Entertainment
HBO Max’s Unhinged Thriller Masterpiece ‘Backrooms’ Deserves Kudos for Being Bold and Experimental
Backrooms is the little movie that could. With a miniscule budget of around $10M (an amount of money that, on a Marvel movie, would be allocated for purchasing the baby powder to get actors into their super suits), first-time director Kane Parsons was able to bring the labyrinthine yellow walls of his YouTube series of the same name to the big screen with the effectiveness of an old pro, grossing nearly $400M worldwide for studio A24. But this feat of cinematic terror would never have been fully realized without the help of a dedicated VFX crew.
“We went in knowing this was a lean budget film with quite an expansive vision,” production visual effects supervisor Edward Douglas says. “We also knew that much of the aesthetic was driven by what Kane Parsons had done in his YouTube shorts, which were all 100% him in [computer graphics software program] Blender, other than a few little live-action bookends. One of the first things we set about doing was figuring out how we can take advantage of that kind of process and pipeline in a cinematic feature film environment. If we could do long stretches of CG backrooms the same way Kane did in his YouTube series, that would set us so far ahead. If I phone up a VFX vendor and say, ‘We have five minutes of full CG,’ there goes our entire movie budget.”
Building 100,000 Square Feet of Backrooms —On Set and With VFX
Instead, Douglas’ first call was to associate VFX supervisor Calvin Romeyn, who he’d previously worked with on films like The Monkey and Longlegs. Romeyn bridged that high/low-end gap, with his extensive background working in the big studio realm (Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker) as well as his experience making short films using Unreal Engine and Blender. “Ed’s like, ‘It’s this internet thing, you probably never heard of it, called The Backrooms’… I was like, ‘Hold up, are they doing a movie?’” Romeyn remembers. “I was very excited to be part of it. Having worked in Blender a lot in recent short films — but also my current company that I run now, Roxel Creative, uses Blender for all of our CGI — it was a very easy process transferring Kane’s working Blender files from older YouTube shorts, and then elevating that into feature quality.”
Parsons handed in files he created with 100,000 square feet of yellow-tinted backrooms he wanted shown in the film, which initially crashed the film team’s computer. Although production designer Danny Vermette was able to construct 30,000 square feet of that as physical sets across four stages, the VFX team took up the slack in adapting the rest of the director’s files to work within Will Soodik’s screenplay.
It’s a real testament to Kane and Ed and Calvin that those set extensions feel seamless… We’re looking at every pixel to make sure no stone is left unturned.
As Douglas recounts, “Once we realized our set footprint, we started breaking down what had to be visual effects. What’s a set extension? Where do actors interact? How far do the actors go? What do we want to light and have for our director of photography to work within, and what do we extend in visual effects? The proven methods from Kane Parsons in Blender saved us thousands of square feet of set we don’t have to build, that we never actually see our feature actors Chiwetel Ejiofor or Renate Reinsve interact with.”
“When we did a lot of the yellow wallpaper room extensions in [3D graphics software] Maya, we had this wealth of Blender files to build off of,” adds John Pierce, visual effects supervisor at Mr. Wolf VFX, which worked on Backrooms. “You had these style frames that were already there, and we were able to make that stuff blend seamlessly. That speaks to tremendous efforts Kane put into all of the detail of imagining this world in such depth. It was not a huge overall budget, but it all came together and you wouldn’t be able to tell what that film cost if you didn’t have the information. It’s a real testament to Kane and Ed and Calvin that those set extensions feel seamless. We had a lot of practical wallpaper, and you’re trying to marry those together. At Mr. Wolf, this is our business. We’re looking at every pixel to make sure no stone is left unturned.”
How Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve Walked Through Walls
A major aspect handled by Mr. Wolf was the film’s “wall clipping,” when various characters pass through what appears to be a solid wall to enter or exit the backrooms.
“It’s this minimalist, simplistic concept and yet achieving it ended up being complex,” says Pierce. “We built out all the geometry of the specific room where the clipping plane was taking place to make sure that we could see, and we also had scans and match moves of the actors to see specific points where they were actually crossing the plane itself, getting that alignment exactly correct. Taking into account the anatomy of the specific limb that was going through the wall at a given point, all of the specific fall off of the lighting, ambient or key.”
In the end, Douglas and his team wound up delivering 600 effects shots, which does not sound like much compared to your average studio movie — but considering the slow-paced Backrooms was made up of only 830 shots altogether, those VFX shots encompassed 75% of the film. The fact that the then-20-year-old Parsons knew CGI so intimately proved a huge advantage to the process.
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“I had a workstation in my server closet that Kane was able to log into. He had a Parsec connection and he would log in sometimes at night or during the day and make little tweaks or update the camera, or be like, ‘Oh, I found a new asset for this thing’ and swap it out,” says Romeyn. “The director was a VFX artist, so we were able to speak the same language.” Another advantage that worked with the budget was the fact that many sequences were shot as low-res found footage, eventually transferred onto VHS tape for processing. Not a “VHS filter”…actual VHS.
“That was another little trick we had,” explains Douglas. “We didn’t have to deliver at full-res 4K for some of these sequences. It wasn’t a digital version made to look like old analog. [Technical coordinator] David Rice and our tech team spent a lot of time figuring out what kind of tapes [we needed] — extended play versus slow play for different looks — and we were able to get that analog sheen over all the footage. We knew where we had to put the details. We could let go of the exact tiny detailing you might put into a 4K cinematic render.”
One major sequence that benefited from this was the opening scene of scientists investigating the backrooms, which was originally shot in fully cinematic widescreen but then, late in the game, was switched to entirely 4:3 VHS found footage. The creative reason behind this was to launch the movie in the oner style of the YouTube videos, as opposed to a classically shot scene with multiple edits. This involved putting Parsons on a capture stage in Vancouver with a virtual camera.
