Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground has enlisted Julianne Moore for a new Netflix comedy drama.

Moore has officially signed on to star in and executive-produce a currently untitled multi-generational comedy film backed by the Obamas’ production company.

The project comes as Higher Ground prepares to go independent after its first-look deal with Netflix ends later this year.

Meanwhile, the former president recently stood in solidarity with late-night host Stephen Colbert while appearing to take a subtle swipe at Donald Trump.

Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company has tapped Julianne Moore to executive-produce and star in a new Netflix comedy movie, according to Variety.

The film, described as an ensemble piece in the spirit of “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” tackles the chaotic lengths a parent will go to in order to avoid an empty nest.

According to the outlet, the plot centers on a mother, played by Moore, who spirals when her daughter lands a major job promotion that would require her to move across the country.

Desperate to keep her child close to home, Moore’s character kicks into overdrive, concocting a frantic scheme to find her daughter the “perfect” local romantic partner and convince her to stay.

Higher Ground’s Netflix Comedy Begins Casting

According to sources close to the production, the script features four major leading roles. With Moore firmly locked in as the maternal lead, casting is underway for the daughter, the unsuspecting romantic target, and the rest of the ensemble.

The script comes from Maggie Sheridan, who is known for her work as an executive story editor on Apple and Universal Television’s “Loot,” led by Maya Rudolph.

The film is the latest high-profile project to emerge from Higher Ground’s exclusive, multi-year first-look deal with Netflix.

Anikah McLaren is set to produce the project for Higher Ground, while Moore will serve as executive producer.

Michelle And Barack Obama’s Higher Ground Prepares To Go Independent

Higher Ground Productions will reportedly go independent after its first-look deal with Netflix ends later this year, according to Deadline.

The Obamas’ production company has enjoyed a moderately successful partnership with the streaming giant over the years, releasing acclaimed projects like “American Factory” and the feature “Rustin,” which earned actor Colman Domingo an Oscar nomination.

During a recent appearance on a special edition of “HistoryTalks,” Barack noted that one of the main reasons for going independent was to expand Higher Ground’s reach and work with other studios.

He explained that the move is in line with the company’s mission to tell stories that help the country “look at itself and excavate those better angels of our nature.”

“We’re in a process now of transitioning to a more independent [future] where we can work with a bunch of different studios,” Obama added.

Barack Obama Praises Higher Ground’s Netflix Partnership

Although Higher Ground is set to go independent, the company will reportedly still work with Netflix to wrap up existing projects.

The Obamas’ production company also appears to have been laying the groundwork for its independent future, as reports suggest it has been testing a “selling-to-everyone” model for some time.

That includes projects at HBO, Apple, Amazon, FX, Disney, 20th Century Studios, and even YouTube, among others, while continuing to develop and produce content for Netflix.

Some of the projects in development elsewhere include a half-hour sketch comedy series titled “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness” for HBO, which is slated for a summer 2026 premiere.

Speaking about the partnership over the last eight years, Obama acknowledged that it has been a wonderful ride, according to Deadline.

Barack Obama Shades Trump While Praising Colbert

Barack recently took to Instagram to celebrate Stephen Colbert’s impact on American television and entertainment amid his controversial firing from CBS.

He thanked the comedian for “making us laugh” and, “even more importantly,” for communicating what true American values are while reminding Americans what the country stands for.

“For more than a decade, Stephen Colbert has been one of the top voices of late night,” the 44^th president wrote in the caption, adding with a touch of humor that “Michelle and I enjoyed being Stephen’s guests—even when the games were rigged—and we’re grateful to call him a friend.”

In the run-up to the final taping, Barack appeared on the show earlier this month, where he made a subtle swipe at Donald Trump, saying Colbert would perform better as president than “some folks that we’ve seen.”

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Boroughs Season 1]

After the massive success of Stranger Things put Netflix at the forefront of sci-fi television, the Duffer Brothers return to the streamer with Upside Down Pictures’ The Boroughs, created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance). From the get, the eight-episode series establishes a familiar Steven Spielberg-inspired whimsy, and immediately confronts viewers with a lurking danger, a threat that won’t let its Season 1 finale end on too much of a high. To break down that telling final shot, Collider’s Steve Weintraub sat down with stars Geena Davis, Denis O’Hare, and Clarke Peters for clues to future seasons.

In the show, retiree Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina) reluctantly moves to a quaint retirement facility, The Boroughs, in the solitary desert of New Mexico. From the outside, the community is a picture-perfect escape, but this little patch of heaven, run by Blaine (Seth Numrich) and Anneliese Shaw (Alice Kremelberg), hides a deadly mystery that Sam and his new friends, Renee (Davis), Judy (Alfre Woodard), Art (Peters), and Wally (O’Hare) are determined to get to the bottom of.

Don’t miss the full conversation in the video above or the transcript below, where Davis, O’Hare, and Peters discuss the meaning of that final Stranger Things Easter egg shot, what they know about The Boroughs’ future, and what goes on between takes on set. The trio also reflects on their careers, recommending next watches for new fans, and sharing their preparation process for ambitious emotional scenes.

