By Robert Scucci
| Published 13 seconds ago

Disney is pretty inconsistent when it comes to what kind of media on their platform they find problematic enough to require a disclaimer. For instance, 18 episodes of The Muppet Show have a 12-second content warning, stating, “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.”

It’s a great way for Disney to say they have a problem with content on their platform while still making money off of it. But after having it brought to my attention that 1994’s Blank Check has a third-act scene in which Karen Duffy, who was 31 years old at the time of the movie’s production, shares a romantic kiss with lead actor Brian Bonsall, who was just 11 years old, I was surprised they didn’t have a disclaimer here, if only to save face.

My first thought before firing up Blank Check in bad faith was, “is it like Big, where the boy looks like a fully grown Tom Hanks, and she doesn’t know?” Nope. She’s an FBI agent posing as a bank teller named Shay Stanley, who, in the process of taking down a money laundering ring, falls in love with a young millionaire named Preston Waters.

Listen, I’m not outraged by this weird little romance plot that happens in Blank Check. You can tell that the writers were just trying a little too hard to be subversive and simply failed to give the room a proper read. I’m more offended by how awful this movie is in every other regard.

It Ain’t Easy Growing Up Anywhere

In Blank Check, Preston Waters is a total mope show because his older brothers, Damien (Chris Demetral) and Ralph (Michael Faustino), are allowed by their white-collar father, Fred (James Rebhorn), to convert his bedroom into an office space. Basically, dad is a Froogal McDoogal, and the older brothers are entrepreneurs, meaning they all love money more than each other. Preston, who’s only 11, gets a laughably low allowance, which leaves him feeling like an outsider whenever money enters the conversation. 

Everything changes when an ex-convict named Carl Quigley (Miguel Ferrer) runs over Preston’s bike and writes him a blank check to buy his silence. Preston fills it out for a million dollars, and thanks to a mix-up involving Quigley’s courier, Juice (Tone Loc), bank manager Edward Biderman (Michael Lerner) actually cashes it. Naturally, Biderman loses his mind when the real Juice shows up looking for the laundered money. 

This is also where we meet Shay Stanley (Karen Duffy), who initially appears to be a bank teller helping Preston open an account. In reality, she’s an FBI agent keeping tabs on Biderman’s money laundering operation. Preston’s sudden wealth puts him on her radar, and when he starts telling everybody he’s working for a mysterious millionaire named Mr. Macintosh, a name borrowed from his brother’s computer, Shay begins wondering if he’s somehow connected to the case. 

While blowing through his newfound fortune, Preston keeps up the Mr. Macintosh story, claiming he’s handling the finances for an insanely wealthy benefactor. Shay, convinced there might be a connection between Mr. Macintosh and Biderman’s operation, gets closer to Preston, which is where Blank Check starts making some truly baffling decisions. 

On one hand, Shay is an FBI agent following a lead. On the other hand, she hits it off just a little too well with Preston, who takes her out for burgers and fries, gets soaked with her while dancing in a fountain, and chauffeurs her around in his limo. At any point, she could have simply identified herself and asked for his help. 

Instead, the movie decides there’s some kind of mutual attraction at play. Listen, this is a movie with a PG rating, but yes, a grown woman does have a pretty blatant romantic storyline with an 11-year-old boy, and I have no idea what they were thinking here. 

There Are So Many Reasons To Not Watch Blank Check

That said, there aren’t many compelling reasons to sit down and watch Blank Check. The romance plot is weird, and the way the film frames money’s influence on family dynamics is honestly kind of depressing. Not to mention the fact that this kid buys a literal castle for something like $300,000. Meanwhile, the only houses I see for sale in 2026 cost about half a million dollars and don’t even have two bathrooms. Seeing how far a dollar went in the ’90s, even when exaggerated for comedic purposes, is enough to take the wind out of your sails.

Every character is one-dimensional, and even our hero Preston is a straight-up criminal. Sure, he’s being pursued by people who are objectively worse than he is, but his entire arc revolves around committing fraud. Good for him, I guess, but the cynic in me can’t help wondering why this movie doesn’t end with him getting thrown in jail.

