Entertainment

‘The Pitt’ Season 2’s Most Visceral Patient Scene Took “a Week and a Half” to Film

Published

4 hours ago

17 April 2026

Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for The Pitt Season 2 finale.

Now that Noah Wyle and R. Scott Gemmill‘s hit HBO medical drama The Pitt has finally reached its Season 2 finale, it feels like both viewers and characters alike can breathe a sigh of relief. Some of that might have to do with the fact that the hospital’s network is finally back online, right as the night shift crew clocks in to relieve the nurses and doctors who have faced any number of stressors — and one of the show’s newest additions is definitely bringing some much-needed “calm, cool, collected, and confident” energy.

Luke Tennie hadn’t even watched any of his Season 2 episodes when Collider caught up with him to chat about joining The Pitt, but he was excited for everyone — friends and family included — to watch his character, fourth-year resident Dr. Crus Henderson, finally roll into the emergency department of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Ahead of the finale’s premiere, Tennie discusses his experience of being on three of the best shows on TV right now — The Pitt, Abbott Elementary, and Shrinking — as well as which nickname gave him the most insight into Crus, the dynamic he established with co-star Patrick Ball, the experience of rehearsing and filming Season 2’s most visceral patient surgery, and more.

COLLIDER: How does it feel to be on three of the best shows on TV right now?

LUKE TENNIE: I mean, good. That’s nice. They’re all good for different reasons. Shrinking is this true union of drama and comedy, [Abbott Elementary]’s this hard comedy titan, and then The Pitt is the freaking Pitt. So, I can’t complain. Not only can I not complain, I can’t even fathom how I’m the guy who won the lottery three times — on the same lot! WB, man. So, I’m hype about it and really grateful.

In The Pitt, it’s not like someone shows up, and you learn their whole backstory in this huge infodump. Were you armed with any backstory for your character? Were you given leeway to make decisions about who this guy is in his off-time?

TENNIE: The most I learned about this dude was the character breakdown and the action lines. “Crus calmly… Crus, with confidence…” That’s pretty much it. So I know he’s calm, cool, collected, and confident. That’s a lot of Cs. He’s somebody who’s got a great ease about him in the ER. That’s an energy I didn’t see in Season 1. Abbot’s kind of got something like that, but he’s also somebody who’s supposed to mirror Robby, so he’s on the razor’s edge, as well.

I think they wanted a cool sort of counter for Langdon’s character, because he’s somebody who’s obviously an exceptional doctor. The goal when a doctor struggles the way Langdon did is to keep that doctor, because you want to keep people in medicine. You don’t want to lose people who can help people maintain their lives. But yeah, with Crus, he’s sort of the opposite of that wiry, as Langdon mentioned, ADHD sort of approach. He’s just the guy who’s always going for customer satisfaction. He wouldn’t be able to get that unless he’s calm, cool, collected, and confident. That’s Crus! Another C. The thing that taught me the most about the dude was his intro. Crus Control. That right there sums up who that guy is. You can relax, because we on Crus Control.

‘The Pitt’s Katherine LaNasa and Patrick Ball Reveal Why Dana and Langdon Are Still Struggling After Season 2’s Time Jump

LaNasa and Ball also discuss Dana’s lingering trauma and Langdon’s post-rehab journey.

I previously spoke with Taylor Dearden about the transition that happens on set when the night crew rolls in. Do you feel like the set experience actually mirrors what your character’s experiencing in terms of coming in and having to start when things have already been cooking for however many hours? Do you use that to fuel the performance, too?

TENNIE: It’s great because on The Pitt, continuity is such an important part of it. You can track how specific this team is throughout the course of the day on The Pitt. You’ll see a couple of flyaways on a couple of heads that you didn’t see at the top of the shift, and that’s intentional because that scene might have been the first scene they shot that day, but they built in the flyaways because canonically in the story, chronologically, it’s been seven hours since the shift started.

We come in, the night shift, and they’re doing us all fresh-faced. That’s the morning for us. It really does feel that way, because you’re meeting the actors, and even the way they tease a little bit of the hair getting loose from the ponytail, it’s subconsciously telling you, even though it’s 8:00 a.m., it’s the end of the day. And then the hospital kind of breathes, you know? It’s like you can tell it’s getting ready to inhale again. It’s trying to catch its breath. Just because of the state of the continuity, that’s so specific that there’s a lot you don’t even have to act. You just react to what’s actually in front of you, which is really nice for an actor. The least amount of acting actually makes your job easier. When you don’t have to act like you’re wearing scrubs because you are wearing scrubs, it’s great. When you don’t have to act like the stethoscope is real, because it is a real stethoscope, it’s great. You can actually just listen for a heartbeat.

