Entertainment
All 17 Harlan Coben Shows, Ranked
We all love a good mystery thriller. It’s our chance to escape into a crime-filled world, playing a detective as we attempt to solve the mystery. If there is one mystery writer in the modern era who has delivered a world of excellent content, look no further than Harlan Coben. The brilliant mind behind some of your streamers’ highest-charting hits, the American author is, to say the least, prolific.
Having written dozens of novels that bring twists and turns around every corner, many of the titles have been adapted for serialized purposes. Though they may not all be extraordinary, they’ve certainly become a guilty-pleasure genre within thrillers. Adapted in many countries in a variety of languages, one thing they all have in common is the ability to keep you intrigued from start to finish. We’re going to celebrate his televised bibliography as we determine the best series in the greater Harlan Coben Cinematic Universe.
17
‘Caught’ (2025)
Coben might be American, and his work tends to be transported to the UK, but that doesn’t mean all of his work has to follow the same formula. In 2025, Caught became the first Latin American adaptation of a Coben piece. Set in Bariloche, Argentina, Caught follows investigative journalist Ema Garay (Soledad Villamil), who has built a successful career by catching criminals who have eluded justice. But her latest story hits closer to home. Working alongside social worker Leo Mercer (Alberto Ammann), Ema gets a tip into the disappearance of a 16-year-old girl that makes Leo the primary suspect. With the entire justice system gunning for him, Ema might be the only person who believes his innocence. But as she pursues the truth, she unravels a web of interconnected mysteries that puts her life in direct danger.
Regardless of language, Caught is typical Coben. There are elements that make it a strong series, but what Caught lacks is an immediate, original, and engaging hook. With a pretty murky first episode, Caught drudges along as twists and turns tend to pop out from nowhere simply for the sake of it. Coben’s stories are almost all fragmented, eventually uniting down the line, but Caught seemed to suffer more than normal. What shines through is that, no matter the language or location, you can sense Coben’s unique voice.
16
‘Gone for Good’ (2021)
Based on one of Coben’s earliest works, the French-language series has all the markings of a classic Coben thriller. Gone for Good follows Guillaume Lucchesi (Finnegan Oldfield), who spends his summers at his family estate on the French Riviera. During his trip in 2010, he witnessed the murder of his girlfriend and his older brother. Ten years later, on the eve of his mother’s funeral, Guillaume proposes to his new girlfriend, Judith (Nailia Harzoune), who suddenly disappears the next day. The past and present collide as Guillaume is thrust into a brand-new mystery to discover the truth about Judith and where she may have gone.
The five-part series has an engaging and riveting hook that immediately moves into a swiftly paced drama. Moving the location to France was a seamless transition. Gone For Good does a lot of time-hopping, which is good for developing a tense story that sets up a stronger overall narrative, but it just needs a bit more nuance and purpose. It’s not necessarily confusing, but it stalls the action at times. If you’re eager to watch every Coben series, regardless of language, Gone for Good is a decent time; otherwise, you can probably skip.
15
‘Just One Look’ (2025)
Like many of Coben’s mysteries, it’s the darkest secrets of ours that tend to become the most destructive. Set in Warsaw, Poland, Just One Look follows Greta (Maria Dębska) as her life is upended when a disturbing photo mysteriously surfaces, connecting to the disappearance of her husband, Jacek (Cezary Lukaszewicz). As she digs into what happened, Greta confronts buried truths, past traumas, and her own hazy memory to save her husband. But that might mean discovering a marriage that was not what she thought.
Thanks to its worldwide Netflix release, Just One Look charted quite quickly, as Coben series tend to do. But if you had Coben fatigue at the rate that his series have been churned out, you might have passed this one up. The adaptation of the 2004 novel is led by Dębska, who delivers a solid performance. With an American writing perspective told in a Polish setting, Just One Look works, but it lacks a bit of the universality that other Coben shows contain.
14
‘The Five’ (2016)
One of Coben’s first series to be created for the screen and not a direct adaptation, The Five is a thriller that takes audiences from the past to the present. Childhood friends Mark Wells (Tom Cullen), Danny Kenwood (O. T. Fagbenle), Slade (Lee Ingleby), and Pru Carew (Sarah Solemani) are reunited when DNA evidence left at the murder scene of Annie Green is revealed to be that of Mark’s younger brother, Jesse (Alfie and Harry Bloor), who disappeared 20 years prior, believed to be killed by serial killer Jakob Marosi (Rade Serbedzija). Through an intricate web of trials and tribulations, the four childhood friends search in hopes of finding Jesse alive.
A true, “I know what you did 20 years ago” story, The Five is Coben at his earliest. And for that, The Five drops a few spots down. Though it has strong acting and solid storytelling, The Five lacks the bells and whistles that later entries tend to have. Despite some clunky dialogue and hokey moments, however, The Five is a steadfast mystery. Should you go back in time and watch all of these shows in release date order, The Five will leave you slightly satisfied and eager to reach the Netflix era as soon as possible. The Five is story first, emotions second.
