2026 has been a big year for Netflix so far, and most of its most successful hits have come from its original programming. The first movie that immediately comes to mind is War Machine, the sci-fi epic headlined by Alan Ritchson that earned over 130 million views, enough to make it one of the top 10 most-watched Netflix original films in history. The film was such a success that Netflix has already announced it’s working on a sequel, but at this time it’s entirely too early to predict when it could be released. Netflix also released a new sci-fi series, The Boroughs, which was cancelled after only one season despite being positioned as the platform’s next Stranger Things. Another non-original Netflix sci-fi show, The Last Ship (starring Eric Dane), has been blowing up on the streamer over last few weeks after all five seasons were added to the platform.

Netflix is always searching for hidden gems that may have never found an audience in theaters, ones that can be revived thanks to its gargantuan streaming subscriber base. One long-forgotten movie that has found redemption on Netflix as of this week is The Doorman, the heist thriller starring Ruby Rose, who is best known for her role as Ares in John Wick: Chapter 2. Jean Reno and Rupert Evans also have key roles in the action thriller, which was written by Lior Chefetz, Joe Swanson, Devon Rose, and Matt McAllester, and directed by Ryūhei Kitamura. The Doorman is streaming on Prime Video, Pluto TV, and Tubi in America, but the film was recently added to Netflix’s global library, where it has become a top 10 sensation in more than 25 countries.

What Is ‘The Doorman’ About?

The official synopsis of The Doorman reads as follows: “When a former Marine takes a job as a doorman at a luxury Manhattan high-rise, she never expects to be reunited with her late sister’s family living inside. But when a ruthless gang of mercenaries storms the building hunting for priceless hidden art, she’s forced to use her deadly combat skills to protect her niece and nephew — turning every hallway into a battlefield.” The Doorman earned poor scores of 24% from critics and 23% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Budget information about the film was never released to the public, but it grossed less than $1 million at the global box office.

Check out The Doorman on Netflix globally or on Prime Video in America, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of all the hottest projects on streaming.

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Release Date

October 1, 2020

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Runtime

97 minutes

Director

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Ryûhei Kitamura

Writers

Joe Swanson

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Producers

Harry Winer, Mark Padilla, Sean HusVar, Craig Lothian, Gary Drummond, Cory Chen, Stanley Preschutti, Joe Simpson, Phin Glynn, Geneva Wasserman, Jason Moring, Daniel Negret, Jonah Loop, Simon Williams, Sara Shaak, Peter Hampden, Norman Merry, Shayne Putzlocher, Timothy Marlowe, Nick Stagliano, Michael Philip, Jonathan Bross

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Penélope Cruz revealed that she suffered from several brain aneurysm “scares” in recent years.

“I have had many scares like that,” The Invite actress, 52, said in an interview Net-a-Porter published on Monday, July 6. “Fortunately, I’m fine, it was a false alarm.”

Cruz, who shares son Leo, 15, and daughter, Luna, 12, with husband Javier Bardem, explained that the health issues inspired her to make sure she was on the right path for her well-being.

“I worry about staying healthy, taking care of myself,” she explained. “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I really don’t party. Without health, we have nothing. You talk about real equality? Why don’t we start with health?”

Related: Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem: A Timeline of Their Relationship

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem knew each other for more than a decade before falling in love, they have managed to keep their personal lives relatively private ever since. The couple met while filming the 1992 film Jamón, Jamón. They reunited for 2008’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona and sparks flew. Cruz and Bardem began dating in […]

Cruz added that women’s health issues don’t get as much research compared to men’s ailments.

“It’s shocking that over decades, we’ve stuck to the same information about how women’s bodies work,” she told the outlet. “Look at funding for investigation into any illness that affects only women — we don’t get even half the investment. It is a level of control or suppression.”

Earlier this year, Cruz publicly spoke about experiencing brain aneurysm symptoms while filming The Black Ball. During the film’s premiere at Cannes in May, the actress, who plays a cabaret performer in the Spanish film, revealed that a doctor told her about the health issue before one of her night shoot sequences.