‘The Boroughs’ Stars on What to Watch Next

Geena Davis also denies that the Thelma & Louise callback hides any sinister secrets…

Image via Netflix

COLLIDER: So you read the script for Episode 5, and you see that you’re going to be in the front seat of a car overlooking a crevasse. Did you think, “Am I making another Thelma & Louise?”

GEENA DAVIS: Really? Is that what you thought? I’m so surprised. It didn’t occur to me. [Laughs] I don’t go over the cliff! That’s all we know.

When I saw it, though, I was like, “What?” There’s going to be a whole generation of people watching this that are younger, that actually will not have seen your work before. For each of you, after someone who hasn’t seen your work sees this, what’s the first thing you’d like them watching from your resume after this?

DAVIS: That’s an interesting question.

DENIS O’HARE: I definitely have a different fandom because of True Blood and [American] Horror Story. True Blood tends to skew, now, a little older, but Horror Story, some of these fars are, like, 17, 18, 16. The other day in LA, this kid said to me, “I was raised on you,” and I was like, “What?” “Yeah, I started watching you at 13.” And I was like, “Oh my god, how old are you now?” He’s 25. So, I definitely have that. But I would tell them definitely to go back and watch True Blood for me.

CLARKE PETERS: I would say go look at Treme. Yeah, I would say look at Treme because of the mysticism in Treme and the mysticism in this. There is a connection, and if they’re watching them both and they make the connection, then I will have done my job.

DAVIS: The Long Kiss Goodnight, I think, is the most important one to see. I mean, if they haven’t seen Thelma & Louise, I would say that movie. It holds up. It’s 35 years later, but it really does.

When you guys signed on for this, how much were you told about, “If the show’s a hit and we do more than one season, this is what we have planned,” and how much is it sort of like, “We’re just going to tell you nothing?”

PETERS: I got, “They’re going to tell you nothing.”

DAVIS: They tell you nothing. I don’t know anything about next season.

PETERS: Nothing. Notta, notta, notta. The business has changed so much that nowadays you get sides that have nothing. You have no context. Have you experienced this? No one wants to reveal anything, even to the people that they want to hire. So, they’re not going to tell us what’s going to happen in Season 5 — are you?

What Does Episode 8’s Final Shot Really Mean for ‘The Boroughs’?

All we’re saying is this didn’t bode well for Will in Stranger Things…

Image via Netflix

The ending of Episode 8 has Sam, Alfred [Molina]’s character, glitching with the mirror? When you read that in the script, or if you saw the episode, were you asking, “Okay, so, what does this mean?”

O’HARE: Well, the ending is too nice. It’s too jovial. It’s too normal. You know what I mean? You’re looking at it, and you’re going, “What? Where’s the underbelly here?” So when you see that glitch, you’re like, “Ah, right. Things are not solved. Things are not back to normal. Things are still dangerous,” which I love.

DAVIS: Yes. The characters think it’s all over, “We won,” but yeah.

PETERS: But even Sam doesn’t see it.

O’HARE: Exactly. He has his head down, which is great. I love that.

There’s also a part two to this because I studied the ending of the episode, and the last frame is this collapsing thing that almost goes into, like, a black hole, and I’m like, “What the hell is this?” Did you ask about that, or am I alone wondering what that last shot was?

O’HARE: Well, the visual style of the show, I think, is really another character. The very first shot of the very first episode is that the huge drone shot coming in. You’re coming in, coming in, coming in, and you go into the house to see Dee Wallace. That’s an amazing visual statement of someone. Who is that POV? Who is looking into Dee Wallace’s house? And at the end, who is that? You know what I mean?

100%. The Duffers have joked that this show is Stranger Things but with golf carts instead of bicycles. Did you hear that? What was your reaction?

DAVIS: [Laughs] I did hear that. I thought that was pretty clever.

Image via Netflix

What’s cool about the show is that it has this ‘80s, Amblin-esque kind of thing. It’s a cool tone. Can you sort of talk about what it’s like to make one of those shows that has that magic realism, if you will?

O’HARE: Well, part of it is that the set was awesome.

DAVIS: Unbelievable.

O’HARE: The houses that we were living in, some of those houses were completely done. They were complete. You walk in, and it’s an actual house. Some were less complete. But all the visuals, the way the TV looks, even the logo of the Boroughs, it’s sort of ‘40s, ‘50s. Blaine and his wife, they definitely feel like June and Ward. We have a June and Ward line at one point. “Hi! Welcome home, Ward!” “Hi, June!” There are so many references to classic TV, like The Golden Girls are on TV, old movies, and it creates that world where you’re like, “Where are we?” We’re in a world of seeming perfection, which is hiding something else.

‘The Boroughs’ Cast Share Advice for Younger Generations

The trio also discuss how they prep for big emotional scenes.

The showrunners have mentioned that, according to some napkin math, the cast is like 350 years worth of acting experience. It’s a big number.

DAVIS: That’s a big number!

It is. So when the cameras stopped rolling in between takes, who’s the absolute troublemaker, or did you all have a very similar kind of work ethic/play ethic?

