Modesto, California y’all okay out there? Cristian Anguiano made headlines for a disturbing pattern of stalking and a home invasion that left a local woman and her family shaken—especially after reports revealed he targeted her feet during the incident. What began as persistent, unwanted attention quickly escalated into criminal behavior, prompting authorities to intervene.

RELATED: Student Who Accidentally Killed Teacher In High School Prank Reportedly Speaks Out As Family Weighs Charges

Man Becomes Fixated, Harasses Woman At Work

According to prosecutors, Anguiano, 28, became fixated on the victim after seeing her at work in February 2025. He repeatedly showed up at her job, waited outside to approach her as she left, asked her out multiple times, and even sent a letter expressing his desire to take her to Mexico. The unwanted contact continued for several weeks, making the victim increasingly concerned for her safety.

Family Confronts Angiuano Before Police Arrive

On May 21, 2025, Anguiano allegedly went to the victim’s Ceres home at night after learning where she lived. After her father left the house, he broke in and reportedly began licking and biting her toes. When the victim woke up, she remained calm and spoke to him to de-escalate the situation until other family members intervened. She called 911, but Anguiano fled before deputies arrived. Surveillance footage and her statements helped investigators quickly identify and arrest him on May 22, near her residence.

Stalking And Burglary Case Ends With Maximum Penalty

Anguiano admitted to breaking into the home to contact the victim. He pleaded no contest to felony stalking and burglary charges and received the maximum sentence under California law—six years and eight months in state prison. Probation was suspended, and special conditions were imposed, including drug testing and registration requirements. Deputy District Attorney Vita Palazuelos, who prosecuted the case, praised the victim’s courage for coming forward. Anguiano is also facing separate federal charges related to drug trafficking. His sentencing is officially scheduled for April 17, 2026.

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Chileee, Yaya Mayweather is spilling tea in her latest posts. The daughter of Floyd Mayweather allegedly recalled Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez showing up to one of her birthday parties, prompting reactions across social media.

Related: 5 Times Yaya Mayweather Let Folks Know They Can ‘Play With Somebody Else’ (WATCH)

Yaya Mayweather Shares Alleged Behind-the-Scenes Tea About Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez

On Wednesday, a video showing pop star Justin Bieber smoking began circulating online. The clip amassed over 3 million views as fans reacted to the singer’s indulgence. Adding her own flair, Yaya Mayweather reposted the video while referencing Bieber and Gomez’s past presence at one of her birthday celebrations. She wrote, “No shade him and Selena used to come to my birthday parties friend smelling like w**d 😂”

Social Media Reacts

Reactions were mixed in The Shade Room Teens comment section as folks  debated whether Yaya was sharing playful nostalgia or unnecessary drama.

Instagram user @unemployed.donny wrote, “Why she telling us?? They’re not even together anymore. Nobody care”

Another Instagram user @htx.v3 wrote, “Snitching for what”

While Instagram user @aluvenguza wrote, “Why is she spilling their tea when they were doing her dad a favour coming to her party? 🥴”

Instagram user @esoteric.mbs wrote, “She just loves to feel included”

Another Instagram user @yonnx wrote, “They just like me fr, pull up to the functions already lit 😂”

While Instagram user @lockkkkkkin.eoh wrote, “She use any opportunity to remind the world how successful and wealthy her daddy is. Not her but Floyd. 😂😂”

Instagram user @maemiina wrote, “Doesn’t he have a whole song talking about “I get my w**d from California” this ain’t news”

Another Instagram user @blokkkgone wrote, “Yall shut up I’m glad she told us because… Selena 😭😩”

While Instagram user @the_true_blog wrote, “Now this the tea I like to hear 🤏🏽”

Yaya Shares More Tweets About Family Dynamics

Yaya didn’t stop at Bieber and Gomez. She also shared tweets about parental involvement, seemingly addressing someone she felt was playing “stepdad” to another child while neglecting their own.