13
‘Hold Tight’ (2022)
For the most part, Coben’s stories are contained in their own universe, but two pieces share the same world and timeline: Hold Tight and The Woods. In the unofficial sequel to The Woods, Pawel Kopiński (Grzegorz Damięcki) and his now-wife, Laura (Agnieszka Grochowska), find themselves connected to the primary story through Pawel’s daughter, Kaja (Agata Labno). Her boyfriend, Adam Barczyk (Krzysztof Oleksyn), suddenly goes missing after their friend Igor dies. The race is on to find Adam, and his mother, Anna (Magdalena Boczarska), will go to great lengths to do so.
With action, suspense, and a killer plot, Hold Tight is a decent non-English language adaptation, but, dare I say, on the verge of being too stale and predictable. With some major changes from page to screen, including gender and age, Hold Tight lives on its own. There are some strong story elements, but the series meanders a bit too much. It’s not as engaging as some of the other entries, especially the one it’s connected to.
12
‘Harlan Coben’s Shelter’ (2023)
Created for Prime Video, Shelter was inspired by Coben’s 2011 young adult novel. Shelter follows Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael) as he starts a new life in Kasselton, New Jersey, following the death of his father. While there, he becomes entangled in the mysterious disappearance of Ashley Kent (Samantha Bugliaro), a student at his school, which leads him to discover a dark underworld in the quiet suburban community. An absorbing thriller, the intensity helps the series thrive as the fast-paced mystery keeps you glued to your screens.
The key difference between Shelter and nearly every other Coben entry on this list is that Shelter is young adult-focused, not just in the audience but in the central character. The mystery unfolds through the eyes of protagonists much younger than Coben’s other main characters, making Shelter a bit of an enigma. The strength of Shelter lies in the chemistry and dynamics, especially between Michael as Mickey, Abby Corrigan as Emma, and Adrian Greesmith as Spoon. Plus, appearances from Constance Zimmer, Tovah Feldshuh, and Missi Pyle make it a worthy watch. Intended to be a multi-season run, Shelter was unfortunately canceled after a single season.
11
‘Lazarus’ (2025)
One of the most promising concepts in the Coben collection was 2025’s Lazarus. The horror-thriller follows psychiatrist Joel Lazarus (Sam Claflin), who returns home to his family’s house following the apparent suicide of his estranged father, Jonathan (Bill Nighy). Haunted by the unsolved murder of his sister 25 years earlier, Joel goes down a rabbit hole, convinced his father wouldn’t have taken his own life, only to be followed by unsettling phenomena and disturbing visions. A visually stunning and artfully crafted mystery, Lazarus had all the makings of a masterpiece but fell into some convoluted directorial execution.
Don’t get it twisted, Lazarus is a fun watch. Watching the typically grounded Claflin descend into madness was an extraordinary experience. The issue with Lazarus was its storytelling. With distinct timelines jumping in and out, maintaining order and comprehension was not its strongest suit. And when you’re dealing with a pair of “Dr. Lazurus,” you have to pay keen attention to whether the father or son is being referenced. Diving into the world of supernatural horror was a logical next step for Coben. Lazarus still has a labyrinth of mysteries to explore, but the mood does not make up for the preposterous plot.
10
‘The Woods’ (2020)
Time for a foreign language triumph in the Harlan Coben Cinematic Universe! In the Polish thriller The Woods, the story is divided into two time periods. In August 1994, at a summer camp in the woods, Pawel Kopiński (Hubert Milkowski) chaperons his younger sister’s camper, Kamila (Martyna Byczkowska). In September 2019, Pawel (now played by Grzegorz Damięcki), a Warsaw prosecutor and recently widowed single father, reconnects with his camp sweetheart, Laura (Agnieszka Grochowska). After a body is discovered surrounded by newspaper clippings about Pawel, he’s called in to identify the deceased. It’s only then that we learn that at that fateful summer camp, two people were murdered and two went missing, including his sister. Pawel investigates the case and digs deeper to learn that his sister may still be out there. A swiftly moving series with red herrings galore, The Woods helped kick off the Netflix domination of Coben mystery thrillers.
The biggest downfall of the series is the way the exposition is layered, as it’s not as natural as one might like. Once you get past that and dive into the mystery in the present, The Woods is a satisfying story. The Woods is an example of where characters triumph over tropes, though the classic Coben staples are alive and well. The transition from New Jersey to Poland was seamless, though selfishly, an American edition of The Woods would be a thrilling watch. Critically approved but audience thrashed, The Woods suffers from the language barrier when it should be on a must-watch list.
9
‘No Second Chance’ (2015)
How far will you go to save your own child? Just ask Dr. Alice Lambert (Alexandra Lamy). In this shocking miniseries, Alice goes to fix a bottle for her daughter when two gunshots ring out, and everything goes black. A week later, Alice emerges from a coma, and a nightmare reality awaits as her husband has been murdered, and her baby is missing. Suspected by the police and hunted by ruthless hitmen, Alice refuses to give up, turning to Richard (Pascal Elbe), her first love and a former criminal investigator. No Second Chance was a twisted tale that kicked off the Coben obsession around the world.