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“The big challenge with that sequence was the area we’re covering was close to a kilometer of actual distance from one end of the backrooms to the other… but the space that we had in the volume is like 40-feet long or something,” Romeyn says. “Kane would run from one side diagonally across the volume to the other, then we’d move the virtual set to meet up where he ended his last motion, and then he would continue the next one. We ended up with 15 separate passes that would all eventually be stitched together, with hand animation to clean up the transitions. It feels like one continuous segment of a person running through the backrooms when it’s really just Kane running around in circles in a volume.”
‘Backrooms’ Most Horrifying Effects Were Actually Practical
Lest you think that all of Backrooms was rendered in a computer farm somewhere, several in-world characters who look like horrifying AI hallucinations were actually created with traditional, practical techniques.
Werner Pretorius, the film’s special makeup effects designer, said that the three malformed “still life” characters who appear in the kitchen scene — the bearded cake man, the red-headed woman, and the wheelchair man — were originally meant to be CGI creations, but evolved into practical makeup effects used on live actors due to budget constraints.
Pretorius explains, “I said to Kane, ‘What do these things look like?’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t know. It’s the backrooms, we’ll figure something out.’ He came back at us with some Photoshop designs he had done himself, which were very much like the warp function in Photoshop. Some of those elements would be really difficult to do practically. We can’t go from ear-to-ear with someone’s eye. That becomes problematic, so we reined them in a little bit. Then I said, ‘Hey, have you ever seen the sculpts of Evan Penny?’ He does these oversized hyper-realistic sculptures, and he does repetition. Basically, as AI would see things, the AI slop, the mistakes. Kane jumped on that. He’s like, ‘Oh my God, yeah, this is great! I love this because this is exactly what I was thinking for the backrooms where the AI makes mistakes. It just imagines stuff.’”
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Robert Bobroczkyi, Edward J. Douglas (Visual Effects Supervisor), Jennifer Latour (Key Makeup Effects Artist)
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This uncanny valley effect was taken to the nth degree with the backrooms character of Pirate Clark, a monstrously exaggerated version of Ejiofor’s character who, again, looks CG but is actually a live actor with a few CG enhancements. Pirate Clark is portrayed by 7-foot-7 Romanian actor Robert Bobroczkyi of Alien: Romulus fame. When the character went from a planned CG creation to live-action a mere three weeks before shooting, Pretorius suggested Bobroczkyi at a Thursday meeting and the actor was hired by Monday.
“We managed to source the original scans from Alien: Romulus through Legacy Effects in Los Angeles, who kindly donated those to us so we could get started on sculpting him,” says Pretorius. “Kane was working on a design for what Pirate Clark would ultimately look like, and [costume designer] Mica Kayde was working on the wardrobe for that. Blinks and facial movement were always going to be digital, that was always the plan.”
Pretorius continues, “We sculpted this thing and then 3D printed the mask, made everything so it fits the actor. We met Robert a week later, it was a really rushed timeline. There were some specific things we had to do to make Robert comfortable. We made some gloves so it’s quick on and off on set with the multi-fingers with an ‘AI made them’ vibe — but they still had to sort of move, which is a bit of a trick when it comes to gloves. I think he had a fitting the day before we shot.”
“Ed came to us at Zoic and challenged us to completely replace Pirate Clark’s head,” adds Zoic Studios VFX supervisor Edwin Rivera. “The desire was to get it to look more like Chiwetel and also have it emote more, which would have been challenging for the mask as it was originally conceived. It was a pretty compressed timeline, but the team did a pretty good job of not only making it look like Chiwetel but making it look not like Chiwetel?
There are other versions of the backrooms out there in the various wikis that have some vastly different environments, but this was very much grounded in Kane’s with the yellow wallpapered spaces, and everything reflecting that aesthetic.
“There’s a delicate balance because his proportions were gargantuan, and we wanted to save the practical hat,” Rivera continues. “So, given that his practical mask head was taller and more elongated, everything now gets proportionally wider as it gets taller. Ed was describing the backrooms as a memory, that these still lifes were misremembrances. One of the other analogies he made was a Star Trek transporter accident…that this poor character has been put together poorly, had animalistic urges, and was in terror the entire time.”
The peg leg of Pirate Clark was also rendered in CGI. Rivera recalls, “Tracking the peg leg was a bit of a challenge because we were tracking it to the ball of his foot, to his heel, because that was a direct connection that never slid or moved around while he was walking. Then we had to destroy it as well. Zoic’s effects department worked on creating the splinters and actually replacing the coat rack that she hits it with, as well. That shot at some point became almost entirely CG.”
Building the Next ‘Backrooms’
Because the concept of the backrooms is shared lore which sprang out of online threads, there have been some wildly expansive versions created, including cities in the sky and architecturally vast ocean floors amid the vast backroom mazes. With the success of the Backrooms film, a sequel seems assured, but the makers of the $10M original do not think an expanded budget will necessarily mean wildly fantastic new environments in the future.
“It’s Kane Parsons’ interpretation of the backrooms lore,” says Douglas. “There are other versions of the backrooms out there in the various wikis that have some vastly different environments, but this was very much grounded in Kane’s with the yellow wallpapered spaces, and everything reflecting that aesthetic. There wasn’t really a question of [including] some of these enormous, very different spaces from some of the other wikis, but I can imagine those sequels will absolutely expand out scope and build new and different things that fit into that world and be able to go bigger.”
Pierce concludes, “You’re just trying to make sure everything looks fantastic, and get everything done on time. What’s the sequel where the budget maybe explodes? One of the greatest things about Kane’s aesthetic is the minimalist approach. I imagine these new versions of the world that come out are still going to have this minimalist approach, not doing everything just for the sake of a huge budget and really being mindful. Whatever the next vision is could be super cool, because I think it’s still going to stay within that minimalist approach.”
