Entertainment

How DreamWorks Snuck a ‘Predator’ Cameo Into Their Next Animated Movie [Exclusive]

Published

3 hours ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

Son Goku smiling and doing a thumbs up in 'Dragon Ball Z'

Summary

Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with Forgotten Island directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado.
The directors discuss the Filipino folklore behind the film’s story, ’90s callbacks, how they snuck the movie Predator in the film, and the various animation styles they utilized to explore memories.
They also discuss returning to Annecy, a new single from H.E.R. for the movie, movies they were influenced by, and more.

DreamWorks Animation’s Academy Award-nominated directing duo Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado returned to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this year after leaving the fest in awe with 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. This year, they debuted exclusive new footage of their ‘90s nostalgia throwback, Forgotten Island, and Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the pleasure of chatting with them afterward to get all the movie magic details about this epic animation feat.

Following in the footsteps of the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Crawford and Mercado steered the Puss in Boots franchise straight to the Academy Awards, earning a nomination for the Best Animated Feature Film for a movie that pushed beyond a familiar limitation within the medium. “Having these classic CG animated movies for so long,” Crawford explains, “you had a limited set of tools.” With Forgotten Island, this duo set out to surpass their own creativity, using a blend of animation styles to visually tell the story of BFFs Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), who are about to set out on different paths. On their last night together, the girls discover a portal that whisks them off to a whimsical island called Nakali, but to escape, they’ll have to give up every memory from their friendship. With the help of a hapless weredog, Raww (Dave Franco), and a few new pals, Jo and Raissa embark on a race to find a way off that island without sacrificing their memories.

Check out the full conversation below, where Crawford and Mercado discuss the different styles of animation and how each one serves the story, delivering audiences ‘90s nostalgia, and drawing inspiration from films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and even The Hangover. They explain the Filipino folklore that Forgotten Island is based on, with details about the two antagonists who rival even The Last Wish’s sinister Wolf (Wagner Moura), plus the music that captures the heart of Jo and Raissa’s bond, including a brand-new track from H.E.R. In addition, towards the end of the conversation, they reveal why they included a clip from Predator in the movie.

‘Forgotten Island’ Wouldn’t Exist Without ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’

The Shrek spin-off was critically acclaimed upon release.

COLLIDER: Annecy is fantastic. What is it like for you guys being here? Also, I think you did a signing today. What was that like? I would imagine there are a lot of students here who really want to do what you guys are doing.

JANUEL MERCADO: This is our community, right? Animation and people who are just so passionate and love the art form, and this diverse collection of storytelling and points of view.

JOEL CRAWFORD: We fell in love with this place and the festival in ‘22 with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. That was the first time we came here, and, man, did that get a great reception. It was amazing to be able to present the sneak-peek stuff this morning to this audience. You just feel the love and passion. From the stage, we couldn’t help but want to give it back.

MERCADO: They totally get what we do, which is we just want to tell stories that mean something, and we just want to keep pushing the medium of animation.

I want to go backwards. How did this movie happen? You’re telling an original story, and with studios, there’s that constant balance of original versus sequel and IP that they know.

CRAWFORD: It’s interesting. Going back to 2020, we had finished The Croods: A New Age, and Januel and I started actually kicking around the idea of Forgotten Island, going, “Let’s tell something based on Filipino mythology.” We then actually stepped away from Forgotten Island for a little bit when we took on Puss in Boots and directed that. I’m super grateful for that experience with the studio because Puss in Boots pushed some boundaries for animation, but for DreamWorks, in terms of not just the style, the look of it being more painterly, but also the introduction of we’re telling a story about life and celebrating it, and so we introduced a character in Wolf that is death incarnate and was pretty scary. One of the coolest things was the honesty to go, “If you’re going to tell a story that celebrates the light, you’ve got to go to the dark a little bit,” and how well received and how that character resonated with audiences.

Because of that trust we gained from that experience with Puss in Boots, it was great that we got to jump into Forgotten Island after that, because now we have this shorthand with them, where we go, “We’re creating a big adventure comedy.” But really, there were no challenges on, like, “We know this is going to be a nuanced ride. It’s not going to just be all levity.”

CRAWFORD: I think they knew that we could deliver the goods. I mean, it took some convincing still, because originals, right? It’s so hard to get started, and even completing a movie is a frickin miracle, right? Let alone a good one.

The Puss in Boots movie was fantastic, so I think there’s probably faith from the studio after you deliver something like that.

CRAWFORD: Forgotten Island exists because Puss in Boots existed. But for us as filmmakers and storytellers, we’re like, “Let’s go further. Let’s dig deeper emotionally. Let’s see where we can take this medium of animation.” And one of the coolest things was creating this story that takes place in the ‘90s, and then it’s centered around memories and nostalgia. We get to actually tap into a lot of things from our formative years, of even ‘90s anime.

The Movies That Inspired ‘Forgotten Island’

“You have more ways to articulate a more nuanced story.”

I really think that the Puss in Boots movie and Spider-Verse really opened the door in terms of pushing animation forward because it was taking more creative risks and doing things we hadn’t seen. Do you think that both Spider-Verse and Puss in Boots are opening the door, especially to executives, the people who are greenlighting, and showing them we can go further?

MERCADO: That is a great question, because you’re right. We’ll flat-out say confidently, especially with Spider-Verse, how inspiring that was and how groundbreaking it was. Again, we’re just such fans of animation and our peers. To see something that blows your mind, I’m like, “Hell yeah! I want more of that.” I want people to step up right and inspire each other, you know?

CRAWFORD: It definitely inspired us, and inspired so many other filmmakers to then elevate and do their own version of breaking the box of what animation is supposed to be. I think one of the coolest things, not just stylistically, is when you also just visually say animation doesn’t have to just look like this. It also opens the gates for stories that could be told and themes that can be addressed because you’re not just back to the expected.

In a weird way, it felt like having these classic CG animated movies for so long, you had a limited set of tools, and these are the tools that you can tell this story with. Then all of a sudden, when you go, “Wait, you can use anything?” You can have paint brushes, you can have an airbrush, and you can have the mix of these things. You have more ways to articulate a more nuanced story. And I think that’s been the gift that Spider-Verse brought, that came along with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with Wild Robot, KPop Demon Hunters.

That’s another one. Not only is the story so important, but the animation of that movie and the way the eyes and the reactions, all of that stuff, is bringing in a whole new audience who are seeing animation in a new way.

CRAWFORD: It’s kind of cool because there’s been so much of what’s been done in the West, independent of what anime has been doing for decades in storytelling, like you mentioned, pushing the chibi pushed expressions and how you’d have dramatic stories in anime, and all of a sudden they turn into cute little characters, and you can do these tonal shifts.

MERCADO: Blood shoots out of her nose and waterfall tears.

CRAWFORD: [Laughs] What’s so cool with the international audience now consuming all kinds of animation is that this is a vocabulary that’s not foreign to anybody. For us, when we started Forgotten Island, we’ve been consuming so much anime for so long that we were like, “We think the Western audience is ready to actually get these references and these influences,” and that really opened the doors for us in our storytelling, of our timing, of our sensibilities. Because when you can actually break the model of a character and change them from very grounded and realistic looking, and they look cartoony and simple, and they’re missing their nose, within 13 seconds, you’re able to hit emotions and expressions that if you were grounded would take so much longer and would not have the emotional impact.

MERCADO: It wouldn’t be as interesting, too.

CRAWFORD: Yeah. It’s exciting.

‘Dragon Ball Z’ and ‘The Hangover’ Were Major Influences on ‘Forgotten Island’

Anime overall plays a key role in the film.

I want to get specific for fans who are not here, who have not seen what I saw, which looks awesome. Tell people about the different styles of animation and the things that they can look forward to in this movie.

MERCADO: If you’re a fan of animation in general, and the breadth of styles and storytelling tones, you’re in for a treat, because Joel and I’s sensibility is that we’re kind of maximalists, and it’s coming from a place of, “I love this. I love that. Let’s put it all in our movie!”

