It’s beyond obvious to say that movie adaptations are tricky, but they’re also an inevitability, and sometimes, they’re done well. If you don’t like reading for whatever reason, some texts do thankfully translate well to the big screen. Take The Shawshank Redemption and Misery, for example. Both very good books (one a novella with a slightly different title, and one a novel, technically), and both very good movies (released in 1994 and 1990, respectively).
And what do you know? The original stories in both cases were written by Stephen King. His work’s been translated to film and television incredibly often over the decades, but below, only the movie adaptations are going to be covered. And, specifically, the ones that were noticeably worse than the books they were based on. Some of these movies were still good, but if they were good alongside source material that was great, they have a shot at showing up here.
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10
‘The Dark Half’ (1993)
Timothy Hutton and Amy Madigan as Thad and Liz in The Dark Half.Image via MGM
Considering how wild the premise of The Dark Half is, it’s probably just worth celebrating that a movie got it to work at all. The Dark Half is indeed a better movie than, say, Dreamcatcher, but the Dreamcatcher movie isn’t here because the Dreamcatcher book wasn’t all that good to begin with. The Dark Half, though, as a novel, was very good, and maybe also quite underrated overall, too.
In book and movie, there’s an author who effectively kills off a pseudonym he used to write under, but then that pseudonym comes alive, or comes back to life, but either way, he starts murdering people. It’s very distinctively about writing, so maybe that makes it feel a little more compelling when you actually read it, but The Dark Half (1993) works decently enough, all things considered. Being a little weaker than the source material isn’t the hugest of issues, in this particular instance.
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9
‘Doctor Sleep’ (2019)
Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat in Doctor SleepImage via Warner Bros.
Doctor Sleep isn’t right up there as one of Stephen King’s best books published post-2000, but maybe it’s accurate to call it one of the better ones of the 21st century. There have been worse releases, for sure. Anyway, it’s a sequel to The Shining, and The Shining had a movie that ended pretty differently from the novel, so King’s original Doctor Sleep (the book) follows the ending of the book version of The Shining.
The adaptation of Doctor Sleep, on the other hand, tries to follow the ending of The Shining’s original text and movie. It wants to be a bit more than just a straightforward sequel, bringing together a book and a movie, even after the author of the former didn’t really like the latter adaptation. Points for trying, and Doctor Sleep (2019) sure is ambitious, but also, it might’ve been a better and more consistent movie if it hadn’t tried reconciling and continuing two different versions of The Shining.
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8
‘The Running Man’ (2025)
Glen Powell as Ben Richards in The Running ManImage via Paramount
If you were a Stephen King fan in 2025, then not only did you get a new book (Never Flinch… it was a’ight), but you also got four film adaptations of King’s work that same year. Well, The Life of Chuck was first screened in 2024, but got a wider release in 2025. Also, that year saw the release of The Monkey, The Long Walk, and The Running Man.
The Long Walk was pretty strong, and pretty close to being as impactful and intense as its source material. The Running Man, though, didn’t quite get there. It captured the spirit of the book better than the 1980s adaptation, which was so loose it barely counts as an adaptation, but The Running Man (2025) did make some deviations in ways that didn’t always help. It’s a subdued example, as it’s a pretty solid popcorn flick that moves well and entertains a decent amount, but there’s a visceral quality and an extra sense of desperation in the original book that wasn’t fully captured.
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7
‘The Dead Zone’ (1983)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Long before he wrote a story about going into the past to stop an assassination, Stephen King wrote a story about someone assassinating someone in the present to prevent the awful visions he sees of the future. The story about the past was 11/22/63, and the story about seeing the future was The Dead Zone, with the latter getting a movie adaptation not long after the book’s initial publication.
There are some parts of The Dead Zone movie that work the way the book does, but it frustratingly streamlines the plot while still feeling a bit too slow. The book takes much longer to get through, but it’s an unexpectedly effortless read, and it doesn’t feel like as much work as the comparatively brief movie. This is all a bit of a hot take, because some people seem to sort of like David Cronenberg’s The Dead Zone, but it’s just missing something to take it from okay to genuinely really good.