As of this writing, you can stream Blank Check, with no disclaimer attached, on Disney+.

Prince William is being called out, and this time the criticism is coming from inside royal circles.

A new report has reignited debate about the future King’s approach to royal duty after questions were raised about how often he has been carrying out public engagements compared to other senior members of the Royal Family.

Prince William has been focusing on family life and projects behind the scenes, but the mounting pressure on his workload is reigniting the debate about whether or not he is doing enough to prepare for the throne.

The future King is facing renewed criticism after figures highlighted by royal author Norman Baker show a significant gap between his royal workload and that of other senior royals.

According to the publication, the Prince of Wales carried out 57 official engagements between January 1 and June 15 this year, compared to King Charles III’s 76 and Princess Anne’s 100.

The gap has led to accusations that the future King isn’t doing enough to serve the public, especially as heir to the throne. The Daily Mail also pointed to his 2024 figures: King Charles’ eldest son had completed 166 engagements, while it was reported that Princess Anne had done 474 and King Charles had done 372.

The debate has been further intensified by his absence from several high-profile royal events. This has caused people to ask if he can strike a right balance. 

The Future King Accused Of Prioritizing Private Interests Over Public Duties

While supporters argue that the King’s eldest son has chosen a more modern royal lifestyle, critics say the reduced public schedule doesn’t tell the whole story.

According to The Daily Mail, Norman Baker claimed the Prince is still very active in running the Duchy of Cornwall, contacting staff regularly and keeping an eye on its workings.

Baker argued that although the Prince often places family commitments ahead of royal appearances, he appears far more engaged when it comes to overseeing the duchy’s affairs.

The royal author also claimed that one of William’s early priorities after inheriting the estate was establishing an investment committee aimed at boosting its profitability.

This criticism arose with some observers questioning whether his focus on fewer engagements is an indication of a new normal for the royal family or a reluctance to do things the traditional way.

Inside Prince William’s Private Life Away From The Palace

Questions remain regarding his public schedule; the royal is also drawing some attention for how he’s spending his time off royal responsibilities. The future King is reported to have a small group of close friends and loves love-ins, football outings, and private get-togethers outside of the limelight.

The Blast reported that the future King recently traveled to Istanbul with friends to watch Aston Villa. Insiders also described his friendship circle as highly selective, with royal matters often left out of conversations during their time together.

The report further claimed that the heir’s preference for an ordinary life is influenced by both Princess Diana and the Middleton family. Despite increasing royal responsibilities, sources say he remains committed to preserving that private support system.

Royal Rift Shows No Sign Of Easing

The arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the UK has sparked hopes that the Royal Family might reconcile, but the feud hasn’t yet been cleared up.

As reported by The Blast, following their public interviews and documentaries and Harry’s memoir Spare, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said that the monarch-in-waiting is “deeply betrayed” by Harry and Meghan.

Despite King Charles being reportedly more open to reconciling with his brothers, the biggest challenge is trust,” Fitzwilliams said.

Reports have also suggested that the Prince is unhappy with efforts to accommodate the Sussexes’ visit, underscoring just how deep the divide within the family remains.

Prince William And King Charles Reportedly Remain Divided Over Harry’s Future In The Royal Family

Prince William and King Charles are apparently seen to have different opinions on Prince Harry’s future in the Royal Family, despite an apparent attempt to mend the differences. While the King is said to be more willing to reconcile, William isn’t.

As reported by The Blast, sources claim the future King has little interest in rebuilding trust anytime soon. He continues to view Harry and Meghan’s actions since stepping back from royal duties as deeply damaging to the institution.

With Prince William reported to be standing firm, and King Charles calling for peace, this split opens up a bigger question: what will it be like when the crown passes to Prince William in the future? If such a split exists?