When specifically talking about the styles of animation, we have this amazing display of traditional CG performances, as well — subtle acting that you’ve seen in DreamWorks’ filmography — and we also have these pushed anime moments that now can be rendered in the 3D world. We also have 2D elements and classic 2D, ‘90s anime, inspired by the anime that we grew up watching. And that’s, to your point, too, people who don’t know anime think it’s all the same, but there are so many different styles of anime, and we haven’t even scratched the surface in our movie. It’s just, like, three shows and Street Fighter video games in the ‘90s.

CRAWFORD: We put all these things we love, but we make sure everything has a thematic and metaphorical reason to be in this story. One of the really fun things was going, “This is a story about memories and how we experience them and how we celebrate them and how they become part of our DNA.” We all will remember the same situation in different ways and be able to utilize the medium of animation to stylistically change it depending on who’s telling or retelling a moment, going from, yeah, we have the weredog, Raww, who’s retelling a moment, and his sensibility is he sees himself like Goku in Dragon Ball Z. He’s going Super Saiyan.

MERCADO: And he’s going Super Saiyan over a high five. It’s just his internal wish of, like, he wants to be a part of a group.

CRAWFORD: He wants a connection.

MERCADO: He wants a pack. He wants friends.

CRAWFORD: We love taking the fantastical and making it about the most relatable and nuanced thing, which is Raww wants connection. He wants a high five. When he tells a story, that high five is the biggest deal, but being able to put that into pushed anime.

There are other styles of a very narcissistic, handsome merman, who, if he retells a story, it might look like Sailor Moon. There’s going to be a lot of giant eyes with Vaseline on the lens and a lot of extra highlights in the eyes. Or there’s a giant demon baby, who is so naive and sweet, and we found a style that’s an anime called Crayon Shin-chan, which has rounded lines and a very soft, naive tone. So, being able to just find inspirations that tell your story has been so freeing.

Something that I don’t know if you guys realized, but I realized watching the footage today, is that there’s a little bit of the movie The Hangover. There’s a little bit of a plot similarity. They’re searching, and like, “What the hell did we do last night?” And these kids are searching, like, “What happened last night?” When did you guys come up with that story idea? By the way, I’m not trying to…

MERCADO: No, no, no. You’re on the money.

It’s a great plot device. When did you guys come up with that idea? It’s almost like teaching kids about a hangover — I’m joking around.

MERCADO: The great thing about that is the answer is always magic. [Laughs]

CRAWFORD: I’m excited for you to see the full movie. For us, we take this idea of being forgotten, like at the root of Jo and Raissa’s story is the fear that when you grow apart, the other friend will forget you. What we love is taking that theme, and really letting it ripple throughout the story in different tones. Like you mentioned, The Hangover is essentially a story of forgetting, but through a comedic lens. There are other inspirations we’ve taken, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

I saw a clip of that today where she’s trying to reach for the memory, but it’s disappearing.

CRAWFORD: Mhm. For us, it’s taking every angle of memories and exploring them through all of the tones of our film. So, I think it has the comedic lens, like you mentioned, but has so much more when people see the full movie.

‘Forgotten Island’s Villain Is Ripped Straight From Filipino Mythology

“When diving into this world of Filipino folklore, that was one of the creatures that really stood out to us.”

One of the things that I learned today is that there are two villains in the movie, and one of them seems pretty badass.

MERCADO: The vampire demon that splits in half?

Yeah. Talk about this antagonist and powers and how this character ranks against classic villains and antagonists from animated films previously.

MERCADO: That’s an excellent question. So a Manananggal — the demon vampire — is from Filipino folklore. They have a variant of a woman demon vampire that is able to split in half, and that is called a Manananggal. When diving into this world of Filipino folklore, that was one of the creatures that really stood out to us, of “I’ve never seen a character like this!”

I’ve never seen a character like this in a major animated release from a studio.

MERCADO: To your point, that is so unique, this type of vampire, and that feels like a really badass villain to follow up our wolf. Also, on the other side of it, there are noticeable archetypes about this villain, too, of her looking like a villain, just her design, but how she ranks as a villain is that she seems like this most badass, just evil thing, but there is something deeper with this character that relates to the themes of this movie.

I’m sure this is not just a villain to be a villain. Antagonists can be badass, but they need to have a reason. You look at Hans Gruber in Die Hard. That’s one of the best antagonists in any movie, because he’s just doing it for money. He’s such a badass, but he wants the money. It’s just very simple anyway.

MERCADO: You are on the money.

But there are two villains, so who’s the other villain?

MERCADO: The other villain is Batiba. You have, on one spectrum, the vampire demon that looks evil and looks like the bad guy, and the other end of the spectrum is this character, Batiba, that looks like a giant Totoro. [Laughs] Like a cat, fluffy Totoro thing. So you have the vampire, and she’s essentially a witch that plays with magic and is obsessed with the power of memories.

CRAWFORD: Like you mentioned, you’ve never seen this in an animated form before. One of the coolest things is that just by not going to the same well of European folklore and mythology, and by just going into and celebrating a different culture’s mythology, you get these unique stories. Like Januel said, the Manananggal is one of the most popular and iconic ones, and we felt like, not just because it’s terrifying, but to represent Filipino culture, that has to be one of the ones that we showcase in this. Batiba was actually derived from a different mythological thing, which is what was called the Batibat, which is even more terrifying, but we took some liberties.

MERCADO: This creature, it is a big, heavyset creature, which our version is still this big heavyset animal. The original creature is one that, kind of like Freddy Krueger, preys on the victim’s nightmares. It preys on the nightmares, and because we’re developing this story around memories, we thought we could put our twist on this creature and make this one prey on memories.

‘Forgotten Island’ Directors on the Film’s Unique Music Choices

The directing duo also discuss how they got a clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Predator’ in the movie.

There is a montage in the first act of the film where you’re seeing the girls growing up and what’s happening in their lives. It’s a really well-done montage. For a sequence like that, how long does something like that actually take to put together? I know that with that sequence, every bit you’re putting in these frames is designed to move the story along and not waste any frames, and it’s so well done, but that takes time.

MERCADO: 100%, yeah.

CRAWFORD: Aww. Thank you. That means a lot that you recognize that. Game recognize game. Even the song choice. Everything about that moment.

MERCADO: INXS.

CRAWFORD: When we started writing the story six years ago, we had written in INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart.” Thematically, it felt so right, and it’s interesting because that was a love song, but all of the lyrics and the vibe of it really represented the story of this friendship. So we carried that with us in the script until we started, years later, storyboarding it. We even had to convince story artists because it isn’t the conventional, what you might expect in the first act. It doesn’t have the pop kind of feel that you would expect in a montage of seeing them grow up together.

MERCADO: Very mundane, right? Two girls growing up and their friendship developing.

CRAWFORD: The goal was really to establish the bond that these two take on as they grew up together and what they do for each other, so that you see that they are kind of like two puzzle pieces that perfectly match each other, and neither one would be who they are in the present without that experience. So, there was a lot of reworking with our story artists, them pitching and redrawing and coming up with these moments. It’s one of those beautiful moments that, when you watch the full movie, that scene is such a setup for where the movie goes that we had to get it right.

MERCADO: To your point, too, Steven, you nailed it, where it was actually quite easy to write this because of the story we’re telling about friendship and the point of view of these two girls and the bond, but it was one of the hardest scenes to execute. We were spinning, like, “What happened? This works on paper, and this works for the movie, for sure. Why is it so frickin hard to board it and to cut it together?” That was the crazy thing. So when you asked that question, it was like that was the experience, right there. It was the hardest one to nail, to crack.

It’s just hard. Every single frame matters when you’re putting together a montage. One of the reasons why the movie works for the audience today, and I was so impressed with it, is that you’re telling a story that people can follow, but you’re breaking the conventional rules while you’re telling it. You’re not reinventing the wheel, but it’s the way you’re telling the story and the music you’re using.

CRAWFORD: Thank you.

