In the 1980s and 1990s, when newspaper comic strips were at their peak, the “funnies” were often quick workplace or family stories meant to elicit a chuckle before we moved on to the next and nothing more.

Some comics, however, were incredibly smart and caused the reader to pause and think more about the themes past the initial laugh. Bill Watterson‘s Calvin and Hobbes was great at this. So was Gary Larson‘s The Far Side, which had the challenge of saying so much with just one panel. These eight examples prove just how brilliant the cartoonist was.

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Monsters on Top of the Bed

Image via Gary Larson

For generations, every kid has feared the monster under the bed. We know there’s nothing under there during the day, and our parents can come in and check at night, but it doesn’t diminish the fear of the unknown. It’s so common that Pixar made Monsters, Inc. about those monsters and what they do away from their night job of scaring children. In this Far Side panel, the twist is that the monsters under the bed aren’t there to scare anyone — they’re there because this is where they sleep. Even they have their fears as well. What waits on top of the bed creeps them out. According to Gary Larson, everyone fears what they cannot see.

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A Dry Fish Basement

Image via Gary Larson

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The Earth is three-quarters water. As humans, we only pay attention to the dry land we live on, where water, if it’s not in a pool or body of water as a place of relaxation, is often a problem, especially in the home. We’ve all had to deal with the annoyance of some sort of water leak, and nothing is worse than when water gets in and ruins a basement. In this panel, Larson sees fish as being just like us, living in their own homes. In their opposite world, water is, of course, needed and ruins nothing. What would be an issue in a fish world is a place of dryness. Here, the entire basement is flooded with dry. Now poor John is going to have to deal with it.

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Superman and the Lighthouse

Image via Gary Larson

Summer is the favorite season for many. Still, as fun as it can be, there’s one part every person hates about it. Go outside at night and turn on a porch light, and you’re sure to be besieged by mosquitoes and other bugs that are pulled to the light, zooming around it constantly. In this strip, two lighthouse operators, like a massive porch light for ships in the night, are besieged by their own annoyance: Superman. Even the Man of Steel, as strong as he is, can’t resist the pull and hypnotizing effect of an electric light in the darkness. Murray better get that light turned off quick!

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Painting the Fly Woman

Image via Gary Larson

Gary Larson forces the reader to really pay attention to this Far Side strip, with the punch line not so immediately easy to find. In it, an artist paints a portrait of a woman. There’s nothing funny about this. But why in the world is her head half human and half giant fly on the canvas when she looks completely normal in reality? Look closer, and it becomes clear. There is a fly sitting on the lens of the painter’s glasses. He’s so invested in his work and painting everything he sees in his vision that he’s combined his near and far sights into one terrifying painting.

4

Peter Pan Grows Up

Image via Gary Larson

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J.M. Barrie‘s Peter Pan has been adapted many times over the last century plus, from a popular animated Disney film to stage plays. The themes of wanting to stay a child forever and the loss of innocence as we grow up have stuck with generations. But what if Peter Pan, the boy from Neverland who refuses to grow up, actually did just that? Steven Spielberg‘s 1991 Hook imagined this, with Robin Williams as an adult Peter Pan working a normal life as a lawyer. In this similar Far Side strip, however, there’s no saving the day. A grown-up Peter Pan has it all with a wife and kids, but as he sits at his dull office job, even he can’t escape the pull of wanting to go back and live as a kid again.

Image via Gary Larson

It doesn’t get much smarter than meta-humor, as a form of art steps outside itself and looks in, exploring the themes behind its creation. Wes Craven started an entire franchise out of this idea with Scream in 1996 by creating a slasher movie that winked knowingly at the rules of the genre. Comic strips have their own rules, too. Because it’s still life, with no movement or sound, when a character speaks or thinks, their words are shown in a dialogue or thought bubble above their head for us to read. In this strip, there’s no escape. These characters know they live inside a comic strip, so when Lewis’ boss catches his employee having negative thoughts about him, it’s game over for Lewis, who will now have to think about getting another job.

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God Creates Jerks

Image via Gary Larson

Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? These are the questions that have troubled humanity since the beginning of time. In a search for answers, many of us turn to religion and the idea of god. Whether you’re a believer or not, it can’t be denied that the idea of a creator has soothed billions of people. In this Far Side strip, Larson imagines God as a chef, with Earth a creation being concocted in his kitchen. In the background, God has boxes and jars for bugs and reptiles and different colors of skin for humans. If there is a god, though, why are there bad people who do bad things? Here, it’s simple. God wants to make things interesting, so he dumps in some jerks. Sorry, God, but you may have put in too many.

