Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is entering a new chapter. As longtime fans continue wondering what comes next for the “Jersey Shore” franchise, the reality TV icon has officially announced her latest project alongside longtime best friend and co-host Joey Camasta. The duo is bringing their hit podcast, “It’s Happening with Snooki & Joey,” to The Volume, marking a major expansion for the show as the entertainment and sports media company continues growing its pop culture footprint. The revamped version of the podcast officially launches Wednesday, June 10, with Hard Rock Bet serving as presenting sponsor.

For Snooki and Joey, the move represents more than just a new platform. The pair said joining The Volume offers an opportunity to grow the show while staying true to the chaotic energy listeners have come to expect.

“We are pumped to be partnering with The Volume for a fresh new look to our show!” Snooki shared via a press release sent to The Blast. “We’ve had our podcast for years now with loyal, amazing listeners and have always wanted to give them the best show possible.”

The former “Jersey Shore” star also teased what fans can expect when the show relaunches. “We’re coming back with more chaos, messy moments and new content that we’re super excited to share!” she said.

Joey Camasta Says Podcast Is Getting ‘Bigger’ And ‘More Unhinged’

Joey echoed Snooki’s excitement, hinting that longtime listeners should expect an even bigger version of the podcast they already love. “As we bring ‘It’s Happening with Snooki & Joey’ to The Volume, it feels like stepping into the future of podcasting, and they’re already leading the way,” he said.

Camasta added that despite the changes, the duo plans to keep the same chemistry that built their loyal audience. “It’s the same show at its core, just bigger, louder, and a little more unhinged, which should honestly concern everyone (but in a good way),” he added.

Known for their candid conversations, celebrity gossip, and unfiltered takes on friendship, relationships, and life in the spotlight, Snooki and Joey have built a devoted fanbase through the podcast’s couch-chat vibe.

Snooki’s New Move Comes As ‘Jersey Shore’ Questions Continue

The podcast expansion also arrives at an interesting time for Snooki as fans continue speculating about the future of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” universe. More than 15 years after the original reality series first turned Snooki, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Pauly D, JWoww, Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Deena Cortese, Angelina Pivarnick, and Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola into household names, questions continue to swirl about what comes next for the franchise.

While “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” remains a fan favorite, cast members have increasingly expanded into outside ventures, with Snooki continuing to grow her personal brand through business, live appearances, and now a newly elevated podcast partnership.

For The Volume, Snooki and Joey’s arrival also signals a broader push into entertainment content beyond sports. “We’re all about giving dynamic personalities a real stage to connect with fans – and Nicole and Joey do that effortlessly,” Kelly Martin, The Volume’s Head of Talent, said. “They’re hilarious, honest, and their chemistry is undeniable.”

New Project Comes After Emotional Health Battle

The podcast relaunch also comes just weeks after Snooki candidly opened up about one of the most frightening experiences of her life: her stage 1 cervical cancer diagnosis.

During a May appearance on Kristin Cavallari’s “Let’s Be Honest” podcast, the “Jersey Shore” star admitted she spiraled emotionally after learning the news. “Terrifying. Like, hi, am I dying? What is going on? I definitely had a breakdown,” Polizzi confessed.

The reality star admitted her mind immediately jumped to worst-case scenarios. “Like, ‘Oh, my God, what am I gonna do? Gotta get my will in place. What’s gonna happen?’ Planning my funeral. I was being so dramatic,” she said.

Snooki later explained that researching the diagnosis helped calm some of her fears, especially after learning stage 1 cervical cancer is highly treatable. Still, the diagnosis took an emotional toll on her family.

How Snooki’s Cancer Diagnosis Impacted Her Children

Polizzi, who shares Lorenzo, Giovanna, and Angelo with her husband, Jionni LaValle, revealed that her children struggled to understand what was happening.

“My little one was like ‘mommy, are you going to heaven?’” she recalled. “I’m like, ‘can we stop?’ I like, had a mental breakdown. I was like ‘Everything’s going to be fine, mommy just has to do her tests and stuff and her surgeries.’”

The reality star has since shared that she plans to undergo a hysterectomy this summer and remains “terrified” about the procedure, but said she chose to speak publicly after hearing from other women who shared similar experiences online.

Good special effects can obviously be like icing on an already good cake, but that cake has to be good. Otherwise, even the best special effects don’t really go far in making something worth watching for those effects alone. Good special effects can make a good movie even better, and then there are also some very good movies that don’t have great special effects, but those somewhat janky moments feel forgivable (like, maybe some instances of less-than-perfect de-aging effects… looking at you, that one slightly too physically demanding scene from The Irishman).

