I would not have guessed that WALL-E, one of Pixar’s best, and Alien, one of the best horror movies of all time, shared any real creative wiring beyond the whole “outer space can get weird” of it all. But according to WALL-E director Andrew Stanton, Alien helped inspire the flick in a way that has me shook.

In a recent appearance on the How I Write Podcast, Stanton explained how he knew WALL-E would be mostly dialogue-free, so the script itself had to prompt readers to slow down and absorb the action, emotion and rhythm of the movie rather than rushing ahead to the next spoken line. That is when he looked to Walter Hill’s 1979 draft of Alien. He explained:

That is such a fascinating micro lesson in screenwriting. The way the longtime Pixar creator describes it, he gets at something most casual moviegoers never think about and that is that a script is not just a blueprint for what happens but also teaches the reader how to feel the movie's pace. In Hill’s case, that sparse formatting helped create dread through silence and tension.

For Stanton, the same trick served a completely different emotional purpose. WALL-E is not trying to scare you in its opening stretch. It is trying to get you to sit with this little machine as he moves through an abandoned Earth, cleaning up after humanity and collecting scraps of meaning from all the junk left behind. If a reader skimmed through that, they would miss the whole point.

Stanton explained that he borrowed Hill’s formatting so people could not “cheat” their way through the page. He wanted the screenplay to force the same kind of patience that the finished movie would ask from an audience. He continued:

I love this because it makes total sense once he explains it. WALL-E works because it trusts silence. The Alien connection is especially cool because Stanton was not borrowing monsters or horror imagery but rather the screenplay’s architecture. A way of arranging words on a page. A way of telling the reader, “No, stay here. This moment matters.”

That is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes craft detail that makes me want to rewatch WALL-E immediately. The movie already felt like a small miracle, but knowing that part of its rhythm was shaped by one of the greatest sci-fi horror scripts ever written adds a strange new layer. Now that I have this bit of behind-the-scenes knowledge rattling around in my head, I kind of want to fire up my Disney+ subscription and revisit WALL-E with fresh eyes.

As for Stanton, he has another major new Pixar project on the 2026 movie calendar, as he directed Toy Story 5, which is currently playing in theaters.

Seth Rogen has not exactly been sitting around for the past decade resting on his laurels. The man has acted in, produced, and wrote for various new TV shows, from live-action to animation, with The Studio becoming one of the buzziest Hollywood comedies of 2025, with a second season on the way. But when it comes to big-screen movies, he and longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg have been absent from the feature side since 2014, and he explained why that's been the case.

Rogen addressed that long break with The Hollywood Reporter, while attending the Los Angeles premiere of Olivia Wilde’s stress-inducing new movie The Invite, in which he stars alongside Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. His reason for staying away from directing films is pretty understandable, given the last movie he and Goldberg directed together was The Interview. He said:

That is a very funny line about a situation that was, at the time, not funny at all. The Interview starred Rogen and James Franco as journalists who land an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, then get recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. The comedy became the center of an international incident, with the North Korean government threatening the United States over the film, and with Sony Pictures later being hit with a massive cyberattack.

Being “a little gun-shy” after such an ordeal seems fair. Most filmmakers worry about opening weekend numbers, bad reviews or studio notes, but everyone involved with this movie had to deal with it becoming a diplomatic headache and a corporate security nightmare. That is the kind of thing that might make someone look at the director’s chair and think, “Maybe non-dictator-focused television sounds nice for a while.”

And television really has been a way back in. The Superbad duo have directed multiple TV episodes since The Interview, most notably with The Studio, which gave Rogen a chance to satirize Hollywood from inside the belly of the beast. That feels like an appropriate reentry point after a movie that caused actual global fallout. A series about studio panic probably feels near-cozy in comparison.

The industry has changed quite a bit since Rogen and Goldberg's last big-screen directorial effort in 2014. Hollywood now has plenty of problems fighting for the crown: streaming confusion, theatrical uncertainty, franchise fatigue, AI anxiety, runaway budgets and a comedy market that has become much harder to navigate. Compared with all that, two guys wanting to direct another movie sounds almost charmingly old-fashioned.

For now, the Freaks and Geeks alum is back in actor-only mode with the 2026 calendar release of The Invite, and he sounded pretty happy about that, too. He joked that it was nice to see a miserable production conversation happening nearby and realize he did not have to be part of it, leaving him free to scroll social media and talk to Edward Norton instead. Honestly, that sounds like a tiny vacation for a guy who is usually juggling several creative jobs at once. Whatever stress went into making the movie seems to have paid off, too, since the new A24 flick has a Rotten Tomatoes score high enough to leave me shook.

He also praised Wilde, who both stars in and directs The Invite, saying he found her bold as an actor and filmmaker. That probably carries extra weight from someone who knows exactly how hard it is to do both jobs at once without setting your own brain on fire.

Whether Rogen and Goldberg actually direct a new movie next year remains to be seen. But after more than a decade away from features, it sounds like the door is finally open again.

The Invite is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check your local listings for showtimes.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t seen Toy Story 5 in its entirety, so be warned if that applies to you, pardner!

By and large, Toy Story 5 is a sequel keenly devoted to Jessie’s biggest fans, and is thus filled with highly emotional moments for the generation-connecting cowgal. But it’s also a story of finding friendship in unexpected places with unfamiliar faces, as our young protagonist Bonnie attempts to broaden her playtime horizons with other human beings. Unfortunately, before she could cross paths with the magnificence that is Blaze, the eight-year-old had to suffer the insincere community of Chelsea, Heidi and Kara.

If you’ve seen the new 2026 movie, you know exactly who I’m speaking of, and why my tone is unmistakably haughty and judgmental. I’m talking about the three girls who are somewhat coerced into welcoming Bonnie to their Lily Pad group chat. Naturally, they’re vapid little monsters who only care about their devices, and they don’t hesitate before making Bonnie feel lesser-than because she plays with toys. So naturally, this grade-school clique has received highly amusing and rage-filled vehemence online.

The best and most brilliantly conceived take concerning Chelsea & Co., however, comes from X user @Thisisntflying, who calls out the ringleader for her self-obsessed pettiness.

I'm sure few among us are totally innocent of accidentally hitting a reactionary emoji on one's own post or comment, but this was no mere accident. This was all on purpose for Chelsea, who invited Bonnie over to her house seemingly without any real impetus for putting her on the same pedestal as Heidi or Kara. No, this seemed to just be about having someone around who serve as a verbal punching bag. Not that I think Chelsea's thought process went so deep, but anyone who intentionally laughs at their own bully posts isn't necessarily thinking deeply.

While the comment above was superbly pointed and drew on a specific behavioral element to draw the claws out, quite a few comments (on that post and elsewhere) were more general in their gleefully malicious opinions about Chelsea and her underlings.

• Yeah lol what a little dork! - @SuperPowerBread
• On the bright side. At least that means no other kids want to be friend with her to have a group chat that small - @mariosonicfan99
• She should be in prison - @Smallzz3214
• Imagne hating some other kid cus she still plays with toys i hated the f-ck out of those three sh-t heads - @Drawing811
• Just finished watching Toy Story 5…. Chelsea, Heidi and the other girl don’t want it fr. - @Brifrombrooklyn
• Toy story 5 count your days. chelsea heidi and the other one count your f-cking days. - @SWINGINPARONIRIA
• These three gremlins are straight-up running a cyberbullying ring because Bonnie won’t abandon Woody for TikTok dances - @kooktfc

I will always laugh anytime someone authentically uses the word "gremlin" to describe a child, especially when it's most applicable, as it is here. I bet when Chelsea eats a snack after midnight, she just turns into herself with slightly greener skin.

To be fair, a few of the commenters I came across somewhat righfully put the onus of blame on Chelsea's parents (and those of the other girls') for allowing them to be in unmoderated group chats and possibly not keeping track of who is invited into their home. But come on. Bonnie parents are kind of in that same boat, and Bonnie is a peach, so there's something inherently ughhh about Chelsea.

Of course, Bonnie never would have been made fun of in the first place had a certain someone (or thing) not manipulated events to theoretically work in the young girl's favor.

If not for Lily Pad's net-based scheming, Bonnie never would have been jettisoned into such unfamiliar waters that made her the brunt of Chelsea's jokes, both on the app and in real life. So yeah, even if redemption was recognized and achieved by the end of the movie, Lily Pad was always the true antagonist.

I previously wrote about various Toy Story 5 moments that would be terrifying outside of this movie's context, and now I'm thinking it'd be fun to see an animated short where Woody, Jessie and Bo Peep go on a stealth mission (possibly with Leap Frog as the "tech in the chair") to completely ruin Chelsea's life, likely with Heidi and Kara catching shrapnel.

Toy Story 5 is currently still destroying the box office, even though Chelsea is probably waiting until it hits streaming to watch to save money, that monster.

It's the end of a nearly 30-year legacy with Jackass: Best and Last landing on the 2026 movie calendar this weekend. On that note, there are plenty of ways to thank the Jackass crew for years of some of the funniest and nude-heavy stunts imaginable. But April Margera may have found the most fitting one: thanking them for destroying her house. That sounds ridiculous anywhere else but, when it comes to this wild franchise, it is practically a family toast.

Bam Margera’s parents, April and Phil Margera, shared a sweet and very funny message to the crew in a video posted by the official Jackass Instagram account. It's fitting this comes amid the release of Jackass: Best and Last, which has been framed as the franchise's farewell ride. You can see the video below:

The former reality TV regulars were never just relatives hovering at the edge of the frame. Thanks to MTV staples Jackass and Viva La Bam, not to mention the larger CKY orbit, the Margera household became one of the franchise’s most recognizable locations. It was a home, sure, but it was also a staging ground for chaos. If something could be broken, startled, sprayed, crashed into or otherwise turned into a problem for “Ape” and Phil, there was a decent chance it happened there.

That is what made Bam Margera’s mother’s thanks so perfect. She shared a funny yet heartwarming message, saying:

Needless to say, most parents would not look back on people wrecking their belongings and land on gratitude. April, somehow, can. That is part of why fans have always loved her. She was often exhaustedly furious with her son's antics, and usually justified in that reaction, but she also brought warmth to the madness.

Phil’s message was more straightforward, but no less heartfelt. He said:

That last part hits a little differently, given how complicated Bam’s history with Jackass has become over the years. The former stunt performer has said in the past that he is done with the franchise, and he did not film anything new for the fifth and final movie. As public and painful as the rift between former castmates has been, it is great to hear his dad share some love. All in all, Phil’s comment keeps the focus on what always seemed to sit underneath the stunts: real affection.

The franchise worked because viewers could tell these guys were not just coworkers chasing a bit. They were friends, brothers, collaborators, lunatics and occasional human bowling pins. The fan-favorite mom then added one more thought:

That is the most Jackass possible way to describe closure. Even when everyone says it is over, April Margera still sounds like a woman who knows better than to relax fully. Somewhere, in some corner of her mind, a prank is still waiting.

It feels like the unofficial Jackass house parents are speaking from the exact place fans remember them from. While they were dragged into the circus because their son was part of it, I'd like to think that over time, they became an emotional anchor of that circus. And, judging by their message, they also gained a second family and, for Jackass, that feels about right.

Jackass: Best and Last is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check your local listings. If you want to revisit the previous films in the franchise, or any of the many spinoff series, they’re streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

Not too long ago, I wrote about one of my father’s and my father-in-law’s favorite movies, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and it was directed by the one and only Ben Stiller.

However, I feel like even though Stiller has a rock solid filmography when it comes to movies that he’s directed, a vast majority of people still think of him as the fashion model, Derek Zoolander (Which he also directed), or as the bumbling lead in the Meet the Parents series (which we’re getting a fourth movie soon starring Ariana Grande, by the way).

But, like other prominent actors/directors, such as Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, and Jodie Foster, I think we need to celebrate Ben Stiller’s directing career as well, since I don’t think nearly enough people talk about it.

First Off, His Directorial Debut, Reality Bites, Still Resonates With Gen X

There are a select few directors who make a great, career-defining movie on their first try, and then there are directors who make good, fairly competent movies on their first attempt, and 1994’s Reality Bites fits somewhere closer to the latter. However, this is coming from a Millennial. When Reality Bites came out, I was only 11 years old, and so I didn’t even see it when it first debuted.

Do you know who did, though? My Gen-X, older sister, and this is a movie that’s a lot more catered to people like her than it is to people like me. For Generation X, Reality Bites has become a bit of a cult movie that resonates with them, and I can see why.

Starring Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo (Does it get more ‘90s than her?), and Ben Stiller, Reality Bites is about an aspiring documentarian (Ryder) who’s just trying to get her name out there and forge relationships, namely with Ethan Hawke, who plays a guitarist. It’s all about struggling after college to make a way for yourself, and it certainly feels like a time capsule.

That said, it’s important that it DOES feel like a time capsule - one that perfectly encapsulates the anxieties and struggles of being a recent adult in the ‘90s. It may not entirely speak to me, but for a certain demographic, this feels like it was specifically made for them, and it was Stiller’s directorial debut. A generational cult classic? Quite the start.

You Want Silly Movies? Check. You Want Dark Comedies? Check Again.

I mentioned earlier that Stiller directed Zoolander (both movies) and that's about as silly as it gets. And, when it comes to early 2000s films, I think a lot of people will tell you that the first Zoolander is an important comedy for just how absurd it is. Honestly, when I think of early 2000s comedies, Zoolander is right up there with movies like Wedding Crashers, Old School, and Dodgeball, when it comes to overall silly comedies.

However, the first Ben Stiller-directed movie that I ever saw wasn't Reality Bites, but rather, a pitch-black dark comedy starring Jim Carrey. Now, Jim Carrey WAS my childhood, and I watched him in pretty much everything back in the ‘90s. Carrey was always an expert in playing weirdos, and that's what I was accustomed to seeing whenever my dad would take me to see Jim Carrey movies.

But, by 1996, I was 13-years-old and could see PG-13 movies on my own, which is just what I did when I saw that year's Jim Carrey movie, The Cable Guy. That said, The Cable Guy wasn't like other Carrey films, as he wasn't just weird in this one. He was creepy!

In this story, Carrey plays an obsessive cableman just looking for a friend. His idea of “friendship” verges on being an outright stalker, and Carrey is funny, but also genuinely unsettling. Plus, the crazy thing is, the same guy who developed the “Blue Steel” face in Zoolander is also the same guy who made Carrey creepily sing “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane. Now that's what I call directorial range!

Plus, I Don't Think It Should Be Understated Just What A Risk-Taking Movie Tropic Thunder Actually Was

People are always talking about “movies that could never be made today” (though the recent Scary Movie's whole schtick was about being as politically incorrect as possible…and audiences approved). Do you know one movie that I genuinely do think was pretty audacious upon its release? 2008’s Tropic Thunder, which was Stiller's fourth directorial effort.

The story of actors filming a war movie who are actually dropped off into a real war zone, Tropic Thunder is absurd to the nth degree, but also has a genuine, IDGAF, punk rock attitude that is wholly unique and impressive for its time, and still today, really.

Yes, everybody remembers it for Robert Downey Jr. as a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude, but the dirty (and some might even say “mean-spirited”) jokes in this movie really are quite shocking. Especially for modern audiences.

Which I think is really cool. Given the safe comedy that Ben Stiller typically stars in, one would probably not imagine that he would make a vulgar movie like Tropic Thunder, but he did, and we're all the better for it.

And Television! Can I Talk About Severance?

For a while now, television has been a great second home for filmmakers to explore more long-form, versatile projects, and I think one would be hard-pressed to find a more versatile project than Severance (when are we getting Season 3, by the way?), which is probably one of the most inventive sci-fi shows in the past 10 years.

The gem of Apple TV, Severance is all about work/life balance, and the mysteries in-between. At times darkly funny, but also strangely eerie (even verging on creepy), Severance is the brainchild of Dan Erickson, but a lot of the series is directed by Ben Stiller, and it shows!

Adam Scott - who was also in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - is our protagonist, and Stiller does a great job of showing how work can both give one’s life purpose but also be life-draining, and he handles the mystery of what’s really going on extremely well.

Severance is just another example of how we can’t quite peg what kind of director Ben Stiller wants to be, which is really rewarding for somebody who follows his work.