DAVIS: We fooled around a lot. Nobody was like, “Don’t bother me, I’m in my character.”

PETERS: No, it wasn’t like that. “Don’t take me out of my zone.” No, it was fun. Something we discovered last night, it was observed last night, is that in between our takes, we’d talk. In between the takes of younger generations, they go to the phone.

[Laughs] Sure.

PETERS: There’s a big difference in that and how that affects the individual and their performance as an ensemble. This is very much like that. So, what happens in between takes can be anything besides a phone.

I’m always curious how actors get ready for a really big emotional scene, so for all three of you, if you have a really big scene on a Monday, do you like to rehearse the full scene and get into all of it before you get to set, or how much do you sort of go halfway and want to save the the emotion, if you will, for when you’re actually on camera?

O’HARE: I think the weird thing for me to know is what is the shot sequence? What shot are you going to use? You know what I mean? Not that I’m saving it for the close-up, but if this is going to live in the close-up, let me know that so I can pace myself so I’m not blowing my wad on the two-shot. You know what I mean? So, you kind of want to know what they’re thinking about the architecture of how they’re going to build the scene. Because, I’ll speak for me, I’ve only got, like, four or five good takes in me for a big emotional thing. After that, I mean, maybe I’ll come back to something, but always, the first one’s not going to be my best, maybe not the second — I aim for three. Number three.

Image via Netflix

PETERS: That’s something I learned from him because last year, you were having that same conversation about a particular scene. I thought, “I’ve never thought about that.” Because coming from theater, you just do it, you just do it. I’m not worried about pacing. But that is something I learned from you. Thank you. Because recently, I had a big scene, and I was thinking, “I really want to mine that, but I don’t want to blow my wad, so to speak, to begin with,” and that conversation came back, so thank you. What he said. Definitely.

DAVIS: If it’s a big scene, I don’t like to rehearse it too much. I don’t want to just say the words without acting in a rehearsal, but I don’t want to go there, also. So, the less practice, the better for an important scene like that.

The Boroughs is streaming on Netflix now.

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Release Date

May 21, 2026

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Network

Netflix

Showrunner

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Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews

Directors

Augustine Frizzell, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Ben Taylor

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A lot of crime movies focus on how the heist is going to go down. The planning of it, deciding what to do with all the riches that will follow, getting a crew together. The glamorous side of things, to be precise. This movie isn’t interested in any of that, but rather it focuses on the irreparable damage committing a crime can cause for the generations that follow yours. It’s got motorbikes, bank robberies, corruption and devastating performances, and chances are, you’ve never even heard of it.

The Place Beyond the Pines follows Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stunt rider who, upon learning he has become a father, decides “hey, I think I’ll start robbing banks.” His exceedingly poor choices mean he soon collides with Avery Cross, an ambitious police officer whose own terrible decisions send ripples through both their families for years, into the next generation. From there, it turns into a generation-spanning crime saga which shows how one wrong choice can change the lives of those who follow, long after they think they’ve moved on.

The Place Beyond the Pines stars Ryan Gosling (Barbie) as Luke Glanton, Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born) as Avery Cross, Eva Mendes (The Other Guys) as Romina Gutierrez, Dane DeHaan (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) as Jason Kancam, Emory Cohen (Blue Bayou) as AJ Cross, Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids) as Jennifer Cross, Mahershala Ali (Green Book) as Kofi Kancam, Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Robin Van Der Zee, Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) as Peter Deluca, and Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) as Bill Killcullen.

Was ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ a Success?

Yes and no. It wasn’t a massive smash, but it made a good return. It grossed around $47 million worldwide against a reported $15 million budget, which means it made a little over three times its production cost. That’s not blockbuster money, obviously, but for a slow-burn drama, it was a pretty healthy theatrical result. In terms of critical reception, it did well enough too. It’s got a Metacritic score of 68, so it was well received, and it’s certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 79% from 226 reviews. All in all, not a bad day’s work for director Derek Cianfrance.

The Place Beyond the Pines is leaving Prime Video on May 31.

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Release Date

April 18, 2013

Runtime

140minutes

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Director

Derek Cianfrance

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Nicolas Cage, an Elvis Presley fan, has been the subject of a longtime rumor tied to the King of Rock and Roll’s residence, Graceland. The rumor started circulating in the early 2000s, around the same time the actor was married to The King’s only child, Lisa Marie Presley.

Now, Cage is debunking Graceland lore, sharing what did and didn’t happen when he visited Graceland’s highly restricted second floor, where Elvis’ bedroom was located.

Graceland, Elvis Presley’s colonial-style mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, was opened to the public as a museum in 1982, five years after the singer’s death. However, the home’s second floor, where Elvis’ room and the bathroom where he died are located, is entirely closed off. The only people with access are the museum’s curator, Elvis’ immediate family, and vetted staff.

Sometime in the 2000s, a rumor began circulating that Nicolas Cage, who is an avid fan of The King, went to the second floor, tried on Elvis’ clothes, and sat on his toilet.

Elvis died in 1977 at 42 years old. He was found unresponsive on his bathroom floor, and while he was rushed to the hospital, it was believed that he had been deceased for hours before he was discovered.