What percentage are you done with the movie right now?

CRAWFORD: We’re pretty close. What’s going to be screened tomorrow is probably 90% finished. We actually just came from Skywalker Ranch right before. We were mixing the movie just a few days ago. For us as filmmakers, it’s so hard when we’re showing an unfinished movie, even though to everyone’s eyes, they’re probably like, “Oh, yeah, that looks mostly done.” There are some effects missing. There are some scenes where the lighting is not final. We haven’t color-finished anything.

But more importantly, the artists up at Skywalker Ranch, just to craft the sound, the original score that we have from Nathan Matthew David, the sound effects of some of these creatures and things that just bring everything to life, and sonically tell the story, for us, that’s not even represented yet. So, technically, by the middle or by the end of next month, we’ll be done with the movie. We’ve got so much to do.

It’s also a sign that the studio really believes in the film that they’re showing it at CinemaCon. They’re showing it at Annecy. They’re trying to tell people, “We have something here,” because they would not be screening this if they didn’t think they had something.

CRAWFORD: We’re so grateful for that, too, of that confidence, because we know how hard it is, also, with an original movie, to just get it to stand out, to get the audience to see it. So, on one hand, it’s terrifying for us to show an unfinished thing, but at the same time, I’m so grateful that DreamWorks and Universal were 100% behind, like, “Let’s show it.”

MERCADO: And to both of your points, it speaks to the power of storytelling. If the story is solid, if you could connect to the characters and what it’s about, then it matters at the end, but you could connect to a story at any stage, I think, if it’s a good, solid one.

CRAWFORD: We’ve actually screened our movie incredibly early, also for our cast, too. A lot of times, the cast sees the movie toward the end, when it’s mostly finished. Between H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, and Manny Jacinto, they’ve all seen the movie multiple times. They’ve been so engaged and locked in, invested in finding the best version of the characters. It’s been this great trust on both sides where they saw it when it was mostly storyboards so long ago, and Dave Franco’s texting thoughts and different things, and was just so invested.

Out of H.E.R. seeing the movie, emotionally, she was like, “I want to write a song.” For us, we want her for her acting performance. We would never ask her for a song. We would love one. But she was so emotionally moved watching the movie so early that we now have a song that she wrote, that also Liza Soberano’s singing on that just came organically. So, there’s been so much trust from everybody on this.

Is this song in the credits?

CRAWFORD: Yeah. It takes us out of the movie and into the credits.

There are going to be a lot of kids who watch this and are going to want to create friendship bracelets like the girls in the movie. Have you already thought about that in terms of creating something that’s movie-related that kids can get? There are going to be people who are like, “We should do that! We’re best friends.”

MERCADO: Oh yeah. The studio’s already on it.

CRAWFORD: Some of those scenes, too, that just came out of us trying to tell a story about objects, like they’re just objects until it’s a gift from somebody or means something. How do you visualize how powerful memory is? And story-wise, we came up with this bracelet that has all these charms from all these core memories. That’d be amazing to see kids celebrating, in a customized way, their own moments together.

Taylor Swift also opened the door with the bracelets. For me personally, the things that I wear are from specific things. They mean something to me.

MERCADO: We hope that Dreamworks is on the merch.

Studios seem to know how to do that. Sometimes it’s not as cool as you want it to be. That’s the issue. Sometimes, the people who are creating the merch don’t have that emotional connection, and I think for a movie like this, my best advice is to make sure that whoever is working on this watches the movie.

CRAWFORD: I think, also, it’s to understand the full scope of the audience. Because so many times, they do a great job servicing the traditional audience of younger kids, but especially as the industry evolves, as the audience is evolving, getting used to anime, 20-year-olds, young adults are wanting stuff to celebrate these movies that they’re enjoying just as much. For us, we were always saying we should have Sideshow Collectibles. We don’t have any of the Wolf from Puss in Boots.

I couldn’t believe that it’s an animated movie, but there’s a live-action clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie. How did you pull that off?

MERCADO: [Laughs] That iconic handshake.

Oh, so you did it for the handshake?

CRAWFORD: Did it for the handshake.

MERCADO: Well, we also did it for Predator. We love Predator.

CRAWFORD: It wasn’t easy to get through legal and everything. But we were always trying to make sure, like, how do we tell this story so it feels like everything in it has a purpose and means something? It was just us writing from our formative years.

MERCADO: What we love.

CRAWFORD: Yeah. We wanted an emotional symbol for the power of these girls’ friendships, and thought, wouldn’t that be cool if little Jo and Raissa were clasping hands with just as much machismo as Carl Weathers and Arnold Schwarzenegger because of the pact of their friendship? So we just wrote that into the script and then found out how hard it was to get through legal.

CRAWFORD: And that feeling, too, that I think a lot of us were probably too young to see Predator, but how formative movies like this are when you see them when you’re young. “That movie was not made for me, but I’m glad I saw it, and it’s totally shaped my sensibilities of the movies that I love.”

Forgotten Island opens in theaters on September 25.

Release Date: September 24, 2026
Director: Januel Mercado, Joel Crawford
Writers: Advertisement

Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado

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Entertainment

10 Best Jackie Chan Martial Arts Movies

Published

15 minutes ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

Michelle Yeoh behind a frantic Jackie Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop

Jackie Chan could well be the ultimate martial arts actor of all time, since he’s had roles in such movies for decades now, has had crossover appeal in terms of appearing in Hong Kong and American films, and he’s also well known for his dedication to action scenes and stunt work. There does exist a video that suggests he hasn’t done literally 100% of all his stunts, which is a thing that gets repeated about Chan in a similar way to Tom Cruise, but still, Chan has plainly done plenty of his own stunts and been right in the middle of various high-intensity action scenes.

Anyway, Jackie Chan’s very best starring roles from his greatest martial arts movies are outlined below. He had uncredited roles in some classics, like appearing as nameless fighters in movies like Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury, and (apparently) A Touch of Zen. These are all technically some of the best movies Chan has appeared in, but he barely appears in them… and with A Touch of Zen, you can’t even really find him. (Then again, if you can, or if you know where to find photo or video evidence of which part of the movie Jackie Chan’s in, genuinely let me know; I am interested).

10

‘Police Story 3: Super Cop’ (1992)

The sentiment that sometimes gets echoed when it comes to Police Story 3: Supercop is that Michelle Yeoh outshines Jackie Chan in a series that had, up until that point, kind of been a starring vehicle for him. That’s not unreasonable to say, because Yeoh definitely makes a strong impression and has a lot by way of fighting and impressive stunts to do here, but it could be defined as a good showcase for both of them, since their dynamic drives the movie, what with it being a buddy film of sorts.

They both play cops who come from different backgrounds, and have some similarities and differences, though they do both want to take down the same drug lord. It’s typical buddy cop movie stuff, but with perhaps a little less comedy than you might expect, and also maybe just a little less broad humor than what could be found in the earlier two Police Story movies Jackie Chan starred in (more on both of those in a bit).

9

‘Armour of God’ (1986)

Armour of God has some problems, so it’s not quite a perfect action/adventure movie or anything, but the parts that work do make it worthy of a watch, if you’re into martial arts cinema. And it’s fun seeing Jackie Chan a little out of his comfort zone, since Armour of God gets globe-trotting in nature and scope, with its premise involving him clashing with a cult that wants the sword – and other pieces of armor – that he came into possession of during his treasure-hunting.

Like with a good many martial arts movies, the best action is saved for the final act, so the slower parts (or the scenes focusing on inconsistent comedy) are worth getting through, for the whole climax. Otherwise, Armour of God often gets talked about because Jackie Chan endured his most serious injury, as an actor/stunt performer, while filming this one (more details can be found here, though the year of release is mistakenly mentioned as 1989).

8

‘Crime Story’ (1993)

Even if the title sounds similar, and Jackie Chan plays a member of law enforcement, Crime Story is not officially part of the Police Story series. It’s a good bit darker than those films tend to be, and one of the rare Jackie Chan starring roles that doesn’t really require him to do anything comedic. For Jackie Chan, this is about as heavy-going as his movies get, albeit it’s still not one of the grimmest or grittiest martial arts films of all time or anything.