“It’s crazy to see a mf step up and play stepdad to a straggler h** that was picked on tour child’s life, giving that kid time and attention, while your own child hasn’t seen or heard from you in almost 6 months.”

In a follow-up tweet, she added:

“It’s honestly diabolical how u can be fully involved in someone else’s child’s life seeing them consistently, interacting, and playing when u don’t even do that with your own. Imagine getting online and seeing YOUR dad show up for another kid in ways he never shows up for u.”

While Yaya didn’t name anyone, many social media users believe her tweets were aimed at NBA YoungBoy. The speculation comes after a fan page @Trellshade2.0 shared behind-the-scenes clips from the ‘Better Than Yours’ video shoot featuring YoungBoy and Coi Leray. In the footage, YoungBoy can be seen picking up a young girl, believed by fans as the alleged child of a woman connected to him.

Related: Family First? Fans Speak Out As Yaya Mayweather Opens Up About Her Father’s Role In Son KJ’s Life (VIDEO)

NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal is addressing the viral rumor claiming he slid into Sabrina Carpenter’s DMs.

“First of all, ladies, the diesel got way more game than that,” O’Neal, 54, said on the Friday, March 20, episode of his “Big Podcast” show, reading aloud the fake flirty messages. “I’m just saying.”

Social media images surfaced earlier this month featuring a flurry of NSFW messages sent to Carpenter, 26, from an Instagram account seemingly belonging to O’Neal.

“Damn, baby, I would keep your farts in a cologne bottle and spray it on me every day,” the retired basketball star read aloud, quoting the alleged messages. “Just jokes, I’m Shaq. What’s your name, baby? And Sabrina says, ‘I know who you are. You’re way too famous to be sending messages like that.’”

O’Neal allegedly replied, “I can’t be horny and want some of that snow bunny kitty for no reason. You can’t handle big diesel anyway.”

O’Neal subsequently acknowledged that a photoshopped image of himself was added to the seemingly AI-created message.

O’Neal’s podcast guest, Jim Jones, further noted that social media is a “dangerous place.”

“It’s so crazy what people are spending their energy and time on,” Jones, 49, said. “I would think they would have better things to do.”

According to O’Neal, “youngsters” seem to “be [all] about the algorithm and going viral.”

“Social media is a great way for you to gain business and for you to market and promote your business,” Jones said. “That’s what I use it for. Everyone has their own elaborate ways and schemes that they use social media platforms. I use it for music, I use it for my content [and] I use it for pretty much everything I have going on.”

Jones also stated that “social media is there for entertainment.”

“Whatever’s going on today, it’s not going to last past three days,” he said. “If you feel that social media is working against you, it’s never working against you. You’ve got to figure out how to make it work for you even when it is working against you ‘cause now you have millions of eyes on you.”

Neither O’Neal nor Carpenter have further addressed the fake text conversation.

O’Neal, for his part, was previously married to Shaunie Wilson from 2002 to 2011. O’Neal and Wilson, share five children. (O’Neal is also father to daughter Taahirah from a previous relationship with Arnetta Yardbourgh.)

In the years since his divorce, O’Neal has sparked dating rumors with a number of famous faces. After he was spotted with OnlyFans creator Sophie Rain on her 21st birthday, the NBA alum denied claims of a budding romance.

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Related: Shaquille O’Neal Wants His Kids to Understand ‘Respectable Nepotism’

Shaquille O’Neal’s kids may be following in his athletic footsteps, but he’s making sure they understand their privilege in the sports world. “I want them to be model citizens. I want them to be very educated and I want them to understand nepotism, respectable nepotism,” O’Neal, 51, exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, September 18, […]

“I don’t [date] that young but I will date your mom and give u a brother,” he wrote via Instagram comment in October 2025 after a social media user questioned the pair’s large age gap.

Rain also shut down the speculation in a statement shared with Us Weekly.