“We’re about to go out, I was putting on my wig, and they said, ‘Oh, apparently you have some brain aneurysm,’” she recalled of the instance at the film’s festival screening, per Variety. “I thought I was about to die. This is something that was totally surreal in my life.”

Cruz explained she took the rest of the evening off and was medically cleared by a doctor to continue the production.

“I thought, ‘It’s a total miracle,’” she reflected. “I have to, I must have this in me.”

The actress added that the health scare also made her performance and connection to the film’s crew stronger.

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“You experience these things together, yet despite all this, despite the hardship, you can move forward in life,” she said.

The Black Ball is a queer drama that spans nearly a decade of Spanish history. It is based on the unfinished work of the same name by Federico García Lorca. In addition to Cruz, the film adaptation stars Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas and Glenn Close.

Following its premiere at Cannes, The Black Ball earned a 16-minute standing ovation.

Apple TV’s best sitcom of all time is finally back for Season 5 after a two-year break, and it doesn’t take very long for Trying to tackle the cliffhanger it last left off on. Just when Nikki and Jason’s life finally feels a bit more settled in and picture-perfect, Esther Smith and Rafe Spall are asked to take their characters’ warm, wonderfully steady marriage into some messier terrain. Princess (Scarlett Rayner) and Tyler (Cooper Turner)’s biological mother, Kat (Charlotte Riley), shows up and throws their family into a whole new kind of chaos.

As if that wasn’t enough, Nikki also has a charming new co-worker in her life (Colin Morgan), the kind of person who makes you wonder if this marriage is about to hit a really hard bump. Suddenly, the happy life this quintessential couple fought for and that audiences have come to love since Trying‘s 2020 premiere doesn’t feel quite as simple as it did before. However, that’s what makes the opening stretch of its latest season so exciting and one more example of why the show itself is Apple TV’s sweetest hidden gem. Six years later, the streamer’s laugh-out-loud half-hour series is finally asking some very uncomfortable questions about marriage, parenthood, and whether life ever really stops testing those who’ve found happiness.

What Is ‘Trying’ Season 5 About?

Picking up right where Season 4 left off, with Kat at the front door of Nikki and Jason’s home, the couple is now dealing with an “additional” parent in their daily comings and goings, which leaves plenty of room for an anxious Nikki to spiral. The new dynamic has also created some hostility between Nikki and Princess, who is upset that her adoptive mother kept the truth from her while she visited Kat in Spain during Season 4. Meanwhile, Tyler is less sure how he feels overall about it, leading the couple to try to support their kids’ wishes but also figure out where Kat really fits in their lives.

At the same time, life is pretty much moving forward for everyone. Jason heads back to school after feeling inspired by Penny (Imelda Staunton) to become a social worker, while Nikki starts a new job in the travel industry. Without spoiling the gags that follow, it’s safe to say they both have the kind of first days that only Trying could pull off: awkward, sweet and deeply funny. Meanwhile, Princess and Tyler are growing into teenagers who have their own worries between what to text a crush to party-hopping with friends on Halloween. The season also follows Nikki’s sister Karen (Siân Brooke) as she manages to juggle life with her daughter, Stevie (Matilda Flower), while Scott (Darren Boyd) is still caught up in his latest adventure following last season’s decision — rowing across the Atlantic.

One of Season 5’s most common threads is not so much everyone “trying” to float on by, but that they’re all standing at a crossroads. Nikki and Jason are no longer learning to be good parents, but rather holding onto themselves while raising full-grown teenagers. Across the season, Nikki starts to feel like she’s an outsider, especially as Kat’s return gives Princess so much she can’t offer. It’s this very real fear that gives the season some of its most tender moments, because even when Nikki and Jason are pulled in different directions, the show keeps coming back to how much they still want to find their way back to each other. Never once turning those big soap-opera moments into melodrama, Trying lets Season 5 become a story about learning to live with change without assuming change means something is falling apart.