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6
‘Needful Things’ (1993)
Image via Columbia Pictures
There’s a lengthy and impressively escalating build-up into all-out madness in Needful Things that works better across hundreds of pages than it does over a couple of hours. It’s the kind of thing that a miniseries could do justice, because you need the time to really showcase the town of Castle Rock and dig into various people living there, all before having the town fall apart with everyone turning on each other in increasingly violent ways.
You still get a sense of chaos alongside a good many deaths in the movie, but it comes down to impact once more. There just isn’t the same impact found in the film, even if it’s a perfectly decent flick. There’s a lot of work that goes into getting through a novel that’s on the longer side of things, as far as Stephen King’s are concerned (not quite The Stand, of course, but then again, not much is length-wise), but the novel of Needful Things is ultimately rewarding if you’ve got the time to spare.
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5
‘Cujo’ (1983)
The titular dog in the 1983 adaptation of Cujo standing outside, early in the filmImage via Warner Bros.
If you’re talking about Cujo, as in the book, it’s pretty mortifying stuff. There’s a horror of a very natural (rather than supernatural) kind here, and while plenty of Stephen King books are horrifying in fantastical and realistic ways simultaneously, Cujo is pretty much all about the realistic. There’s a dog who gets rabies and turns violent as a result, and a group of characters who are all put in immense danger because of this bad luck.
This 1983 adaptation of Cujo is mostly solid, but then it does alter the ending in a way that’s definitely nicer, but also not nearly as impactful.
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It’s not a long book, and the number of characters is also on the more manageable side of things, so Cujo technically should work well as a movie. And yeah, this 1983 adaptation is mostly solid, but then it does alter the ending in a way that’s definitely nicer, but also not as impactful; nowhere close, really. It’s like the inverse of the situation with The Mist, where the ending of the film adaptation went into considerably darker territory than the final few pages of the original novella.
4
‘It Chapter Two’ (2019)
Things are a bit complicated when it comes to the late 2010s adaptation of It, since the mammoth book was split into two movies. The reason for this was that one half of It has the main characters as kids, and then the other half of the novel has them as adults, with the same central foe taken on both times. But it’s not a neat tale of two age groups, since the novel of It cuts back and forth between the characters when they’re young and older.
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You lose a lot with It Chapter Two because of this. It feels repetitive in a way that the original story doesn’t really, with its interesting structure. It (2017) does well at capturing most of the stuff with the characters as kids, so it’s a bit harder to criticize, though the choice with that first film to divide the narrative in such a way did ultimately doom the second film.
3
‘Pet Sematary’ (2019)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Working in a brutally effective way on two fronts, Pet Sematary stands as one of King’s scariest and also one of his saddest books simultaneously. There’s an exploration of death and a look at the desire to defy it, which is all horrific in very human and raw ways, but then there’s an ability to actually maybe reverse death, and then in come the supernatural elements and eventual scares on that front.
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Neither movie adaptation of Pet Sematary quite delivers in the same way that the book does. The one from 1989 probably fares a little better than the version released in 2019, but not by a great deal, in all honesty. Things are followed decently well, so it’s more just a case that the really powerful parts of Pet Sematary have, so far, been far more impactful if you’re either reading the text or listening to an audiobook, compared to watching the whole story retold as a movie.
2
‘The Dark Tower’ (2017)
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
There are seven main books in The Dark Tower series, plus an interquel, a novella, and a bunch of other stories (some short, some novels) that tie into the series in some way, but one thing’s fairly clear: none were really adapted in – or represented by – 2017’s The Dark Tower. There are some elements taken from books #1 and #3, and a suggestion that things could be happening in a way that’s different from the events of the book (keeping it vague at the risk of spoiling something), but still. You want a bit more of The Dark Tower when you watch The Dark Tower.