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“Kane is a great example of an artistic creator with tremendous restraint,” adds Romeyn. “It can be easy to get carried away with dumping the kitchen sink, but his worlds are minimal and they’re very purpose-built. As we were developing some of these scenes, like the Vertigo Room, we were learning a lot about his style. And it really is about what’s important in the scene and what’s going to tell the story.”
Pierce concludes, “You’re just trying to make sure everything looks fantastic, and get everything done on time. What’s the sequel where the budget maybe explodes? One of the greatest things about Kane’s aesthetic is the minimalist approach. I imagine these new versions of the world that come out are still going to have this minimalist approach, not doing everything just for the sake of a huge budget and really being mindful. Whatever the next vision is could be super cool, because I think it’s still going to stay within that minimalist approach.”
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Backrooms will be available to stream on HBO Max beginning September 25, and is currently available to rent or buy on streaming as well as Blu-ray/DVD through A24.
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We pay our respects to the ‘Survivor’ contestants who were eliminated first on every single season.
Apple TV has thoroughly earned its illustrious reputation as the home for sci-fi series that, in terms of quantity and consistent quality, one can’t find on other streamers. By and large, the platform’s flagship shows (Pluribus, Severance, Silo) and their hidden gems (Constellation) are unconventional, cerebral, daringly complex, and meticulously constructed. Although creative partners Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar have worked with Netflix thus far in their joint career, the pair’s television projects deserve to be in the same conversation as their Apple TV counterparts — as visionary masterpieces simultaneously perfecting and reinventing the genre’s fundamentals.
In 2022, the unpredictably ingenious pair followed up Dark, their existential time travel thriller, with the formidable 1899. Equal parts period piece, sci-fi horror, and murder mystery, 1899 concerns itself with the convergence of hundreds of 20th-century strangers aboard a state-of-the-art steamship bound for New York. Friese and bo Odar’s second series is perhaps the first legitimate successor to Lost: a one-season wonder, it’s enthralling, sinister, marvelously perplexing, intricate enough to warrant viewers’ rapt attention, and — despite those superlative descriptions — halfway to indescribable.
What Is ‘1899’ About?
Each passenger on the Kerberos is trying to escape the secrets, scandals, and traumas associated with their respective pasts. Their journey toward freedom barely begins before the Kerberos unexpectedly discovers its sister vessel, the Prometheus, which vanished during its Atlantic-crossing voyage. As soon as the ocean liners make contact, life aboard the Kerberos descends into a living nightmare. Inexplicable deaths, unfathomable triangle symbols, and unreliable narrators plague the trapped passengers at every turn, all while a looming observer orchestrates the horrors for reasons unknown.
1899 truly is a case where the less you know, the better your viewing experience will be. Indeed, Friese and bo Odar’s sophomore enterprise is an experience of the highest order, and a tremendous endeavor across every department. 1899 drips with striking efficiency and confidence, from the series’ exquisite visual identity (opulent sets, distinct costumes, one of the most cinematic and organic uses of the Volume to date) to the partners’ command over atmosphere. Claustrophobia and paranoia increase by strategically agonizing degrees until the dread feels unshakable, especially once 1899 evolves from its opening premise into something else entirely — many things, technically, given the genre-blending between historical fiction, supernatural mystery, hard sci-fi, and existential drama.
‘1899’s Uniqueness Succeeds on Virtually Every Level
1899 isn’t a case of showrunners whose metaphorical eyes are bigger than their stomachs, however. The “aha!” payoff moments for this series’ calculatedly interdependent structure are worth every penny. Friese and bo Odar make each second of their eight episodes count, dispensing enough clues to stoke tension but never spinning their narrative wheels until they turn circuitous. Nor do they rush breakneck toward the jaw-dropping reveals at the expense of either their philosophical concerns or the ensemble’s character depth. On both fronts, the turn-of-the-century setting and multicultural cast encourage a worthwhile exploration into the manifold ways geopolitics, forced social propriety, class stratification, religion, race, gender, and sexuality intersect.
Like too many ambitious modern epics, 1899 was cancelled before its time. Friese and bo Odar had mapped out two more seasons before Netflix swung the show’s death blow, which makes this loss heavier; going off Dark‘s three-season structure, we can assume that the duo’s uncontained uniqueness was properly calibrated to the story’s precise needs. Too many questions are left unanswered, but 1899 is immensely rewarding because its brain-melting experimentation challenges traditional TV structures — while remaining more addictively accessible than one might think. These tumultuous waters are worth traversing again and again.
1899
- Release Date
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2022 – 2022-00-00
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Netflix
- Directors
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Baran bo Odar
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Andreas Pietschmann
Eyk Larsen
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Emily Beecham
Maura Franklin
“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” star Alicia Carmody is grateful to be part of the beloved franchise 20 years after its inception. During an exclusive interview with The Blast, Carmody not only reflected on filming an episode of “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip,” but she also revealed which Bravolebrity she was most excited to link up with at Bravo Fan Fest in Charleston.
Alicia Carmody Reflects On Joining ‘The Real Housewives’ Franchise In Year 20
Carmody will appear in the season finale of “RHUGT: Roaring 20th” alongside her “Rhode Island” co-stars.
She’s one of the 80+ “Real Housewives” personalities who filmed scenes for the tribute season, and while reflecting on it during an exclusive interview with The Blast to promote her new partnership with Ferrero, she admitted the moment was too surreal.
“It was like a dream, like I actually was like, ‘Pinch me, wake me up, how is this happening?’” she said. “I just took it all in, and I was just blessed.”