‘Trying’ Season 5 Is Still One of Apple TV’s Best-Written Shows

One of the things that has made Trying so special is that it understands how funny normal life can be when people who are just doing their best get it slightly wrong. After four seasons, these new episodes lean into that even more, with jokes that don’t feel forced or overly set up. While Nikki and Jason’s first days in their new worlds are absolutely perfect examples of this, so is the couple’s eyebrow-raising trip to Italy, or Nikki and Karen’s dad, John (Roderick Smith), not knowing how to operate state-of-the-art kitchen cabinets while visiting his eldest daughter. The humor comes from how awkward, exposed, and out of place everyone can often feel. Yet Trying never laughs at them; it laughs with them, which has always been part of its charm, and the show trusts its audience to find those moments just as rewarding as the bigger ones.

Season 5 also has a knack for making the smallest moments feel huge. Between a text message, a bad assumption, or withholding information, Trying turns all of it into something funny and tender at the same time. Even Nikki meeting (and crushing on) Kerry works because the show never treats it like some cheap twist. Instead, it uses her charming colleague to explore something very interesting about Nikki and Jason’s marriage, which showrunner and creator Andy Wolton handles with remarkably mature writing even when the triangle leads to some shocking revelations. More than anything, Trying Season 5 still understands something many comedies forget: people don’t stop growing once they get their happy ending. They just face different challenges.

The ‘Trying’ Cast Is as Lovable as Ever in Season 5

Image via Apple TV

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Smith and Spall have always been the heart of Trying, but Season 5 gives them a slightly different challenge this time around. Nikki and Jason are still very funny, warm, and wonderfully chaotic, but the show’s leading duo now has to play them as people who are more settled in and somehow less sure of themselves at the same time. Smith is especially good at letting Nikki’s anxiety creep in without making her feel irrational, grounding every spiral in something painfully human and completely understandable. Meanwhile, Spall continues to make Jason’s kindness feel easy and instinctive. He can get a laugh with one confused look, then turn around and make a quiet parenting moment feel completely sincere.

Rayner also gets some of her strongest material yet as Princess, and carries it beautifully. Princess is at the heart of the season, consistently in search of answers she has wanted her whole life, which gives her story even more weight when you think back to Nikki and Jason first finding her in Season 2. Rayner plays her as older and sharper, but never too grown-up. There is a real vulnerability underneath the anger Princess feels toward the adults, especially as she tries to work out what her biological mother’s return means for her and for the family she already has.

Around the trio is Turner, who also brings a lovely awkwardness to Tyler, especially as the character tries to navigate first love. Joining the young actor are Brooke and Boyd, whose performances continue to make Karen and Scott’s chaos feel strangely touching. Also along for the ride this season is Morgan, who fits in quite well as Kerry, bringing just enough charm to make his place in Nikki’s life believable without flattening him into a simple plot device. We’d be remiss not to mention the striking turns from Celia Imrie and Gbemisola Ikumelo in guest-starring roles as a hoarder and social worker, respectively, that smartly tie to Jason’s new path. It’s small yet impactful and heartfelt, giving Season 5 another lovely reminder of how far Nikki and Jason have come since the early days of trying to become parents.

By the time the credits roll, Trying will once again leave you wishing you could spend a little more time with this family (those eight episodes made available for review were not enough). It is also the kind of season that will have you laughing one minute and quietly tearing up the next, tugging at your heartstrings in the gentle, non-showy way that the show has always done best. Five seasons in, Trying remains one of the best-written, best-acted, and most emotionally rewarding comedies on television.

Trying Season 5 premieres with new episodes starting Wednesday on Apple TV.

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Release Date

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2020 – 2023

Network

Apple TV

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Directors

Ollie Parsons, Ellie Heydon, Elliot Hegarty, Jim O’Hanlon

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Writers

Andy Wolton, Oriane Messina, James Wood, Fay Rusling

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• 

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Pros & Cons

• Esther Smith and Rafe Spall deliver another deeply lovable, lived-in performance as TV’s most comforting couple.
• Andy Wolton’s writing finds huge emotional payoffs in life’s smallest, funniest, and most relatable moments.
• Scarlett Rayner shines as Princess in the show’s most emotionally rewarding storyline yet.
• The Kerry storyline adds real tension without turning the season into cheap relationship drama.