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Midvale School for the Gifted

Image via Gary Larson

Arguably The Far Side’s most famous strip, this one is so simple and easily brilliant. The Midvale School for the Gifted takes only the brightest and most gifted students, yet here’s this kid pushing on an exterior door to the school even though there is a sign that obviously says “PULL” in big letters. This boy’s actually not so gifted after all. Is this school a joke where anyone can get in, including this idiot? Or maybe Larson is trying to say something else. No matter how smart we are, all of us are the same. No one has escaped having a mindless moment where they’ve attempted to push their way in through a door that needs to be pulled open. It’s embarrassing.

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Release Date

December 20, 1996

Runtime

112 minutes

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Writers

Kevin Williamson

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Producers

Bob Weinstein, Cary Woods, Cathy Konrad, Harvey Weinstein

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If you think your morning commute seems perilous, spare a thought for Brad Pitt’s Ladybug in the 2022 action-comedy Bullet Train. Currently slicing its way up the Hulu charts, the movie takes the world of assassins and puts it on high-speed rails, as a colorful cast of familiar faces clash in the carriages in David Leitch’s inventive, hilarious adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka‘s 2010 novel. With kinetic action that evokes the John Wick franchise, and a multi-character mystery worthy of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, it’s been a sleeper hit for action fans.

‘Bullet Train’ is a High-Speed Battle Royale

Image via Sony Pictures

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Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an assassin with a reputation for being a bad luck charm to all those around him. Drafted in by his handler (Sandra Bullock) as a last-minute replacement on a job, he boards a bullet train departing Tokyo with the aim of retrieving a suitcase. His hopes for a quiet journey are dashed when he discovers the vehicle is filled with fellow killers, all with interweaving motives and orders. What begins as a routine job spirals into a chain reaction of mistaken identities and fate‑driven twists that tie every passenger’s destinies together.

Playing out like a video game come to life, the movie ignites the screen with a knowing wink and self-referential humor. Each carriage, and each stop offers a new ‘level’, with the enjoyment coming in the variety of wild encounters and twists in the tale. There’s never time to get bored as a new challenger comes to meet Ladybug, who usually greets them with a tired sigh. While he may not be happy to see them, it offers one of the most diverse and intriguing casts in modern memory.

An All-Star Cast Makes for a Hilarious Adventure

Image via Sony Pictures

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It feels like every seat on Leitch’s express journey has a character worthy of a film in their own right, played by an actor who makes the most of every moment. There’s English assassins Tangerine and Lemon (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Tyree Henry), Prince (Joey King), a young hit woman disguised as a schoolgirl, stoic patriarch Elder (Hiroyuki Sanada), and criminal kingpin The White Death, played with menace by Michael Shannon.

Some might think that makes for a train that’s too crowded, but the ensemble offers a tonal spread that keeps the viewer interested. Taylor-Johnson and Henry feel ripped straight from a buddy comedy, while King adds a shiver of mystery that belongs in a paperback thriller. Sanada brings a seriousness and gravitas to proceedings, while Shannon works as the puppet master, manipulating all who come aboard. Each character shifts the energy within the carriage, making for a story made of very different chapters. There’s a feast of familiar faces who make small but significant appearances, such as rapper Bad Bunny and Marvel star Zazie Beetz. It’s their ability to bring individual flavors, and complications, to proceedings that make it all the more compelling to untangle the web.

Brad Pitt Continues His Late-Career Resurgence

At the center of it all, of course, is Pitt, as the charmingly unwilling protagonist who treats each life-threatening duel like an inconvenience. His pacifist assassin is something of a contradiction, and watching Ladybug’s reluctance to dispatch his opponents (even when it means his own survival) is a consistent highlight of the movie. It’s also a notable chapter in his late-career resurgence, as Pitt rushes toward his sixties with an Oscar and a desire to make interesting work.

Having spent much of the early part of his career pigeonholed as a Hollywood heartthrob, age has suited the actor who always chased a variety of different roles. In his late fifties and early sixties, that’s meant creating some truly iconic performances; he won his first Academy Award three years prior as Cliff Booth, the cool and mysterious right-hand man of Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While Ladybug may not have the composure of that role, Bullet Train is another example of the actor’s charisma shining through as he becomes less of a matinée idol and more of a pulp hero. It also gives him the opportunity to be funny in a way that wasn’t possible when he was an up-and-coming leading man.

Four years after its release, Bullet Train remains a fresh and exciting movie with Hollywood favorites at every turn and a momentum that won’t let up until the story reaches its destination. If you’ve ever wondered why Pitt remains a superstar at the age most are looking toward retirement, look no further than this unique cinematic obstacle course.

