Beyond the Gates has Kat Richardson (Colby Muhammad) and Eva Thomas Richardson (Ambyr Michelle), both with really hunky men in their lives that love them. But we might be heading for a huge couple swap because Kat’s spending a lot of time with Eva’s man Izaiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe) and Tomas Navarro (Alex Alegria) keeps turning to Eva.
Kat & Ava’s Issues on Beyond the Gates
Let’s get into the possibility of a man swap between these two half-sisters. So this latest twist could take their sister rivalry to a whole new level. This could be Kat getting revenge on Eva or there may be something more to it.
The underlying problem here is daddy issues because Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) never knew he had a second daughter, Eva. And that’s because Dana ‘Leslie’ Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) hid this from Ted because Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) threatened to hurt Leslie and her child if she didn’t have an abortion.
Leslie’s Chaos on Beyond the Gates
So, as far as Ted knew, Leslie had terminated the pregnancy. But in defense of Ted, he also didn’t know that Bill had made scary threats to Leslie. So, she basically went on to raise Eva on a diet of lies. Leslie told her that Ted knew about her this whole time and just rejected Eva. And then once Leslie’s husband died, she decided to go and get disruptive. She told Eva a whole bunch more lies to get her to participate in the scheme to ruin Ted and Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix)’s high society anniversary party and their marriage and their lives.
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So, Leslie wanted revenge, but she also wanted to steal Ted back from Nicole. And of course, Eva was horrified when she learned that Leslie had been lying to her for years. And at that point, Ted and Nicole had welcomed Eva into their home, let her into their inner circle while she was working as Nicole’s assistant.
Kat Suspicious of Ava on BTG
Of course, Kat was on to Eva from the start. She was certain the interloper was up to something. But Kat had no idea just how bad it was going to get. And Ted, Nicole, and the others pushed back on Kat and told her, “Leave Eva alone. Give her a chance.”
And then when the big party crash happened, of course, Kat was totally vindicated, and she expected everybody to side with her and reject Eva. But instead, Ted wanted to make things right with his other daughter. He saw that it wasn’t her fault, it was Leslie’s fault. And their brother, Martin, opened up his heart and accepted Eva into his life, as did his kids.
And even Nicole forgave Eva because she knew Leslie had manipulated her whole life. But none of that mattered to Kat, who remained locked in on hating her sister, which is completely understandable, right?
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Beyond the Gates: Eva & Tomas Cross Lines
Daddy drama aside, let’s talk about the romantic rivalry between Eva and Kat because it looks like things are about to pivot in a really big way. And it all kicked off when Tomas and Eva bonded over shared love of that sci-fi book series that Kat wasn’t interested in at all. And let’s be clear, Eva was flirting and making moves on Tomas back then. She was jealous of Kat and was being totally inappropriate.
But also, Tomas was crossing lines because he shouldn’t have been getting that close to Eva when he knew his girlfriend Kat did not like her sister at all. And then when Tomas had that big blow up with Kat about their lackluster love making, you know, Tomas felt like he and Kat were done. Without wasting a second, Tomas ran over and crawled into Eva’s bed.
And she reassured Tomas the problem wasn’t him because he rocked Eva’s world even though he hadn’t managed at that point to give Kat a big O yet. What was even worse was when Tomas was in bed with Eva. That was the moment Kat decided to extend an olive branch and stopped by her sister’s apartment with a gift and instead of doing sister bonding, she found out her boyfriend had slept with her sister Eva. It was so messy.
Kat Flips Out on BTG
And Kat was understandably furious. And she made sure everybody knew that Eva slept with Tomas. Plus, as soon as Kat showed up and found them together and caught them red-handed, Tomas ditched Eva and followed Kat right out the door. Whatever Eva thought they might have had, he betrayed and she felt less than when it was compared to her sister.
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Again, at the time, I was actually wondering if Kat forgave Tomas because she loved him or because she just wanted to keep him away from Eva because she was so mad that once again, her terrible sister had done something really bad. And even after all that, Tomas is still friends with Eva. But to her credit, since then, she’s respected Tomas and Kat’s relationship, and she has established very firm and careful boundaries. Eva has kept Tomas in the friend zone.
Beyond the Gates: Kat Richardson – Eva Thomas Richardson
Beyond the Gates: Eva Turns Things Around
We haven’t seen Eva flirting with Tomas again and also Kat and Tomas worked out their bedroom issues and for quite a while they seemed to be in a good place up until Tomas proposed in front of the entire Dupree family and Kat said no. And then again Tomas ran to Eva but she did keep him in the friend zone and said he needed to find a guy to talk to and not her. But Tomas keeps showing up.
He even brought a book over when Eva was recovering from transplant surgery. And Tomas seemed a little low-key envious that Eva has moved on with Izaiah. So, right now, Kat and Tomas are kind of at a lackluster point in their relationship.
Even though they’ve moved in together, both of them are hyper focused on work and they’re not really making time for each other or romance. Meanwhile, Eva’s fallen head over heels for Izaiah. He was right there the whole time during her medical crisis, took care of her while she recovered from liver transplant surgery.
Kat’s Surprising Behavior on BTG
But then all of a sudden, Kat starts hanging around with Izaiah and there is a flirty vibe there. And Eva wasn’t happy to see Izaiah laughing and having fun with Kat at Orphe Jeans. And I actually don’t think that this is something that Kat has staged to torment Eva because Kat didn’t know Eva would walk up and see them together. So, I don’t think it was performative.
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And to make matters worse, after Kat left, then Izaiah started gushing about what a business genius Kat is. So, it feels like Beyond the Gates is gearing up for a couple swap. Tomas isn’t happy that Kat turned down his proposal and Eva’s not happy about Izaiah vibing with Kat.