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Whatever it was trying to adapt or reflect, this movie failed. If it was trying to do its own thing, or build upon the main series, it didn’t really do that well, either. And The Dark Tower series is very long and complicated, so any sort of movie adaptation was never going to be easy, but this still felt like the wrong approach. The only reason it’s not #1 in this ranking is because of that ambiguity surrounding the extent to which it can be counted as an adaptation. Call it partially getting off on a technicality or whatever.
1
‘Salem’s Lot’ (2024)
John Benjamin Hickey as Father Callahan wields a glowing cross in ‘Salem’s Lot’ (2024).Image via Max
Since ‘Salem’s Lot is such an incredible book, and quite close to one of Stephen King’s very best efforts overall, the movie adaptation being just average at best is extremely disappointing. That makes it stand out as an example of a movie that really isn’t much compared to what it could’ve or should’ve been. And further, maybe saying it’s kind of average is a stretch.
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This movie follows the same basic plot, with vampires slowly taking over a small town and the few humans left having to fight for their lives (not lives of the undead variety), but the slow burn of the novel is sacrificed for… nothing? There isn’t really anything gained by pacing this like a horror movie, or trying to pace it like a horror movie, since Salem’s Lot (2024) still feels slow, just not slow in a good or purposeful way. Even if you really hate reading, by no means should you watch this before getting around to the book (can’t be overstated just how much better it is).
When his career spiraled out of control in the early 2010s, M. Night Shyamalan made the safe choice to turn director-for-hire. Instead of trying to get his original scripts made, he agreed to direct a vehicle for Will Smithand Jaden Smith. The star vehicle in question, After Earth, was put together less like a movie from the heart than a carefully studied project that could take the younger Smith’s career to the next level following a well-received debut with The Karate Kid. However, the experiment ended up backfiring massively; not only did Jaden never headline a movie again, but Shyamalan found himself in a worse position than he’d ever been in professionally. This time, he didn’t take the safe route. Instead, he went back to basics and put his money where his mouth is. Shyamalan’s follow-up film emerged as a hit and helped revive his now-thriving career.
The movie is over a decade old now but remains well-liked on home video. It recently witnessed a spike in viewership, emerging as one of the most-watched titles on the domestic Google Play Store chart. Unlike Shyamalan’s previous movies, which usually attracted A-list talent and were typically expensive enough to afford top-tier stars, his 2015 comeback vehicle was headlined by two child actors. The biggest name in the cast was Kathryn Hahn, who appeared only briefly. The movie cost $5 million to produce, which Shyamalan put up himself in order to have skin in the game, and was subsequently picked up by Blumhouse and distributed by Universal.
We pay tribute to the talents who helped define Hollywood.
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Shyamalan Is Putting Together a Movie With Jake Gyllenhaal Next
We’re talking, of course, about The Visit. Originally thought to be titled Sundowning, the movie follows two young children who are left in the care of their grandparents, only to discover sinister goings-on at the house. The movie was filmed in the found-footage format, which was hugely popular in that era thanks to hits such as Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, and Unfriended. It ended up grossing nearly $100 million worldwide and putting Shyamalan’s career back on track. The Visit now holds a 68% score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “The Visit provides horror fans with a satisfying blend of thrills and laughs — and also signals a welcome return to form for writer-director M. Night Shyamalan.” Shyamalan went on to make a handful of hits over the next decade, and is now putting together the supernatural romance film Remain, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and scheduled for release in February 2027. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
The last few years have been great for the horror genre, not only movies like Weapons, Bring Her Back, MaXXXine, and more entertained audiences in theaters and later at home, but features like The Substance, Frankenstein, and Sinnershave made a mark during the Oscars as well. Horror fans around the world are having a great time with numerous original ideas making it to the big screen as well as franchises like Scream, Terrifier, 28 Years Later, and more bringing out fresh installments.
Further, Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler made history at this year’s Oscars with their supernatural horror, Sinners. The movie went on to bag 18 nominations and won four, including Best Actor for Jordan, who played dual roles, and Best Original Screenplay for Coogler. It’s brilliant to see that a movie is not only loved by the critics but is appreciated by fans as well, which is reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes scores – 97% from critics and 96% from audiences. As for its earnings, it made $370 million worldwide against a $100 million budget.