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Release Date

August 5, 2022

Runtime

126 minutes

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Writers

Zak Olkewicz

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Certain stories return to the Hollywood landscape because people believe they remain relevant. Others come back periodically because the story will not be forgotten. John Steinbeck’s East of Eden clearly falls into the latter category. Over 70 years after the book’s release, Netflix is turning the family saga into a seven-episode series, and with Florence Pugh in the lead, it could be the most ambitious work in this direction.

Devised by Zoe Kazan, the series will air on the streamer on October 1, 2026, with Pugh portraying Cathy Ames and Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Joseph Zada, Joe Anders, Hoon Lee, Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton, and Ciarán Hinds in key roles. Additionally, Kazan’s connection to the story is highly personal, as her grandfather, Elia Kazan, wrote the screenplay for the popular 1955 film adaptation, with James Dean in the lead.

What Is Netflix’s ‘East of Eden About?

Image via Kristy Griffin / ©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

At its core, East of Eden is a story about family, jealousy, and the fear that we might be destined to become the worst parts of the people who came before us. Steinbeck divides the novel between two intertwined families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, while repeatedly returning to the biblical story of Cain and Abel.

The Trask family provides the novel’s central conflict. Brothers Adam and Charles grow up locked in a rivalry for their father’s approval, setting the pattern for the next generation. Adam eventually marries Cathy, a woman whose capacity for cruelty becomes one of the novel’s most disturbing elements. After giving birth to twin sons, Caleb and Aron, Cathy abandons the family, leaving Adam to raise the boys in California.

Years later, the brothers find themselves repeating the same emotional battle their father and uncle fought. Aron is idealistic and dutiful, while Cal is more troubled, resentful, and convinced that something is fundamentally wrong with him. Their relationship becomes another variation on Cain and Abel, with Steinbeck asking whether people are actually trapped by the nature they inherit.

That question is ultimately what makes East of Eden more than a multigenerational melodrama. The novel’s defining idea is “timshel,” Steinbeck’s rendering of a biblical passage as “thou mayest” — the notion that people can choose what they become. For Cal, that choice becomes whether he accepts the darkness he sees in himself or fights against it.

John Steinbeck Considered ‘East of Eden’ His Magnum Opus

Image via ©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

Published in 1952, East of Eden was no small undertaking for Steinbeck. The author considered it his most ambitious work and described it as the culmination of everything he had learned as a writer. He originally envisioned the novel partly as a way of preserving the sights and sounds of California’s Salinas Valley for his young sons, and the landscape became inseparable from the story itself.

The novel also draws heavily on Steinbeck’s family history. Steinbeck was inspired by his maternal grandfather, Samuel Hamilton, and he briefly appears as a character. The story moves between generations and locations before ultimately settling into the Salinas Valley, where the Trasks’ family drama unfolds against the backdrop of early 20th-century California and World War I.

Its biblical foundation is impossible to miss. Steinbeck took the title from Genesis, specifically the passage describing Cain leaving God’s presence and settling in the land “east of Eden.” But the novel uses that story as a framework for examining guilt, envy, love, self-destruction, and, most importantly, whether anyone is doomed to repeat the sins of their parents.

Florence Pugh Leads Netflix’s ‘East of Eden’ Cast

Image via Geoffrey Short / ©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

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Pugh has the unenviable task of bringing Cathy to life, following Jane Seymour’s memorable performance in the 1981 television adaptation. Abbott plays Adam, while Faist takes on Charles. Zada and Anders portray the adult Trask twins, Caleb and Aron, respectively. The cast also includes Hoon Lee as Lee, the Chinese-American servant who becomes one of Adam’s closest confidants; Hinds as Samuel Hamilton; Letts as Cyrus Trask; and Plimpton as Faye.

Kazan wrote and executive produced the series, with Jeb Stuart serving as co-showrunner. Garth Davis directed the first four episodes, while Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directed the final three. Filming took place in New Zealand between October 2024 and March 2025, with the production using locations including Auckland, Dunedin and Oamaru to bring Steinbeck’s world to the screen.

The Netflix series has plenty of East of Eden history to contend with. Elia Kazan’s 1955 film became an enduring classic, but it famously focuses only on the final portion of Steinbeck’s enormous novel. The 1981 ABC miniseries had considerably more room to tell the full story, stretching across three installments. Netflix’s version gets seven episodes to do the same, which doesn’t guarantee a better adaptation, but it gives the Trask family’s history room to breathe.