Life Has Been ‘Wild’ For Alicia Carmody Since Becoming A ‘Real Housewives’ Cast Member
“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” became an instant hit amongst Bravo watchers, leading to an almost-immediate second season renewal.
With all the love pouring in from fans, it’s no surprise that Carmody’s life has been a bit chaotic since the show’s premiere.
“I will walk into a Whole Foods or shopping or my daughter’s school and people will scream, ‘Cracker!’ It’s just wild to me that people scream cracker, and I jump for joy,” she told us.
- Alicia Carmody bumped heads with Rosie DiMare during the first season of “RHORI.”
- Liz McGraw clapped back at “preposterous” claims she left the show over criminal past.
- Vicki Gunvalson called the “RHORI” ladies “very aggressive” while filming “RHUGT.”
- Andy Cohen praised the Rhode Island ladies in March 2026: “They are the drama.”
- Kelsey Swanson defends herself against “escort” claims at the “RHORI” reunion.
Alicia Carmody Is Looking Forward To Her Appearance At Bravo Fan Fest
To celebrate her first year as a “Real Housewives” star, Carmody will link up with other Bravo personalities at Bravo Fan Fest in Charleston, South Carolina.
Joining her will be talent from “RHOA,” like Angela Oakley, Ava Dash from “Next Gen NYC,” “Real Housewives of Dubai” star Chanel Ayan, and “Southern Hospitality” OG Joe Bradley.
But who part of the star-studded lineup is Carmody most excited to connect with? “I love them all,” she said. “I’m so excited to see Teresa [Giudice], Dolores [Catania] again. I love “Southern Charm,” to meet these people. I love them all for different reasons; it depends on the day.”
Carmody Partners With Ferrero To Bring ‘Adultoween’ To Life
Elsewhere in our interview, Carmody, the reality star and mother of one, opened up about her partnership with Ferrero, one of the world’s largest sweet-packaged food businesses and the company behind beloved treats like Nutella, Kinder, and Tic Tacs.
As part of their partnership, Carmody is promoting the company’s “Adultoween” campain, reminding adults that Halloween is as much for grownups as it is for kids.
“You’re never too old to celebrate Halloween! So, this year, my candy jars are full, my dolls are on display, my costume is on, and Ferrero treats are right alongside my bag of crackers,” she said. “Partnering with Ferrero means showing adults everywhere that Adultoween is a VIBE!”
This Halloween, Ferrero is also fielding its third consecutive Adultoween survey to capture the latest trends and findings on this year’s Halloween season and traditions.
“Adultoween started as an insight the Ferrero Group discovered and has grown into a cultural
movement,” said Chad Stubbs, Chief Marketing Officer of Ferrero North America. “We’re excited to see where this year’s trends land and how they’ll shape the way we engage and show up for our fans in bigger and better ways this Halloween and beyond.”
Carmody Reveals This Year’s Halloween Costume
In last year’s findings, Ferrero found that 62% of Americans base their Halloween costumes on pop culture figures, including singers, actors, and even some reality stars, and according to Carmody, that’s one spooky season trend she can totally get behind. “I love dressing up as pop culture,” she told The Blast. “This year, I’m dressing up as one of my favorite Rainbow HIgh Dolls, Bella Parker. So, I love it.”
If things had gone as Rosie ‘O’Donnell planned, she would have used her last night as guest host on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to deliver a powerful message.
When O’Donnell temporarily took the reins of the daytime show, she did not hide her known displeasure with Donald Trump and blasted him at every opportunity.
As part of her advocacy efforts, the former “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” star also hoped to use the platform to feature alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein. However, that idea never materialized.
Rosie O’Donnell Says Her ‘Epstein Survivors’ Segment Was Scrapped From ABC Show
O’Donnell recently opened up about why she wanted to include the abuse victims, and explained why the topic mattered to her.
“My idea for the last night was to do the Epstein reveal, and they said that they were certain that could not happen,” O’Donnell shared in the latest episode of “The Jann Arden’s Podcast.”
After being told the segment would not move forward, the actress took a different route and shared the project on social media instead. According to the broadcaster, eight alleged survivors participated, joining forces after she shared with them why speaking out is necessary.
“We met, and I told them about my history and why it means so much to me and the human race and why this is of vital importance,” O’Donnell added.
In the video O’Donnell posted, all the women gathered to sing Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman.” In the caption, O’Donnell explained that the post was made “after the corrupt AG (Trump’s former personal lawyer) implied that he did not believe men accused of sex abuse would be charged as a result of the Epstein files – despite mountains of evidence.”
Rosie O’Donnell Slams Donald Trump On Her Exit Episode
Although O’Donnell did not bow out the way she initially planned, she still used her last appearance to send a message tp the president.
As The Blast reported, the comedian opened her remarks by revisiting the nickname Trump once gave her, “Nasty Rosie O’Donnell.” She then launched into a musical critique, using the Irish classic “Danny Boy” to highlight a range of issues she associates with Trump.
Her lyrics referenced his polling numbers, comments about inflation, handling of tensions involving Iran, and the return of measles outbreaks.
For her final comeback, she used Trump’s own campaign slogan back at him. Singing directly to him, she quipped, “Since we all know you’ll never be Obama, why not resign and make this country great again?”
O’Donnell’s final appearance was not the first time she targeted Trump during her brief run on the program.
According to The Blast, the 64-year-old kicked off her guest-hosting duties with criticisms aimed at Trump, warning viewers that her appearances would feature jokes tied to their decades-long feud.
The host went down memory lane, recalling that she left the States primarily because of the political climate, after reading Project 2025. She continued, saying that even though she initially asked her son not to share the news, he went ahead and did it.
The TV personality recalled her boy telling a classmate they were moving because “the President of the United States hates my mother.” O’Donnell laughed it off, adding that she probably dislikes him even more.