The only thing that we ain’t doing for real is cutting people up, because that’s a different show and it’s not on HBO. In our show, we like to make sure everybody’s safe. That’s the only thing that we take very, very seriously regarding actors’ safety. A lot of the stuff that we use, it’ll be a real scalpel; it’ll be dulled, but it’s still a real scalpel. So, if you work it, it’s like a knife. You gotta be careful. There’s a lot you don’t have to act. If you know that the scalpel will tear the prosthetic, then you need to be careful, because the prosthetic imitates real skin, as well. There’s so much that you don’t have to act that the acting that we have to do, that’s really required of us to bridge the gap. We’re so far immersed in reality that by the time we get there, your brain is creating a reality. It’s pretty exciting.

‘The Pitt’s Luke Tennie Reveals the One Season 2 Moment When Crus Loses His Cool

“Oh, shoot, Crus Control ain’t got control? This is serious.”

Patrick Ball and Luke Tennie in The Pitt Season 2 finale

We’ve been talking about the cool, calm, collected guy that you’re playing, but you are at the center of some pretty high-tension patient scenes in the back half of Season 2. Do you feel any added pressure in the moments when you have to play somebody who not only has to keep his own head on straight, but sometimes has to guide someone else?

TENNIE: One of my favorite moments was when I got told by our lovely director Uta [Briesewitz] that there is a moment where Crus is not calm, and that moment takes place when Langdon identifies a possible C-spine for the paralysis patient. I hope it came across because the first few takes, I was like, “Oh, this is Crus. He’s like, ‘Yo, we’ve got to fix this,’” and he’s locked in. But what happens in that regard is they teed me up in the script, and I didn’t recognize it, so I’m glad I had Uta there to help me.

I was coming out of the elevator with this guy after he just got back from his CAT scan, and Garcia’s leaving. I bump into her on the way out. I’m like, “Oh, the surgeon’s leaving?” I start getting a little nervous. We go in there, and I’m telling Langdon about it. I’m getting a little bit more nervous the more I tell him about it. Then the more he talks to the patient, I’m like, “I’m out of my depth here. This is something a neurosurgeon would need to handle, and I just watched the surgeon leave in the elevator. Now I’m the kid, and my parent went to go get shaving cream, and I’m at the checkout line, and the cashier is looking at me. Everything’s scanned, and I’m like, ‘Yo, I need somebody here who can pay!’” So, that’s kind of what happened in that moment.

When Langdon steps up, it’s really exciting because, instead of the attending physician coming in and being like, “Hey, I can pay,” the attending physician comes in, and he goes, “Hey, one of you has some experience. Get to work.” So we’re all flying by the seat of our pants. That’s when Robby comes in, and he’s the one who’s calm, cool, and collected. I haven’t seen any of it. In that scene, it all comes across as, like, “Oh, shoot, Crus Control ain’t got control? This is serious.” And that was one of the coolest things we got to shoot because the surgery was purely physical. It didn’t involve no scalpels, no ultrasound, no X-rays. It was all just a physical surgery, which is really exciting to play.

In terms of surgery, one scenario that takes a turn for the worse really quickly is the patient with the wild pregnancy who ends up having pre-eclampsia. It really feels like it’s a whole avalanche leading to that emergency C-section. Do you remember how many days of filming it took for that sequence?

TENNIE: It was like a week and a half. To shoot an episode of The Pitt, it’s like two weeks, so like 75% of that episode was that surgery. It was electrifying, man. It was so exciting to see all the moving pieces come together.

It’s weird, but sometimes I feel like the more people you add to a scene, it kind of lessens the percentage one actor has to carry, and we had, I don’t know, everybody in that room. So each one of us has like 5%, as opposed to, say, a two-hander, and each actor has 50%. Or it’s just you onscreen, like a lot of the time it is for Noah [Wyle], and he’s just walking around carrying 100% of the show for this long. It’s really interesting to see that. But that’s the teeniest team win I’ve seen on The Pitt, and the fact that I get to be a part of it is something that I just giggle at the thought of finally being able to see. Oh man, I can’t believe it’s finally this Thursday, man. Everybody’s been hassling me, like, “Yo, where is this Crus we’ve heard so much about? Is he on the way?” Sit tight!

‘The Pitt’s Most Intense Patient Scene Was Rehearsed in the Background of Season 2

“The reason why the rehearsals work is because they take place during shooting…”

Noah Wyle and Luke Tennie in The Pitt Season 2 finale

Is there a lot of rehearsal involved in a sequence like that? It’s not just high-pressure in terms of energy and tension, but then there are so many bodies in the room.