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East of Eden

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Release Date

2026 – 2026-00-00

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Network

Netflix

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Directors

Garth Davis

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Susan Sarandon arrived at the 2026 Venice Film Festival looking every bit the movie legend she is, and her outfit instantly made its way onto our mood board. Rather than opting for a fancy dress or formal suit, the 79-year-old traded fussy fashion for barrel-leg pants, a.k.a. that softly rounded yet sleek silhouette that’s suddenly everywhere. She looked laid-back, relaxed and youthful, sending Us on a search for a similar budget style we could add to our wardrobes.

Sarandon has always been the epitome of cool, so it makes sense she’d show the world exactly how to rock barrel-leg pants like a pro. Styled with a white button-down, black jacket and chunky sneakers, the bottoms added a bit of playfulness without feeling over-the-top. They were also a million times more flattering than skinnies, skimming the hips and tapering just above the ankle.

Get the Egocka Barrel Ankle Pants for $35 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

The fall-friendly look works beyond important industry events, and definitely doesn’t require a stylist or a Hollywood budget to pull off. Amazon has a nearly identical pair from Egocka for $35, and the pull-on pick has a 4.4-star rating, with shoppers scooping up multiples.

Related: 13 Wide-Leg Pants That Are More Flattering Than Skinny Jeans — From $9

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It’s official: fall has arrived, and temperatures have unfortunately dropped well below shorts weather. But rather than reaching for your trusty pair of skinny jeans this year, you might want to try something different — mainly, wide-leg trousers, which are more flattering and elevated than your typical slim-fit pants. In addition to looking good, wide-leg […]

While a Sarandon-inspired black colorway is available, the same bottoms come in green, navy, coffee and more, so you can build out a whole rotation without blowing your budget. The stretchy fabric is even machine washable, saving you trips to the dry cleaners and allowing you to wear these babies on repeat.

One reviewer put it simply: “Surprisingly, I am in love with these pants. They drape perfectly and [are] very comfortable.” They noted that they bought the barrel pants in both navy and brown, and wear them everywhere from yoga to coffee runs to the casual office. Talk about versatility!

Another shopper took their pair on a two-week European vacation and called them “the real MVP,” pointing out that the pants can be styled with a T-shirt by day and a dressier top for dinner out. That’s the beauty of this shape — it reads polished with loafers and a blazer, but works just as well with sneakers and a linen tee.

Sarandon-approved, wallet-approved. . . are they in your cart yet? Add ’em now!

Get the Egocka Barrel Ankle Pants for $35 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more barrel-leg pants here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

UsNow Fall Sale Alert: These chic fashion finds are up to 60% off – plus free shipping

Welcome to fall with our biggest sale of the season. Our favorite dresses, tops, handbags, and shoes are all on sale + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

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Related: 17 Elevated Barrel Pants That Channel the Cool Silhouette Beyond Jeans

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Some trends stay in style much longer than we expect them to, and that’s certainly the case with barrel-leg pants. The roomy, wide-leg silhouette is the oddly flattering pants style everyone can find comfort in. And the best part? The loose shape spans beyond denim — just ask all the cool NYC girls who are […]

Sylvester Stallone is opening up about the dangerous lengths he went to while building the famously shredded physique that helped define his biggest action roles. The 80-year-old actor revealed that he struggled with bulimia and cycled steroids while preparing to play Rocky Balboa at the height of his fame. Stallone said his pursuit of physical perfection became an unhealthy “obsession” that ultimately took a “terrible toll” on him.

Sylvester Stallone Reveals His Private Bulimia Battle

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Stallone made the stunning disclosure in a New York Times profile published Saturday. While discussing the extreme physical transformations required for the “Rocky” and “Rambo” franchises, the Hollywood legend admitted that his efforts to maintain a camera-ready body eventually spiraled out of control. “Then it became an obsession,” Stallone said of sculpting his body for the blockbuster roles.

He acknowledged that his fixation became especially severe while preparing to film “Rocky III.” “Really bad. It got to the point where I became bulimic. You heard it here first,” he said. “I got down to 2.6 percent body fat when I was doing ‘Rocky III,’ and I couldn’t hold anything down. Or I didn’t want to keep it down because I became so obsessed with staying at that point of fitness, literally an obsessive body-worship kind of thing,” he told the newspaper.

Stallone said he became consumed with staying at an extreme level of fitness, even when it affected his ability or willingness to keep food down.

The Actor Says Steroids Felt ‘Mandatory’ For The Role

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Stallone also confirmed that he used steroids while preparing to portray Rocky. The actor said he completed six-week steroid cycles, which he viewed as necessary to maintain his physique over months of training and filming. “Oh, my god, you have to. But you do it in a sensitive way, six weeks on, six weeks off,” Stallone said when asked directly whether he had taken steroids. He did not identify the specific performance-enhancing drugs he used.

