the subject of cheeky jokes and zany one-liners thanks to his look in the upcoming Moana.

Johnson voiced Maui in Disney’s Moana ten years ago and is returning for the live action version, which hits the movie release schedule later this week. Since the moment the first trailer dropped, however, fans have been making cracks about the big guy’s wig. People aren’t used to seeing The Rock with such luxurious and flowy hair, and there are many who think the production department could have chosen some locks that were a little less jarring. Maybe a little less Weird Al Yankovic?

Let the record show, however, that Johnson has taken it all in good spirits. He’s seen the jokes online, and he’s laughed along with quite a few of them. Here’s what he told us during a recent interview we did on the Moana press day…

Johnson quickly got used to the idea that people were going to make jokes. He’s had basically the same look since the mid-2000s, apart from the occasional change-up for a movie role. So, it wasn’t a surprise that people had something to say about his Maui look. Between the 40 pound tattoo suit and the hair, it was always going to be jarring when people got their first look. From his perspective, however, he was just happy that many of the jokes were actually funny.

If you’re going to get roasted by the Internet, at least get roasted in a way that’s entertaining. Here’s more of his take…

The Rock has shown pretty consistently during his career that he’s able to laugh at himself and/ or let his buddies clown him. He recently posted a video clip in which he misunderstood a question a journalist asked about his favorite swimming stroke and instead gave an answer about his bedroom preferences. Compared to that level of awkwardness, this wig is nothing. At least that’s my take. You can decide for yourself and see Johnson’s full look in all its glory when Moana officially hits theaters on July 10th.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of House of the Dragon Season 3.

Despite Game of Thrones' finale being controversial, the fandom is once again invested in Weteros thanks to its spinoffs A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon (streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The latter has returned for its third season on the air, and the first three episodes have been a doozy. The third episode "Rhaenyra Triumphant" saw Corlys give the new queen a serious clap back, and actor Steve Toussaint explained to me why his sons are so important to the Velaryon patriarch.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, and we've already seen a number of major character deaths. There might be more after the last episode, because Corlys got mad when Rhaenyra refused to legitimize Addam and Alan, resulting in him calling her own (dead) children bastards. I spoke with the House of the Dragon cast ahead of Season 3's premiere, where Toussaint spoke to me and other journalists about why his character is suddenly feeling so attached to his sons. In the actor's words:

Honestly, this does track. The death of Rhaenys (and her dragon Meleys) in Season 2 is still being felt in-universe, especially for her widower Corlys. And with his beloved granddaughter Baela not interested in becoming his heir, instead his focus has been put on the two bastards he ignored for most of their lives: Addam and Alyn of Hull. So when Rhaenyra snubbed his family, even after all he's sacrificed, Toussaint's character snapped.

The fact that Corlys called the Queen's kids bastards, especially so soon after Jace's death in Episode 1, is truly wild. I have to assume that there will be consequences, although Rhaenyra does need Addam and Seasmoke for the ongoing war. Later in the same interview, the 61 year-old actor spoke more about Corlys' need for family and connection this season. In his words:

This makes sense, and offers some context as to why Corlys would say something so crazy to Rhaenyra that could get him and his sons killed. Only time will tell how she reacts to this disrespect. But if there's dissension among Team Black, then it could spell disaster for the ongoing Dance of the Dragons.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The book to screen adaptation has been especially spicy this year, and it feels like just about anything could happen.

Minor spoilers for DC Studios’ Supergirl lie ahead.

When it comes to superhero movies, Jason Momoa holds a sweet distinction, as one of a group of actors who’ve been able to play two prominent roles. Momoa was hired to play Aquaman years ago as part of the DC Extended Universe and, in 2024, the fan-favorite actor achieved his dream of being cast as Lobo in the DCU. These particular versions of the DC characters do have their similarities, and even their first on-screen appearances are similar. Momoa is also aware of those parallels, and he shared a funny take with CinemaBlend.

The first sighting of Arthur Curry (Aquaman) in the DCEU technically comes in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice via footage glimpsed by Diana Prince. However, his formal debut happens in Justice League and, an early scene shows him chugging down a beer at a bar at an Icelandic village. And, funny enough, Lobo’s DCU debut in Supergirl sees him enjoying a drink at a bar on the planet Bilquis, where he encounters Kara Zor-El and Ruthye Marye Knoll. CinemaBlend had the chance to ask Momoa if the similarities of these debuts were intentional, and he jokingly refuted that notion with a perfect quip:

It’s true that Momoa has played plenty of characters who’ve enjoyed a good brew now and then. Superhero movie fans would likely agree with me when I say that the A-lister’s DC characters are particularly strong drinkers. I love this comment from Momoa, because it indicates the level of self-awareness he has when it comes not only to his characters but his own on-screen persona as a whole. Still, the star stressed that he was not responsible for Lobo and Arthur’s beverage choices:

What we have here is an actor who’s committed to his craft and, with that, he’s found considerable success. In terms of DC, Momoa’s profile rose after Aquaman earned more than $1 billion worldwide following its release in 2018. Momoa subsequently spoke about finding “baffling” levels of fame due to the movie’s success. Still, he’s apparently been able to handle the fame well, and what he appreciates is that it’s happening later in life. Momoa is specifically grateful that he’s become busy years after having been able to be with his kids during their formative years.

More recently, Momoa has been revelling in his Lobo casting, and he’s also spoken about the amount of work it took to transform him into the Czarnian bounty hunter. As it stands, Momoa seems keen on playing the role for the foreseeable future, though he said he’d only do a Lobo solo film if it were R-rated. Momoa also spoke about the prospect of someone playing Aquaman in the DCU. While he initially joked about taking that person out, he expressed openness to seeing that recasting.

Regardless of who plays the King of Atlantis next, I’d like to think fans won’t forget Jason Momoa’s take on the character and, so far, fans seem to dig his take on Lobo as well. Here’s hoping the cigar-smoking alien will return sooner rather than later and that he’ll continue to enjoy a good drink here and there. For right now, though, check out his DCU debut in Supergirl, which is now playing in theaters alongside other 2026 movie schedule releases. And stream both Justice League and Aquaman using an HBO Max subscription.

Half a million cheese cones. Five Million riders (or nearing it) on most of the marquee attractions. Families coming to the parks in IP clothing starting on Day 1. The Epic Universe team has seen a lot of milestones in its first year, and they believe it all happened because of the one rule they had in place when dreaming up the portals.

Seriously, there was one rule the Universal Orlando team stood by as the metric for determining whether an idea might move forward or not. Otherwise as Chef Jens Dahlmann mentioned to CinemaBlend and other outlets, ‘there were no restraints.” The dreamers could go as far as they dared to go.

In a Q&A, Executive VP and General Manager of Epic Universe Jeff Polk shared this one rule the entire creative team, from the chefs to the ride designers and VPs, all had when coming up with new ideas in the parks.