And there seems to be genuine chemistry between Izaiah and Kat. And there’s been chemistry for a while between Tomas and Eva. Of course, couple swaps are always exciting on soaps, and Beyond the Gates hasn’t really done one yet, but I feel like this time they’re headed there. In a way, Izaiah and Kat are a much better match because of their family backgrounds.
Beyond the Gates: A Swap Makes Perfect Sense
And the same goes for Tomas and Eva, who are both scrappy outsiders. So, we’ll see how it goes. But Izaiah doesn’t seem like a cheater. But if Kat picks up on the vibe that Eva is jealous of her hanging out with Izaiah, then Kat might keep doing it sort of as a revenge clapback because Eva slept with Tomas.
And if Eva gets mad, she might cross lines with Tomas. I tend to think that Eva and Tomas are more likely to do something and cross lines, maybe cheat, maybe get spotted making out something, and then Izaiah and Kat cross lines because they’re upset at what their partners have done to betray them. But we’ll see how it goes.
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One upside to Izaiah couple swapping and changing sisters from Eva over to Kat is that he won’t have to deal with Leslie anymore. Tomas has already dealt with Leslie. He knows the drill. Eva’s mom is definitely unwanted baggage in any relationship.
And I’m sure Izaiah would have a lot easier time dealing with Nicole than with Leslie. And I bet his parents, Darlene and Elon Hawthorne (Malachi Malik), would much prefer that he’s dating a Richardson than somebody tied to Leslie Thomas. So, I definitely am vibing with a couple swap ahead on Beyond the Gates, but we’ll see how it goes.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
This year, the horror genre has belonged to the YouTubers. While there have been plenty of critical darlings, like 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and box office successes, like Scream 7, from established filmmakers and franchises, online creators have delivered the next generation of great scares that have thrived on both fronts. It began with Mark Fischbach‘s, aka Markiplier, video game adaptation Iron Lung surprising in January and challenging Sam Raimi‘s Send Help with $51 million during its brief stint in theaters, before two blockbusters took over in the spring. Curry Barker‘s Obsession particularly dominated the conversation after word of mouth powered the wildly acclaimed film to $505.7 million worldwide and launched its key stars and director into superstardom, with Inde Navarretterecently being cast as Rogue in Jake Schreier‘s X-Men movie.
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The second of those two breakout hits, however, wasn’t far behind. Backrooms, directed by Kane Parsons based on his viral YouTube horror series, leveraged its online audience and a Certified Fresh 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes to land an impressive haul of over $394 million itself. It’s now the highest-grossing film ever released by A24, surpassing the Oscar-nominated Marty Supreme with a reported budget south of $10 million. After a similarly record-breaking run that defied all expectations, the liminal space horror is finally heading to streaming this month and headlining an impressive slate of new titles coming to HBO Max.
As announced at the end of August, Backrooms will make its streaming debut on September 25, nearly exactly four months after it first no-clipped into theaters. The film tells a separate but related story to the complicated world of Parsons’ series, following a troubled furniture store owner named Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve). Clark finds an entrance to another dimension full of seemingly endless liminal spaces in the basement of his failing business and soon becomes lost exploring its twisted corridors. Concerned about his disappearance, Mary follows his trail and winds up in the Backrooms herself, navigating the strange misrememberings of reality to save him before it’s too late. Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell also accompany the stars into the psychological horror darling penned by Will Soodik.
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Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
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😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
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🛡️Cap
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01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
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02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
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03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
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04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
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05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
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06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
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07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
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08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
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09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
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10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
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Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
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Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
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Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
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Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
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New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
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Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
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Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
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Release Date
May 27, 2026
Runtime
110 minutes
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Director
Kane Parsons
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This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Since the conclusion of the iconic sci-fi series, Lost, fans have been waiting for something that could measure up to Damon Lindelof’s magnum opus. The island mystery was one of the most talked-about shows of the golden age of television. With a massive ensemble cast, Lost was incredibly character-driven, focusing on a flashback structure that became a calling card for the series. Two decades later, Lindelof has returned with perhaps an unintentional successor.
HBO Max’s Lanterns is James Gunn’s Green Lantern series that fans have been waiting for. Following the trials of John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as he trains to be Hal Jordan’s (Kyle Chandler) replacement, the official DC translation of these comic book characters goes the extra mile as most Lindelof productions do. Though it is somewhat creative when it comes to the set-up of the series, Lanterns marries the flashback and mythological-heavy structure with the gritty detective story of True Detective.
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‘Lanterns’ Is the Character-Driven Mystery That Green Lantern Deserves
Typical of any comic book interpretation, the arrival of Lanterns was considered controversial by many. Because Earth can only have one ring-bearer, it was clear that something nefarious was going to happen to one of the titular Lanterns. Hal Jordan’s story comes to a screeching halt at the end of the first episode, but also typical of any Damon Lindelof series, the writer may have some tricks up his sleeve.
Like in True Detective, two opposites must team up to look into a local concern full of colorful characters – some who would rather not have this mystery solved at all. Lanterns has all the makings of a classic detective story that also honors the characters at the center of it. John and Hal’s rocky relationship is full of jealousy and confrontation, but the two must come together when a suspected alien attack occurs in Nebraska.
The two Lanterns arrive on the scene to discover that several aliens have been killed at a local football game. As it turns out, there is much more to the story, including a local militia intent on getting rid of any alien life and the presence of an infamous Manhunter, which could mean Earth’s greatest threat.
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Though still early in its tenure, Lanterns may prove to be the best comic book series on television. It perfectly balances honoring the origins of the characters while delivering a unique story that speaks to what culture is talking about right now. The narrative doesn’t go for obvious comic plot points and instead delivers something new. Tailor-made for an HBO audience, the story of Hal and John is moving, gripping, and at times, humorous. This is what happens when fans of comics come to the television side of things. It creates a modern classic.