“He reached out to me after and was like damn, we are famous, haha, I don’t know why people think we are dating,” Rain exclusively told Us. “People are running with a wild story, but Shaq was nothing but respectful. It was my 21st birthday and he made it unforgettable. I laughed when I saw the rumors. Shaq’s response says it all. He was never trying to be anything more than supportive and fun.”

As for Carpenter, she’s been single since December 2024, when she and actor Barry Keoghan called it quits after nearly one year of dating.

While Kate Hudson has certainly dipped her toes in TV over the years, including her iconic role as Cassandra July in Glee, the two-time Oscar nominee has mostly been known for her incredible filmography. So, when she was announced as the lead of the Netflix sports comedy Running Point, created by Mindy Kaling, Elaine Ko, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen, fans were at the edge of their seats waiting to tune in.

Lucky for them, the series, which premiered on February 27, 2025, was certainly worth the wait. Not only was Hudson’s role as the cutthroat Isla Gordon one of her best performances in years, but she was accompanied by a hilarious cast, sharp writing, and a plot that felt both fresh and charming to viewers. Per Deadline, the series scored 9.3 million views in its debut weekend, and ranked in the Top 10 across 83 countries. So, of course, it’s no surprise that the series was renewed for Season 2, which is only a few weeks away now, on April 23.

What Will ‘Running Point’ Season 2 Be About?

In the first season of Running Point, Hudson’s Isla had her work cut out for her. After her brother Cam (Justin Theroux) gets into a car accident after struggling with drug addiction, she’s suddenly named the new president of her family’s fictional basketball team, the Los Angeles Waves. Eager to prove herself, she throws herself into the job and — no pun intended — makes serious waves. In her new territory, she must also deal with her other siblings, Ness (Scott MacArthur) and Sandy (Drew Tarver), as well as the problematic players on the team, who all bring their own baggage.

Related

10 Great TV Shows to Watch if You Love ‘Running Point’

For while you’re anxiously waiting for Season 2!

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With a major loss marking the end of Season 1, Season 2 is picking up at a tough spot for the Waves, which only becomes yet another moment for Isla to prove herself. In the official synopsis, the series declares that she’s “determined to prove she’s not just keeping the seat warm for her brother,” especially now that the world is watching her bold moves. The blurb also teased a heightened rivalry between her and Cam, who’s eager to win back his position as president. “What she doesn’t know is that Cam is quietly maneuvering behind the scenes to reclaim his post, turning every misstep into ammunition,” the synopsis reads.

Therefore, much like in the first season, Isla will continue to stand up for herself and prove her place, even if that means protecting herself from her own family. “To survive the family power plays and the scrutiny of the board, she’ll have to rip up last season’s game plan and come up with a whole new playbook if she wants to close out the season on top,” the synopsis detailed, adding that season 2 “raises the stakes, deepens the family drama, and finds even more comedy in what it takes to run a modern sports empire.”

‘Running Point’ Is One of Netflix’s Best Comedies

From the synopsis alone, it’s safe to say Season 2 will carry on with the magic of Season 1. After all, in addition to being a story about a kick-ass female lead busting down barriers, Running Point also balances being a workplace sports comedy and a family drama. With that mix, the series sets itself up for intense, high-energy moments like in the games or major negotiations, but also softer, more tender moments too. Isla, for instance, has to exude confidence as president of the Waves, but the show doesn’t shy away from showing her most vulnerable moments and flaws either, like in her ill-fated relationship to Max Greenfield‘s Lev. The same can be said about Tarvey’s Sandy, who rolls his eyes at his siblings’ antics and hides his very devoted boyfriend (Scott Evans) from them, but also teams up with them for a grand gesture in the season finale.

With all that said, it’s safe to say fans are likely in for a treat when the second season of Running Point premieres next month. With a stellar cast, a fully-fleshed-out lead, and a bright, optimistic tone that will have fans of Ted Lasso buzzing, the series is the perfect, comforting binge, and one of the best Netflix originals to date.