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 8 seconds ago

Sci-fi movies have a history of bombing so bad at the box office that they take down entire studios. It makes sense given the average budget is hundreds of time higher than a horror film, and even two to three times more than a slow burn drama. The risk for sci-fi is high but Disney decided that Robert Zemeckis, the mastermind behind Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, and Castaway was worth the gamble. What they received in 2011, was Mars Needs Moms, an overstuffed animated feature that is still in contention for the biggest box office bomb in history. Instead of taking down Disney, it scared Disney away from exploring new IP and put a freeze on original sci-fi from the House of Mouse. 

Mars Needs Moms Is A Historic Disaster

Mars Needs Moms imagines a universe where subterranean Martians abduct Earth moms to suck out their “mother-ness” to power their automated nanny-bots raising the next generation of Martians. The process to do so kills the human, making this immediately one of the darkest animated movies to have Walt Disney Productions attached. Seth Green provided the motion capture for Milo, a 9-year-old boy whose mother (Joan Cusack) is abducted. He launches a rescue mission to the Red Planet, coming across friendly Martians and uncovering the ancient history of the aliens in the process. 

Part of the problem with Mars Needs Moms is that to follow the plot, you need to get past the awkward animation style. Robert Zemeckis took the process used in Beowulf and The Polar Express, involving extensive motion capture combined with CGI animation layered on top. It’s rotoscoping, but taken straight to the uncanny valley. 

Disney Changed Their Approach To Sci-Fi

From the reactions to the very first trailer, Disney executives were bracing themselves for a catastrophic bomb. Mars Needs Moms was one of the first films to be savaged on nascent social media networks. The animation style, combined with the corny plot, turned off adults and most importantly, parents. The end result was a final box office total of $39 million, far short of the $150 million production budget, and that’s without mentioning the marketing. 

By the time it was all said and done, Mars Needs Moms cost Disney $144 million. The immediate impact was felt by John Carter of Mars, which became John Carter, and then the best movie to be considered a box office flop. The then-Disney CEO Bob Iger made the call to “mine the IPs” after the failure, making John Carter the last original sci-fi film from Disney. Everything since has been tied to a franchise, and the fallout was so radioactive, that even other studios have been hesitant to pursue original sci-fi. The Creator was marketed heavily as being an original story, and when that can be used as a selling point, you know the genre’s going through a tough time. 

Robert Zemeckis has had a, well, “mixed” run of movies might be a little generous, but for all its faults, Here was at least creative. Since Mars Needs Moms bombed, few films have come close to matching it, but Eli Roth’s Borderlands in 2024 managed to earn less money ($33 million), and it cost more. Thanks to tax credits and creative accounting, Lionsgate only lost $80 million, putting Disney’s staggering deficit of $144 million ahead of it. If it wasn’t for Mars Needs Moms, we could be on our sixth John Carter film by now.

Mars Needs Moms is currently streaming on Disney+, but before you watch it, ask yourself if that’s really how you want to spend your limited time on Earth.

You’re Killing Me’s season 1 finale left fans with more than one cliffhanger, including a massive roadblock in Allie and Jack’s budding romance — and a “monstrous” season 2 is already in the works.

Warning: Spoilers below from season 1, episode 6, of You’re Killing Me.

“I knew a little, which was great. I knew about it beforehand,” Tom Cavanagh, who plays detective Jack Kerrigan, exclusively told Us Weekly of the shocking romance twist that came to light during the Monday, June 22, episode of the hit Acorn TV series.

During the finale, Jack finally kissed romance author-turned-ameatur sleuth Allison “Allie” Chandler (Brooke Shields) at her and Gen Z podcaster Andrea “Andi” Walker’s (Amalia Williamson) book party.

Allie pulled away as Jack leaned in, causing him to tell her it was a “mistake” and they should just “forget” it ever happened, to which she agreed. However, Allie started to second guess her action during a restless night.

“They’re adults, right? Like, it’s Brooke Shields, they’re not kids,” Cavanagh, 62, told Us of the main characters’ road to romance. “They’ve gone through all these different iterations of romantic life [and] nothing’s going to necessarily intimidate them.”