The Young and the Restless exciting new spoilers for next week, including crazy Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) escaping, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) offering Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) a big old bribe, and a possible murder in rehab that we have to cope with next week. Good thing Michael Baldwin (Christian Leblanc) will be on that case.
We’ve got the latest Young and the Restless spoilers for the week of September 7th, including big trouble for Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) when it comes to Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver).
Young and the Restless: What Did Nick See?
All right, first let’s discuss Nick Newman and whether he witnessed a murder in rehab. So, at the end of this week, he is having a hard time fighting the urge to use opioids. And he’s sitting there fighting these urges, telling himself he doesn’t need to do drugs. And then Marie Kirkland (Jade Harlow) comes in and finds him. And initially, she’s joking about Nick not having a line of admirers today because she saw Phyllis Summers (Courtney Hope) and Sharon both come to visit him.
Nick tells Marie he’s having a really hard day and he needs to get to a meeting. And Nick wants Marie to go with him, but she doesn’t want to. And Nick figures out something else is going on with her. And finally, Marie admits that her husband Logan is coming to see her to talk about the divorce. Marie just wanted their lawyers to handle it because her husband Logan makes her feel really small.
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Y&R Spoilers: Nick Protective of Marie
But Marie says Logan insisted they do this face to face. So, Nick offers to stick around, but Marie says it’s not a good idea. And she tells Nick that she’s scared she’s going to wind up with nothing when all this is over. But Nick won’t let her give up on herself. And he urges her to go to that meeting with him and tells Marie they can beat their addiction together. But before they can go, then her husband Logan is there and he introduces himself to Nick.
Then Logan actually recognizes Nick as one of Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) son. So, Logan asks to talk to Marie alone and Nick walks out, but he lurks nearby so he can eavesdrop. And then Logan gets really nasty. He asks Marie if she’s going to fail this time like she did six times before. And Logan wants to know if she’s bad mouthing him at rehab, but Marie says no.
And his secret is safe with her. Whatever that secret is. Logan calls Marie the biggest mistake of his life. Says he’s going to cut her loose. And then Logan grabs Marie’s face and he’s kind of crushing it in his hand and he wants to know if she’s sleeping with rich boy Nick. And then Marie shoves Logan off of her, but he falls and hits his head.
Young and Restless: Nick & Marie Panic
So, Nick rushes back in and Marie wants to leave before Logan wakes up, but Nick’s nudging the guy with his foot and Logan doesn’t wake up. He doesn’t move. Nick checks Logan’s pulse and tells Marie, “You need to get out of here.” She’s horrified and asks Nick if she killed him.
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If you remember, this is how Ashland Locke (Robert Newman) died. The guy who was hassling Victoria and Nick punched him and then he fell and hit his head on the fireplace at her house. And then Victor had his henchman stage a car crash in a ravine. So, I wonder if Nick is going to call on the powerful Newman family to help clean up Marie’s mess because official Young and the Restless spoilers for next week have Michael Baldwin talking to Nick up at the rehab clinic and we’re going to see Michael asking Nick if he’s doing okay and he tells Michael, “Yeah.”
And then thanks him for making sure that something finally went right and Nick hugs Michael. So, we’ll see if Logan is dead or alive and maybe Nick has brought in Michael to help Marie deal with that or help her with her divorce. Either way, Nick is clearly playing hero again for Marie.
Y&R Spoilers: Jack Makes a Move to Help Billy
Also, at the end of this week, Jack and Diane are having a romantic time in Tahiti and they come across a message in a bottle and Diane ends up with her finger stuck in the bottle and then her wedding ring gets stuck inside. They finally get all of that out along with a note that asks, “Is all love lost?”
So Diane decides to write a note back and toss the bottle back in the ocean. And she writes, “Never give up on finding love.” Despite some hiccups on their trip, Jack and Diane had fun and they’re back in Genoa City the week of September 7th.
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And we’ll see Jack talking to Billy. I’m sure by then Jack has heard that Billy backed off of Chancellor because of Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope). So, Jack makes Billy a generous offer. Jack says he will give Billy a small fortune to prove how much he believes in him.
Jack says he will fund a whole new company that’s all Billy’s. But if you recall, Jack already did this once. He was funding Billy and Abbott Communications. But if you remember, Jack got really frustrated and after Billy told him, “Fine, just take the money back.” Jack did. He pulled the funding because Billy was so obsessed with Chancellor and revenge on Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) that Jack didn’t trust him with the investment.
The Young and the Restless Spoilers: Patty Williams – Jack Abbott
Will Jack’s Plan Work on Young and the Restless?
And then of course we had Jill Abbott (Jess Walton) stepping up to fund the new company that Sally is now running. So, it looks like Jack’s taking another leap of financial faith with Billy. But no matter how much Jack offers, I cannot imagine that Billy’s going to give up on Chancellor because he thinks the Abbotts rightly own it. My money is on the second that Sally gives birth to their baby.
Billy’s going to be right back at it going after Chancellor, going after Cane and Lily. And of course, when Sally hears about the offer that Jack makes, I expect that she will press on Billy to put Chancellor behind him and just accept Jack’s generous offer. The problem is Chancellor is all tied up in Billy’s mommy issues that he has with Jill. So, I don’t think Billy can stop.
Young and Restless: Victoria Faces Off with Audra
Also next week in spoilers, Victoria is asking Audra how much she wants for the Vibrante patents. And if you recall, Victoria was annoyed that the patents were not in the Newman name or Vibrante‘s name and were in Audra’s name personally, which Victoria said was inappropriate. And Audra’s telling Victoria next week that she has to give her something much more interesting than just money.
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There is absolutely no telling what Audra is going to demand, but I’m guessing it’s something Victoria is probably not going to want to give her. And in the biggest news in all of these spoilers, next week on The Young and the Restless, there’s something really scary happening.