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Release Date

February 27, 2025

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Network

Netflix

Directors

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Michael Weaver, James Ponsoldt, David Stassen, Thembi Banks

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By Robert Scucci
| Published 14 seconds ago

2006’s Little Big Top is one of those movies you’ve probably never heard of unless you’re a fan of both Sid Haig and Richard Riehle. It’s a movie about clowning around, literally, and I can’t think of a better actor to portray a retired, drunken, down-on-his-luck circus clown than Haig. Think of it as a Captain Spaulding side quest. One where he’s not in hot pursuit of a bunch of sexy teenagers he can drop off at Dr. Satan’s place to be disemboweled, but instead getting absolutely hammered in his old, abandoned childhood home while reluctantly reentering the circus life he left behind so many years ago.

At its heart, Little Big Top is a film about putting your ego and personal demons aside for the greater good of the community. Here we have a sad clown who’s perfectly content drinking the rest of his days away, but rediscovers his passion for pieing people in the face when tasked with whipping the next generation of circus folk into shape. At first, he only does it for the money, but it becomes about something more by the time the story wraps.

This Movie Wouldn’t Work Without Sid Haig

Sid Haig totally understood the assignment, which makes perfect sense because he had just wrapped production on The Devil’s Rejects before working on Little Big Top. The way I see it, he got the manic killer clown energy out of his system with that movie, as well as 2003’s House of 1000 Corpses, and what we get here is a much more subdued performance. In my head, I kept calling the movie Captain Spaulding’s Last Ride. What a way to go out.

We first catch a glimpse of this character, known only as Seymour, through his opening sequences. He arrives in town, hits up the liquor store without hesitation, heads to his old boarded-up house, realizes it has no electricity or plumbing, cooks bacon over a fire while getting wasted, steps outside to relieve himself, and then crashes in preparation for the inevitable hangover.

Shortly after arriving, Seymour is approached by Bob (Richard Riehle), who’s organizing a circus event for the company Seymour’s grandfather founded. Wanting nothing to do with the lights, pies, and spectacle, but desperate for cash, Seymour agrees to coach the next generation under Bob’s supervision, but not for free. Bob, the gullible sap that he is, pays him out of his own pocket, which he immediately regrets when Seymour blows it all on booze and keeps living in his own filth.

Realizing how much faith Bob has in him, even though he’s 100 percent a lost cause, Seymour eventually comes around, and his passion for the circus slowly reignites. Think of it as a slow smolder, where our hero comes to terms with the fact that the only thing he’s good at is entertaining, even if his passion for it is long gone.

Inspiring, But Not Really, But That’s The Point

Little Big Top tells an ugly truth that most of us don’t want to admit. Sometimes the things you’re good at aren’t necessarily the things you want to do with your life. Maybe you don’t want to take over the family business because it doesn’t feel like your calling. Or maybe you just lost your way and need to be reminded that you were once not only great at what you do, but passionate about it. Little Big Top is about begrudgingly rediscovering that passion, not for your own sake, but for the sake of those around you.

Watching Seymour fight off yet another violent hangover while criticizing the new troupe’s clown car etiquette perfectly sums up this feeling because you can practically feel the pounding headache and smell the disdain early in the film. He’s stepping out of his comfort zone, which for him means getting completely assfaced and passing out in his own mess, because the next generation desperately needs guidance, and he’s the only one even capable of giving it.

Watching Seymour figure out where he belongs in all of this is half the fun that Little Big Top has to offer. The other half is watching Richard Riehle’s Bob realize just how screwed he is after spending his savings bankrolling Seymour’s disastrous return to the circus.