Once you adjust to the tone, Crime Story delivers quite a lot of compelling action, with a bit of hand-to-hand fighting alongside some shootouts, with this being about as close as you’re probably ever going to get to seeing Chan in either a neo-noir or heroic bloodshed sort of film. When there’s not action playing out, Crime Story can feel a bit meandering, or at least not consistent, but much can be forgiven when the action is so reliably strong.

7

‘Operation Condor’ (1991)

Jackie Chan in 'Armour of God II: Operation Condor' — Jackie Chan in ‘Armour of God II: Operation Condor’

A sequel to Armour of God, Operation Condor marks a slight improvement on that film, since there’s a bit more by way of impressive action here, it’s paced a little better, and it feels a bit more at ease being an action/adventure movie than its predecessor. As for the plot, though, things are still simple, because Chan is still playing a treasure hunter, and he’s sent after, you know, some other treasure.

Various other people want the gold he’s searching for, and so it plays out as a whole chaotic race to find it. Armour of God gets compared quite often to Indiana Jones, and you can also, unsurprisingly, make that comparison when it comes to Operation Condor. It’s a fun and quite ambitious/large-scale romp, at least by Jackie Chan standards, and does indeed feel sufficiently adventurous throughout.

6

‘Police Story 2’ (1988)

You sort of have to go through the Police Story movies backwards, if you’re talking about the best ones and ranking them, since Police Story 2 is a little better than Police Story 3: Supercop, and yet it’s not quite on the same level as the first Police Story. Still, being in roughly the same ballpark as the original is well and truly something, considering how good that one is, and so Police Story 2 certainly satisfies in many ways, as an action/crime/comedy movie.

The important thing is that there are ample excuses for wild action, and Police Story 2 undeniably contains some all-time great Jackie Chan stunts.

Narratively, it’s a bit whatever, and doesn’t have to be much more. There’s some degree of revenge wanted by the villains of the first movie, and Jackie Chan’s character also has to deal with some other consequences of what happened near the end of that movie. The important thing is that there are ample excuses for wild action, and Police Story 2 undeniably contains some all-time great Jackie Chan stunts, including one brief sequence that involves jumping around on top of a truck and then a bus, dodging signs and then eventually flying through a window.

5

‘Project A’ (1983)

It might be a little sacrilegious to only put one movie in this ranking that features both Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, but Project A is their best collaboration. Also, a good many movies they’re both featured in have Chan in a minor role, not being much more than a cameo, in some instances. And also, some of them are hard to watch, outside the action scenes, with some really awkward (not just mildly unfunny) comedy found in quite a few of the Lucky Stars films.

Project A, though… to focus on Project A, it’s really good. Most of it holds up, it has some great stunts, and it allows Chan and Hung to play characters who fight pirates, so there is plenty to like. It also features a third legendary Hong Kong martial arts actor, Yuen Biao, so seeing them all in the one movie – and having that overall movie be as good as this – proves to be quite a treat, if you’re a fan of old-school martial arts flicks.

4

‘Miracles: The Canton Godfather’ (1989)

Possibly the most underrated of all the classic Jackie Chan action movies, Miracles: The Canton Godfather sees him starring in and directing a gangster movie, albeit one with a bit more comedy and action than most gangster films. It is a tonal oddity, sure, since much of it’s very farcical, and then there are other moments that are played more for drama, but that’s also a way it stays unpredictable and, overall, rarely boring.

Perhaps it’s a little too all over the place for some, and the runtime being over two hours doesn’t necessarily help, as the sweet spot for Jackie Chan’s best films is more in the 90 to 100-ish minute-long range. You take the good with the not-so-good here, to some extent, yet the good stuff in Miracles: The Canton Godfather is closer to excellent than good, truth be told, and there is also more than enough here to make it worth digging out (more people need to do some digging, when it comes to this one).

3

‘Who Am I?’ (1998)

Jackie Chan posing on top of a skyscraper ready to fight in Who Am I? (1998)

Another Jackie Chan movie that’s kind of underrated, and one he co-directed, Who Am I? sees Chan doing a spy movie, basically. There’s a bit of comedy, and the comedy isn’t really consistent, but that can be said about most of his action comedies. You’re probably more here for the action, and the action can dependably be relied upon, though at least the premise here – with Chan playing a man with amnesia – has some novelty value.

Who am I? also feels valuable for being one of the final gonzo movies Jackie Chan starred in, since he was in his mid-40s at this point, and while he didn’t slow down entirely by the time the 21st century started, he wasn’t doing quite as many wildly dangerous stunts. So, you can view this as a bit of a last hurrah for that kind of Jackie Chan movie, even if he didn’t bid it farewell entirely… it’s more just that this feels noteworthy as a late-era Jackie Chan film where very little was seen as off-limits.

2

‘Police Story’ (1985)

If Police Story (1985) isn’t the gold standard for martial arts cinema, then it is the gold standard for this kind of martial arts movie: one that takes place in contemporary times, or at least times that were modern when the movie came out, if that makes sense. It’s contemporary in feel because firearms and 20th-century vehicles factor into the action scenes, as opposed to something set long ago, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (not a Jackie Chan film, but a good example of that sort of martial arts film).

There is a real focus on hand-to-hand combat for the finale of Police Story, which is easily one of the best action sequences ever, and it concludes with a remarkable stunt (even by Chan’s standards), where he slides down a long pole, through all sorts of obstacles, risking electrocution and who even knows how many other forms of harm. And then the destruction at the start of the movie is also remarkable, and between the great opening and closing, you’ve got some other solid action scenes, too. It’s just fun, fast-paced, and extremely impressive on a technical/choreography front.

1

‘Drunken Master II’ (1994)

An honorable mention should go out to the first Drunken Master, which was an early starring role for Jackie Chan, and one of his better 1970s films… but he did kind of come into his own in the 1980s, and kept the momentum going into the 1990s. So, it’s Drunken Master II that’s ultimately even better, and one of the very best action movies of its decade, too. Narratively, it’s about artifacts and different people who want them, including some who want to steal them.

They’re MacGuffins. They exist so people can fight. And fight they do. The fights here are incredible, and it stands in contrast to something like Police Story, because just about all the action here is hand-to-hand, whether the people are using their literal hands, or weapons that are handheld. The best action sequences in Drunken Master II are about as good as such action sequences have ever gotten, or will ever get, and they ensure the film is, overall, quite the classic within its genre.

Drunken Master II

Release Date: Advertisement

February 3, 1994
Runtime: 102 Minutes
Director: Chia-Liang Liu, Jackie Chan
Writers: Advertisement

Edward Tang, Man-Ming Tong, Kai-Chi Yuen, Rod Dean

Jackie Chan
Wong Fei-hung
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Jerry O’Connell Likes Rebecca Romijn’s Body Odor Smell

Published

29 minutes ago

30 June 2026

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Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell's Relationship Timeline

Jerry O’Connell isn’t afraid of a little perspiration.

The actor candidly shared his appreciation for wife Rebecca Romijn’s body odor in an interview on the “Thanks Dad With Ego Nwodim” podcast on Monday, June 29.

Romijn, 53, came up in the conversation as O’Connell, 52, and Saturday Night Live alum Nwodim, 38, discussed antiperspirants, with the actor sharing that he prefers spray deodorants over roll-ons.

O’Connell then admitted, “I have to tell you, my wife, Rebecca Romijn, rubs crystals under her arms. And I’m here to tell everyone it doesn’t work … the crystals under the arms doesn’t work.”

“Now, I don’t mind the way my wife [smells] … it doesn’t offend me,” he continued. “This is going to get a little dirty … I kind of like it when I can smell my wife’s body odor. It’s kind of like, yeah, she’s alive, we’re alive, we’re living.“

O’Connell added, “It’s like a little kicking and, like, it’s a little funky town.”