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Dave Chappelle didn’t mince words when sharing his assessment of Travis Kelce’s bachelor party.

Kelce celebrated the occasion ahead of his wedding to singer Taylor Swift. As part of the festivities, the NFL star attended Chappelle’s show in San Diego, and seeing who the football star arrived with led the comedian to draw his own conclusion about the celebration.

Chappelle wasn’t invited to the wedding and admitted he was surprised by the omission. The ceremony had several high-profile stars in attendance, including figures from the worlds of sports, music, and film.

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On Friday, Dave Chappelle appeared on CNN Live with television personalities Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. At one point, the conversation shifted to Travis Kelce’s bachelor party. The football player had also attended Chappelle’s show in San Diego as part of the celebration.

Knowing Kelce had been at the show, Cohen asked Chappelle whether he had interacted with the football star during the night.

Chappelle confirmed that they had met and, in typical fashion, offered a candid, no-holds-barred assessment of Kelce’s bachelor party.

“Well, of course I did. I was shocked; I had never seen anything like that. A wh-reless bachelor party. Whatever makes you happy, Travis,” the comedian told Cohen and Cooper.

Inside Travis Kelce’s Bachelor Party Weekend

Kelce attended Chappelle’s San Diego show alongside his brother, Jason Kelce, and at least half a dozen other friends, according to TMZ.

The comedy show was just one stop on the group’s bachelor party itinerary. Earlier that day, they got their adrenaline fix by attending a NASCAR event at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.

The multi-day celebration also took the group to Los Angeles, where Kelce spent a night at the exclusive Bird Streets Club with close friend Ross Travis and comedian Druski.

The festivities also included a stop at a performance by DJ Chris Lake. At the event, Kelce wasted no time living it up by dancing both on and off the stage, as seen in viral fan footage.

Dave Chappelle Jokes About Missing The Wedding Invite

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Kelce and Swift ultimately tied the knot on July 3, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The ceremony was officiated by actor and comedian Adam Sandler and attended by approximately 1,000 guests.

Despite the star-studded guest list, Chappelle did not receive an invitation, something the comedian admitted came as a surprise.

“I heard he was getting married at Madison Square Garden,” Chappelle told Cohen and Cooper. “You would think I could have gotten an invite. I didn’t make the 15,000 closest friends.”

Cohen then jokingly replied that he, Cooper, and Chappelle were probably the only people who didn’t receive an invitation.

Swift And Kelce’s Wedding Drew Major Stars

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Both the bride and groom appeared to keep the guest list limited to people with whom they shared personal relationships.

On Kelce’s side, many of the attendees were individuals he had worked with throughout his NFL career. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, 49ers tight end George Kittle, and Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford all made the list, each accompanied by their spouses. Also invited were Chiefs coach Andy Reid, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, and NFL legend Tom Brady.

Swift’s guest list featured a mix of music and Hollywood stars. Singers Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Ice Spice, Little Big Town, Benson Boone, and Sabrina Carpenter were all in attendance, along with actors Dakota Johnson, Hugh Grant, Bradley Cooper, Ethan Hawke, Elizabeth Banks, and Emma Stone.

Kelce And Swift Reportedly Delaying Honeymoon Plans

“Giants wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster’s wedding to Laura Kruk on July 11 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Orange County, California,” TMZ recently reported.

“There’s a week between Taylor and Travis’ wedding and JuJu’s … but we’re told the couple has no plans for a mini honeymoon before they head out to California,” the outlet added.

By Jeffrey Rapaport
| Published 29 seconds ago

Dexter set the bar for dark prestige TV, drawing from Michael C. Hall’s outrageous talent, which was also evident in the similarly dark prestige TV series he did just prior, Six Feet Under. But if you have exhausted the exploits of Dexter Morgan, yet yearn for another gripping and macabre experience, you can Cold in July for free on multiple platforms today. 