In The End, Stiller Will Likely Always Be Known For Comedic Roles, But He Is One Hell Of A Director

As I hope you can see, if you scroll through Stiller’s filmography, you’ll find a number of comedic performances in the Actor column. However, if you check out his Director column, you’ll see just how versatile he’s always been.

From cult movies to silly comedies to dark comedies, to TV work (Let’s not forget The Ben Stiller Show), Stiller has definitely made a name for himself as a director if you’re looking.

Which is important, because again, I don’t think “Director” is the first word that comes to most people’s minds when they think of Ben Stiller, but it should be, since he’s one of the greats.

So, out of all of the projects that he’s directed, which one’s your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

We’re only days away from the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle premiering, after anticipating it on the 2026 TV schedule for a hot (pink) minute. Not only does the new Elle Woods, Lexi Minetree, totally look like Reese Witherspoon, but she got to develop a relationship with the OG Elle and even received some A+ advice.

Since Reese Witherspoon is a producer on Elle through her Hello Sunshine banner, she really got to know Lexi Minetree. Speaking about that, the 25-year-old actress recalled one piece of advice Witherspoon gave to her:

What wonderful insight from the original Elle Woods! Elle marks Minetree’s first time leading her own TV show after filming her version of the character’s Harvard admission essay as her audition for the role. You can check out the video that got her in the door below:

Minetree also recently revealed that she watched Legally Blonde something like 150 times and could probably do a “one-woman show” of the classic after spending so many hours revisiting the 2001 film. It’s not easy to follow a role that’s so memorably executed by Reese Witherspoon. However, it sounds like the new actress took on the part with a lot of drive and enthusiasm.

Reese Witherspoon has had nothing but glowing things to say about Lexi Minetree too, as she says she has a “beautiful heart” and has made her “proud to pass the baton”. Along with Witherspoon being by Minetree's side for Elle, the series also stars June Diane Raphael as Elle’s mom Eva, Tom Everett Scott as her dad Wyatt, along with Chandler Kinney, Jacob Moskovitz, Gabriellle Policano and Zac Looker as the other high school students in the show.

Elle also happens to be the late James Van Der Beek’s last role. The actor plays the part of mayoral candidate Dean Wilson in the show, and was given an emotional shoutout by the show’s creator during the New York City premiere earlier this week. The series was created by The Vampire Diaries writer Caroline Dries and Insecure’s Laura Kittrell.

The prequel follows a 16-year-old Elle Woods circa 1995 as her family moves out to Seattle from Los Angeles, starting her at the bottom of the high school food chain and very out of place. You can see Lexi Minetree’s interpretation of Elle Woods yourself when Season 1 of Elle comes out in full on Wednesday, July 1 on Prime Video.

Bridesmaids is one of the best movies of the 2010s, thanks to its fantastic women-led cast and it's absolutly hilarious story. It also features so many outlandish scenarios that make it unforgettable, like the infamous gross-out bridal shopping scene, an aggressive game of tennis, and a Parisian bridal shower gone wrong. However, there was one unhinged Bridesmaids scene featuring Kristen Wiig that didn’t make it into the final cut, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

So, in the Paul Feig flick, Lillian and her bridesmaids plan a bachelorette party in Las Vegas, but they never make it there due to a drugged-out Annie causing a scene on the flight. However, in the original script, the gang did make it to Las Vegas. Explaining the call they got from Judd Apatow about cutting the sequence, co-screenwriter Annie Mumolo said on Radio Andy:

I can understand the uncontrollable sobbing if 60 pages of a script went down the drain. At the same time, I can understand why Judd Apatow wanted to take it out. As Mumolo explained, around the time of Bridesmaids’ release, there were many great movies about Las Vegas coming out, like The Hangover, What Happens in Vegas, and 21. So, it’s possible Apatow didn’t want to follow the comedy trend.

Plus, ultimately, this rewrite was amazing because it led to the iconic airplane scene, which features some of the film’s best one-liners and is totally unique to this comedy.

However, for curious minds, here’s what the original Vegas scene entailed; it’s wild:

Well, that sounds like quite the trip! It also would have fit right in with the outlandish and slapstick moments in Bridesmaids. So, even though I already think the movie is perfect, there's another part of me that wants to see Annie's sidequest in Vegas.

Now, if you thought the possibility of Annie getting beaten up by community college girls was crazy, her story in Sin City isn't over:

Talk about a Vegas trip gone wrong. This truly sounds wild, and part of me would love to see this trip made into a short film.

However, I have to admit, I feel like the airplane scene is ultimately better. Annie went through the wringer throughout Bridesmaids as she had to compete with Helen for Lillian’s friendship, dealt with romance troubles, and was down on herself after her bakery didn't work out. Having Annie endure a black eye while all of her friends were living a luxurious life at a spa would have been more tragic for me than funny.

So, in the end, what was supposed to happen in Vegas never did. However, because of that, we got a hilarious airplane scene that made us all “ready to partay with the best of them!”

You can revisit one of the best rom-coms of all time by streaming Bridesmaids with a Starz subscription.

While the benefits of being on Saturday Night Live are amazing, and the show has produced many successful comedians, it also takes quite a toll on its cast and crew. I mean, Michael Che says he’s going to leave every season because of how challenging it is, and many others have spoken about just how tough it is to perform week after week. Now, Sarah Sherman has gotten very personal about why she felt like “roadkill” after wrapping up a season of SNL.

This conversation came up as Sherman was discussing touring as a stand-up comedian on Deadline’s Comedy Means Business podcast. She explained that she’s not doing it right now, despite the fact that her special, Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh (you can stream it with an HBO Max subscription), came out in December last year. While that feels unnatural, it was needed after she wrapped another season of SNL, as she explained:

Sarah Sherman has always kept it real when it comes to SNL. She’s talked about things she still hasn’t figured out, and she’s explained what it’s like to have a sketch cut in the middle of an episode. While these comments are not rude or angry, they are candid and highlight the challenges that come with working on this show.

In her latest comments, she explained that she was so tired after this last season that ended on the 2026 TV schedule that she was in desperate need of a break. Explaining that point a bit further, and diving into why SNL is so exhausting, she said:

This all makes perfect sense. Week after week, the writers and cast of SNL are expected to write and perform new work. Then, through that process, a lot gets cut and changed. It’s a tough and ultra-fast-paced job that comes with funky hours, intense highs and low lows. So, I get why a cast member might feel like “roadkill” after a given season.

However, despite the challenges, the cast is coming back and killing. On top of that, they’re also working on other projects. In fact, while Sherman isn’t doing stand-up right now, she will be later this summer. Plus, in 2026 alone, she’s worked on three movies – Pizza Movie, Roomates and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma – while also performing on SNL.

So, yes, while the work is challenging and exhausting, it’s clear that even though Sarah Sherman is taking a break right now (and a deserved one at that), she really shows no signs of slowing down.

Major spoilers for the final season of The Bear lie ahead, so proceed into this kitchen with caution, chefs.

The end is no longer near, it is here, as The Bear has reached the conclusion of its five-season run. While it’s sad that Christopher Storer’s Emmy-winning restaurant dramedy has come to a close, its final eight episodes leave viewers with a lot of cathartic moments to chew on (no pun intended). Among the sweeter scenes within the series finale is a particularly great moment between Carmy Berzatto and Sydney Adamu. Now, after having seen that, fans who’ve long loved these characters are in their feelings as am I.

A subplot within The Bear Season 5 involves Syd, Carmy and co. expecting a visit from an inspector, who could award them with a Michelin star (which would certify the quality of the establishment). The final episode, “The Original Beef of Chicagoland,” sees Carmy take a phone call from an unknown caller he’d frequently ignored throughout the season. Peter Clark is revealed to be the caller, and he not only reveals himself as the “Star Man” the team has been waiting for but that he actually visited the eatery months earlier.

Sydney later finds an emotional Carmy, who tells her about Clark and that he enjoyed the restaurant. Carmy then shocks Syd when he reveals that the restaurant has been awarded not one, but two stars. While the two initially play it cool, Sydney eventually leaves the kitchen and embraces Carmy with a passionate hug in the dining room. It’s a sweet sight, and fans aren’t holding in their emotions about it. Check out what some of them shared to X about what could be one of the best moments to grace the 2026 TV schedule:

• The Bear finally achieving Syd’s dream of becoming star holders. They didn’t get one but two stars and her hugging Carmy in thanks oh I’m so not okay. - @Archivesbym_
• The hug and then them pulling back and Carmy holding her face then them hugging again IM GOING CRAZY. - @mavellarke
• Dare i say this hug is somehow more intimate and romantic than a kiss. - @shivlestat
• SOMEBODY SEDATE ME this is happening woahh wow SYDCARMY NATION THEY HUGGED for a MINUTE!!! - @_delovetv
• The way he immediately drops the towel and runs straight to her is killing me. - @jawholic
• I can’t even put into words how much this scene means to me. They are so fucking proud of each other, and this hug was an accumulation of everything they have been through, separate and together. - @belqvedrue

At this point, I’m still on a high after seeing that hug between Carmy and Syd – who really have physical contact throughout the show – play out in real time. It’s a sweet moment and, as one of the social media users alludes to, it’s an earned public display of affection, considering what the two friends/co-workers have been through. The Bear has delivered some striking images and, for a show that can certainly make viewers feel anxious, it’s poetic that such a serene moment will now likely remain within the public’s consciousness.

What’s particularly notable about this scene is that for some time now, there’s been speculation regarding how Syd and Carmy’s relationship might develop. There have been those who’ve shipped them as a couple, while others believe it’d be a terrible idea to get them together. Syd actor Ayo Edebiri has also shot down romance assumptions, arguing that her character is not in love with Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy. Instead, she argues that the two have a kinship due to their shared passion for what they do.

I agree with Edebiri’s assessment, as the dynamic between Carm and Sydney has always read as platonic to me. Still, I’d argue that, thanks to that sweet hug scene, fans who fall on either side of the relationship debate should (hopefully) be satisfied. And, on a much broader note, that moment is just one of many reasons why this final season serves as a worthy send-off for the show. I’ll certainly miss the shots of tasty-looking foods, but it’s the characters and the firm bonds between them that I’ll miss the most.

Even though The Bear is done, fans can still revisit the show in its entirety using a Hulu subscription. And, if for some reason you’re reading this and have yet to watch the show at all, give it a try. You won’t regret it, chef.

After Anne Hathaway successfully brought back one of her most beloved characters through The Devil Wears Prada 2, I’ve been curious about what’s been going on with The Princess Diaries 3. Thankfully, Meg Cabot, the author behind The Princess Diaries books, just shared a really exciting update about one of my most-anticipated upcoming Disney movies.

Anne Hathaway officially announced The Princess Diaries 3 was happening back in 2024 (via Instagram), but the actress and producer has also been busier than ever lately, between leading five films on the 2026 movie schedule and announcing that she's pregnant with her third child. Luckily, the book's author has an update about a return to Genovia, as she said:

Shut up! This makes me so happy to hear. Since The Princess Diaries 3 was announced, it sounds like there’s been a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make the movie the best it can be before cameras start rolling. I appreciate the care going into the movie, and what Meg Cabot told THR has me more excited that the film is finally shaping up.

She also said that she’s seen several versions of the sequel since it's been in development, and it’s now gotten to the point where she’s completely satisfied with where the script is now. In her words:

The Princess Diaries 3 is set to be directed by Adele Lim, who previously helmed the 2023 comedy Joy Ride and co-wrote both Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon. In the director’s latest update from last month, she said that it's been taking so long because she and the other producers are committed to “make the story right” since the franchise is “so beloved by so many people.”

Lim also hinted that the movie will be a rare wish-fulfillment movie about a queen, a “woman in her full power.” She also said they are planning to shoot the movie in Europe to “really show the audience Genovia in its full glory,” and fans of the first two movies can expect “a lot of fun returns.”

When it comes to who’s returning, aside from Anne Hathaway, I have a lot of questions and hopes. The main person I want to see back is Julie Andrews, who has previously said she’d be “happy” to do another one, but the 90-year-old hasn’t been doing much acting lately aside from voice work.

Considering everything on Anne Hathaway’s plate right now, I don’t see this movie fully taking off until next year, but Meg Cabot’s comments definitely have me anticipating the movie even more now.

The Big Bang Theory has long held my fascination as a show with enduring and palpable interest from fans. So, of course, I’ve been paying attention to the upcoming spinoff Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, or at least I thought I was, as Kevin Sussman and co. wrapped filming and started promoting the series. Only, somehow I completely missed the boat on one big detail, and I don’t really know how to feel about it.

So far, the Chuck Lorre Universe that spawned characters like Sheldon Cooper has had two spinoffs: Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. All three shows, the third of which is The Big Bang Theory itself, have aired in a traditional network TV format. In fact, all three have specifically aired on the TV schedule on CBS proper.

That’s not what’s happening with Stuart Fails To Save The Universe. Instead of airing on the Eye Network, it’s going to be available for those with an HBO Max subscription. I only just became aware of this when HBO Max dropped the show's July 23rd release on a poster and dangled it in front of my face.

Now, this is hardly a secret. In fact, I’ve been roasted by some of my peers here at CinemaBlend for not making this connection, and rightfully so. Still, now that I am clued in, I think we need to be talking about how the move does have implications, both positive and negative. First and foremost, you can do a lot more when you are on a streaming service. Runtimes don’t need to fall into a narrow box, nor are there network censors worried about certain language choices and more. There’s more freedom, both from a creative standpoint, but also simply from the lack of structure network TV requires.

Now for the bad part? The siloing of the show is not great. It means ideas that have oft been bandied about, like a Georgie and Mandy spinoff, are less likely to happen than they might if everything was tied together on one network. It means not everyone who has access to the shows on CBS will have access to HBO Max. The audience could become more segmented.

I’ve seen the mind-bending trailer for Stuart Fails To Save The Universe (and yes I see it says a Max original all over the trailer, but again, we've already established it totally went over my head before.) Basically, I did know the tone of this was going to feel different than a laugh track-based sitcom, and that’s probably a good thing. It’s better for the franchise to move forward and try something new than to remain stagnant, but it still marks the end of an era for the franchise, and I don't fully know how to feel.

Still, we also know the show has a ton of Big Bang Theory crossover, from returning characters to references in Season 1. There should be something for everyone in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe… provided you have HBO Max.

We get to go back to school with Elle Woods when Elle premieres on the 2026 TV schedule. However, before that, we get to see the actress who plays her embracing Legally Blonde style on the Prime Video show’s press tour. That’s right, Lexi Minetree has gone full pink to promote Elle, and she even wore the same dress Reese Witherspoon wore to her movie’s premiere. That’s seriously iconic of her, so let’s get into the details about how this happened.

Elle’s Lexi Minetree Wore The Same Dress Reese Witherspoon Wore To Legally Blonde’s Premiere

So, as Witherspoon passed the pink torch to Minetree, she also gave her some clothes. Specifically, for the young star’s appearance on The Tonight Show, she wore the same pink dress the original Elle Woods wore in 2001 to the premiere of Legally Blonde. Take a look:

As you can see, Minetree rocked the 2001 Marc Jacobs dress perfectly, just like Witherspoon did 25 years ago. And it only further proves why she was so perfect to play Elle. However, the story behind how she got this dress makes the fashion moment even better.

How Lexi Minetree Ended Up Wearing The Same Dress As Reese Witherspoon

After Lexi Minetree went on The Tonight Show wearing Witherspoon’s dress, the Legally Blonde star also went to chat with Jimmy Fallon. During her appearance, she explained how her mini-me wound up with the extract dress she wore to the premiere of one of the best movies of the 2000s:

Minetree’s stylist, Molly Dickson, works with celebs like Sydney Sweeney, Camila Mendes, Keke Palmer, Ariana Greenblatt and more. She’s an expert at curating these young stars’ styles and helping them promote their projects perfectly. So, it makes perfect sense that she knew exactly how to style Minetree for Elle’s press tour.