It sounds simple, but honestly it was anything but. Epic Universe is made up of thousands and thousands of compounded ideas that all lead to one seamless experience. Just look at Super Nintendo World as an example. You take an escalator through a portal to get into that section of the park. The world is immersive from the moment you step into it, but if you have a Universal Mario band there are even more options to go interactive and to play games leading to other secrets in that section of the park. You can have a wild DK float that’s as big as your face. You can meet Princess Peach and dance with Toad. It all looks like this:

Or, look to Dark Universe, where Ygor roams around, the well lights up at night, and werewolf footprints are “stamped” into the concrete of the forest on Curse of the Werewolf. All these things took people to dream them up.

The creatives knew when they had hits, as Ariana Morabito, VP of Entertainment for Epic Universe and some of the others involved with the park’s creation all cited the Meet-and-Greet with Toothless as a moment they really specifically felt they hit the highest bar. In fact, they were all on hand to watch Toothless roll out.

As someone who has met Toothless, the feeling of touching the dragon is pretty indescribable, and special, even for a grownup. The wonder when kids get to do it will leave an impression. It all came back to the one word though. Per Jeff Polk, “epic” was the only way to measure every single thing that came into being, and it led to over 161 patents being created just for the one theme park.

One a year later, Universal’s park is still going strong. Epic Universe has made adjustments to its schedule in the first year, staying open later to accommodate the wishes of guests, and other changes are being cemented as we speak. The parks recently started testing Universal Celestial Goodnight, a new fireworks show set to officially debut next month on July 7th. There’s rumors about new attractions heading to the Ministry of Magic and other areas of the parks. It’s only a year in, and all I see are growth opportunities ahead. I’m guessing that one rule is still in place for the creative team and will be for awhile.

The temperatures are high, kids are out of school, and we’re getting ready to wish our country a happy birthday, so that could only mean one thing — it’s Christmas in July on Hallmark! The summer slate of holiday movies on Hallmark’s schedule kicks off July 4, but the whole thing makes me wonder: Is there such a thing as too much Christmas? So I posed the question to Hallmark star Alison Sweeney.

People have a lot of big feelings when it comes to the holidays. There’s the fake tree vs. real tree debate, and opinions on when it’s appropriate to start decorating. So what about Christmas coming twice a year? When Alison Sweeney spoke to CinemaBlend about her whopping 14th Hannah Swensen movie, I got the opportunity to ask her feelings about Hallmark’s semi-annual injection of holiday cheer. She said:

Some may argue that celebrating in the summer takes away from the full impact of the holidays, and I wouldn’t blame the actress for feeling that way — for those filming the family-friendly holiday fare, it can feel like Christmas lasts year-round. However, I’m so glad that’s not the case and that even Hallmark stars love Christmas in July.

Alison Sweeney has had a busy year on Hallmark so far, with three premieres in the first half of the 2026 TV schedule. However, we’ll likely have to wait a few more months before we know if she’ll be on this year’s Countdown to Christmas.

Of course we’re already looking forward to Lacey Chabert’s partnership with Disney for Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Hallmark has some delicious Christmas offerings premiering way before that one does.

In fact, Hallmark Channel has been airing holiday movies for about a week now, with its first 2026 Christmas in July premiere coming Saturday, July 4. That will see Jessica Lowndes and Daniel Lissing starring in Christmas Under Construction, where a project on a home renovation reality show becomes a turning point in the characters’ lives. Take a peek at what’s in store for the month:

We’ll also see Hallmark Hunk Stephen Huszar in O Little Christmas Market and Jen Lilley in Love Under the Mistletoe, to name a couple, and remember, those premieres are in addition to nonstop Christmas movies from past years playing all day long for the entire month. It’s almost enough to make you forget the temperatures approaching triple digits outside.

According to that preview, we’ll also get some sneak peeks into what’s to come later in the year, which is a shot of holiday cheer in and of itself for Countdown to Christmas fans.

So don’t let any scrooges dampen your spirit over celebrating the holidays in the middle of summer. You’re in good company with Hallmark stars like Alison Sweeney.

While movies based off of video games have historically suffered, the past few years have changed the genre's reputation. Some of the best video games movies have hit theaters recently, and Simon McQuoid's pair of Mortal Kombat movies are definitely in that category. Following the 2021 original (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) the sequel Mortal Kombat II hit theaters in May. I recently spoke with the director about its forthcoming release on 4K UHD, where he revealed a few easter eggs cans can seek out upon the re-watch

Mortal Kombat II is available now on digital and will be available 4K UHD on July 28th. The fandom can now re-watch all those epic fight scenes, and have the ability to pause and rewind every fight, fatality, and surprising pop culture reference. I had the privilege of speaking with Simon McQuoid about the sequel's home release, where I asked him about any east eggs eagle-eyed fans should look out for now that we can stop the sequel. He told me:

Edenia is introuced in the opening sequence of Mortal Kombat II, and is the home of Kitana and one of the realms thats involved in the titular tournament. Fans of the game will recognize it as an important setting, and also the home of other characters like Sindel, Jarrod, Jade, Rain, Kitana and Mileena (depending on which timeline you're in). As McQuoid pointed out, that setting its given its own visual language, including ongoing costume motifs conceptualized and implemented by designer Cappi Ireland.

An Edenian flower is included in a number of pieces throughout Mortal Kombat II, something I didn't notice on my first re-watch of the R-rated action flick. The filmmaker went on to share more examples of the way it's used in the movie, telling me:

God is in the details, and there was clearly a ton of specific work done on Mortal Kombat II. Simon McQuoid's movie felt straight out of the video games, and luckily writer Jeremy Slater already has four more sequels planned. We'll just have to wait and see if Warner Bros. green lights a threequel. I'll personally be keeping my fingers crossed.

Mortal Kombat II reviews priased Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, and luckily there are some easter eggs for that scene stealer as well. Specifically during Johnny's hilarious fake movie Uncaged Fury. As Simon McQuoid told me:

Suddenly I'm feeling the need to pause dissect every frame of the epic sequel. Luckily for me, fans can do exactly that by watching McQuoid's sophomore directorial venture from the comfort of their own home.

Mortal Kombat II is available digitally now, and will arrive on July 28th as part of the 2026 movie release list.

James Gunn is known for putting his brother, his friends, and even wife Jennifer Holland in the movies and TV shows he creates and produces, and I had to know more about why. In an industry where Hollywood nepotism is always making headlines, Holland offered a different explanation as to why Gunn puts people he likes in his movies.

CinemaBlend caught up with Holland, who spoke to us on behalf of Milkbone about their dog, Ozu, being the inspiration for Krypto in Supergirl and Superman. Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt in the DCU and voices one of Superman's robots in the Fortress of Solitude, told us exclusively that casting friends helps James Gunn feel less lonely in filmmaking:

James Gunn casting his brother, wife, and others isn't just done to boost their resumes. I'd never considered that the tremendous amount of time he spends making movies takes away from time with his loved ones, so he makes sure he can work with them as much as possible. In the meantime, them being on set means he can spend some time with them in between the days spent toiling on a movie, which is really smart.