O’Donnell Has A History Of Taking Down The World Leader On Air
O’Donnell’s latest remarks are only the newest chapter in a feud that has unfolded publicly for decades. A video from 2006 has resurfaced showing O’Donnell blasting Trump during an appearance on “The View.”
At that time, Trump was famously known for championing NBC’s “The Apprentice.” Per The Blast, O’Donnell questioned his moral standing, referencing his history of infidelity while weighing in on his reluctance to give Miss USA Tara Conner a second chance after her own public scandal.
She pointed out his marriages and alleged affairs, noting that he even had children during those relationships.
Tucker Carlson Claims Trump Wanted Epstein Files Kept Hidden
As O’Donnell continues her beef with the 80-year-old and spotlights the alleged survivors of Epstein, renewed attention has fallen on Trump’s connection to Epstein files.
Tucker Carlson recently claimed that Trump supported keeping the records from becoming public. Carlson revealed that he warned Donald Trump that keeping Epstein‑related files hidden could backfire politically. However, Trump gave a “bunch of answers” as to why it should remain out of public view.
“The order to keep it under wraps came from Trump,” Carlson claimed, according to The Blast. “When I asked him why, he gave me this long, emotional explanation, saying it was all part of a plot against him, like Russiagate.”
Margot Robbie is embracing a new surname years into her marriage to Tom Ackerley. The change has surfaced in official UK business records, offering a rare glimpse into the famously private couple’s life together.
Their story spans a romance they initially kept from friends to becoming first-time parents with the birth of their son in 2024.
Margot Robbie’s Name Change Appears In Official Records
Margot Robbie has made a notable name change years after marrying Tom Ackerley.
New documents filed with the UK’s Companies House list the “Barbie” star as Margot Ackerley, LADbible reports. The couple married in 2016, although the actress is expected to continue using the name that made her famous professionally.
The couple’s relationship has long extended beyond their home life. Robbie and Ackerley co-founded LuckyChap Entertainment in 2014 alongside Sophia Kerr and Josey McNamara. The production company has since been behind projects including “I, Tonya,” “Saltburn,” and the blockbuster “Barbie.”
Robbie Initially Hid Her Romance From Friends
Robbie and Ackerley kept their romance under wraps in its earliest days, even from the friends they shared a home with.
The actress later recalled developing feelings for Ackerley while believing he would never feel the same way. Once they got together, the pair initially decided not to tell their housemates about the relationship.
Their romance eventually became public, but privacy remained a recurring theme. The couple quietly tied the knot in Byron Bay, Australia, and Robbie has generally kept details of their marriage out of the spotlight.
The Couple Became Parents In 2024
That approach continued as they prepared to become parents. Robbie’s representative confirmed her pregnancy in July 2024 after photos showed her with a baby bump during a trip to Lake Como.
Neither Robbie nor Ackerley publicly discussed the pregnancy at the time. Years earlier, however, the actress had said she wanted children. In a 2018 interview with Porter, Robbie said she imagined her future including a large Christmas gathering surrounded by kids.
They became parents for the first time in 2024. Multiple outlets reported on November 2 that the “Barbie” star had given birth to a baby boy, with PEOPLE confirming the news through a source. The arrival came several months after Robbie’s pregnancy first became public during the couple’s vacation in Italy.
Not Every Celebrity Follows The Name-Change Tradition
Hollywood couples have taken several approaches to the age-old question of what happens to their surnames after marriage.
Zoë Saldaña and Italian artist Marco Perego, for instance, put their own spin on the tradition after marrying in 2013. Perego took his wife’s surname, becoming Marco Perego-Saldaña, while the actress became Zoë Saldaña-Perego.
The “Avatar” star later revealed that she initially tried to discourage her husband from making the change. Perego, however, was unbothered by the potential reaction and went ahead.
Saldaña later clarified on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that the decision went both ways, with each adopting the other’s surname.
DC Fans Spot A Possible Clue About Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn
Meanwhile, Robbie’s future as Harley Quinn in the DC Universe may have received an unexpected boost.
The latest episode of HBO’s “Lanterns” included a reference to Starro, the giant alien villain who attacked Corto Maltese in 2021’s “The Suicide Squad.” John Stewart mentioned how authorities might respond if another “giant starfish” emerged from the ocean.
That callback has fueled speculation among DC fans that the movie’s events remain part of the new DC Universe. If so, surviving characters could potentially return, including Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
Taylor Swift gave fans something new to celebrate on Tuesday when she unveiled “Patient Zero,” her upcoming single.
However, instead of spending the day dissecting lyrics, theories, and release details, a surprising part of the rollout quickly took center stage.
Within minutes of the announcement, attention shifted from the music to the cover art, sparking a wave of online debate that turned what should have been a straightforward reveal into an unexpected conversation about image editing.
Taylor Swift’s New Single Announcement Quickly Loses The Spotlight
For most artists, a new music announcement is designed to keep the focus firmly on the song. In Taylor Swift’s case, however, the visual accompanying “Patient Zero” became the bigger talking point.
The image showed the singer leaning against a concrete wall while wearing a high-neck sleeveless dress.
Rather than discussing the single itself, fans immediately began scrutinizing the photograph, with many pointing to what they believed were heavy editing choices.
As the Daily Mail revealed, some viewers focused on the area around the Grammy winner’s arm and side, arguing that the image appeared overly smoothed and lacked natural definition.
The criticism came from both casual observers and devoted supporters. One person wrote on X, “The Photoshop on Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ cover is horrendous… girl, you’re a billionaire, please get a professional photographer.”
Another questioned the editing, saying, “I’m so sorry but why does the side of her look so poorly edited? It looks way over-airbrushed and almost AI.”