Now, the movie has added another feather to its cap. Sinners has maintained its top spot on HBO Max for more than 55 days and on Amazon Prime for more than 60 days, as per FlixPatrol. This is a testament to fans’ love for the movie and its themes. Sinners beautifully blends historical realism, blues music, and supernatural elements. It’s visually stunning as Coogler decides to continuously play with the aspect ratio and deeper themes of cultural appropriation, resilience, and cultural erasure. However, the musical elements in the feature are a clear standout. It has a brilliant cast consisting of strong performers, including Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, and Delroy Lindo.
These television artists were posthumously recognized for their work, and the awards they received were testaments to their lasting legacies.
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Ryan Coogler Is Working on an ‘X-Files’ Reboot
Fans are eager to see what Coogler has in store for them next, and the answer is simple: The X-Filesreboot. The series is currently getting many interesting updates. Gillian Anderson recently spoke to Collider about Coogler’s vision:
“I think he’s incredibly talented, and I think he’s one of the only people who can do something unique and do it justice, and he’s completely obsessed with the series. He’s one of the most talented filmmakers who’s out there. The fact that Chris [Carter] has him as the person who’s going to be involved in the franchise is awesome, and a huge gift. You guys will see what he has in mind, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
Sinners is available to stream on HBO Max and Prime Video. Stay tuned to Collider for more such updates.
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Bethenny Frankel doesn’t need caffeine to energetically show off a product she loves, but in this case, it came in handy. The entrepreneur and Real Housewives of New York City alum highlighted an espresso machine that’s affordable and mighty. The beginner-friendly gadget will have you creating lattes, cappuccinos and other concoctions like a pro in no time.
“I love all my coffee makers, but I was just like, ‘she’s got something,’” Frankel said in a TikTok video. “She’s tiny and tough.”
This coffee shop-quality machine features a 15-bar Italian pump to get the most flavor out of your favorite espresso. It has a patented portafilter (where the espresso goes) that locks to the side, so it’s easier to access. Plus, it has two of those portafilters, so you can brew two at once.
You won’t need a separate milk frother to create barista-quality cappuccinos, either. The Hamilton Beach machine comes with a built-in swiveling frothing wand, complete with an adjustable steam dial. Whether you want to make thick foam or simply steam milk, the wand is necessary for standout sips.
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In her video, Frankel made a latte and approved of the outcome. If you take your coffee seriously, too, you’ll appreciate how this espresso maker provides all the dials and buttons you need, conveniently located at the front of the machine.
Frankel isn’t the only who agrees that this Hamilton Beach gadget makes an impressive espresso. Amazon shoppers are giving it their thumbs up.
“Love this espresso machine! It matches our kitchen great with a cute little retro touch. It also makes great espresso at home, in my opinion,” a verified purchaser shared. “I would buy this again when mine stops working.”
“I am making perfect cappuccinos with this machine two to three times a day,” one five-star reviewer wrote. “If it holds up to this usage load, it will be one of the great purchases of my life.”
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If there’s one thing Frankel won’t do, it’s sugarcoat her opinion. So, we know that this “no-nonsense” espresso machine is worth trying out!
Sam Raimi is the visionary mind behind some of our favorite horror films, like Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell, and Army of Darkness. The director makes his films a chaotic carnival ride with large helpings of over-the-top gore, interesting camera angles, and wide use of practical effects that make fans jump in their seats. Perhaps a more contemporary audience knows him from the Spider-Man trilogy and Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
While the Doctor Strange sequel did not satiate the audience’s appetite for the multiverse, it did bring together Raimi and actor Rachel McAdams, who plays Christine Palmer in the MCU. The two recently collaborated on a new horror flick, Send Help, which is creating waves with the audience. The survival horror marks the director’s first R-rated film in over a decade.