Stallone pushed back against the idea that actors could naturally achieve and maintain those extreme bodies while working under intense production demands. “People go, ‘Oh, you don’t get that way naturally.’ No, you don’t. But that also took a terrible toll,” he admitted.

The “Tulsa King” star said performers who were expected to stay in peak physical condition for extended periods often relied on drugs. “It isn’t as though you’re a junkie, but if you’re going to work out and try to stay in shape for six months straight, and you’re eating yogurt and pudding, it’s not happening,” he said.

‘Cop Land’ Helped Free Him From His Body Obsession

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Stallone said the 1997 crime drama “Cop Land” allowed him to begin relaxing the extreme standards he had placed on his body. The film marked a departure from the muscular action heroes that had become his trademark.

Stallone portrayed Freddy Heflin, a partially deaf New Jersey sheriff, and altered his appearance to fit the less glamorous character. The actor described the role as “somewhat liberated,” suggesting it let him focus less on maintaining the rigid physique audiences had come to expect.

However, the professional aftermath was not entirely positive. Stallone said his career went “sideways” following the film and that he “fell out of grace with Hollywood.”

Sylvester Stallone Found New Success On Television

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Stallone has been quieter on the blockbuster movie front in recent years. His last major franchise appearance came in 2023’s “Expendables 4.” That same year, Netflix released “Sly,” a biographical documentary exploring Stallone’s life and lengthy Hollywood career.

The veteran actor later appeared in the 2024 action thriller “Armor” and the 2025 crime thriller “Alarum.” Much of Stallone’s recent success has come from television through his leading role on Paramount+’s “Tulsa King.” The series stars Stallone as a Mafia boss and has given him another prominent character after decades of being associated with Rocky and Rambo.

The Action Star Was Surprised By His Trump Appointment

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Stallone also addressed President Donald Trump naming him a special Hollywood ambassador alongside Mel Gibson and Jon Voight. The actor claimed he had no advance knowledge that Trump planned to announce him for the position.

“Well, it just happened,” Stallone explained. “I was watching TV one night, and they go, ‘So Stallone and Mel Gibson and Jon Voight will be …’ And I went, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Excuse me? Really?’ Because if they had asked me in the beginning, I would have said, ‘This is not possible.’”

Stallone expressed skepticism about whether three actors could meaningfully influence Hollywood’s major studios. “Hollywood, I guess it’s like feudal states. They have their little kingdoms. You don’t go in and tell six studios how to do things. And Mel Gibson and Jon Voight, we’re kind of do-our-own-thing people. No, it won’t work,” he said.

Sandra Bullock is opening herself up to romance again three years after losing her longtime partner, Bryan Randall.

After spending years focused on healing and her family, the actress is said to be warming to the possibility of having someone new in her life.

However, Sandra Bullock is also taking things slowly, but those close to her say dating finally feels exciting again rather than something she would avoid.

Sandra Bullock’s Famous Friends Step In To Help Her Find Love Again

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Bullock has some well-known matchmakers ready to help as she takes her first steps back into dating. Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston, George Clooney, and Keanu Reeves are all said to be keeping an eye out for someone who could be right for their longtime friend.

According to a source who spoke to Star Magazine, the celebrity friends have “all offered to help find someone that’s worthy of her. They’re on the case.”

Aniston may be particularly familiar with Bullock’s taste, as the two actresses both dated actor Tate Donovan in previous years.

Their matchmaking efforts will likely not require much work. “There are already some very eligible guys showing interest in Sandra,” the insider revealed. “It’s not like her friends are starting from scratch.”

Bullock has not been publicly linked to anyone since Randall died in August 2023 following his private battle with ALS. After eight years together, moving forward was understandably difficult. However, the source said she has reached a stage where meeting someone new sounds appealing again.

The Actress’s Daughter Encourages Her To Take Another Chance At Love, But She’s Not In ‘Any Sort Of Rush’

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Bullock’s friends are not the only people hoping she will give romance another chance. Her daughter, Laila, has also been encouraging her mother to put herself back out there.

During a September 3 appearance on Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, Bullock revealed that Laila already has some ideas about the type of man she should consider. Her daughter suggested that she try dating “a rapper” or even “a basketball player.”

The encouragement comes as Bullock gradually becomes more comfortable with the prospect of another relationship. Still, she is not treating finding a new partner as something that needs to happen immediately.

“She’s not in any sort of rush, though,” the source explained. Instead, Bullock is approaching dating with “curiosity and fun.”