Nicolas Cage Confirms He Had Visited The Restricted Area

In an interview with The New York Times, Cage was directly asked about the Graceland rumor. “No, that’s not true at all,” the actor said. However, he confirmed that he had been on the second floor and even got the chance to lie down on his idol’s bed.

Elvis’ bedroom is maintained and preserved by the museum’s archivist, and the items and furniture have been left exactly as they were when the singer died.

According to the actor, he visited Graceland with Lisa Marie while they were still married, and they spent a few nights there. Lisa Marie said she wanted to go upstairs, and Cage went with her. “I remember lying in Elvis’ bed, and he had one of those little fiber optics things that spin and change colors,” he shared.

Cage continued, “I remember staring at that and being very relaxed by it and calmed by it, and I enjoyed thinking of him looking at that and how it must have relaxed him.” Despite the truth being less thrilling than the rumor, the actor recalls it being “a beautiful, poignant little moment” in his life.

The Actor Embodied An Elvis Fan In A Movie

Cage has repeatedly expressed his admiration for Elvis, at one point saying that the King of Rock and Roll and David Bowie were his heroes.

In 1990, he portrayed the role of Sailor Ripley in David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart.” Ripley, a parolee-turned-fugitive, is heavily shaped by his love for Elvis, embodying the singer’s rock and roll swagger and adopting his mannerisms. At one point in the movie, Ripley serenades his love interest with the song “Love Me.”

In another movie, “Honeymoon in Vegas,” Cage, in the role of Jack Singer, finds himself skydiving with a group of Elvis impersonators known as the Flying Elvises.

Nicolas Cage And Lisa Marie Presley’s Relationship

Cage and Lisa Marie met in 2000 at a party, and the actor said he was “thunderstruck.” “There’s this beautiful girl standing in the middle of the living room wearing this short leather skirt and this fluffy jacket, and she looks up at me with these big, beautiful, soulful eyes that look like they have a sad story to tell,” he shared.

At that time, they were both in relationships. Lisa Marie later called off her engagement, and Cage divorced Patricia Arquette. They married in 2002. About three months later, however, the actor filed for divorce.

In Priscilla Presley’s memoir, she discussed the couple’s relationship, saying her daughter and Cage broke up and made up a “dizzying number of times.” “When it was good, it was very, very good. And when it was bad, it was horrid.”

The Exes Became Good Friends

During Lisa Marie and Cage’s short marriage, the media speculated about their relationship, saying that the actor only married Lisa Marie because she was Elvis’ daughter. Lisa Marie pushed back, saying that Cage saw her for who she was.

In an interview with Barbara Walters in 2003, Cage shared how they connected, both being part of artistic families. However, they both had intense personalities and often clashed, leading to the demise of their relationship.

The exes later became good friends, saying that while they often fought when they were together, they had mutual respect for one another. After learning of Lisa Marie’s death in 2023, Cage mourned his ex, saying, “Lisa had the greatest laugh of anyone I ever met. She lit up every room, and I am heartbroken.”

The Star Wars franchise has created its own sarlacc, in a way, by setting the bar for success so high that even an otherwise excellent box-office performance is viewed as disappointing. In its opening weekend, The Mandalorian and Grogu delivered a haul in the same range as those of Project Hail Mary, Dune: Part Two, and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Considered in isolation, this is an encouraging result for the first Star Wars movie in seven years. However, when you add context, the picture changes. The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s opening weekend haul was also in the same range as Solo: A Star Wars Story, which remains notorious for being the least-successful live-action installment of the franchise. Solo is also largely responsible for bringing about major changes in creative strategy that saw Lucasfilm pivot from a big-screen-first game plan to streaming.

In other words, the failure of Solo influenced The Mandalorian, and now, The Mandalorian and Grogu is in the same pickle as Solo. This is the Way. However, Solo cost a whopping $275 million to produce. And this was the conservative estimate. The movie was effectively shot twice after original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired for going off-script and replaced by the steady studio hand Ron Howard. Solo opened to mixed-to-positive reviews, and grossed under $400 million worldwide. The Mandalorian and Grogu, on the other hand, appears to have had an uneventful production that set Disney back by a reported $165 million. This is lower than most tent poles these days, which tend to cost more than $200 million. Project Hail Mary, for instance, had a reported price tag of $250 million. Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, on the other hand, remains the most expensive movie ever made with a reported budget of more than $600 million.

‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Doesn’t Need to Gross a Fortune to Break Even

What this also means is that the bar for success is lower for The Mandalorian and Grogu than it was for Solo, which ultimately resulted in more than $100 million in losses for Disney. According to a recent report, the first Star Wars movie in seven years needs to gross between $500 million and $600 million worldwide to break even. This estimate takes into account the film’s combined production and marketing budgets of under $300 million, and the typical 50-50 split that studios have with exhibitors. Movies of this size generally need to gross twice their combined budgets to break even, and The Mandalorian and Grogu has crucial factors going for it. For instance, the movie holds an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- CinemaScore grade, which counters its lukewarm critical response. It’s also generating interest among the children drawn to Grogu, and the older males who enjoy Western-style action. More importantly, it’s the cheapest Disney-era Star Wars movie. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

May 22, 2026

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Runtime

132 Minutes

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Clint Eastwood is one of the last remaining stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age who initially made a name for himself in the Western genre with his signature role as the Man With No Name in Sergio Leone‘s Dollars Trilogy and rose to prominence starring in iconic movies such as The Outlaw Josey Wales, Dirty Harry, and the Oscar-winning Western, Unforgiven, making him one of the most versatile talents in American cinema history. Throughout his impressive career, Eastwood established himself as a major box office draw, delivering an array of memorable performances, but like any actor, some of his best work has inevitably faded from the limelight.

For all the praise surrounding Eastwood’s legendary pictures, some of his most fascinating films, such as The Beguiled and Play Misty for Me, have unfortunately been overshadowed by his more mainstream movies like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, The Bridges of Madison County, and Million Dollar Baby, and deserve more credit than they generally receive. These overlooked works, including Tightrope and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, come remarkably close to cinematic perfection and reveal Eastwood at his most daring, vulnerable, and unpredictable.

5

‘Tightrope’ (1984)

Image via Warner Bros.

Released during the height of Eastwood’s action-star era, Tightrope is a neo-noir cop thriller that quietly slipped between Eastwoo’s larger hits, but over time it has gained a reputation as one of his most mature and complex performances. Eastwood stars as a detective and divorced father, Wes Block, whose investigation into a string of murders in New Orleans’ French Quarter forces him to come to terms with his own dark and personal demons. The movie received generally positive reviews from critics, including At the Movies‘ co-host, Gene Siskel, who praised Eastwood for risking his public image and stepping out of his comfort zone.

Compared to Eastwood’s other films, Tightrope doesn’t fit neatly into the actor’s traditional on-screen persona and roles, which is a major reason why the movie has earned its reputation as a forgotten Eastwood gem. While it’s stylish, disturbing, and unusually fearless for a major Hollywood star like Eastwood to take on, Tightrope is the kind of forgotten movie that becomes more impressive the more cinema evolves around and stands as one of the best examples of how Eastwood could use genre filmmaking to explore deeper emotional and moral conflict. It’s too introspective to be a mainstream action movie and too grim and sexually charged to become a nostalgic crowd-pleaser, yet those same qualities are exactly why many modern viewers see Tightrope as one of his hidden masterpieces.

4

‘Play Misty for Me’ (1971)

Eastwood made his directorial debut with the 1971 psychological thriller, Play Misty for Me, which follows a popular California disc jockey, Dave Garver (Eastwood), whose casual relationship with a crazed fan, Evelyn (Jessica Walter), turns into an inescapable nightmare. Similar to Tightrope, Play Misty for Me was vastly different from the Westerns and action films Eastwood was generally associated with at this point in his career, and to make that bold genre shift, not only on-screen but as his first credit as a director, speaks volumes about his talent and ambition as a filmmaker. The main reason why Play Misty for Me is often overshadowed is that, similar to Tightrope, it doesn’t align with what the Eastwood audience expects to see.

Eastwood’s character in Play Misty for Me isn’t a fearless gunslinger or no-nonsense cop, but instead he’s flawed, emotionally careless, and often overwhelmed. The film’s power comes from watching someone accustomed to control slowly lose it completely and, at the time, that kind of defenselessness was unusual for Eastwood and likely contributed to the movie being underrated compared to his more iconic roles. Looking back now, Play Misty for Me feels remarkably modern and also reveals Eastwood’s instincts as a filmmaker long before he established him as one of Hollywood’s most respected directors. What was once seen as a small experimental thriller now stands as one of the most fascinating hidden gems in his entire career.

3

‘A Perfect World’ (1993)

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Eastwood’s 1993 thriller, A Perfect World, stars Kevin Costner as an escaped convict from Texas, Robert “Butch” Haynes, who kidnaps and forms a strong bond with a young boy (T.J. Lowther) while being pursed across the country by a Texas Ranger (Eastwood). The movie wasn’t a major financial success, but according to an interview with The New York Times, Eastwood knew the risks that came with A Perfect World and that audiences may be disappointed that it wasn’t an action-packed adventure or a buddy road trip flick. Despite being one of Eastwood’s most emotionally layered and beautifully directed works, A Perfect World had several factors working against it that essentially led to it fading from popular conversation.

Unfortunately, A Perfect World arrived after the massive success of Eastwood’s Oscar-winning film, Unforgiven, which also revived public interest in his bigger and more celebrated films, and essentially cast a shadow over A Perfect World. Today, A Perfect World is credited as one of Eastwood’s finest directorial achievements and described as a deeply humane film about broken people searching for connection in a world that has already failed them. Its emotional maturity, understated storytelling, and haunting final act make A Perfect World feel less like a forgotten studio drama and more like a timeless American tragedy hiding in plain sight.