He noted, “It’s lovely that they’re worthy opponents” and there’s a “will they, won’t they” dynamic between the two.

Fans held out hope for a “will they” moment after a drunk Allie decided to confess her feelings for Jack during the episode’s final minutes. In order to make it to Jack’s cabin, Allie had to wake Andi up from her guest house and convince her to drive, which she reluctantly did.

Once at the cabin, Allie tried and failed to have a Say Anything moment, holding her cellphone up over her head and screaming for Jack to come outside.

A mystery woman came to the door, which prompted Allie to say, “You’re not Jack.” The woman responded, “I’m Natalie, Jack’s wife. And you are?”

Allie gripped her chest as if to show the physical heartbreak she was experiencing in that moment before leaning over and throwing up on Andi’s shoes. The screen then faded to black and the credits rolled.

Looking back and Jack and Allie’s trajectory from season 1, Cavanagh told Us, “Jack’s hesitant for a very good reason that isn’t divulged right away, but if you [watch the] campfire scene [where Jack and Alli nearly kiss while drinking wine], you’re wondering, ‘Well, why are they just, you know, going forth?’”

He continued, “Now you realize, ‘Oh!’ And that it’s an adult reason for the way that it got played. As opposed to just dragging the viewer along.”

Cavanagh admitted that the wife twist — or perhaps Natalie is his ex-wife and a potential divorce is not finalized — comes at just the right time to leave fans looking for answers.

“There’s real impetus, and then you kind of drop that bomb at the end, like, “Hi, I’m the wife,’ you’re like, ‘Wait, what?’” Cavanagh said of the shocking cliffhanger. “It’s again well done on the writer’s part.”

Shields, meanwhile, exclusively told Us that she was just as surprised by Jack’s secret wife, confessing, “We have no idea what situation that is.”

Williamson, 27, teased, “No we don’t. Not yet.”

As the show gears up for season 2, Shields, 61, added, “We have an idea of what might be happening. But we just are [unsure].”

She revealed, “But I love to play a character that has this just catharsis, and this, like, ‘Oh, it’s all going to be [good when she] comes forward and then [she’s] slapped on her face.’”

The romance hitch, however, isn’t the only question left unanswered during the season 1 finale.

The majority of the episode centered around Andi’s hunt for her mother, who disappeared 15 years prior. After Andi and Allie’s car broke down on their road trip to New York, park ranger Melissa Grant (Natalie Brown) showed up at the right moment and offered to drive them.

Jack, however, soon discovered that Melissa was not a park ranger, instead she was a hitwoman searching for Andi’s mom.

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After Andi and Allie found the exact location of her missing mom, Melissa rushed off ahead of them, getting to the house first. When Andi and Allie arrived, they heard a gunshot before running in to find Jack and other police with a wounded Melissa in custody and Andi’s mom nowhere to be found.

There was, however, a hard drive with Andi’s name on it with a video message from her mother. In the video, Andi’s mom revealed she knew things about some “dangerous” people she worked for and made a deal to keep it secret to protect Andi and her father.

Now that one of the bad guys is getting a retrial, Andi’s mom is considered a loose end so she had to run once again — and she pleaded with her daughter not to try and find her.

“You know [with] that arc something even more monstrous is maybe out there that you don’t see at all,” Cavanagh teased to Us of the threads that will continue to be pulled next season.

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The actor explained that there were “such high stakes” throughout the finale, but it was presented as “a melodramatic plot point for Andi” without any indication of the deeper mystery.

“There’s a giant through line that is in every episode, and you don’t even necessarily know that it’s in every episode,” Cavanagh said. “And then the culmination of that is like, ‘All right, no, we all have to be as serious as we can and save somebody’s life or people’s lives here, right?’”

You’re Killing Me was renewed in May for season 2. Season 1 is currently streaming on Acorn TV.

Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster issued an apology after receiving backlash for publicly slamming a show critic.