TENNIE: We didn’t have very long. The reason why the rehearsals work is because they take place during shooting, and that’s it. There will be people down the hall shooting a scene for the show, and we’re in a trauma room acting kind of like background when they’re shooting. When the cameras are off of us, we’re all whispering and working through the sequence, running dialogue, and running the movements, the motions, doing the handoffs.

One of my homies [Xavier Avil], who plays Medic Spratt, he’s this real handsome African American medic. He got the arms that look like Dwayne Johnson on him. You seen him? He and I went to the same college. He said it’s a “chaotic symphony.” Because he was there in Season 1, so he had done a little bit of work on the show before. He had come up with that phrase he used to describe it. Man, there’s nothing more accurate. It’s a chaotic symphony. Shoutout to him. He did a great job. I want to shout out Kacie Rogers, as well, who played my sister in this cool short that we just did, but we also had a couple of scenes on The Pitt. She’s one of the best actors I’ve ever seen. She’s great.

There’s definitely a big emphasis on practical effects and prosthetics, and making a scene feel as real as possible. It just feels like there’s something really tangible about that scene where everybody’s hands are involved, not to mention the baby.

TENNIE: I wish I had the crew list in front of me. I’m not remembering any of our visual department teams’ names, but it is done so well practically, I would venture to say about 5% of computer graphics is needed. That’s probably why they’re able to churn the show out so much. They just try to get it in a camera. Say you have to repeat something a couple of times, like if you have to make an incision, usually the prosthetics will have an incision, and the after effect they’ll do is the scalpel entering the skin but revealing the prosthetic that is already open. It’s like this true marriage — just a tiny amount of visual effects at the top, and then you’re in camera. That’s why it feels real, because usually the first or maybe second thing that you’re seeing is computer graphics, and then you’re just seeing what we did.

For the baby stuff, I don’t know if they used any computer graphics. We’re pulling a baby out of a stomach and setting it on the table. Like, that’s legit. That was some of the coolest visual effects work I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen some creature stuff up close, like for thriller horror movies; it’s different seeing what doctors would see. At the time, when I was doing that scene, we were two weeks out from the birth of our secondborn. Actually, getting close to the end of that episode, after we’d finally wrapped up that scene, I was like, “This baby can come any day now. I hope this baby doesn’t come when they need me in this O.R., because Daddy’s got to go to the O.R..” But it all worked out. There was a day of rest, and then my kiddo came the next day. We had a break on Saturday, she came on Sunday. It was insane.

‘The Pitt’s Luke Tennie Reveals His Wishlist for Season 3

“What does he feel like he can contribute? Where does he want to go?”

Luke Tennie and Patrick Ball in The Pitt Season 2

Perfect timing! At this point, in terms of Season 3, there’s probably not much you can say or even know. Fans definitely love seeing the night shift crew roll in, and it’s really great to see you get to be a part of that. Do you have anything on your personal wishlist for Crus Control in a third season?

TENNIE: Honestly, character relationships. Something that I think is really cool about Patrick [Ball] is when we were putting together our intro, he’s like, “Well, I’ve been held back, man. So, if you’re a fourth year and I’m a fourth year, I’m supposed to be fifth, so you were coming up under me, and now we’re on the same level.” And I was like, “Oh, this is an actor right here. He’s digging into these character relationships.” I love to hear it. I want to explore that some more.

I want to know, yo, does [Crus] know about Langdon’s issues? The details? Because as we’re learning about stuff on Season 2, it’s like, “Hey, some people feel some type of way. You know about the beef with Santos?” Because I got a little scene with [Isa Briones], I’m familiar with her character. The character relationships are something I’m interested in seeing. Like, what’s this dude up to in terms of what he wants? We know he’s doing an ultrasound fellowship. Why does he want that? What does he feel like he can contribute? Where does he want to go? Does he want to stay here in emergency medicine? Does he want to change? That’s the kind of stuff I want to find out.

Both seasons of The Pitt are available to stream on HBO Max.

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Lindsay Hubbard Slams Comparisons to Amanda and West

Published

8 minutes ago

17 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Lindsay Hubbard is over comparisons between her past with Southern Charm star Austen Kroll and the current drama surrounding Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s budding romance.

Instagram account Unhinged and on Camera got her attention this week by suggesting that “Lindsay kind of did the same” to Ciara Miller when they were both interested in Austen, 38, during the filming of Winter House in 2021. In this case, Lindsay had history with Austen before Winter House and the drama erupted when Ciara also developed feelings for him.

Lindsay, 39, later accused Ciara of holding a grudge over how things turned out with Austen when they returned to shoot Summer House.

Flash forward nearly six years, and Lindsay had no patience for her past with Ciara being brought up for debate in light of a new love triangle with Amanda, 34, confirming her relationship with West, 31, so soon after her split from estranged husband Kyle Cooke.