Image via United Artists

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Eastwood delivers a rich performance in Michael Cimino‘s crime thriller Thunderbolt and Lightfoot as a notorious bank robber disguised as a minister, John “Thunderbolt” Doherty, who is rescued by an amateur car thief, Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges), and commits a series of robberies with him while being pursued by his former partners in crime. Despite being both a critical and commercial success, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is another one of those strange near-masterpieces that slipped through the cracks of Eastwood’s career, mainly because it didn’t fit the image people expected to see from the Western icon.

The film earned Bridges an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but many felt that Eastwood’s performance was also worthy of an Oscar nomination and has since been credited as one of his most human and criminally underappreciated performances. Even though Thunderbolt and Lightfoot had a few factors working against it, notably coming before Cimino’s career gained traction with his 1978 Academy Award-winning epic war drama, The Deer Hunter, it’s still a worthwhile Eastwood film that doesn’t announce its greatness as you watch, but instead, it sneaks up on you afterward, which may be exactly why it became forgotten in the first place.

1

‘The Beguiled’ (1971)

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Don Siegel‘s Southern gothic drama The Beguiled is one of the most unsettling and psychologically fascinating films in Eastwood’s career, but the film falls in with his other forgotten gems because, at the time, audiences were expecting a cool Eastwood vehicle similar to his Western roles; instead, they got a sexually charged chamber drama where masculinity is exposed as fragile and corrosive. Set during the American Civil War, Eastwood stars in The Beguiled as a Union soldier, John McBurney, who, after being wounded, is taken in by a group of women who run an all-girls school in the South and manipulates them for his own personal gain.

On top of catching audiences off guard with Eastwood taking on an against-type role, it doesn’t help that The Beguiled sits awkwardly between several genres, because almost any movie that resists easy categorization eventually disappears for a while before being rediscovered by later generations of movie fans. Today, The Beguiled has gained a reputation as a cult classic and is considered by many critics and film historians to be not only one of the best collaborations between Siegel and Eastwood but also one of Eastwood’s most daring performances, showcasing his depth and range as an up-and-coming versatile actor.

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The Beguiled

Release Date

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January 23, 1971

Runtime

105 minutes

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Director

Don Siegel

Writers

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Albert Maltz, Claude Traverse, Thomas Cullinan, Irene Kamp

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Fleur Shomo spent years making fans believe her marriage to Caleb Shomo would last forever. 

From emotional anniversary tributes to backstage tour memories and romantic captions, the actress constantly celebrated her husband online. That is why followers immediately noticed when their latest anniversary quietly passed without acknowledgement. 

Weeks later, Caleb publicly came out as gay and confirmed the marriage was ending, while Fleur admitted the split had left her emotionally devastated. Now, insiders say the painful separation had actually been building behind the scenes for a long time.

To outsiders, Fleur and Caleb Shomo appeared inseparable. Their social media pages were packed with affectionate photos, concert memories, and emotional captions celebrating their life together.

Every April, Fleur would celebrate their wedding anniversary by sharing memories from their beachfront wedding in Kauai, Hawaii, once calling it “the most perfect of days.” However, this year, fans noticed the tradition suddenly stopped.

According to a source who spoke to the Daily Mail, the collapse of the marriage did not happen overnight. “This had been building for a long time for Caleb, and it’s been incredibly heartbreaking for Fleur, who truly believed she had found her soulmate,” the insider shared.

The source added that although the split has been devastating, Fleur is beginning to process the reality of the situation. “They went through so much together, and while it’s been difficult, she’s slowly coming to terms with everything,” they explained. 

While Fleur struggles emotionally, the insider claimed Caleb has experienced a different kind of emotional shift. “Caleb now feels a huge sense of relief finally being able to live as his authentic self,” the insider noted.

Caleb Publicly Comes Out And Addresses His Personal Journey

Caleb Shomo officially addressed speculation surrounding his personal life in a lengthy Instagram statement shared Saturday.

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“I am a proudly gay man,” the Beartooth singer wrote. He explained that he felt compelled to set the record straight before it “affects those I love any further.”

Caleb reflected on years spent battling emotional struggles, pointing to his religious upbringing, depression, self-hatred, and hopelessness as themes that had repeatedly surfaced in his music.

“I spent  a decade burying feelings with alcohol, and honestly when I decided to put it down and focus on exploring why I felt this way for so long, it’s been a direct path to me reconciling with my sexuality in hopes that it will eventually lead to me experiencing self-love,” he shared.

Now, the insider says Caleb is fully aware of the criticism and online ridicule that may follow his announcement.

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“He stands by his decision and is ready to face the likely backlash, including that from trolls and others that are already making cruel jokes at his expense using his last name, and making it derogatory,” the source told the outlet.

Still, Caleb reportedly feels relief after finally speaking openly about his identity following years of internal struggle.

Caleb Shomo’s Revelation Left Fleur Shomo Emotionally Devastated

Fleur Shomo, l’épouse de Caleb Shomo de Beartooth, a réagit sur Instagram à l’annonce hier du coming out de son mari :

“Je ne sais pas vraiment comment commencer, car est-ce vraiment nécessaire de dire quoi que ce soit ? Mais je suppose que je vais me lancer directement. pic.twitter.com/4Ad1z7L7ay

— Louder Now! (@loudernowfr) May 24, 2026

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While Caleb publicly embraced his truth, Fleur used her own social media platform to reveal how deeply the situation has affected her emotionally.