Based on his bestselling novel, No Second Chance became an instant hit in France. A harrowing story of corruption, social inequality, and the resilience of true love, the series makes a smart and bold choice of swapping genders, turning the protagonist into a woman. Lambert’s hunt for her daughter is the key cog in the story, and it’s truly her journey that draws you in. While many Coben thrillers seem to have the same law enforcement character archetypes, No Second Chance has a standout in Hippolyte Girardot as grouchy detective Cyril Tessier.
8
‘Stay Close’ (2021)
A true Coben classic is 2021’s Stay Close. The eight-part series finds three seemingly random individuals whose lives become intertwined by an unsolved case. Photographer Ray Levine (Richard Armitage) inadvertently captured an image of a shadowy figure running in the woods. Then there is Megan Pierce (Cush Jumbo), a mother of three, who is about to be wed to her fiancé, Dave Shaw (Daniel Francis). Meanwhile, Michael Broome (James Nesbitt), a detective investigating the disappearance of a young man, Carlton Flynn, discovers the disappearance happened exactly 17 years after another missing persons case of his that went unsolved. So, how are these three strangers connected to Carlton’s missing-person case? In typical Coben fashion, the puzzle is completed at the end.
From psychopathic musical-theater-loving assassins, Barbie and Ken (Poppy Gilbert and Hyoie O’Grady), to bumbling detectives Broome and Cartwright (Jo Joyner), Stay Close is an outright thrill ride — and one that doesn’t spare much for the imagination if you’re on the queasy side. Stay Close layers in just enough camp to make it enjoyable and not too weighty. Plus, the addition of Eddie Izzard in the ensemble helps boost it to the next level. Jumbo is a satisfactory lead, but it’s Armitage and Nesbitt, true staples of Coben’s, who manage to tackle the material best.
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Jim Parsons is opening up about his less-than-enjoyable time starring on the hit TV series The Big Bang Theory.
“I look back now and realize that there were many ways, at some of the best moments in my life, I was miserable,” Parsons, who played Sheldon Cooper in the hit show, said while appearing on All Out with Jon Dean earlier this week. “I was not happy. I was stressed.”
He continued of his experience, “I felt that there was so many plates I was supposed to be keeping in the air and that the success and the good things of life that were happening were only due to this overworking… discipline and whatever. Maybe, to a degree, that was true. I don’t know. I can’t say because that’s how I was.”
The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons, originally airing on CBS for 12 years and ending on May 16, 2019. The show — which also starred Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Mayim Bialik, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar and Melissa Rauch – followed a group of best friend physicists working at the California Institute of Technology as they navigate friendship, awkward relationships and budding romances.
Parsons, 53, earned a Golden Globe and multiple Emmy awards for his work on the show. Despite his many accolades, however, the actor revealed that his mental health made it difficult for him to truly enjoy his success.
Jim Parsons Getty Images
“I wouldn’t do that again and for any amount of money,” he said. “It was stressful and miserable at times. I made myself miserable.”
He added, “It translated in part into a work ethic, but it was really just obsessive behavior basically. Yes, I was disciplined. Yes, I had a good work ethic, but a lot of it was because it was kind of OCD in nature. I had a list of things basically in my head that I had to get done in order to be comfortable and know that I could do my job right, which I don’t think was true.”
In the end, Parsons said that working so diligently on such a successful show resulted in awards, sure, but he ultimately missed out on “tons of life” due to his singular focus. Still, he wouldn’t change a thing.
“In the same way, I can’t go back. I wouldn’t be where I am right now if I hadn’t had that time of life and that somewhat self-tortured nature was part of it,” he explained, before adding that he has also focused on a way to find that allusive work-life balance.
“It’s evolving, and it gets better all the time,” he added. “What I feel is better, what I feel is healthier.”
Jim Parsons shared his thoughts on the most absurd story line from The Big Bang Theory. During a Monday, April 20 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Parsons, 53, was asked what he thought was the “most ridiculous” plot line on the beloved sitcom. “They were all rather silly, right?” Parsons reflected. “I mean, we […]
Parsons did make a cameo appearance on the show’s spinoff, Young Sheldon, admitting in an interview on Today that it was a weird experience.
“Big Bang Theory was always a live-audience show and Young Sheldon is a single-camera show, and I got to do it with Mayim — we both played Sheldon and Amy from the series — and to do it in that situation, it was just different enough that it wasn’t creepy,” Parsons said during his March 2024 appearance on the hit morning show. “Like, going like, ‘What are we doing here again?!’ Instead, it was really sweet. It felt like the nicest little coda to the whole experience, and I was very grateful that they asked us to do it.”
This year’s Avengers: Doomsday will feature Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in a major role, returning the Australian star to a franchise that he has been with since its inception. However, Hemsworth has had numerous unsuccessful attempts at joining pre-existing franchises. Most recently, he delivered one of the best performances of his career in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which received positive reviews but underperformed at the box office. He was also a part of the cast of Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, which fell short of box-office expectations for entirely different reasons. During the same era, Hemsworth starred in a reboot of a widely-liked sci-fi franchise with one of his co-stars from the Thor series. That movie is currently streaming in the United States on Peacock, but it won’t stick around for much longer.