“No no no … let’s stop right there,” Lindsay replied to an Instagram account referencing Austen on Thursday, April 16. “If you remember correctly, I’m the one who had history with Austen. And then I came into Winter House late, not knowing what I was walking into. Get your facts straight before you start reporting how things went down.”

The Summer House star added that “nothing bothers [her] more than bad reporting.” Unhinged and On Camera responded that they were “not reporters but they do know the facts.”

Lindsay Hubbard Slams Comparison of History With Austen Kroll to Amanda Batula and West Wilson — Lindsay Hubbard on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.” Charles Sykes/Bravo

“It was just an observation of another time in Summer House where there was a love triangle and Ciara felt ‘unseen,’” the social media account’s response read. “It wasn’t that deep or meant to be a direct comparison to Amanda. Appreciate that this is your real life and if you don’t think the situations are at all similar, that’s fair! All love.”

Lindsay wasn’t ready to drop the issue yet, firing back, “The situations are not similar in any way. And, in fact, I was the one with history with Austen, not the other way around. You don’t have to be ‘reporters’ to report the facts straight, so thank you for acknowledging that you have no ethical standards in this statement where you are attacking character (from 6 years ago) without factual information.”

The drama with West and Amanda will certainly be a main topic of discussion at the Summer House season 10 reunion. Ahead of the showdown, Lindsay opened up exclusively to Us Weekly about what she’s expecting when the Summer House cast reconvenes.

“I don’t know if I have anything to be nervous about. I thought it was a really good season so far for me,” Lindsay declared. “I know we still have half of a season left to go on Summer House and then a whole other show [In the City] after that, so there’s still a lot to come.”

Us reported on Thursday that the Summer House cast is coming into the reunion with a game plan on how to approach Amanda and West’s relationship.

“They are all going [to the reunion],” a source told Us. “The plan is they will be talking about everything and the timeline of Amanda and West hooking up.”

The insider teased, “Everyone on the cast wants [Amanda and West] to admit on camera when this all started and how serious it is.”

Summer House airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. The season 10 finale air date has not been announced.

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5 Most Important Action Shows That Define the Genre

Published

21 minutes ago

17 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Crockett and Tubbs stand next to one another in Miami Vice.

When it comes to the action genre on the small screen, it was often regulated to a tier below the police procedurals and Westerns that often dominated the airwaves. But, as TV evolved over time, action shows evolved with it. The stakes were higher, the protagonists were more complexed, and, instead of focusing on the “case of the week” formula that had been the genre’s bread-and-butter for years, action shows now closely follow their big screen counterparts, where the action is the heartbeat of the narrative, not just a set piece to move the plot along.

Action shows are now in a much better place than they were, and it is all thanks to the shows that dared to rewrite the playbook of what an action show could be. From the neon-soaked streets of Miami to the real-time pressure of modern counterterrorism, the following action shows have made their impression on the genre as shows that traded in safe formulas for high-octane risks, and they showed that action shows could deliver the same big thrills as their big-screen counterparts. So, without further ado, here are the most important action shows that disrupted and defined the genre.

‘Miami Vice’ (1984–1989)

Before Miami Vice premiered on NBC in 1984, action shows followed a format that didn’t do anything spectacular, and the action was seen more as a set piece than central to the storyline. That all changed when Anthony Yerkovich created a crime drama that fitted the times and pushed the boundaries of what an action cop drama could be. In essence, Yerkovich, along with executive producer Michael Mann, made the cop show look cool.

Miami Vice centers on James “Sonny” Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), two vice detectives who work undercover to disrupt drug trafficking and prostitution in Miami. Right off the bat, Mann set forth to bring a new dynamic to Miami Vice, bringing film-quality and dynamic, colorful visuals that would set the bar high for action shows going forward.

Miami Vice was still a police procedural that worked on the “case of the week” format the genre worked with at the time, but the series was extremely fast-paced and full of energy, thanks to the music and aesthetic that were ingrained in the show’s DNA, which made Miami Vice feel more like a high-octane action music video than a traditional cop show. This was a show that was made for and defined pop culture in the 1980s, and introduced tropes that would become a staple of the action genre in subsequent years, from looking at the futility of the “war on drugs” to the moral ambiguity of the protagonist. Miami Vice remains one of the genre’s most popular cop shows, and it’s also one of its most important.

‘Starsky & Hutch’ (1975–1979)

Hutch (David Soul) and Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) share a laugh in Starsky & Hutch.