The movie became a commercial and critical success, gathering praise for Raimi’s vision, gross-out scenes, and lead performances by McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The movie has grossed $94 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. It also impressed the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring 93%. Now the movie is entertaining fans worldwide, as Send Help is the #1 movie globally on Apple TV, per FlixPatrol.
These television artists were posthumously recognized for their work, and the awards they received were testaments to their lasting legacies.
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Is ‘Send Help’ Worth Your Time?
Yes, whether you’re a Sam Raimi fan or a casual viewer who loves dark comedy and R-rated horror,Send Help is a quick and decent watch. The movie follows Linda (McAdams) and her arrogant boss, Bradley (O’Brien), who, after a plane crash, are stranded on a deserted island. Things take a turn when the two turn their workplace power dynamic into a fight for survival and a twisted battle of wits. Collider’s Aidan Kelley writes in his review, “The story and the tone of said story may be a bit all over the place, but it’s not at all an unpleasant time spending a trip on the beach with these two characters, as the “will they/won’t they kill each other” chemistry that McAdams and O’Brien have is electric.” Further noting,
“Throughout all its faults, like an inconsistent script and overall tone, Send Help is also a hell of a lot of fun with two dynamite performances. It’s also one that, more often than not, plays to Sam Raimi’s scripts, whose previous horror hits have always been firmly in the fun-and-campy category. It may not be the terrifying marvel some Raimi fans are hoping for, but it’s still an entertaining enough watch that makes an SOS unnecessary.”
Send Help can be purchased on Apple TV Store. Stay tuned to Collider for more such updates.
Director Ryan Coogler‘s rise through the Hollywood ranks has been nothing short of remarkable. He went from being a passionate film student putting together a scrappy indie set in his hometown to commanding an extremely rare level of creative freedom in the upper echelons of the industry. Coogler’s latest film is Sinners, which set a new record for the most Oscar nominations earned by a single film, with 16 nods at this year’s ceremony. Sinners defied the odds to become a box-office hit, validating Warner Bros.’ bold decision to give Coogler a deal that will see the film’s rights revert to him in 25 years. But Coogler’s success wasn’t earned overnight; he built toward it methodically, without compromising on the principles that got him a seat at the table in the first place.
Sinners was, in many ways, a step down in terms of scale for Coogler. He was coming off two mega-budget Marvel movies — Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — that grossed around $2 billion in combined worldwide box office revenue against a combined reported budget of nearly $500 million. Sinners made nearly $400 million against a reported budget of $100 million. However, Coogler didn’t simply go from his small-budget indie Fruitvale Station to directing Black Panther. There was an all-important stepping-stone movie as well; this was the movie that proved to studios that Coogler could work inside the system and still deliver crowd-pleasing hits. The movie in question is having a resurgence on home video, over a decade after its theatrical run.
We pay tribute to the talents who helped define Hollywood.
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Here’s the Franchise Reboot That’s Delivering a Knockout Performance on iTunes
We’re talking, of course, about Creed. Starring Michael B. Jordan, who recently won an Oscar for his dual performance in Sinners, Creed served as a reboot of the Rocky franchise and brought back Sylvester Stalloneas the iconic boxer. Stallone received an Oscar nomination for his performance, while the film itself earned a “Certified Fresh” 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The aggregator’s consensus reads, “Creed brings the Rocky franchise off the mat for a surprisingly effective seventh round that extends the boxer’s saga in interesting new directions while staying true to its classic predecessors’ roots.” According to FlixPatrol, Creed is currently among the most-watched movies on the domestic iTunes chart, proving that it’s one for the ages. The movie grossed around $175 million worldwide against a reported budget of $40 million, and was followed by Creed II, directed by Steven Caple Jr., and Creed III, directed by Jordan himself. Both follow-ups earned positive reviews and outgrossed their predecessors. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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Release Date
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November 25, 2015
Runtime
133 minutes
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Director
Ryan Coogler
Producers
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Charles Winkler, David Winkler, Irwin Winkler, Kevin King Templeton, Robert Chartoff
Roommates, y’all know when something just isn’t sitting right—and the people closest to the situation are still searching for answers. That’s exactly where things stand with Toie Roberts and late rapper Lil Poppa, as new details have surfaced following his passing. Now, Toie is speaking out and calling on the public for help.