Swift Fans Defend The Star While Criticizing The Artwork
Interestingly, many of the loudest critics made it clear they were still firmly in Taylor Swift’s corner.
Rather than attacking the music icon, much of the backlash targeted whoever handled the final image.
One fan noted, “No shade, but they edited her armpit to HELL,” before adding, “I love Taylor, by the way.” Another social media user took issue with multiple aspects of the cover, listing “The FaceApp blur, the badly cropped picture, the tilted horizon… she just pissed me off so bad.”
Others approached the situation with humor. A supporter joked, “I can edit you better for free on Canva,” while affectionately referring to Swift as “mom” and lamenting, “They Photoshopped your shoulder out of existence.”
Even amid the criticism, many fans emphasized that the artwork would not diminish their excitement for the music itself. One supporter summed up the mood by writing, “The Photoshop is so horrendously bad, but god, Tay, you’ll shine through forever and always.”
Taylor Swift Countdown Fuels Frenzy Over Secret Announcement
The conversation around “Patient Zero” did not begin with the cover art. Days before the single was officially unveiled, Swift had already sent fans into detective mode with a series of cryptic online changes that suggested something bigger was coming.
According to ELLE, the star quietly launched a countdown on her official website that was set to expire at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, immediately triggering speculation across the fandom.
Fans also noticed a third document beneath her statement about regaining ownership of her masters. At the same time, Swift altered her Instagram bio, replacing several “O”s with zeros so it read, “And, baby, that’s sh0w business f0r y0u.”
The clues did not stop there. Swifties pointed to similar changes on Apple Music and began debating whether she was preparing to announce a deluxe album, a rerecording, or an entirely new project.
Some even revisited the Easter eggs from her recent Emmy Awards sketch, where fans believed she had planted hidden clues.
When the countdown finally ended, fans got their answer. Swift revealed she would be releasing “Patient Zero” on Friday, confirming that weeks of theories had indeed been leading somewhere.
More From The Blast
Swift Expands ‘Showgirl’ Era With Four New Songs
As it turned out, “Patient Zero” was only part of the surprise.
Less than 24 hours after announcing the single, Taylor Swift revealed “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,” an expanded edition of her hit album featuring four additional songs: “Patient Zero,” “Cleveland!,” “Pink Clouding,” and “Babylon.”
The project is scheduled for release on September 25. In a message to fans, Swift explained how the new music came together.
“About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing. Something that completely blew my mind…” she wrote on Instagram, adding, “You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history.”
Swift said she later traveled to Sweden with collaborators Max Martin and Shellback to celebrate the album’s success.
“Really we just wanted to reflect and take in how grateful we were for the moment we were in, but there was a studio there and we did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs,” she added.
Swift concluded, “I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.”
Taylor Swift Reacts To Historic MTV Honor
The mystery surrounding Swift’s countdown may have ended with “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,” but another major announcement soon followed — one that had nothing to do with a new song.
As PEOPLE revealed, MTV revealed on Monday that Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the first artist ever selected for the newly created recognition.
According to the network, the award honors musicians whose work behind the camera has helped expand the possibilities of music videos and visual storytelling.
MTV described the honor as celebrating artists who have “pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice.”
The announcement also comes as Swift heads into the VMAs with a massive presence across multiple categories, including nominations for Video of the Year, Best Direction, Artist of the Year, and Best Album.
Robert Pattinson may already be Gotham’s Batman, but some fans are now wondering what he could do on the other side of the cape and cowl.
Pattinson’s performance in A24’s upcoming Primetime has sparked comparisons to the Joker, with clips from the film circulating across social media ahead of its theatrical release. Pattinson stars as a fictionalized version of To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, bringing an eccentric and increasingly unsettling energy to the role.
That performance has apparently been enough to convince some fans that Pattinson could have made a memorable Clown Prince of Crime. One viral post suggesting his Joker could have been “generational” has accumulated more than seven million views.
When Entertainment Weekly asked Pattinson about the comparisons and the possibility of playing the iconic DC villain, the actor quickly pointed toward the man already occupying that corner of Gotham.
“Oh, Jesus. I mean, it’s such a great part…but Barry’s the man.”
Pattinson said.
Pattinson was referring to Barry Keoghan, who made a brief appearance as the Joker at the end of Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Keoghan also filmed a much longer deleted sequence in which Pattinson’s Batman visits the villain at Arkham while investigating the Riddler.
Robert Pattinson in ‘Primetime’. Credit: A24
Pattinson had nothing but praise for Keoghan while recalling their time filming the scene together.
“I loved doing that scene with him so much,” Pattinson said. “I love Barry as well. I think he’s such a phenomenal actor.”
Pattinson made his preference clear, adding that he wants to see Keoghan continue with the character.
“But yeah, I want him to do it. I’m much more interested in that.”
Whether Keoghan will return as the Joker in The Batman: Part II remains officially unclear. The character’s limited appearance in the first film, along with the subsequently released deleted scene, has fueled speculation about his future in Matt Reeves’ Gotham for years.
For now, Pattinson seems perfectly happy remaining on Batman’s side of the equation.
Primetime arrives in theaters September 25, while The Batman: Part II is currently scheduled to hit theaters February 18, 2028.
PlaqueBoyMax is back with another tattoo, and social media is once again weighing in on his latest ink. The streamer and content creator has sparked another round of reactions after showing off a new cheetah tattoo along his rib cage. The latest addition comes just months after Max made headlines for his “DIVA” tattoo, which sparked plenty of conversation online and eventually led to a tense moment during Streamer University.
Related: Social Media Shares Thoughts After PlaqueboyMax Explains The Meaning Behind His New “DIVA” Tattoo (WATCH)
PlaqueboyMax Reveals New Tattoo
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, PlaqueBoyMax took to social media to show fans his latest tattoo. In a 15-second video, Max showed off the side of his stomach, revealing a fresh tattoo along his rib cage featuring a cheetah. The new ink quickly caught the attention of social media users, with fans and critics flooding the comments. See the tattoo below.