Today, it seems like buddy-cop shows and movies are a dime-a-dozen, but not enough praise is heaped on the show that launched the formula: Starsky & Hutch. Created by William Blinn, the series follows detectives David Michael Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Kenneth Richard “Hutch” Hutchinson (David Soul), two cops who are different in personality, but find out they work well together in solving cases in fictional Bay City, California, defining the modern-day “buddy cop” formula as the two cops had a deep level of camaraderie that made viewers fall in love with the characters.

Starsky & Hutch were the pioneers of the “us against the world” partnership, with the show focusing a lot on the two’s banter and chemistry. Today, it’s normal for audiences to see two male leads show emotional vulnerability and a “bromance” toward one another, but in the 1970s, masculinity on television was often restrained.

That changed with Starsky & Hutch, as it was common to see the two showing emotional growth within their partnership, which shattered the restraints on male bonding on television and gave the show an emotional depth not really seen in cop shows. But, as emotional as the show was, make no mistake, this was an action show through-and-through, and the action was intense and fast-paced. Starsky & Hutch would become legendary with its spectacular car chases, which rivaled its film counterparts at times. All in all, Starsky & Hutch shifted the police drama from focusing just on cases, to a more character-driven style that would become the influence of countless cop shows and movies.

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)

If you laid eyes on Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) for the first time, vampire hunter would probably not be the first thing that comes to mind. That, however, is what makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer such a groundbreaking action horror series. The TV adaptation of the 1992 film of the same name, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, subverted the “blonde girl in an alley” trope, while, instead of making Buffy a character that would constantly need to be rescued, made her a feared hunter of monsters.

Buffy is the epitome of female empowerment. She was powerful and witty while retaining her femininity, showing that women were just as strong and powerful as men without resorting to making her more “masculine.” But, above all else, what makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer such an important action show is the way it used it. The action within this genre-bending series was there just to keep the audience entertained, but was used as metaphors for the challenges and societal pressures that teens faced then (and now). The supernatural threats Buffy encountered on a weekly basis were a representation of real-life anxieties, which gave the show more depth than one would find in a show such as this. Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a major impact on the supernatural action genre, and it redefined how strong female leads were portrayed within the action genre.

‘NCIS’ (2003–Present)

Michael Weatherly as Tony, Cote de Pablo as Ziva and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS.

It is quite a rarity that a parent series is overshadowed by its spin-off, but that’s exactly what happened to JAG, the action drama that has been upstaged by NCIS, which took the military action series to new heights. The creation of Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, the show follows the Major Case Response Team within the NCIS as they work to investigate high-visible crimes within the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. While other procedurals treat its main protagonists as equal-but-separate members, the team within NCIS is looked at as more of a “family” than a group of agents.

This makes the viewer more invested in the protagonists, as the office in which the NCIS agents operate is mostly composed of lighthearted office humor, a far cry from the typically serious nature of police offices in other crime procedurals. When you watch NCIS, you get the sense that the show follows more of a “sitcom” narrative, with intense and complex cases often solved within its time slot. This makes the show not only high-octane, but also more comfortable to watch. In short, NCIS is the pioneer of the “situation drama” that has given birth to other “comfort” procedurals such as ABC’s The Rookie; but, what makes NCIS so important to the action genre is its longevity. In over 20+ seasons and a cast shake-up, the show has, remarkably, kept its core identity and popularity, showing that an action show can enjoy the same longevity as comedy and dramas.

’24’ (2001–2014)

Jack Bauer pointing a gun in the Fox series '24' — Jack Bauer pointing a gun in the Fox series ’24’

While the theme of this piece is each show’s importance to the action genre, Fox’s 24 is in another tier entirely. The show wasn’t just important to the genre, it was revolutionary, as it gave the genre a necessary refresh and brought movie-like quality to the small screen in ways we hadn’t seen on television at the time. Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 24 follows Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), a counterterrorism agent with the FBI who takes an “end justify the means” approach to defuse terrorist attacks within 24 hours.

As the title implies, each episode within a season is one hour ticked off the clock, leading to a season ending where the clock ticks to zero and often ends on a cliffhanger. This method of storytelling is called “real-time,” and, as you probably surmised by now, 24 was the pioneer of this format. By using “real-time” storytelling, it made the plot incredibly tense, and the pace made it hard for viewers to come up for air. Add in the “ticking clock” and split screens, and 24 had a sense of urgency that was rarely seen in action shows prior to the series premiere. It made 24 feel more like an action-movie blockbuster than a regular television show, and, today, the series feels like it was made for bingewatching, with its relentless action supercharging the crises that Bauer had to solve before the clock struck zero. 24 was a revolutionary action show that influenced modern-day thrillers such as Homeland and The Night Agent, and helped usher in a new era in storytelling within the action genre. While the other shows listed here are extremely important in creating the genre we have today, 24 was a show that put them all together to bring the genre into the platinum age of television.