So, in the interest of showcasing how good special effects can’t really save a bad movie, here are some movies that miss the mark in most regards, but have special effects that were mostly impressive for their time (and maybe even to this day). Most of this will focus on movies with computer-generated imagery, but not exclusively; there are some films below that contain impressive practical or more old-school effects, too.

8

‘The Matrix Revolutions’ (2003)

Image via Warner Bros.

If you look over all The Matrix movies, the first one is obviously a classic, being an introduction to a fascinating world, a great concept, and some spectacular action. The second movie is a little shakier when it comes to pacing, and maybe the story isn’t quite as interesting, but it still looks great, and much of the action is as good – or possibly even slightly better – than the action found in the first. That’s probably a massive hot take… The Matrix (1999) still wins out as a sci-fi movie, but The Matrix Reloaded could be a hair better as an action movie.

Skipping ahead to the fourth, that one is definitely ambitious, for better or worse, and has some wild and fairly interesting ideas you kind of have to admire. And then the third movie… uh… it looks quite good. All the movies in The Matrix series look pretty great, and even if the fourth has some weirder special effects, it’s still going for something bold, and has moments of eye-catching imagery. The first three all look and feel pretty consistent. That third movie, The Matrix Revolutions, does disappoint a bit when it comes to both the narrative and the action, but at least it looks good and is generally more than sound on a technical level.

7

‘Pearl Harbor’ (2001)

Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

There is a movie about the attack on Pearl Harbor from 1970 called Tora! Tora! Tora!, and for the most part, it still holds up. It doesn’t have modern-day special effects, obviously, but the techniques used to recreate the attack are immense, to the point where it sometimes feels easy to forget you’re watching a movie. About 30 years later, there was a very different movie about the same attack, simply called Pearl Harbor, with it being less of a docudrama, more of a melodrama, and also a good deal longer (and Tora! Tora! Tora! itself wasn’t exactly short).

Tora! Tora! Tora! achieves more in a shorter runtime, with a Japanese and American perspective on the event given, and more effort that goes toward making it feel believable. Pearl Harbor might’ve got away with being broader and more romance-focused than you might’ve expected if that side of the movie had actually been good. There is a somewhat effective utilization of then-cutting-edge special effects for some of the bigger and more action-heavy sequences here, but that really is about all you get by way of genuinely good stuff.

6

‘Terrifier’ (2016)

Image via Dread Central

The entirety of the Terrifier trilogy is the sort of thing that’s not going to be for everyone, since all three movies so far (it is threatening to be more than just a trilogy) are unapologetically brutal, and also pretty blunt with what they set out to do. It’s possible to see how people might be fans of the second and third Terrifier movies, because they have the sadistic violence and memorable villain of the first movie, but there is an attempt in both those films to have something of a story, some character development for the victims, and a bit by way of an overall mythology for certain things.

That first movie, though, is barely a movie. It’s hard to remember anything that happens beyond some of the exceedingly grisly violence. Yet the effects done to make Art the Clown’s sadistic tendencies come across as particularly brutal and bloody are impressive, and particularly so when you consider that Terrifier (2016) was far from expensive. Even by low-budget horror movie standards, it was low budget, if that makes sense.

5

‘The Golden Compass’ (2007)

Image via New Line Cinema

The Golden Compass is sort of based on a very good book called Northern Lights, the U.S. name of which was The Golden Compass. Emphasis on “sort of based,” because The Golden Compass just stops short of actually having the interesting ending that the source material does, which sets up two even more ambitious sequels that end up rounding out the His Dark Materials trilogy.

Anyway, that ending – or lack thereof – is the biggest problem with the film adaptation of The Golden Compass, and it does also lack a certain magic and charm that the book has, quite effortlessly. Yet on a technical level, the special effects are strong for their time, and though the movie’s almost 20 years old, a fair bit of it holds up better than you might expect. It won Best Visual Effects at the Oscars, and then it was also nominated for Best Art Direction (with that side of things also contributing to the movie looking and feeling pretty great overall).

4

‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is saved from being an outright terrible superhero movie on account of it looking quite good, and also for having some engaging action scenes. The problem is, there are really only a couple of properly good action scenes, and they’re buried within a movie that’s quite long, at 2.5 hours, and yet it’s paced in a chaotic way that makes it feel even more drawn out.

Throughout the whole thing, at least you get special effects that are well-executed, and an overall level of technical competency you can expect from most Zack Snyder movies. The problem comes about when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice offers little else, and sort of doubles down on some of the problems already present in the flawed – but not as bad – Man of Steel. This was only sporadically entertaining as a movie about the titular showdown, and as a movie setting up the dawn of the Justice League, it really didn’t work very well at all.