Crazy Patty has been held in a high-security psychiatric prison because she tried to kill Jack and Diane. If you remember, Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) went to see her this past week and now he’s staying at that motel and kind of flying under the radar.
Young and the Restless: Patty Shocks Matt
So, next week, out of the blue, Patty shows up at Matt’s ratty motel room and Patty’s in disguise. She’s in a hat and sunglasses and Matt is shocked to see Patty. And Matt demands to know what is Patty doing there and how did she get out?
And she tells Matt, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” So, Patty is on the loose again. And since she was just telling Matt that he’ll always be dark and that he should embrace that dark side of him. You know, Patty might have escaped to join him and wants them both to embrace their dark sides together. I’m guessing Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) might be in danger from Patty.
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And honestly, Patty might be in danger from Phyllis because she’s at her man’s motel room. This is bad news for everybody with Patty being loose, especially Jack and Diane. Be sure to check out our full weekly spoilers video tomorrow for the week of September 7th through the 11th. Come back for our weekly prediction edition and also our two spoilers and lots more.
Lucky Lincoln Gaming recently announced a revenue milestone in Illinois. The company is moving toward $200 million in gaming revenue across the state, a marker that reflects how much its footprint has expanded since its founding in 2013 and how firmly it has established itself within Illinois’ terminal-operator market.
Growth stories in this part of the gaming business usually get told through raw scale, though that only carries meaning when it’s tied to steady operations and long-term relationships. Lucky Lincoln Gaming, LLC has built a presence through that combination. It’s grown into one of the larger terminal operators in Illinois while keeping the focus on the establishments that host its equipment and the day-to-day support those businesses need.
That approach has helped shape the company’s current position. Under CEO Jeff Rehberger Jr., Lucky Lincoln Gaming has grown to over 250 locations, with over 1,500 slot machines and a team of more than 75 employees. The company’s latest revenue milestone puts that growth into sharper focus, showing how its reach across Illinois has translated into meaningful business results over time.
The Illinois gaming market has become increasingly competitive as operators work to secure locations, maintain service, and build trust with venue owners. Growth depends on responsiveness, consistency, and a clear understanding of what makes an establishment function well over the long run.
Lucky Lincoln Gaming has set itself apart by taking a more involved role in that process. In addition to operating terminals, the company is one of the few Illinois terminal operators that assist in building out an establishment. That detail is important because it places the company closer to the full life of a venue, from early planning through ongoing operation, and gives business owners a partner with a wider stake in the success of the location itself.
The result is a company identity that feels grounded in execution. Revenue is important, but so is the path that leads there. In this case, the path has been shaped by years of growth across Illinois, a larger employee base, and a business model built around close involvement with the establishments Lucky Lincoln serves.
Approaching $200 million in Illinois gaming revenue gives Lucky Lincoln Gaming more than a headline figure.
It also marks a point in the company’s development where early-morning momentum has become a sustained record of growth. For a business founded just over a decade ago, that kind of threshold signals staying power as much as speed.
Rehberger’s leadership has played a visible role in that trajectory. His background spans government, consulting, and economics. His time at the helm of Lucky Lincoln Gaming has been defined by rapid expansion across Illinois. The milestone belongs to the larger operation it’s built and the network of locations, employees, and partnerships that continue to support its growth.
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As Lucky Lincoln Gaming moves closer to that revenue mark, the company appears focused on carrying its model further across Illinois while strengthening the operational support that helped it reach this stage.
Lucky Lincoln Gaming, LLC is an Illinois-based terminal operator founded in 2013. The company operates in more than 250 locations across the state and employs over 75 people. Lucky Lincoln Gaming is also one of the only Illinois terminal operators that assist in building out establishments, giving venue owners a more hands-on operating partner.
Three days doesn’t sound like a long time, but you can watch so many movies in a 72-hour timeframe.
Maybe that’s why Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Apple TV decided to release some of their biggest late summer/early fall releases this Labor Day weekend.
The Watch With Us crew are big nerds, which is why we’re over the Forest Moon of Endor with the streaming release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
We also love a good thriller, and HBO Max is now streaming one with Fuze, starring Theo James, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and a ticking time bomb in the heart of London.
The knives were out last May when Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu debuted in theaters and pleased almost no one. Critics complained it seemed like a shortened season of The Mandalorian (they’re not wrong!), while fans thought the story lacked the epic scope that’s typical of Star Wars films. But the film plays better on streaming, and it’s an enjoyable side quest that isn’t as offensively bad as, say, The Rise of Skywalker.
New Republic Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) needs to bring in notorious crime lord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne), but she doesn’t know where he is. That’s why she tasks Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his pint-sized partner, Grogu (Grogu), to find him. But the duo first has to do a favor that involves tracking down another elusive criminal, Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White). Jabba’s surviving son has a bad rep, so even if they find him, they might not survive long enough to gain crucial intel concerning Coine’s whereabouts.
‘Fuze’ (2026) — HBO Max
Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Fuze.Roadside Attractions / Courtesy Everett Collection
When an unexploded World War II bomb is found in the heart of London, the police call in Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his crew to defuse it. Nearby, Giorgos Karalis (Theo James) and a team of robbers drill their way into a bank, looking for valuable jewels to steal. These incidents appear to be isolated, but they’re both happening at the same time for a reason and soon all of London is embroiled in a daring criminal escapade that threatens to go off the rails — and might kill lots of innocents.
Labor Day weekend shouldn’t be laborious, which is why it’s the perfect time to kick back, relax and watch a good movie or two. You don’t even have to bother deciding which films to watch — that’s What to Watch’s job. We’ve selected three great new Prime Video movies to stream over the long Labor […]
Fuze is a deceptively tricky crime thriller that starts simple and ends up needing a flashback to fill in the blanks of its complex story. It all makes sense, though, and credit director David Mackenzie for making sure you know who the important players are and why they’re teaming up or backstabbing each other. At a brisk 96 minutes, the film is the perfect length to generate maximum tension without any unnecessary padding.