Like Dexter, the film is an adaptation of fiction, one providing a chilling, suspenseful journey through the underbelly of crime (ah, the underbelly of crime: our favorite underbelly), all deftly woven by Jim Mickle’s directorial sensibility. Mickle is justifiably regarded as a powerhouse of atmospheric tension, having turned out films like Stake Land and We Are What We Are. 

As much if not more so than those projects, Cold in July constitutes a must-watch for Dexter devotees, if only for Hall’s involvement. 

A World Of Corruption

The film’s opening is outwardly straightforward: Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall), a small-town frame shop owner, finds himself inexplicably and reluctantly forced into heroics. His heroic act? Killing a burglar in self-defense. However, as Cold in July is a dark thrill starring none other than Dexter, the serial-killer-killing-serial-killer, things can and must proceed grimly from there. 

Indeed, Dane’s accidental bout of violence propels him into a twisted, brutal labyrinth, a maze worsened by deceit, vengeance, and enigma.

Soon, Dane winds up partnered with two unlikely allies—the burglar’s vengeful father, portrayed by the brilliant Sam Shepard, and a flashy private investigator, played memorably by Don Johnson. The trio careens into a seedy world of corruption and ethical ambiguity as they unravel a draconian conspiracy, thread by thread. 

One Of Hall’s Tragically Overlooked Roles

Perhaps most noticeably, Cold in July benefits from Hall’s stellar performance as Dane; outwardly a stark departure from Dexter Morgan, Hall nonetheless infuses the character with the captivating pathos of someone descending into a moral dilemma. The intensity Hall injects in the performance reminds us why he won such a loyal fanbase through his previous work. 

Like Dexter, the movie also throws unpredictable narrative twists at the audience; enjoyably subverting expectations and guiding viewers down a path intensified by tension and suspense. Also akin to Hall’s serial killer series, Cold in July revels in moral ambiguity, blurred lines, and the nagging sense that what’s right is wrong and wrong is right. 

An Atmospheric, Slow-Burn Thriller

Hall’s preceding endeavors, such as Six Feet Under, were at their best when they forced audiences to confront uncomfortable questions; Cold in July compellingly requires just as much of the streaming viewer. 

Upon its release, the movie won critical admiration; experts lauded the project’s atmospheric direction and arresting narrative, alongside the standout performances from Hall, Shepard, and Johnson. Mickle’s knack for engendering a tense, suspenseful story, a tale inviting comparisons to classic noir thrillers, especially pleased experts. Currently, on Rotten Tomatoes, the films hold an impressive 84 percent. 

A Must-See For Fans Of Dexter

Critical acclaim aside, Cold in July ultimately performed modestly well at the box office, no doubt because the project was a limited release. Premiering and competing at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, the feature was soon scooped up by IFC Films, who purchased the rights for an estimated $2 million. IFC soon put the film out theatrically and on video on demand at the same time. 

While its budget remains under wraps, IFC went on to earn roughly a million and a half dollars from the film globally, which probably meant profit for the team behind the film, but loss for the studio that bought its rights. 

Regardless of monetary woes, for a winsome thriller starring Dexter himself, you can stream Cold in July for free on Tubi, Pluto TV, and Plex as of this writing.

By Shanna Mathews-Mendez
| Published 40 seconds ago

2023’s Knock at the Cabin has remained largely below the radar, and it’s a shame. While not a wholly original film, as it’s based on the novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, the adaptation is loose enough that The Sixth Sense director made it his own. It is one of the more thoughtful, personal films I’ve seen by M. Night Shyamalan, and if you’ve got Peacock, you can stream it for free. 

A Doomsday Prediction

Knock at the Cabin opens up with a seven-year-old little girl, Wen, playing in the woods. She and her two dads, Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff), are on vacation at this lovely cabin in the woods. Wen is alone when a man (Dave Bautista) approaches her, introduces himself as Leonard, and starts talking very kindly to her.