3

‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ (2009)

Image via Paramount Pictures

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Like Zack Snyder, Michael Bay doesn’t always make great movies (sometimes getting things right, though, also like Snyder), yet both directors are generally good at making their expensive movies actually look expensive. You saw it with Pearl Harbor, which was mentioned before and stuff… that was another Michael Bay movie. It’s not a high bar, and it’s not always enough to make the movie actually bearable, but it is technically better than nothing, and you do find it with Bay’s Transformers sequels, most of which aren’t very good (some might even argue the first is flawed, but it’s also easy to get nostalgic about parts of that one).

Of the sequels, Bay directed four, including the second film overall, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It’s a technically impressive movie, in some ways, like the first, but it really falters when it comes to how it’s written, paced, edited, and acted. If you want to see impressively rendered robots transform, battle, and get blown up, that stuff does technically look more than technically sound, but you’re going to be digging pretty deep – and probably to no avail – if you want to find more than just that in a movie like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

2

‘Hollow Man’ (2000)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

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Of all the Paul Verhoeven movies, most are honestly quite good, some are pretty much great, and then a fair few are rather underrated, too. The worst of the bunch, though, would almost have to be Hollow Man, and that’s hopefully not much of a hot take. This takes on an invisible man premise, but with a good deal more outwardly shocking content than you’d see in those older movies about invisible people, with admittedly more impressive and up-to-date special effects here, too.

No, beyond that, the special effects were impressive for 2000. A lot of money went into making Hollow Man, and sure, some of that went to the cast (like Kevin Bacon, even if his character ends up being invisible a lot of the time), but it seems like a lot also went into the special effects, and that side of things paid off. It got an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, in fact, but it’s safe to assume that it wasn’t close to getting nominated in any other categories, because outside the effects (for their time), Hollow Man just keeps on consistently missing the mark. You really are better off not seeing it.

1

‘The Lion King’ (2019)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Begrudgingly, it must be conceded that The Lion King (2019) does not look as garish as some other Disney remakes that have been in live-action, or have featured photo-realistic animation instead of the hand-drawn/2D variety. Some of those movies had a ton of money thrown at them with seemingly no gains from it, with Snow White (2025) being perhaps the worst offender, in that regard.

Don’t get it twisted: The Lion King (2019) still doesn’t look nearly as striking or timeless as The Lion King (1994), which is still one of the best-looking animated movies, and also one of the flat-out best animated movies quality-wise, too. The Lion King (2019) is lifeless and without the kind of color and expression needed for the emotional story at hand, but if there was an intent to have the computer animation here look pretty darn close to real life (well, real life if lions and other animals talked and sang and stuff), then mission accomplished. Yay?

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The Lion King

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Release Date

July 19, 2019

Runtime

118 minutes

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Writers

Jeff Nathanson

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Apple TV hit its sci-fi stride when Hugh Howey’s addictive series was adapted for the streamer. Starring Rebecca Ferguson, Silo is the masterful television version of his books Wool, Shift, and Dust. Dystopian and grim, the drama is set in a post-apocalyptic world where Earth has become so toxic that humanity has survived for generations in huge silos underground. No one remembers how the world ended, or if they can ever leave, and yet, the remains of society still find a way to subjugate its people as humanity is wont to do.

The world of a caste system and a murderous conspiracy fascinated viewers, as did the powerful performances from Ferguson. Seasons 1 and 2 largely followed the first book, but that will change with the imminent third season. In fact, Silo is taking a sharp turn away from the source material altogether. The hard sci-fi masterpiece appears to be rewriting its biggest story, according to the new trailer.

Silo ‘Season 3’ Is Slowing Down the Pace Once Again

Silo is undoubtedly one of the most masterful series on television, but it isn’t immune to criticism. Season 2 slowed down the narrative quite a bit as it tackled the last few chapters of the book, Wool. Instead of devoting one book per season, the series got a little more creative with its storytelling. The thrilling sci-fi venture still follows the books, but takes its time getting there. Now it seems that Juliette’s path to leadership will be delayed once again, as the trailer reveals she gets amnesia after surviving the decontamination chamber.

The hot box full of flame seemed to have some effect on her mental faculties — or at least that’s what Silo 18 wants her to think. The governing body is likely manipulating her to stop her from releasing crucial information. This amnesia plotline is not present in Hugh Howey’s books, considering the second book, Shift, is a prequel. To its credit, Silo appears to be covering this story as well.