As The Blast reported, the actress shared a video showing the pair dancing and laughing together and admitted the last several months have been “disorienting” and “hurtful.”

“You never want anything more for your person than for them to just be ok,” she wrote. She also confessed that the situation forced her to wrestle with conflicting emotions at the same time.

Fleur explained that she still wanted to support Caleb despite feeling emotionally shattered herself. “You can love and support your person through the hardest time in their life, whilst also be completely demolished & lose yourself at the same time,” she shared.

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Fleur continued, “You question everything. But I have learned the one thing I don’t need to question is our history.”

According to her, the love inside their marriage was always genuine, even if the relationship ultimately could not survive.

Caleb And Fleur Once Shared Their Romance Constantly Online

Breaking: Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo has come out as gay; his wife Fleur has responded. The couple’s statements show a personal moment handled with candour and care – a notable development for fans and the band. More reactions expected… #Beartooth #LGBTQ pic.twitter.com/cMK1lXJtef

— AussiEx.au (@aussiExau) May 25, 2026

Before their split became public, Fleur frequently celebrated Caleb Shomo online, regularly referring to him as her “forever.”

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The pair dated for roughly two years before marrying in 2012, and Caleb quickly became a major presence across Fleur’s Instagram page. One emotional caption read, “I want to be here long enough to gather dust with you.”

In another tribute praising his music career, Fleur wrote, “forever in awe of you, your ridiculous talent & your frikin’ guts for putting another piece of you out there.”

When Caleb toured with Beartooth, Fleur regularly shared how much she missed him while counting down the days until his return home. She also frequently posted photos of herself traveling with the band during life on the road.

Even earlier this year, the 33-year-old appeared in a Valentine’s Day tribute where Fleur described him as her “favourite person.”

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Caleb Shomo Wants Future Relationships Kept Out Of The Spotlight

Although the couple’s marriage has ended, sources say Caleb intends to approach future relationships differently. According to the insider, he hopes to keep his dating life private, moving forward out of respect for Fleur and whoever enters his life next.

“He has no interest in turning it into a spectacle or forcing it into the public eye,” the source explained. They also noted that despite being openly gay, Caleb still wanted to carry himself with respect and show the same respect to anyone he would date. 

Meanwhile, Fleur admitted that despite the heartbreak, she still values the years they shared together. “Nobody will know anything about our marriage like we do. And no one can ever truly know what depths of love exist between two people unless they are those people,” she wrote.

She also acknowledged how difficult it has been coping with the aftermath privately while struggling emotionally behind the scenes. Her mental health, she revealed, had “suffered” during the breakdown of the marriage.

Still, Fleur made clear that despite everything, the relationship itself had been real. According to her, their romance was wonderful and full of so much fun, adventure and love.

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Justin Hartley’s Tracker has dealt with numerous surprise cast exits — so who is and isn’t returning for season 4?

The hit CBS series, which premiered in February 2024, introduced fictional survivalist Colter (Hartley) as he travels the country to help solve various missing persons cases. The ensemble cast grew with characters such as handlers Teddi (Robin Weigert) and Velma (Abby McEnany), hacker Bobby (Eric Graise) and attorney Reenie (Fiona Rene).

Weigert’s character was written off and McEnany and Graise soon followed.

“I do think it’s evolving. If I can’t evolve those characters — Randy or Reenie or Bobby — they’re not just people that just pick up the phone and go, ‘OK, here is the answer.’ That’s when the show is phoning it in,” executive producer Elwood Reid exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2025. “The challenge is when you got to learn about them, which I thought was interesting. That’s the challenge of the show is not having it fall into a formula.”

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Reid noted that they didn’t want Tracker to “fall into complacency.”

“The only rule I really have of the show is each week Colter is going to come to a new place and there’s going to be a new case. How he gets those answers and what he uses on the team, that’s all something that’s up for grabs,” Reid teased. “Meeting these [local] weird characters is something we’re going to try to do more of as the season goes on. Just Colter coming in and interacting with other characters. That’s fun to see Justin flex those muscles with really good guest cast members.”

More recently, Reid weighed in on the onscreen changes. “What we’re realizing is there are characters that come on that if it worked, we’d bring them back,” he told Us in December 2025. “I do think the show can’t always do that. But when it does do that, it makes the world feel a little bit more connected.”

Reid noted there was only one constant on the show: Hartley’s fan-favorite character.

“The audience leans in because they’ve seen that character before. But I think they’re still thinking the central DNA of the show is Colter. With this guy, what makes him appealing is he is a mystery to himself,” he added. “He’s a mystery to the audience. We see him and his off time putting together some pieces of his past.”

He concluded: “I don’t know if we’ll ever put it all together, but he’s going to struggle to continue to do that. That’s just as far as we have thought. The biggest improvement we made this year — in my opinion — was getting people in the same room. Just that connectivity, I do think the audience is enjoying seeing their characters in the same place physically.”