Toie Roberts Says Lil Poppa’s Belongings Are Missing, His Family Seeks Answers
On Sunday, Toie Roberts took to her Instagram Story with a heartfelt message, revealing that some of Lil Poppa’s personal belongings—including his jewelry and a Goyard bag—have gone missing. According to her, the items and the Goyard bag disappeared from a parking lot at a Hilton Hotel off I-285 and Virginia Ave in Atlanta on the day of his passing. She shared that the family has already reached out to South Metro Towing and Hapeville Police but still hasn’t received clear answers. In her message, Toie asked anyone with information to come forward, stressing that the family is simply seeking truth and accountability while urging others to repost and help bring awareness to the situation.
Fans Go IN While Sending Love to Toie
Fans flooded TSR Teens’ Instagram comments and went all the way IN over the situation. Some were quick to speculate that a manager or someone close might know more than they’re saying, while others pointed out that the details just aren’t adding up. Meanwhile, plenty of people showed love to Toie, saying their hearts ache for her knowing that she has to deal with this while still grieving.
One Instagram user @nyadominique claimed, “His manager need to say something asap bc that’s not adding up“
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This Instagram user @theonna.okay said, “They putting this girl through everything, when she’s been going through enough!“
And, Instagram user @_ykitsyanni added, “How yall rob a dead man ?? Seriously tho“
While Instagram user @b0mb_jam commented, “Either the cops got it or the manager.“
Then Instagram user @somerandomfivefootdarkskin_ wrote, “It’s more to the store they not saying!!!!💯💯💯”
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Lastly, Instagram user @dtx.kaylaaa said, “D*mn, his death done turned into a whole broadcasted mess smh. Rip“
Toie Keeps Lil Poppa’s Memory Alive
Roommates, one thing about Toie Roberts—she’s not letting up when it comes to keeping Lil Poppa’s name and legacy alive. From emotional TikTok videos to heartfelt Instagram posts, Toie has been sharing intimate moments with Lil Poppa and their son, Kofi, giving fans a glimpse into the love they built beyond the spotlight. In one deeply personal message, she opened up about the pain of his sudden passing, writing about the heartbreak, confusion, and unanswered questions she’s been carrying, while still honoring his memory. As fans continue to process the loss and revisit his music—including ‘Out Of Town Bae’—Toie remains vocal, raw, and committed to making sure his story and impact are never forgotten.
Fans are sending Omar Gooding well wishes after he revealed that he got into a bad car accident. The actor shared a video from a hospital bed, giving an update on his condition and more details about the incident.
Omar Gooding Breaks Silence About His Car Incident
On Sunday, March 29, Omar Gooding shared a video on Instagram telling fans that he got into a bad car accident. The footage showed him laying down with a neck brace. Still keeping his humor, Omar made light of the situation, saying he was fine and didn’t need surgery. He even joked that if anyone wanted to do him a favor, they could sent him some seatbelt commercials.
“I’m good, no surgery needed, thank Jesus!” He continued, “I’m gonna start doing seatbelt commercials. So for everybody that wants to send me something, send me them seatbelt commercial ads.”
Omar explained in his caption that he was wearing a seatbelt and didn’t break his neck, he actually suffered Hangman’s fracture while catching some Z’s in the back of a car on the way to an airport. His doctors said recovery will take around three months, so he will have to push back his upcoming show dates.
Fans Send Omar Well Wishes Following Hospital Update
After The Shade Room shared Omar Gooding’s video, fans flooded the comment section with well wishes. Others kept the jokes coming, saying they couldn’t handle him mentioning the clone comment and knows he has the nurses in the hospital cutting up.
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Instagram user @lillyvcassandra wrote, “🙌🏾 Get Well sir!!!! 💪🏿”
Instagram user @tiajeanee_ wrote, “I know his nurses are in there cracking up 😂🩷”
While Instagram user @shegetswhatshewantsscarlett wrote, “A simple thanks for your concern I’m recovering would of sufficed😂😂 bout clone.”