The trailer also features the time before, as the silos were constructed as a way to survive the end of the world. Juliette’s storyline is a way to keep the character in the narrative, but it isn’t the most original concept. Per the books, Juliette is meant to become the Mayor of the Silo and be a source of justice and truth for the inhabitants. Instead, her character arc is being stalled once again in favor of a more flashy storyline. This may impact the series negatively as all the momentum of her character arc will be lost.

Season 2 was already drawn out as it lacked the drive that the first season did. Halfway done with Silo’s life, this is the time to strike. While it was necessary to keep Rebecca Ferguson in the driver’s seat, there could have been a more dynamic way to do it, instead of mentally handcuffing her prominent character.

Changing the ‘Silo’ Storyline Is Risky

There has been more than enough evidence that supports the idea that once a television series deviates from the source material, it’s on shaky ground. Universally beloved hard sci-fi series, The Expanse, was largely faithful to the books, even if it did cut the show off three seasons too early. James S.A. Corey were heavily involved and kept the magic from the books intact. Both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have deviated from the books with controversial results. It is natural to want to include Rebecca Ferguson as the primary point of contact for Silo, but it may have refreshed the series to adhere to the narrative that followed past events.

Season 3 has a surge of surprise casting, including Jessica Henwick, Colin Hanks, and Jessica Brown Findlay as characters set in the past. While the footage from the trailer is brief, it is the most exciting thing about the upcoming season. These characters create silos with the idea that they can one day head to some utopian future, when clearly the opposite is going to happen. This is an engaging idea on its own and may have been just the thing to create even more anticipation once Juliette returned for the final installment.

The new lore surrounding Juliette’s amnesia may distract from the tried and true content that fans have prepared themselves for. This plotline is only delaying the inevitable, which should come to pass when Silo enters its final season down the line. Until then, viewers will just have to wait and see how that comes to fruition when Season 3 premieres on July 3.

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Release Date

May 5, 2023

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Graham Yost

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Andy Cohen spilled some major tea about the fan who cracked the case of the Summer House season 10 reunion leak.

The host, 58, unveiled the name of the Bravo-loving sleuth during the Tuesday, June 9, episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.

“There’s been a lot of speculation of who that Bravo superfan was, with a lot of people assuming it was Jennifer Lawrence. And I just want to say, Bravo superfans are the best. You rode with us on this, you knew that this was bad that it was leaked and you wanted to see it when we presented it,” Cohen began before revealing the behind-the-scenes hero. “Well, with the last episode of the reunion airing tonight, I wanted to personally thank that superfan. Folks, that super fan was indeed Jennifer Lawrence. Her online sleuthing helped our investigators solve this mystery! Bravo fans are the most loyal and dedicated. Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar winner,  you are the top of the class!”

Days before the televised reveal, Cohen teased the identity of the fan while addressing speculation that Jennifer Lawrence solved the Summer House leak.

“I absolutely love this rumor,” Cohen said during a Friday, June 5, appearance at Newport Beach TV Fest. “I said over and over, ‘I’ll reveal the fan,’ and then I forgot. My cohost on the radio the other day said, ‘When are you gonna do that?’”

When pressed about whether Lawrence was the “detective” who put an end to the leak mystery, Cohen added, “It was a Bravo superfan.”

In April, audio from the Summer House season 10 reunion taping leaked online, sparking an official investigation by Bravo.

“This represents a serious breach of trust and a clear lack of respect for the cast, crew and the integrity of the production process,” a Bravo spokesperson told Us Weekly at the time. “We take this matter very seriously and have launched a full investigation and we will take appropriate action based on our findings.”

Cohen, for his part, slammed the leak after hosting the dramatic three-part reunion, which saw the cast confronting Amanda Batula and West Wilson over their shocking relationship.

“People laid their souls out emotionally for 10 hours yesterday and it’s disgusting and illegal for someone to leak or distribute this,” he wrote via Threads at the time. “It’s disrespectful to the work and tears the cast put in yesterday. Let the season play out. You will see it all in due time.”

Related: ‘Summer House’ Season 10 Extended Reunion: What Viewers Missed

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Summer House‘s extended reunion episodes revealed some side comments that were cut from cable and allowed Bravo fans to feel the full weight of Ciara Miller’s emotions without any censoring. Yes, there was more face-to-face discussion between Ciara, Amanda Batula, West Wilson and Kyle Cooke about the scandal in part 1 of the “Extended & […]

Later that month, Bravo’s investigation ended after the source of the leak was discovered.