I’m sure it also helps that she was already friends with Reese Witherspoon, too. While the actress worked on Elle as an executive producer and has been very supportive of Minetree’s casting – I mean, she literally told her she’d be playing Elle – her friendship with Dickson also made their connection even deeper. Due to all this, the young actress was able to literally wear The Morning Show star’s clothes for this press tour, and they fit perfectly:

Well, this certainly feels like a “What, like it’s hard?” moment, because it all seemingly happened so seamlessly. The dress fit her perfectly, and Minetree was able to channel the woman who came before her as Elle Woods during her own appearance on The Tonight Show. In Witherspoon's words, it also proved that:

It would seem she really was meant to be Elle Woods. Not only did she capture the Legally Blonde character’s energy perfectly in Elle’s trailer, but she also simply resembles Witherspoon and is able to rock the iconic pink outfits she wore decades ago.

Now, to see Lexi Minetree play the character made legendary by Reese Witherspoon, you can stream Elle with an Amazon Prime subscription on July 1.

Hollywood has seen some truly iconic comedy-based partnerships over the years, and Will Ferrell & Adam McKay certainly fit the bill. Together, they produced some of the most beloved comedies of all time, like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Unfortunately, in 2019, it was confirmed that Ferrell and McKay had parted ways as partners, and they haven’t worked together since. McKay is now opening up about that split and sharing whether he’d ever reunite with Ferrell.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Talladega Nights (and, yes, I did just say 20th), McKay took part in an interview and laid out the finer details of the film’s production. The Oscar-winning filmmaker was eventually asked about the breakdown of his relationship with Ferrell, which led him to share some candid thoughts. McKay admitted it was a “shame” that he and his longtime collaborator weren’t able to keep their partnership intact. From there, he also went into detail about why that relationship ultimately broke down after 13 years:

Ferrell and McKay co-ran the since-dissolved Gary Sanchez Productions, which produced not only many of Ferrell’s best movies but other notable comedies as well. These comments that McKay shared with Business Insider shed a lot of light on the specifics, and they also align with sentiments shared by Ferrell in 2021. At the time, the famous SNL alum explained that he wasn’t eying the “growth and a sphere of influence” that McKay was pursuing.

As a fan of much of the work that the two Step Brothers producers did together, I was honestly shocked and saddened that they decided not to make films anymore. I have been wondering, however, whether there’s any chance that they could patch things up and work together again. Well, fans may feel somewhat optimistic about that possibility after seeing what Adam McKay had to say about a potential reunion:

What’s more is that McKay also says he holds “no hard feelings” towards Ferrell and acknowledged that they had “a great run.” It’s hard to argue against that last point, considering their filmography. I’d love nothing more than to see McKay and Ferrell working together again and, if they did join forces again, I’m sure they could come up with something fun. Maybe they could even pursue the discarded Talladega Nights sequel, which McKay even talked up in his recent interview.

Until there’s actual movement, though, fans will just have to hope and pray that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are reunited by their mutual love of comedy. Fans can still enjoy their work in the meantime, though, as the nearly 20-year-old Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is now streamable with a Hulu subscription.

This story contains NO SPOILERS for The Bear Season 5, which is available to stream now with a Hulu subscription.

The Bear has officially served up its final meal, dropping all eight of its Season 5 episodes on the 2026 TV schedule at once. At the end of Season 4, we saw Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) walk away from the restaurant, leaving it in the hands of Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Sugar (Abby Elliott). With no money, however, the future appears bleak, so is the comedy-drama able to provide an ending that will leave audiences full and satisfied? A look at the reviews and Rotten Tomatoes score is giving me early-season flashbacks.

How The Bear Season 5’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Compares To Past Seasons

Longtime fans of The Bear will be excited to know that the fifth and final season is rated a Certified Fresh 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, as of this writing. The Chicago-set series hasn’t seen numbers that high since its first two seasons, which received 100% and 99%, respectively.

I’d agree with the general consensus that The Bear was at its best in the beginning, when it quickly became one of FX and Hulu’s best original shows and started raking in all of those Emmy Awards. Seeing the stressful back-of-house operation may have been anxiety-inducing, but that energy was missed in the decidedly slower-paced third and fourth seasons.

The RT scores reflected that, too, with Season 3 earning 89% from critics, and Season 4 dropping to 84% (the audience scores were even less forgiving, rating them 54% and 68%, respectively).

If a 97% rating on Season 5 is an indication of a return to form in its final 8 episodes, sign me up! So what are the critics saying, anyway?

Reviews Say The Bear Season 5 Is A ‘Classic Recipe Done Very, Very Well’

The Bear Season 5 reviews came out before critics saw Episode 8, “The Original Beef of Chicagoland," but Clint Worthington of RogerEbert practically had his fill by the end of the penultimate episode, “Caramel” (and that’s not a bad thing). The critic notes how the focus had become too much on the guest stars, the needle drops, the Faks, etc. Season 5, however, feels as scaled back as the restaurant’s budget, en route to a satisfying finale. He writes:

Victoria Luxford of NME rates the final season 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a “bingeable buffet,” freed by the absence of an overarching storyline, which allows our food heroes’ stories room to breathe over the course of a single day. It’s “funny, gripping and jaggedly sentimental,” Luxford says, writing:

Benji Wilson of The Telegraph’s review of The Bear Season 5 gives it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, writing that this season is “chaos incarnate,” sticking the landing by going back to what made us love the show in the first place. The critic writes:

These Rotten Tomatoes’ scores — especially combined with the critics’ feedback — have me flashing back to the chaotic intensity of The Bear’s peak seasons, and I can’t wait to jump into the final one. All eight episodes are available to stream now on Hulu.

If you haven’t checked out The Bear’s bonus episode “Gary,” an hour-long flashback starring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who also co-wrote the episode, I implore you to do that before diving into Season 5. It’s not necessary in order to follow Season 5’s plot, but it is incredible and should not be skipped.

Then, you can dive into these last episodes that feel like they'll give a perfect goodbye to this beloved show.

Meeting Paul McCartney has to be one of those experiences where your brain briefly turns into a shaken soda can. What do you even say if you suddenly find yourself face-to-face with one of the Beatles backstage at Saturday Night Live? If you are SNL cast member Sarah Sherman, apparently, you talk about your very Paul McCartney-coded mullet... then let the man inspect the merchandise. While the sketch comedy series is on hiatus before returning to the 2026 TV schedule, the comedy star gushed about meeting the former Beatle and shared his hilarious reaction to her haircut.

In an exclusive interview with People at the 5th Annual Las Culturistas Culture Awards, the 33-year-old performer recalled how the former Beatle approached her after he appeared as the musical guest on SNL’s Season 51 finale, which Will Ferrell hosted. The setup came from Sherman previously joking on the show that her haircut looked like the rock legend’s Wings-era mullet. Apparently, he remembered. As the comedian put it:

Talk about the perfect SNL celebrity encounter. A musical legend inspecting your mullet like he’s authenticating a rare artifact? Beautiful. This is exactly the kind of backstage story that feels too specific to invent.

The late-night sketch performer also shared more of the encounter during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which she later posted to TikTok. She said McCartney came up to her during the goodnights, knew her name and pulled on her “mullet tails.” Jimmy Kimmel joked that it is probably rare for someone to get their mullet pulled by a Beatle, and Sherman had the only correct response: she liked it.

Honestly, that tracks for Sherman. Since joining SNL in 2021 and later being promoted to the repertory cast, she has made a whole art form out of being proudly strange. Her comedy has always had a chaotic, squirmy, body-horror-adjacent energy, so of course her Paul McCartney story involves hair verification.

The best part, though, is that the You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah actress did not just talk hair. She also made sure the British music icon knew she was a real fan. She told the outlet that she praised him directly, and his response was somehow even funnier than the mullet bit. She continued:

I love that so much. There is something deeply refreshing about a rock legend not pretending he is embarrassed by praise. The 84-year-old singer-songwriter has earned a little adulation. Actually, he has earned several dump trucks of it. If Sarah Sherman wants to complement McCartney II, the obscure 1980 solo album that has since become a cult favorite, who among us is going to stop her?

She also named McCartney II as her favorite album for People Picks, along with Martin Short’s Clifford as her favorite movie and The X-Files as her favorite TV show. That is such a Sherman-coded trio that it almost sounds like a character description. The whole thing is just a great collision of personalities. Plenty of people have probably told Paul McCartney they love his music. Far fewer can say he pulled their mullet first.

You can catch Sherman’s comedy special, Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh, with an HBO Max subscription.

I don’t know how many times I’ve rewatched Big Trouble in Little China, but it’s a lot. And, why not? It’s my favorite movie!

Well, on July 2nd, Big Trouble in Little China turns 40 years old, and this upcoming anniversary just makes me think about how much I love Kurt Russell’s character, Jack Burton (who?!), in the movie, because he seriously still rocks, even after all these years.

So, no offense to James Hong’s David Lo Pan, but today, I want to talk about ol' Jack Burton. And, if I’m not done talking about him by dawn…call the president.

For One Thing, Is There Any More Quotable Character In Cinema History Than Jack Burton?

Kurt Russell has played so many great characters (with cool lines) that I’m sure it’s kind of hard to settle upon one in particular. Quite a while ago, I talked about his role in Tango & Cash, which I consider a hidden gem, and just how outrageous he is in that movie, with such funny lines.

Well, despite all of the great, quotable characters Russell has played in his lengthy career, I think one would be hard-pressed to find another character who’s more quotable than Jack Burton. I mean, everything he says is quotable. For example, I use the lines, “I know. There’s a problem with your face.” “Everybody relax. I’m here,” and “Are you crazy? Is that your problem?” at least once a week.

What makes his lines so great is that anybody who hears them will know EXACTLY what movie you’re quoting, especially if you do it in the same cocky manner that Jack Burton always does it in. I mean, there are some movies (such as Schwarzenegger flicks like Commando) that are infinitely quotable, but none that I can think of where EVERY line of dialogue from one character is memorable. That’s something else entirely.

Also, What Other Movie Makes Its “Hero” The Sidekick Without Them Even Knowing It?

When I first saw this movie as a child, it actually scared me. I also didn’t realize that it was meant to be a comedy. When I watched it as an adult, I realized right off the bat that this movie was supposed to be funny, and the clearest indication is that Jack Burton thinks he’s the hero when he’s actually the sidekick to Wang Chi (Dennis Dun).

Throughout the film, Wang is really doing all of the work. Jack gets swept up into this world of magic (“the darkest magic…my soul swims in it.”) and the whole time, he thinks he’s really making a difference, when it’s really Wang handling all of the major issues, mostly through martial arts.

Sure, Jack ultimately kills Lo Pan when he catches a knife, then throws it right back at him (“It’s all in the reflexes.”), but for most of the film, Jack is a big goofball surviving by the seat of his jeans, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

And, The Best Part Is, He’s Probably More Popular Today Than Ever Before

There are popular cult movies like Office Space, Army of Darkness, and Grandma’s Boy, and then there are SUPER popular cult movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Eraserhead, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and I think Big Trouble in Little China now fits comfortably in the latter category rather than the former.

And, it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I feel like only a select few people had even heard of Big Trouble in Little China, as it was a flop upon release and found its home on regular TV, right alongside clunkers like Howard the Duck and The Garbage Pail Kids Movie. However, whereas those last two films feel like relics of the ‘80s, BTiLC feels more alive than ever.

There have been comics made of it, and I’ve seen plenty of people cosplaying as Jack Burton at many a Comic-Con. Because the thing is, tons of people love this movie now, and Kurt Russell’s portrayal of Jack Burton is the main reason why. So, happy 40th anniversary, BTiLC and Jack Burton! You really shook the pillars of Heaven.

If you’re a rom-com fan, chances are you've already laughed and cried over Zoey Deutch’s new movie, Voicemails For Isabelle (currently streaming via Netflix subscription). But this isn’t her first hit in the genre. Back in 2018, she and Glen Powell had electric chemistry in a movie called Set It Up, and no, thankfully they haven’t forgotten how great of a duo they were in that movie.

Glen Powell’s career kind of blew up since starring in Set It Up, with roles in Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You and Twisters. But, the actor still wants to do another romantic comedy with Zoey Deutch. Here’s what he said earlier this year while at the How To Make A Killing premiere:

It’s been eight years since it came out, but Set It Up is still one of the best romantic comedies Netflix has ever made, and it sounds like Glen Powell knows it. He mentioned a deep interest in teaming back up with his friend Zoey Deutch on another movie, and he even dropped the “s” word (sequel). Here’s how Deutch recently reacted to USA Today when made aware of his comments:

Get these two another meet-cute, stat! Both of them are very on board to be co-stars again, and they’ve apparently been "actively" trying to find the right project to reunite on. While that project hasn’t been found quite yet, they are both game for a Set It Up sequel, specifically.

The pair have talked about this before, but what’s the holdup? I imagine it has a little something to do with both actors being booked and busy on a slew of other projects since Set It Up. Powell has become a big movie star, and Deutch has been in all sorts of movies herself including the Christmas rom-com Something From Tiffany’s, the Clint Eastwood-directed Juror No. 2 and voicing a role in the upcoming animated film, Minions & Monsters – it’s called range, honey!

While we’re tapping our feet waiting for their next movie, definitely check out Voicemails For Isabelle if you haven’t already. It has Deutch playing a young woman who loses her sister to cancer, and decides to still leave messages to her number, not knowing there’s a man on the other line who’s inherited Isabelle's digits. The leading man is Nick Robinson, who famously has us swooning Love, Simon.

The premise has a super uncomfortable secret between its love interests, and somehow is super romantic (and critically-acclaimed, too) anyway. And, that’s the power of a Zoey Deutch rom-com! Here's hoping the next one has Glen Powell next to her.

The Jackass franchise has been around for over a quarter of a century, which is unimaginable when you think of all the punishment that Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius and the rest of their gang have inflicted on themselves. Either way, one final round is hitting the 2026 movie calendar in Jackass: Best and Last, bringing more nudity and stunts to the big screen. It sounds like there’s something more, though, because reviews are out and critics are describing the fifth and final movie in a way I’d never have expected.

“Poignant” is not a term I’d associate with the Jackass franchise, but with its stars now in their 50s, there’s a higher price to pay for some of the stunts they’ve pulled, and Jackass: Best and Last seems to know it, according to the critics. Johnny Knoxville, for instance, can’t get hit in the head anymore after the “catastrophic” bull injury we witnessed in the last movie. David Ehrlich of IndieWire gives the swan song a B, writing that this greatest hits album sprinkled with new stunts “cements the franchise as a vital piece of American history.” He says:

Todd Gilchrist of The Wrap poetically writes that, “Of all of the things to be tugged at in Jackass: Best and Last, the one that fans may least expect is their heartstrings." The movie combines new stunts with classic favorites, and even Johnny Knoxville gets choked up at the emotion of ending this chapter. Gilchrist’s review of Jackass: Best and Last reads:

Guy Lodge of Variety says while this final outing is “oddly poignant,” it would be a mistake to expect anything too sentimental from this group. Jackass 5 relives lots of the franchise’s best moments of humiliation and pain, with new bits that the critic says can almost stand side-by-side with the classics. In Lodge’s words:

Hannah Strong of Little White Lies writes that she enjoyed the new footage of Johnny Knoxville’s bull stunt and other behind-the-scenes footage, because it gives insight into how far the gang was willing to go for the show. The interviews, as well, highlight how important the friendships are to ensure Jackass remains funnier than mean. More of that would have been welcome, but Strong has no real complaints about this final outing:

The use of archival footage allows Bam Margera to be included in Jackass: Best and Last, as well as Ryan Dunn, who died in a car crash in 2011. I certainly didn’t expect the end of Jackass to be described as emotional — or “poignant” — especially after seeing in the previews what new stunts await.

Jackass: Best and Last hits theaters Friday, June 26, and if you want to pre-game this final ride, you can stream the first four movies and Jackass spinoffs (except for Viva La Bam) with a Paramount+ subscription.

James Van Der Beek died at the age of 48 back in February after battling cancer for over two years, but he is set to appear on the 2026 TV schedule because he has a role in the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle. So, now that we're approaching the show's premiere, the late actor was sweetly honored by Elle’s showrunner, Caroline Dries, at the premiere this week, and man, it’s got me emotional.

Van Der Beek, who’s the most beloved for his role on Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues, went back to the 1990s (Elle is set in 1995) to play a mayoral candidate named Dean Wilson. Here’s how the Elle showrunner paid tribute to the actor while on stage during the premiere:

It sounds like Van Der Beek was an absolute ray of sunshine on set despite his health struggles. I’m so happy Caroline Dries took the time to share her experience with the actor while Elle was in production last year. It’s further proof that the world lost a wonderful man who really seemed to soak up every last moment of his life before he lost his battle with cancer. It’s so touching that she took the time to celebrate his good character and affirm his legacy.