Holland continued talking about how much Gunn enjoys bringing in people he knows to work on movies, and how that factored into Supergirl. She spoke about their rescue dog, Ozu, and how the real-life story of their experiences with him inspired him to create Krypto's storyline:

Krypto the Superdog is one of the most entertaining characters of the DCU thus far, as as Jennifer Holland mentioned, that's because he's inspired by James Gunn's real-life pet Ozu. As a rescue pet, the dog had some habits that would give most owners trouble, especially if he had superpowers. Even without superpowers, Holland confirmed that Ozu could be quite feisty, but stressed that his rambunctious behavior didn't mean he was a "bad dog."

In many ways, Krypto represents a theme of Supergirl. In that, one doesn't have to be perfect to still be a good person. Milly Alcock's character may not be quite as polished as her cousin, but her unique style and brand makes for an engaging character which Gunn finds interesting. If the goal is to make each hero have their own distinct personality, I can only imagine how a future Justice League movie will look.

Of course, the DCU is a hot topic as of late, as Supergirl's box office take has some questioning how long the ride will last. I'm hoping the movie doesn't slow the momentum of Gunn building this universe, though ultimately, I think most studios know a stumble or two is to be expected on the way to creating something bigger.

Supergirl still has a chance to bounce back, and people can see it in theaters right now. Go to see Krypto, and see just how wild Jennifer Holland and James Gunn's pet Ozu was, with some additional special effects.

To say that we love the Evil Dead franchise here at CinemaBlend is probably an understatement, as the first three films made our list of the best horror movies of all time, with Ash vs. Evil Dead gleefully delivering some of TV’s grossest sequences. And even though French filmmaker Sebastien Vaniček’s upcoming horror movie Evil Dead Burn is another standalone entry that aims more for extreme terror than anything comedic, it still comes with a seal of approval from OGs Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi.

Evil Dead Burn's first trailer offered a compacted smor-gore-sbord of the intensity that horror fans can anticipate when the 2026 movie releases on July 10, and Vaniček talked to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend for the newest issue about being heavily influenced by the hyper-violent films that sparked the New French Extremity moniker. But no need to fear it feeling like a completely different horror movie. The director shared that Ash Williams himself, Bruce Campbell, had but one request when they first talked about Burn’s approach. In his words:

Gotta love hearing that Campbell only wanted the newest franchise director to stick to the mission statement, but without attempting to convince Vaniček to go in any specific directions with it. It's not entirely unexpected, but still means a lot.

Bruce Campbell essentially retired from portraying Ash in live-action, and previously turned down opportunities to make cameos in the current era of Evil Dead features. What's more, the actor candidly revealed he was diagnosed with a treatable-but-not-curable cancer, which has obviously had an impact on his day-to-day life.

Sebastien Vaniček paid Campbell a mighty big compliment as well, saying this about the fan-favorite actor:

He's a one-of-a-kind treasure, that guy. I can't wait to hear what Bruce Campbell thinks about Evil Dead Burn as a finished product, and whether or not he thinks the actors suffered more than he did under Sam Raimi's direction. (Probably not.)

Speaking of the esteemed genre master, Evil Dead Burn's Vaniček shared that Raimi allowed himself to be an open book — but not like a cursed one with human skin for its cover — if and when any questions came up or advice was needed. The French filmmaker praised that process, saying:

We've come a long way from 1981's The Evil Dead, but just like its garish and malicious monsters, this franchise always comes back, and it gets nastier every time. But in a good way, and not like old milk.

Have fun celebrating America's independence, because by July 10, Evil Dead Burn will be pouring hot wax all over everything in sight.

Actress Millie Bobby Brown became a household name after leading the Stranger Things cast, but she's worked on a number of other projects for the streaming service. Those with a Netflix subscription are about to be treated to Enola Holmes 3, which will once again have the 22 year-old actress breaking the fourth wall and directly speaking to the audience. And she spoke to CinemaBlend about one thing that bothers her about re-watching the first movie.

While fans are still debating Stranger Things' ending, Millie Bobby Brown is leaving Eleven behind and reprising her role as Enola. As you can see in the video above, I asked Brown about her character's penchant for speaking to the camera. That's when she told me:

The trailer for Enola Holmes 3 showcased how wildly charismatic MBB is while breaking the fourth wall, but it sounds like she's got notes about 2020 original movie. Namely where her eye line was the first time she played the young detective. Suddenly I'm feeling the need to re-watch the first two movies of this burgeoning franchise.

Millie Bobby Brown had been doing a ton of press for Enola Holmes 3, but she's also clearly looking back at the franchise's humble beginnings. She told me and co-star Louis Partridge that she caught herself looking just above the lens while narrating, rather than directly into it. Luckily she got more comfortable with this part of the role as her tenure as Sherlock's little sister continued.

Millie Bobby Brown pushed for Enola Holmes 3 to be more adult than the previous two installments, given how both she and her character have grown up. Indeed, the threequel has the title character preparing for her marriage to Lord Tewkesbury, which shows just how much time has passed since the first movie arrived on Netflix. The franchise is yet another example of how audiences have watche Brown grow up right before our eyes.

Enola Holmes' penchant for breaking the fourth wall is one of the best parts about the franchise, and makes me want to see the Damsel actress in a mockumentary. I mean, can you imagine her in something like The Paper, looking directly into the camera in the process? In the clip above she also name-dropped Fleabag, and now I want to see the show rebooted with her at the center. Are you listening, Phoebe Waller-Bridge?

Enola Holmes 3 will arrive on Netflix on July 1st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully this franchise will also continue with a fourth movie. Fingers crossed.

Game of Thrones was a HBO show that got the world talking, and fans have been brought back to Westeros with its spinoffs like House of the Dragon (streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The Season 3 premiere saw Henry Collett's Jace die at the Battle of the Gullet, and the second episode featured Rhaenyra's reaction to this devastating loss. And actor Emma D'Arcy explained to CinemaBlend and other outlets about why they "dreaded" filming the scene where Rhaenyra said goodbye to her son.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has already had a number of major character deaths, and smart money says the loss of Jacaerys is going to influence the season as a whole. While speaking to myself and other journalists in a round table interview, D'Arcy got real about why they were dreading filming Rhaenyra's reaction to Jace's dead body. In their words:

This really tracks. Because while we're only in the third season of the GOT spinoff, the House of the Dragon cast has been working together since back in 2021. And while character deaths have repercussions in the narrative of the series, it also means that actors who played those roles are also leaving the set. And that added extra emotional weight to Emma D'Arcy's final scene with Harry Collett's Jace.

While folks like to keep up with which HOTD dragon belongs to who, it's also fascinating hearing how the sausage gets made on set. And after speaking to my roundtable about why they dreaded the Jace goodbye scene, Emma D'Arcy spoke to how it'll affect their signature character throughout the rest of Season 3. In the actor's words:

Is it Sunday yet? Because with Rhaenyra now on the Iron Throne and seemingly leaning into nihilism, I can't wait to see what comes next for Emma D'Arcy in House of the Dragon Season 3. While Team Black was able to take King's Landing with minimal bloodshed, I'm sure the challenges are still coming. And after losing two songs (including her heir), I'm curious about how brutal Rhaenyra might end up becoming.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The Dance of the Dragons is far from over, so I'm preparing for more character deaths-- both human and dragon.