“Hi guys, I was mean to Shealyn Scott last night and I profoundly regret it. Shame on me for insulting a human being for doing their job. I’m very sorry, Shealyn,” Brewster, 57, wrote via X on Sunday, June 21. “And I’m sorry to those who follow me that you saw me behave like that. Turns out, last night, I sucked.”

The actress initially shocked social media users when she took to X on Saturday, June 20, to call out an article Scott wrote for ScreenRant.

“Hello critic Shealynn Scott. You’re young. You don’t know that bad pics and bad reviews can lead to 350 people losing their jobs,” Brewster wrote in the since-deleted post. “Sell vintage. Work at a shelter. Do something better than what you do now. Because right now you suck.”

Fellow journalists and Criminal Minds fans came to Scott’s defense, with many pointing out that the article praised the show despite Brewster alleging it was a bad review.(The opinion piece also made the argument that there should be more than 10 episodes a season for the hit Paramount+ series.)

Scott, for her part, clarified on her own social media that she received a private apology from Brewster following the TV star’s public message.

Brewster currently leads Criminal Minds in the role of Emily Prentiss, which she has played since 2006.

Earlier this year, Brewster recalled her brief exit from the show. (Emily was initially killed off in season 7 before it was revealed to be a fake-out. Brewster, however, was not on the show for two seasons, returning as a guest star for two more before officially being main cast again in season 12.)

During an April episode of the “Are You a Charlotte” podcast, Brewster claimed a backdoor pilot for a potential spinoff show was filmed before former CBS president Les Moonves axed the idea. According to Brewster, she decided to leave the show after season 7 because she was “so mad” at CBS despite being offered to keep her full-time role.

Related: ‘Criminal Minds’ Cast: Then and Now

Criminal Minds is back with a revival on Paramount+ — but fans have watched the cast change on and off screen since the procedural first debuted. In 2005, viewers were introduced to a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit. The crime drama, which was created by […]

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“I really did hold on to that anger for too long,” she shared on the podcast. “It was an unhealthy thing to hold onto. Because A.J. and I were like, ‘We were early, we knew our lines, we never got into fights.’ We were really angry. I held onto the anger for too long, and after four years, I finally thought, ‘Why am I not [on the show]? I love everyone there. I just don’t like Les Moonves, and I never have to see him because he doesn’t care about this show.’”

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Brewster ended up returning for season 12 after Thomas Gibson‘s exit. She claimed she had to fight to get her “episodic fee close to what the men were making” because she and the other women “were always paid less.”

“I was like, ‘Well, I kind of have them over a barrel. They need me more than I need this show.’ So, I got my episode fee way up from what it was,” she continued. “Then, when the other female cast members, their contracts were up, so I said, ‘This is what I got. Go get more.’ So then, they went in and they got big raises.”

Criminal Minds: Evolution airs Thursdays on Paramount+.

Penn Badgley‘s wife, Domino Kirke, poked fun at the reality of marriage with a divorce joke in her Father’s Day tribute.

“When you grow up with a childlike father, you learn not to expect much. You brace yourself for disappointment over and over,” Kirke, 42, captioned an Instagram post on Sunday, June 21. “You make excuses for their behavior and convince yourself you don’t deserve much more.”

Kirke, who welcomed son Cassius, 16, in a previous relationship, recalled finding it “easier” to “parent alone” before she met Badgley, 39.

“Truth is, I felt like I had more ‘control’ as a single mum,” she wrote. “That’s all that was. I needed to run the show and keep everything where I could see it. I know now that control is an illusion. Even on the days I think I can do this better alone, even with all that muscle memory to back it up, I know now in my bones that I can’t.”

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While reflecting on their lives as a family of six, Kirke publicly praised Badgley as a dad. “Sure, twins. Sure, we’re finally outnumbered,” she added. “But it’s more than that. Time takes time, and 13 yrs later, I realize we’ve always had a child in tow. Always a child in our bed, even one that wasn’t your own.”