O’Connell and Romijn have been married since 2007 and share twin daughters, Charlie and Dolly, 17.

Romijn was previously married to Full House icon John Stamos. The exes began dating in 1994 and tied the knot in 1998. Romijn and Stamos separated in April 2004, and their divorce was finalized a year later.

Earlier in June, Stamos, 62, admitted on Bobbi Althoff’s “The Really Good Podcast” that, “I didn’t want to get divorced.”

“It broke my heart,” the actor said.

“She wanted to [get divorced]. It took me a long time to get over, but I have to say that … she has a nice life, she married another guy, they have kids, they’re doing great,” Stamos added, referring to O’Connell.

Stamos also recalled bumping into O’Connell at a recent party.

“I met him recently. It was very interesting. He was very sweet. He was very nice,” he shared. “We were at a party together and he came over and he was super nice. He couldn’t have been sweeter. He was very, very funny and very charming.”

O’Connell also dished on their conversation during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live on June 23.

“John Stamos was at this party and I was like, ‘I got to make a beeline for him. I gotta just like, I got to go extend my hand,’” O’Connell explained. “So I went, I saw him. His beautiful new wife was there. They have a kid. I put my hand out.”

“I hugged him and I said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about the shopping addiction?’ I’m kidding,” O’Connell joked about Romijn. “That was a light-hearted joke I was trying to come up with.”

“I made some self-deprecating jokes. I made sure his new wife was there. You want everyone to feel included,” O’Connell continued, referring to Stamo’s wife, Caitlin McHugh, with whom Stamos shares son Billy, 8. “I whispered to him when I hugged him, ‘She says you’re bigger than me.’ … I whispered, ‘She says Greeks are better lovers.’”

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Taylor Sheridan makes rare comment on Kevin Costner's departure from “Yellowstone”

Published

42 minutes ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

The series creator explained that Costner’s original contract was only for three seasons, but that he stayed on due to the popularity of “Yellowstone.”

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The Iconic Family Movie That Turned Childhood Grief Into A Business Model

Published

55 minutes ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

The Iconic Family Movie That Turned Childhood Grief Into A Business Model

By Joshua Tyler & Chris Snellgrove | Published 6 seconds ago

No decade has been more thoroughly mined for nostalgia than the 1980s. You might think it’s just because the decade’s movies are so good they’re unforgettable. Or maybe it’s just because Hollywood is out of ideas.

That’s not it at all. It happened because the most popular kids’ movie of 1986 trapped an entire generation in a doom loop by killing off the person they loved most and replacing him with some plastic crap.

This is the story of how Transformers: The Movie screenwashed an entire generation into becoming slop eaters.

A Slop Eater is a person who mindlessly consumes without discrimination, driven by availability rather than quality. Transformers was ground zero for the explosion of nostalgia that has dominated every Millennial’s life for the last two decades. Endlessly mining the past for nostalgia is flat-out slop.

Transformers: The Movie effectively screenwashed men into learning the worst possible lesson: that we should never put away our toys, and that we’re just one more throwback purchase away from reclaiming the happiness of our childhood. By the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll understand how they did it, so that maybe, just maybe, together we can break the spell.

When 1986’s Transformers: The Movie came out, it did the very last thing its young fans expected by killing off Optimus Prime early in the movie. This tough-but-tender truck man was more than the leader of the Autobots: he’d been established as a pseudo-father to the kids who’d been watching him on television and were now in the audience.

The filmmakers killed Prime off as a blunt way to demonstrate that this movie was playing for keeps, especially compared to the cartoon. Or at least that was their excuse.

The truth is that there was an ulterior motive at play here. The filmmakers were so focused on achieving that ulterior motive that they didn’t stop to consider the long-term consequences of their actions. What they were doing was creating a generation of man-child slop eaters.

Optimus Prime launches a one-robot raid.

Transformers: The Movie has a pretty relentless pace. After a bit of world-building (including the introduction of the Galactus-like Big Bad, Unicron), we see the Decepticons take over an Autobot ship, horrifically killing everyone on board.

They use this to launch a daring raid on Autobot City, and it soon looks like the bad guys are going to win the day. That changes when Optimus Prime launches a one-man counter-assault that ends with a duel against Megatron, the ruthless Decepticon leader. Prime wins the battle with one final blow, but he has sustained too much damage and later succumbs to his injuries.

In some ways, that makes things worse. Optimus Prime doesn’t get a quick death like other ‘bots, including Starscream. Instead, we watch him slowly and excruciatingly die in the Autobot equivalent of a hospital room. He flatlines, and all hope is lost. We literally see the light leave his eyes.

As if that’s not bad enough, his entire body turns gray, emphasizing the horrific transformation we just watched. This is no longer the strong, vibrant hero of a mighty army. He’s now just a collection of spare parts.

Looking back, older Transformers fans consider this the moment their childhood died, which is ironic. After all, this franchise is why their childhood never ended.

With Optimus dead, the film simply moves on and gives us a replacement, in a cynical attempt to sell toys based on new characters, intentionally teaching its child audience the worst possible lesson: when an old toy dies, just replace it with a new one.

Is Optimus Prime dead? No problem, Ultra Magnus has the Matrix of Leadership now.

Wait, they just pulled Magnus apart? No worries, Hot Rod is about to get an upgrade. Be sure to buy both figures!

This is Replacement Nostalgia. Replacement Nostalgia is a media pattern in which childhood attachment is preserved not by memory or growth, but by continually replacing old versions of beloved icons with new ones, keeping the audience emotionally dependent on the franchise.

Transformers: The Movie conditioned an entire generation of kids into making Replacement Nostalgia a way of life through a four-step persuasion process.

Step 1: Childhood attachment is made disposable.

Optimus is not just a character; he is a moral father figure. Killing him says even sacred childhood icons can be swapped out.

Step 2: Grief is redirected, not resolved.

The kid is not asked to emotionally process Optimus being gone. The movie hands them Rodimus Prime and says, essentially, this is where your feelings go now.

Step 3: Replacement becomes continuity.

The franchise keeps going, so the child learns that emotional continuity does not come from maturation or memory. It comes from consuming the next installment.

Step 4: Nostalgia becomes renewable inventory.

Once the kid grows up, the same structure can be repeated: Optimus dies, returns, gets redesigned, rebooted, reissued, recollected, re-skinned. The adult is not asked to leave childhood behind. He is invited to keep buying upgraded access to it.

You’re not watching a story with a beginning, middle, and an end. You’re trapped in a narrative subscription model that keeps renewing over and over and over again. By the time the original Transformers generation grew older, there was never a thought about putting away childish things because constant consumption of nostalgia slop became their corporate-friendly way of life.

Speaking of which, companies constantly fill store shelves with toys that those now very grown kids still scoop up, hoping that they’ll eventually have enough plastic crap to fill that void deep inside us. A void left by Optimus Prime. These tchotchkes are a way of microdosing nostalgia; an attempt to recapture the joy felt at getting a new Transformer growing up.

Millennials are stuck between two very different eras. Not fully online, yet unable to put the digital cat back in the bag, the best they can do is swim towards the receding shore of the past, one rerun at a time.

By killing off Optimus Prime and many other characters, the film could introduce new characters whose toys the young audience would implore their parents to buy after the credits rolled. And no one stopped to think about how that might affect those kids as they grew up.

While Transformers has successfully reinvented itself for later generations (just take a look at the toy aisle if you don’t believe me), the original cartoon and movie were squarely aimed at a very young, Millennial audience. As this audience grew up, nostalgia became a core part of their identity. And as a result, Millennials never really learned to put the toys away.

Hollywood is well aware of this collective nostalgia fixation and constantly floods the big screen with endless prequels, sequels, and reboots. After all, why try something new when most of your core audience is longing for something old? This is how we inexplicably got a third trilogy of Star Wars movies focused on Skywalker family drama. Even when Hollywood produces a nominally new IP like Stranger Things, it has to be soaked in enough ‘80s nostalgia to tickle the same part of our brains that still likes playing with vintage toys.