He asks her where her dad is and if she can take him there. The scene is quiet and creepy. You’re wondering the whole time if he’s going to kidnap her, kill the dads, or just murder everyone. 

Suddenly, three other people come out of the woods and approach the residence to knock at the cabin with Wen. Adriane (Abby Quinn), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and Redmond (Rupert Grint) join Leonard as they ask to be let into the cabin. Of course, the dads grab their daughter and refuse to let the strangers in. The strangers are relentless and tell the family that they need their help to save the world. 

Cancel The Apocalypse

They gather makeshift weapons, break into the house, and tie up Eric and Andrew, asking Wen to sit down with her dads. They then explain that they are strangers who have never met and that each of them was guided by a supernatural force (we can assume it’s some sort of god) to knock at the cabin and offer this family a chance to save humanity.

As they explain it, the family has to decide which one of the three of them will sacrifice him or herself, and the family has to kill that person. If they do that, they can stop the global catastrophes that are now taking place. 

Obviously, Eric and Andrew refuse to believe the strangers, but they turn the television on to reveal that planes are falling from the sky, a plague is spreading rapidly through the Earth, and volcanoes are erupting. As each moment ticks by, more people are dying across the globe. I hesitate to reveal anything more from Knock at the Cabin because what makes it so terrifying is what happens next. 

Streaming On Peacock

Dave Bautista does a superb job of telling the story and leading his cohort in Knock at the Cabin. The little girl who plays Wen, Kristen Cui, is spectacular as this daughter is terrified to lose one or both of her fathers, and Groff and Eldridge display so much love for each other in this film that you believe they are a family to make the worst possible decision ever. I walked out of the theater and sat silently for at least an hour, unable to think of anything else after watching the film.

Stream Knock at the Cabin on Peacock the next time you’re in the mood for an intense ride. 

Prince Harry’s latest visit to Britain was expected to focus on family and preparations for the upcoming Invictus Games.

Instead, it has been overshadowed by fresh tensions involving Buckingham Palace after a planned overnight stay reportedly fell through.

Even with the latest setback, sources say the Duke of Sussex remains hopeful about spending time with King Charles while Meghan Markle continues exploring the possibility of bringing their children to the UK.

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Prince Harry landed in the UK on Monday as questions continued swirling around his accommodation plans and his relationship with the Royal Family.

A spokesman confirmed the Duke of Sussex had arrived following several days of uncertainty surrounding where he would stay during the trip.

Just hours before his arrival, plans reportedly changed after Harry was informed he would no longer be staying at Buckingham Palace. According to reports, royal officials notified him on Saturday night that the overnight accommodation would no longer be available.

The confusion deepened when Harry’s team announced roughly 36 hours later that he would, in fact, be staying at the Palace.

Reports claimed the King’s invitation had been withdrawn because Harry had taken too long to accept it. The decision sparked a public disagreement after the duke’s spokesman accused Buckingham Palace of withdrawing the accommodation offer at the last minute.

Despite the latest disagreement, insiders insist Harry’s focus remains on seeing his father during the visit.

According to a Daily Mail source, “Harry is still keen to see Charles, which he is looking forward to.”

Prince Harry Hopes Family Can Join Him For Invictus Plans

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Although Harry arrived alone, the Sussexes reportedly have not abandoned hopes of making the trip a family occasion.

Sources close to preparations for the Invictus Games in Birmingham claim Meghan Markle remains eager to travel to Britain in the coming days despite the ongoing disagreement over security and accommodation.

The couple are also said to be exploring ways for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to briefly visit the UK.

According to the insider, “They are working on ways that this can happen safely.”

The family has reportedly been spending time in Europe, making a short visit to Britain a possibility if security arrangements can be finalized.

Harry had originally hoped Meghan and their children would accompany him throughout the five-day visit, which also coincides with preparations for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.

His itinerary reportedly includes plans to meet King Charles as well as a private visit to Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire, where Princess Diana is buried.