“An investigation into the recent leak of the Summer House reunion audio has concluded that the audio was an unauthorized recording and distributed by an individual involved in the production of the reunion,” a network spokesperson told Us in an April statement. “There is no evidence that any member of the cast was involved in the recording of the audio. We take these matters seriously and will continue to take appropriate measures to respond to the unauthorized distribution of our content.”

The statement concluded, “We are aware that there is additional improperly obtained audio circulating and we caution all parties and platforms to refrain from posting, sharing or amplifying any unauthorized audio.”

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After the investigation, Cohen insisted that he never believed anyone in the Summer House cast was involved in the leak.

“There were these hot takes blaming the cast, which I knew immediately — I was like, ‘The cast did not leak this,’” he said during an April episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. “I was like, ‘This is stupid,’ and I love this cast and I just, I was like, ‘Oh, now people are blaming this cast.’ I will say, I felt so bad in the next 24 hours after that, that the cast was … feeling the need to come out and say, ‘I didn’t do it. I didn’t leak it.’”

The Summer House reunion concluded on Bravo earlier on Tuesday night, with the extended and uncensored version hitting Peacock Wednesday, June 10.

Ciara Miller questioned whether West Wilson was a “sociopath” during part three of the Summer House reunion — and she stands by the thought.

Taking to Threads just hours after the final part of the reunion aired on Tuesday, June 9, Ciara, 30, rebuffed West’s claim that taking a beta blocker prior to filming helped him “stay composed as much as possible” amid facing backlash over his romance with Amanda Batula. (Cleveland Clinic describes beta blockers as a class of medication “most commonly used for problems involving your heart and circulatory system.”)

“Just a medical note: beta blockers DON’T remove emotion,” Ciara, a registered nurse, wrote via the social media platform. “They work by blocking adrenaline from binding to beta receptors in your heart, blood vessels, and muscles (the receptors responsible for the physical symptoms of anxiety like increased heart rate, raised blood pressure, and trembling).”

Ciara, who dated West, 31, off and on before he and her former close friend Amanda, 34, embarked on a secret relationship in February, continued, “The emotional experience remains, but the physical stress response can’t fully activate. It’s like putting your fight or flight symptoms on DND [do not disturb] … enough with the beta blocker bulls***.”

Related: Ciara Miller Throws Shade at Amanda and West in Eyebrow-Raising Video

Summer House’s Ciara Miller seemingly threw some shade at ex-boyfriend West Wilson and her former BFF Amanda Batula in light of the pair’s confirmed romance. While hosting red carpet interviews at the season 2 premiere of Your Friends & Neighbors in New York City on Monday, March 30, Ciara, 30, was asked by the Apple […]

West’s admission to administering beta blockers came after host Andy Cohen asked whether he was “on a bunch” of meds due to the blank expression he offered to emotional feedback directed his way during the reunion’s third instalment.

“Everybody’s so emotional around you, about you and their relationship with you and you’re like this [blank face]?” Cohen, 58, asked West, who then explained that he was conscious of maintaining composure.

“Or, you’re just a sociopath,” Ciara offered before West then claimed he took one beta blocker prior to filming. “That’s why I’m not sobbing. This matters to me. I apologize if I don’t read emotional enough,” West responded.

Fans on Threads were quick to show their support for Ciara, with one person commenting, “It’s actually hilarious that they thought that would work while in the presence of a nurse.” Another person added, “Can confirm. I’m a beta blocker girlie and can fully express my emotions.”

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Part 3 of the Summer House reunion also saw West and Amanda address whether they’d found love with one another amid the scandal. When asked by Cohen whether their romance had turned that serious, West said before expressing his commitment to the relationship, “We are not using the word ‘love’ right now. It’s been two months, three months.”

Amanda, who announced her separation from ex-husband Kyle Cooke in January, agreed that it was too “early” to declare that they’d found love, but the pair were “having conversations about [how] serious our feelings [are] and where it’s going.” (Amanda and Kyle, 43, split after four years of marriage.)

After weeks of speculation at the time, Amanda and West announced via a joint Instagram statement on March 31 that they were indeed romantically involved.

Taylor Swift paid tribute to her country roots — and her favorite Toy Story character — while celebrating the film series’ fifth instalment.

Stepping out for the Los Angeles premiere of Toy Story 5 at the Dolby Theatre on Tuesday, June 9, Swift, 36, rocked a strapless Western-inspired patchwork Erdem corset gown on the red carpet.

Swift, who penned her original track “I Knew It, I Knew You” to be featured in the film, paired the fall/winter 2026 creation with a gold horseshoe necklace and gold peep-toe heels. The ensemble’s country theme nodded to Toy Story’s Jessie, who inspired Swift’s new song and also influenced her childhood dress-up days, as revealed by the singer via social media last week.