24

Release Date: Advertisement

2001 – 2014-00-00
Showrunner: Robert Cochran
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Directors: Robert Cochran
Writers: Robert Cochran

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Tom Cruise Drives ‘Top Gun 3’ As Major Update Emerges

Published

34 minutes ago

17 April 2026

NewsAdmin

After years of speculation, “Top Gun 3″ is finally gaining real momentum, and fans are starting to see the bigger picture take shape.

While the sequel is still in its early stages, recent updates have revealed key behind-the-scenes decisions, including how Tom Cruise is shaping the film’s direction in ways that could define its legacy.

Tom Cruise Set To Reunite As ‘Top Gun 3’ Takes Shape

The long-awaited third installment in the “Top Gun” franchise is officially moving forward, with Paramount confirming that development is actively underway.

During CinemaCon, Paramount film co-head Josh Greenstein revealed per The Hollywood Reporter, “Top Gun 3 officially in development with a script underway, reuniting Tom Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer.”

The update instantly reignited excitement around the franchise, especially after the massive success of “Top Gun: Maverick.”

While no director has been announced yet, the confirmation of Cruise’s involvement signals continuity for a series that has thrived on his presence.

Behind the scenes, the script has been in development for some time, with “Maverick” co-writer Ehren Kruger reportedly working on it for the past two years.

Though details remain under wraps, the groundwork for another high-stakes aviation story is clearly being laid.

Tom Cruise Legacy Looms Large After ‘Maverick’ Success

Tom Cruise at the 'Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning' Mexico Premiere — ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

The pressure surrounding “Top Gun 3” is immense, largely because of what came before it.

“Top Gun: Maverick” was more than just a sequel. It became a global phenomenon, earning $1.5 billion at the box office and reigniting enthusiasm for theatrical releases.

The film’s success even drew praise from industry legends. Steven Spielberg famously credited Tom Cruise with helping to revive cinema attendance during a challenging period for theaters.

That legacy now hangs over the third installment, raising expectations for both storytelling and spectacle.

Paramount’s leadership appears fully aware of this, with producer David Ellison previously naming “Top Gun 3” as a top priority for the studio’s future.

Ellison also made it clear that Cruise remains central to those plans, emphasizing his long-standing collaboration with the actor and the importance of continuing to build stories around him.

Tom Cruise Steals Spotlight With Surprise CinemaCon Moment

Tom Cruise at F1 The Movie premiere, London — JOR/Capital Pictures / MEGA

Although Tom Cruise did not appear on stage for the official “Top Gun 3” announcement, he still made a powerful impression during Paramount’s CinemaCon presentation.

In a pre-recorded segment filmed atop the studio’s iconic Melrose Avenue water tower, Cruise delivered a voiceover celebrating Paramount’s history while hinting at its future.

The video featured appearances from numerous major stars and highlighted the studio’s biggest cinematic achievements.

The moment concluded with Cruise delivering a simple but optimistic message, declaring, “The future looks pretty great from here.”

It was a fitting statement, not just for Paramount, but for the “Top Gun” franchise itself, which continues to evolve decades after its original debut in 1986.

AI Debate Surrounding Val Kilmer Sparks Strong Reaction

Val Kilmer at Batman Begins premiere UK — ©2005 RAMEY PHOTO / MEGA

While excitement builds for the sequel, one behind-the-scenes debate has already drawn attention and revealed just how strongly Tom Cruise feels about certain creative decisions.

Following the passing of Val Kilmer in April 2025, early discussions reportedly explored the idea of bringing his iconic character Iceman back using artificial intelligence. The suggestion, however, was quickly shut down.

“Someone suggested bringing Val Kilmer back via AI,” one insider told the Daily Mail. “Tom jumped to his feet and let rip, leaving the entire room silent for literally minutes. You could almost hear a pin drop and see steam coming out of his ears.”

Cruise’s reaction reportedly stemmed from a deep respect for Kilmer, both as an actor and as a friend.

Insiders claim he strongly opposed any attempt to digitally recreate the late star, viewing it as crossing an ethical line.

Cruise Draws Firm Line On Honoring Val Kilmer

For Tom Cruise, preserving the integrity of Kilmer’s legacy appears to be non-negotiable.

Sources suggested he believes artificial intelligence could undermine the emotional weight of Kilmer’s final appearance in “Top Gun: Maverick.”

“Val only managed to make a brief appearance in Maverick due to his long battle with cancer,” one source explained. “Tom knew it would be Val’s screen farewell and wanted to give him the honorable send-off he deserved.”