Then Instagram user @tasha_s_sayless wrote, “I’m pissed at him for making me laugh at this tragedy 😂😂”
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Another Instagram user @the_an0dyne wrote, “He lookin just like his brother now.”
While another Instagram user @india_bookie25 wrote, “🙏🏾❤️ get well soon🩷”
Instagram user @kathy_4.0 wrote, “Ain’t nobody tryna clone YOU now ya brother….maybe! But thank goodness ur doing well.”
Finally, Instagram user @mildred.williams.92317 wrote, “Speedy recovery 🙏🏽”
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Omar Thanks Fans For The Love Amid Recovery
In another instagram video, Omar told fans he appreciated all of the love. But he asked his close friends and family to stop calling because, even though he looks upbeat in his clips, he’s in serious pain and can only move his eyes. He said even talking hurts.
“THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE LOVE!!! Now let me heal please. This s**t HURTS. But I’m tuff. N****s get they necks broke every day B .. I’ll be aight 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 I don’t wanna block y’all!! I needs my sleeps!! 😘😘,” Gooding wrote.
Days after Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s look at his Fuze premiere sparked a frenzy among fans, experts have now offered their analysis.
Some claimed that the actor had undergone a cosmetic procedure, while others chalked it up to a grooming change and natural ageing.
Netizens have also remained divided over his appearance, although Aaron Taylor-Johnson hasn’t admitted to having any cosmetic procedures done.
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Aesthetic Physician Claims Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Facial Change Wasn’t As A Result Of A Cosmetic Procedure
Fred Duval/MEGA
The London premiere of “Fuze” saw Aaron Taylor-Johnson become the subject of discussion, as changes in his facial appearance led to speculation of cosmetic surgery among fans and observers.
Weighing in on the topic, Dr. Shamsa Kanwal, a board-certified dermatologist and aesthetic physician, told the Daily Mailthat the changes were more likely due to either natural changes or grooming.
“My impression is that the change is more likely due to grooming, hair, facial hair removal, lighting, and natural weight or volume fluctuation than to any obvious surgical intervention,” said Kanwal to the outlet.
“A beard can dramatically strengthen the jaw and lower face on camera, so shaving it off can make someone look surprisingly different overnight,” she added.
The expert also claimed that upon her analysis of pictures of Taylor-Johnson’s photos from the premiere, she could not identify a “single feature here that strongly points to a major cosmetic procedure.”
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Other Experts Shared Alternative Reasons For The Actor’s New Look
CAN/Capital Pictures / MEGA
Other experts seemed to disagree with Kanwal, but even though they pointed to cosmetic intervention, they weren’t sure whether it was invasive or non-invasive, or which part of the face was affected.
Cosmetic injectable specialist Dr Charles Runels claimed that Taylor-Johnson might have used “carefully placed botulinum toxin treatment” to “relax the depressor muscles of the brow.”
He suggested this was the reason behind what he described as the “recalibration of proportions” in the actor’s face, especially in the brow and midface.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Most Dramatic Change’ Linked To A ‘Loss Of Volume’ In His Lower Face
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon Dr. Robert Setari pointed to an alleged “loss of volume” in Taylor-Johnson’s lower face as the “most dramatic change,” and that a buccal fat removal was the likely procedure used.
“This procedure involves the surgical extraction of the fat pads in the lower cheek to create a more permanent, angular contour,” he shared.
According to the expert, the actor’s jawline is now more defined, and his nose and eyes have also experienced some changes.
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For the former, he linked it to fillers or more permanent options like a chin implant, while the nose effect could be a result of “liquid rhinoplasty,” and the eyes may be due to subtle eyelid procedures.
How Netizens Reacted To The Actor’s Appearance At ‘Fuze’ Premiere
CAN/Capital Pictures / MEGA
Online, people had varying views about Taylor-Johnson’s face, with some claiming it was due to a cosmetic procedure.