The romantic ensemble was accentuated with the singer’s signature red lip and cat eye makeup, as well as a half-up hairstyle that showed off her soft bangs.

According to InStyle, Swift leant on styling guidance from Joseph Cassell Falconer, who “has worked with her since her Speak Now era.” (Speak Now was Swift’s third studio album, originally released in October 2010 before it was re-recorded and released again in July 2023.)

The musician posed for photos on the red carpet with the stars of Toy Story 5, which will be released on Friday, June 19, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee and Conan O’Brien.

An X video, shared by Hollywood Reporter journalist Borys Kit, also captured Swift enjoying time within the theatre itself. Footage showed her speaking to a young child as podcaster Kelly Stafford watched on with her own children.

Additional social media footage shared by Variety showed Swift on stage in the venue, performing “I Knew It, I Knew You” for the first time in public. THR also posted a video that captured Swift joining fellow musician Randy Newman for a live rendition of his Toy Story track “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” treating the audience to a costume change that saw her perform in a vivid yellow floor-length gown.

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Swift took to Instagram on Friday, June 5, to mark her inclusion on the Toy Story 5 soundtrack. “Writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time. Creating something for Jessie was a new challenge and also felt like second nature all at once. And being a @toystory kid from the age of 5 til now … is an adventure I plan to be on, to infinity and beyond,” she wrote.

Rare childhood footage of Swift accompanied the post, showing her as a youngster stomping around a house dressed in a Jessie-inspired cowgirl outfit complete with a cowboy hat and boots.

Crediting her co-creator Jack Antonoff within the post, Swift continued, “We wrote this with so much adoration for these characters that made us laugh and helped us learn lessons and think outside the backyard all throughout our childhoods.”

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 28 seconds ago

Star Trek has been entertaining sci-fi fans for 60 years through TV shows, movies, books, and comics. There’s only one entertainment sector where the franchise historically falters: video games. If we’re being honest, there have only ever been a handful of really good Star Trek games, and the best ones came out literally decades ago. Because of that, any Star Trek fans looking to lose themselves in a good video game would be forgiven for giving a Bones-like prognosis to the state of modern Trek titles: “it’s dead, Jim!”

However, all of that is changing. We already got Star Trek: Voyager—Across the Unknown, a game that puts us in command of Voyager as the crew tries to make it back home from the Delta Quadrant. Later this year, we’ll be getting a SimCity-style game (Star Trek: Outposts Unknown) as well as a digital, customizable card battler (Star Trek Warp). Next year, Star Trek: Shadow Frontier will put us in control of Ro Laren, with Michelle Forbes reprising her role from The Next Generation. So, what’s the deal with all these games? What are they about, and when can you play them? Keep scrolling to replicate answers to all these questions!

Finally, You Can Kill Tuvix Yourself

The first game to kick off the Star Trek video game renaissance is Star Trek: Voyager—Across the Unknown, and it takes the franchise where it has never gone before. You take control of Voyager after it is zapped into the Delta Quadrant, and like Captain Janeway, you must help everyone find their way back home to the Alpha Quadrant. Much of the game is spent managing finite resources and using your best judgment of which systems to prioritize. Speaking of judgment, you’ll have to make snap calls in several adventures (including recreations of iconic Voyager dilemmas, like whether to kill Tuvix) that can save the day or possibly get everyone killed.

The general consensus on Star Trek: Voyager—Across the Unknown (which is out now on console and PC) is that it’s good but not great. The most notable thing about it is arguably its sandbox nature and its emphasis on resource management. Historically, many Star Trek games have been shooters, real-time strategy games, and RPGs filled with bonkers puzzles. This was the first game to focus extensively on both resource management and narrative choices, making it arguably the best Starfleet captain simulation since the 2002 title Star Trek: Bridge Commander.

Two More To Beam Up

Surprisingly enough, we’re going to get two more Star Trek games this year. One of them is Star Trek: Outposts Unknown (which will be released for PC and console sometime this year). This game is designed like SimCity, but with a Trek twist. Basically, you are trying to build, maintain, and defend an outpost on a distant planet. That means exploring strange new worlds, gathering resources, and defending everyone from the planet’s most hostile creatures. While not exactly a cozy game, the Outposts Unknown demo (which is out on Steam) proved surprisingly relaxing, which may be good news for players who don’t like the intensity of games like StarCraft.

