Entertainment
8 Great Horror Books Not Written by Stephen King
If you like the horror genre and reading, there’s a very good chance Stephen King is a name you’re familiar with. You might not even like horror, nor reading, and you’ve still probably heard of him, since he’s had, on average, a book or two published every year since 1974, and plenty of those books have belonged to the horror genre. You’ve got Carrie, The Shining, ‘Salem’s Lot, The Stand, The Long Walk, and The Dead Zone… and all those are just from the 1970s.
There’s plenty to read when it comes to an author so prolific, but all good things come to an end, including a very prolific author’s body of work. So, if you’re a fan of King’s and lost when it comes to horror books to read, the following ones might be worth checking out. Some of these you do need to stretch a little, to classify them as horror, since they might technically be more horrifying than they are horror books in the classic sense, but if something’s unnerving and likely to get under your skin (and, most importantly, not written by Mr. King), then it qualifies for inclusion here.
8
‘Swan Song’ (1987)
It feels right to mention Swan Song first, since this one is quite easily comparable to one of Stephen King’s best (and most famous) books: The Stand. King’s book is about the world continuing on, in some capacity, after a deadly flu kills off much of humanity, and there’s a struggle between two main groups that’s built to throughout. Swan Song does something similar, being a post-apocalyptic story about the fight for humanity’s future, too.
Then again, it’s nuclear war that brings about the end of the world, with Swan Song, and there are some ways that it feels maybe a tiny bit more optimistic than The Stand (though The Stand isn’t without its idealistic moments, and Swan Song does have undeniably dark passages, too). It’s a long book, so it does more than just try to scare you, as a reader, but there is quite a lot here that is horrific and intense, with it also proving surprisingly readable and compelling for something as long as it is (also, not as long as The Stand’s uncut version, but comparable to the original 1978 version of The Stand, page-wise).
7
‘The Raw Shark Texts’ (2007)
The Raw Shark Texts is a somewhat difficult book to describe, since it’s a rather distinctive blend of horror, some science fiction, and then other concepts that are more obscure, and not really tied to any particular genre. Maybe even saying it’s a work of horror and/or science fiction isn’t entirely accurate, but what can be said is that it’s about someone with amnesia (or something like it) having to work out where and who he is.
There are notes left seemingly by himself, and from there, The Raw Shark Texts finds a good many ways to get weird and head-spinning in nature. Horror can be derived from confusion, and the sense of not really knowing what’s going on here – or what to trust – goes a long way toward making this a compelling and effectively unnerving read, for much of its duration.
6
‘World War Z’ (2006)
There is a movie version of World War Z, but it didn’t really capture what made the book special, and it couldn’t really, either, with just a single film’s runtime to play around with. The original World War Z is expansive and also not really a traditional narrative, since it wants to look at how the entire world would react to – and fall apart because of – a genuinely global zombie outbreak.
It came out at a time when zombies were more or less everywhere, so it’s fair to have a bit of fatigue with the whole sub-genre now, but World War Z can still be admired and appreciated for doing something a bit different with familiar horror monsters. Whether it’s genuinely accurate, hopefully no one will ever be able to judge, seeing as that would mean an actual outbreak having to happen and all, basically dooming the world, but for now, this feels about as grounded as a book about zombies could be.
5
‘Dracula’ (1897)
Naturally, Dracula has to go here, just as another influential book from the 1800s that helped codify the idea of monster horror will also be featured here. Dracula is more or less the vampire story to which all others are compared, a little like how Night of the Living Dead (1968) is the definitive zombie movie. Dracula didn’t invent the idea of the vampire, and the word zombie did indeed exist before 1968, but both works recontextualized and popularized such monsters.
Dracula is also an interesting read thanks to its structure, with it being one of the best-known – and also one of the best – epistolary novels, made up of letters, newspaper articles, and other documents. You’ll likely know the story, or what to expect, if you’ve seen your fair share of vampire movies or read other vampire books before getting to Dracula, but it’s still a rewarding and maybe even necessary read, if you’re into horror and especially so if you’re interested in the history of horror, as a genre.
4
‘Blonde’ (2000)
Blonde reimagines and reinterprets the life of Marilyn Monroe, controversially turning it into something like a work of horror. It’s the kind of psychological drama that’s heavy enough to more or less become horrific, certainly at points. The film adaptation was controversial for doing this, while the book didn’t seem to create quite the frenzy, even if both do the same thing, and it would be weird to criticize one while giving the other a pass.
You have to approach it as something other than a biographical book, in any event, even if Monroe and other people in the novel were real people. Blonde takes Monroe’s tragically short life and frames it as one filled with exploitation and an unfathomable amount of pressure, with the plight of Monroe standing in here for various other young women who’ve been chewed up and spit out by the film industry. So, sure, not horror in the typical sense of “Ooh, spooky ghosts” and whatever, but horror in an arguably more visceral and hard-to-sit-with sense. It really gets under your skin, and uncompromisingly explores a life defined by an almost non-stop barrage of genuinely horrible things.
3
‘Blood Meridian’ (1985)
There’s a stronger argument to be made for Blood Meridian being a work of horror than Blonde, so if you were still with this whole ranking after that pick, then hey, that’s good you stuck around. Blood Meridian, right? What a nightmare. It’s a Western, technically, but a nightmare of a Western, more specifically, being about a teenager who falls in with a group of scalp-hunters who rampage around the United States–Mexico border, killing countless people purportedly for bounties, but maybe for other reasons, too.
Judge Holden is also a big reason for Blood Meridian feeling like a work of horror quite a lot of the time, since he’s one of literature’s best – and most fearsome – antagonists.