Little Big Top is currently streaming for free on Tubi.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 8 seconds ago

There’s something especially depressing about awful sequels to franchises that used to be great. The best example of this is, of course, Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg turned that first film into a generational classic, one that energized children all over the world and ushered in the CGI age, all while making dinosaurs cool again. That movie got some comparatively lackluster sequels before the franchise roared back to life many years later with 2015’s Jurassic World.

Relatively speaking, Jurassic World was a decent franchise reboot. It brought us entertaining characters, serious spectacle, and more crazy action scenes than you can shake a fossil at. Unfortunately, it took the revived franchise no time at all to go off the rails because Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) was a horrific flop, one which tried to be both an action-adventure movie and (weirdly enough) a horror movie. If you’re ready to see the movie that successfully ruined two completely different genres, it’s easier than ever to watch. All you have to do is stream Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom on Netflix.

Somehow, The Dinosaurs Returned

The premise of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is that years after the Jurassic World disaster, the dinosaurs on that island are in danger of going extinct yet again, thanks to an upcoming volcanic explosion. The government decides to let them die, after which Owen Grady and Claire Dearing (our two will they, won’t they protagonists from the first movie) get talked into helping relocate some of the dinosaurs, saving them from certain death. Unfortunately, this lands them squarely in the middle of an increasingly bizarre plot involving clones, haunted houses, and an underground auction for weaponized dinosaurs.

The cast of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom includes plenty of familiar faces, including Chris Pratt (best known for Guardians of the Galaxy) and Bryce Dallas Howard (best known for Jurassic World: Dominion). We also get the brief return of the popular Jeff Goldblum and his fellow Jurassic Park alumnus BD Wong. The film also features performances from character actor legends James Cromwell (best known for LA Confidential) and Toby Jones (best known for Captain America: The First Avenger), both of whom are giving far better performances than this stinker of a script deserves.

Profit, Uh, Finds A Way

Even though it was hated by both audiences and critics (more on this soon), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom made fat stacks of prehistoric cash at the box office. Against a budget as high as $465 million, this disappointing sequel earned $1.310 billion. Making as much as Marvel movies did at their height guaranteed that Fallen Kingdom would get a sequel, and Jurassic World: Dominion came out in 2022. That movie’s chief claim to fame was that it reunited popular characters like Alan Grant, Ellie Satler, and Ian Malcolm. But the writing did not, uh, find a way, and that film ended up being even more of a critical disappointment than Fallen Kingdom.

Part of the magic of the first Jurassic Park film is that it was beloved by audiences and critics alike, all of whom appreciated this slice of genuine movie magic. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the opposite, though, in that it’s equally hated: it has a 47 percent critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 48 percent audience rating. Fans and reviewers alike dunked on the movie for its sloppy characterization and ramshackle writing. The movie was ultimately a shell of the franchise. As a thrill ride without any thrills, Fallen Kingdom will have you wanting to bail long before the credits roll.

Everything Falls Apart

This is one of those cases where I firmly stand with the critical consensus. While it was far from a masterpiece, the first Jurassic World did a good job bringing the franchise back to life. In the vein of The Force Awakens, it mostly functioned as a slick remake of Jurassic Park that added new characters but didn’t tweak the formula too much. That was arguably the biggest problem with Jurassic World: that it didn’t take enough big, creative swings. By contrast, Fallen Kingdom swings for the fences, but it strikes out each and every time by failing to follow through on any of its half-baked ideas.

For example, the first part of the movie is a lame retread plot that involves going back to the island. On paper, an island full of dinosaurs that’s about to explode would make for a fairly exciting film. But nothing really interesting happens here, which is that much more disappointing because the film takes its sweet time even getting our characters back to this iconic location. Once they are there, all they do in between moving the sluggish plot along is watch dinosaurs die. Thanks, Fallen Kingdom, for giving action-adventure fans what they really want: an excuse to cry over phoned-in CGI creatures.