The movie in question was released theatrically in 2019 to poor reviews, following a difficult production during which its director, F. Gary Gray, nearly quit. There were creative differences between the filmmaker and the producer during production, and the studio had to step in to mediate tensions and convince the director to stay on. Meanwhile, Hemsworth and his co-star, Tessa Thompson, reportedly hired personal writers to polish their lines because the script was deviating too drastically from the version they’d signed on to.
Watch the Sci-Fi Reboot on Peacock Before It’s Too Late
We’re talking, of course, about Men in Black: International, the 2019 reboot of the Men in Black franchise, which was headlined by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones for the first three installments. The reboot received a 23% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Amiable yet forgettable, MiB International grinds its stars’ substantial chemistry through the gears of a franchise running low on reasons to continue.” Produced on a reported budget of more than $100 million, the film grossed around $250 million worldwide. While this was enough for it to break even, the motivation simply wasn’t there to continue the franchise. The movie will be removed from Peacock on August 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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June 12, 2019
- Runtime
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115 minutes
- Director
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F. Gary Gray
With a little over a week left in July, it’s time to start looking at what Netflix has to offer for subscribers in the coming month. There is a mix of original and licensed shows and movies hitting the streamer in August, with some returning for new seasons and others being brand-new. Netflix has not had much success with sci-fi movies this year since War Machine was released in February and became one of the most-watched movies ever on the platform. Many new movies have flown under the radar, apart from a few, like the hit rom-com Voicemails for Isabelle.
But for fans craving raw action and horror, Netflix might have saved the best for later with a new sci-fi horror set for release on August 7. This film features an expansive narrative and has attracted top talent as stars and director. Past Lives and The Morning Show‘s Greta Lee stars alongside Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) as Anna and Jason, respectively. The couple has two children, Graham and Ruth. This family is in for a rude awakening when, one morning, they realize they’re trapped in their home with no way out, as all potential exits are sealed by an unexplained phenomenon.
The sci-fi thriller titled The Last House was written by Matthew Robinson and directed by Louis Leterrier. The French director is known for directing high-octane thrillers like The Transporter and Fast & Furious. Leterrier directed the first and second movies in Jason Statham‘s franchise. He also directed the tenth installment in the Vin Diesel-led franchise and is also back for the 11th installment set for 2028. If Leterrier’s past is any indicator, The Last House could be a thrilling ride.
What Is ‘The Last House About?
The film combines science fiction with post-apocalyptic horror as a four-person family is trapped in their house. They later learn that everyone in the world is facing the same circumstances. After the shock wears off, the family must figure out how to survive, so they go back to basics, focusing on their fundamental needs. And for three years, they survive, and the kids grow up. When the movie starts, Noah Alexander Sosnowski and Riley Chung play young Graham and Ruth, but later, Gabriel Chung and Emma Ho take over the roles. But trouble is far from over for this family. They may think they’re one of the lucky few to survive, but what if they weren’t that lucky? Outside, a new threat emerges that could end them all. When they can finally leave, maybe they don’t want to.
The Last House hits Netflix on August 7. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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August 7, 2026
- Director
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Louis Leterrier, Matthew Robinson
Logan Paul has broken his silence after Tom Brady appeared to slap him during a Fanatics Fest appearance.
“I’m suing @tombrady,” Paul, 33, wrote via Instagram on Friday, July 17, alongside footage showing the aforementioned fight.
In now-viral footage, Brady, 48, can be seen hitting Paul across his face as they appeared on a joint panel during the New York City convention.
“Bro, you’re the goat, so you should be doing dope s***,” Paul quipped at the time. “You weren’t. I’m a YouTuber … so what?”
Paul then threatened that if Brady returned to Fanatics Fest next year, he would “hurt” him. The NFL icon fired back with an open-handed slap.
“Mad bc I smoked him in,” Paul wrote over footage of the incident via his Instagram Stories later on Friday. “Blocked [with] a torn tricep.”
Brady subtly addressed the apparent feud by resharing Fanatics’ upload of the exchange via his page.
“Round 100 of this never ending beef at Fanatics Fest 😭,” the caption read.
In the heat of the moment, New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns broke up the fight.
“Dork,” Brady tweeted on Friday, further reacting to the near-brawl.
Us Weekly reached out to a rep for Brady for comment at the time.
CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images Logan Paul surprised wrestling fans by bringing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to night two of the WWE Draft. In a video posted to X on Monday, April 29, Paul, 29, could be seen exiting his car outside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, while the crowd inside […]
The duo have been at odds for months ever since Paul trash-talked Brady at a February Fanatics event, claiming that his WWE career made him more athletic than NFL stars like the retired quarterback.
In response, Brady called Paul a “good athlete” but dismissed his wrestling skills as “very cute.”
Brady and Paul reunited at the 2026 Fanatics Flag Football Classic the next month.
“You might wear a helmet — that ball might get loose in my hand and if you’re not paying attention,” Brady quipped during the draft.
Brady appeared to make good on his threat, throwing the ball at Paul during the game.