She continued: “‘Four kids! You wanna know what it’s like to have a fourth? Just imagine you’re drowning, and someone hands you a baby.’ ~ Jim Gaffigan. Thank you for riding every wave with me and for not agreeing to a divorce every time I ask for one. Happy Father’s Day, @pennbadgley; we’re the lucky ones.”

The couple, who got married in 2017, are also parents to son James, 4, and 9-month-old twin boys. Before expanding their family, Kirke gushed about how Badgley took over the role of stepdad to her eldest son.

“He’s a really good stepdad,” Kirke exclusively told Us Weekly in 2019 of Badgley. “He doesn’t have to be ‘dad,’ so he can have more fun with him. It’s really nice. The stepparent thing is definitely uncharted territory for me ’cause I didn’t grow up with one, but … he takes care of him really well.”

Kirke spoke to Us about watching Cassius grow into his own, saying, “Boys at 10 have the same amount of testosterone as they will have when they’re 18, so there’s a sass, but when I speak to him on the phone, he’ll be like, ‘Hey mom, you sound tired. You should go to bed.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK, thanks.’ Like, ‘Whoa, who am I talking to?’”

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Penn Badgley and wife Domino Kirke are grateful for their family of six. The couple, who wed in 2017, announced in February 2020 that they were expecting their first child together after previous miscarriages. Their son was born the following September. While Badgley quickly adapted to new fatherhood after the baby’s birth, he previously got […]

Badgley has also discussed adjusting to being a stepfather.

“I was curious [how] my new fatherhood would influence my experience with Joe and acting with him,” he told Access Hollywood in 2021, referring to his role on the Netflix series You. “But sometimes, it was almost not helpful because I was having such a light and joyful experience [and] still am, and Joe was, like, so petrified and so scared. Of course, I can identify with the fear, but he’s just so morbid in his obsessive self-preservation and primal instinct that sometimes I almost found it harder.”

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At the time, Badgley reflected on becoming a first-time “biological father” amid the COVID pandemic, telling InStyle, “It’s just been us, my wife and I, taking care of [our son]. And as a result, in some ways, we’re thrilled, there’s a beautiful joy and lightness to our connection with him. He seems to reflect that. And at the same time, it’s so hard.”

Badgley further explained how he found himself connecting to his character on You, who welcomed a son during season 3.

“I certainly had the great bounty of drawing on my own experience, becoming a new biological parent, and that was quite natural,” he told Elle in October 2021. “There are some definitely sweet moments where I was able to do that, but I think by and large, [Joe’s] paternal instinct is at best primal. I think to be a good father or a parent, you need to really rise several orders above primal, but he’s at least primal, I guess.”

Nearly 20 years after the last installment, Ice Cube and Nia Long are reuniting for a third film in the “Are We There Yet?” franchise. But not everyone is excited about the revival, with some fans taking to social media to voice their skepticism and accuse Ice Cube of trying to recapture past success.

According to Deadline, Ice Cube and Nia Long have partnered with Skydance Sports almost 20 years after the last “Are We There Yet?” film to create a third movie titled “Are They Gone Yet?”

Don’t forget, the first movie, which also starred Aleisha Allen, Philip Daniel Bolden, Tracy Morgan, and others, grossed nearly $100 million at the box office in 2005. Two years later, they teamed up for the sequel, “Are We Done Yet?,” which grossed nearly $60 million.

While the plot for the third film is still unclear, Deadline reports that in the new movie, Ice Cube and Long’s characters will face their “biggest challenge yet… grandkids.”

Ice Cube Opens Up About Filming A New ‘Are We There Yet?’ Movie With Long Two Decades Later

Speaking to Deadline about the new film, Ice Cube expressed his excitement to get back in front of the camera and bring his iconic Nicholas “Nick” J. Persons character back to life.

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

The success of the first two films spawned a TBS sitcom of the same name starring Terry Crews, Essence Atkins, Coy Stewart, and Teala Dunn. The series aired for 100 episodes between 2010 and 2013.