James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in August 2023, which wasn't made public until November 2024. While living with the serious disease, the actor didn't stop working. He appeared on Season 13 of The Masked Singer, a couple episodes of Overcompensating and the thriller film The Gates. Elle’s release marks the last role he worked on before his death. He also left behind six children whom he shares with wife Kimberly Brook.

Elle follows 16-year-old Elle Woods before her stint at Harvard. After establishing the perfect life as a high schooler in Los Angeles, her parents throw her a curveball when they decide to move to Seattle, Washington. Suddenly, Elle finds herself as a fish out of water in a place where dark colors, grunge and flannels are all the rage… not hot pink!

The show is produced by the original Elle Woods, Reese Witherspoon, who previously paid tribute to James Van Der Beek, following his death. She called him an “extraordinary, talented man who also showed great kindness and grace in every action”. Everyone truly speaks so highly of him, and it's got me in my feels.

You can see James Van Der Beek in Elle, which will be available with an Amazon Prime subscription on July 1.

Tom Cruise has spent decades convincing audiences that he will run faster, hang higher, fly harder and generally treat gravity like a studio note he is choosing to ignore. But his next movie, the 2026 calendar release Digger, looks like a very different kind of swing. And now J.J. Abrams has made me even more curious about what he is cooking.

Abrams, who directed Cruise in the third Mission: Impossible film entry, shared his reaction on X after seeing only part of Digger. He was responding to the actor’s own post about the film, which included a career-spanning video celebrating his 46 years in movies before teasing his next big-screen role. Abrams wrote:

That is the kind of quote that immediately makes my ears perk up. Celebrity praise for projects can sometimes seem like polite Hollywood confetti, but this one feels more significant because of who it is coming from. Abrams knows the American Made lead as both a collaborator and a filmmaker. He has seen the Top Gun franchise star up close, and even he seems struck by whatever Digger is doing.

The phrase that really jumps out is “bold and wild next step.” At this stage in his career, that means something. His recent public image has been built around impossible stunts and franchise spectacle. When people think of modern Tom Cruise, they often think of Mission: Impossible, fighter jets, motorcycles, cliffs and that very specific movie-star intensity that suggests he might personally fight the concept of insurance if it got in his way. But at 63 years old, how much longer can he keep putting himself through that kind of stunt danger? Or stunt torture, depending on how you look at it.

Digger does not sound like another straightforward new action movie vehicle for Cruise to get lost running around in. The movie comes from Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Birdman and The Revenant, and early descriptions have framed it as a strange, satirical black comedy. The Jack Reacher performer reportedly plays Digger Rockwell, an over-the-top oil tycoon connected to a global catastrophe who tries to present himself as humanity’s unlikely savior.

That is already a pretty juicy setup, but the early footage has made the role sound even stranger. We recently got a glimpse of Cruise in character, and it's pretty clear we are about to get something loud, physical and possibly unhinged in a way that calls back to his beloved Tropic Thunder role without necessarily repeating it.

Frankly, I want more of that Tom Cruise. The action-star version is still great. I will happily watch him sprint through another airport, desert, alley or burning train until the sun finally taps out. But there is something especially exciting about watching a performer with that much control and precision step into a role that sounds messy on purpose.

Abrams has only had a taste of Digger, but his reaction makes the October 2 release feel much more intriguing. If Cruise really is about to blow our collective mind, I would like to be there when the fuse hits the dynamite.

2009's Jennifer's Body has gone from a box office flop to a cult classic in the decade and change since it hit theaters, and is one of actress Megan Fox's most iconic roles. While the marketing misdirected audiences, the horror comedy (which is streaming with a Peacock subscription) has aged super well. And the actress recently gave some Jennifer vibes while talking about being a bi icon. Let's break it all down.

Jennifer's Body is a movie folks love to revisit, thanks to its funny dialogue, thrilling kills, and unique tone. It also helped to make Megan Fox an LGBTQ+ icon, and during an interview with InStyle Magazine, she opened up about the feedback she's gotten from queer folks over the years. In her words:

How sweet is that? Clearly Fox loves hearing from LGBTQ+ fans, and knowing that she had even a small part in people's coming out journey. Leading the Jennifer's Body cast is at least part of the reason why, especially thanks to her iconic make out session with Amanda Seyfried in the movie. Plus, lots of queer moviegoers have a particular love for the horror genre as a whole.

The fact that Megan Fox was doing this interview while holding a lighter was particularly noteworthy, given how she famously burned her tongue with one during Jennifer's Body. Later in the same clip she spoke about her favorite title she's been given from LGBTQ+ fans. In her words:

I mean, what's not to love? Fox identifies as bisexual herself, so this moniker must feel particularly significant. She's also played queer characters before, so I'd say she definitely qualifies as a bisexual icon. You can see the clip of her explaining this below:

Was anyone else waiting for her to burn her tongue in the middle of this clip? Just me? Sorry, but I just can't get Jennifer's Body out of my head. And that's what makes it such a cult classic.

Jennifer's Body is streaming now on Peacock. Megan Fox's recent credits include Five Nights at Freddy's 2 and Overcompensating, and we'll have to see what comes next for the 40 year-old actress.

DC Studios just announced three new upcoming TV shows set to hit streaming in the near-ish future, and while the whole lineup sounds interesting, one title immediately made fans lose their minds. Mine included.

The news came out of the World’s Finest Animation: DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation Showcase at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where DC Studios co-chairman and co-CEO Peter Safran and Warner Bros. Animation president Sam Register helped lay out what is coming next for DC animation. Among the biggest reveals: Joker: Laugh Riot, Absolute Batman and a new untitled Krypto series are all on the way.

DC later shared the trio of logos on Instagram, which, honestly, makes for a pretty great visual summary of the announcement. Check out the post below:

Joker getting a series is not exactly shocking, since the Clown Prince of Crime has remained popular across comics, DC movies, TV and games for decades. Krypto getting an animated show also makes sense, especially with James Gunn’s Superman era putting the super-dog back in the conversation with the first chapter of his new DCEU. The super pooch was a standout in last year's Superman and is slated to appear in the 2026 calendar release, Supergirl. But Absolute Batman? That is the one that made me sit up.

I Am All-In On An Absolute Batman TV Show

For anyone who has not been following the comics, Absolute Batman is part of DC’s fairly new "Absolute" line, which reimagines major heroes with fresh mythology and altered foundations. This is not the traditional Bruce Wayne most casual fans know. It is not simply another version of the billionaire detective with a Batcave, a butler and enough money to turn trauma into a full-time urban warfare brand.

The official description puts it pretty bluntly: “No manor, no money... all Batman.” The animated series will reimagine the Dark Knight as a working-class hero fighting impossible odds, wealth, corruption and some seriously terrifying foes. Scott Snyder, who writes the comic, will serve as executive producer and showrunner, while artist Nick Dragotta is attached as a producer.

That is a major reason this feels like such a big deal. Absolute Batman is not some forgotten elseworlds idea pulled out of a longbox. It is new, hot and already a monster on the comics side. According to the press release, the series has sold more than 6 million copies, Absolute Batman #1 has reached an 11th printing, and all Absolute titles, including Absolute Batman, rank among the top 10 best-selling comics of 2025.

Fans React to DC's Announcement

Fans seemed just as thrown and excited by the announcement as I was. Some of the best reactions included:

• bengalgram: “🔥🔥🔥🙌”
• Batman: “The clown? Really?”
• jef_seg: “have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
• biggyxay123__: “someone’s upset their arch Nemesis is getting a tv show😎”
• supergirl: “That’s my good boy 😎”
• superman: “Found the dog!!”
• blake_koala: “Bro!!! Absolute Batman animated series😭”
• martycipher: “ABSOLUTE BATMAN⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️”
• official_supernerd: “I NEED THE ENTIRE ABSOLUTE UNIVERSE IN ANIMATED FORM 🗣️”
• ramen.noodles.22: “Oh these look pretty ni- ABSOLUTE BATMAN????”
• eljoscarlos: “The Absolute Batman series must maintain its gruesome comic nature 👀🦇”
• btartist98: “Wonder Woman deserves an animated series 😭”

That Wonder Woman point is fair. Batman fans have had plenty of animated projects over the years, from classic Bruce Timm series to current shows like Batwheels and Batman: Caped Crusader. A proper Wonder Woman animated series still feels overdue.

Still, the Absolute Batman excitement is hard to ignore. The big question now is how closely the animated series will stick to the comic's tone. A watered-down version would miss a lot of what makes this Bruce feel different in the first place. If DC is going to adapt Absolute Batman, the series needs to lean into the size, grit and street-level rage that helped make the comic stand out.

That is why animation could be such an interesting fit. It can exaggerate this Batman’s size, movement, brutality and Gotham’s atmosphere in ways live action might struggle to make look natural. If DC really leans into the comic’s intensity, this could be the rare Batman page-to-screen adaptation that actually gives longtime fans something new.

The Annecy showcase also touched on other DC animated fare, including Mister Miracle, My Adventures with Green Lantern, Starfire, Creature Commandos and Batman: Caped Crusader. So this was not just a three-title announcement. It was a wider look at how aggressively DC and Warner Bros. Animation are building out that side of the universe.

Joker: Laugh Riot also sounds like a major swing. The adult-targeted anime series follows Joker after Batman’s apparent death, as he sets out to track down whoever robbed him of his greatest obsession, which is exactly the kind of chaotic premise that could either be incredible or completely unhinged in the best way. A Krypto kids’ series sounds charming too, with Superman’s dog teaming up with a group of misfit wannabe criminals and, somehow, accidentally steering them toward doing the right thing. But Absolute Batman is the one I cannot stop thinking about.

There are currently no release dates or networks set for the new series. But once they arrive, fans will likely need an HBO Max subscription to watch them, since they are Warner Bros. properties and that's where new DC animation tends to land.

Friends had a lot of guest stars throughout its 10-season run, with some being very memorable and others not so much. Even in the final season, there were quite a few great performers, including Anna Faris. The Scary Movie star in four episodes, including the two-part series finale, but she still managed to make a mark in that short amount of time. At the same time though, Faris apparently felt weird about joining the series during its big farewell.

In Season 10, Faris recurred as Erica, a pregnant woman who ultimately chose Monica and Chandler to be her babies' adoptive parents. The fan-favorite actress recalled that experience during a segment for Variety, in which she tried to recall some lines she’s had over the course of her career. Faris' role on Friends was brought up, prompting memories of how emotional the set was amid production of those final installments. In the midst of the emotions, though, Faris found it awkward to engage in group hugs:

It’s understandable why Faris would feel that way. Joining an already-established show is one thing, but being involved during the final episodes of its 10-year run is something else. Obviously, in terms of Friends, the cast had a shared history and, naturally, they were emotional. Faris wasn't the only one who felt that way either. Paul Rudd, who recurred in the final two seasons as Phoebe’s boyfriend and eventual husband, Mike Hannigan, wondered why he was included in the series finale.

Despite the awkwardness about being included in sentimental moments with the cast, the former Mom actress has nothing but fond memories of filming Friends. She even reminisced about filming in front of a live studio audience, who were witnessing the end of a very special era:

I can only imagine what it was like to be in the audience for the final episodes, and I love that Faris got to be a part of it. On top of that, her character played such an important part in Monica and Chandler’s final arc, and it was quite sweet to see Erica welcome the twins that the parents would raise. Faris also previously talked about getting to work with the late Matthew Perry and, even then, she felt weird speaking about it due to not spending too much time with him.

All in all, though, I'd say the icing on the cake of Anna Faris' entire experience was the fact that she was still embraced by the cast. Honestly, I'd expect nothing less from the cast of Friends. On that note, I'm feeling the need to rewatch Faris' episodes, and fans can check them out now using an HBO Max subscription.

Boy Meets World cast members Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle have been stoking up nostalgia amongst fans over the last few years via their rewatch podcast, Pod Meets World. The three actors have been talking about a variety of topics related to the beloved TGIF sitcom, including moments they loved and storylines they disliked. Someone they haven’t been reminiscing with is co-star and friend Ben Savage, with whom they've been estranged, and they’ve said quite a bit about the situation.

Rider Strong Recalls Reaching Out To Ben Savage About The Rewatch Podcast Before The Estrangement

Around the time Pod Meets World premiered in 2022, Fishel addressed Savage’s absence, explaining that he didn’t want to be a part of the show because he wasn’t sure it was “his thing.” It was in 2023, though, that Fishel and her co-stars revealed, during an interview with Variety, that Savage eventually “ghosted” them. They discuss this topic more in their documentary, Doc Meets World, in which Strong recalled (via Us Weekly) what happened after he, Friedle and Fishel reached out to Savage:

On the ‘90s teen sitcom, Strong played Shawn Hunter – the best friend of Savage’s Cory Matthews – and reprised the role on the spinoff series, Girl Meets World (which he only learned about in the press). Despite the bond between their two characters, Strong said he and Savage were “never close.” Still, he seems to feel bad about no longer having him in his life and, in the doc, Strong recalled telling Savage he was “really going to miss [him] doing” the podcast and that he thought his former scene partner was “making a mistake.”

Danielle Fishel Gets Real About Missing Her Friendship With Ben Savage

Savage and Fishel spent a lot of time together, since she played Cory’s girlfriend and eventual wife, Topanga Lawrence. Fishel and Savage also starred alongside each other on Girl Meets World, and they apparently remained close until the estrangement. While chatting with People, Fishel recalled how she and Savage looked forward to the time that he would become a dad, and he and his wife, Tessa Angermeier, welcomed their first child in 2025. As for how she feels about Savage not joining the podcast, Fishel said this:

The Dancing with the Stars alum went on to say she “would never try to shove that perspective down somebody's throat and make them do it.” She can understand that the podcast project wasn’t for Savage, but she’s still hopeful that “when the time is right,” the story of [their] friendship will continue” unless she’s proven “wrong.”

How Will Friedle Is Still Trying To Connect With His On-Screen Brother

Will Friedle is certainly someone who recognizes how much BMW still resonates with fans, which factored into his decision to take part in the rewatch podcast. Known for his role as the kooky Eric Matthews, Friedle was also disappointed when the man who played his TV sibling opted not to join the podcast. Friedle told Variety in 2023 that the estrangement was a “sore subject” due to his “shared history” with Savage. At one point, Friedle even called Savage once a day for 30 days. Per the doc, Friedle was blocked, but he’s not giving up hope:

Of course, it remains to be seen whether such a conversation will actually take place. But, on the other side of the equation, some may wonder how Savage feels about his former friends’ attempts to reach out. He hasn’t formally responded, as of this writing, but he may or may not have alluded to it in a post.

Did Ben Savage Allude To The Drama With A Social Media Post?

In June 2025, Savage shared a post on Instagram, and it includes a couple of photos of him and his baby daughter. What’s most notable about this post, regarding the actor/former political candidate’s estrangement from his friends, is the two-word caption: “Good company”. Check out the post down below:

So is that brief message simply a brief way for Savage to signify his joy over being with his child? Or is that a veiled dig at Savage’s friends to signify that he’s content with the “company” he’s keeping now? It could very well be the former, and some fans could just be reading too deeply into this. Still, given this estrangement, it’s honestly hard not to consider whether there’s a double meaning here.

In any case, though, there doesn’t seem to be any true momentum when it comes to a potential reconciliation between Ben Savage and his former co-stars. We, of course, can’t say with certainty that he’ll absolutely never talk to Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle ever again. And, if that happens, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if the three podcasters were to inform fans of that long-hoped-for encounter.

Stream all seven seasons of Boy Meets World – and the three seasons of spinoff series Girl Meets World – now using a Disney+ subscription.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We may be mostly through Rick and Morty Season 9, but that doesn't mean the fun stops on the 2026 TV schedule. The President Curtis spinoff is on the way, and it looks like the series based on one of the flagship show's best side characters will differentiate itself by embracing the paranormal creatures of Earth. And, to put it quite simply, I'm pumped!