Another insider reinforced this perspective, saying, “The moment he shared with Val in Maverick was such a beautiful experience, that when an AI Val was brought up, he wasn’t happy and quickly killed it because that would just bastardize everything.”

As a result, any future references to Iceman will remain respectful and grounded in reality.

“Will the movie reference Val? Yes, but Maverick is the last time we’ll see him,” the source confirmed.

With development still ongoing, Top Gun 3 is shaping up to be more than just another sequel. It is becoming a carefully crafted continuation of a beloved story—one that balances innovation with respect for the past, guided by a star determined to get it right.

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Entertainment

What happened to the “Desperate Housewives ”cast? See the ladies of Wisteria Lane, then and now

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48 minutes ago

17 April 2026

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Get the latest on Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, and their costars.

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Gina Carano feels 'real peace' returning to MMA after “Mandalorian” firing

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1 hour ago

17 April 2026

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Carano was fired from the “Star Wars” streaming series after sparking backlash with politically charged social media posts in 2021.

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Lisa Hochstein All Smiles After Release From Miami Jail

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1 hour ago

17 April 2026

NewsAdmin

“Real Housewives of Miami” star Lisa Hochstein was all smiles in the first video of her after being released from the Miami-Dade County Jail. The reality star and her boyfriend, Jody Glidden, are facing one felony charge of interception of communication after her ex-husband, Lenny Hochstein, accused them of planting listening devices in his car in 2023. The pair were engaged in a contentious divorce battle when Lenny claimed he spotted a recording device in the floorboard of his Mercedes Benz. Now, things are getting even worse.

Lisa Hochstein All Smiles In First Video Since Being Released From The Miami-Dade County Jail

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How The Voice Winner Alexia Jayy Will Spend Her $100K Prize

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1 hour ago

17 April 2026

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After winning season 29 of The Voice, Alexia Jayy can finally enjoy the fruits of her labor and decide what she’s going to do with her $100,000 prize money.

“We haven’t really thought about it, but I think we want to buy a house,” Alexia, 31, exclusively shared with Us Weekly on Thursday, April 16, while celebrating her big win. “I think that’s where we’re going. We’ve been working really, really hard since I was a kid, and I just want something really special for my family.”

Alexia — who is a mother of two children — lives in Mobile, Alabama, and doesn’t plan on moving straight to a major city. Instead, she envisions a “little” relocation.

“We might move down the road,” she said, “but still in the south.”

For now, it’s all about celebrating a historic victory. Alexia became the first Black woman to win the NBC singing competition series on Tuesday, April 14.

While all three coaches — Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend — turned their chairs for Alexia in the Blind Auditions, it was the Maroon 5 singer who landed the soulful songstress and helped her advance to the finals.

“Being from a small town in Irvington, Alabama, and being able to make history for them is amazing,” Alexia shared about her win. “I’ve been singing since I was 2 years old, and so I never in a million years thought I would make history. But I’m glad that it’s me, and I’m glad I’m in the number.”

The Voice Winner Alexia Jayy Reveals What She Plans to Do With Her 100K Prize Money — Alexia Jayy Griffin Nagel/NBC

Since her win on The Voice, Alexia has already released a new single called “Rent Free.”

In the future, she hopes fans will be able to hear an inspiring album with more than a few hits.

“We’re gonna keep working. We’re gonna put an album out, and I hope y’all love it,” she shared. “I’m all about empowerment. I want to focus there, and I’m just gonna keep trying to get on these big stages and keep recording, keep working.”

One person she remains extra grateful for is her coach. For all the fans who ask her what it’s really like working with Adam, 47, behind the scenes, Alexia is happy to sing her praises for the rockstar.

“He’s really cool, calm and collected, because I’m really cool, calm and collected,” she told Us. “Our personalities match really well, and I like that. He doesn’t like too much, and I don’t do too much. So we really, really worked well together.”

The Voice season 30, which will include Adam as one of the celebrity coaches, is expected to premiere in fall 2026 on NBC. Catch up on old episodes via Peacock.

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3 Near-Perfect Netflix Movies To Watch This Weekend

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2 hours ago

17 April 2026

NewsAdmin

A new arrival has overtaken the Netflix movie charts, as the survival thriller Thrash defies poor reviews to hold the top spot. Starring Bridgerton‘s Phoebe Dynevor as you’ve never seen her before, this sharksploitation flick channels the likes of Steven Spielberg‘s iconic Jaws and Jai Courtney‘s underrated hit Dangerous Animals, although to a much worse reception. With the movie earning just 41% from critics and 27% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, those who have yet to catch Thrash may want to give it a miss. With that in mind, what else should you be watching? To help you decide, here’s a look at three movies you should stream this weekend on Netflix.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix.

Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.