Sandra Bullock Reveals She Began Grieving Randall Years Before His Death

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Although Bullock is now considering another chapter in her personal life, her grieving process began long before Randall died.

During an appearance on the “SmartLess” podcast, the actress spoke about how his ALS diagnosis changed their life together.

“I started grieving Bryan four years before he passed,” Bullock revealed, per People Magazine, explaining that Randall “was ill for half of our relationship.”

The actress described the diagnosis as a tremendous burden that the family had to navigate privately because Randall did not want his condition made public.

The Actress Revealed She Struggled Carrying Bryan Randall’s Request For Privacy

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Bullock honored Randall’s wishes, but carrying the secret was difficult. “I wasn’t allowed to speak about it. That was the request, and I tried — I honored it,” she told the podcast.

She eventually confided in a small group of trusted people, including Jennifer Aniston and Amanda Anka.

The emotional loss also began before Randall was physically gone. “My person left a lot earlier than the body left,” Bullock explained.

She admitted she did not fully process what she had experienced until after his death because she had been focused on managing his illness and helping their children through it.

After Randall’s passing, Bullock stepped away and devoted time to healing at home before feeling ready to move forward.

Sandra Bullock Is Also Ready To Make A Comeback To Hollywood

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Bullock’s willingness to embrace change is not limited to her personal life. After spending several years concentrating on her family, the Oscar winner is also making a significant return to Hollywood with the help of some familiar faces.

“Sandra is in the midst of mounting yet another comeback after years focused on her family,” a source told Star Magazine.

One of her biggest projects reunited her with Kidman for the long-awaited “Practical Magic” sequel, with the pair returning as the Owens sisters. Kidman has already spoken enthusiastically about working with Bullock again, saying, “We’re just having the best time together.”

Bullock is also set to reunite with her former “Speed” costar Reeves in a romantic thriller written by Noah Oppenheim.

She has additionally signed on for another movie that will bring her back together with “The Lost City” writer Dana Fox. Rather than navigating this return alone, Bullock is leaning more on colleagues and longtime friends as she chooses her next projects.

Carrot Top has reportedly been released from a Las Vegas hospital following an alleged suicide attempt.

The comedian’s rep, Jami Schlicher, confirmed to USA TODAY on Saturday, September 26, that Carrot Top (real name Scott Thompson) is now “home with his family and doing well” after spending more than a week in the hospital.

Schlicher did not provide the outlet with any additional information or details regarding the comedian’s wellbeing. Us also reached out to Schlicher for comment.

Carrot Top, 61, was reportedly hospitalized in Las Vegas on September 18, resulting in the cancellation of his upcoming comedy shows. (Carrot Top has headlined a residency at Las Vegas’ Luxor Casino since 2005.)

Related: Carrot Top Found Out About Misconduct Claims Before Suicide Attempt: Police


Scott “Carrot Top” Thompson learned about sexual misconduct allegations against him shortly before his suicide attempt, police documents have revealed. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department report, which was obtained by Us on Friday, September 25, detailed what occurred when police responded to a medical dispatch call about a suicidal male at Thompson’s Las Vegas […]

“Mr. Thompson is recovering in the hospital and is receiving the care and support he needs,” Schlicher said in a statement at the time, confirming the comedy star’s hospital stay. “His family and those closest to him are deeply grateful for the concern, prayers and respectfully ask for privacy.”

Schlicher gave an update on Carrot Top’s condition on September 20, telling Entertainment Weekly at the time that the comedian was still “hospitalized and under close medical care.”

“He is now awake, breathing on his own and continuing to improve, surrounded by his family and those closest to him,” the rep continued. “Humor has always been such an important part of who Scott is and how he connects with people, and that remains true today as he shares moments of humor with the medical staff caring for him. Many messages from fans have been shared with Scott, including stories from people about how his comedy helped them through difficult periods in their own lives.”

A report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department report, obtained by Us on Friday, September 25, detailed what occurred when police responded to a medical dispatch call about a male suffering from suicidal ideation at the comedian’s Las Vegas home on September 18 at 4:21pm.

According to the report, Daniel O’Leary — who described himself as Thompson’s tour manager — was at the scene when police responded to the call. According to the manager, O’Leary claimed that a news article broke at approximately 3:20pm, covering a lawsuit that was filed against the comedian in which he is accused of sexual misconduct. O’Leary described Carrot Top’s behavior over the article as upset, adding that the comedian was making comments expressing his concern that his shows were going to be cancelled as a result of the allegations.