A Plot That Should Have Gone Extinct

After this, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom inexplicably transforms itself into a haunted house movie with dinosaurs in the basement being auctioned off to the highest bidder. You have to seriously suspend your disbelief that nobody in the mansion upstairs can hear the small army of dinosaurs being sold on the dark web. But the part that will turn you into the Joker is the most coveted dino, one that will attack whatever target you paint with your gun-mounted laser sight. This begs the question: if I’m close enough to target my enemy with the laser, wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier on every level to just shoot the guy instead of bringing a 20-ton dinosaur with me and having him do it?

Adding insult to injury, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has a cool, unexpected ending that the next film never really follows up on. In terms of acting, writing, and even effects, this was already the worst film in the entire trilogy. By having the third movie undo everything neat about the second, the studio reveals this sequel to be a hot mess of superfluous storytelling. The Star Wars metaphor is now complete: if Jurassic World is this franchise’s The Force Awakens, then Fallen Kingdom is most definitely The Last Jedi.

Are you in the mood for a film so bad that it will make you root for a new ice age? Are you looking to torment your friends, or maybe you just want to fry your own brain? Either way, you don’t even have to move from the couch. All you have to do is stream Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom on Netflix to discover a cinematic disaster 65 million years in the making.

Legal experts say “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson could still face a civil lawsuit following a physical altercation with his neighbor in Brentwood, Tennessee, despite authorities closing the criminal case.

Alan Ritchson may still be in trouble, as legal experts reveal the “Reacher” star could face a civil lawsuit following a physical altercation with his neighbor, despite authorities closing the case.

Experts note potential claims could include medical expenses, emotional distress, or punitive damages.

Alan Ritchson, for his part, reportedly declined to press charges against his neighbor, who admitted to pushing the actor twice.

Alan Ritchson Could Face Civil Action Over Neighbor Altercation, Says Legal Expert

According to celebrity defense attorney Seth J. Zuckerman, Ritchson may still face legal issues from his recent altercation with his neighbor, even though authorities have decided not to file criminal charges.

Zuckerman explained to Page Six that the situation could shift into a civil dispute, where the rules are different, and that Ritchson’s neighbor, Ronnie Taylor, could still pursue compensation for medical expenses, emotional distress, and possible punitive damages.

He explained that, unlike criminal cases, which require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, civil claims only need a “preponderance of evidence,” making them easier to bring forward.

Zuckerman also noted that the police saying Ritchson acted in self-defense doesn’t prevent a lawsuit.

“Despite the police declaring that Ritchson was acting in self-defense, a civil case can be brought because it requires a lower burden of proof — preponderance of evidence— whereas a criminal case requires beyond a reasonable doubt,” the attorney said.

The Actor Can File Counterclaims If He Was Harmed In Any Way

According to Zuckerman, if Ritchson’s neighbor, Taylor, decides to sue the actor, he likely won’t get a lot of money, as the potential compensation would be reduced due to his being the instigator.

“…if the victim is found partially at fault, which is likely the case here, the potential compensation would be reduced,” the attorney noted, adding, “Ritchson can file counterclaims against the neighbor, but it doesn’t appear that Ritchson was harmed in any way.”

Other attorneys echoed similar perspectives. Bryan M. Sullivan, a partner at Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP, suggested both parties might pursue mutual protective orders, explaining that either could file assault-related claims.

Los Angeles-based attorney Gregory Doll said it wouldn’t be surprising if formal demands for compensation emerged behind the scenes, given the intensity of the incident, thanks to viral videos circulating online.

Alan Ritchson Was Cleared By The Police

The confrontation between Ritchson and his neighbor, Taylor, occurred over the weekend in Brentwood, Tennessee, over the actor’s bike sounds.

On Monday, Taylor told TMZ that he had repeatedly asked Ritchson to stop making noise with the bike and admitted he had instigated some physical contact, pushing the actor twice before being overpowered.

However, before the release of bodycam footage, Taylor claimed he only pushed Ritchson because the actor was “coming toward” him with his bike. This was disproved when a video showed that Taylor deliberately walked in front of Ritchson to block his path.