In addition to serving as the first solo outing for Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El in the DCU, Supergirl also ushers in the debut of Lobo, played by the vivacious Jason Momoa. The reactions to the DC film have showered praise upon Momoa’s portrayal of the eccentric and violent bounty hunter and, at this point, the antihero seems to be striking a chord with fans. I’m particularly curious as to which major players Lobo will interact with next, and Momoa actually told CinemaBlend how he thinks Superman would respond to his character.

Lobo and Kara have a somewhat complex and humorous relationship, given that both of them find each other annoying on some level. However, without going into spoilers, they seem to find some level of mutual respect for each other by the end of the film. The Man of Steel is quite different from his cousin, of course, which is why CB asked Momoa how Superman might feel about Lobo. Ultimately, the fan-favorite actor’s take is as honest as it is humorous:

Honestly, I’m tempted to agree, as Kal-El and the “Main Man” are shown to have a somewhat tense relationship dynamic in comics and TV shows. My own first experience of seeing the two interact was in the DC Animated Universe via Superman: The Animated Series, in which Kal saw the motorcycle-riding Czarnian as more of a nuisance than anything else. Judging by Momoa’s comments, he’s of the belief that his character would bother Supes in the DCU as well:

Considering Superman’s strength and Lobo’s immortality, I’d say that would be quite a “tussle” for the ages. I really do hope, though, that David Corenswet’s Supes and Jason Momoa’s Last Czarnian do get the opportunity to cross paths in an upcoming DC movie. The question is just where and when that might happen. Given Momoa’s character is such a wild card, it’s hard to say where he might pop up next. The actor has revealed, though, that he’s open to doing a solo film – only on the condition that it’s rated R.

What I’ll say is that it would be a missed opportunity for Lobo not to return at some point and rub shoulders with the Big Blue Boy Scout or other major DC characters. The mere thought of Supes doing battle with the “Scourge o’ the Cosmos” is just too exciting not to consider. I’m confident that studio head James Gunn and co. will make that happen at some point but, until then, I’ll just remain satisfied that Jason Momoa achieved his dream of playing the cigar-chomping hitman.

Check out Lobo’s first appearance in the DCU by heading to a theater and checking out Supergirl. Also, grab an HBO Max subscription to check out Superman as well as the character’s DCAU-set show.

Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2.

Years after Game of Thrones' finale, audiences continue to be treated to new stories in Westeros thanks to spinoffs like House of the Dragon. Those with a HBO Max subscription were recently tread to Season 3's first two episodes, both of which ended in major character deaths. And actress Olivia Cooke spoke to CinemaBlend about what Alicent is thinking after seeing Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne... and her father Otto dead on the floor next to it.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a doozy so far, especially tragic moments like Jace's death in Episode 1. I had the chance to do some round table interviews with the the HOTD cast ahead of the season's premiere, where Cooke was asked what Alicent is thinking after seeing her father's dead body in the Throne Room. As she told me and other journalists:

Well, suddenly I am in dire need of Episode 3 to drop. Because while Alicent spent much of the first two episodes of Season 3 helping to make it easier for Rhaenerya and The Blacks to fly into King's Landing, the fact that her former best friend has now killed her father Otto Hightower is going to complicate things. Not only because of his death, but because of how much Alicent doesn't know about how/why he ended up imprisoned and decapitated.

While Rhaenerya and Alicent worked together to try and end their conflict with minimal bloodshed, that was before Otto was so brutally killed. There are clearly a ton of thoughts and questions going through the head of Cooke's character, and it should be fascinating to see if things go from bad to worse now that Alicent's father has been executed.

Alicent has really been going through it in Season 3 so far, starting from her wild kiss with Aemond and now walking into the Throne Room to see Otto's dead body. I have to assume that her uneasy alliance with Rhaenerya is officially over, especially since she's the one who beheaded her father. We'll just have to wait and see how Olivia Cooke's character is treated now that she's (presumably) a prisoner of Team Black.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. I was only given the first two in advance for my interviews, so I'm ready to tune in like every other fan and see how things shake out in the ongoing war.

As someone who grew up with Avatar: The Last Airbender and rewatched it many times, there are so many moments from the animated series that I wanted to see in live-action. Thankfully, Season 2 delivered quite a few of those, including a few silly scenes that are utterly irresistible. Actually, one of those funnier instances made it into Netflix’s adaptation in a more accurate way because the two actors who play Sokka and Katara fought for it.

Now, the moment I’m referring to is when Katara spooks a couple of guys, and Sokka proudly says “Water Tribe” as they leave in a cool way. I’ve always adored that scene between the siblings, and I was stoked when it found its way into the show on Netflix’s 2026 schedule. During an interview with CinemaBlend, Ian Ousley, who plays Sokka, told me that he and Kiawentiio, who plays Katara, fought to do it accurately too:

So, in the live-action adaptation’s second episode (you can stream it with a Netflix subscription), Aang, Katara and Sokka are exploring a new town and trying to get information. Before they go to the Earth Rumble, Katara said she got some info out of people, and her brother jokes that she probably did it with waterbending. We then see Katara making an “I’m watching you” motion at two people she froze together. When Sokka sees them, he proudly says “Water Tribe” while making the motion you can see below:

That moment is ripped straight out of the original show. In the sixth episode of the animated series’ second season (which you can stream on Netflix or with a Paramount+ subscription), Katara uses the same method to get information out of two boys. Later in the episode, the gang goes to talk to the guys again, and as they’re ending the conversation, Katara says, “I’ve got my eye on you” and makes the “I’m watching you” hand motion. Then Sokka says “Water Tribe” with the following motion:

As you can see, the two versions of this scene are very similar, and both highlight Katara’s strength and Sokka’s humor. It’s also just fun to do the “Water Tribe” thing with him. So, overall, I’m so happy Kiawentiio and Ousley fought to do the scene this way. Explaining how exactly they fought for it, the actors said:

• Kiawentiio: Yeah, and we filmed it both ways, and fought really hard to be able to capture it in a more of the original blocking.
• Ian Ousley: Yeah, like a closer adaptation to the original animated series.
• Kiawentiio: Yeah, and that's the one that ended up working best. So, it was really fun when we got to see that.

Along with seeing intense and sad Avatar moments come to life in live-action, I adore that the funnier lines and sequences made it in, too. I especially adore that the cast fought for them, because it proves just how much they care for and love the source material.

Now, to see this moment (and many others) in live-action, you can stream Season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.

Minor spoilers for Supergirl – which is currently playing in theaters – lie ahead.

For years now, comic book fans have loved the character of Kara Zor-El a.k.a. Supergirl, and understandably so. The character greatly differs from her cousin, Kal-El/Clark Kent (Superman), but they’re similar in that they both have a desire to serve up justice. Something that’s been noted for a while now though, is the fact that Kara’s superhero moniker includes the word “girl,” while Clark’s includes “man.” The term “Superwoman” is mentioned in Kara’s 2026 movie schedule entry, though, and CinemaBlend asked about what that meant.

During Supergirl, Milly Alcock’s Kara and Eve Ridley’s Ruthye Marye Knoll visit the planet Bilquis and, after their arrival, Ruthye questions Kara about her hero name. She questions Kara as to why she’s called “Supergirl” and her cousin is called “Superman,” opining that it would make more sense for her to be called “Superwoman.” While speaking to screenwriter Ana Nogueira, CinemaBlend asked about the use of the term “Superwoman” and whether there was ever a time amid development when the film had that title. Nogueira said:

Fans likely know Nogueira is right in that other DC Comics characters have gone by the name Superwoman. For starters, that name belongs to a main member of the Crime Syndicate of America (villainous counterparts of the Justice League from a parallel universe). And, at multiple points in time Lois Lane and Lana Lang took on the mantle of Superwoman after gaining powers. Within the DCU, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane remains a journalist, but it would be cool to see her become a superpowered hero as well.

Personally, I think Kara will keep the name Supergirl in upcoming DC movies, but I could definitely be wrong there. In any case, I like the bit in the Superwoman bit in Kara’s solo film, and CB also asked Nogueira about how she landed on that:

Honestly, I can understand the Never Here alum’s eagerness to confront that question, as it represents a fair point, especially since Kara is over the age of 18. On the topic, Ana Nogueira also added a good point:

By all accounts, Nogueira approaches these DCU characters with a considerable amount of reverence, and she’s been mining the comics for guidance. To that point, she recently spoke about understanding Superman’s powerset and keeping that in mind while crafting her latest screenplay. Nogueira’s going to be spending a lot of time working within this universe, as she’s also writing the Teen Titans movie and penning the script for the Wonder Woman project.

I love a writer who’s committed to her craft, and I especially love one who’s not afraid of using her work to pose good questions regarding characters. So, even if Kara never becomes Superwoman, fans will always have the reminder that Ana Nogueira, James Gunn and the rest of the DCU team had the self awareness to call out the funny difference in superhero names.

When it comes to the 2026 movie release schedule, we might not see a better alien movie after Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, but there’s something somewhat ironic I noticed while watching the alien-centric tale. In the entire 145-minute runtime, the word “alien” itself is never uttered by a single character. So, I had to ask the screenwriter about it.

During CinemaBlend’s interview with David Koepp, he confirmed with me that my observation about the word alien in Disclosure Day was very astute, and responded with:

I thought I might be on to something! Disclosure Day takes place in the modern-day United States in a very grounded context, and it sounds like the screenwriter wanted it to feel like the movie itself was taking the implications of life outside of Earth earnestly, and one reason they felt like they could was by not using the word “alien.”

Then, there’s the fact that the word “alien” has become a politically controversial word in the past few decades in references to U.S. immigrants. It makes sense why Koepp and Steven Spielberg might have wanted to distance themselves from the politics of the word “alien” and instead use other words to describe life beyond the species on our planet. I know, I definitely felt that it grounded the film.

Disclosure Day came from an idea Steven Spielberg had when following what was happening in 2023 around whistleblower David Grusch, who advocated for government transparency on UFOs after his experience as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Air Force. Grusch also deliberately chose not to use the word “alien” (or even “extraterrestrial”) when talking about his own claims in order to frame things away from sounding so science fiction.

Before Spielberg knew it, he had a 52-page treatment, whom he decided to send over to the screenwriter behind Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Koepp told us he was blown away by Spielberg’s ideas, and immediately thought it would work because the Disclosure Day ending already did straight away. Spielberg and Koepp’s collaboration ended up being an intense one that took 42 drafts to get right before production got started with the likes of Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo.

But it sounds like it’s worth it, given the high praise the movie has received before debuting at No. 1 at the box office a couple of weeks ago. It definitely feels like a carefully written script and the "alien" detail does make a difference. You can check out Disclosure Day for yourself in theaters now!

Spoilers for Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Season 2 finale (both the animated and live-action versions) are ahead! You can stream both shows with a Netflix subscription.

I’ve rewatched Avatar: The Last Airbender countless times, and every time I get to the end of Season 2, I am left with one burning question: Why did Zuko turn against Iroh and the Avatar? Literally, I’ve been pondering this since I was about 9 years old. So, I obviously had to ask Dallas Liu, who plays Zuko in the live-action adaptation, this question as the new version of the beloved animated show premiered on Netflix’s 2026 schedule.

At the end of Season 2, both in live-action and animation, Zuko makes a choice to fight alongside his sister Azula. They take on Aang and his team, and the season ends with the Avatar wounded and Iroh arrested. Considering the prince’s deep bond with his uncle and the heart-to-heart he had with Katara before all this, I’m always disappointed when he makes the choice to go with his sister instead. So, I wanted an explanation about why he did it. When I asked Liu about this, he joked:

While Liu was joking here, it really is one of Zuko’s main reasons for choosing to go with his sister.

Before he makes the choice in the live-action show, Azula shows a rare moment of emotion, as she apologizes for what happened to their mom and tells him that she would have wanted them to stay together and support each other. In the end, Azula said that Zuko could go home if he wanted to (which happens in the animated show, too), and he decides to go with the Fire Nation despite everything he’s been through.

Dallas Liu explained all this to me, too, while diving into the conversations Zuko had with Katara about their similar trauma and Azula about their mom. Explaining why his sister’s words had a bigger impact than Katara’s, the star of the live-action adaptation that just dropped on the 2026 TV schedule said:

He makes a valid point. While Azula is objectively evil, she and Zuko share the same trauma, and they get each other in ways no one else can. So, when she shows that vulnerability and says that he can come home, that hits really hard. Hammering that point home, Liu told me:

At this point, Zuko has been exiled for a very long time. He’s also changed a lot for the better, and that’s in great part because of Iroh. So, it’s really hard to see him go back to his old ways, and choose the Fire Nation, Azula and Ozai over his uncle and what’s right.

However, I also see why he did it. Despite how mean they are, the Fire Nation’s leaders are Zuko’s family. Of course, he’d still want them in his life. Plus, after being away from his home for so long, I get why he’d want to go back.

Also, this all plays into why Zuko’s character arc is so great. He’s flawed, and he has a rich history with the Fire Nation that makes his choices incredibly difficult and complex. If you’ve seen the animated series (which you can stream on Netflix or with a Paramount+ subscription), you know where this is headed next. And I cannot wait to see how Dallas Liu plays out Zuko’s return to the Fire Nation and what follows.

However, for now, I’ll be thinking about the choice he made at the end of Season 2, and I’ll be grateful that I finally have an answer to the question I’ve always had about why he decided to go with Azula.

Zoe Saldaña isn’t the queen of the worldwide box office by chance. The actress seriously worked for it, especially when it comes to portraying the iconic Neytiri for the Avatar movies. When CinemaBlend talked to the actress for Fire And Ash about playing the role for the past fifteen years, she flexed on all the things she can do now. And one really stands out.

The Skills Zoe Saldaña Learned For The Avatar Movies

Saldaña’s Na'vi role is done through performance capture, meaning that she actually does physically perform just about every moment in the film – she just looks very different from the final product we see on the big screen. Here’s what she told us about what she can do because of Neytiri:

What can’t she do? You can check out the interview moment in the clip below:

I’m pretty sure Saldaña could survive on her own in Pandora at this point. There’s one acquired skill she named that I want to talk about though.

I Love How One Of Her Skills Has A Neytiri Twist

As she said in our interview, she’s got solid archery proficiency, but it’s not the normal way one would shoot a bow and arrow. Zoe Saldaña knows how to be an archer “the Na’vi way”, which is sideways. What’s interesting about this little fun fact is that apparently shooting a bow and arrow this way is actually way harder and less precise than the typical way people do archery. So when she says she has good aim it's a really awesome flex. Especially, since she probably doesn’t have to target anything on set well if she doesn’t want to.

Zoe Saldaña has been playing Neytiri since she was 28 years old, and by her estimation she’ll be well into her fifties once the last one comes out. The Oscar winner just turned 48 last week, and the trilogy of movies has helped her become the highest-grossing actor of all time with her name on $15.46 billion across her lifetime so far.

Following Fire And Ash’s release during the holiday season, we’re not sure which direction Avatar will go next or if the franchise will “put on the brakes” after earning less money. Currently Avatar 4 and 5 are on the Disney movie release calendar for 2029 and 2031.

Right now you can see Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri in the entire Avatar trilogy at home – on Disney+, digital or physical media.

Spoilers ahead for The Sheep Detectives, streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

Kyle Balda's The Sheep Detectives hit theaters back in May and became a critical and box office success. The book to screen adaptation has plenty of hilarious comedic bits, but also told a moving story about grief. The movie is now streaming for those with an Amazon Prime subscription, and writer Craig Mazin spoke to CinemaBlend about why he thinks kids can handle its emotional narrative.

The Sheep Detectives is basically Babe meets Knives Out, with the titular animals helping to solve the murder of their shepherd George (Hugh Jackman). While its a funny concept, the sheep also explore the complex emotions that come with losing their caretaker. I had the chance to speak with Mazin and the cast ahead of the movie's release, where I asked the Last of Us writer if he was prepared to hear from young moviegoers in years from now who he made cry with the movie's touching script. He responded with:

Points were made. Every generation has a handful of movies and/or books that they remember crying over as a young person. For children of the '90s like me, Mufasa's death in The Lion King comes to mind. But while The Sheep Detectives might have a similar effect on young moviegoers nowadays, Mazin thinks the way art addresses those complicated emotions is something that is actually helpful. What's more, he thinks kids can handle the tears that might come from the movie.

While George's death is what kickstarts the adventure of The Sheep Detectives, it's not the only loss that might have audiences choking up. Because in the movie's third act Bryan Cranston's sheep Sebastian sacrifices himself to save Lily and Mopple from a pack of dogs. This forces Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character to face the losses she buried into her psyche throughout her life with George and the flock.

I also asked Louis-Dreyfus about The Sheep Detectives potentially affecting young audiences in particular. I name dropped The Lion King during our chat, and the Seinfield star responded by saying:

While death and grief are subject that might be hard for parents to talk about with young children, The Sheep Detectives actually offers the language and story that can help open up these conversations. And for those who have experienced loss, it was a surprisingly accurate portrayal of the grieving process. Add in the many laughs that buoy the movie, and it's a project that the whole family can enjoy.

The Sheep Detectives is streaming on Amazon Prime Video as part of the 2026 movie release list. I'd definitely recommend watching it if you didn't catch the movie in theaters... even if you might need some tissues.

Universal Orlando Resort is getting ready to celebrate its 35th anniversary in a big way this spooky season by making us feel like we’re locked inside some of the best horror movies. The theme park has already announced Sinners will have its own house and we've learned we’ll be able to relive the final season of Stranger Things. I can’t wait for those scares, but now we have new word about one of the original houses, and it’s the scariest, and most unexpected house announcement yet. Also allegedly among "the bloodiest" this season.

The latest confirmed house set to be on Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights 2026 lineup is called Madlands: Caged Cannibals. Guys... cannibals!??! I'm screaming already. It's the third original house announced this year alongside Jack and Oddfellow: Chaos and Control and H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular.

CinemaBlend had the chance to speak to Lora Sauls, who is the resort’s assistant director of entertainment creative development, about the new house, and she told me a lot about how the idea came about and why they think it'll be a "home run" with people in the parks.

Typically, half of HHN's houses consist of non-IP haunts, and after Sauls described Madlands to me, I completely understand why they're particularly hyped about this one. It's a shocker in the best way. Plus, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre houses are already incredibly popular whenever they have them, and now Universal Orlando Resort the chance to put their own memorable spin on the cannibal sub-genre of horror. As Sauls explained:

When guests enter Madlands, they’ll be transported to a fictional dystopian world where a tribe of cannibals take on the traits of zoo animals when hunting their prey. And guys, we are the prey. Per Sauls, the tribe of cannibals we'll meet in Madlands have been inspired by what they imagine zoo animals to be like, but since animals have gone extinct, they are only operating on an idea. It's also apparently one of the more hardcore houses this year – which means it’s going to be one people are going to be talking about!

Sauls also said she’s really proud of this one from a production point of view, pointing out the “scenic aesthetic” of it. She encourages fans to go at a slow-but-steady pace through it, but I just know this one is really going to trigger some serious fears. I'm already stressing out about it and I'm nowhere near a theme park gate yet. Of course, I was curious about the smells in this one; the Universal Orlando Resort's assistant director teased there’s some “interesting” ones to get ready for. Hope you brought a clothespin.

If you’ve been craving (pun intended) a really scary haunted house at Universal Orlando Resorts’s Halloween Horror Nights, Madlands sounds like it will have the kind of intensity you might be searching for. The announcement comes at a perfect time in the HHN lineup in my opinion, too. I always want something to get me into my fears, and Madlands might be that house this year.

Tickets are now on sale at Universal Orlando Resort’s website with the theme park event running from August 28 until November 1.

It’s a big year for Universal theme parks, as Epic Universe celebrated its first anniversary, and now Universal Kids Resort — a park geared toward families with young children — is set to make its grand opening. Featuring seven different lands themed around kid-favorite movies like Shrek and Trolls, Universal Kids has been specifically created for ages 3 to 8, though all ages are welcome.

In fact, I was able to take my 11-year-old to visit Universal Kids Resort ahead of its July 1 opening, and not only was there plenty for her to do, she absolutely loved the experience — in spite of the intense Texas heat! Let’s take a look at 3 things she wasn’t able to stop talking about.

Staying At Universal Kids Resort Is A Treat For All Ages

Universal Kids Resort is located in Frisco, Texas, (just north of Dallas), and even though that’s in my neck of the woods, it was totally worth it to actually stay in one of the hotel’s 300 rooms. My daughter couldn’t agree more. First of all, the decor is so bright and colorful, you can’t help but get excited for what’s in store.

After checking in (and taking pictures with SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick, who greeted us in the lobby), we made our way through the rainbow tunnel, up the elevator and down the brilliantly colored hallways, and that was when things really got "fire" for my 11-year-old.

The room itself was so cute, offering a queen-size bed for parents and bunk beds for kids (suites are available that sleep up to six guests). My daughter immediately climbed the ladder to the top bunk and posed for photos in front of the colorful walls. Our room even included a view of the park, and we spent a long time looking out, identifying the different universes we could see and planning which rides we wanted to hit first the next day.

As far as the hotel amenities, they keep it simple with a cafe (with a bar), a pool (with lifeguards) and a small arcade, but for me the best part of staying at the resort was being mere steps away from the park the next day — as well as being able to easily head back to our room when we needed a break.

I spoke to Sharon Parker, director of marketing and sales for Universal Kids Resort, and she pointed out a couple of other advantages that parents might find interesting:

After experiencing the resort, I’m not sure my daughter would let us return to Universal Kids and not stay overnight.

Jurassic World Adventure Camp Had The Best Rides For My Pre-Teen

Because Universal Kids is for the younger crowd, the thrills are mild compared to other theme parks. There are no big drops and nothing goes upside down, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many rides my 11-year-old — who typically jumps on the biggest roller coasters without a second thought — wanted to go on.

For her money, Jurassic World Adventure Camp offered the best experience. The Cretaceous Coaster was her favorite ride in the whole park, offering a slightly more thrilling experience than the other kids coaster, Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express. Take a closer look at the Cretaceous Coaster below:

Elsewhere in the dino-filled land, Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin was a hit, and she got to burn off some energy running around the Jurassic World Lookout Towers. A couple of other ride highlights were the Swings Over Del Mar in the Puss in Boots land, Bobbing Barrels in Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom, and the Minions’ Bello Bay Cruise, which is a must-do.

Parents be warned, you will get wet on those last two, but you probably won’t mind in that Texas heat.

Kids Will Flip Over The Triple Gooberberry Sunrise (And The Chicken Strips)

There are snack and meal options all over Universal Kids, naturally, but if you’re looking for one of the wildest treats, you’ve got to hit up Goofy Goober's in the SpongeBob universe for the Triple Gooberberry Sunrise ice cream sundae.

This delicacy from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie gave my tween the sugar rush she needed to keep going, as it is described as: "Vanilla & chocolate ice cream, strawberry Dole Whip, chocolate fudge, with crushed smore’s cookies crumble and strawberry Pop-Tarts pieces, whipped topping, banana, and a cherry on top."

To get this monstrosity in the souvenir cup, it’ll put you out $19.99, but come on mom, it’s vacation!

I loved that there were options for both adventurous little eaters and pickier ones, and even your typical snacks like soft pretzels were given the Universal treatment:

Also, if your kids are chicken tender aficionados like mine, the ones at Universal Kids Resort definitely made the grade. In fact, my 11-year-old raved about them so much, I stole a bite when she ordered them a second time, and it truly was tastier than it had any right to be.

If you go the chicken route, allow me to recommend the Jurassic World Canteen, where the Dinosaur Bites set a full scene with dino nuggets atop a mashed potato volcano, complete with barbecue sauce lava. Broccoli trees surround them, making for the perfect prehistoric meal.

Universal Kids Resort’s opening is one of the most exciting theme park events in 2026 for how it caters to the whims of young children first, but my experience proved that there’s something there for kids (and kids at heart) of all ages. Teens, tweens and adults may not be able to find the thrill rides they seek in other parks, but they might just be surprised at what fun they can have while accompanying their children or younger siblings.

Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, opens Wednesday, July 1, coinciding with the 2026 movie release of Minions & Monsters.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon is the first spinoff for Game of Thrones, following its controversial finale. Folks with an HBO Max subscription were recently treated to the premiere of Season 3, which started off with a bang with the epic Battle of the Gullet. The epic scene saw the death of both Jace and his dragon Vermax, although actor Harry Collett explained why he wasn't upset about his time on the show ending.

After a long wait, House of the Dragon Season 3 has finally begun. The book to screen adaptation has taken some liberties from the source material, including the details about how Jacaerys died. I had the chance to speak with the cast in round table interviews ahead of its premiere, where Collett shared his POV on his character perishing in the season premiere. In his words:

While HOTD fans who didn't read the book were shocked by Jace's death in the Battle of the Gullett, the same cannot be said for the actor who brought Rhaenyra's son to life on the small screen. He's been emotionally preparing for his time on the show to end, and just seems happy that he was able to join the House of the Dragon cast at all. And smart money says this twist is going to have major implication for the rest of the season.

It's fitting that Collett did all of his dead scenes at the end of his tenure filming House of the Dragon, and one can only imagine how emotional it was on set. Later in the same interview, the 22 year-old actor gushed about his character's ending on the show, saying:

There you have it. Some fans might be bummed about Jace's fate, but that seemingly isn't the case for Harry Collett. He loved how it all turned out, including his character and the dragon Vermax being tragically killed by the Triarchy's forces. We'll just have to wait and see if the actor returns at any point; we'e seen visions/dreams bring back former characters already on the series.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Smart money says that Jace won't be the only major character death to come this season.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals plot points in Toy Story 5...Consider yourself warned.

Toy Story has done it again… yes, it's made me ball my eyes out. Toy Story 5 is the latest installment in the Toy Story franchise and there has been a lot of buzz (pun intended) around this highly-anticipated 2026 movie release. In my opinion, it has quickly become one of the best entries in the series. The story is filled with comedy and emotional moments that will have audiences (OK, me) reaching for tissues. However, there is one scene in particular that I cannot stop thinking about: The moment Jessie walks into her original child's bedroom after being donated years prior.

Toy Story 5 follows the beloved yodeling cowgirl Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, as technology threatens to take over Bonnie’s bedroom, and playtime is at risk for her and the other toys. Bonnie has been struggling to make friends, so her parents—one of whom is voiced by ‘Pixar’s Mom’ favorite Lori Alan— buy her a Lilypad device to connect with others. The problem is the device doesn’t know Bonnie the way Jessie does, so Jessie sets out to help Bonnie form a real friendship.

After being ditched by Bonnie in favor of Lilypad at a sleepover, Jessie and Bullseye find themselves, through a series of events, at the home of her original owner, Emily. Suddenly, Jessie is back in the first bedroom she ever called home, where a young girl named Blaze now lives.

Ahead of Toy Story 5, I had the opportunity to speak with Joan Cusack during a recent Walt Disney World event, and I had to ask her what it was like revisiting Jessie’s first bedroom and seeing the tire swing again. The actress admitted the experience was emotional:

We first met Jessie in Toy Story 2, where we learned she was abandoned by Emily, and it was painful. I have to admit, seeing Jessie end up under Blaze’s bed was a bit triggering for me. For a moment, I worried we might never hear our girl “yeehaw” again.

Fortunately, Jessie has a purpose, and that purpose is helping Bonnie make a friend. For Cusack, it was also "moving."

The scene feels sad, cathartic, painful, and hopeful all at once. As Jessie walks back into Emily's bedroom, we're carrying the same fears she is. There's a sense of dread tied to the memories of her abandonment, but also the possibility of closure—and something new waiting on the other side.

Perhaps that's why I can't stop thinking about it. We've spent decades watching Jessie slowly heal from the heartbreak of being left behind. Andy and Bonnie are a part of that journey, but it isn't until she finally confronts her past that she can, in Cusack's own words, begin to truly heal. Toy Story 5 is in theaters now.

Spoilers ahead for Leviticus.

The summer is usually a great time for scary movies, and both Obsession and Backrooms have crushed at the box office. We've got another horror movie in theaters now just in time for Pride Month: director Adrian Chiarella's Leviticus. The movie is a moving and chilling queer story, and its ending leaves audiences with some questions. Luckily Naim actor Joe Bird spoke to CinemaBlend about his take on the film's conclusion.

Leviticus' reviews have been rather positive, with critics praising its scares and emotional narrative. The movie follows two young gay boys in Australia, who are cursed and then attacked by a violent entity that takes the form of the person they're most attracted to. The movie's final shot shows Naim and his love interest Ryan (Stacy Clausen) choosing to stay with each other when leaving their conservative town... despite the entity still being out there. As you can see in the video above, I asked Bird what he thought of the movie's ending, and he told me:

I love this perspective. The messaging of Leviticus' ending is something that will likely ring true for plenty of LGBTQ+ folks out there. Because while there are plenty of terrifying and hateful forces in this world, many of us decide to push forward and find happiness regardless. In this way, the horror movie serves as an allegory about the coming out experience, and overcoming the dangers of homophobia.

Later in our conversation Joe Bird, who also starred in the terrifying horror movie Talk To Me, went on to share more about why the ending of Leviticus is such an important message. In the 19 year-old actor's words:

Points are made. While Naim and Ryan will likely still have to look out for the dangers of the entity when they're alone with each other, it's much better than the alternative. And since the young lovers are going through the same struggle, they'll be able to understand each other in a way any new people in their lives will not. I personally would love to see a Leviticus sequel sometime in the future.

Most of the best horror movies have something original to say, and Adrian Chiarella's new release is no exception. Its release during Pride Month have given it additional emotional weight. Luckily there's plenty of queer joy in the movie's 88-minute runtime, in addition to its scary moments.

Leviticus is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Lots of LGBTQ+ cinephiles love horror, so I imagine that the discourse about its ending will only get louder as time goes on.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial finale, Westeros is so back for those with a HBO Max subscription. Following the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, House of the Dragon Season 3 has officially begun, with more major characters already kicking the bucket. The premiere also featured another wild incest plot, and Olivia Cooke spoke to CinemaBlend and other outlets about what was on in Alicent's head when her son Aemond kissed her.

HOTD has had tons of incest in the first two seasons, as House Targaryen isn't hung up by relatives getting together. We've seen both siblings and cousins get married, but the Season 3 premiere shocked fans when Aemond kissed his mother Alicent out of nowhere. CinemaBlend did a roundtable interview with the cast about the first two episodes, where Cooke revealed what he character is thinking during this already-viral moment. As she put it:

While House of the Dragon fans need to keep up with which dragon belongs to who, the interpersonal relationships between its cast can also be mystifying. Case in point: Aemond kissing Alicent, who seems as shocked as the audience was. And Olivia Cooke's comments offer some much-needed context, revealing how few options her signature character has when dealing with this incestuous connection.

Despite being a Targaryen by marriage, Alicent is a Hightower at heart who deeply worships The Faith of the Seven. You can see the confusion and fear in her face when her son kisses her, but she ultimately hides that in order to get Aemond on her side and out of King's Landing. She succeeds in this, and it should be fascinating to see how the two characters' relationship changes moving forward.

Olivia Cooke also addressed this wild scene during the Inside The Episode video for HOTD's Season 3 premiere. The actress offered:

Honestly, same. But Aemond is one of the most volatile characters in House of the Dragon, and has arguably the most powerful dragon of them all in Vhagar. And this is yet another reason to fear what he'll do in the ongoing war against The Blacks.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And it seems like no character is safe from the Dance of the Dragons.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial finale, fans have returned to Westeros thanks to the spinoffs A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon. The latter is finally back for Season 3, and the book to screen adaptation started off with an epic battle for those with a HBO Max subscription. The Battle of the Gullet was awesome, and the way it was shot is truly blowing my mind.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, and the showrunner had been teasing The Battle of the Gullet for a while now. The event was largely a naval fight, although a few of HOTD's Dragons got involved in the air as well. I had the chance to speak with the show's cast in round table interviews, where Baela Targaryen actress Bethany Antonia revealed how the dragon riders were kept in the loop. As she put it:

Talk about attention to detail. While it would have been easy to ask the actors who were riding on dragon back to simply imagine what's happening below them when filming, that's not what House of the Dragon did. Instead, they were given the full scope of the sequence, allowing them to visualize the crazy Battle of the Gullet and act appropriately to bring their part of it to life.

Later in that same conversation, Antonia shared more about just how much work went into the dragon rider's POV for House of the Dragon's Season 3 premiere battle. In her words:

"Dragons gone wrong" would also work as an alternate title for House of the Dragon, and especially that first episode of Season 3. Because in the midst of the naval conflict Baela arrived on Moondancer, Jace showed up with Vermax and then (in a plot twist) Rhaena flew in on Sheepstealer. Unfortunately the latter's decision was a huge misstep, because the wild dragon didn't obey her commands. And the episode ended with yet another major character death.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll have to see how many more epic battles and dragon fights happen throughout the following episodes.

SPOILERS are ahead for Girls Like Girls, now in theaters!

When it comes to book-to-screen adaptations, we’re used to changes from the source material freaking out fans. But sometimes a different take on the same story for another medium is exactly what the story needs. For example, Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls movie is missing one key moment from the novel's (and music video’s) ending; there’s actually a very specific reason why.

Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls vision all started with her 2015 pop anthem of the same name. She then turned the song into a music video that went viral and had fans calling for a movie about the video's pair, Coley and Sonya. Since then, she’s been working on adapting it for the big screen, but before that, she turned it into the New York Times bestselling YA novel. Now it's finally here, as one of 2026’s movie releases, and she's “proud” of how she adapted things – even though one unexpected change came up during post-production. In our interview with Kiyoko, she said this of the ending:

Kiyoko is talking about the fight that breaks out between Coley and Trent, whom Sonya has had an on-again, off-again relationship with, in previous iterations of the story. The writer/director even filmed the fight on the set of the latest LGBTQ+ movie, but ultimately decided that she wanted to center the conclusion of the film on its coming-of-age lesbian relationship rather than another guy. As she continued:

Girls Like Girls is Hayley Kiyoko’s first time directing a feature film after spending years helming her own music videos and trying to turn the pop anthem into a movie. When it comes to book adaptations, it’s not very often that the author is also the director. How cool is it that she trusted her gut to tell the story slightly differently and make the kind of changes that felt right for the film all this time later?

Without the violent moment becoming a focal point of Sonya and Coley finally becoming girlfriends, the movie ending is more about Sonya trying to accept her queer identity and Coley being there for her. The last scene is a sweet poolside moment between them instead. Trent is still very much part of the Girls Like Girls movie, but Coley doesn’t need to fight him to get the girl this time, and that's a change the director loved.