Before filming began on season 4, news broke that the show would be moving production from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Keep scrolling to see which cast members are — and aren’t — coming back:

Justin Hartley

There would be no Tracker without Colter Shaw so Justin Hartley is expected to be front and center in season 4. Hartley, however, hasn’t ruled out Colter dying in the future.

“It’s important to keep upping the stakes. I like being Colter as a hero, finding people and all that. I also really like seeing him in a suspenseful thriller and a dangerous situation,” Hartley told The Hollywood Reporter in April 2025. “I don’t want our audience to forget that this man is mortal, he’s not a superhero. He can die! The things he is doing are very very dangerous.”

Robin Weigert

After joining Tracker in season 1, Robin Weigert’s character was written off in the premiere. She isn’t expected to reprise her role in future seasons.

Abby McEnany

Season 2 caused more concern when Eric Graise was noticeably absent from six episodes. News later broke that Graise and Abby McEnany wouldn’t be coming back — at least for now.

Eric Graise

Eric Graise’s Bobby was missing from several episodes before officially being written off. There has been no word on a return and both Graise and Abby McEnany have yet to break their silence on their respective departures.

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Related: Why Did ‘Tracker’ Lose 3 Cast Members Before Season 3? Shakeups Explained

Justin Hartley’s Tracker is easily CBS’ biggest hit show — so why has it gone through three cast shakeups in just two seasons? When Tracker premiered in 2024, it introduced Us to survivalist Colter Shaw (Hartley) as he travels the country to help find missing people, track down information on criminal cases and more. The […]

Fiona Rene

In addition to Justin Hartley, Fiona Rene is the only remaining OG cast member on the show.

“There’s going to be an attempt to build out the rest of the characters — particularly what’s happening with Reenie and where we left her off and what her life is looking like,” Reid teased to Us in August 2025. “The show always comes back to that. What makes the show work in my opinion is Colter is a guy that comes in and says, ‘I can help you.’ It works every time.”

Chris Lee

Chris Lee was brought in ahead of Eric Graise’s exit — and is expected to return.

“Having Chris Lee in the same space that Fiona Rene is in just gets you [more]. The stuff we’ve seen so far is so much fun. It has made a huge difference,” Reid told TVLine in September 2025. “Now, when Colter calls, it feels like he’s calling into something already in motion. This is all part of my ‘evil plan’ to use Fiona more — the more you can build out her world, the more the show benefits.”

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Cassady McClincy Zhang

Cassady McClincy Zhang, who was introduced in season 3, will seemingly keep playing Mel in future seasons.

Jensen Ackles

Despite Jensen Ackles’ busy schedule, every season has found a way to involve the actor, who plays Justin Hartley’s onscreen brother.

Sofia Pernas

The same goes for Justin Hartley’s offscreen wife, who has played his love interest on Tracker since the show premiered.

Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi appear to be spending more time together than ever.

Photos published by TMZ on Sunday, May 24, seemingly showed the model, 30, standing inside a Montecito restaurant with the Euphoria actor, 28. According to the outlet, the pair dropped into the eatery “with pals” in what was a “double date” before they left together in Elordi’s car.

In the snaps, Kendall appeared to be in conversation with Elordi before the duo, who remained standing beside one another, turned their attention elsewhere.

The photos come after Us Weekly reported last week that the pair’s romance has become more serious than initially thought. “Kendall and Jacob have become very close recently,” a source exclusively told Us on Wednesday, May 20, before reflecting on their recent trip to Hawaii.

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“They were excited to get away to Hawaii and have some downtime together,” the insider stated. “This has been going on since January, but things are progressing, and they have been consistently seeing each other when they can. It is much more serious now, without a label.”

A photo published by TMZ on Sunday, May 17, showed a bikini-clad Kendall and a shirtless Elordi engaged in conversation while seated on a Hawaiian beach. The photo arrived two days after they were individually photographed grabbing breakfast from a farm on the island of Kaua’i.

The source told Us that the pair are enjoying getting to know each other. “Kendall especially likes that Jacob is very funny and easy to be around, and she seems really happy and relaxed when she’s with him,” the insider stated. “They’ve been spending more private time together behind the scenes and have become much more comfortable in each other’s inner circles.”

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Kendall’s circle includes sister Kylie Jenner, who was spotted on a double date in Los Angeles with Kendall and Elordi, as well as Kylie’s boyfriend Timothée Chalamet, on May 16. “It has really worked out that they can hang out with Kylie and Timothée, and it has been so fun for all of them to be together,” the source explained to Us. “The group dynamic has made things even easier because there’s no pressure and everyone gets along naturally. They’ve been enjoying low-key dinners and just hanging out at home casually.”

Elordi and Kendall were first romantically linked during the first Coachella weekend after they attended Justin Bieber’s headlining set. Another source told Us at the time that sparks had flown between the pair after forming a friendship long ago.

“They have known each other socially for years now and have hung out in similar circles, but it became romantic recently,” the insider said at the time, adding then that Kendall thought Elordi was “a really cool and down-to-earth guy.”