The other big Star Trek video game of 2026 is Star Trek Warp. This title is described as a “card battler” that lets players “choose characters from a huge roster of Star Trek legends, heroes, and villains, and deploy them at iconic locations like Ten-Forward and the Warp Core.” With seven virtual lanes to defend, this game is designed to keep you on your toes; the title also features both PvE and PvP modes. Overall, Warp sounds like the weird lovechild of League of Legends (what with the lane defense) and the old Star Trek Customizable Card Game. That might just help it appeal to both young fans and older fans.

A New Strategy And An Old Legend

The most exciting new Star Trek game won’t be coming out until next year. Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is a survival horror title where a Starfleet officer must survive on a mysterious planet. The twist? That officer is Ro Laren, who once left the Enterprise-D to join the Maquis before making her way back to Starfleet. Since her surprise appearance in Picard, fans have been wondering how she went from being a principled rebel to being a good, rule-abiding officer. Shadow Frontier may very well give us that explanation. If nothing else, it will give us something unique: a Silent Hill-type game set in the Star Trek universe.

So, what’s up with this sudden influx of Star Trek video games? The smart money is that Paramount is continuing to throw everything at the wall with this franchise to see what sticks. No Star Trek show is currently in development, and the only definitive thing on the horizon is a movie intended to give this universe its second huge reboot. Trek games (particularly those featuring characters like Ro Laren and Tuvok) are a way of appealing to older fans who like the IP and younger fans who just like gaming. By seeing what sells, Paramount can finally get to the bottom of a decades-old question: what the heck Star Trek fans actually want.

Dark circles and puffiness can make you look exhausted even when you’re well-rested, which is why finding an eye cream that actually delivers is no small feat. One that’s developed a devoted following among skincare shoppers is the Eight Saints Skin Care All In Eye Cream. The lightweight formula is designed to tackle multiple concerns at once, helping to hydrate, brighten, smooth and depuff without feeling heavy or greasy.

One of the standout features of the cream is its ingredient lineup. It contains a blend of protein peptides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and caffeine, all of which work together to address common signs of fatigue and aging around the eyes. Hyaluronic acid, specifically, helps draw moisture to the skin for a plumper appearance, while caffeine can help reduce the look of puffiness. Niacinamide, meanwhile, can help brighten the appearance of dark circles over time and support a more even-looking skin tone.

Get the Eight Saints Skin Care All In Eye Cream for $36 (originally $44) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Unlike some rich eye creams that can feel heavy or look cakey underneath makeup, this one absorbs quickly into the skin, making it easy to incorporate into both morning and evening routines. It layers seamlessly underneath concealer and helps create a smoother canvas for makeup application. Plus, it has a non-greasy finish, which is perfect for those who want hydration without the risk of product pilling.

Related: Amazon Shoppers Say This $22 Eye Cream ‘Erases’ Fine Lines in Weeks

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You know that moment when you glance in the rearview mirror at a stoplight and suddenly notice every tiny crease around your eyes? The lighting is brutal, the verdict feels final and the thought of getting serious about an eye cream is the only thing on your mind. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a […]

Beyond its moisturizing benefits, the eye cream helps the eyes appear brighter, more refreshed and less tired after consistent use. It can also help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, leaving the skin looking noticeably smoother.

One Amazon shopper called it a “game-changing eye cream” that “completely transformed my under-eye area.” At the same time, another reviewer said it reduces “puffiness” and “dark circles,” and makes “fine lines less noticeable.”

If you’re looking to simplify your skincare routine with a multitasking eye treatment, Eight Saints Skin Care All In Eye Cream is definitely worth adding to your lineup!

Get the Eight Saints Skin Care All In Eye Cream for $36 (originally $44) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

The Pitt is going through another major change — with a main character leaving the ER in season 3.

Shabana Azeez, who plays student doctor Victoria Javadi, told Bustle earlier this month that she will be returning to the hit HBO Max show in a different way, saying, “I’m not in the ER this season.”

Azeez broke down the reason for the shakeup.

“I’ve done my ER rotation, so I’m doing my psychiatry rotation,” she continued. “It’s a very different vibe for me. And I’m scared and nervous. But it’s an honor to be able to show that part of medicine.”

The season 3 update comes after The Pitt received backlash for Supriya Ganesh‘s exit. The actress made her mark on HBO Max’s The Pitt when she was introduced in the role of Samira Mohan.

Ganesh appeared in two seasons before news broke in March that she would be written out of the show after season 2. The decision wasn’t well recieved by fans who were still upset about Tracy Ifeachor‘s exit after season 1. Both departures were referred to as a creative choice.