Sadly, endlessly making the Autobots and Decepticons fight each other won’t teach a man-child to transform into an adult. And watching them now can’t transform him back to who he was in the past. All that’s left is to look at fragments, hoping to catch a reflection of yourself from the last time you were truly happy. But fragments of happiness are better than no happiness at all, so Millennial men continue pursuing inner peace, one slop remake at a time.

When you run out of remakes, you can relive the trauma by rewatching the original, coincidentally streaming on Amazon. While you’re there, be sure to order a new toy. Don’t worry; I’m sure this will be the one that finally makes everything better!

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Jerry O’Connell Likes Wife Rebecca Romijn ‘Funky’ Body Odour

Published

1 hour ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

LOS ANGELES - JAN 13: Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O'Connell at the 2019 American Rescue Dog Show at the Fairplex on January 13, 2019 in Pomona, CA

Jerry O’Connell recently shared some candid details about life with his wife, Rebecca Romijn, revealing the actress has a “funky” smell.

The 52-year-old actor didn’t hold back in a new interview as he proudly confessed his love for her body odor while noting that she rubs “crystals” under her armpit instead of using regular deodorant.

Jerry O’Connell previously came under scrutiny when he joked that Rebecca Romijn only finds him “appealing” when she’s “high.”

During a chat with former “Saturday Night Live” alum, Ego Nwodim, on her podcast, O’Connell shared some interesting details about his wife’s hygiene methods and how much he likes her natural smell.

As the pair chatted about antiperspirants, the actor noted that he strictly prefers spray deodorants over roll-ons, before dragging Romijn into the conversation.

“I have to tell you, my wife, Rebecca Romijn, rubs crystals under her arms. And I’m here to tell everyone it doesn’t work … the crystals under the arms doesn’t work,” O’Connell said.

He continued, “Now, I don’t mind the way my wife [smells] … it doesn’t offend me. This is going to get a little dirty … I kind of like it when I can smell my wife’s body odor. It’s kind of like, yeah, she’s alive, we’re alive, we’re living.”

“It’s like a little kicking and, like, it’s a little funky town,” O’Connell added about his wife’s smell, per Us Weekly.

The Hollywood couple tied the knot back in 2007 and are proud parents to 17-year-old twin daughters Charlie and Dolly.

The Actor Admitted His Wife Will Only Touch Him When She’s ‘High’

Various Real House wives and celebs attend the apos A Star Is Born apos themed baby shower for Bravo host Andy Cohen at the Palm Restaurant in Beverly Hills CA — MEGA

O’Connell tends to have no filter when it comes to sharing details about his relationship with his wife. The actor previously raised eyebrows when he shared that Romijn only finds him “appealing” when she’s high.

The comment came about while he was having a conversation with comedian Bill Maher on his podcast about smoking.

O’Connell noted that while he doesn’t smoke, he lives with someone who “vapes,” referring to Romijn.

This prompted him to say: “The only time my wife finds me appealing is intimate with me … the only time my wife — what’s the word? — touches me is if my wife takes a hit off that pen.”

Later in the episode, Maher questioned whether O’Connell was a “health nut,” which led the actor to confess his love for processed food and takeout orders.

Maher couldn’t resist poking fun at his lifestyle, joking that O’Connell sounded like a guy who “doesn’t get laid unless his wife is high.”

Jerry O’Connell Once Shared That Rebecca Romijn Helped Him Quit Smoking By Threatening To Stop Sleeping With Him

Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell — MEGA

For O’Connell, quitting the habit of smoking required a major and intimate intervention from Romijn. Back in February, the actor revealed that he had a major nicotine addiction for decades, which he was eventually able to beat with the help of hypnosis.

However, what pushed him to seek such an unconventional solution was his wife’s threat to stop sleeping with him if he continued smoking.

“I struggled with nicotine for decades… had to get hypnotized,” O’Connell said during an appearance on actress Sophia Bush’s podcast, noting that he hasn’t smoked in over 14 years.

The television personality explained that the true turning point was sparked by Romijn’s dramatic marriage ultimatum.

“My wife said she would not touch me if I smoked, and that lasted about two months,” he recalled. “I thought it was a joke. Then, after, like, two weeks, there was no physical contact. After about three and a half weeks, I was like, I gotta do something.”

After finding it hard to quit on his own, O’Connell shared that he reached out to a friend, who advised him to try seeing a hypnotist as it worked for them.

The Actor Was Surprised That Hypnosis Worked On Him

Speaking further about his journey to quit smoking, O’Connell noted that he struggled with the idea of getting a hypnotist, but was convinced to give it a try by a friend who claimed to have successfully quit thanks to the unconventional method.

For the session with the hypnotist, O’Connell revealed that he brought along a photo of his wife and kids, and was told to sit on a recliner with headphones on.

“…and there was, like, spa music. And she was like, ‘Count to nine, eight…’ and I fell asleep,” the actor recalled.

When he was done, O’Connell remembered thinking to himself, “What a joke,” seemingly annoyed that he “just gave some old lady $800.”

“What a waste of money,” the actor said. But, to his utter amazement, the results were instant.

“I walked to my car. I got in it. I had a pack [cigarettes], put the ciggy in my mouth, brought the lighter up… I couldn’t light it… I swear to you. I swear to you. I’ve never been hypnotized for anything else,” O’Connell said.

Jerry O’Connell Said His Wife And Daughters Got ‘Physical’ With Him Over Politics

Jerry O'Connell and his wife Rebecca Romijn film a scene for a Rose Parade TV segment — Snorlax / MEGA

In another candid moment, O’Connell shared that he got into a heated physical altercation with Romijn and their daughters over politics.

The actor opened up about the shocking moment, which was sparked by his comment on Donald Trump defeating Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

“I said something along the lines of, ‘There was no planning. This is what they get. There should have been a primary,’” O’Connell shared with Bill Maher on his “Club Random” podcast. “I was just spit-balling ideas.”

Things then took a turn, as he branded the intense reaction from his wife and daughter “shocking.”

“My wife and daughters, without saying anything, became physical with me. They were filled with rage,” O’Connell recalled.

“I live in California,” he added about the incident. “I live with not one, not two, but three people who, if I made any kind of joke, they’d become very angry with me.”

After his comments went viral, the actor shared on social media that he was done doing podcasts, confessing that his family was “mad” at him over his candid remarks.

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Kathie Lee Gifford opens up about late husband cheating, reveals if she wants to marry again

Published

1 hour ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

Gifford said “there’s not a day that goes by” where someone doesn’t credit her resilience with saving their own marriage.

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Woman, Mom Arrested W/ Yung Miami ‘Spend Dat’

Published

2 hours ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

Janeice Downs, a Washington woman, and her mother have reportedly been arrested after allegedly stealing $7,000 worth of Louis Vuitton purses and posting a video to Yung Miami‘s ‘Spend Dat.’

RELATED: Go, AWF! LisaRaye Has The Internet Taking Notes After Hitting Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ Challenge (WATCH)

Woman & Mom Reportedly Arrested After Allegedly Stealing $7K Worth Of Louis Vuitton Purses & Posting Video To Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’

According to Fox 13 Seattle, Janeice Downs and Janeice Wiley were arrested after participating in a “series of high-end thefts across Western Washington.” Per the outlet, Downs has been charged with organized retail theft in the first degree.

Furthermore, Downs and her mom were reportedly taken into custody in the parking lot of Westfield Southcenter mall. This, reportedly, after detectives connected Downs to “multiple thefts through surveillance footage, social media posts,” and additional information. Specifically, detectives apparently believe Downs and her mom stole two Louis Vuitton bags, reportedly valued at $7,000.

Then, detectives say Downs shared footage of her mother dancing with the bags via TikTok. In the background of the clip, Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ played.

To note, Downs’ mother has reportedly been released from custody on $50,000 bail.

Social Media Reacts To The Arrests & Video To Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’

Social media users reacted to the arrests of the woman and their posting a clip dancing to Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ in No Jumper’s comment section.