Social Media Reacts
As the video made its rounds online, social media users had plenty to say about Max’s latest ink.
Instagram user @ant_janay wrote, “I feel like he’s the new Dennis Rodman.”
Another Instagram user @hackeawhimduggan wrote, “🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 cuh you ain’t gotta do all this”
While Instagram user @xinaryaa wrote, “Y’all know we gotta get old right? 😂”
Instagram user @mynamebeyonce wrote, “I really can’t keep saving you MAX fr”
Another Instagram user @dosofes wrote, “I was gonna get a cheetah tatt like that 😍😍😍”
While Instagram user @_juel1z wrote, “he a cheetah girl now”
Instagram user @nathanxwesley wrote, “idc that jawn fire yall some haters”
Another Instagram user @hope.jsn wrote, “it’s giving modern day prince”
While Instagram user @detrimintall wrote, “now he a cougar & a diva?”
Max Previously Sparked Conversation With His “DIVA” Tattoo
The latest tattoo comes after Max previously had social media talking over another piece of rib-cage ink. In June, Max revealed a tattoo reading “DIVA” in all capital letters. The tattoo quickly became a topic of conversation, with some social media users questioning its meaning and others praising Max for expressing himself however he wanted.
The conversation surrounding the tattoo continued into July when streamer OjaySuave confronted Max about the ink during Streamer University. The exchange became emotional after Ojay criticized Max’s “DIVA” persona and questioned his choices on livestream. Max later addressed the moment, saying he intended to continue being himself despite outside opinions. He also encouraged people to be less judgmental of others.
Related: OjaySuave Responds After Facing Backlash For Criticizing PlaqueboyMax’s “DIVA” Tattoo At Streamer University (WATCH)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Ian Somerhalder took to social media to announce a hair supplement line and limited-edition “Vampire Diaries” daylight rings, drawing mixed reactions from fans.
Some questioned whether the former actor was relying on longtime fans to support his latest ventures. Earlier this year, Somerhalder also opened up about why he quit acting following the cancellation of his Netflix series “V Wars.”
Ian Somerhalder Unveils Hair Supplements And Daylight Rings
Ian Somerhalder has made headlines for his latest business venture. The “Vampire Diaries” actor, who played Damon Salvatore on the series, took to Instagram to announce a supplement called “HAIR.” He said it was “designed to support thicker, healthier hair and hair growth from within.”
Somerhalder said the pills, apparently created in collaboration with The Absorption Company, contain “clinically studied ingredients” and are designed for fast absorption. Images of him promoting the supplements soon drew a strong reaction from fans.
The retired actor also launched limited-edition “Vampire Diaries” daylight rings, modeled on the fictional jewelry that allowed his character and other vampires to walk in the sun. He said he would personally sign every collector box ordered.
Fans Question Ian Somerhalder’s Hair Supplement Pitch
While some fans commended Somerhalder for the venture, others criticized what they saw as a financially motivated move.
One Reddit user said there was something “weird about actors who blew up through a CW or YA show” and later began “relying on the last standing die-hard fans who still dream of meeting them.”
Someone else wrote, “Maybe my standards for shills are too high, but I think your hair should look nice if you’re gonna be selling hair supplements.”
A third person added, “He looks rough here. Is he shilling supplements/vitamins, too? I guess their Twilight and Vampire Diaries money is drying up.”
Somerhalder Says “V Wars” Troubles Pushed Him Away From Acting
Somerhalder and his wife have pursued several business ventures since he left Hollywood in 2019 and moved to a California farm.
On a July 9 episode of the “Haley on the Go” podcast, the 47-year-old shared what he called the “really honest, kind of controversial” reason he quit acting. He recalled how the cancellation of his Netflix series “V Wars” affected him.
“I wanted to do V Wars because it was me, not as a vampire; it was me as a scientist,” he said, per PEOPLE. “[We] shot the show, moved my whole family to Northern Ontario. Worked really hard on this thing for almost a year, and the show that got turned in wasn’t even watchable.”
“I said to the studio, I don’t want to put my name on this. I’ll give you the money back — I’ll give you millions of dollars. And they were like, ‘What? What are you talking about?’” he continued.
Ian Somerhalder Details The Power Struggle Behind “V Wars”
Somerhalder said he and his producing partner, James Gibb, sought creative control of the show “to fix it,” but Netflix would not give them more money.
They went on to raise $6 million and spent long hours filming. Somerhalder said the exhaustion landed him “in the hospital.”
He described “V Wars” as a “hit” when it premiered in December 2019, but said it was canceled anyway.
“The execs were fighting, and someone quietly canceled the show. And the powers that be at Netflix were like, ‘It’s unfortunate. Yes, it shouldn’t have happened. We can’t go back, because it would set a precedent that would be terrible, so the show is done,” he said.
The experience convinced him it was time to leave acting. He said he did not want to keep creating something “for this executive who had issues in high school, so they want to exert power now, [to cancel it].”
Somerhalder Says He And Nikki Reed Sold Assets To Clear Debt
The “Lost” alum said his move away from acting coincided with a major financial setback that left him and his wife in an “eight-figure hole.”
In a conversation with E! News, Somerhalder attributed the “financial upheaval” to a business he said he didn’t build properly.
“I retired from acting seven years ago,” he told the outlet. “I left an insanely lucrative career in television after financial upheaval from building a business that I didn’t build properly.”
He said fraud worsened the situation, but he and Nikki Reed climbed out of debt by selling much of what they owned.