The latest trailer for the series, which can be seen above, shows lots of wild cryptids, including a werewolf, mothman and even Cthulu. I was initially worried about whether the fictional POTUS was up to handling these types of threats without Rick and his grandson along for the ride. However, it looks like he's doing just fine and carving out his own unique lane in the shared universe.

While Rick And Morty Deal With Space, President Curtis Seems To Lean More Into Cryptids And Earthbound Threats

While it's entirely possible that President Curtis will have feature a cosmic adventure or two, the trailer gives the impression that the titular politician and his agents will lean into tackling threats that are tied to Earth for the most part. Given that, I would expect we won't be seeing him hop between dimensions or planets, as they do on Rick and Morty.

I almost get X-Files vibes from the trailer, except for the fact that there's no Agent Scully frequently insisting the paranormal doesn't exist. Still, I'm really digging the vibes here, and the creative team should be lauded for taking things in a new direction for this show. I wouldn't be surprised if this writing staff has been around for Rick and Morty's best episodes, so I'm confident that they can produce some truly entertaining stories.

Do Rick And Morty Exist In President Curtis' Universe?

Given the uniqueness of this series and the copious amount of universes in Rick and Morty, though, I do wonder if President Curtis if that aforementioned duo even exists in this continuity. After all, fans now there are more than a few universes where Morty and Rick have died, one of which the current Rick and Morty reside in.

I think an interesting twist would be that President Curtis is set in a separate universe from that of the Rick and Morty series and fans will be treated to different versions of those two characters. I know we already get a ton of different Ricks and Mortys via the main show, but it'd be cool to see a couple stick around to do more than serve as the basis of a one-off joke.

Usually, I'd be a bit wary of a spinoff happening this deep into its parent show's run. However, with Rick and Morty delivering some of its best episodes in Season 9, it feels like the writing team has only scratched the surface of comedy for this franchise. Here's hoping the well is just as deep with President Curtis, and it becomes like American Dad is to Family Guy.

President Curtis premieres on Adult Swim on July 26th, with episodes becoming streamable the next day for those with an HBO Max subscription. We'll see if this spinoff lives up to the hype it's built so far, and if Adult Swim has yet another hit series on its hands.

Leslie Jones managed to make quite a mark during her five-season stint on Saturday Night Live and, since leaving the show in 2019, she's provided insight into her experiences working there. While Jones has been open about the highs of the gig, she's also been honest about some of the lows. More recently, the actress and comedian talked about being typecast in many of her sketches, despite wanting to be included in roles that were more dynamic.

Ahead of SNL's return on the 2026 TV schedule, Jones was a guest on The Sam Sanders Show. During a conversation about whether the sketch-comedy show was a great place for Black comics, the Top Five alum talked about her own experience and consistently being put in sketches where she was fighting or having to be angry:

While she's said in the past she originally didn't even want to be on the show, Leslie Jones apparently joined Saturday Night Live with the notion of wanting to showcase her abilities both as an actress and comedian. Although Jones' work on the show is quite enjoyable, she does make good points in that many of her characters do fit the mad or fight-ready descriptions.

When asked if she was OK with the sketches at the time, Jones admitted that her desire to be on the series was what took precedence. However, she also admitted it took a while for her to even realize she was getting the same thing to do every week. At the same time, though, she was also on national TV as part of a cast many others would die to be a part of. The comedian explained:

Though frustrated, Leslie Jones can see that Saturday Night Live is a machine. Writers figure out what audiences like about a cast member, and they'll continue to hit on what works. This is to say, she's not the only former SNL cast member to frequently be put into the same box, but that doesn't mean it's any less disappointing for her.

What seemed to be at the center of Leslie Jones' displeasure was her desire to "play" more and show the various abilities she has as an actress. Still, as she reiterated, being a product of the machine meant writers were reluctant to go outside of her "character" when it came to sketches, which further annoyed her:

When asked if Saturday Night Live was a good place for Black comedians, Leslie Jones said it was a great platform that can open a lot of doors for any comedian. There are plenty of success stories involving cast members who've had careers after being on the NBC staple. And, most notably, Kenan Thompson has even made being a cast member a long-term career.

It's been interesting to hear Jones be candid about her SNL experience. Since leaving the series, she returned to join the star-studded 50th anniversary special, and she still seems to have solid relationships with some former castmates. While it's unfortunate that her time on the show wasn't what she wanted, I'm glad she seems to have still maintained a solid connection to the series.

Saturday Night Live returns to NBC this fall, and I'm eager to see what upcoming hosts and musical guests are planned for next season. I may need to watch some old episodes with my Peacock subscription, because I've been needing some sketch comedy in my life as of late.

The history of The Big Bang Theory is long and storied, and its enduring popularity as a franchise means we are still hearing stories about the show more than five years after it wrapped in 2019. Among this oft-discussed lore is the show’s pilot, which ended up going through a complete rewrite before we got the version fans saw on our TV screens. With James Burrows’ passing, one more story can be added to the lore.

Burrows was a sitcom pioneer and icon long before he got involved in Chuck Lorre’s Big Bang Theory. He’d seen shows like Cheers and Taxi come and go, and he placed his imprint on more shows than I have time to type out or you likely have the patience to read. One of those was TBBT. He famously directed both pilots for the comedy, and he was open during his lifetime about being responsible for both the flop and the winning final formula.

News broke a few days though that sitcom pioneer and icon James Burrows had died at 85. As noted prior, the longtime director was involved in some absolute TV behemoths from Cheers to Will & Grace and Friends. His casts have long celebrated his efforts, and that continued after his passing with Jennifer Aniston and more famous names paying tribute. Now, these sweet stories from his career are running around.

As for Burrows, he feels like the credit for the success of The Big Bang Theory didn’t really go to his efforts. Though, he kind of wishes it had, telling THR in a retrospective before his death that the cast was the “glue.”

As he noted, though, the cast wasn’t cemented that first time around. Originally the show had featured Amanda Walsh as a character named Katie and had been short some of the sidekicks who came later on. Jim Parsons had apparently played a womanizer and a “drinker” in the original pilot, and all that got shuffled around later. We also recently learned from Simon Helberg he’d gotten cast with the second pilot order, and he’d nearly lost the role to Kevin Sussman. As you probably already know, Sussman will be starring in Stuart Fails to Save The Universe when it heads to the 2026 TV schedule this fall.

Alls well that ends with a second pilot apparently. I’d known a lot about the original pilot, but I hadn’t realized until recently that Burrows had been involved with both the loser and the winner. Clearly the direction was not the issue that first time around.

There was so much hype tied to Scary Movie 6's debut on the 2026 movie schedule. With past icons reprising their roles and questionable popcorn buckets hitting the web, it was all too easy to miss that it wasn't the only horror comedy to come out this year. As critics nitpicked the commercial hit, I think it's time to direct all those disappointed back to They Will Kill You.

Zazie Beetz's horror comedy didn't get as much hype from general audiences as Scary Movie, but it absolutely should. That's why I'm directing all readers to watch it with their HBO Max subscription or elsewhere, especially if they walked away disappointed with Scary Movie 6.

They Will Kill You Mixes Gore And Comedy In A Way I Didn't See Coming

They Will Kill You follows Asia Reaves, a woman with a traumatic background desperate to find work as a housekeeper. Upon taking the job, however, she soon finds she's working in a building full of immortals, with some dark secrets that only the best horror movies contain.

Fortunately, Asia isn't some frightened Final Girl. She's a killing machine, and the only problem with that is her enemies are unable to die. I'll save any spoilery bits for those who haven't watched, but I'll just say this movie gave me heavy Kill Bill vibes.

What I will say is that I never imagined a movie so gory could be so funny. Somehow, They Will Kill You really walks the tightrope between horror and comedy in a fantastic way, and does both really well. It also makes great use of its cast, with the action slowed down just enough to let Zazie Beetz, Patricia Arquette, and Tom Felton really shine.

They Will Kill You Beats Scary Movie 6 Both With Critics And Audiences

I think most people familiar with Scary Movie weren't surprised the movie didn't score high marks with critics, as the vast majority of them are marked "rotten" on Rotten Tomatoes. Given the Wayans generally aren't concerned too much with critic scores, I doubt they're sweating it, but I would imagine at least a few people left the theater wishing they'd invested their money elsewhere.

Compare that to what critics said about They Will Kill You, and it's a shame these movies weren't in theaters at the same time. I think it could've gotten more attention that way, and probably a better run as people sought out a more consistent horror comedy, even if both have their merits.

At the end of the day, They Will Kill You is not a parody of other horror, and there will be people who go to see a horror comedy simply for the parody. That said, I hope more people will take a chance on this movie, which has the potential for a sequel, should it get enough support.

Check out They Will Kill You, as it's genuinely one of the most entertaining movies I've seen in 2026 thus far. I don't say that lightly, given it's been an eventful year, though there are still plenty of movies on the way that could impress!

Seth Rogen has been bringing the comedy in a big way for over two decades, but over the past year he’s really stood out in a new way, setting Emmy records with The Studio, not to mention The Muppet Show TV special he delighted us with this year. Next up he’ll appear in The Invite, which Olivia Wilde both directs and stars in, and as reviews hit ahead of its release on the 2026 movie calendar, I’m surprised to see it sporting a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score (as of this writing).

Is it shocking to me that Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz are capable of such a rating? Not at all, but scores this high are hard to come by these days for any filmmaking ensemble. Even the critically lauded Toy Story 5 is ranked lower than The Invite at 92%. The year’s biggest shocker Obsession, which is doing unprecedented things at the box office, has 94%. So if that’s the bar that’s been set, what exactly do The Invite reviews say?

Alex Godfrey of Empire rates the movie 4 stars out of 5, warning that it’s not a date movie. As tense and funny as it is, The Invite is also “a sad, incisive, brilliantly drawn study of a failing marriage.” The critic says:

Kate Erbland of IndieWire gives it a B+, saying that Olivia Wilde is fully in control here, balancing the big laughs from the awkward dinner party teased in the trailer with the heartbreaking moments, all while surprising the audience at every turn. Erbland cannot overstate how much fun it is to watch The Invite in a crowded theater, so please, she says: Accept this invite. The critic continues:

Joey Magidson of Awards Radar says that “Olivia Wilde directs the hell out of” the upcoming A24 movie, giving a talky comedy a real visual style. It’s smart and profound but also “a laugh riot.” The quartet of actors are doing top-tier work, Magidson says, rating The Invite 3.5 out of 4 stars and writing:

Siddhant Adlakha of IGN gives it a “Great” 8 out of 10, praising Olivia Wilde’s achievement and joining other critics in saying it’s one of the best of the year. Adlakha’s review of The Invite reads:

Several of the reviews I’ve read had small quibbles, particularly with The Invite’s third act, but because the critics find the overall product so impressive, they’re willing to overlook some things. Jacob Oller of AV Club is a tad less forgiving, giving the movie a B-, writing:

Despite the critiques from the AV Club critic, however, he says Olivia Wilde’s directorial control of her ensemble keeps the awkward dinner party moving through its clunkier courses.

After reading Olivia Wilde’s comments on how sex is portrayed in movies — and her promise that The Invite would be “irreverent” and “playful” — I was expecting the “fun” but possibly not the depth that critics say her direction brings to the movie.

I’m definitely interested in checking out this highly rated film, and we don’t have long to wait, as The Invite hits theaters on Friday, June 26.

Toy Story 5 played into the idea that everyone’s favorite cowboy doll Woody is getting older — showcased best by his blindingly reflective bald spot — alongside not only the franchise’s fanbase, but also the iconic actor who’s voiced the role for the past 30 years. But I don’t think we can blame aging on the fact that Tom Hanks was apparently clueless that entire time about Woody having a last name.

The character, who wasn’t originally written into the fifth movie, is as beloved as Pixar and Disney characters get, but I can’t deny how easy it is to totally miss out on the lawman’s moniker amounting to more than just the five letters composing his first name. So I won’t be the first one to judge Hanks for being out of the loop, especially since his reaction to the news is so danged funny to watch, as seen below.

When presented with the new-to-him information that Woody isn’t just a single-named entertainer like Cher or Madonna, he was surprised, and offered up maybe the world’s best guess for what Woody’s surname might be.

Is "The Sheriff" a single last name in the vein of De Niro or Del Toro, or is "The" meant to be Woody's middle name there? Either way, a classic response from the acting legend.

As was this display of incredulity after learning that Woody's last name is actually "Pride." To which he responded with:

While this didn't get addressed within that interview from BBC Radio, Woody's full name was initially revealed by Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich, who stated at the time that the identifier had been a discussed and established detail since the development phases on 1995's Toy Story. So it wasn't just something tacked onto the character years later. (Toy Story 5's most emotional sequence plays into name-based reveals, so this interview clip feels pretty on-point for the sequel.)

More fun was had when the topic came up that Jessie's last name is also Pride, which has sparked plenty of internet fan theories about how closely the two characters are related. That was something that Tim Allen said he'd come across online in the past, noting that he'd seen fans talking about Woody and Jessie being brother and sister.

Turns out Tom Hanks doesn't want the two toys to be that closely linked. As he put it:

If the sibling bit is true, it wouldn’t change anything TOO much, and isn’t nearly as bothersome as it’d be to learn that Buzz and Jessie share the same bloodline. Or that Forky and Karen Beverly are related. Oh wait, that one might track...can plastic utensils be related?

Another more pertinent question: can Toy Story 5 continue its box office dominance into its second week in theaters, or will the upcoming DC movie Supergirl push it down to #2? [Cue Smarty Pants cracking up.]

Daniel Radcliffe has been as busy as ever these days. He wrapped up his run in Every Brilliant Thing on Broadway in May, with his narrator role being taken over by Mariska Hargitay. Radcliffe also lent his voice to Pizza Movie (streaming via Hulu subscription), and stars in NBC's already renewed The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, one of the funniest comedies to hit the 2026 TV schedule so far. Radcliffe has been in the industry since he was little, and co-star Erika Alexander shared a sweet take about what it’s like being on set with him.

The mockumentary sitcom premiered in January and was officially renewed for Season 2 in May. Radcliffe stars as Arthur Tobin, a documentary director, and it is just the latest role in his extensive filmography that spans almost three decades. Despite his many roles and his long Hollywood career, Radcliffe is still a genuinely nice person, according to Alexander, who's been a TV star for as long as he's been alive. She shared this with Entertainment Weekly’s The Awardist podcast:

You never know how a celebrity is going to act, especially the longer they’re in Hollywood. It’s not so surprising to know how sweet and genuine Radcliffe is, though, because every video I’ve seen of him, he just seems like a good person, most recently from fans on TikTok who saw him in Every Brilliant Thing. The fact that even after just filming the pilot for Reggie Dinkins, Radcliffe was already missing his co-stars is just so nice to hear.

His love for his co-stars only grew once the show got picked up. Alexander recalled small things that Radcliffe did on set, and while she compared him to a therapy dog, it sounds like he’s really the protective brother who is willing to do anything and everything for his siblings. Not only that, but he’s as professional as ever, and it’s just what everyone needs to keep filming on track:

Filming with someone like Daniel Radcliffe, who grew up in Hollywood and who people grew up with, can be intimidating. So I love that he’s actually really nice and sweet. This also makes me even happier that Reggie Dinkins is coming back for Season 2 following the praise from critics, because I can only imagine how Radcliffe would have reacted knowing that he wouldn’t be seeing his co-stars every day.

Now that he doesn’t have Every Brilliant Thing to keep him occupied, I wouldn’t be surprised if Radcliffe is counting down the days until production on Season 2 starts. At the very least, he may be keeping in constant contact with his co-stars. Any time a cast is genuinely friendly with each other, it makes the series or movie even better, and I’m so glad we don’t have to worry about any problems with Reggie Dinkins. A premiere date for Season 2 has not been given, but fans can watch the first season now with a Peacock subscription.

Tom Cruise has played a variety of roles throughout the course of his career, but his latest is shaping to be one of his most transformative performances to date. His 2026 movie schedule entry is Digger, the newest film from Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Details on the film have been kept tightly under wraps, and fans haven’t gotten to see much footage. Now, though, the public has been treated to yet another look at the film, and this latest look at the titular character is giving major Les Grossman energy.