26 years after they survive a brutal massacre that left most of their friends dead, Cindy (Anna Faris), Brenda (Regina Hall), Shorty (Marlon Wayans) and Ray (Shawn Wayans) find themselves once again menaced by Ghostface. Now middle-aged and with teens of their own, the “core four” must reunite to protect their loved ones from a killer who knows them all too well.
Whether or not Scary Movie is a good film is beside the point – they’re all kinda bad, with over-the-top acting, a script littered with holes and some lazy sight gags. But the Scary Movies that are entertaining, like the original and the third installment, work because they have enough jokes to make the other flaws seem irrelevant. This reboot barely passes that test, with a still-game Faris and Hall willing to do anything for a laugh. Yes, it’s stupid, but 2026’s Scary Movie is also funny when it needs to be, and that’s enough.
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‘Mayday’ (2026) — Apple TV+
It’s 1987, which means the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union is still on. That’s why U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy Kelly (Ryan Reynolds) is so on edge after his top-secret spy plane is shot down over the Soviet Union. He survives the crash, but he might not live long enough in a country that’s hostile to anything American. Fortunately for Troy, he’s found by Nikolai (Kenneth Branagh), a reclusive outdoorsman who loves American culture, especially Top Gun. Nikolai likes his foreign friend enough to help him leave the country in one piece, but their journey to sanctuary is complicated by a determined Red Army who wants to capture Troy, dead or alive.
Reynolds hasn’t made a lot of memorable movies lately, but Mayday is a surprisingly entertaining film that’s a welcome love letter to all those buddy cop action films of the 1980s. Like Red Heat and Spies Like Us, Mayday throws together two unlikely actors, in this case Reynolds and Branagh, and lets them cook. Branagh in particular is a hoot; the normally serious British actor clearly relishes using a thick Russian accent to play a lovable Ruskie whose KGB background is useful when avoiding Soviet authorities. Mayday is so engaging to watch that you wish you could see it in a proper movie theater with others around you.
Pop culture, by definition, consists of popular ideas and trends, fashion, entertainment, including music, movies and TV shows that are ingratiated and shared by the public at a certain period of time. Very few science fiction franchises have impacted pop culture as much as Star Trek and Star Wars. WhileStar Trek, upon its premiere in 1966, depicted a future where humanity set aside its petty differences to explore the stars. Star Wars, on the other hand, recounts a time period where humanity, well accustomed to space and its diverse stars “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” is caught alongside other species in an epic cosmic struggle between good and evil as heroes fight against tyrannical galactic governments in a universe bound together by a mystical energy called the Force.
While both franchises are separated by over a decade, with Star Trek premiering in 1966 and Star Wars eleven years later in 1977, both have gone on to remain incredibly relevant in the modern age while still inspiring other sci-fi creators over the years. Among sci-fi fans, Gene Roddenberry‘s vision of humanity’s spacefaring has established Star Trek as arguably the greatest space opera of all time. Since its premiere in 1966, the franchise has gone on to feature multiple spin-off series and moviesthat have further expanded its lore. Now, sixty years later, Star Trekis celebrating its anniversary with multiple events this September and Peacock has a special package coming for its subscribers.
Having just raised subscription prices for its customers, Peacock might be able to soften the blow for those who are sci-fi and Star Trek fans, as J.J. Abrams‘ 2009 Star Trek movie and its two sequels, 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, and 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, began streaming on the platform this past Tuesday, September 1. The release of the Star Trek reboot trilogy comes about a week before Star Trek celebrates its 60th anniversary on Star Trek Day, Sept. 8. At its release, the trilogy was billed a reboot of the franchise, it does not completely sever ties with the events of the franchise’s prime timeline with the destruction of the USS Kelvin, the federation starship James T. Kirk’s father, George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), being the link between the prime Star Trek timeline and its splinter, the “Kelvin Timeline.” This, perhaps, is one of the great appeals of Star Trek as the franchise finds ways to constantly reinventing itself over the years.
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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
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🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
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01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
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02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
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03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
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04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
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05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
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06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
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07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
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08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
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Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
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The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
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You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
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You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
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You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
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Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
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You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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Who Is Behind the ‘Star Trek’ Kelvin Timeline Trilogy?
The aforementioned Abrams directed both Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, bringing his signature heavy visual style to the fore in both titles. By the time Star Trek Beyond came around, Abrams had taken his talents across the sci-fi divide, crossing over to Star Wars and bringing that franchise back to theaters with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In his stead, Justin Lin took over directorial duties, though Abrams remained on as a producer. Despite succeeding in building connections with the first two movies, Star Trek Beyond disappointed at the box office, with its opening weekend lower than its two reboot predecessors. This has ultimately resulted in a decade-long delay for a fourth movie.
The main cast of the Kelvin Timeline trilogy include Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Simon Pegg as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Zoe Saldaña as Uhura, John Cho as Sulu, and Anton Yelchin as Chekov.
The landscape might be changing for the franchise, but Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond are currently streaming on Peacock. Stay tuned to Collider for updates.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
2026 has been a bit more of a low-key year for Jason Statham. While the action icon continues to pump out pulse-pounding features that stand as audience favorites, his two movies this year, Shelter and Mutiny, haven’t exactly lit the world on fire at the box office. The former may have since found streaming success, but the Ric Roman Waugh-directed film ended just shy of $54 million globally when it needed around $100 million to turn a profit. The book isn’t closed on his Die Hard-like boat-bound flick either, but it’s off to a rocky start as well, only grossing around $23 million since its release on August 21. Still, while the box office results aren’t promising, most of his battles are won instead on the VOD market, where his mid-budget thrillers have often thrived.