Brady has also expressed intentions to go toe-to-toe with Paul in the ring.
“I need to get an invite. I’ve been waiting for [WWE president] Nick Khan to come up with some storyline for me to get in the mix,” Brady said on the “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast earlier this week. “I feel like I’m retired from football, and I have an opportunity to go out there and still showcase that I’m a little bit of an athlete. I think I could get in there for at least one match. Come on, Nick. Make it happen.”
Chicago P.D. got a major boost in Season 4 when Tracy Spiridakos joined the NBC procedural as Hailey Upton. The actress went on to star in the series for seven more seasons before departing in Season 11, and saw her character through major milestones like becoming a detective, getting married, and getting divorced. Hailey’s arcs were some of the darkest in the series, but she got a happy ending when she left Chicago in search of her next adventure, possibly in another law enforcement agency. Her character returned briefly in the latest One Chicago crossover, confirming that she had indeed joined the FBI.
For Spiridakos, the journey did not end with her departure from Chicago P.D., and the actress had revealed that she had decided to leave the show to pursue other creative opportunities. Soon after, she starred in a missing persons thriller film. It was later announced that Spiridakos would lead a new series, also playing a law enforcement officer, but not in Chicago or as a part of the FBI. She plays the main character in USA Network‘s drama premiering this August as the network slowly builds its scripted programming.
Tracy Spiridakos is Anna Pigeon, the titular character in the series based on Nevada Barr‘s mystery book series. Her character is described as a former city slicker who upends her entire life after losing her husband. The ordeal changes everything Pigeon had thought about herself, and she packs up her entire life and becomes a park ranger. However, crime is everywhere, and Pigeon is bent on solving anything that occurs in her park, no matter what tries to get in her way. This puts her on a collision course with other law enforcement agencies that claim jurisdiction over the scenes.
Who Is Behind ‘Anna Pigeon?’
The ten-episode series features Lea Thompson (Switched at Birth) as director, with Morwyn Brebner (Rookie Blue, Saving Hope, Coroner) serving as the showrunner. Other cast members include Ronnie Rowe as Frederick Stanton, an FBI agent whose beat is park crimes. He is cool and charismatic, but Anna finds a way to push his buttons. Paulina Alexis plays Zoey Bear Child, a young park ranger who looks up to Anna for mentorship; Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz is Manny Lopez, a park ranger; Melanie Scrofano plays Bethany, Manny’s wife. Tricia Helfer, Kim Coates, Cooper Levy, Jordan Sledz, Ryan Northcott, Crystle Lightning, and Nikki Hallow also star.
New episodes of Anna Pigeon will be available to watch beginning Friday, August 7, at 10 pm on USA Network.
- Release Date
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January 8, 2014
- Showrunner
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Derek Haas
- Directors
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Nick Gomez, Eriq La Salle, Carl Seaton, Fred Berner, Vincent Misiano, Bethany Rooney, Rohn Schmidt, Sanford Bookstaver, John Hyams, Nicole Rubio, Terry Miller, Takashi Doscher, Brenna Malloy, Lisa Robinson, Marc Roskin, Charles S. Carroll, David Rodriguez, Holly Dale, John Polson, Lin Oeding, Mykelti Williamson, Paul McCrane, Alik Sakharov, Charlotte Brändström
- Writers
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Craig Gore, Tim Walsh, Timothy J. Sexton, Mike Weiss, Mo Masi, Tiller Russell, Eduardo Javier Canto, Jamie Pachino, Mike Batistick, Cole Maliska, John Dove, Tiffany Bratcher, David Hoselton, Maisha Closson, Kim Rome, Katherine Visconti, Daniel Arkin, Todd Robinson, David Rambo, Denitria Harris-Lawrence, Mick Betancourt, Bryan Gracia
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Marina Squerciati
Kim Burgess
Kyla Pratt’s voice helped transform Penny Proud into one of Disney Channel’s most recognizable animated characters, but the actress originally believed it would cost her the job.
Pratt was just 14 when “The Proud Family” debuted in 2001, and hearing herself as the show’s teenage lead triggered an insecurity she could not ignore. Instead of recognizing that her natural voice made Penny relatable, Pratt became convinced that Disney would eventually decide she was wrong for the role.
Twenty-five years later, she is preparing to say goodbye to Penny as “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” approaches its fourth and final season.
During an appearance on “People in 10,” Pratt admitted she struggled to understand why she had been cast in a voiceover role.
“Filming the show when I was a teenager, I didn’t like my voice,” she told PEOPLE Magazine. “I was like, ‘How am I auditioning for a voiceover? How is this happening? And I was like, ‘I’m going to get fired. They are not going to like this.’”
The actress now recognizes that she was her own “biggest critic.” Rather than being fired, Pratt remained the voice of Penny throughout the original series, its television movie, and the Disney+ revival.
The same voice she once disliked ultimately became inseparable from the character.
Pratt Grew Up Alongside Penny Proud
“The Proud Family” debuted while Pratt was balancing two major television roles. In addition to voicing Penny, she starred as Breanna Barnes in the UPN sitcom “One on One.” Pratt previously explained that moving between a live-action series and an animated production seemed normal because she had been working since childhood. Looking back, however, she recognizes how rare it was to lead two shows simultaneously as a teenager.