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Related: Carrot Top’s Rep Gives Update on Comedian After Alleged Suicide Attempt

A representative for Scott “Carrot Top” Thompson is reportedly giving an update on the comedian’s condition as he remains hospitalized following an alleged suicide attempt. “Scott remains hospitalized and under close medical care,” Jami Schlicher, Carrot Top’s rep, told Entertainment Weekly in a Sunday, September 20, statement. “He is now awake, breathing on his own […]

The comedian allegedly told O’Leary that he hoped a female third party (who was redacted in the report) and her daughter “would be okay” without him. The comedian then hung up before texting O’Leary “done.” Per the report, O’Leary was not able to reach Carrot Top after this text message.

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O’Leary then called the female third party, informing her of the article and his troubling conversation with the comedian before asking her to check on him. She reportedly “arrived at the residence and observed the doors open to the home.” The woman eventually located the comedian “in the backyard, next to the pool, unconscious.” According to her statement, the woman then “immediately called for help.”

Us also reached out to the comedian’s rep for comment regarding the report.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Ella Langley issued a very public response after a fan asked her out on a date — amid her quiet yet serious relationship with fellow country singer Tucker Wetmore.

“Ella, how many likes to take you on a date?” influencer @TikiBeen1 shouted at the “Choosin’ Texas” singer, 27, in a Friday, September 25, TikTok video from opposite sides of a fence.

Langley, who was standing with a crowd of people, succinctly replied to Tiki’s question.

“Not enough in the world,” she quipped.

Related: Tucker Wetmore and Ella Langley Have Been ‘Quietly Dating’ for Months

Tucker Wetmore finally found himself a “Brunette.” Wetmore and fellow country singer Ella Langley are seeing each other — and have been for a while, a source exclusively tells Us. “Tucker and Ella have been quietly dating for more than six months but less than a year,” the insider shares. While Wetmore, 26, grew up […]

Langley’s staunch denial comes shortly after Us confirmed her romance with Wetmore, 26.

“Tucker and Ella have been quietly dating for more than six months but less than a year,” a source exclusively told Us earlier this month. “They run in the same circles, so they met naturally through mutual connections.”

Per the insider, Wetmore and Langley’s connection began “casually” before gradually heating up.

“It started casually, so they kept it on the DL at first, but they’re more serious now,” the source added. “They’ve met some of each other’s family and friends. It’s going really well.”

The source further noted how Langley “has been grateful” for Wetmore’s “support and guidance” as her career has soared to new heights. Langley’s breakthrough single, “Choosin’ Texas,” recently broke the record for the longest-running No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

“I’m genuinely trying to find the words to help explain what’s going on in my brain,” she said in a Tuesday, September 22, Instagram video of the song’s milestone. “What? I don’t know. Thank you so much, thank you for loving this song, for listening to it. I feel like I don’t even know what to say at this point. I’m running out of hyperboles to describe how I feel.”

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Langley continued, “Thank you so much, it’s changing my life [and] it’s changing the lives of the writers of this song. It’s changing the lives of my family and it is truly growing an atmosphere for something I’m going to be able to do the rest of my life.”

Still, Langley has found that the record didn’t “feel like a real thing” just yet.

“It feels fake, and someone’s gonna come in like, ‘Ha ha, we’re kidding,’” she joked. “I’m gonna go out and celebrate tonight, and I’m really excited to just experience a moment like this in my life. I don’t know how else to say it, just thank you so much. Wow, ‘Choosin’ T?’ That’s the one.”

It looks like Jon Watts is heading back to a galaxy far, far away! The “Wolfs” filmmaker is probably best known for directing three films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” 2019’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” He is now set to direct the next film in the “Star Wars” franchise after the release of 2027’s “Star Wars: Starfighter,” directed by Shawn Levy.

The Next ‘Star Wars’ Film Seems To Already Have A Director

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Fans who have been looking forward to the next entry in the Skywalker Saga finally have a reason to rejoice! The Hollywood Reporter published a report on Saturday, September 26, saying Jon Watts will direct the first installment of the trilogy Simon Kinberg is currently writing. This would not be Watts’ first adventure into a galaxy far, far away, as he co-created the Disney+ series “Skeleton Crew” in 2024.

Although Kinberg has been working on the project since late 2024, little is known about the project right now. However, it is widely believed to be the next installment of the Skywalker Saga, consisting of Episodes X through XII. Lucasfilm has not commented at this time.

Insiders revealed that the project is still in development and has not yet received an official greenlight, which immediately made many fans think of the disappointing news surrounding “The Hunt for Ben Solo.”