“It’s not aging, he did something to his face,” one wrote, while another commented, “the buccal fat removal.”
Some, however, noted alternative reasons for the change-up, including the actor’s lack of facial hair and a possible use of makeup.
“Guys, I think it’s the lack of facial hair (and longer head hair) that’s throwing us off,” one wrote.
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“Y’all asking what’s wrong with Aaron and it’s makeup and him making sure we see his cheekbones relax,” a second noted.
Others who weighed in chose to only express their shock about how unrecognizable the actor looked.
“Why does he look like he got all his beauty drained out of him?” a user commented.
One more wrote, “What in the hell happened? Genuinely, not trying to be mean…. This just doesn’t look like him at all! Something is different.”
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Aaron Taylor-Johnson Is Being Hyped To Take On James Bond Role
Europa Press / MEGA
In recent weeks, speculation has continued to grow that Taylor-Johnson may be the next actor to take up the Bond mantle.
The actor, alongside the likes of Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi, has been touted for the role among industry insiders and franchise enthusiasts.
He is also said to be a likely choice for the role by Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of the original James Bond producer, Albert R. Broccoli.
Amazon Prime currently has creative control of the James Bond franchise after striking a deal with Barbara and her brother, Michael, in March 2025.
Given the franchise’s notoriety for secrecy, it is unlikely that confirmation of Taylor-Johnson’s casting pr any other alternative actor will come anytime soon.
Right now at the box office, Colleen Hoover’s latest adaptation, Reminders of Him, is continuing to perform admirably against tough competition, such as the hit new sci-fi flick Project Hail Mary. Against a reported budget of $25 million, the film has earned just under $60 million worldwide, split between $38 million in domestic revenue and an additional $21 million from overseas markets. Starring Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers, and directed by Vanessa Caswill, the film is unlikely to reach the box office heights of Hoover’s previous two adaptations, one of which is quietly proving popular on streaming.
Regretting You, Hoover’s second adaptation, released in October 2025, earned a global haul of $90 million during its theatrical run, a total unlikely to be hit by Reminders of Him. Tripling its reported budget of $30 million, the film starred an eye-catching cast and became a hit with fans of the Hoover novels. From a script penned by Susan McMartin, the film stars the likes of Allison Williams as Morgan Grant, Mckenna Grace as Clara Grant, Dave Franco as Jonah Sullivan, Mason Thames as Miller Adams, Scott Eastwood as Chris Grant, Willa Fitzgerald as Jenny Davidson, and Clancy Brown as Hank Adams Sr.
Although fans appreciated the effort, critics weren’t so glowing in their reception of Regretting You. In Isabella Soares‘ review of the movie for Collider, she called Regretting You “messy,” adding, “Although the cast does what they can with a script that never cuts deeper than the surface, their performances aren’t enough to give Regretting You the emotional resonance expected from a story like this.” Despite this poor response from critics, Regretting You continues to prove popular, scoring a place on the current Paramount+ top ten in the U.S.
These television artists were posthumously recognized for their work, and the awards they received were testaments to their lasting legacies.
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Another Colleen Hoover Adaptation Is On Its Way Soon
McKenna Grace leaning into Mason Thames’ shoulder in ‘Regretting You’.Image via Paramount Pictures
With the three adaptations all proving box office successes so far, and with Hoover’s books continuing to sell millions of copies, we are merely in the early stages of her impact on Hollywood. Up next is Verity, an adaptation of Hoover’s 2018 psychological thriller of the same name, which features the on-screen talents of Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, Ismael Cruz Cordóva, and Brady Wagner. Written by Nick Antosca and directed by Michael Showalter, with the latter previously working with Hathaway on Prime Video’sThe Idea of You, the movie is scheduled to release on October 2, 2026.
Regretting You is streaming on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.
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Release Date
October 22, 2025
Runtime
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116 minutes
Director
Josh Boone
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Writers
Susan McMartin
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Producers
Anna Todd, Brunson Green, Flavia Viotti, Robert Kulzer
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