“Eight figures is a hard hole to climb out of. But Nikki [Reed] and I did it. You know, she really negotiated us out of this deal, but we sold houses, paintings, cars, watches, everything,” he said.
“I should’ve been retiring off of one of the biggest TV shows in the world [instead of] starting companies that were not gonna pay me possibly ever,” the actor added.
For nearly 50 years, “Chippendales” has been a household name, entertaining in a way only they can. While the men in the show may have changed throughout the years, the talent, the vibe, and the overall message remains the same.
The Vegas show has won the Best of Las Vegas gold award in the Best Male Revue Show category for 14 consecutive years proving that the show has stood the test of time. Chippendales has been a Vegas staple for more than two decades, and for the past year, has called Planet Hollywood home.
The Blast recently checked out the well-known and beloved show and chatted with two dancers — Jayson and Alejandro — about their time in the show.
The Host Of ‘Chippendales’ Loves Giving The Audience An ‘Experience’
For more than 9 years, Jayson has been a part of “Chippendales” in Las Vegas. As the host, he gets a unique experience with the audience night after night.
Before becoming a “Chippendales” dancer, Jayson worked as a dancer in Florida at Disney.
“My favorite part about being a ‘Chippendales’ dancer is, I would have to say, that we get the opportunity to travel across the US and internationally, as well as doing the show here in Vegas, and being able to give people the experience that they may never be able to see in their lives again,” he told The Blast exclusively. “For a lot of people, this is a once in a lifetime experience, whether we’re traveling to their state or country, so to put that show out there and see that audience reaction from it is kind of priceless. That is truthfully the bones of what it means to be a Chippendale, to enjoy the performance and that entertainment aspect of it.”
A Side Of ‘Chippendales’ The Audience Doesn’t Exactly Get To See
While the audience sees a lot (and we mean…a lot!) there are some aspects to putting on the show that they don’t exactly get to see.
“I think a side the audience never gets to see is that for me as the host, a lot of it is vocalizing, you’re portraying this character, they’re embracing this character from you and sometimes to have to put on that show can be physically and mentally exhausting,” Jayson shared. “So to be able to come home and take that all off and decompress and relax is definitely a side the audience doesn’t see. When we’re out on stage, we’re giving it our all, we’re giving it 110% so to be able to go back and strip that all away and go back to normal human Jayson is probably a side that the audience doesn’t get to see.”
When Jayson isn’t on the stage and just living his life, he’s still representing what being a “Chippendales” dancer is all about. He often gets recognized while he’s out and about in Vegas or at the airport.
“Even when you’re out, sometimes you’re still putting on this part and you’re going to be recognized,” he said. “It is a world-renowned brand that has been around for 45 years now, so to put on these cuffs and collars, it’s a staple and it comes with the territory knowing when you’re out in public, you probably will be noticed.”
Jayson Was Featured In Multiple Episodes Of ‘The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’
If you’re an avid “Mormon Wives” fan, you already know Jayson. He was featured in a few episodes, as well as in Jen and Zac Affleck’s TikToks when they visited the show off camera.
“There’s been times when I’m in the airport and someone will say, ‘Wait, are you the ‘Chippendales’ from Mormon Wives?’” he said. “And I’m like, yeah that’s us.”
What keeps bringing him back to the stage night after night are the crowd interactions he gets to have. Every night is completely different from the last, so every show is unique.
“My job as the narrator, the storyteller of the show, is to bring people into our world, allow them to feel comfortable, allow them to be vulnerable and let their walls down to embrace the sexuality, the sensuality, the fun and excitement of our show,” Jayson told The Blast. “To see how those reactions change consistently through the night each night that we do the show is kind of amazing. Truthfully, that’s the heartwarming part of it to me that keeps me coming back because I love being able to say that I touched someone or left a lasting impression on someone through the show.”
‘Chippendales’ Dancer Alejandro Has Been Featured In Playgirl Twice
Alejandro, a fan favorite at “Chippendales,” has bared it all in Playgirl, not once, but twice. He was featured once in 2025 and again just recently. When asked what was going through his mind when he was approached to do the photo shoot, he said, “Let’s go.”
Alejandro has performed in multiple shows before landing on the “Chippendales” stage performing in a more sexual manner than previous shows.
“We don’t cross that line of it being dirty. We make it professional and make memories and fantasies that can go back home and say, you know what, we want to go back to ‘Chippendales’ again,” he told The Blast. “And that’s what I’m on the stage trying to do.”
The best part of the job for Alejandro? “Taking a shower on stage, half naked with real water,” he confidently said with a smirk on his face. (While he was not performing the night The Blast was at the show, we know exactly what he’s referring to and if you’re ever been to the show, we’re sure you do, too!)
He added, “We create new things and we perform and people love it when we’re on stage and that’s one of the things that I like.”
Misconceptions About Being A ‘Chippendales’ Dancer
As with anything, there are some misconceptions floating around about “Chippendales” and Alejandro wants to clear some of that up.
“Some think we’re just taking our clothes off on stage and we’re strippers,” he said. “We are performers. We perform and take our clothes off.”
Another thing some may think is that once the guys are off the stage, that’s the end of their job, but that’s not true at all.
“My job is 24/7. I’m in the gym like it’s my office because it goes hand in hand with what I do. It’s a lifestyle,” he told The Blast. “I’ve been working out since I was a teenager. I’m an athlete too. I play volleyball, baseball, football, so when it comes to working out and being active, that goes with what I do too. It’s good for my mind and my body.”
What’s next for someone who’s dominated the stage with “Chippendales” and the pages of Playgirl? He’s got some things in the works but he’s remaining tight-lipped about it at this time. But one thing’s for sure, Alejandro isn’t leaving the public eye. He plans to keep performing and modeling.
For more information about Chippendales and to get tickets to an upcoming Vegas show, visit the website.
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