The original “Proud Family” followed Penny as she navigated school, friendships, adolescence, and the frequently embarrassing behavior of her father, Oscar Proud. The series ran for two seasons before concluding with “The Proud Family Movie” in 2005.
Its focus on a Black family and willingness to address identity, discrimination, friendship, and social expectations helped the show remain culturally relevant long after its initial ending.
Returning To The Recording Booth Brings ‘Complete Nostalgia’
Disney+ announced “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” in 2020, giving Pratt the opportunity to revisit Penny as an adult. “The vibe when I am stepping into the booth to be Penny Proud is always amazing,” she said. “It’s complete nostalgia.”
Pratt recently spoke with her daughters, Lyric and Liyah, about growing older without losing the childlike part of themselves. Returning to Penny has allowed her to do exactly that. “To have something like ‘The Proud Family’ to connect me to my younger self, for me, every time I step into the booth, it just feels amazing,” she explained.
Pratt previously revealed that her daughters recognized her voice when she played “The Proud Family Movie” for them. Her oldest daughter later decided she wanted to dress as Penny for Halloween, forcing Pratt to assemble the costume herself because official options were limited.
‘Louder And Prouder’ Is Reaching Its Final Season
The fourth and final season of “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” will premiere on Disney+ on July 29. According to Disney+, the new episodes will follow Penny after a life-changing turning point for the Proud family.
Season three ended with Penny and her boyfriend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brown, running away to Emilyville after their parents attempted to intervene in their increasingly dependent relationship.
The final season will explore the consequences of that decision as Penny tries to regain her family’s trust. Along the way, she will be pulled into unexpected adventures that challenge her courage and identity.
Pratt will be joined by returning cast members Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, Jo Marie Payton, Karen Malina White, Soleil Moon Frye, and Cedric the Entertainer.
Mariah Carey, Chloe Bailey, Ali Wong, Lashana Lynch, Lorraine Toussaint, and Adele Givens are among the announced guest stars.
Kyla Pratt Is Appreciating The Final Chapter
Knowing the revival is ending has made Pratt more conscious of how unusual her journey with Penny has been. “You realize these things don’t last forever, [so] you take it in a little bit more,” she said.
Rather than focusing entirely on the sadness of leaving the character behind, Pratt said she is “finding the good in everything.” “Not a lot of artists get to experience playing a character that they started when they were 14,” she added.
Pratt’s teenage fear never came true. Instead, the voice she believed would get her fired carried Penny Proud across two generations, and kept bringing her back to a role that now connects her childhood, career, and family.
Some movie stars dominate by taking over the room. The more interesting ones can haunt it from the corner, make the loudest person look ridiculous, or turn one quiet reaction into the part everyone remembers. That is the lane Michelle Pfeiffer kept finding again and again, even when the films around her were packed with dangerous men, strict social codes, cartoon villains, gangsters, or full Hollywood mythology.
Her best work has glamour, sure, but glamour is never the whole meal. There is intelligence under it, hurt under it, sometimes fury, sometimes boredom, sometimes a private sadness the movie refuses to overexplain, and more. That is why these five films have lasted. Scroll down to find out.
5
‘Dangerous Liaisons’ (1988)
In a movie where seduction gets treated like war strategy, Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the one person whose sincerity makes the game feel cruel instead of clever. Valmont (John Malkovich) targets her as part of a poisonous social contest, and the danger comes from watching a decent woman enter a world where decency has no protection. In Dangerous Liaisons, Tourvel has faith, restraint, desire, shame, and fear without making her look foolish for believing in goodness.
The tragedy cuts deeper since Tourvel’s collapse is emotional, spiritual, and physical at once. She is not built for the kind of casual destruction Valmont and Merteuil (Glenn Close) enjoy. When she starts breaking, the film stops feeling like a stylish duel and starts showing the human cost of aristocratic amusement. Pfeiffer lets the character’s longing stay pure even after it becomes unbearable. Valmont may think he is winning a game, yet Tourvel exposes the rot behind every move.
4
‘The Fabulous Baker Boys’ (1989)
In The Fabulous Baker Boys, Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) walks into the Baker brothers’ tired lounge act and immediately changes the air. Jack Baker (Jeff Bridges) and Frank Baker (Beau Bridges) have the routine down, the piano parts polished, the bookings familiar, and the disappointment baked into their faces. Susie has no patience for their stale professionalism. She can sing, tease, fight, flirt, and call out the deadness in the act before either brother wants to admit it.
Pfeiffer’s performance has that rare nightclub electricity where the glamour feels earned by survival. Her “Makin’ Whoopee” number on the piano is famous for obvious reasons, but the real heat comes from Susie understanding exactly how people look at her and deciding how much access they deserve. With Jack, the attraction has bite because both of them know talent can curdle into bitterness when life gets too small. The film becomes more than a smoky romance about music. It is about people who know they are good enough for something better and hate how long they have tolerated less.