Warner Bros. recently released a retrospective that covers Cruise’s career thus far, and it’s a nostalgia-inducing piece of work. As part of that video, fans received a fresh look at Digger, in which Cruise plays the titular Digger Rockwell, who’s an incredibly powerful man. Check out the video below to see the tease:

Per the few plot details that have been released on Iñárritu’s latest film, which he co-wrote, it centers around Digger as he tries to prevent a disaster from destroying humanity. During his appearance at CinemaCon 2026, Cruise talked about taking on the role, saying it “took 40 years for me to be able to put on the boots of Digger Rockwell and to reveal the many layers of the character.”

Iñárritu also hyped up his leading man during the event and acknowledged that while Cruise has done plenty of stunts in his time, “embodying this character is another kind of fearless.”

It’s hard to disagree with that assertion based on the footage that’s been shown thus far. What really strikes me is the level of physicality Cruise seems to be bringing to the role. So it's fitting that the official poster shows the character in mid-action. Check out the one-sheet Cruise shared:

Footage was also screened at CinemaCon, and the reception was positive, with many noting the transformation Cruise underwent for the role. Emma D’Arcy, one of Cruise’s co-stars, also gushed about his work and called the experience of watching him “unparalleled.” In addition to D’Arcy, the ensemble includes other talented stars, including Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, Riz Ahmed, Sophie Wilde, Michael Stuhlbarg and John Goodman. Needless to say, Iñárritu assembled a strong group of performers.

I wasn't sure what Cruise would do next when he was finished with the Mission: Impossible franchise, but I think this is a great first post-M:I production. What I'm hoping is that this marks Cruise's return to more character-centric pieces. Not to say that Ethan Hunt isn't a well-developed character, but I'm hopeful Cruise will get back to his somewhat smaller roots.

Digger opens in theaters on October 2, 2026. It’s far too early to say whether this could end up being one of Tom Cruise’s best movies. However, I’m truly hopeful that this will end up being something special. In the meantime, check out Cruise’s performance as Grossman by streaming Tropic Thunder with a Paramount+ subscription.

With Saturday Night Live hitting its 50th anniversary last year, there’s been a lot of looking back at the early days, from the brutal audition process to the sketches that didn’t go according to plan. Molly Shannon has had the opportunity to reminisce lately, as well, as she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Will Ferrell paid tribute to his longtime friend and gave her a lot of the credit for bringing the show back from being “Saturday Night Dead.”

Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell joined Saturday Night Live in 1995 amidst a dip in ratings for the NBC sketch comedy show, and as Shannon was honored with a literal Hollywood “Superstar!” on Monday, June 22, the Spirited actor recalled the night she debuted what became one of SNL’s most iconic recurring characters — Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher. Ferrell said:

Saturday Night Live fans are more than familiar with the armpit-sniffing Mary Katherine Gallagher, who shared one memorable sketch with Whitney Houston (after Molly Shannon convinced her to do it) and even got her own movie Superstar in 1999, which ended up being one of the best movies based on a Saturday Night Live character. Will Ferrell spoke about how instantaneous the audience’s reaction was to Molly Shannon in that role:

That’s quite a huge amount of credit to give Molly Shannon, as SNL is considered one of the best sketch comedies of all time with Season 52 premiering this fall on the 2026 TV calendar. You can see the sketch that Will Ferrell was referring to below:

Molly Shannon definitely deserves all of the flowers. She stayed with Saturday Night Live until 2001, earning an Emmy nomination in 2000, but has returned to 30 Rockefeller Center as a guest several times and hosted twice. Her success has continued outside of sketch comedy with amazing roles on shows like The White Lotus and The Other Two. The SNL star has even pulled off dramatic roles including A Good Person.

I love that Will Ferrell has such glowing memories of his time with Molly Shannon on SNL, and it makes me even more excited to see the two reunite for the comedy series The Hawk. The upcoming Netflix series stars Ferrell as a golf legend, with Shannon playing his ex-wife Stacy. Make sure your Netflix subscription is up to date, because that premiere is coming our way Thursday, July 16.

Even five years after the end of its eight-season run, CBS’ Mom remains a favorite among fans and remains accessible via streaming. Anna Faris and Allison Janney led the Napa, California-set sitcom, and the pair had excellent chemistry. Faris, however, ultimately left at the end of Season 7, and nearly quit acting after stepping away from her role as single mother Christy Plunkett. I’ve always wondered why she left the series, and someone finally asked her.

Apparently, after she initially left Mom, Faris released a statement with which she praised her collaborators and alluded to the prospect of new acting opportunities. However, she didn't dig into her exact reason for stepping away. While appearing on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Faris looked back at her time on the show and, while she appreciated the experience, she admitted that her schedule was taking up a lot of time. She also said:

I can understand how doing the same job for seven years straight can definitely be hard, especially if a person isn't used to it. Up to that point, Faris had mostly starred in movies throughout her entire career, with some small TV roles here and there. And, while the long-running sitcom provided her with job security, it's worth mentioning that making a multi-camera sitcom can be tedious. Even though Faris has no ill will towards that time of her life, it sounds like she has mixed feelings about it:

Faris’ stint on Mom marked her first, and so far only, lead role on a TV series. The show -- co-created by sitcom czar Chuck Lorre -- was an instant hit, and it follows the dysfunctional lives of mother/daughter duo Bonnie (Janney) and Christy. Speaking for myself, it was a surprise when it was announced that Faris would depart the show after Season 7, which (allegedly) sent the cast and crew into a frenzy before the show ultimately ended with Season 8.

For viewers, it can be strange to see an established show go on without one of its leads. After Faris departed, Janney spoke out how it felt to film without her, revealing how missed Faris and Christy were. Still, Janney -- who won two consecutive Emmys for her portrayal of Bonnie -- was also just happy that Faris was doing what she wanted to do, which is really all that matters.

As a fan, I'm curious as to whether Anna Faris will dig deeper into her rationale for leaving the series. That's a podcast conversation I'd certainly love to listen to. For now, though, I simply respect Faris for choosing to make such a big decision for her life and career. Here's hoping she balances life and work as she continues to navigate the industry. At the same time, fans can watch Mom with a Netflix subscription.

Boy Meets World emerged as of the best TGIF comedies of all time, and its success eventually spawned a successful spinoff on Disney Channel, Girl Meets World. The offshoot ran for three seasons and launched the Grammy winner Sabrina Carpenter, who remains close to co-star Danielle Fishel today. The revival, which premiered in 2014, apparently got off to a rocky start, and not just because there were some creative issues involving the franchise's OGs. Fishel, Rider Strong, and more revealed that finding out about the show actually wasn't fun.

Girl Meets World sees Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga Matthews (Fishel) living in New York with their two kids, with Cory being a teacher and Topanga working as a lawyer. At the center of the show is their daughter, Riley (Blanchard), who comes of age alongside her friends. Aside from Savage and Blanchard, a lot of original Boy Meets World stars appeared from time to time, including Strong and Will Friedle, reprising their roles as Shawn Hunter and Eric Matthews, respectively.

Fishel, Strong, and Friedle -- who have been promoting their new documentary, Doc Meets World -- recently opened up about the beginnings of Girl Meets World. While talking to Parade, the trio looked back at their time on the spinoff, with Strong and Friedle revealing they weren't formally notified that the show was in development. As they explained, they found out in a less ideal manner:

• Rider Strong: We didn’t get the call. We found out about it in the press.
• Will Friedle: Nobody told us Girl Meets World was happening.
• Strong: It wasn’t a great experience. Finding out about Girl Meets World, at that time, it was not fun. And then, we were asked to be on the show. For me, it was just an opportunity to direct again and like, really take that seriously in that part of my creative life. I was not excited to act again.
• Friedle: I wasn’t either, and the only reason I went on is because that the deal was if I did a few episodes, I could write an episode.

Considering Strong and Friedle appeared on Girl Meets World several times and had some fun and important storylines, it’s surprising to know that they didn’t even know about the series until it was announced. It’s also understandable that they’d only want to sign on so they can direct or write an episode or two, especially if they weren’t particularly keen on reprising those characters. For Strong, at least, he didn’t think it was the right time to do the show despite signing on anyway:

Boy Meets World ended in 2000 after a seven-season run, and Girl Meets World premiered in 2014, not quite 15 years later. In hindsight, that time span does seems a bit short relatively speaking, and Strong isn’t the only one who felt like that. Fishel, who starred in all three seasons of the spinoff before it was canceled in 2017, voiced her own initial concerns about doing the series. Not only was she at a completely different place in life, but she was trying to think of the logistics of the timeline between the two series:

Even though it seemed a little too soon, the timeline does work out. Cory and Topanga have a middle school student daughter at the start of GMW, so the logic is sound. Nevertheless, I can understand the stars thinking a slightly long gap would've been more sensible. While the show could have come at a different time, Fishel went on to admit that she just couldn’t pass up that opportunity, so she put her other life on hold:

Ultimately, Fishel's instincts proved to be correct, as GMW did strike a chord with viewers at the time. Overseen by returning producer Michael Jacobs, the spinoff expanded on the BMW continuity and added new layers to the established characters. Not everyone from Boy Meets World was asked back, though, as cast member Maitland Ward has been candid about not receiving an invitation. Ben Savage has seemingly put that part of his life behind him.

Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle have all been candid about the complexities of their relationships with both of the Meets World shows. Many of those thoughts have been shared on their Pod Meets World rewatch podcast. While they've been honest about their experiences making the shows not always having been positive, they also understand just how much the work itself means to people. With that, as a fan, I'm glad they participated in the spinoff, even if they didn't find out in the most optimal way.

Fans can watch both Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World with a Disney+ subscription, and see just how similar or different the two are.

Ice Cube remains a busy man, as the rapper-turned-actor continues to land various roles. While the cool celebrity dad has been exploring new storytelling territory for himself, he’s also revisited some of his most beloved properties. Most recently, he even appeared as himself in the 2025 Anaconda movie. Despite all of that, I definitely couldn’t have predicted that he’d join a third Are We There Yet? movie, though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t laughing over one part of the premise.

This week, Cube announced that he would reprise his role as bachelor-turned-family man Nick Persons in Are They Gone Yet? Not only that, but the star will be joined by Nia Long, who’s set to reprise her role as Nick’s wife, Suzanne Kingston-Persons. Deadline’s reporting doesn’t specify whether Aleisha Allen and Philip Daniel Bolden will reprise their roles as Suzanne’s kids, Lindsey and Kevin, respectively. Yet, per Cube’s statement, I think there’s at least a slight chance his stepkids will factor into the story:

We built something special with this franchise. Audiences grew up with Nick Persons, and now Nick’s got grandkids. Time flies. Partnering with Skydance to bring this story to a new generation is exactly the kind of move CubeVision was built for, and I am excited for the new partnership.

You read that right, Nick is going to be a grandfather! So, barring any kind of surprises, said kids could belong to Lindsey, Kevin or the two twins Suzanne welcomed in 2007’s Are We Done Yet? To some, this may seem like too much of an obvious route to go with the franchise, but the mere thought of Nick being in grandpa mode and having to deal with his grandkids’ shenanigans just makes me chuckle. There are plenty of storytelling possibilities in that regard, and Cube could bring some serious comedic energy to the proceedings.

I honestly love the fact that the Three Kings alum has reached the age at which he can convincingly play a grandfather. So, even with just this small tease, I’m delighted to see how the story pans out. And, speaking of the story, the script is reportedly being penned by Chris Hazzard and Mike Fontana, and the film is being developed by Skydance Sports. On paper, this threequel also makes sense, considering the original 2005 film earned over $97 million worldwide against a production budget between $20 and 32 million. And, while the aforementioned 2007 sequel only grossed $58 million globally against a $28 million budget, the IP still proved popular enough to spawn a TV series on TBS.

This announcement comes amid the continued wave of legacy sequels that continue to flood Hollywood. Ice Cube, for his part, is reportedly working on multiple installments to some of his most famous franchises. For starters, the long-gestating final installment in the Friday franchise, Last Friday, is officially in the works, with Cube and Mike Epps reportedly returning for it. It was also more recently reported that Cube was in talks to reunite with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum for 24 Jump Street.

When it comes to Are They Gone Yet?, a release window has yet to be announced for it. Hopefully, additional details – like further casting confirmations – will arrive sooner rather than later. I can’t even begin to predict how this film will be received but, considering the love for this franchise, I can certainly imagine people checking it out. I look forward to seeing the first official look at Nick running from… I mean, playing with his grandchildren.

Ice Cube doesn’t currently have any titles marked for the 2026 movie schedule. Still, anyone feeling nostalgic for the Are We There Yet? franchise can stream the first two installments using Starz.

As Saturday Night Live prepares its return to the 2026 TV schedule in the fall, the cast is still talking about last season and Bowen Yang's exit. Understandably so, as he had an emotional impact on the cast, and apparently it resulted in Sarah Sherman catching some strays from a writer about her jokes landing in his absence.

Yang, Sherman, and SNL's longest-tenured cast member, Kenan Thompson, all talked about the exit during a recent interview with Variety. After talking about what they'd miss with Yang no longer there every week, Sherman shared that a writer pointed out her table reads may suffer now that he's gone. She said:

Sarah Sherman's talked about Bowen Yang hyping up her projects, and it sounds like he did the same thing at Saturday Night Live. Kind of vicious for a writer to call her out like that, but her example showed maybe Yang was laying things on a bit thick when they'd be reading for sketches.

Yang quickly chimed in and confirmed he's a big supporter of Sarah Sherman, saying she's the "funniest woman." Kenan Thompson chased that with pointing to his appreciation of those types of friendships between SNL castmembers, and how it adds to the fun of the show:

Sometimes the best part of a sketch is watching a Saturday Night Live cast member break, so I think it's all the more imperative that the cast likes each other and has the comfort to do so. With the immense pressure that comes along with being on the show, those moments wouldn't happen if there wasn't a vibe backstage saying that it's ok to laugh.

Bowen Yang's SNL exit was somewhat oddly timed, happening midseason rather than following a season finale. Yang has since revealed that he stayed on an additional season at the request of Lorne Michaels, who wanted him to serve as a mentor to the new wave of cast members coming in. While Yang previously felt like he never felt central to the series in any way, hearing Michaels wanted him on as that role convinced him to stay on a little longer.

Saturday Night Live continues to thrive without Yang, who is off to pursue various projects. Who knows, he may even end up hosting the show one day, should any of his future movies and shows warrant that level of promotion. Given how often he's in the news, I have to think that moment is coming sooner rather than later.

I know I'll be keeping an eye out for what's next for Bowen Yang, and ready for Saturday Night Live's return to NBC this fall. For now he remains busy with his podcast Las Culturistas, which just aired a comedy award show on Bravo and streaming with a Peacock subscription.

Anytime a new Toy Story movie hits theaters, several assumptions can be made. 1. It’ll be a beloved and emotionally fraught journey for most of the audience. 2. It’ll make a ton of money at the box office. And 3. It’ll feature situations and details only a shade away from being existential nightmares. Toy Story 5 does not disappoint there, and Team Pixar kept my horror movie-loving brain contemplating potentially terrying scenarios for the characters throughout.

The magical nature of Toy Story is the gift that keeps on giving by way of “What if…?” scenarios, and writer/director Andrew Stanton’s sequel features some classic “toys playing dead” moments for Jessie, Buzz & Co., while also introducing Conan O’ Brien’s A+ new character Smarty Pants and Greta Lee’s villainesque tech Lily Pad. Let's get to it, but be warned there are SPOILERS AHEAD!

Sticky Slap Hand Seemingly Becomes One With Smarty Pants

I am quite possibly more freaked out by Sticky Slap Hand than by most horror movie monsters. This is, to my understanding, a standalone toy able to communicate non-verbally and independently travel around. Yet soon after these playthings are introduced, the Hand wraps its ropey length around Smarty Pants' handle and essentially becomes the potty trainer's new limb.

Nobody comes out and says, "There's a psychic link between those two," but so much of what the Hand does is in Smarty Pants' favor, and shouldn't be such instinctive behavior for a completely separate toy. What actually ARE you, Sticky Slap Hand?!?

That Dormant Rubik's Cube In Blaze's House

If "living" toys being locked away in attic trunks for decades makes up one side of the Toy Story nightmare spectrum, the other side would probably be seeing toys in the wild that never gain consciousness without humans around. Because what happened there?