Fans Have Been Wishing For Adam Driver’s Return Since ‘The Hunt For Ben Solo’ Was Canceled

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If this new installment is indeed the next chapter of the Skywalker Saga, many fans are hopeful that Adam Driver will return in some capacity. The actor played Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the sequel trilogy. The troubled son of Han Solo and Leia Organa passed away at the end of 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker” to save Rey (Daisy Ridley) after defeating Emperor Palpatine for what seems to be the last time.

However, in October 2025, Driver shocked the world when he told the Associated Press that he had been working on a “Star Wars” film with director Steven Soderbergh for years. The film received support from Kennedy, Lucasfilm vice president Cary Beck, and then-Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni, now Lucasfilm co-president.

“We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it,” Driver said at the time. “We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”

Dave Filoni Addresses Adam Driver’s Possible Return

The scrapped film prompted a fan campaign, but it remains to be seen if Lucasfilm will actually bring Driver back into the franchise. At the Disney D23 event in August 2026, Filoni was asked if they had reconsidered the fate of “The Hunt for Ben Solo.”

“We’re not making that picture right now. That’s all I can say,” he said with a Jedi hand wave.

Later that same day, Deadline asked Filoni a similar question. “It’s not here. You won’t find it here,” Filoni said when asked about Driver’s fate in the “Star Wars” franchise. “The Force is not with us in that regard. I love the love you feel for it.”

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However, it appears that Driver is still on good terms with Disney, as the actor revealed that he will be joining the new “X-Men” reboot in a sinister role.

What Kathleen Kennedy Had To Say About Simon Kinberg’s Trilogy

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During her exit interview with Deadline in January 2026, outgoing Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy said that Simon Kinberg was “working” on the new trilogy.

“He wrote something that we read in August, and it was very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment, which he finished literally about four weeks ago,” she said at the time. “And it’s a very detailed treatment, like 70 pages. And so he is expected to give us something in March.”

She went on to discuss future “Star Wars” projects. Interestingly enough, she described Steven Soderbergh’s “The Hunt for Ben Solo” as “on the back burner,” when Driver had said in October 2025 that the project was scrapped.

Kennedy Claimed Steven Soderbergh’s Film Is ‘On The Back Burner’

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“We’ve talked about this new trilogy and then the things that you’ve mentioned. Mangold’s is really on the back burner as is Soderbergh’s. I think the ones by Taika and Donald are still somewhat alive. That’s going to really be up to the new team to figure out,” she said.

“Dave, I know that Dave and Lynwen are very much on board with what Simon’s doing, and that would be a new trilogy,” she continued. “In the timeline of things, that takes you well into 2030 plus. So that’s really what’s up next.”

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Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait long to head to theaters to see a new “Star Wars” movie, as “Starfighter,” starring Ryan Gosling, will be released in May 2027.

One of HBO’s biggest and soapiest costume dramas is headed back to the channel in a little over a month. It’s been more than a year since the series last graced HBO and its streaming service, HBO Max, but this season promises to be bigger and grander than those that came before it. Plus, there’s another project coming from the show’s illustrious cast that may brighten your holiday season.

The Gilded Age stars Morgan Spector and Carrie Coon as George and Bertha Russell, a robber baron and his socialite wife, as they make their way up and down the social ladder of 1880s New York City. The new money Russells are contrasted with their neighbors, “old money” dowager sisters Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Forte (Cynthia Nixon), who have taken in their orphaned niece, Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson). The series is set to return to HBO for Season 4 on November 1.

However, that’s not the only Gilded Age project coming your way this fall. Playbill reports that the cast of the series has recorded a holiday album, Voices of the Gilded Age: The Christmas Album. While the series has yet to spring a musical episode on its viewers, it’s no great surprise that the cast of the series have great pipes, as many of them are Broadway veterans. It is produced by Grammy-winner Desmond Child, and will feature both traditional Christmas tunes and new compositions. It will be released by Concord Theatricals Recordings on November 6, five days after The Gilded Age‘s season premiere, and can be pre-ordered on digital, CD, or vinyl here.

Who Will Be Featured on ‘Voices of the Gilded Age: The Christmas Album’?

Coon and Spector will be on the album, reciting the classic poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” while Baranski will provide her rendition of “We Need a Little Christmas.” Also featured on the album are Denée Benton dueting with Jordan Donica; a trio performance from Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, and Kelli O’Hara; plus Laura Benanti, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Taylor Richardson, Taylor Trensch, and Adrienne Warren.

Voices of the Gilded Age: The Christmas Album will be released on digital, CD, and vinyl on November 6. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

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Release Date

January 24, 2022

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Network

HBO Max

Directors

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Deborah Kampmeier, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

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  Morgan Spector

  George Russell

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