3
‘The Age of Innocence’ (1993)
New York high society in The Age of Innocence is terrifying precisely due to how polite everyone sounds while ruining lives. And mind you, this is a Martin Scorsese film and he turns manners, flowers, dinner invitations, seating arrangements, and whispered judgments into instruments of control. Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer) returns from Europe after leaving a disastrous marriage, and her presence threatens a world that survives by pretending desire can be managed through rules.
Ellen is intelligent enough to understand the trap and lonely enough to still hope for air inside it. Her connection with Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) has romance, yes, but also frustration. He wants her partly because she represents freedom, while she has already paid for freedoms he only imagines. That imbalance makes the love story ache. Ellen is not the fantasy escape from his respectable life. She plays a woman carrying scandal, taste, pain, and clarity in a society that knows how to punish all four. The final memory of her feels less like lost romance than a whole life Newland never had the nerve to choose.
2
‘Batman Returns’ (1992)
Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) begins Batman Returns as someone the city has trained itself to ignore. She works for Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), gets talked over, pushed aside, and treated like an office inconvenience until the violence done to her turns into something wild. Tim Burton’s Gotham already looks diseased, but Selina’s rebirth gives the movie its sharpest charge. Catwoman is not a clean empowerment fantasy. She is rage, trauma, sexuality, comedy, revenge, and self-invention stitched together in black vinyl.
Pfeiffer is unreal here. Every version of Selina has its own rhythm. The nervous secretary, the shattered woman trashing her apartment, the prowling Catwoman, the wounded romantic with Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton), the furious avenger circling Shreck. The performance keeps changing shape without losing the person underneath. She’s probably the best catwoman out there, to this date.
1
‘Scarface’ (1983)
Scarface is a classic. Everybody loves this film. And Elvira Hancock (Michelle Pfeiffer) is surrounded by men who mistake possession for love here. Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) treats her like part of the luxury package. Tony Montana (Al Pacino) sees her as proof that he has climbed high enough to take what the powerful men had before him. The mansion, the clothes, the cocaine, the parties, the money, the whole rotten dream keeps getting bigger around her, and Michelle Pfeiffer lets Elvira look more empty the richer the world becomes.
That emptiness is the point. Elvira is glamorous in a way that almost feels ghostly. She has learned how to survive rooms full of appetite by staying bored, sharp, and unreachable. Tony wants her fire, then hates her disgust when she sees him clearly. Their dinner fight is brutal because she finally says what the empire looks like from inside the cage. Scarface is remembered for excess, violence, quotes, and Pacino’s volcanic Tony, but Elvira gives the dream its aftertaste. She is the beautiful prize who knows the prize is worthless.
Scarface
- Release Date
-
December 9, 1983
- Runtime
-
170 minutes
- Director
-
Brian De Palma
- Writers
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Oliver Stone
Chile! Savannah James had folks stopping their scrolls after stepping out with a look that reminded everyone exactly why she stays in her own lane. The NBA wife and entrepreneur had the internet buzzing after sharing a series of photos that showed off her confidence, style, and undeniable presence.
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Savannah James Turns Heads With Her Latest Photo Drop
On Friday, Savannah shared the stunning shots while rocking a black dress featuring a deep V neckline and feather details around the neckline. She completed the look with blonde hair styled in a side part, black heels, an anklet, statement earrings, and a flawless glam beat that had fans showing plenty of love.
Savannah kept the caption short and sweet, writing, “🖤What’s understood, doesn’t need to be explained🖤,” leaving the photos to speak for themselves. Apparently, the flicks were taken the night she attended the Time100 Sports Gala. Nonetheless, the comments quickly filled up with reactions praising her look and reminding everyone that Savannah has always carried herself with confidence. Between her style, beauty, and effortless confidence, fans celebrated the woman standing beside LeBron James.
Mama Has The Comment Section Going UP
You already know the comments were coming in hot! Fans flooded Savannah James’ comment section with praise, with some calling her the “First Lady of the NBA” and reminding everyone she continues to set the standard. Others jokingly told Savannah to have LeBron hurry up and reveal where he’s headed next, while everyone else stayed focused on hyping up her stunning look.
One Instagram user @lala shared, “That part 🔥🔥🔥🔥“
This Instagram user @jadoretee wrote, “Who’s badder than Mrs.James lol 😍”
And, Instagram user @itss_domnic_ added, “Please tell Bron to hurry with his decision🙂😂”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @everybodyscrzy claimed, “Your honor… she is serving!”
While Instagram user @thecrystalsade said, “1ST LADY OF THE NBA! 👏🏾♥️😍”
Finally, Instagram user @youngtay_official commented, “Thank you for letting my Goat play more seasons Queen 🙌🏾”
LeBron James Hypes Savannah Amid NBA Decisions
Even with plenty of big decisions reportedly surrounding his basketball future, LeBron James still made time to show his wife some love. Furthermore, the NBA superstar hopped into Savannah James’ Instagram comment section and reacted to her stunning photo drop, writing, “GODD*MN RIGHT!! 😍😍😍🤤🤤🤤,” making it clear he was just as impressed as everyone else.