If Archie and Lilibet make the journey, it would mark their first opportunity to see their grandfather since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.

Accommodation Row Overshadows The Royal Visit

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The disagreement surrounding Buckingham Palace accommodation has become one of the biggest talking points of Prince Harry’s return.

Reports suggest the duke initially declined the offer for both himself and his family before later changing course and requesting accommodation for himself.

By that point, however, Palace officials reportedly informed him that the necessary hospitality arrangements and staffing were no longer available.

It is understood Harry only intended to stay at Buckingham Palace for one night.

The situation has prompted questions from those close to the Sussexes over whether the accommodation was ever realistically available once Harry confirmed he wished to accept it.

Private conversations are also said to have taken place between the duke and King Charles during the planning process.

Prince Harry’s Team Responds To Buckingham Palace Decision

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Following reports about the accommodation dispute, Harry’s spokesman issued a strongly worded statement disputing claims that the duke had failed to respond to the Palace’s invitation.

The spokesman said, “I am aware of multiple briefings from Buckingham Palace last week suggesting that the duke had not accepted the offer of accommodation at a royal residence.”

He continued, “Following RAVEC’s decision not to provide security for his family, the duke spent last week making alternative security arrangements.”

Explaining the timing of Harry’s response, the spokesman added, “Once those arrangements were in place, he was able to formally accept the offer of accommodation for himself over the weekend.”

The statement also challenged the explanation given for withdrawing the accommodation.

The spokesman said, “It is therefore disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn, with Tuesday’s judgment in the Associated Newspapers Limited case cited as the reason.”

He continued, “Buckingham Palace has, however, been aware of that judgment since last Thursday. It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.”

Palace Looks Ahead Despite Continuing Tensions

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While the latest disagreement has generated fresh headlines, reports suggest both sides remain open to future visits.

According to palace sources, the decision to withdraw the accommodation was made after consultation with King Charles and communicated through the appropriate channels.

It is also understood that accommodation at a royal residence will remain available to Prince Harry and his family during future visits to Britain.

For now, however, attention has shifted toward whether Harry and his father will spend time together during this trip and whether Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet will ultimately make the journey to Birmingham.

As preparations continue for the Invictus Games and discussions over security remain unresolved, Harry’s latest visit has once again placed the Sussexes’ relationship with the Royal Family under intense public scrutiny.

Whether the trip becomes a step toward reconciliation or simply another chapter in an already complicated family story remains to be seen.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 17 seconds ago

Here’s a fun fact: historically, Star Trek shows have had a scientific consultant whose job it is to keep storytelling grounded in our current knowledge of physics and technology. That doesn’t mean everything you see in these shows is scientifically accurate, of course: as Voltaire so memorably sings, far too many plot points still get resolved through nonsense technobabble, like “[bouncing] a graviton particle beam off the main deflector dish.” But the advisor does his best to ensure that most of what we see in shows set in the 24th century jives with the collective scientific knowledge of the 20th and 21st centuries.

As a rule, the scientific advisor isn’t usually heavily involved with plotting an episode. Rather, he gets called in after the fact to supply convincing jargon for scenes of technical exposition. There are exceptions, of course, including the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “A Matter of Perspective.” Scientific consultant David Krieger attended the story conference for this episode because the writers needed to know how the holodeck could accidentally put the ship in danger. He provided the perfect explanation and received an unexpected reward: a new bit of Trek technology was ultimately named after him!