Police reviewed the video evidence and witness accounts, ultimately ruling that Ritchson acted in self-defense and closing the case without charges.

Authorities also confirmed that Ritchson chose not to press charges against Taylor.

The Actor Subtly Addressed The Viral Street Fight Incident

Following the incident, Ritchson shared a cryptic message on Instagram: “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

The actor also seemed to address the fight on Instagram when he shared a video post about wrapping up post-production for Season 4 of “Reacher.”

He captioned the clip, “Happy to be back in the booth after such a crazy week!”

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“This is, without a doubt, the most gripping season yet,” Ritchson noted about the TV series. “I think we hit our stride. Firing on all cylinders… as it were.

Alan Ritchson Opens Up About His Bipolar Diagnosis

Ritchson has been candid about his personal struggles. In 2024, he revealed that he survived a 2019 suicide attempt, saying thoughts of his sons helped him hold on.

The actor later sought professional help and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which provided clarity and a framework for understanding his experiences.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, he also explored MDMA-assisted therapy, describing it as transformative in helping him reflect on his purpose and focus on helping others.

Over the years, Ritchson has built a diverse career in both television and film, with notable roles in “Smallville,” “Blue Mountain State,” “Blood Drive,” and “Titans,” and as Raphael in the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” reboot and its sequel.

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He has also appeared in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Lazer Team,” and “Fast X.”

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 42 seconds ago

Harry Potter is coming back. If it were in POG form, everyone might be more excited. Warner Bros. dropped the first trailer for the upcoming HBO Max series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which has touched off a fresh round of debates over whether or not the series should be boycotted due to J.K. Rowling’s beliefs and who even wanted this series in the first place.

Here’s the trailer…

No matter how you feel about the Boy Who Lived or the rich and famous author who created the most poorly designed sport in literature, it might be some solace to know Warner Bros. is going to fail spectacularly, and it has nothing to do with anyone’s opinions. It’s about money. A lot of money. So much in fact, that it’s impossible enough people will watch the new streaming series to break even, and don’t even think of turning a profit. 

The Most Expensive Entertainment Project In History

The 2001 adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone made a billion dollars on a budget of $125 million. By way of comparison, the HBO Max series has an estimated budget of $100 million. Per episode.

That’s before the marketing blitz that you won’t be able to get away from, even if you close your eyes while sitting in your tiny room underneath the stairwell. To put this in perspective, Warner Bros. is spending more money on the upcoming streaming series than any studio has ever spent on a single piece of entertainment. Series, movie, The Eras Tour, Dinotopia, doesn’t matter, nothing will come close to the sheer amount of money Warner Bros is setting on fire.  

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If you watch the initial trailer, it feels like a version of the movie fell out of an alternate universe. Everything looks similar to the original film, but it’s slightly off.

The cast looks like their movie counterparts. The one very notable exception is Snape, who’s also the single worst character in the series to race swap if you worry about things such as why everyone’s suspicious of him for no real reason, or why James Potter bullies him. It’s a baffling choice in a trailer full of baffling choices. 

Yer A Remake Harry!

To its credit, the trailer does attempt to answer the question as to why the series is being made. With a single season covering each of the books, finally, the little details that Potterheads have obsessed over for generations will get to leave the page. From the large changes, Headless Nick’s birthday party, to the smaller, calm changes of the later novels, a book-accurate adaptation could only be done as a series. 

Though Warner Bros is making it the largest entertainment project since the Romans erected the Colosseum, the first trailer can’t quite shake the nagging feeling that it’s destined to fail. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is going to be seen by millions and millions of people around the world, but at a total price tag approaching $4 billion, it seems impossible for it to become a financial success, which, as we all know, is sadly the only type of success that matters to studios. 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is coming to HBO Max around Christmas 2026. 