“It’s sort of the nature of the show. Unfortunately, the way the medical profession works, you come in, you learn, you move on, and we want to try and be as truthful to that process as possible,” Gemmill explained to Us Weekly at the time. “So we’re going to turn over our cast. But I think it’s a great launching pad for people, and that’s the best we can do.”

In a separate interview, Gemmill addressed the criticism surrounding multiple women of color leaving The Pitt.

“It eliminates the false jeopardy some shows have,” he told Vulture. “[Mohan] is somebody who doesn’t have a job lined up and might not know where she’s going next, and we’re trying to build up the uncertainty that these young physicians face.”

The interviewer pointed out to Gemmill that the show’s two major departures have both been women of color. In response, Gemmill called it “just a by-product of having a diverse cast,” adding, “We have a lot of women, and a lot of women of color. It’s just a coincidence more than anything else.”

Related: What ‘The Pitt‘ Cast Has Said About the Show‘s Numerous Exits

The Pitt cast has not shied away from reacting to losing some of their own as multiple actors leave the show. HBO Max’s hit series, which premiered in January 2025, follows a group of employees at a fictional Pittsburgh hospital’s ER working a single 15-hour shift. The series is led by Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle), […]

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Wyle, 54, also defended the casting shakeup.

“Emergency rooms have a high revolving door,” Wyle told Variety at PaleyFest’s screening of The Pitt earlier this month. “As always, we try to bring in new characters or promote from within as we go through these cast changes and try to keep the story lines fresh.”

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Wyle didn’t rule out more departures before the show starts filming season 3, adding, “It’s an inevitability that’s going to happen every season with this show, because as writers we’re hard-pressed to figure out what a lapse of time we can have and keep most of the ensemble together realistically.”

He concluded: “Obviously Supriya has been a huge part of our show since the beginning. Dr. Mohan is a beloved character, and I love playing with her and working with Supriya, and we wish her all the best in her next endeavors, and we’re going to miss her.”

The Pitt has been renewed for season 3 on HBO Max.

Meghan Markle is celebrating the arrival of a new season with a rare look into her home life with Prince Harry and their children.

Markle, 44, took to Instagram on Tuesday, June 9, to post a carousel of candid photos snapped throughout the couple’s idyllic home in Montecito, California.

“Springing into summer 🌼,” the Duchess of Sussex captioned the post, which opened with a black-and-white snap of herself lying on the grass with a straw hat, concealing her face as she sprawled beside a bunch of fresh-cut blooms.

Another shot captured Harry, 41, kicking a super-sized soccer ball around the grass with the couple’s son, Archie, 7, while another image showed their daughter, Lilibet, 5, wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with an illustration of Beyoncé. “B if for Beyoncé,” read a line of text above the drawing, which also depicted large hoop earrings that read “Queen Bey” from left to right.

A second black-and-white shot showed Markle and Harry from behind, seated on a bench seemingly amid a workout as Markle rested her sneaker-clad feet up next to her as she cuddled Harry, who wore a backwards cap.

Additional photos in the carousel showed the couple’s rescue beagle, Mamma Mia, sleeping under the sunshine just off the home’s porch, a bird’s nest filled with three white eggs and later with three baby birds, Markle rocking a double denim ensemble and slicing onions in the kitchen, and a basket haul of fresh vegetables and fruit seemingly harvested from the family’s garden.

Just five days prior, Markle celebrated Lilibet’s 5th birthday with a smaller Instagram carousel that showed both the youngster exploring a lush green garden and her being doted on by her beaming parents. “Our dream girl,” Markle captioned the post. “Happy 5th birthday, Lili.”

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Related: Meghan Markle Kisses Daughter Lilibet, 4, in Rare Pic Taken by Prince Harry

Meghan Markle is celebrating her and Prince Harry’s daughter, Princess Lilibet, on International Women’s Day. “For the woman she will one day be … Happy International Women’s Day,” Meghan, 44, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, March 8, noting that the photo was taken by Harry, 41. “📸: Papa Sussex.” In the snap, Meghan is seen […]

Markle and Harry tied the knot on May 19, 2018, at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel in England. They celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary the same month that they welcomed Archie into the world. The following year, the pair announced their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family before relocating to the U.S. permanently.

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News broke in August, 2020, that the couple had purchased a $14.65 million home in Montecito. A source told Us Weekly at the time, “Montecito is only just over an hour’s drive from L.A., which is where a majority of their work is based, yet far enough away to escape the crowds, paparazzi and tourism in Hollywood.”

Lilibet arrived in June 2021. The pair shared via a statement posted to their philanthropy website at the time, “On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”

The couple added that their daughter’s first name was chosen to honor her late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96 in September 2022. She had held the family nickname, Lilibet, herself.