Fans Aren’t Here For The New ‘AWTY?’ Movie As They Slam Ice Cube For Apparently Living In The Past

The news of a third “AWTY?” really is no surprise, as streaming platforms and production companies have partnered together over the last several years to revive some of the world’s most beloved shows and movies.

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Full House,” and “Freaky Friday” are just a few examples. But unlike those revivals, Ice Cube’s latest project hasn’t exactly been met with widespread enthusiasm.

On Reddit, one user said the rapper “seems like he’s trying to relive his glory days,” pointing out that he’s also working on a third “Ride Along” film and sequels to “Friday” and “22 Jump Street.”

Another commenter joked, “We’re bringing literally anything back,” while a third user questioned the need for a third film, citing the sequel’s underwhelming plot. “Some things don’t need to be recreated two or three times,” they said.

Long Discussed Working With Cube In 2007

In 2007, Long spoke with Black Film about returning to work with Ice Cube for a second “Are We There Yet?” movie. She shared how grateful she was to be joining forces with the multi-hyphenate at the time, saying, “He has truly evolved into an entrepreneur. He’s an artist, but he’s also doing a fantastic job building an empire for himself and diversifying his portfolio as a actor and an artist.”

How Did Long Enjoy Playing Her Character, Suzanne Kingston-Persons, In The Second Film?

Elsewhere during the interview, the esteemed actress discussed what it was like to play Suzanne Kingston-Persons, a loving newlywed who would do anything for her children and her husband.

“It’s good! It’s good because it’s familiar. There’s a sense of safety and kind of knowingness in terms of what you are getting yourself into, which is always comforting. ‘Are We Done Yet?’ was so much fun to work on because I was just a happy mom,” she said at the time.

Long continued, “I was optimistic, very nurturing with no attitude. It’s interesting what that does to your attitude when you have to play that every day. I found myself very happy all the time.”

Another reason Long enjoyed playing Kingston-Persons is that she resonated closely with the fictional character. “I’m pretty easy going person. I can be intense, and I definitely like my ‘me’ time, but I’m pretty happy,” she said.

The first images from Klara and the Sun have finally arrived, giving audiences a glimpse at what could be one of the most emotional and unexpected science fiction films of 2026.

Directed by Taika Waititi, the adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel stars Jenna Ortega as Klara, an Artificial Friend designed to ease loneliness in a futuristic society. The newly released images showcase Ortega in a role unlike anything fans have seen from her before, trading the dark and sarcastic energy of Wednesday for a character filled with warmth, curiosity, and innocence.

In an interview accompanying the first look, Waititi described Klara and the Sun as perhaps his “most dramatic film” to date. The filmmaker, known for balancing humor and heart in projects like Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok, admitted he initially thought adapting the novel would be simple.

“I thought this would be maybe the easiest film I’d ever make,” Waititi explained. “The more you read the book and delve into the relationships, the more complicated it gets.”

The story follows Klara, a solar-powered Artificial Friend who is purchased by a mother, played by Amy Adams, to become a companion for her daughter Josie, portrayed by Mia Tharia. As Klara becomes part of the family, she develops a deep understanding of love, sacrifice, and what it truly means to be human.

The film’s world is also unique. Waititi revealed that he imagined a future where humanity had grown tired of technology and intentionally moved backward in certain ways. The production design combines retro aesthetics with futuristic concepts, creating a world that feels familiar yet strangely unsettling.

Klara and the Sun [credit: Sony Pictures, Vanity Fair]

For Ortega, the role offered a chance to explore a very different kind of character. The actress said Klara’s kindness and optimistic outlook stand in stark contrast to many of the darker roles she has played in recent years. Rather than portraying an emotionless machine, Ortega and Waititi worked together to make Klara feel deeply relatable and emotionally authentic.

The themes explored in Klara and the Sun feel particularly timely. The story asks difficult questions about artificial intelligence, grief, loneliness, and whether love itself can be programmed. Waititi said he was fascinated by the idea that humans may someday form genuine emotional bonds with artificial beings, adding that the film does not offer easy answers.