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By Robert Scucci
| Published 16 seconds ago

Corporate, white-collar jobs are the worst. One time, I worked with a guy who “didn’t like to sit with his back to the door” in the conference room during our weekly management meetings, as if he was Jason freakin Bourne. He was an accounts receivable manager, an avid watch and stamp collector, and weighed north of 300 pounds. Not a single person thought, “man, what a badass” when he said these things, but we just had to grin and bear it. We just smiled and nodded as if he didn’t just say the dumbest thing on the planet. 

The same kind of behavior shows up in 2010’s Drones, except nobody’s pretending to be a highly trained assassin posing as a white-collar client services supervisor who drives a Honda Pilot. No, they’re claiming to be aliens.

A Not-So-Hostile Takeover

Drones centers on a business-casual G man named Brian (Jonathan M. Woodward), who works as a pencil pusher for the Omni Link company. It’s never really established what he or his coworkers do for a living. Think of it like Office Space. The greatest source of stress around the office is the company changing its filing system from chronological to alphabetical, which completely incenses Cooperman (Dave Allen), the most cynical employee in the building.

But if I’m weighing in here and being entirely honest, if you don’t sort by “date modified,” you’re a total psychopath. That way, the things you were working on most recently, and actually need, are at the top of the list. I’m totally Team Cooperman here.

There are two other sources of stress in Drones that slowly reveal themselves. First, Brian’s coworker Clark (Samm Levine) accidentally lets it slip that he’s an alien with plans for Earth that haven’t been fully explained. Second, before confessing any of that, Clark encourages Brian to ask out Amy (Angela Bettis), because it’s obvious to everybody that they’ve got some chemistry.

Then, Brian gets to know Amy and learns that she’s also an alien, reporting back to her home planet through the fax machine in the print room. Here’s the real problem. Amy and Clark aren’t from the same planet, and they both plan to take over Earth against each other’s knowledge. What follows is a series of closed-door conversations, eavesdropping, and awkward office romances tangled up in something much bigger than getting accused of stealing the last doughnut from the break room.

Quirky And Fun, But You Have To Use Your Imagination

Like most low-budget outings, Drones has its fun by never showing you its “monsters.” There are no special effects, and the entire movie takes place inside an office building. Everything is fluorescently lit to the point where your brain practically invents that awful humming noise just to complete the experience. Most of the tension comes from miscommunication and people getting their wires crossed over their motives.

What really sells the premise, though, is Amy’s dynamic with Brian. It’s the perfect interoffice romance because it’s built on paranoia. The kind of paranoia you get when you catch feelings for a coworker and convince yourself that even the smallest amount of happiness will somehow get reported to HR and shut down immediately.

Angela Bettis knocks it out of the park as Amy because she carries a subtle uncanny valley vibe. It’s not that she looks strange. She’s conventionally attractive and not doing anything overtly off-putting aside from occasionally talking to a fax machine. It’s all in her expressions. She studies everyone around her like she’s trying to figure out how humans operate in real time so she can report back to her own species.

Samm Levine’s Clark is similarly, and inexplicably, strange. Having worked in an office myself for years, nothing he’s doing is technically out of the ordinary, but something about his mannerisms still feels off. Both characters ride that line perfectly, where they seem normal on the surface but just weird enough to make you question everything.

Stuck between two potential alien invasions, all centered around his workplace, Brian is either weirdly okay with everything or completely bewildered depending on the moment, which makes for a surprisingly fun watch.

Drones is the kind of movie you throw on after a long day at an office job as a reminder to seek employment elsewhere. Everything from the interpersonal politics to the drab setting feels intentionally uncomfortable.

It makes you wonder if humans were ever meant to sit in cubicles all day (Peter Gibbons was right). An office suite is the perfect place for alien overlords to gather and talk shop if you think about it. It’s the one place where humans show up completely disengaged, which probably gives the aliens the upper hand before lunchtime most days.

As of this writing, Drones is streaming for free on Tubi.