1

‘Roommates’ (2026)

The must-watch movie on Netflix this weekend for comedy fans is a brand-new arrival, sure to brighten up your April. Filmmaker Chandler Levack‘s latest project, Roommates, debuted on Netflix this past Friday and follows college freshman Devon (Sadie Sandler) as her unlikely friendship with new roommate Celeste (Chloe East) spirals into all-out war.

Get ready to laugh yourself to the floor with this exciting new Netflix comedy, ready to tap into the anxiety and joy of the first year of college. Alongside Sandler and East, Roommates features an eye-catching cast, including Billy Bryk, Sarah Sherman, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll, Aidan Langford, Josh Segarra, Martin Herlihy, Janeane Garofalo, Carol Kane, and more.

2

‘Beast’ (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 68% | IMDb: 5.6/10

After taking over Apple TV with the second season of his thriller series Hijack, Idris Elba turned his attention to the Netflix top 10 as this 2022 action flick became an unlikely chart topper. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, Beast follows a widowed father, Nate (Elba), who takes his two daughters to a South African big game reserve, only for chaos to ensue when they are attacked by a man-eating lion.

Sure, Beast doesn’t reinvent the wheel in the action thriller genre, but nor is it trying to. Instead, it succeeds in bringing tension and thrills aplenty throughout a tight 93-minute runtime. Also featuring Sharlto Copley, the movie failed to make much of a mark in theaters during its run in 2022 but marks the perfect appetizer before Elba eventually returns to action in Extraction 3 alongside franchise star Chris Hemsworth.

3

‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes: 77% | IMDb: 6.9/10

If you’re looking for an adventure for the whole family this weekend, look no further than Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. A long-awaited sequel to the 1995 favorite starring Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst, the film follows four teenagers who are sucked into the magical world of a video game. However, with their lives quickly endangered, they must learn to work together to escape.

Featuring a star-studded cast including Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has a classic adventure movie feel that acts as a perfect ode to the beloved 1995 original. Charming and hilarious, the film was followed by Jumanji: The Next Level in 2019, with a third installment set to debut in theaters on Christmas Day 2026.

Release Date: December 9, 2017
Runtime: 119 minutes
Director: Advertisement

Jake Kasdan
Writers: Chris McKenna, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, Erik Sommers
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Producers: Matt Tolmach, William Teitler

Kevin Hart
Franklin ‘Mouse’ Finbar

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QVC, HSN Owner to File for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Published

2 hours ago

17 April 2026

NewsAdmin

QVC Group, which consists of home shopping TV brands HSN and QVC, is making big moves behind the scenes.

According to an annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, April 14, the company revealed that it intends to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas after reaching a restructuring agreement with creditors.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chapter 11 allows a company to continue operating while it is restructured. As a result, no immediate changes are expected for QVC and HSN shoppers.

“Today marks a big step for us as we shape the future of live social shopping,” QVC and HSN said via Instagram on Thursday, April 16. “QVC Group is taking action to strengthen our company for the long term, and we’re determined to come out of this even stronger — so we can keep bringing you innovative products, compelling content & unforgettable moments. We’re operating as usual across all our channels & platforms.”

The networks also encouraged shoppers to learn more about the restructuring process online.

QVC, which stands for “Quality, Value and Convenience,” was founded in 1986 by Joseph Myron Segel. The network has thousands of items consistently available on-air and online in various categories, including jewelry, fashion, beauty, electronics, kitchen and home.

Both HSN and QVC attract several celebrities and their brands, such as Jennie Garth, Giuliana Rancic, Curtis Stone and Stacy London.

In March 2025, QVC Group announced they were laying off approximately 900 staffers as they plotted a shift to live shopping on social platforms like TikTok.

“Linear TV is a highly engaging, highly profitable platform and it remains our cornerstone. However, as traditional TV declines and a mix of video platforms takes a greater share of customer attention, we must hurry our expansion beyond TV to find growth,” the company wrote in its annual report to shareholders at the time. “We are fundamentally redefining who we are as a company and the role we play for our customers and in retail. We enter this next phase of our turnaround with rigor and excitement.”

In June 2025, HSN filmed its final live broadcast in Florida before moving its studios to Pennsylvania, where QVC is based.

Three months later, six talented women joined HSN as new program hosts after several familiar faces said farewell to the network.

“Seeing the genuine excitement and commitment from our new hosts to not only learn more about the HSN brand but to also forge relationships directly with our customers has been impressive to see,” QVC and HSN executive Stacy Bowe gushed to Us in December 2025. “They are eager to help bring the stories to life behind the products they share in an authentic and trustworthy manner that resonates with our customers. Getting to watch our seasoned hosts take them under their wings to share their personal knowledge and experience has been a joy to see.”

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