Instagram user @sicckarri wrote, “‘Spend Dat’ time in prison headahh 😂”

While Instagram user @reefer448 added, “Got away with the crime but just couldn’t resist that viral moment🤦🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️😂🤣”

Instagram user @mybrazy_life wrote, “‘Do that time’ ‘do that time’ 😂‼️🤣”

While Instagram user @423breezo added, “‘Spend dat’ not ‘STEAL THAT’ 😂😂😂😂😂”

Instagram user @blvd_d3mon wrote, “‘When your mom your co defendant’”

While Instagram user @allitcanbe_ added, “Blind 👩🏽‍🦯…. leading the blind 👩🏽‍🦯👩🏽‍🦯”

Instagram user @zayvizuals wrote, “Let’s see if young Miami come save u 😂”

While Instagram user @richlifeshawtydred added, “Do not let this music inspire you to commit crimes 🤣🤣🤣rap music is for entertainment purposes only please remember this🤣🤣🤣”

Instagram user @rashad_gatorboi352407 wrote, “They said jail dat bih jail dat bih jail dat bih 😂😂”

While Instagram user @hippie__tv added, “Why didn’t they wait like a month or just made the video and never post it till it was over smh this why females aren’t the smartest”

More On The Woman Arrested After Allegedly Stealing $7K Worth Of Louis Vuitton Purses

According to Fox 13 Seattle, Janeice Downs previously caught six counts of organized retail theft after allegedly stealing from Lululemon stores. The mother-daughter duo was accused of stealing more than $500,000 worth of merchandise. Per the outlet, she was reportedly sentenced to 33 months in prison.

RELATED: Whew! Social Media Users Are Goin’ IN On Yung Miami’s Look At 2026 BET Awards (PHOTOS)

What Do You Think Roomies?

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‘Doctor Who’ Officially Returns to SDCC With New Titan Collection [Exclusive]

Published

2 hours ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

‘Doctor Who’ Officially Returns to SDCC With New Titan Collection [Exclusive]

The Making of Aliens

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies ever made! Only 100 copies available.

Exclusive Bugstomper Enamel Pin

Raffle Ticket to win a copy signed by James Cameron

Dogma: A Screenplay Signed by Kevin Smith

Titan will have debut copies of the original script of one of Kevin Smith’s most beloved movies! Only 150 copies available.

Exclusive Dogma Acrylic Keychain

Night of the Living Dead: The Official Story of the Film

The ground-breaking horror movie is at last celebrated with its own coffee table book, and Judith O’Dea, who plays the unforgettable Barbra, will be at the show on Thursday and Friday!

Exclusive Enamel Pin

Rocky Horror Show: The Official

Tarot Deck

Titan will have an extremely limited amount of The Official Rocky Horror Show Tarot Deck and Guide Book debuting at Comic Con.

Exclusive Foil Artcard Signed by the original “Magenta” Patricia Quinn

The Fifth Element: A Visual

Retrospective Signed by Director Luc Besson

The first-ever art book for this visionary fan-favourite movie is debuting at Comic-Con, and Titan has copies signed by Luc Besson himself!

The Art & Making of Highlander Signed by Director Russell Malcahy

To celebrate Highlander’s 40th anniversary, Titan has debut copies of the incredible companion book signed by director Russell Malcahy.

Limited Edition Print

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home — The Making of the Classic Film

Celebrate The Making of Star Trek IV with exclusive interviews, rare photographs, and untold stories from cast and crew.

Limited Edition Exclusive Bumper Sticker

The Crow: The Definitive History With Exclusive Art Card Signed by Concept Designer Peter Pound

Take a deep dive into the making of the iconic 1994 film The Crow, exploring its origins in James O’Barr’s haunting graphic novel, and the lasting impact of its production.

Exclusive Art Print Signed By Peter Pound

The Descent: The Official Movie

Novelization Signed by Director Neil

Marshall

Titan will have an extremely limited number of copies of the official novelization signed by director Neil Marshall.

Wondla: The Art & Making of The

Limited Series Signed by Tony DiTerlizzi

The official companion guide to the animated TV series, brimming with beautiful concept art, sketches, and 3D models of the characters!

Exclusive Art Print Signed by Tony DiTerlizzi

Giger’s Alien

This iconic book, rarely available in hardback, will be available early at Comic-Con ahead of its reissue in September.

Doctor Who: Fourteen-Piece Tardis

Enamel PIN Collection Volume Three

A world-exclusive collector’s pin set of 14 brand new TARDIS variants from across every era of Doctor Who’s time-vortex-twisting history. Strictly limited to 200 units – all previous sets are long sold out!

Doctor Who: Weeping Angel San Diego Tour T-Shirt

Following up 2025’s record-breaking sold-out San Diego exclusive t-shirt design with another Doctor Who meets San Diego design by our wildly talented designer pal Kelly Yates. Available in sizes S-4XL, only while our very limited supplies last.

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Manga T-Shirt

Another instant classic by the mighty Kelly Yates available only at Titan Entertainment Booth #5537, size range S-4XL, only while our very limited supplies last.

Doctor Who: All-New Titans Vinyl Collection

Previously unavailable in the USA! And now coming to San Diego Comic-Con 2026 after a tidal wave of fan demand — 4 sets of Doctor Who TITANS vinyl figures, from the most recent seasons of the hit series.

Doctor Who: All-New 6” Titans Vinyl Figure Dave Gibbons’ the Meep!

Previously unavailable in the USA! And now coming to

San Diego Comic-Con 2026 in EXTREMELY limited numbers — our unique TITANS vinyl of the deceptively cute & cuddly MEEP, as originally designed for Doctor Who by comic book legend Dave “Watchmen” Gibbons.

Doctor Who: Tardis Visits San Diego

Celebrate Doctor Who’s return to San Diego Comic-Con with this exclusive enamel magnet, based onour long-sold-out Comic-Con 2025 t-shirt! Artwork by the unassailable Kelly Yates. Strictly limited to just 100 units.

The Junji Ito Collection: Souichi

Enamel PIN Badge

Celebrate Junji Ito, the absolute Master of Anime Horror with this rare color variant of Junji Ito’s Souichi. Strictly limited to just 100 units.

Rocky Horror Show: Four-Piece

Enamel PIN Collection

Oh, the anticipation! Four deluxe Rocky Horror pins, collected in a special Transylvanian collector’s case. Just 50 units are available,

Black Star #1 SDCC Exclusive Martin Simmonds Inks Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Martin Simmonds inks cardstock cover. Amidst skirmishes between two warring factions in the early nineteenth-century fur trade, Dashiell Carlyle discovers he has magical abilities… and that he’s not alone!

Conan the Barbarian #33 SDCC

Exclusive Dan Panosian Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Dan Panosian cardstock cover. Conan and Valeria are pirates of the Red Brotherhood, living a life of lawless adventure on the Western Sea, but occult forces from the Cimmerian’s past have him in their sights once more.

Conan the Barbarian #33 SDCC

Exclusive Dan Panosian Virgin

Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Dan Panosian virgin cardstock cover.

Conan & Dragonero #1 SDCC Exclusive Roberto de la Torre Inks Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Roberto de la Torre inks cardstock cover. Two worlds collide in a savage crossover years in the making!

Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #1

SDCC Exclusive JH Williams III Virgin Foil

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive JH Williams III virgin foil cover. SOLOMON KANE is no stranger to the impossible. But the mythic storm gathering in the heart of India may be his greatest test yet.

The Savage Sword of Conan #15 SDCC Exclusive Alex Horley Inks

Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Alex Horley inks cardstock cover. THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN returns with another brutal dispatch from the Hyborian Age!

The Savage Sword of Conan:

Reforged #5 SDCC Exclusive Ernie

Chan Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Ernie Chan cardstock cover. Prepare to embark on one of Robert E. Howard’s greatest Conan adventures ever: “People of the Black Circle!”

Gun Honey Doubles Down #1 Special Edition SDCC Exclusive Tehani Farr Virgin

SDCC Edition is digitally numbered and includes an exclusive Tehani Farr virgin cover. This special edition features both the Free Comic Book Day story and issue #1 in a single collectible release.