It’s been a minute since Statham has been the face of a proper blockbuster like The Meg, though. Released back in 2018 and loosely adapting Steve Alten‘s novel of the same name, the giant shark flick thrived as a co-production between the U.S. and China, earning $529 million globally with its explosive take on the sharksploitation genre. Everyone’s favorite modern British ass-kicker played Jonas Taylor, a search-and-rescue diver who was run out of the business for his unbelievable claims of a 70-foot-long behemoth lurking in the depths of the ocean. Years later, when another mission, including his ex-wife, is trapped by what appears to be that same creature, and he’s called upon to help, he must face his fears and dive once more to confront the megalodon, save the researchers, and find redemption.
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Although critics didn’t love The Meg and it’s closing in on a decade since the movie hit theaters, it’s been one of Statham’s most enduring thrillers in recent memory, getting a sequel in 2023 and continually thriving on streaming. HBO Max most recently called the film home, but September began with the blockbuster dropping from the platform’s catalog. Fortunately, that absence won’t be long. The Meg will return before the month is up on September 23, giving HBO one more heart-pounding title in time for the spooky season. With it comes a starry cast of U.S. and international stars around Statham, including Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, Cliff Curtis, and more.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
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🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
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01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
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02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
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03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
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04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
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05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
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06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
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07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
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08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
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09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
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10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
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Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
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Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
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James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
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Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
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Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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The Meg swims back onto HBO Max on September 23. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on all the hottest films coming to and leaving streaming throughout the year.
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Release Date
August 10, 2018
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Runtime
113 minutes
Director
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Jon Turteltaub
Writers
Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber, Dean Georgaris, Steve Alten
Jennifer Aniston and boyfriend Jim Curtis are still going strong after more than a year together — but a walk down the wedding aisle isn’t on the horizon quite yet.
“They are allowing the relationship to develop at its own pace and are much stronger, more positive and more confident that their lifestyles and priorities are compatible [than they were a year ago],” an insider exclusively tells Us of the pair’s relationship. “They have had conversations about their long-term future. They are enjoying the moment. “
The couple were first spotted together in Mallorca over the 2025 4th of July weekend, with Us learning at the time that they’d been set up by mutual friends.
The source confirmed to Us that Aniston, 57, and Curtis, 50, aren’t necessarily avoiding discussing a potential engagement — it’s simply that “neither feels the need to force a timeline.” (Aniston was previously married to Brad Pitt from 2000 to 2005 and later to Justin Theroux from 2015 to 2018. Curtis shares a son with his ex-wife Rachel Napolitano.)
Jennifer Aniston hasn’t shied away from stepping out in public with boyfriend Jim Curtis. The pair, who were first romantically linked in July 2025 after a trip to Mallorca, have captured the hearts of her fans, who just want to see the star happy. Prior to her romance with Curtis, Aniston was married to Brad […]
“One thing that they did discuss in the beginning of their relationship is that they don’t want more children together,” the insider adds. “Jen has met his son, and she thinks he’s great. They are focused on building a lasting partnership. They both do feel they found the person who understands them. It just works.”
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A second source tells Us that Aniston and Curtis have definitely communicated about “what the next step looks like” for their relationship.
“Jen is open to getting married again, but they’re both on the same page about not rushing it,” they note. “She’s even open to the idea of doing something really low-key, like eloping.”
Aniston and her beau have started stepping out together more frequently this year, including the Friends star’s Q&A with Curtis to promote his new book, The Book of Possibility, at New York City’s 92nd Street Y on Wednesday, September 2.
Their onstage panel included numerous poignant moments as Curtis opened up to his girlfriend and the audience about how he dealt with a life-challenging medical diagnosis in his 20s. (Curtis experienced partial paralysis and chronic nerve damage after doctors discovered lesions on his spinal cord.)
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Jim Curtis and Jennifer AnistonCourtesy Instagram / Jim Curtis
“I’m not saying here that if the doctor tells you to do something, you should get up and leave,” Curtis shared at the event, which Us attended. “What I’m saying is you don’t have to live as the victim. You don’t have to live in your suffering. It can become your power. As soon as you accept it and love it [you can move beyond it].”
He reflected on his own journey of acceptance as he dealt with significant physical limitations.
“I would say I got into a motorcycle accident [to explain his limp]. Why would I say that?” Curtis revealed at the 92nd Street Y. “I was so shameful that I had a medical condition. [I thought] I was broken in some way. I thought the motorcycle accident was at least a little macho. It was this identity of the ‘macho, strong man’ … it didn’t come with the connotation and shame of, ‘This can get worse.’”
He later acknowledged, “It was a long journey in which I realized I could have done it quicker … There are people who are just suffering because they don’t know what the next step is or they need a little bit of inspiration,” he said. “That was an easy choice for me.”
Jennifer Aniston’s rumored boyfriend, Jim Curtis, has nothing but positive things to say about the pair’s recent trip to Mallorca, Spain. “I am back from vacation and what an experience!” Curtis, 49, wrote in a newsletter emailed out on Monday, July 14, according to Page Six. “When I was sick, sad, stuck and in pain […]
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Aside from their recent public appearance in New York City, Aniston and Curtis revisited the earliest days of their romance when they returned to Mallorca over the summer.
“They spent a lot of time on the water [and] relaxed and were with some of Jen’s closest friends,” a source told Us earlier this month. “Her friends have really embraced Jim. He’s part of the group now, and everyone gets along really well. That means a lot to Jen because her friends are such a big part of her life.”
The pair were joined on their Mediterranean getaway by some of Aniston’s longtime pals, including her Horrible Bosses and Office Christmas Party costar Jason Bateman, model Christian Hogue and stylist Jamie Mizrahi.