The violence is undeniably graphic and also near-constant, which makes things shocking early on, and then it becomes shocking later when you find yourself almost desensitized to all the terrible things happening (which is almost certainly intentional, on the part of Cormac McCarthy). Judge Holden is also a big reason for Blood Meridian feeling like a work of horror quite a lot of the time, since he’s one of literature’s best – and most fearsome – antagonists, and stands out as especially horrible, which is saying something, considering the already-high immorality of so many characters throughout this novel.
2
‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus’ (1818)
You could laugh at the fact that Frankenstein’s full title includes the word “Modern,” if you want, but at the same time, it does feel startlingly timeless for a book that’s more than two centuries old, so the “Modern” kind of earns the right to be there. Also, it’s a defining work of science fiction and horror, helping codify certain conventions regarding the former, and then also working well enough as an example of the latter to still be decently unsettling to read in, like, the 2020s, instead of the 1820s.
Presumably, it would’ve been weird and unsettling in the 1820s, too. It’s just harder to verify that. It comes down to Frankenstein being influential and continually adapted and reinterpreted by who knows how many other creatives at this point. Further, Frankenstein is potentially most compelling as a drama, really, given what it says about human nature and the human condition, so on just about every front, it succeeds and more than endures.
1
‘House of Leaves’ (2000)
Scratching the same itch horror-wise as the recent Backrooms movie (and all the stuff online related to that movie), House of Leaves was ahead of the curve, in terms of really diving into what’s been popular, not to mention genuinely scary, for people lately. House of Leaves is about an impossible and otherworldly space that’s entered into through a mysterious house, and it’s also about various people trying to grapple with the horrors of it all. And someone grappling with someone else’s grappling of the situation.
It’s a very layered novel, and uses all the confusion and ideas upon ideas to make something that’s particularly effective as a psychological thriller/horror read. House of Leaves has a passionate cult following, so there’s a risk here of just adding to all the love that’s been sent the book’s way, and possibly contributing to it being hyped up too much, but maybe it is also just that good, and genuinely one of the scariest books of the past few decades, too.
Continue Reading
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
So far, this has been a summer filled with some real box office surprises. For one thing, The Mandalorian and Grogu seriously underperformed, despite being the first Star Wars film in six years. Meanwhile, the horror films Obsession and Backrooms made a killing, each of them coming from young filmmakers working with very low budgets. For me, the biggest surprise was also the most disappointing one: Masters of the Universe, despite receiving critical acclaim, struggled to find an audience. Now, there’s not a snowball’s chance in Snake Mountain that it will so much as break even, much less make any actual profit.
Normally, that would mean no follow-up films, which is too bad. The stingers for this movie introduced other fan-favorite He-Man characters like Orko and, most enticingly, She-Ra. However, we may yet see the most powerful man in the universe on the big screen again. That’s because this film was made by Amazon MGM Studios, and their primary goal isn’t theatrical sales; it’s Prime Video subscriptions. Based on a recent statement from domestic distribution guru Kevin Wilson, Masters of the Universe did well enough to warrant a sequel, which, like the first film, will keep people watching Prime Video.
A Box Office Disappointment
Right now, the numbers for Masters of the Universe look pretty bleak. It cost $170 million to make and, as of this writing, has only earned $92.1 million. That means this new He-Man movie isn’t going to make anywhere close to its production budget. Throw in factors like the high cost of marketing, and it’s clear that this movie isn’t going to bring in any real profit. For movie studios that rely entirely on theatrical sales, that would be the end of the story: if a movie bombs, they’re not going to shell out another $170 million just to roll those dice again.
However, Amazon MGM has a different goal. Basically, they want to make as much money as they can in theaters before bringing their original productions to Prime Video, where they serve as the most enticing streaming carrot of them all: exclusive content. How does this translate to Masters of the Universe getting a sequel? According to the studio’s domestic distribution chief Kevin Wilson, the film’s debut “represents a very solid start” that garnered a “passionate, multigenerational audience response…around the world.” He declared, “this opening is exactly the kind of critical first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy – building awareness and engagement that will carry well beyond the theatrical window.”
He-Man Still Has The Power
What does that mean, exactly? Basically, Amazon MGM does not evaluate its movies on a pass/fail system where box office revenue is everything. They have a “holistic distribution strategy” that involves making as much as possible at the theater and then making the movie a staple of Prime Video. While Masters of the Universe may not have generated any real profit, it did generate tons of good buzz and positive word-of-mouth that will help it make a killing on streaming. This happened with Red One, a box office flop that went on to get 50 million views in its first week, making it the best debut in Prime Video history.
Amazon is hoping that Masters of the Universe will be a similar success story, one that helps it corner the streaming market with a hit sci-fi/fantasy movie. Should that happen, the studio is likely to greenlight a sequel. Considering that the sequel will introduce She-Ra and that Amazon is actively working on a She-Ra television series, it’s a safe bet the show will be a spinoff of the sequel. All of this modern marketing mojo can make your head spin like Triklops, but it adds up to some good news: despite poor box office, Masters of the Universe may still “have the power” to get a sequel!
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Right now, Doctor Who fans are really going through it. It seemed like we were in for a real franchise revival when Russel T. Davies came back as showrunner, and the BBC partnered with Disney. The guy who brought Doctor Who back after 16 years was returning and teaming up with one of the biggest companies in the world. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything. The episodes were weak, Disney canceled the partnership, and new Doctor Nucti Gatwa left the show. Our only hope was the upcoming Christmas Special, and Davies later confirmed the show was canceled, we weren’t getting a special, and he had never written anything for it.
That annoyed fans for two reasons. First, the most recent season left us with a ton of unresolved questions; now that the show is canceled, we may never get answers to any of them. Second, