29 years ago, when Jack Reacher was first introduced in Killing Floor, I can’t imagine that anyone assumed at the time that author Lee Child and San Diego Comic-Con would be uttered in the same breath. But 2026 ain’t got time for such hypothetical assumptions, and the annual con is indeed where Reacher Season 4’s first trailer was viewed en masse, and it’s a banger. A head-banger to put it more specifically, as the final seconds of the preview lay out.

Season 4 — set to stream via Prime Video subscription on August 12, 2026 — will see Ritchson’s migratory grunt in a story adapted from the character’s 13th novel, Gone Tomorrow, in which Reacher has a terribly unlucky encounter with a stranger on a subway that pulls him into a “complex and deadly game that pits him against ruthless foes from the highest echelons of power.” Sounds like your average seasonal adventure for the former military behemoth (where “former” only applies to military and not to behemoth).

As it goes with Reacher, the fourth season brings in a largely new cast of characters, with GLOW and Black Panther vet Sydelle Noel stepping up to portray NYPD homicide investigator Tamara Green. She’ll not only be working on the case with him, but she’ll also be getting down and dirty with him in other ways.

As such, it makes sense that she’s the one who gets to be the fan surrogate poking fun at the character for his less-than-convincing attempts to “blend in” to a crowd of normies.

That's a big ol' nope from me, Det. Green! For all the excellent instincts and know-how that Reacher has at his mental disposal, he sure does tend to over-estimate just how much work a hat can do to distract others from seeing the rest of his hulking frame. For a lot of people, the hat is only seen after the biceps and the shoulders, and that's if Reacher is wearing a shirt. If he's not, forget about it. (Alan Ritchson keeps those abs going 24/7 for mor than just kicks.)

I guess it makes a LITTLE more sense with Season 4 taking place in New York City, where the population is more distinct than some of the more rural areas that he's been known to travel through.

As the trailer shows us, Det. Green isn't even Reacher's only romantic foil in Season 4, as he's seen shirtless and making out with Agnez Mo's Lila Hoth. (Seemingly with the same blood on his face.) She's also connected to the overall deadly game narrative, so it's possible, or even likely, that this hook-up is more for the benefit of someone gaining information as opposed to making a genuine connection. Or hell, maybe Green, Lila and Reacher will become a throuple by the middle of the season. Anything happens in 2026, baybeeee.

The trailer makes it look like at least half of the conversations Reacher gets into in Season 4 will lead him to start throwing fists and knees. Which is a pretty good average in my book. With Season 5 already going into production, the future looks quite nice. Although these rose-colored glasses I'm wearing could just be stained with somebody's blood.

Reacher Season 4 kicks into gear on August 12, 2026, with Maria Sten's spinoff Neagley premiering a month later on September 16, 2026.

There’s been a whole lot of chatter about Alan Ritchson and his potential to play Batman in the DCU, and he’s actively been a part of that conversation. However, now he’s put it to rest (for now). That’s because, at San Diego Comic-Con, he fully addressed the rumors, noting that while Bruce Wayne is probably out of the equation for now, his conversations with DC are by no means over.

This comes just days after Ritchson made suspicious comments about Batman and DC, saying that “the future is bright, and the horizons are broad.” However, during Reacher’s panel at Comic-Con, he was a lot clearer about the Caped Crusader specifically, saying:

Again, there’s been a ton of chatter about Ritchson and Batman, specifically. So, this statement from the actor is huge, because it essentially puts those rumors to rest, while also making it clear that a new kind of speculation can begin. To hammer that point home even further, he said:

Well, that answer sounds definitive, so it seems Bat-fans can finally lay down their speculation caps. Check out Ritchson's address during the panel:

This all came after Ritchson said he was booked until 2028, and the moderator made a comment about Batman. The Reacher star cleared the air once and (seemingly) for all. He’s not playing him. However, he is also still very much in conversation with DC.

He’s made it apparent that he and DC’s boss James Gunn have talked, and he’s excited to potentially work with him. They just have to find the right character first. Well, it seems like they have someone in mind…it’s just not the one we all thought it could be.

That’s exciting in its own right, though, because a door full of possibilities just opened. Like, maybe he could play Orion or Hawkman or even Captain Atom. So, while it seems like we won’t see Ritchson in a DC project for a while, and we very much will not see him as Batman, it feels like someday he will step into a superhero (or maybe villain) costume.

If you’d like to see Alan Ritchson actually in action while we wait for updates on the superhero front, you can watch him as an action hero in Reacher. That’s the show he was at Comic-Con for, and Season 4 is set to premiere on the 2026 TV schedule on August 12 for those with a Prime Video subscription. It’s also already in production on Season 5 (proving just how busy Ritchson is), so we’ll likely see more of him as Jack Reacher before we see a DC project from him.

However, if there’s anything you should take away from this story, it’s that Alan Ritchson’s future with DC is very much bright, and they have someone in mind for him to play (it’s just not Batman).

Jack Quaid and Amandla Stenberg are examples of Hunger Games supporting actors who are mega famous now. After all, they were both the leads of two big shows, The Boys and The Acolyte. However, even though it’s been 14 years since the first Hunger Games movie, Quaid is still out here having to apologize to Stenberg's character Rue for killing her off.

It was a tragic scene to watch in Katniss’ first games when she witnessed Quaid’s Marvel kill Stenberg's Rue before Katniss fatally shot him with an arrow. So, while it’s been over a decade since The Boys actor’s traumatising role in The Hunger Games, he still humorously apologized to Rue for his District 1 character’s actions during an interview with EW:

You’re forgiven, Jack Quaid, as you were only playing the part you earned. Marvel, on the other hand…he'll never be forgiven.

Considering the Scream actor has come a long way since The Hunger Games, I get why some fans hilariously forgot he played the District 1 character who killed Rue. However, some of us have never forgotten, the actor still finds himself apologizing on behalf of his character. Overall, it can’t be easy to forever be linked to The Hunger Games character who killed off a young girl in a deadly arena.

While Jack Quaid showed remorse for the dire actions of Marvel, he also made a point to explain his character’s intentions for fatally throwing a spear at Rue:

It’s true that with Marvel belonging to District 1, he and his fellow tribute Glimmer were trained for years to win the televised games before they volunteered. So, it’s understandable that he was raised in an environment that taught him to become a killer to win. Many of the Tributes were taught the same thing.

However, of course, it doesn’t excuse Marvel's actions. And I would definitely still think of him as a villain for wickedly going against Katniss with the other Tributes.

Fortunately, Amandla Stenberg hilariously sent a message to Jack Quaid in 2022 for killing her in the 74th Games, saying all is forgiven. The Novacaine star also jokingly responded with how grateful he was for her forgiveness after he funnily said people were “spitting” at him on the street for years over this. I guess the odds of forgiveness were in his favor.

Despite Jack Quaid’s success with The Boys, it looks like he still feels the need to apologize to Rue for Marvel’s murderous actions. But some movie moments never stop haunting fans, and it’s sweet that the Companions actor has the heart to hilariously comfort fans about this time and time again.

To see why Jack Quaid has to keep apologizing, you can stream The Hunger Games with a Netflix subscription.

The Rookie may not be returning on the 2026 TV schedule following the Season 8 finale, but Season 9 is coming in hot for the 2027 season. ABC’s hit procedural is officially back in production for the new season, and it will be joined midseason by its newest spinoff, The Rookie: North. Nathan Fillion is already confirmed to be crossing over to the Jay Ellis-led series, but there’s another character mashup the EP wants that I love even more.

When The Rookie: North was officially ordered, it was hard to tell if there would be any crossovers with its parent show, especially since the two series are set and filmed in different cities. However, Fillion, who is also an executive producer on the spinoff, weighed in on the crossovers, sharing that there will indeed be some to look forward to. Now, series creator Alexi Hawley is expressing excitement with Entertainment Weekly in bringing Fillion's John Nolan and Ellis' Alex Holland together:

As someone who watches a handful of TV franchises, I'm a sucker for a good crossover. It’s great to know that while The Rookie is in LA and The Rookie: North is in the Pacific Northwest (set in Washington state and filmed in Vancouver), crossovers are still going to be a thing. Not much has been shared about what will bring Fillion’s Nolan to Washington, but definitely look forward to seeing how that turns out and his dynamic Ellis' Holland and the other new characters.

Even though it’s unclear how many crossovers there will be, if Hawley has his way, Nolan may not be the only Rookie star to make the jump to North. The EP admitted what other two characters he’d want to see in the spinoff, and I definitely need it now more than anything:

Obviously, given the ending of The Rookie’s Season 8 finale, Lucy Chen (Melissa O’Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) will have to wait a bit to go anywhere. Just moments after getting engaged on the beach, the happy couple was kidnapped. So there's no telling how long that storyline will go or what the aftermath will be like for either of them.

However, the fact that Hawley wants them both to appear on The Rookie: North seems to mean Lucy and Tim are very likely to come out of this dangerous situation alive. I mean, I'll take any chance to see more of Chenford, given my love for this pair. Furthermore, the two may need a change of scenery after what they’ll seemingly go through at the beginning of Season 9.

Of course, it may not be as easy as Hawley would hope, as The Rookie and The Rookie: North aren’t exactly close in distance. He mentioned how it was easier to do crossovers for the short-lived spinoff The Rookie: Feds, since that was set and filmed in LA, as opposed to North. With that in mind, Hawley explained his approach to cross-pollination moving forward:

Even without crossovers, I’m just excited to finally see the new show following months of updates on The Rookie: North. Honestly, the crossovers are just a plus, though I'll certainly remain hopeful that Chenford will mix it up with the new characters.

Unfortunately, both the spinoff and Season 9 of The Rookie won’t be premiering until at least January 2027. I'm hopeful that the wait, however, will be worth it. For now, all eight seasons of Rookie are streaming with a Hulu subscription.

Actors get asked all the time about what they’ve stolen from set or collections of props they’ve accumulated while working. I’m always entertained by these tales; however, Anya Taylor-Joy’s collection of props might take the cake. That’s because she has a collection of fake weapons, and she plans to keep it growing as she goes to work on the new Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum.

I really didn’t see this collection coming. While I know Taylor-Joy’s career has been defined by projects that do, in fact, feature lots of action and weapons, I hadn’t thought about the fact that she could take them home. And she does so often too, as she revealed on This Morning:

Honestly, this is pretty cool. Right after I heard this, I was thinking about movies like The Northman and Furiosa. Taylor-Joy really has done a lot of work that’s required fake weapons, and now she has a bunch of them in her own personal collection to prove it. To that point, she said:

After saying that, Taylor-Joy explained that she even used her Viking sword on her anatomically correct heart cake at her wedding. So, not only is it a cool collection, it’s uniquely useful (in non-violent ways) too.

Of course, thinking about all this has me very excited to see the actress in action in Middle-earth. She’s one of the new people heading into this fantasy world with Andy Serkis’ Hunt for Gollum, and she’s thrilled about it too. When CinemaBlend asked Taylor-Joy about this new project, she said she’s “excited for a multitude of reasons,” and explained that this is a “childhood dream come true.” I would assume an added bonus is she’ll probably get to keep a knife from set to add to her collection.

In The Hunt for Gollum, the actress is playing an elf named Seren, who is an agent who works for King Thranduil, who is played by Lee Pace. He’ll be returning to the LOTR franchise alongside Serkis, who is directing and playing Gollum, Ian McKellen, who will be back as Gandalf, and Elijah Wood, who is returning to play Frodo. Meanwhile, there are some other newbies headed to Middle-earth with Taylor-Joy too, as Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan and Leo Woodall have all joined the cast. Hopefully, they all get some memorable stories and a knife or two to take home after that shoot, because I’m sure this will be a wonderful film.

We probably won’t find out if Anya Taylor-Joy added to her collection for a while, though, because The Hunt for Gollum is slated on the 2027 movie schedule for a December 17 premiere.

However, she does have a project coming out on the 2026 movie schedule that will include a weapon from her collection, as she noted in the interview that she did, in fact, get her knife from Dune, and Dune: Part Three will hit theaters on December 18. So, there are opportunities to see Taylor-Joy (and her weapons collection) on the big screen quite soon.

CBS News continues to receive backlash amid a series of leadership changes that have occurred over the last several months. Many of those headlines have specifically swirled around editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whose alleged management style and editorial approach have been criticized. While Weiss has seemingly received the brunt of the blame for any reported discord within the company, she’s allegedly not the only one in the hot seat. Apparently, another company exec is “dead meat” at this point.

It’s CBS News President Tom Cibrowski who’s allegedly in trouble amid ratings struggles for the company. As of late, CBS Mornings has seen programming challenges, and it just notched its lowest-rated week ever. One source spoke to The New York Post and claimed this particular low point would fall squarely on Cibrowski’s shoulders. Cibrowski was put in charge of the aforementioned morning show this year and, per that insider, the powers that be are not pleased with how ratings are panning out:

During the week of July 13, CBS Mornings – as anchored by Gayle King and Nate Burleson – only posted an average of 1.59 million viewers. That marked a 13% decrease in viewership in relation to the previous week. Per Nielsen ratings, this ultimately marks the first time the news show has ever gone below a 1.6 million viewer average. This report from the Post, however, suggests that ratings aren’t the only reason why Cibrowski supposedly isn’t garnering favor at the Eye Network.

Execs are supposedly displeased that Cibrowski hasn’t filled the vacant anchor slot on Mornings following former host Tony Dokoupil’s move to CBS Evening News in January. Fill-in hosts have subsequently been used since Dokoupil’s departure, which is alleged to be hurting the show’s ratings. That aside, another source is claiming Cibrowski doesn’t currently have the resources to hire a permanent host. Still, another insider alleges that the news branch president’s editorial choices have not been ideal:

All the while, Bari Weiss continues to receive critiques, and she’s more recently drawn backlash for decisions made at 60 Minutes. Weiss let go of several correspondents and producers, with Cecilia Vega, Sharyn Alfonsi, executive editor Draggan Mihailovich and ex-EP Tanya Simon amongst those let go. Longtime correspondent Scott Pelley was also fired after reportedly accusing Weiss of “murdering” the news magazine show.

Insiders have also dropped rumors about Weiss, who was tapped to be CBS News’ editor-in-chief in October 2025. She drew backlash for pulling a 60 story on an El Salvador prison at the last minute, and some have claimed her morning meetings have been tense at times. Earlier this month, though, it was alleged that Weiss was changing her ways and becoming more accessible to her colleagues.

All of those reports also coincide with speculation regarding whether Weiss will run CNN if the Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discover merger goes through. Time will tell what kind of further moves Bari Weiss might make within CBS News as time goes on. If there’s any truth to the report about the company’s feelings on Tom Cibrowski’s performance, it’s hard not to wonder if any action will be taken.

Spoilers for The Odyssey are in play here, so read on accordingly.

The Odyssey offers up a stellar cast, and all of them give excellent performances throughout Christopher Nolan’s epic book-to-screen adaptation. For me, that definitely applies to John Leguizamo, who plays the role of Eumaeus, Odysseus’ blind and faithful servant. One of Leguizamo’s scenes is honestly quite surprising, and that’s saying a lot due to this film including massive wars and a cyclops in a “dank” cave. With that, Leguizamo spoke to CinemaBlend and got real about knowing people would hate him for THAT moment.

A flashback sequence shows the origins of Odysseus’ loyal dog, Argos, who patiently awaits his master’s return to Ithaca in the present day. It’s established that as a puppy, Argos is part of a litter obtained by Odysseus and Eumaes. In a surprising move, Eumaes takes one puppy from the group and throws it off a cliff before Odysseus picks the pupper who eventually becomes Argos. It’s also implied that the others will suffer the same fate as the one thrown off the cliff seemingly as part of a method of breeding the strongest canines.

Before the film’s debut amid the 2026 movie schedule, CB spoke to Leguizamo alongside his co-star, Himesh Patel (who plays Eurylochus). The John Wick alum shared a funny response when asked how he thought audiences would react to the puppy scene:

Some audience members have indeed expressed reservations about that cliff scene, with some taking to Reddit to express their displeasure. On the other hand, though, others have defended the puppy-throwing practice as accurate to that period of time. Regardless of how someone may feel about what happens during that moment, Leguizamo makes a good point that in time, his character is able to “redeem” himself. He does that by defending an aged Argos when he receives abuse from Penelope’s suitors. Leguizamo and Patel also share:

• John Leguizamo: I know that was rough. I was like, ‘Oh man,’ every time I took a puppy and dropped it off the edge, I mean, obviously….
• Himesh Patel: No puppies were actually harmed.

Yes, unsurprisingly, Nolan and co. took steps to ensure that none of the diminutive dogs were hurt as part of that scene. Leguizamo also offered this important detail:

Of course, that’s not even the most emotionally intense scene Leguizamo had to film while working on The Odyssey. Eumaeus has several cathartic scenes, and Leguizamo plays them to perfection. It’s no wonder his name has been coming up amid the positive reviews Nolan’s latest film has received. Leguizamo’s blind character is one of the film’s heartbeats, and he helps keep the sometimes fantastical story grounded. That’s a tough task, so the Menu alum deserves credit for his efforts.

I still think audiences aren’t going to forget that puppy scene, and more viewers might have less-than-positive thoughts as the box office-breaking Odyssey continues to draw crowds. Still, just remember that all the puppies involved in that scene lived to bark another day. So check out the film now whether you have already or just want to experience it again.

When the long-awaited Masters of the Universe live-action movie first hit the 2026 movie schedule, I would say I was moderately excited. I’m a Gen Xer who grew up in the ‘80s, and the original cartoon was appointment viewing when I got home from school every day, so reliving those old glories sounded like it could be fun. I even rewatched the 1987 live-action movie in anticipation.

I had my reservations, because even as a kid, I recognized that the plots of the shows were pretty flimsy. Now I’ve finally caught the movie with my Prime subscription, and I have to ask, why did we need this?

The Jokes Were Bad, And He-Man’s Story Was Frustrating

There are two big gripes I have with Masters of the Universe. One, the jokes really didn’t work for me at all. I completely appreciate what the writers (of which there were at least three) and director Travis Knight were trying to do: make the movie fun and cheeky, with a wink the audience acknowledging how silly the whole world of Eternia is, but the jokes didn’t land. The sexual innuendos felt both completely childish AND too adult for the material. I don’t know how they pulled that off, but they did.

My biggest gripe, though, was the origin story of Prince Adam/He-Man. In the cartoon, He-Man is a superhero who rarely shows any weakness (at least, I don’t remember there being a lot of pathos; maybe it went over my head). In the 2026 movie, Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine, has been sent to live on Earth to escape the wrath of Skelator (Jared Leto, who is the best part of the movie). On Earth, he’s basically a goofy wimp. I hated that. Even worse, when he finally does return to Eternia with Teela (Camila Mendes), his newfound power is completely unearned. If you’re going to set up a hero’s journey, our hero has to struggle with more than a comic book store mannequin.

Which Leads To Ask: Why Was This Made, And For Whom?

I was left to struggle with the question of why Masters of the Universe was even made, and more importantly, who the target audience is. I mean, sure, I get why it was greenlit in the wake of the massive success of Barbie, but Barbie is an iconic toy that has transcended multiple generations. He-Man was a flash in the pan, comparatively. The toyline (and subsequent cartoon) was wildly popular, but only for a small window of time in the mid-’80s, and only with a specific age group (one I happen to fall right into).

I can’t say it left me satisfied, and theoretically, I’m at least one part of the target audience as a movie fan who grew up with He-Man. But it didn’t seem like it was made for me. It reinvents who Prince Adam is, and not very successfully, in my opinion. It also doesn’t feel like it was made for a new audience, either, because, again, it’s not like this is an enduring franchise on the level of Barbie, or even G.I. Joe for that matter. I think that’s reflected in the movie’s poor performance at the box office, despite mostly positive reviews.

Looking ahead to the 2027 movie schedule, there is another toyline from the same era releasing a new movie, Voltron, that I think shares a lot of commonalities with He-Man. Does the same fate lie ahead for it? Time will tell.

Season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is officially set to premiere later this year on the 2026 TV schedule, and Demigods, we’re entering uncharted territories! The upcoming season marks the first time Rick Riordan’s The Titan’s Curse will be adapted, and this week we learned something big about it. As it turns out, a big change is being made from the source material, and I'm here for it.

The Big Change To Titan's Curse I'm Cool With

During Percy Jackson’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, which CinemaBlend attended, fans had a chance to catch up on what’s next for Camp Half Blood. Yes, the big news is that Season 3 officially has a release date, but I need to talk about something said by showrunner Dan Shotz. The EP's comments on the season really struck me like one of Zeus’s lightning bolts. In his words to Hall H:

I should put a bit of a SPOILER ALERT here for those who haven't read the novels but, in Book 3, Annabeth is kidnapped by the Manticore early on. It leads to her later being forced to hold up the sky in place of the god, Atlas. This admittedly isn't unlike Grover was kidnapped in Sea of Monsters last season, and our beloved trio were torn away from each other as a result.

While that meant Annabeth wasn’t in The Titan’s Curse book much, that’s not going to be the case in the series. And I’m so happy to hear that. Throughout the first two seasons of the show (which is executive produced by Riordan), there’s been a lot of talk about all the changes that have been made. I happen to be a fan of most of what’s been done, to be honest. It keeps us guessing and, hey, if you can get more Annabeth, you should have more Annabeth.

Leah Jeffries Is Sort Of Percy Jackson's Secret Weapon

Sure, one could say some time without Grover gave Percy and Annabeth’s relationship to strengthen. But I simply can’t go for missing out on Leah Jeffries’ Annabeth in the adaptation of The Titan’s Curse. I think this is a natural decision for the show, given the creative team gets to explore outside of Percy’s first-person perspective. Plus, I think Jeffries’ role is really one of the biggest strengths of this streaming series.

Jeffries couldn’t make it to the SDCC panel, because she’s currently shooting the new Cheetah Girls movie. And, honestly, the event was kind of weird without her. Walker Scobell ended up bringing a printout of Jeffries’ face to the panel, but she was missed. Check it out:

Rest assured, fans can look forward to seeing the real Jeffries and not a that printout when Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 premieres on November 20 for those with either a Disney+ subscription or Hulu subscription. I can’t wait to see what the show does with the next installment of the series!

New York City is home to over 8.5 million people who are stacked on top of each other and living some kind of crazy shared experience. People move to New York City to experience life being thrown at you all at once, and hope they can “make it” in whatever way it means to them. People move there and stay their entire lives, building businesses and raising families. However, according to Jennifer Lopez, moving to NYC doesn’t make you a true New Yorker, and this bold statement has become quite controversial on the internet.

Jennifer Lopez Doubled Down On Her New York Hot Take

During an interview for Subway Takes, host Kareem Rahma asked Lopez what her hottest take was. The Out of Sight star revealed that she believed that to be a true New Yorker, you need to be born in New York City. She explained (via TikTok):

Obviously, this is a controversial take, and although Rahma agreed with her, he noted that when he first moved to NYC, he had heard that you have to live in New York for 10 years before you can claim to be a New Yorker. This is also famously the opinion of Carrie Bradshaw, the protagonist on one of the most famous New York City-set TV series, Sex and the City. Lopez disagreed with this, saying:

Rahma also noted that it’s hard to say that a person who has lived in NYC for 50 years and raised a family there isn’t a New Yorker, but Lopez still doubled down, saying you still have to be born there to be a true New Yorker.

How The Internet Reacted To This NYC Hot Take

Obviously, this is a pretty hot take, which is what Rahma was asking for. It went absolutely viral on the internet, and people had pretty mixed feelings about the criteria that the “On The Floor” singer was so adamant about. Some agreed with her, with one person stating that there is a certain quality you have when you are born in NYC that you don’t really have if you are a transplant. They said:

However, many people noted that this is a pretty narrow-minded take, especially considering NYC is famous for being a melting pot of people from everywhere. Immigrants are what bring culture to this city, and to say that immigrants aren’t authentically New York feels wrong. Someone commented:

People were also quick to point out that Lopez herself doesn’t even live in New York City anymore. While she's split her time between coasts, she has been living on the West Coast for quite some time since she became an actress and musician professionally. Someone said:

At this point, it’s almost safe to say that Jennifer Lopez is a Californian. She has had several homes in Los Angeles, and most recently Ben Affleck surrendered the house they lived in together directly to her. Lopez recently sold the LA house; however, she did so just to buy another dream house in SoCal. She has been buying and selling houses in California for over 30 years, which someone noted in the comments.

Despite this, Lopez says she's a New Yorker. She has always said her Bronx roots are something very important to her, still referring to herself as “Jenny From The Block.” This is probably why she wants to double down on what she believes makes someone authentically New York. And someone pointed this out as well:

This seems to be truly the crux of the debate, and I think it’s okay to feel like there is something unique about your connection to where you are from. New York is a special city, and it makes sense to want to carry that with you no matter where life leads you next.

You can check out stories about “New Yorkers” by consulting our feature on the best New York City movies and where to watch them. Fans of Jennifer Lopez can also check out her latest film, Office Romance (which ironically takes place in New Jersey), with a Netflix subscription.

Fans that watched the DC movies in order know that there's been a shifting in universes. The former DCEU is in the past, with co-CEO James Gunn crafting the newly formed DCU. We're just weeks away from the debut of Lanterns on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription), and star Aaron Pierre recently gushed about why John Stewart is the only DC character he'd ever want to play. And I hope that folks who are doubting the forthcoming show are listening.

What we know about Lanterns has been limited, but there's already been tons of discourse about the upcoming DC series. Namely that there wasn't enough Green Lantern powers in the first footage. CinemaBlend attended the show's panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where Pierre gushed about his love for his Lanterns character. In his words:

I mean, he's not wrong. On top of having so many layers, John Stewart is one of the most beloved Green Lanterns from the comics, alongside Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordan. The latter will be played by Kyle Chandler in the DC series, with him seemingly training John to be his replacement in the Corps.. And the Lanterns trailer teased how complicated their relationship seems to be.

Later in the same appearance at the Comic-Con Panel, Pierre went on to share his hopes for both John Stewart, and the folks that watch Lanterns when it premiers this August. As he put it:

As previously mentioned, some folks have been unhappy about not seeing Lanterns' heroes suited up much. But with the show so close to its premiere, fan patience (or lack thereof) is about to pay off. I'm a big fan of the Green Lantern Corps., so I can't wait to see latest entry in the first DCU slate of projects aka Gods and Monsters.

You can see Aaron Pierre's comment about John Stewart below:

The pressure is on for Lanterns to deliver for the burgeoning shared universe, especially after Supergirl struggled at the box office. I loved both Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2, so I'm excited to see the DCU expand on the small screen again. And it certainly seems like Aaron Pierre was the right person to cast as John Stewart.

Lanterns will debut its first episode on August 16th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And despite some doubters, I'm so hyped to see more of the Green Lantern Corps. in live-action.

I don't know what I expected. The same ambitious director, Christoper Nolan, who made a grounded Batman trilogy and a whole movie centered around entropy, wasn't going to just make a by-the-numbers Odyssey flick.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think The Odyssey is BAD. It's actually really good. That said, even though I was greatly looking forward to it, I didn’t really like it (and no, it’s not because it was Rated-R, which it definitely didn’t have to be). Here’s why.

Oh, and some minor spoilers up ahead.

Christopher Nolan Could Have Gone Fantastical For This One. Instead, He Went "Realistic"

When I first saw Interstellar, there was a key moment in the film where I thought, if this goes where I THINK it’s heading, then I’ll probably hate this movie, but if it doesn’t and Nolan surprises me, then I’ll probably love it. The moment in question was the S-T-A-Y scene, and it went exactly where I thought it was heading, and guess what? I don’t like Interstellar (Even though this website looks upon it fondly).

I had a similar moment with The Odyssey. You see, my favorite part of the epic poem is when Odysseus has to get his men through the Strait of Messina, but there are two horrific monsters called Scylla and Charybdis. Now, Charybdis is a living whirlpool, and Scylla is a multiheaded monster that’s waiting for sailors to come by.

I really wanted to know how Nolan would approach this moment since I knew it was coming and…I was massively disappointed. I’m not going to say it was “realistic,” but it definitely wasn’t as fantastical as it could have been. In fact, all of the mystical moments in this film felt subdued, and it just bummed me out (like the cannibalistic Laestrygonians just being some big dudes in armor). The same goes for the Cyclops scene (There was definitely no “Nobody is attacking me!” moment), as well as Odysseus's journey to the world of the dead.

I mean, the human drama in this film is great, and I liked all of that, but – as I should have expected – Nolan stayed well within his comfort zone when it came to the actual magical elements of this story (Though, the Circe scene was fantastic). Could you imagine if Peter Jackson or Guillermo del Toro tackled The Odyssey? I’ll tell you what, the whole Scylla and Charybdis moment would have definitely been a whole lot more epic.

It Also Takes Itself SO SERIOUSLY. Possibly Too seriously

Once again, I don’t know what I was expecting. The story of Odysseus’s inner turmoil is very effective here, and I love that Nolan included the war as something that is holding Odysseus back. Because in truth, Odysseus is lost both externally and internally as well.

Again, this movie is good for what it is. I’m just saying that I didn’t like it, or at least, I didn’t love it. That may be because I feel like it takes itself way too seriously. I want to go back to that Cyclops moment.

While MOST of the poem is grim and serious, certain parts are whimsical, and even fun. I feel like that’s missing entirely from this film. Yes, Nolan's approach has always been to make pretty much everything serious (which worked for Batman after the tremendously silly Batman & Robin), but I would have liked at least some levity in this movie, like the silly “Nobody is attacking me!” moment in the poem with the Cyclops.

Or, you know, maybe the gods could have actually been involved in the story rather than just being an interpretation. I’m not going to spoil Zendaya’s role in the story as Athena, but I would have loved it if there were clear and definable gods in this movie, since Nolan goes to the edge, but doesn’t quite go far enough.

I don’t know. I’d say The Odyssey is a solid 7 out of 10 movie, and I get why many would call it a 10 out of 10 flick. I just wish that Nolan would have stepped out of his comfort zone a bit more, but I guess it wouldn’t be a Christopher Nolan movie if he did that. Oh, well.

Something to note about Johnny Depp’s greatest roles is that many of them showcase his ability to transform into eclectic characters. Now, picture two wild-looking Depp characters meeting face-to-face. Well, that was what recently happened, as the talented star himself showed up at San Diego Comic-Con as his latest alter ego, Ebenezer Scrooge. And it was there that Depp had a very wild interaction with an Edward Scissorhands cosplayer.

Depp looked completely unrecognizable as Ebenezer Scrooge while promoting Ti West’s new movie, Ebenezer. He looked like he aged 20 years with that prosthetic makeup and receding hairline, with the look completed by Victorian garb. Our team at CinemaBlend filmed a kooky interaction at SDCC involving Depp (while in character) questioning the aforementioned Edward Scissorhands imitator. Prepare to be entertained by the hilarious Instagram reel below:

Seriously, how unreal is it to see these two Johnny Depp characters interact? Honestly, it was exactly the kind of bizarre crossover I never knew I needed. I love seeing that Comic-Con goer dressed as the whimsical yet charming Tim Burton character, and it's a testament to the staying power that certain fictional characters have.

Viewers can see Depp as Scrooge in his mid-19th century wardrobe and surly British accent, speaking to the cosplayer, who's wearing those infamous metallic long pinchers. He made sure to ask the costumed fan about how he uses the “WC” (a.k.a. water closet), “toilet,” “pee pee house,” and that certainly made me laugh.

I love that “Scrooge” asked the dedicated cosplayer that mind-boggling question, as Tom Cruise had the same bathroom concern about the Tim Burton-birthed character when he was approached to play the part. But, apparently, the SDCC attendee acted like it wasn’t a struggle. I guess having scissors for hands can’t stop a committed fan from doing their business.

This wasn’t the first time the Finding Neverland actor surprised fans by dressing up as a character either. He dressed up as Jack Sparrow inside the Pirates of the Caribbean Disneyland attraction and randomly visited schools while playing the lovable pirate for kids. Depp also surprised tourists at Disneyland again, portraying his Mad Hatter character from Alice in Wonderland with an interactive digital poster video he filmed live inside a nearby studio. Clearly, the Sweeney Todd actor has no problem channeling his characters even when he's not on set.

On that note, I'm not sure I'll ever forget the sight of Ebenezer Scrooge and Edward Scissorhands shooting the breeze. Still, it's an entertaining exchange and, as a whole, Depp's decision to appear as Scrooge at SDCC could help create hype for his upcoming Christmas movie.

Check out Johnny Depp in the 2026 movie release Ebenezer, which opens in theaters on November 13th. Also, feel free to revisit the fan-favorite Edward Scissorhands or check it out for the first time using a Disney+ subscription.

Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099 is set to take fans back to the grungy, techno-futuristic world Ridley Scott developed more than 40 years ago. This chapter in the sci-fi saga, however, will feature different characters played by franchise newbies Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer. Both actresses apparently got quite close while filming the series, to the point that Yeoh did something to ensure Schafer was safe while performing stunts. And believe me when I say this is just so mom-coded (and I love it).

2099 sees Yeoh play Olwen, a dying replicant Blade Runner hunting down a rogue faction of replicants in Los Angeles. Olwen is joined in that pursuit by Schafer’s Cora, a human trying to blend in amid the new replicant-run regime. With that, Schafer and Yeoh spent a considerable amount of time together on set, and they spoke about those experiences during their show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con, which CinemaBlend attended. Schafer opened up about getting to dip her toes into action scenes and learning from her co-star:

Long before Ip Man exploded onto the big screen or Shang-Chi “ninja-kicked that glass ceiling” for Asian representation, Michelle Yeoh was tearing it up as a big-screen action hero. The Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once star is a skilled martial artist and has various credits under her belt. So I can understand why Schafer would be geeking out over getting to work with Yeoh in an action-based context. Yeoh also had some high praise for her co-star, and Schafar revealed the gift she got from Yeoh, too:

• Yeoh: I’ve never seen a more fearless action hero. I mean, she really, literally dove in. I was almost trying to hold her back like, ‘No, no, no, no…. too late. Okay. Is Hunter OK?’ She would do the tumbles, the falls. I’m like, ‘Hunter, where are your pads?’
• Schafer: She bought me a baby helmet.
• Yeoh: Well, you got a concussion! I had to protect my baby, okay? I was like, ‘Here, where this.’ So I got her a baby helmet.

Just when I thought I didn’t need yet another reason to love Michelle Yeoh, I have one. Honestly, it warms my heart to hear about her taking the time to ensure her co-star’s safety. The notion of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon icon buying Schafer a “baby helmet” may sound funny, but stunt work is no laughing matter. And, based on the Blade Runner 2099 teaser, Schafer had to take part in some truly intense scenes. Check it out:

I also like the notion of Hunter Schafer getting to spread her wings when it comes to action-centric material. As she mentioned, she’d had some opportunities to try a bit, but this show is arguably her biggest chance to try stunts. This might only be the beginning of Schafer working with stunts as well. That could especially be true if the X-Men rumor regarding her playing Mystique pans out.

At the risk of getting too far ahead of myself, though, I’m just eager to see Schafer share the screen alongside Yeoh in the Blade Runner spinoff show amid the 2026 TV schedule. I’m confident that the show will be just as intense and cerebral as the franchise’s two films and that the two leads will have great chemistry. And best believe I won’t forget Yeoh’s mom-centric gesture whenever I’m watching her “baby,” Schafer, perform stunts.

Blade Runner 2099 premieres on November 25, and all eight episodes will be available to stream at that time. Be sure to grab a Prime Video subscription by that time so you’ll be able to check out the show.

As a book lover, I’ve read my fair share of Stephen King novels. But, as a movie lover, I’ve also seen my fair share of Stephen King adaptations. That said, many of them, unfortunately, are either pretty bad or even terrible.

However, the good adaptations are often REALLY GOOD. I know everybody likes to point to The Shawshank Redemption as the gold standard (this website even called it the best movie of the ‘90s! - even though I think it’s just good), and I’d like to also add The Shining, The Green Mile, Stand by Me, Carrie, and Misery as cinematic masterpieces based on King’s work. Oh, and one more - The Long Walk.

In fact, in many ways, I think The Long Walk movie is better than the book…but not completely. I’ll explain.

Oh, and major spoilers on the walk ahead.

Why The Film Is Better Than The Book:

The Landscape Is Even More Desolate In The Film

For those unfamiliar with The Long Walk, it’s essentially a dystopian story in which an alternate-timeline America has become controlled by a totalitarian government. Each year, there’s a competition where young men walk for as long as possible, and the last one standing gets whatever they wish for.

People walking for hundreds of miles doesn’t sound like the most riveting story in the world, but this is King we’re talking about here, and he makes this as disturbing as he can for hundreds of pages. Well, in the novel, even though we see the aftermath of what we’re told was a civil war, there does seem to be a lot more people out and about cheering on the walkers.

At one point, there are even groupies who want to hook up with them, and, like, cool. It almost seems like a game show of sorts.

However, I actually like how much more desolate the movie feels. The backdrop is even more depressing and hopeless in the film, and I think it works in its favor…for the most part, which I’ll get into later.

The Friendship Aspect Is Even Sharper In The Film

One of my favorite movies and books of all time is Battle Royale (which Quentin Tarantino, it should be noted, maintains The Hunger Games ripped off). I bring up this story for two reasons. One, it’s similar to The Long Walk since it’s all about a group of people that gradually thin out, and two, because you have to keep track of a lot of characters, and you grow to care about many of them.

Well, in the book, The Long Walk, we get lots of characters, but the most important ones are Ray Garraty (our protagonist), Peter McVries, Stebbins, Art Baker, Gary Barkovitch (our main antagonist, outside of The Major), and a few others.

Now, while friendship is a HUGE part of the novel, I think the one formed by Ray (Cooper Hoffman) and Pete (David Jonsson) is better in the film. Their friendship is pretty pronounced in the book, almost leaning into a possible gay interpretation, whereas in the film, we don’t have the homoerotic undertones between them (Though, I do think it’s cool that you can interpret it that way in the book). Instead, their friendship is more the heart and soul of the movie, which I think is very effective.

Instead of the focus being more spread out to multiple characters like it is in the book, the movie mostly focuses on Pete’s and Ray’s friendship in particular. So, instead of this being a story about many, like in the novel, it really feels like a story about just two people surrounded by many, which works.

The Film Is Also Somehow Even More Dire Than The Book

When we initially reviewed this film, we called it “The Bleakest Stephen King Movie Since The Mist…” and yeah, that’s an apt description. Even though I find the premise of The Long Walk terrifying, I actually don’t find the book to be all that “bleak.” I don’t know, perhaps it’s the chummy way the story is written, but I feel King didn’t make it as bleak and hopeless as some of his other stories like Revival, Cujo, or Pet Semetary.

However, I do think this bleakness really elevates the movie. All of the characters feel like they’re doomed from the very start, and even though they’re joking in the beginning, as soon as that first person gets shot, the story just gets bleaker and bleaker. This consistent dire tone makes the movie stand out from other King stories, which really works in its favor. Because this film is bleak, even despite its ending. Oh, and speaking of which…

Why The Film Is Not As Good As The Book:

The Ending Of The Book Is WAY Better

Now, we’ve already written about it, but the ending of the movie is VERY different from that of the novel…and I don’t think in a good way.

In the book, Ray makes it to the finish line, but after his traumatic and exhausting experience, he doesn’t stop walking. In fact, he sees a phantom ahead of him, and he chases after him, ultimately leaving an ambiguous interpretation about what his fate will ultimately be. Trust me, I’m no Stephen King, but the way he writes this moment is truly terrifying.

The film does a MAJOR swerve, though, in that Pete is actually the victor, and not Ray. In fact, Ray says he doesn't see a future for himself, and by the time Pete realizes what’s going on, it's too late, and Ray gets his ticket punched.

The Major, played by Mark Hamill, says that Pete can get anything he wishes, but Pete chooses a carbine, just like Ray wanted. Pete then kills the Major and walks off, which is different, but I don't think anywhere near as haunting as Ray's spiraling into insanity. So, the book ending shakes me to my bones, and the movie ending doesn’t. Simple.

The Major Was Even More Mysterious In The Book

We don't see much of Hamill's Major in the film, but when we do, he pretty much steals every scene he’s in.

Now, I love Mark Hamill, but I think he’s TOO much of a presence in the movie, whereas the book made The Major a mysterious figure, which I prefer.

In a lot of ways, The Major doesn't even seem like an antagonist in the book. He's more like a symptom of the problem rather than the problem itself, and I’m much more in favor of that. He’s very much a background figure, which is where I think he should be.

The movie does a great job of making the Major an actual flesh-and-blood character, but I really liked the mythic quality of the Major in the book. It was more effective.

The Walk Itself Feels Much More Like An Event In The Book As Opposed To The Film

Now, I know I made a point earlier about how much I liked how desolate this film feels, but another part of me prefers how the walk is more like an actual event in the book.

One of my favorite Stephen King movies that’s nothing like the novel is the original The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I love the game show aspect of the film as opposed to the kind of bland approach that the book takes.

However, The Long Walk film feels like the opposite, whereas the event is more exciting in the book than it is in the movie. So, I think the book handled that aspect better in a lot of ways.

That said, both are great. Is The Long Walk book better than the movie? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

While Blake Lively is still seen out and about, and she’s continued working, there’s no denying that we’ve seen a bit less of her since the It Ends With Us legal battle and her alleged falling out with Taylor Swift. Now, insiders have made claims about how her celebrity status has been impacted by the notion that she and the pop star have grown apart.

For a long time, it was alleged that Lively wasn’t invited to Swift’s wedding (which happened on July 3). The actress, Ryan Reynolds and their kids (who are Swift’s godchildren) were ultimately not present. This seemingly added to the idea that the women have grown apart or had some sort of falling out. Now, allegations are being made about how this potential rift is impacting the A Simple Favor star's celebrity status. Speaking to Rob Shuter, one insider alleged:

It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen Swift and Lively walking the streets of NYC together or sitting in a box at a football game. Now, according to this insider, the fact that the Gossip Girl star seemingly isn’t as connected to “The Fate of Ophelia” singer as she once was is impacting her ability to get into the most exclusive places. To that point, another source claimed:

Of course, we don’t actually know what’s going on between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively. However, what is undeniable is the fact that the two haven’t been seen together in a very long time. After The Tortured Poets Department artist was looped into the It Ends With Us legal situation, their friendship seemingly started to shift. Now, it seems like the two are not nearly as close as they once were.

Based on what these sources are saying, it seems like Lively can’t get the VIP access she once had because of all this. However, she’s still a celebrity, and according to this insider, she’ll allegedly still be able to use her status to get celebrity treatment; she just might not get the exclusive treatment she got with Swift by her side:

The report notes that Lively has not been denied access to events. In fact, she was at the World Cup Final, and she attended the Met Gala earlier this spring. However, what’s seemingly changed is her ability to get into the areas we typically see the biggest celebrities in. Of course, we don’t know if that’s true or not.

One thing that does seem clear is that Swift and Lively are at least distancing themselves from each other publicly. Now, we’ll have to wait and see if their friendship will be publicly rekindled, or if it will still look as though they’ve had a falling out. Meanwhile, we’ll keep you posted on how Blake Lively’s career and celebrity status evolve amid all this.

Reacher is about to air its fourth season on the 2026 TV schedule, and Season 5 is already in the works. This early renewal and production signifies Amazon’s trust in the series, and that’s exactly what Alan Ritchson wants. In fact, if he gets his way, Reacher is only halfway through its run.

Seeing as Reacher is a book-to-screen adaptation of Lee Child’s novels, and he’s written 30 of them, it stands to reason that this Prime Video series could go on for a very long time. So, during an appearance on Happy, Sad, Confused, Alan Ritchson, who plays the titular Jack Reacher, was asked how long he could see the show going on for. The short answer is: a long time. However, here’s how the actor began his thoughts on Reacher’s longevity:

He makes a good point; Ritchson is incredibly busy with Reacher and various other projects. Currently, he has nine projects in the works, and so far, in 2026, he’s released two movies, War Machine and Motor City, and Season 4 of Reacher will drop August 12. Oh, and he’ll appear in its spinoff, Neagley, too. So, his schedule and Amazon’s plans are factors to consider when it comes to how long this show will last.

However, the audience’s desire to keep watching with an Amazon Prime subscription is the main driving force, as the actor said:

If the audience grows the way they think it could with Season 4, then Reacher has potential to go far. It could even last the ten seasons Alan Ritchson envisions for it, as he explained:

I agree, it does seem like a cool number, and we know they’ll get at least halfway there. So, why not do five more seasons? I know Reacher is physically demanding, but Ritchson seems more than up for the challenge and very enthusiastic about continuing to go on Jack Reacher’s adventures.

Plus, if they make it ten seasons, this show has the potential to reach many generations, as Ritchson explained:

Well, if Alan Ritchson gets his way, Reacher could do just that and go on for a very, very long time. And considering they have 25 other books to work with after we take away the five they’ve adapted/will adapt, there’s still an abundance of stories to tell.

However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, you can stream Season 4 of Reacher on Amazon Prime starting August 12.

Grey’s Anatomy is continuing its reign as the longest-running primetime medical drama on the 2026 TV schedule, as the series is coming back for Season 23. Filming has officially commenced, too, which is incredibly exciting. However, while fans are likely buzzing with anticipation after seeing this image that featured (most) of the gang all back together, the cast photo was also missing a very important person.

While a premiere date for Grey's has not been announced for Season 23, ABC previously confirmed that it will indeed return this fall. So it was only a matter of time before the cast and crew stepped back into the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial. The official Grey’s Anatomy Instagram confirmed that things are back up and running for the new season by posting a cast photo that includes just about everyone, minus one very important actor:

Ellen Pompeo is not in the cast photo, even though she is more than likely returning as Dr. Meredith Grey.

The actress shockingly stepped down as a series regular midway through Season 19, but she has remained on as an executive producer and to provide the voiceover for each episode. She has also returned as Meredith a handful of times, and appeared in more than half of last season. Considering Pompeo is literally the “Grey” of Grey’s Anatomy, I’m definitely surprised she isn’t included in the cast photo, which could also indicate that she’s not appearing in the premiere episode.

While Pompeo has been doing other projects since taking a step back from Grey’s, her latest one, Chicks, a dramedy on Hulu, reportedly won’t begin filming until September, per Deadline. So her not being part of the medical drama's cast photo is even more surprising.

Of course, this could mean nothing. Perhaps they took it on a day Pompeo wasn’t filming, or whatever Meredith is up to in the Season 23 premiere would be spoiled if she was in the cast photo. As of now, there doesn’t seem to be a set answer as to how many episodes she will be appearing in, but hopefully fans get their first look at her on set soon.

Grey’s Anatomy will be down two more characters for Season 23, following Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver's departures. Meanwhile, Meredith’s beau, Dr. Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman), proposed in the finale, but with Speedman headlining ABC’s sophomore drama R.J. Decker, that might make things a bit harder for him to return. That could potentially create fewer chances for Meredith to appear as she preps for the wedding.

You can’t have Grey’s Anatomy without Meredith Grey, so hopefully Pompeo will be in at least a few episodes for Season 23. Obviously, she’s a busy woman, but it’s just not the same without her. Now, fans will just have to wait and find out about her status on the show when Season 23 premieres this fall on ABC and streams the next day for those with a Hulu subscription.

Christopher Nolan is known for utilizing the best modern filmmaking technology available when making his movies. For instance, his 2026 movie release, The Odyssey, is a technological achievement, as it was shot on two million feet of IMAX film. Despite the British filmmaker's tech-savvy strategies, the man himself is still not tempted to get a smartphone. Truth be told, though, I understand his logic.

On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Memento director got real about internet rumors that have circulated about him throughout the years. It was probably a given that a biggie that came up was Nolan's preference not to use a smartphone or email. As for why the Oscar-winning director has never felt the need to join the crowd, Nolan shared a very logical answer during his interview (which can be seen on YouTube):

Wow, it’s been decades since I’ve seen a flip phone in the wild! However, I completely understand where Christopher Nolan is coming from in preferring an old-fashioned cellphone over a smartphone. As we as a society become more glued to our phones and other electronic devices, we lose sight of the world around us as well as in-person communication. If having a “dumb phone” is enough for the Oppenheimer filmmaker and helps his creative process, I'm all for him sticking to his mantra.

So, if The Dark Knight filmmaker doesn’t use a smartphone, how did he communicate with his cast and crew while making The Odyssey? Nolan gave an old-school answer, and it makes a lot of sense:

Now, why didn’t I think of that? Considering how massive the cast and crew of the epic action fantasy flick is, it makes sense that Nolan would certainly not be without people who could help him out tech-wise.

Not only was the Inception director against personally using smartphones amid production on his movies, but that's the same deal with his casts. Nolan has long had a "no phone" rule on his sets, and Tom Holland said Nolan's policy remained in place on the Odyssey set. If anything, that's a truly distraction-free way of keeping the actors focused on their movie. Believe it or not, he's even banned UGGs from his set to also not break the illusion of the world being built out in the film.

As for how The Prestige director has been able to get away with contacting his actors without a cellphone, he has his wife and producing partner, Emma Thomas, give a heads-up when he's ready for a phone call. And, from there, he'll call the star from a studio landline. You’d think it’d be just easier for the man to group-message or call his actors on a Samsung or iPhone. But, if calling from a landline works for one of the most successful filmmakers of our generation, who are we to judge?

With Christopher Nolan’s love of practical effects and belief in the communal, theater-going experience, it should come as no surprise that the London native isn't keen on immersing himself too deep in personal electronics. I can certainly see the advantages of owning a smartphone, but I also understand the benefits of shying away from such items.

I hope Nolan fans check out The Odyssey in theaters now and, while you're doing so, keep that phone away and enjoy the experience.

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies made history upon their release, and are still regularly rewatched to this day. Fans of JRR Tolkien were treated to the prequel TV series The Rings of Power, which is gearing up for its third season for those with an Amazon Prime subscription. And actor Daniel Weyman recently spoke about the "humbling" experience going from playing The Stranger to the beloved hero Gandalf the Grey.

The Rings of Power Season 3 wrapped back in December, and the show will return to our screens this fall. Fans are eager to see Weyman as Gandalf, and while attending San Diego Comic-Con, CinemaBlend was able to hear the 48 year-old actor gush about this change in his signature character. During the show's panel he said:

For years fans debated who The Stranger was, especially since he clearly had some strong magical abilities. The Season 2 finale confirmed that he was Gandalf all along, and the new Rings of Power footage showed him using the beloved Wizard's staff. Talk about a big change from when we met him in Season 1 and he barely able to speak.

Later in the same Comic-Con panel, Daniel Weyman teased what to expect from Gandalf in the book-to-screen adaptation's third season on the air. And on top of using magic, he'll also be connecting with people. As he put it:

The stakes are certainly high in Middle-earth, and Gandalf is going to have to use both his heart and his magic to help battle the dark forces that are taking control. The actor went on to speak more about this dynamic, offering the Comic-Con crowd:

Having watched The Rings of Power since Season 1, I love how much of a transformation Weyman's character has had on the show. Gandalf is finally here in all his glory, and it should be fascinating to see how he fights the forces of evil in Middle-earth. Additionally, I'm hoping we get to see him reunite with his halfling besties Nori and Poppy, whom he got separated from during the second season.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will return for Season 3 on November 11th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. I'm hoping to see some epic magic come from Gandalf this season, perhaps in a battle with the mysterious Dark Wizard. Fingers crossed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you look up what genre We Need to Talk About Kevin is in, you'll find it under “psychological drama.” However, much like I’d consider Mulholland Drive a horror movie, even though it’s categorized as a “mystery film,” I’d say the same thing about Kevin, as it’s straight-up horror.

In fact, I actually think WNtTAK is one of the greatest horror movies of all time that pretty much nobody talks about. Sure, I know most people wouldn’t put it on a list of the best horror movies of all time, but that’s only because many people seem to overlook “realistic horror,” such as If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (which is another great “horror” movie).

So, here’s why more people should, er, talk about We Need to Talk About Kevin.

I Think This Movie Hits Differently If You're A Parent

The premise of this movie is an uncomfortable one, especially if you’re a parent. It poses the question: What if your child is a sociopath? The movie plays with that idea and whether it’s really nature vs. nurture, but the film ultimately leans more toward the nature side. That is despite Tilda Swinton’s character, Eve, getting so mad at her child in one scene that she throws him against a wall and breaks his arm.

However, I’m getting ahead of myself. The book-to-screen adaptation is based on the novel of the same name by Lionel Shriver (a woman), and directed by Lynne Ramsay (another woman, which is cool, since this movie has a woman’s perspective), We Need to Talk About Kevin is about a mother named Eve who doesn’t know how to relate to her son, Kevin, (Ezra Miller), who seems…troubled. Kevin’s father (John C. Reilly) doesn’t believe his wife’s concerns, and even buys him a bow and arrow as a gift.

Tragically, Kevin goes on a school “shooting” with his arrows, killing several classmates. The film deals with Eve’s role in all of this, and how the town views her. It’s harrowing, thought-provoking stuff, and truly horrific, which I’ll get into next.

It's The Way That The Story Progresses That Is Truly Horrifying

What really sets WNtTAK apart from other horror movies is its nonlinear plot. We get a deeply depressed Eve basically wandering through life after what her son did to so many people, as the town blames her for giving birth to a monster.

We then see the story progress from Kevin’s youth and his relationship with his mother. Kevin never seems happy, and his mother doesn’t understand why, even despite her many efforts to connect with him. At first, she thinks it’s her fault, but then she starts to worry that perhaps it’s not actually her, but that maybe her son has a mental illness (In fact, this is actually a great movie about such a condition).

The scariest part, though, is watching Kevin’s progression, and how distant and sinister he becomes. I don’t want to spoil the movie for you just in case you haven’t seen it, but it ends on such a sour, disturbing note that you really get a sense that all of the events that occur were probably inevitable.

In The End, I Feel Like This Is A Mostly Untalked About Gem, And A Cautionary Tale

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a cautionary tale about…becoming a parent. I’m serious! Though many have wonderful experiences with having children and can offer sage-like advice, other parents really do go through hell with their kids.

It’s not enough for people to say, “Well, if you love and take care of your child, then they’ll turn out okay,” as that’s not always the case. Because sometimes, you can do everything you can for your children, and they still turn out hurting others.

WNtTAK is a horrific film that I think more people should talk about. Just keep this in mind, though: Much like parenting itself, it’s not for the faint of heart.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It Was Obvious That Every Season 4 Couple Would Get Engaged

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can He Voice The AI Too?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I might be a little biased (just a little), but you read the headline: Out of all of the characters in cinematic history, Godzilla is the greatest.

Now, “greatest” is a wildly subjective term, and that can be interpreted in many different ways. For instance, when I say Godzilla is the “greatest,” I don’t mean he’s the most important, but I do think he is the best. He’s one of the most recognizable characters in cinema history and also has the best longevity. I will die on this hill.

So, how can I make such a bold claim? Well, you’re about to find out.

What Other Cinematic Characters Have Remained Actively Popular For 70 Years?

Now, you might proclaim that Mickey Mouse has been relevant and actively popular for almost a century since his debut in Steamboat Willie back in 1928. But, let’s think about that. What was the last Mickey Mouse MOVIE you watched in theaters? I mean, I’m 42, and the last time I saw Mickey Mouse on the big screen was for the animated short, “Get a Horse,” which screened before Disney’s Frozen, and that came out all the way back in 2013!

The last Godzilla movie I watched in theaters was Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire back in 2024, which I think is the best MonsterVerse movie by far. Godzilla Minus One was the one I saw before that, in 2023. It is still my favorite Godzilla movie of all time. In fact, I think that the 2020s are actually the best time ever to be a Godzilla fan, and that's because Godzilla is bigger than ever.

I’ll give you an example. Outside of this website, I’m a teacher, and I have a Godzilla calendar in my classroom (Because of course I do). Well, every single student - and I teach 12-13 year-olds - recognizes Godzilla from the movies and can even identify some of his best enemies, such as Mothra and Mechagodzilla.

Granted, one might say that a character like Superman or Batman is more recognizable than Godzilla, but neither of those characters has movies that go as far back as 1954 and have been CONSISTENTLY churning out films for over 70 years. That’s why I say Godzilla is the greatest character in cinema history. Just like his film counterpart, he just won’t die, and he only gets stronger!

Godzilla Is Truly Universal And Basically Spawned A Whole Genre

Now, I love King Kong, and I’ve even seen every King Kong movie. Be that as it may, I definitely don’t credit the original King Kong, which came out 21 years before 1954’s Godzilla, for creating the kaiju genre. I mean, yes, I will say that King Kong definitely inspired the creation of Godzilla, but it was the 1954 movie that really kickstarted the kaiju genre, and we’re all the better for it.

Godzilla is more than just a character - he’s a symbol. From Cloverfield to Ultraman to even the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there’s a huge chance that none of them would even exist if not for Godzilla, which popularized and even spawned the concept of the giant monster destroying a city (rather than just rampaging through one like King Kong).

This is another reason why I think Godzilla is the greatest character in cinema history. He single-handedly created an entire genre unto himself. Nobody can say that a character like Darth Vader CREATED the space opera, or that Mickey Mouse CREATED animation, but Godzilla CREATED the Kaiju genre, which we’ve gotten so many great stories from in so many different forms of media.

I could go on and on in this regard, but the proof is in the pudding. Godzilla is the King of the Monsters, and every kaiju that has ever come out after him needs to bend the knee.

Godzilla Is Also Great For Merchandising Purposes, And Instantly Recognizable

I mentioned my Godzilla calendar earlier, and what’s interesting is that every year I get a new nerdy calendar for my classroom. This year’s Godzilla calendar was the only one where EVERY student could identify who the character was (As opposed to my years when I had Street Fighter, Dragon Ball Z, and Marvel calendars, which surprised me).

I think people can recognize Godzilla because he’s also great for merchandising, and you see him everywhere, even outside of the movies. For example, I’ll always remember how ubiquitous Godzilla was when the 1998 movie (which I actually like) came out. Now, even before that film, I had known who Godzilla was, even though I hadn’t yet gotten into the Toho Godzilla movies. I mean, how could I not know who he was? He was in video games, on t-shirts, and even in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.

I just think it’s because Godzilla is perfect for merchandising. He can be scary. He can be cool. He can be silly. He can be a hero. He can be a villain. He can be in cartoon form. He could be in movie form. There’s just really no limit to how you can merchandise the character.

I can’t really think of too many other characters, outside of Star Wars, where you can have such general versatility when it comes to marketing. It’s perfect!

Godzilla Will Likely Outlive Us All

This is kind of crazy for me to say given all of the big movies that we’ve gotten thus far, but the upcoming Godzilla Minus Zero is my most anticipated movie on the 2026 film schedule. I think this will always be the case with any Godzilla film that comes out, because I’m pretty certain that I will be a fan of Godzilla for the rest of my life.

I don’t think it ends there, since I think Godzilla will still be in movies long after I die, which hopefully won’t be for about 50 years, because Godzilla just works. As I’ve already noted, there may be more recognizable characters out there like Spider-Man, Mickey Mouse, or Superman, but Godzilla’s consistency when it comes to movies is what really makes him the greatest cinematic character of all time.

I took my son to see Godzilla Minus One, and now he’s just as big a Godzilla fan as I am. Hopefully, if he’s ever blessed with children like I was, he’ll spread that love to his children and continue the cycle of loving the King of the Monsters. This is something I definitely foresee happening since I don’t think Godzilla is going anywhere.

So, for all of those reasons combined, I think Godzilla is the greatest character in cinematic history, and you’re never going to convince me otherwise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kamu Won The Week 3 HOH

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

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

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

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

Why Kamu's Win Is Great News For Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Raj Died On Stuart Fails To Save The Universe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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