Every decade has its own unique brand of action movie. The 70s were gritty and cynical, the 80s were bombastic and musclebound. The 2000s started with martial arts and bullet time and ended with a more grounded realism that led directly into the brutal and bloody 2010s. Of course, there are plenty of action movie exceptions that prove the rule for each decade, but the trends are indisputable.
There are a lot of labels that could be applied to the action movies of the 90s. They continued some of the trends of the 80s and carried over influence from some major filmmakers. The concepts got higher and the budgets got bigger, with CGI paving the way for even more outrageous scenarios. Satirical, over-the-top, old fashioned, hard boiled, action-packed and out of this world are all terms that can be applied to some of the best action movies of the 90s, but a better descriptor would be fun. These are the eight most fun action movies of the 90s, ranked.
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8
‘Last Action Hero’ (1993)
Jack Slater standing near his fake Terminator 2 poster in Last Action Hero.Image via Columbia Pictures
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s action star developed over time. He started with monosyllabic barbarians and cybernetic organisms that relied more on his physicality. Then he branched out with badasses who spoke mostly in one-liners. Finally, directors began to harness his natural charisma and his star reached nuclear fusion. In the 90s, he bid a bloody farewell to his ultraviolent past with Total Recall, brought a bit of his action persona to the family comedy Kindergarten Copand upgraded his ultimate villain to the ultimate hero in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Great action movies all of them, but he had the most fun as theLast Action Hero.
Reteaming with Predatordirector John McTiernan, Schwarzenegger took a swing at parody by poking fun at the action movie tropes he had helped establish in the 80s. Last Action Hero features the Austrian Oak playing himself as fictional movie cop Jack Slater, who gets teamed up with a kid sidekick when he’s magically transported into the movie world. Last Action Hero isn’t as sharp of a satire as it should be, and its PG-13 rating didn’t appeal to many viewers who had grown up with Schwarzenegger’s R-rated filmography. The movie bombed hard at the box office, and Schwarzenegger would return to strictly adult fare with his subsequent action movies. Over time, Last Action Hero has gained a cult following for its self-aware approach, and it still stands out in Schwarzenegger’s career.
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7
‘Demolition Man’ (1993)
Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes in Demolition ManImage via Warner Bros Discovery
The same year Schwarzenegger was trying on satire, so was his biggest action movie rival, Sylvester Stallone. The Italian Stallion’s film, Demolition Man, was a much bigger success, likely because it kept the R-rating and instead of taking aim at action movies, it set its sights on political correctness. The film’s depiction of an overly sanitized “utopian” future, where all language is policed and the police themselves have all become non-violent, is certainly a mixed bag when it comes to its prescience. Some bits are very incisive, while others look downright comical in comparison to the reality of 2026. The movie isn’t meant to be taken seriously, though, and it’s really just a big, fun action comedy that’s got just a little bit more on its mind than the average Stallone movie.
Stallone plays 90s cop John Spartan, known for his destructive methods, who is blamed for the deaths of hostages while apprehending the violent criminal Simon Phoenix, played by Wesley Snipes, and sent to a cryogenic prison. After Phoenix is woken up in the future, where he shocks the overly polite society with his penchants for ultra-violence, Spartan is unfrozen to take him down. Demolition Man is filled with fun gags, from Taco Bell being the only remaining restaurant chain to the three seashells (if you know, you know), and Stallone and Snipes are having a ton of fun in their roles. Of all Stallone’s action movies, Demolition Man still ranks highly, and it’s a blast to the future.
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6
‘Face/Off’ (1997)
face-off-nicolas-cage-john-travoltaImage via Paramount Pictures
John Woo made a major impact on Hollywood action movies in the 90s. The influence of his stylish gun-fu action was apparent in films throughout the decade, while Woo himself made his entrance into the studio system. After bidding farewell to his Heroic Bloodshed genre withHard Boiled, he teamed up with Jean Claud Van Damme for his American debut Hard Target. That movie is a lot of slick, silly fun, moreso than Woo’s follow-up Broken Arrow, which saw him collaborate with John Travolta for the first time. Those two would team up once again for Woo’s best American action movie, Face/Off. In addition to Travolta, the film brought on Nicolas Cage, who himself was having a lot of fun with action in the 90s with movies like The Rockand Con Air.
The beauty of the convoluted set-up of Face/Off, where Travolta plays an FBI agent who swaps faces with Cage’s terrorist in order to impersonate him, is that it allows both actors to compete in a contest of who can go more over-the-top. There isn’t a piece of scenery that is unchewed by the end of it, and Woo complements the performances with his slow-motion action stylings, complete with white doves. Face/Off is an outrageous action movie in everything from its premise to its acting to its gunfights. Cage and Travolta are dialed in, and Woo’s sincere approach to the dramatic material makes it all the more ridiculous and fun.
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5
‘The Mummy’ (1999)
Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser in 1999’s The Mummy.Image via Universal Pictures
With a good dose of old-fashioned adventure, Stephen Sommers turned the Universal Monster horror classic The Mummyinto an Indiana Jones-style supernatural action movie. The genre switch-up worked, and the movie was a massive blockbuster, spawning several sequels and spin-offs. The film’s success is due to its light tone, which is handled superbly by its perfect cast, and Sommers relative restraint in using CGI, which would swallow up all the action movies he would make after it. Of all the movies inspired by Indiana Jones, The Mummy is often ranked as the best, and it nails the vibes, humor and memorable set pieces.