Case in point: When Jessie is going through Blaze's house, she passes by what is clearly a Rubik's Cube. But instead of jumping up with some twisty and colorful animation, the Cube just exists as scenery, and doesn't appear to share in other toys' vitality. What. Happened. There?

All Those Buzz Lightyears Doing Anything Synchronized, But Especially The Drone Stuff

Watching 50 identical Buzz Lightyears doing differing things isn't so bothersome, but seeing them working in tandem is definitely unnerving, such as that whole squad rising up out of the water Apocalypse Now-style. However, the real horror comes amidst the film's climax, when the upgraded astronaut toys show off their drone propellors to fly Jessie and the core crew through the city far more quickly and safely (in theory) than walking.

However, that rescuse happens above busy streets with cars whipping through, and there's no possible way the toys travel from Points A to B without drivers seeing all the lit-up drones carrying toy-shaped cargo. To humans, I'd think they'd appear to be a UFOs/UAPs, and someone would use a phone to record video of it all. Imagine the Buzzes all going slack and falling into the traffic below...The horror!

The Pizza Planet Driver Passing By All The Toys

Before the drones, when Jessie is leading the pack along the side of a road, everyone goes limp when a car (Toy Story 5's Pizza Planet reference) is approaching. But then before the vehicle is even out of the frame, everyone jumps back up and starts advancing anew.

A paranoid conspiracy horror movie could kick off right there. If I'd ever see that many toys just jumbled on the side of the road while driving, I'd 100% slow down and have my eyes glued to my car mirrors, wondering what in the world could have happened. Because they jump up so quickly, a mirror glance would make that break in reality quite visible for the driver. Maybe he drove off the road in shock, never to be seen again.

The Unearthed Lunchbox Under The Tree

The most emotional moment in Toy Story 5 for yours truly and others was Jessie learning she was the namesake for her former owner's daughter. Which she discovered in the lunchbox time capsule buried at the base of the tire swing tree. Now imagine being Blaze's rational human mother going out there and discovering that lunchbox and its connection to the toy that "randomly" showed up at their house.

I think Blaze's mom would believe her daughter saying she wasn't responsible. So if I'm Mrs. Manoukian, I'm thinking it's either someone from the former owner's family secretly trespassing, or it's ghosts. No other options, and both of those suck.

Lily Pad Is Basically M3GAN With Worse Dance Moves

This requires the smallest leap to horror, since Lily Pad is a monster wrapped in bright plastic, with her Internet connection being a catalyst for chaos. Sure, she comes around in the end, but what if this was a M3GAN-esque story? Lily would have eliminated those cruddy girls who bullied Bonnie, no question.

It's wild to consider what would happen if the cops had to access Lily Pad's data in relation to a murder (or whatever crime), and they were faced with a statistical anomaly that could only be explained by screaming "The toys are sentient!" while running out of the police station.

Thanks for reading along! Don't forget to lock up all your toys when you go to bed tonight, and remember to check for scratches on the inside of the closet door in the morning.

Legally Blonde fans are sure to be pumped for a certain title that's set to hit the 2026 TV schedule in July. Elle, a new prequel series produced by Reese Witherspoon, will show what our favorite Harvard Law graduate was like six years before the events of the events of the franchise's original film. Newcomer Lexi Minetree will be playing the beloved role of Elle Woods, and she did quite a bit to prepare. That included watching the franchise's OG movie over and over again, and I'm in awe of how many times she screened it.

At this point, it's clear as day that Minetree is perfect for the role of Elle, and that's not only because Reese Witherspoon made it her mission to pick her own doppelgänger. Additionally, Minetree recreated Elle’s Harvard bikini admissions tape as part of her own audition for the upcoming series. If you need more convincing that Minetree is the perfect person for the role, she spoke on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (as seen on YouTube) about how many times she watched the OG movie, and I’m blown away:

If someone's watched Legally Blonde 150 times, I can totally see how Jennifer Coolidge's voice would be ingrained in them. But, that aside, the mere notion of the actress watching the movie from start to finish so many times is wild. I suppose, however, that was an understandable way for her to prep for such an iconic role.

Admittedly, Legally Blonde is one of those movies fans can watch over and over again due to its funny, iconic one-liners. It's also one of the best movies to motivate anyone who feels like a fish out of water. Considering the sheer number of times Minetree has seen Legally Blonde, I’m confident she's absorbed enough of Elle Woods to be able to pass the bar exam herself!

What we know so far about Prime Video’s Elle TV show is that it takes place in 1995 and sees a pink-loving teenager Elle Woods being is forced to move with her family from sunny Bel-Air to grungy Seattle. Reese Witherspoon serves as an executive producer on the show, which has already been renewed for a second season.

Notably, the series also marks James Van Der Beek’s final role, as he plays school district superintendent Dean Wilson. I’m already anticipating feeling teary-eyed getting to see the talented TV actor one more time. Additionally, I'm ready for this show to inject the streaming schedule with some truly nostalgic vibes.

I'm hopeful that Lexi Minetree will effectively lead the show, and I look forward to seeing how she grows into her role. Based on the trailers and Minetree's comments about her preparation, I have no reason to doubt her abilities thus far.

So see the up-and-coming actress fully embody our favorite fashionable law student when Elle premieres on July 1st for Prime Video subscription holders. You can also watch Legally Blonde on that same streamer (but don't feel like you have to watch it as many times as Minetree did.)

The 2026 TV schedule included the first series Aubrey Plaza ever co-created, and it's called Kevin. It premiered for those with an Amazon Prime subscription two months ago, but if you were hoping for another season of the adult animation, Plaza shared some bad news that involved a heartbreaking callback to Parks and Recreation.

The comedy, which follows a cat adjusting to life after his two owners separated, is the latest 2026 TV cancellation. That list already included quite a few shows from Prime Video. Here's what Plaza had to say about her series ending:

Kevin earned mixed-to-positive reviews from viewers, but must have gotten lost in the streaming shuffle given its fate. The series boasted an incredible voice cast including Jason Schwartzman as Kevin alongside the likes of Plaza, John Waters, Amy Sedaris, and Whoopi Goldberg.

It's understandable that Plaza would find the news "disappointing", especially considering the show didn't get much of a chance to find a footing with audiences. As she added in her Instagram post:

Can you imagine if Parks and Recreation had ended after one season? We would have missed out on so many of the show's great bits, guest stars and such! Nowadays, it's pretty universally agreed among fans of the NBC comedy show that it didn't get off to the best start, but because the network believed in it, it became the kind of TV series we still rewatch on streaming all the time.

And it ended over ten years ago. Parks and Recreation may seem like a no-brainer of a show to have as many seasons as it should now. However, when it was actually on the air, the cast and creators have said on many different occasions that they never felt completely safe from cancellation.

Aubrey Plaza makes a sad but very eloquent point about the importance of TV shows like Kevin getting the room to be developed and supported, rather than dying on arrival. However, it sounds like Plaza isn't giving up, and hopes to see the show get picked up by another "owner" so she and her team can continue to produce Kevin.

While the cancellation of Kevin is a tough blow, Plaza is keeping plenty busy lately. She already stars in two movies that are coming out in 2027. She'll be in a comedy called Animal Friends alongside Ryan Reynolds, Jason Momoa and Dan Levy coming in January, and she's also in Michael B. Jordan's remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, hitting theaters next March. So, there's still plenty to look forward to, as we continue to hope that Kevin finds a new home.

Nothing should surprise me anymore when it comes to Hollywood’s sequels. Yet when Tony Hawk told Pete Davidson about the sequel "that got away in his life," my mind was blown. That's because there was once a reality where we could have seen Hawk with his own Looney Tunes movie. I didn’t even know this concept existed, but not only was it in talks, the Space Jam sequel even had a name!

This is one of the coolest - and maybe most unexpected - behind-the-scenes facts about Space Jam that I have heard. I grew up watching my brother’s hand-me-down Space Jam movie, so any trivia is a nostalgic jump back to Looney Tunes ridiculousness. So, yeah, I loved hearing the skateboarder spill the tea about the offer from Warner Brothers when he sat down with Davidson on his Netflix talk show.

Turns out Brendan Fraser’s Back in Action was the reason Hawk received the offer for Skate Jam. The skateboarder name-dropping the meta film took me back to my childhood, and the idea that this film was meant to launch a reintroduction of Looney Tunes is wild. However, Hawk was immediately on board, as he said:

Perhaps Skate Jam was pitched so Space Jam: A New Legacy could exist years later. The sequel starred LeBron James and had a similar concept to the original film, with the basketball star forced to form a basketball team with Looney Tunes characters. However, the sequel had a lukewarm reaction from critics. So, maybe they would have preferred Skate Jam.

It was reported that James had trouble getting other NBA players to appear in Space Jam's sequel. However, when it came to Hawk's potential movie, he was never uninterested. In fact, he still sounds bummed that he missed the opportunity to play around with the classic cartoon characters. Explaining the emotional reason behind his disappointment, the skateboarder said:

The way he talks sounds like he was just shy of his dreams coming true. Warner Brothers were so invested that they met with him about the movie in an airport restaurant as he was leaving for Australia. They even brought storyboards. You know things are serious when production companies bring out the storyboards in the airport. Hawk also claimed they were even offering “a million bucks” up front, but alas, Skate Jam was just not meant to be.

The existence of his film relied on how well Back in Action did, and unfortunately, it didn’t do well at the box office despite starring Brendan Fraser. Because of this, Warner Brothers had no desire to “pour anything else into Looney Tunes.” However, in recent years, the love for the classic cartoons has resurfaced with the well-reviewed The Day the Earth Blew Up. The movie re-invented Daffy Duck and Porky Pig’s backstory and gave them a new comedic challenge: save the world. So, at least we've gotten some new adventures from these characters.

However, sadly, they have not included Tony Hawk. So, while we won’t get to see Skate Jam, it’s fun to think about what could have been.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet streamed the Season 1 finale of Widow’s Bay via Apple TV subscription, so be warned!

Apple TV quickly cemented itself as a go-to service for top-notch sci-fi like Silo, Dark Matter and Severance (my personal favorite), but it took more than six years to deliver its first full-on horror series. Widow’s Bay was more than worth the wait, however, as evidenced by an all-star fanbase that includes Guillermo del Toro, Hideo Kojima and Stephen King. Thankfully, creator Katie Dippold wrapped the first season as strongly as it began, and even though I guessed the ending twist, it didn’t take away any of the impact.

With its fantastic Rotten Tomatoes rating still holding strong at 98% Fresh, it’s safe to say that Widow’s Bay is one of the more acclaimed debuts to hit the 2026 TV schedule so far, which only helps make the news that Season 2 is on the way even more exciting. But let’s dig into how things went down for Matthew Rhys’ forever put-upon mayor Tom Loftis and his crackpot team of city officials.

Though I Predicted The Finale's Biggest Reveal, It Was Full Of Other Details I Didn't See Coming

I say with only the most minimal amount of self-adulation that as soon as Widow's Bay introduced the idea of the island's curse being tied to a bloodline, I immediately assumed that Tom's son Evan would be named Richard Warren's final must-be-killed descendant. To the point where I was gobsmacked when the penultimate episode named Ruth instead. Holding off on revealing Ruth's connection to Evan definitely made the finale more fun, though, with Rhys perfectly playing Tom as confounded by the impossible task of sacrificial murder.

I certainly didn't expect Kevin Carroll's sheriff - or former sheriff, I guess - to be the one to put Ruth down (but not out) once he heard the bloodline news. But he seems even more desperate than Tom to get excise the island and his life from anything and everything supernaturally evil.

So by the end of "We Hope You Enjoyed Your Time!," it's understood that both Ruth and Evan would need to die for Tom to get his wish to govern a non-cursed island, but at the cost of losing his closest remaining tie to his late wife. Because it's not like the demonic entity at the heart of everything is suddenly losing its bloodlust, considering the bell rang eight times in the final minutes, indicating eight more sacrifices will be necessary.

Oh, another thing I didn't specifically guess was that the foreshadowed electric chair and underground tunnels were part of the town's dark history of volunteer sacrifices to keep the demonic spirit sated, complete with an HR-esque intro video. I assumed that the town leaders were responsible for kidnapping or coercing everyone, so for it to all be voluntary is some wild sh-t, but I guess I can understand why nobody was quick to spread that around to other residents for future generations. (Though I guess I don't understand how or why that all stopped.)

Tom's Dilemma Makes Me Almost Dread What Will Happen In Season 2

Because I adore this show, I'm obviously happy that Widow's Bay has a second season joining other upcoming horror TV shows, but Evan's death being the key to the island's curse makes me come very close to wishing that this was only meant to be a limited series. How will Katie Dippold & Co. keep the comedic tone going with this somber as all f--ks situation sitting front and center the entire time.

Assuming Tom hasn't told anyone else about Ruth's admission, and that she also didn't speak up about it in her drugged-up hospitalized state, then it means every conversation Tom has about the curse in Season 2 will be had through a veil of deception. And anytime anyone brings up how to stop it, he'll necessarily need to throw them off the correct path.

Plus, Tom will still presumably be fixing up his relationship with Evan after lying about Lauren's post-pregnancy fate for all these years, but will be unable to express full honesty about Lauren's family history. So many cringe situations for Tom, who can already hit peak-awks in a room by his lonesome.

Still, I can't wait for Season 2! Mostly.

The Big Bang Theory was a show about science nerds, and apparently, maintaining that illusion was occasionally tough. Kunal Nayyar confirmed as much in a recent interview, in which he shared a hilarious story that makes me want to revisit "The Adhesive Duck Deficiency" with my HBO Max subscription.

As fans wait for the latest adventure in the TBBT world, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, to hit the 2026 TV schedule, Nayyar appeared on The Big Bang Theory podcast to talk about his memories of the show. In doing that, he brought up a time in which they removed their shirts to eat brisket and ended up needing to be changed. As far as why, creator Chuck Lorre informed them they were "too fit" to look like nerds:

Anyone who thinks geeks can't be buff has never read an interview with Henry Cavill or heard Terry Crews express his interest in voicing various video game characters. That aside, I totally get where Chuck Lorre was coming from, as it's hard to characterize Leonard and his friends as meek and cowardly if they all look jacked and shredded.

"The Adhesive Duck Deficiency" is a Season 3 episode, and given the context of what Kunal Nayyar gave in the podcast, the scene is hilarious to watch. Leonard, Raj, and Howard are all wearing t-shirts, but also have t-shirts wrapped around their heads as well. My guess is they originally had taken off their shirts to wear on their heads, but then added shirts and decided to keep the shirts on their heads for comedy's sake.

Nayyar mentioned the moment gave him a confidence boost, almost as big as the confidence Raj has to wear his outlandish outfits. He explained the boost was short-lived, however, and noted that was the one time he was asked to put a shirt back on for the rest of The Big Bang Theory:

That could be the case, though, I feel like in the latter seasons of The Big Bang Theory, so much focus was put on their development beyond just being "lab nerds," for lack of a better term. This is especially true for Raj, who went from someone physically terrified to speak to women to having a few girlfriends throughout the series.

Life post-The Big Bang Theory sounds great for Kunal Nayyar, who has made various other appearances in acting and uses his money to secretly pay people's medical bills. That's really cool of him to do, so I'm rooting for his return in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe so he can help more people out with that payday.

The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on HBO Max. Throw the series on today to re-live the experience of one of modern television's most successful shows, and hold onto it for Stuart Fails To Save The Universe on July 23rd.

Now look, I know we’ve been here before, but I really do believe that Austin Powers is going to come back for a fourth movie. Yeah, baby! Yeah!

However, while I know I should pump the brakes and not get too excited, I just can’t help myself. Mike Myers says that there WILL be an Austin Powers 4, and I can’t help but get pumped all over again, because I LOVE the Austin Powers movies, and I would watch a fourth film in a heartbeat.

So, while I know I need to temper my expectations, here’s why I’m ready to buy a Mini-Me-inspired popcorn bucket in the near future. Oh, behave!

I Still Consider The Austin Powers Trilogy Peak Comedy

It’s kind of crazy to think about, but the last Austin Powers movie, Austin Powers in Goldmember, came out all the way back in 2002! I’m going to repeat that. It came out in two thousand and freaking TWO! That’s a lifetime ago! In fact, that was my last year of high school, and my official first year as an adult at 18. And this is coming from an oldtimer. The whippersnappers who showed up to make Backrooms a box office success were likely either not born yet, or were extremely young.