The Holodeck Goes Homicidal

“A Matter of Perspective” is a murder mystery in which Riker is accused of killing a man by deliberately blowing up the space station he was on. Eventually, we find out that the commander didn’t murder this guy; instead, the guy tried to murder Riker, but his radiation waves bounced off the transporter beam and blew up his interstellar laboratory; furthermore, the Enterprise’s holodeck recreation of the scientist’s lab was converting energy from the planet into radiation that endangered the ship. It makes for a fun reveal, especially with Lawyer Picard doing the talking. Still, this story flummoxed the entire writing staff for a simple reason: it required the holodeck to do something impossible.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the holodeck is presented as the ultimate virtual reality simulation. No goggles are needed: thanks to holographic projectors, replicators, and invisible force fields, it can perfectly replicate anyone and anything, letting visitors do whatever they want without leaving the ship. Fortunately, they are designed with safety protocols that keep people from getting killed. But that presented a problem for the TNG writers (all of whom worked on “A Matter of Perspective”) because the episode had the holodeck sending waves of dangerous radiation into the ship. How, then, could it do that when the technology was explicitly designed to keep people safe?

Science Saves The Day

Thanks to this narrative conundrum, “A Matter of Perspective” marked one of the few times that science consultant David Krieger was invited to attend a story conference in person. The writers pitched him their problem, and he came up with a creative solution. Instead of the holodeck serving as a direct source of the damage happening to the Enterprise, it would simply convert harmless energy from the planet into deadly radiation. It did this because the scientist’s lab was secretly designed to do so, and the Enterprise perfectly recreated it in the holodeck. 

It made for a nice little loophole: the holodeck wasn’t intentionally causing harm, and the discovery that the Enterprise is accidentally creating radiation leads to the episode’s climactic reveal. As for the Star Trek: The Next Generation producers and writers, they were proud of the science consultant’s idea. So proud, in fact, that they named the special radiation “Krieger waves” in his honor. Unfortunately, the reception to this episode was mixed; many fans liked it, but TNG writers like Michael Piller, Ira Steven Behr, and Ronald D. Moore absolutely hated it. 

An intensely divisive episode actually named “A Matter of Perspective?” Man, our simulation really is breaking down. Before it gets any worse…computer, end program! 

President Donald Trump gave Nicki Minaj an eyebrow-raising shout-out during the White House Rose Garden luncheon.

“We also have a woman that is so respected and so hot and so great and such a great friend of, I don’t say conservative, I say of common sense,” Trump, 80, told the Monday, July 6, event crowd, while speaking about the rapper, 43.

“She’s a fantastic person and she’s a woman that’s respected by everybody and she’s got real talent: Nicki Minaj,” he continued.

The president then prompted Minaj to “stand up, please,” adding that she is “such a great person and respected by everybody.”

When Trump later spoke about the Small Business Administration, he once again brought Minaj back into the conversation.

“Nicki Minaj is so incredible. They call it small business, Nicki, but when you add it up, it’s bigger than any back in the world, probably, right?” Trump added. “It’s not small business, but she’s done fantastically and I appreciate it.”

Minaj — one of many in attendance for the Rose Garden Club event — could be seen smiling in photos from the lunch as she enjoyed iced tea at one of the garden tables.

Following the luncheon, the “Pink Friday Girls” rapper updated her fans on her latest trip to the White House.

Minaj used the hashtag “WhiteHouseBarbie” on all of her uploads from the day, including a video posted to X of her sitting at the garden party wearing Versace. “#WhiteHouseBarbie 🎀 #VersaceTingz,” the caption read.

The musician later posed with a portrait of Trump as she walked down the hallowed halls of the White House.

Minaj also reposted a clip of Trump giving her the above shout-out, responding with a series of praying hand emojis.

To top off her outing, Minaj got to go inside the Oval Office and take a picture with Trump at his desk.

“Whoa!!!! #WhiteHouseBarbie with her favorite President of all time!!! 🙌🏽🇺🇸♥️,” she wrote via X.

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Minaj and Trump’s friendship has been well-documented over the years, especially after he won his second term as president in November 2024.

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The Grammy nominee has since become a frequent guest at Trump’s events, including the 2026 Trump Accounts Summit in January.

“I am probably the president’s No. 1 fan, and that’s not going to change,” Minaj told the crowd after Trump summoned her on stage in Washington, D.C. “The hate — or what people have to say — it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more. And it’s going to motivate all of us to support him more.”

She added, “We’re not going to let them get away with bullying him. He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him. Amen?”