Gun Honey Doubles Down #1 SDCC Exclusive Artgerm Inks Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Artgerm inks cardstock cover. When a botched attack on the dictator of Russia sends three identical-looking men fleeing Moscow for Siberia, Finland, and the Black Sea, Gun Honey Joanna Tan is offered $10 million to separate the real target from his doubles.

Gun Honey Doubles Down #1 SDCC Exclusive Artgerm Virgin Foil

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Artgerm virgin foil cover.

Gun Honey Doubles Down #1 SDCC Exclusive Derrick Chew Copic Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Derrick Chew copic cardstock cover.

Gun Honey #1 Super Sized 5th

Anniversary Special SDCC Exclusive Bill Sienkiewicz Foil

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Bill Sienkiewicz foil cover. An incredible oversized edition celebrating the 5th anniversary of the best-selling series.

Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus: To Lose Is To Win #1 SDCC Exclusive Junggeun Yoon Virgin Foil

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Junggeun Yoon virgin foil cover. Discovering that Mead and Stix are still alive, their old Commanding Officer, Uldren sets out to kill them before they can reveal his treachery.

Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker #1 SDCC Exclusive Jay Anacleto Virgin Foil

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Jay Anacleto virgin foil cover. In Adversary of the Daleks, the Doctor arrives in Thessaloniki in Ancient Greece, where she discovers that even the gods fear strange visitors from across the universe.

Dead by Daylight: The Hillbilly #1

SDCC Exclusive Alex Horley Inks

Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Alex Horley inks cardstock cover. Explore the origins of the original Dead by Daylight killer, The Hillbilly!

Exclusive Game Code

Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1 SDCC

Exclusive Dev Pramanik Inks W/

Trading Card

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Dev Pramanik inks cover with a trading card. Akarat, the ancient legend whose teachings spawned the Zakarum faith, has risen from death.

Tank Girl Summer Love Sensation 35th Anniversary Comic (One Shot) SDCC Exclusive Jamie Hewlett Virgin Cardstock

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Jamie Hewlett virgin cardstock cover.

Lenore Ghost Story #1 SDCC Exclusive Roman Dirge Glow in the Dark

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Roman Dirge glow-in-the-dark cover. Nature. It’s itchy and there’s bugs in it. Yet, this is where Lenore and crew decide to spend a little relaxation time camping!

Michael Moorcock Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress #1 Sdcc Exclusive Norm Konyu Virgin Foil

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive Norm Kunyo virgin foil cover. After love was taken from him, Elric of Melniboné is tasked with finding and aiding the Empress of the Dawn. Though others also seek her out.

Star Wars Insider #237 SDCC Exclusive Foil

SDCC edition comes with an exclusive foil cover. THE FINAL EVER ISSUE OF STAR WARS INSIDER! Exclusive Interview with the departing Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy!

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Entertainment

Gym Bro Skeletor Action Figure Revealed by Mattel Creations : Coastal House Media

Published

2 hours ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

Taylor Sheridan Clarifies Kevin Costner's Yellowstone Exit Three Years Later : Coastal House Media

Rumors surrounding the DC Universe’s next Batman have exploded across social media, with multiple insiders claiming that Tom Brittney has been cast as the Dark Knight for DC Studios’ upcoming The Brave and the Bold.

While nothing has been officially confirmed by James Gunn, the speculation gained momentum after well-known scooper MyTimeToShineHello simply posted, “It’s true, it’s Tom,” leading fans to connect the dots to Brittney. Several entertainment outlets have since echoed the rumor, although none have been able to verify it through DC Studios.

For fans unfamiliar with Brittney, the English actor is best known for his starring role in Grantchester. He was also reportedly one of the finalists to play Superman before David Corenswet ultimately landed the role, making him someone already familiar to DC Studios during the casting process.

Interestingly, James Gunn previously praised Brittney’s acting ability after seeing fan artwork imagining him as Batman, calling him “a great actor.” While that comment fueled fan speculation, Gunn has repeatedly stated that DC Studios will not officially cast Batman until the script for The Brave and the Bold is where they want it to be.

At this point, it’s important to stress that this remains nothing more than a rumor. DC Studios has not announced its Batman, and neither Gunn nor co-head Peter Safran has confirmed Brittney’s involvement in the DCU.

Still, if the reports prove accurate, Brittney would become the first actor to portray the DCU’s version of Bruce Wayne, separate from Robert Pattinson’s Batman, who continues to headline Matt Reeves’ standalone Elseworlds franchise.

Until an official announcement arrives, fans should treat the reports with caution. However, the growing buzz has certainly made Tom Brittney one of the most talked-about names in the race to wear the cape and cowl.

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The X-Files Episode That Killed A Marvel Hero Before The Opening Credits

Published

2 hours ago

30 June 2026

NewsAdmin

The X-Files Episode That Killed A Marvel Hero Before The Opening Credits

By Michileen Martin
| Published 19 seconds ago

The third season of The X-Files is one of the show’s strongest, and it’s during this season that Ryan Reynolds made one of his earliest TV appearances. The future Deadpool & Wolverine star shows up in the cold open of “Syzygy,” and before the opening credits his corpse is hanging from a cliff. His killers lounge on the grass far above him, laughing and pulling petals from a flower.

The Death Of Boom

Fittingly, considering Reynolds would go on to portray the Merc with a Mouth, “Syzygy” is one of the more darkly humorous episodes of The X-Files. It opens with Reynolds, who plays the teenage jock nicknamed Boom, giving an awkward eulogy for his murdered friend, insisting he and his friends need to “kick some butt” just like his dead friend “is doin’ in Heaven right now.”

The real killers, teenage girls Terri and Margi, ask Boom for a ride home. Along the way they talk about how they heard a satanic cult is looking to sacrifice virgins. Without any subtlety, they suggest that if they weren’t virgins anymore, they wouldn’t have to worry.

Boom pulls his car off the road. Next we see, he’s “hanging out.”

The Real Killers

In spite of what everyone in the small New Hampshire town believe, neither Boom’s death nor any of the other strange events happening in the X-Files episode have anything to do with Satan. Instead, a rare planetary alignment is causing people to act weird, and in the case of Terri and Margi, who were both born on the same date and at the same time, it gives them telekinetic powers while filling them with homicidal yearnings.

But Boom’s death helps to feed the satanic panic, not only because of his demise, but because of his coffin inexplicably catching fire during his memorial service.

Lisa Robin Kelly

Ryan Reynolds isn’t the only actor in The X-Files‘ “Syzygy” who would later enjoy more celebrity with a signature role, but the other star would unfortunately meet a tragic end.

One of the two psychic murderers of “Syzygy,” Terri, is played by Lisa Robin Kelly. Two years after the X-Files episode aired, Kelly made her first appearance in the second episode of That ’70s Show as Laurie Forman, older sister to Topher Grace’s Eric.

Kelly struggled with substance abuse for most of her adult life, and was eventually replaced in That ’70s Show by Christina Moore.

In 2013, at the age of 43, Kelly overdosed from drugs and died in her sleep.

Mulder Vs. Scully

One of the funniest parts of “Syzygy” is a very different chemistry between The X-Files mainstays Mulder and Scully. The planetary alignment is affecting them along with everyone else, and at first this manifests nothing more than a little bit more impatience on Scully’s part, along with Mulder getting a lot more flirtatious than normal with the local detective.

Eventually it gets to the point where Mulder is getting drunk alone in his hotel room while Scully is chain-smoking in hers.

Things eventually get a lot less polite between the two. When an angry Scully complains that Mulder never lets her drive, Mulder answers, “I was just never sure your little feet could reach the pedals.”

The writers apparently used online complaints X-Files fans made about the show to write the barbs Mulder and Scully torture each other with in “Syzygy.” The “your little feet” joke came from one fan’s theory on why Scully never drove, and Gillian Anderson apparently found it particularly hilarious.

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