Brendan Fraser is his own kind of action hero, distinct from Harrison Ford’s fedora-wearing archaeologist. Rick O’Connell is a bit of a himbo, but he’s got charm to spare, which he used on the equally disarming Evelyn, played by Rachel Weisz. Their chemistry is as hot as the Sahara Desert, where they unwittingly unleash the vengeful mummy Imhotep, played by Arnold Vosloo. The plot is as full of holes as Imhotep’s desiccated corpse, but this is not a movie designed for deep thoughts. It’s two-fisted pulp fun with a side of haunted house (or pyramid) frights. The Mummy is fun, funny, charming and the only time Hollywood successfully packed action into the classic movie monster template.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
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Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
Advertisement
🎭Ethan Hunt
Advertisement
01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
Advertisement
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
Advertisement
03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
Advertisement
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
Advertisement
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
Advertisement
06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
Advertisement
07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
Advertisement
08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
Advertisement
09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
Advertisement
10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
Advertisement
Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Rambo
Advertisement
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
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Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
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John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Ethan Hunt
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Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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‘The Last Boy Scout’ (1991)
Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans in The Last Boy ScoutImage via Warner Bros.
Tango & Cash is often considered the last true 80s action movie, but it’s only representative of the roided-out muscle mass slaughter fests. There was another brand of action that was prevalent in the 80s, personified by bantering buddies and often featuring a heavy noir influence. 48 Hrs., Lethal Weapon, Running Scared, andMidnight Run were this brand’s best. The buddy action movie would continue well through the 90s, and the perfect pivot point between that decade and the 80s is hinged on The Last Boy Scout. Starring Bruce Willis, directed by Tony Scott, produced by Joel Silver and written by Shane Black, the movie is a murderer’s row of 80s and 90s action power players, and it lives up to that pedigree.
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Willis plays a Shane Black special, a washed-up private detective. He teams up with a washed-up NFL player, played by Damon Wayans, to find out why a woman they both knew was killed and uncover a sports world conspiracy in the process. Willis was in the middle of his action run, and he’s never been more delightfully disheveled than in this role. Scott’s directorial style, which he honed in the 80s on Top GunandBeverly Hills Cop II, basically defined the 90s action aesthetic, and Black’s script is his most arch of the era. The clashing egos of these action titans apparently made the film’s production a nightmare, but the result is a sleazy, indulgent, ridiculous action ride.
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‘Police Story 3: Supercop’ (1992)
Michelle Yeoh with fists up stands next to Jackie Chan aiming a gun in Police Story 3: Supercop.Image via Miramax
Jackie Chan finally broke into Hollywood in the 90s, after several false starts in the prior decade. He found success in North America with films like Rumble in the Bronxand Rush Hour, but his most fun film of the decade was the action comedy threequelPolice Story 3: Supercop. Chan teamed up with Michelle Yeoh for the third installment, which only doubled the amount of incredible stunts and fight sequences. The film was an international success, and remains one of Chan’s best. Supercop is supersized entertainment that could only have come from a unique action star like Chan.
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Returning to his role of Inspector Ka-Kui, Chan joins forces with Yeoh as an Interpol agent to take down a dangerous drug smuggler. That plot provides more than enoguh of a framework to build some spectacular action scenes around. Chan dangles from helicopter while Yeoh jumps a motorcycle on to a moving train. It’s the kind of action that puts Hollywood stars to shame, with martial artists putting their bodies on the line for the sake of entertainment. Thankfully, they both survived, and the movie is fast-paced fun.
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‘Speed’ (1994)
Keanu Reeves looks anxiously ahead as Sandra Bullock drives the bus in ‘Speed’Image via 20th Century Studios
Keanu Reeves would become a bona fide action star in the 90s thanks to three seminal films. He began the decade with Kathryn Bigelow’s wild surfer heist thriller Point Break, and he would end it with the kung fu cyberpunk sci-fi classic The Matrix. In between those two, he would make what is often the best movie to be inspired by Die Hard. Speedcombines the propulsive thrills of Runaway Train with the hero-villain antagonism of the Bruce Willis classic. It’s Reeves’ most normal action hero he ever played, but he still has lots to play off of with an incredible supporting cast that includes Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper and Jeff Daniels.
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Reeves plays bomb disposal expert Jack Traven, who outwits a mad bomber, played by Hopper, in the film’s intense opening sequence on an elevator. That causes the madman to take revenge by planting a bomb on a city bus that will explode if it drops below 50 mph. That perfect premise gives the movie a relentless pace that director Jan de Bont, who was the cinematographer on Die Hard, never lets wane. Speed was a massive success that solidified Reeves as an action star and led to a ridiculous sequel set on a cruise ship, but most of all it is perfect 90s action popcorn entertainment.
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‘Men in Black’ (1997)
Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent J (Will Smith) prepare to use neuralyzer in Men in Black.Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Despite being a huge blockbuster that spawned an entire franchise, the action sci-fi comedy Men in Blackstill seems slightly underrated. It’s never given its full due in retrospectives covering any of the three genres it occupies, but it succeeds in all of them. The movie elevates the buddy cop formula to an intergalactic level, with director Barry Sonnenfeld adapting the Malibu Comics series with his energetic visual style. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones make for an unexpectedly perfect duo, the supporting cast is stellar, and the film is filled with a solid mix of digital and practical effects. It’s everything you could possibly want out of a crowdpleasing action blockbuster.
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Smith gets to play the wisecracking rookie to Jones’ salty veteran, as the newest recruit into the alien policing Men in Black. They’re faced with a big, bad buggy threat that wears the skin of a farmer, played by Vincent D’Onofrio, who gives an Oscar-worthy performance. Add in Linda Fiorentino and a talking pug, and it’s impossible not to watch Men in Black without cracking a wide smile. Its combination of genres makes it stand out against its action contemporaries; the script by Ed Solomon is far more clever than it has any right to be; and the alien designs by Rick Baker are fun and unique. Men in Black is the ideal blockbuster, but somehow it hasn’t become the standard for Hollywood to follow.
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