With its emotional storytelling, stunning visuals, and a career-defining performance from Jenna Ortega, Klara and the Sunis shaping up to be one of the most intriguing science fiction films of the year.

Klara and the Sun is scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 23, 2026.

Madonna is gearing up for the release of her milestone 15th album, “Confession II,” a sequel to her highly regarded 2005 LP, “Confessions on a Dance Floor.” Now, weeks before the new body of work is set to be released, the 67-year-old is opening up about her failed biopic, which was scrapped in 2023 despite Julia Garner being tapped to play the music legend.

Madonna opened up to Interview Magazine in June 2026 about the movie and why it failed to materialize. She discussed her involvement with the film, saying, “I was supposed to make a movie about my life. I worked on my script for two years and spent two years at Universal Studios with the line producers doing budgeting and casting.”

Regarding why the movie didn’t move forward, the “Express Yourself” singer said, “We had a falling out, me and Universal, regarding budget because I needed — I’ve had an extraordinary life. I’ve had a huge life, so I needed a big budget. You know what I mean?”

She then stated that the executives at the movie studio “couldn’t get their heads around” the budget she felt would be necessary to properly tell her story.

The ‘Confessions II’ Singer Wanted to Find Ways To Decrease The Budget

Madonna didn’t provide figures regarding the planned budget for her still-unfilmed biopic. However, she said she was willing to make changes to the production to reduce its cost. Namely, the icon stated she wanted to find “a way to make it for less money in Serbia.”

According to her, “Maybe they just didn’t believe in me. One of their first reactions was, ‘We don’t believe you’d stay in Serbia more than four days.’ And I said, ‘Did you read the script?’ My whole life has been survival. I’m not going there for a holiday. But anyway, I was in limbo when that fell apart, and then Netflix reached out to make a series.”

Regarding Netflix, she stated, “That was a whole other long process, because I couldn’t use the script I had with Universal unless I bought it from them for an extortionist’s price, even though I wrote it. Don’t ask.”

In reflecting on the situation, Madonna said, “That’s just the way it goes.”

Fans Still Want To See Madonna’s Story Told

Madonna is among the most influential pop stars of all time. Because of this, as well as the recent success of “Michael,” fans think the movie will still happen. However, others believe her life is so big that perhaps a multi-part mini series would be in order. Still, some wonder what she would have seen as a viable budget.

One person said, “Madonna certainly has a story that spans decades, genres, and cultural moments. It’s easy to see why she’d feel a traditional biopic would need a major budget to capture the full scale of her life and career.”

Someone else wrote, “That’s an unfortunate setback for fans who were eager to see her story on the big screen. Few artists have had an impact like Madonna, and telling that story properly would be an ambitious undertaking.”

A different Madonna fan chimed in, writing, “So huge she should know it needs to be a mini series with possibly 2 to 3 seasons. Not a film.”

Julia Garner Opened Up About The Madonna Biopic In 2025

Garner was offered the role of Madonna in 2022. After accepting, the actress underwent a rigorous preparation process, including a grueling boot camp. In July 2025, years after the movie was announced as scrapped, Garner told the “SmartLess” podcast that it was still set to be produced.

According to her, “That’s supposed to still happen.” Regarding going for the role, Garner revealed, “I kind of just wanted to see if I could do it, because I wasn’t a trained dancer and I had to learn how to dance and then dance in front of her and convince her that I can dance, basically, and sing. And sing with her!”

It’s worth noting that Garner may have been referring to the Netflix series Madonna mentioned, which is not currently in the works.

The Music Legend’s New Album Arrives In July

Madonna officially announced “Confession II” in April 2026 after signing a new contract with Warner Records in September 2025. From there, the first taste of the album arrived with the song “I Feel So Free,” released on April 18.

Since then, Madonna has released the singles “Bring Your Love,” a duet with Sabrina Carpenter, and the most recent offering, “Love Sensation.” The album will be released on July 3.