The comment comes as LeBron remains in the middle of major career conversations after informing the Los Angeles Lakers of his plans to move on. Despite the uncertainty surrounding what’s next for the four-time champion, he still took a moment to publicly hype up Savannah and remind everyone that he’s always going to support his wife.
RELATED: Too Much Sauce! Savannah & Zhuri James’ Fans Are Loving Their Mother-Daughter Dance Session (VIDEO)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Adam Sandler officiating Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s star-studded wedding felt a bit unbelievable to the lucky 1,000 in attendance.
“Adam Sandler … came down [the aisle], everybody laughed and thought it was a joke at first,” American Century Investments CEO Jonathan Thomas said on the Thursday, July 17, episode of “The Compound” podcast. “He probably spoke for 20 or 30 minutes, vacillated between funny, very sincere [and] sang a few things.”
Swift and Kelce, both 36, said “I do” on July 3 inside New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden arena surrounded by some of the biggest names in sports and Hollywood.
After their enchanted garden-themed nuptials, Swift’s rep revealed in a statement that the couple’s friend Sandler, 59, presided over the ceremony.
Adam Sandler has quietly become one of the most unexpected constants in Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s love story — and in July 2026, he made it official. The comedian officiated the couple’s star-studded black-tie wedding at Madison Square Garden following years of family fandom, movie experiences and surprise cameos that pulled him deeper into […]
“In your typical vows the officiator says, ‘For rich or for poor.’ Adam said, ‘You’re not going to have to worry about that,’” Thomas recalled on Thursday, referring to Swift’s billionaire status and Kelce’s multimillion-dollar NFL salary. “His key message was [to] kiss each other every day, in the morning, at night [and] after dinner.”
In addition to Sandler’s heartfelt-yet-humorous speech, the now-newlyweds spoke for just as long delivering their vows.
Travis Kelce and Adam Sandler on the set of ‘Happy Gilmore 2.’ Scott Yamano/Netflix
“Travis went first with his vows. He probably spoke for 30 minutes and I don’t want to violate his privacy, but I was crying, which I was trying to hold back,” Thomas recalled. “He made himself unbelievably vulnerable. I was sitting there crying, and I was trying to hold it back until I look around and there’s all these 300-pound men from the football business crying, as well. So, I felt really comfortable [to] let go. I mean, it was very, very powerful.”
Thomas further revealed that the Grammy winner also wrote her own vows during the ceremony.
“She probably spoke for 30 minutes, and it was poetic. It was really well done,” he gushed. “The vows and the ceremony were very solemn, very sincere, very emotional. Then, they opened up [the venue and] you walk through this massive castle that they built.”
Thomas, for his part, was especially in awe of how Swift and Kelce transformed MSG into their dream wedding venue.
“You would never guess you’re in Madison Square Garden the way they did. It was incredible,” the businessman said on Thursday. “But you [walked] through this castle that they built and behind it, um, they had all sorts of games [and] amazing giveaways to people.”
Swift and Kelce have yet to reveal any photos from the big day but are expected to eventually share portraits via Instagram.
Every best action movie list since the 1990s has included this explosive cop classic, and for good reason. Often hailed as one of the greatest action films ever made, it completely changed what audiences expected from the genre with its groundbreaking action sequences. Its influence can still be seen in modern hits like John Wick, while its claustrophobic premise — one man standing against countless armed criminals — captures the same tension that made Die Hard a classic. More than three decades later, it hasn’t lost any of its impact, making now the perfect time to watch it before it disappears from free streaming.
Directed by the legendary Hong Kong maestro John Woo with a script by Gordon Chan and Barry Wong, the crime epic marked Woo’s final Hong Kong production before he made his transition to Hollywood. Woo actually conceived the project as a direct response to critics who accused his earlier heroic bloodshed films (such as The Killer and A Better Tomorrow) of romanticizing criminals. So, he set out to create a police-centered thriller heavily inspired by Clint Eastwood‘s Dirty Harry. While it only performed modestly at the local box office upon its initial release in April 1992, Woo’s masterpiece quickly achieved legendary status, earning near-universal international acclaim.
Where Can You Watch This Explosive Cop Classic?
Labeled one of the defining works of the heroic bloodshed genre, you can stream Hard Boiled for free on Tubi in the U.S. However, per MovieWeb, you only have until the end of the month, July 31, to catch it, as the film is scheduled to leave the platform on August 1. If you need any more convincing, the film boasts a stellar 92% on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences. Besides, even the critics’ consensus praises it as “a powerful thriller that hits hard in more ways than one.”
Starring frequent Woo collaborator Chow Yun-fat as Inspector “Tequila” Yuen, a rule-breaking Hong Kong detective, Hard Boiled begins with the murder of Tequila’s partner during a violent raid on gun smugglers. To bring down the ruthless syndicate responsible, Tequila reluctantly teams up with Alan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), a deeply conflicted undercover cop who operates as a high-ranking hitman. Their investigation ultimately culminates in an unforgettable climax inside a besieged hospital, where the duo must resort to excessive force.
Watch Hard Boiled on Tubi before it leaves.
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