So, yeah, the Austin Powers series is OLD! But still, for those of you who were around, have you watched them again recently? If not, you should, because they’re still freaking hilarious! It’s strange, but since they’re parodying old James Bond films, they somehow feel just as timeless as those aforementioned movies.

But, more importantly, all three of them are still delightfully hilarious (I swear, the “penis enlarger pump” joke from the first movie still gets me to tears). So, while a fourth movie probably won’t recapture the hilarity of those first three films, I still want it. Just because the whole trilogy is still peak comedy.

I Also Want To See What An Aged Austin Powers Looks Like

As I mentioned just a moment ago, Austin Powers came out a million years ago, and the whole plot of the first movie was that, similar to Captain America, Austin Powers was cryogenically frozen and then defrosted. He was brought into the then-‘90s, where he was anachronistic in every single way. Throughout the trilogy, we get to see him acclimate to his new time period.

However, I want to see what an Austin Powers looks like today. I mean, he very well can't be frozen AGAIN, and then brought into the 2020s. That said, what would an older Austin Powers look and act like?

Hopefully, a fourth Austin Powers movie can avoid the trappings of a film like Bill & Ted Face the Music, where they touch upon their advanced ages, but didn't really dwell upon them. I want to see all kinds of old jokes with this one, since Austin Powers WOULD be old.

Plus, I Just Love Mike Myers In Anything He Does

Lastly, the main reason why I want a fourth Austin Powers movie is that I just love anything Mike Myers is in (Yes, I'm even a fan of The Love Guru). I know I don't have to wait too long for another performance from him since we're getting a Shrek 5, but live-action Mike Myers just hits differently.

Like, I even kind of like his much-maligned The Cat in the Hat movie, because I just find Mike Myers funny and I’ve always especially found him funny in the Austin Powers movies, which I always thought was his best character.

So, do we really need a fourth Austin Powers movie? I'm going to say, ummmm…no. But, will I see it when (if?) it ever comes out? Like I said in the intro, YEAH, BABY! YEAH!

There are rewatchable comfort shows, and then there is Gilmore Girls. For countless fans, Amy Sherman-Palladino's beloved series has become less of an occasional binge and more of a permanent lifestyle, a show to return to again and again, no matter the streaming schedule. Which is why subscribers to the streamer, especially longtime fans of Lorelai and Rory, may be stunned to learn the series is leaving the platform after more than a decade.

According to Netflix's X account, Gilmore Girls will leave the streamer on June 30. The post, which you can read below, marks the first time the series has been unavailable on Netflix since 2014, when the platform acquired streaming rights to the WB and CW favorite.

The relationship became so intertwined that Netflix eventually produced the follow-up miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, bringing Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel back to Stars Hollow. For many viewers, Netflix and Gilmore Girls became almost synonymous. That is partly because the series found an entirely new generation on streaming.

The original show ran from 2000 to 2007; its popularity exploded again thanks to binge culture. The rapid-fire dialogue, endless coffee and cozy autumn atmosphere transformed it into one of the most watched comfort shows. And apparently, some subscribers are not taking the breakup particularly well.

Fans Are Threatening To Follow Gilmore Girls Out The Door

Netflix's announcement quickly filled with replies from devastated fans, many of whom claimed Gilmore Girls was the primary reason they still paid for their Netflix subscription. Some of the best responses included:

• @down222mars: "This is actually my 13th reason, the rest of the day is cancelled goodnight."
• @kaiesaki: "canceling my subscription how dare u!!"
• @MarySpe05198707: "The only reason I pay for Netflix is to rewatch Gilmore Girls on repeat. I'll cancel my membership."
• @ThatJeeto: "Nooo not Gilmore Girls 😭 Stars Hollow forever, Netflix you're breaking our hearts ☕️"
• @IQDose101: "This is a crisis. A major, 'Luke storming out of the diner' level crisis."
• @CyberMonday: "lorelai gilmore would have needed more than one cup for this."
• @fruitl88p: "Noooooooo!!!!! Worst decision ever!! How will I literally sleep at night. This is my comfort show that I fall asleep to each night!"
• @hitchcockwoman: "HORRIBLE business decision. I'm in a huge Gilmore Girls group on Facebook and everyone in there is saying this is their excuse to cancel Netflix because that was the only show they binged on there every night."

Honestly, the funniest part may be how many people reacted by immediately threatening to cancel their subscriptions and follow the residents of Stars Hollow right out the door. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but the passion is not surprising.

Unlike many long-running dramas, Gilmore Girls has become a deep part of many viewers' lives. It was not just a show people watched once, but instead, it became background noise, bedtime television and a yearly fall tradition. There are entire corners of the internet devoted to annual rewatches, coffee recipes and debates over which boyfriend deserved Rory.

The show's staying power is part of what made A Year in the Life possible back in 2016. Netflix recognized that the fandom had not disappeared and brought the cast back for four revival episodes. While the revival divided some fans, it also proved just how much affection remained in Stars Hollow.

At the moment, there haven't been any announcements on where the series will stream next. But with the intellectual property belonging to Warner Bros. Television, it wouldn't shock me if it became available to those with an HBO Max subscription in the very near future, much like what happened when Friends left Netflix back in 2020.

For now, fans still have a little time left to squeeze in one more rewatch before July 1. Judging by the reaction online, there are probably a lot of giant coffee mugs being filled across America right now.

Jim Carrey returning as the Grinch is one of those ideas that sounds both completely inevitable and kind of impossible. The live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas has become a full-blown holiday rewatch staple since its 2000 release, but the already sequel-averse Carrey has been very open about how miserable that makeup process was. Not bad enough, though, as

So, if he is really heading back to Whoville, I hope the sequel looks beyond Christmas. I hope it draws inspiration from a deep-cut cartoon that most don’t even know exists.

What We Know About The Sequel

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal and Imagine Entertainment are developing a sequel to Ron Howard’s 2000 film, with Carrey in talks to reprise the role and Howard expected to return as director. Brian Grazer is also involved, while Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel are writing the script. (The three writers all hail from Curb Your Enthusiasm, which features one of pop culture's biggest grinches in Larry David.) That team being in place alone is enough to make this feel like a true continuation of one of the best Christmas movies of all time, rather than some disconnected rebrand with a new green grump under the fur.

Which definitely matters, because the live-action Grinch has had a strange pop culture life. It was huge when it came out, earning $260 million domestically and $345 million worldwide. It also won the Best Makeup Oscar, which feels right considering Rick Baker and Gail Rowell-Ryan basically turned Carrey into a walking Christmas fever dream.

Of course, that makeup process also became infamous. Carrey has said the transformation initially took around eight hours a day, and he once recalled wanting to quit on the first day and return his $20 million fee before the process was eventually reduced to about three hours. When he laid out his conditions for returning to a sequel back in 2024, they mostly centered on avoiding that same painful costume ordeal.

I understand why getting Carrey back might require some modern movie magic. If motion capture or improved prosthetics can make the experience less brutal, great. Let the man be green without sending him through another round of torture training.

The question now is what story Universal wants to tell. The original 1957 book, the 1966 animated special and Howard’s movie all center on the Grinch learning not to hate Christmas. The 2000 film expanded his tragic backstory and introduced the Whos and Cindy Lou Who, but it still ended with the same big-hearted holiday conclusion. A sequel has to do something different.

Luckily for everyone involved, I have a great idea. They should focus on Halloween like this forgotten 70s cartoon sequel.

The Deep Cut Halloween Grinch Sequel

This is where I really hope someone in the writers’ room has watched Halloween Is Grinch Night.

The Emmy-winning 1977 animated TV special is basically the weird, spooky cousin of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It is technically a Grinch follow-up, but instead of another Christmas story, it throws the character into a Halloween-adjacent nightmare. The Grinch comes down from Mount Crumpit on a strange, wind-driven night with a wagon full of surreal horrors, and a young Who named Euchariah has to face him.

It is odd., eerie, and has that unmistakably Seussian nonsense logic. Honestly, that is exactly why it could be a success. I am not saying the live-action sequel should remake Halloween Is Grinch Night outright. Borrowing its energy is a smart move, and changing the Holiday focus is a no-brainer.

The 2000 movie already leaned into grotesque Whoville production design, weird humor and Carrey’s goblin-mode physical comedy. A sequel that moves into a spooky, autumnal Grinch story could let the character be nasty, theatrical and funny without simply rehashing stolen presents.

It would also give Universal a way to make the sequel feel less like a late cash-in and more like an actual swing. The Grinch has already learned Christmas. What happens when he has to deal with fear, chaos or some other holiday-flavored emotional disaster?

That is the movie I want. Give me Carrey back in the suit, Howard back behind the camera, and a little Halloween Is Grinch Night weirdness crawling around the edges. Christmas may belong to the Grinch, but his next movie could use a little October in its bloodstream.

The OG How the Grinch Stole Christmas is available to rent with an Amazon Prime Subscription. Or, if you want to check out Halloween is Grinch Night, luckily for you, it's streaming online for free over on YouTube.

Austin Powers 4 is happening, and if you're one of the many who just read the headline when Mike Myers confirmed as much, you might think you've heard all you need to know. However, the reality is there's much more nuance to Myers' recent confirmation, which, for this longtime fan, really didn't feel different than anything I've heard in years past.

As someone who not only watches the trilogy yearly but also has written at length about what Austin Powers 4 should include, I'm pretty invested in this. So when I heard that Myers confirmed it's happening on Trevor Noah's World Cup Watch Party, I was hyped, until I actually got the details of what was said.

Mike Myers Offered Zero Details Beyond Austin Powers 4 Happening

Noah welcomes Mike Myers as a guest for his livestream of the World Cup match between France and Senegal. When asked if audiences would ever see Austin Powers 4, the former host of The Daily Show barely finished the question before getting a response from the SNL vet. He said:

That's it. There's no additional context about filming, the plot, or even how they plan to address the death of Mini-Me actor Verne Troyer. Trevor Noah sold the reply by reacting to the quickness with which Mike Myers responded, but an actor's commitment to making a movie happen isn't all that's needed to get a film made. If that were all, I'd like to think we'd have seen Austin Powers 4 a long time ago.

While It's Good To Hear This Is Still Happening, This Is More Or Less The Same Thing We've Heard About Austin Powers 4 For Years

Mike Myers has talked about Austin Powers 4 a lot over the years, and I think that plays into his fast response to Trevor Noah about whether it would happen. Clearly, there's still a lot of interest in seeing this movie, and if they ever come up with an idea, it doesn't seem like Hollywood is going to turn it down.

Mike Myers has said a lot about the possibility of this movie over the years. He's talked about how the films take a long time to write, and even that he'd love to do a Dr. Evil movie entirely separate from Austin Powers 4. We've even gotten The Pentaverate, which I maintain may be the closest we ever get to a new Austin Powers movie. (For those who haven't seen it, check it out with a Netflix subscription.)

All this to say, let's remember Mike Myers has Shrek 5 on the way with a recently released trailer. It's in his best interest to be in the news, and he effectively did just that by affirming a project is happening whilst offering zero details about it. I'm not saying he's lying; I'm just saying confirmation is the very first step in a very long list of things that need to happen before Austin Powers 4 is in theaters. Not to mention, if any one of those steps along the way doesn't work out, it's back to square one, so readers should measure their expectations.

Here's hoping we have more news on Austin Powers 4 once Mike Myers is doing press for Shrek 5. I would love to see a new movie, especially one that leans into the funnier elements of modern spy movies.

It’s the end of an era for The Bear, and in the lead-up to Season 5’s premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, I’ve been wondering how exactly it is going to come to a close. Well, now Jeremy Allen White has spoken out about the finale of the show he’s won many awards for. I’m not gonna lie, his comments worry me.

In the lead-up to The Bear’s Season 5 premiere, Jeremy Allen White was asked how he reacted to the series finale’s script. He made it clear that it wasn’t easy to read or film, while also explaining his feelings about where Carmy’s story winds up. Elaborating on these ideas with People, he said:

Now, this comment worries me for two reasons.

First, knowing that it was “hard” for Jeremy Allen White to read and shoot this could mean a few different things. Obviously, endings are never easy, so it makes sense that this was challenging. However, his comments also make me wonder if I’ll like how The Bear ends.

Secondly, and from a story perspective, I’m simply concerned for Carmy. At the end of The Bear’s fourth season, he made a choice to take his name off the restaurant's partnership agreement. Ever since I watched him do that, I’ve been on the fence about whether his decision was a good or bad one. White’s latest comments have me slipping into bad territory, mostly because it really seems like his character is going to step away.

I don’t want that to happen in the final season of The Bear. While I do understand why he’d make that choice, I want Carmy to be very involved in this dream that started as his. So, yeah, I’m anxious that his story is going to end with a tragic acceptance that this dream didn’t work for him.

However, don’t get it twisted. I’m still very excited to stream Season 5 of The Bear with my Hulu subscription on June 25. I need to see how this story concludes, and I desperately want to know where Carmy and co end up after this wild journey they’ve all been on. Plus, the final part of the Shameless actor’s statement about the finale made me excited, as he said:

Well, that certainly eases my nerves. I’m happy that White is proud of the show and how it ends. I also love what we’ve seen so far from Season 5. In the trailer, we learn that the restaurant faces a flood, and the team is dealing with a ton of challenges as they work to simply keep the doors open. That gives us the drama and stakes I’ve always loved in The Bear. Meanwhile, we also get to see the team in the Original Berf shirts, which seems to imply that they’re going to have to go back to basics to succeed, and that excites me.

So, overall, yes, I’m worried about what’s going to happen in Season 5 of The Bear. However, it’s because I care so much about this show. Thankfully, while Jeremy Allen White’s comment concerned me, his clear adoration and passion for this final chapter make me feel a lot better.

June is Pride Month, and many LGBTQ+ folks and their allies are looking for queer content to watch. Luckily, RuPaul and the folks at World of Wonder delivered, as the new comedy disaster film Stop! That! Train! is in theaters. The movie is silly AF and has a million jokes a minute, similar to Airplane! or the new Naked Gun movie. But there's one running gag that cracked me up every time it popped back up throughout the movie's 90-minute runtime.

Stop! That! Train! is helmed by Disenchanted director Adam Shankman, whose resume includes instant classics like Hairspray and A Walk to Remember. The movie flies by thanks to its non-stop jokes, although there's one especially silly one I couldn't get enough of: the train passenger who is actually a rag doll.

Stop! That! Train! Had Tons Of Dumb Jokes, But The Doll Passenger Sent Me

The doll "passenger" debuts early during Stop! That Train!, just before Glamazonian Express staff Amber, Alli, and Ayshleiygh (Drag Race's Brooke Lynn Heights, Marcia Marcia Marcia and Symone) do their musical number about on-train safety. When JujuBee's DeeDee is directing a passenger to his seat, she tells him:

The camera moves to his empty seat to reveal that the "redhead" is actually just a smiling rag doll. While at first this seems like just one of countless jokes in the new comedy, it turns out to be a runner that gets more and more ridiculous every time we return to the doll and catch up with what she's been doing during the trip.

For instance, later in Stop! That Train! we see that a number of the passengers are partying, including the redheaded doll. She's seen ingesting lines of a white powder, indicating that not only is the doll actually alive, but she enjoys drugs while traveling on the rails.

We end up seeing the doll again even later in the movie, when she appears to be post-coitus after having sex with another passenger (or two). On top of following comedy's rule of threes, the fact that this innocent-looking doll is actually into drugs and sex is a bonkers juxtaposition to her appearance. And I've got to give writers Christina Friel and Connor Wright credit for going there with Stop! That! Train!.

In many ways, Adam Shankman's new movie feels like a wonder of filmmaking. Stop! That! Train! was shot in just 19 days, and is jam-packed full of thrilling celebrity cameos. Some familiar faces that pop up include Sarah Michelle Gellar, Raven-Symoné, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Charo, Lisa Rinna, and a number of Ru Girls. Although in my mind, one of the biggest scene stealers is none other than the redheaded rag doll.

Stop! That! Train! is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. There simply aren't enough silly comedies like this in theaters, and I hope it ends up becoming a cult classic down the line. It provided plenty of laughs and was a much-needed shot of queer joy this Pride Month.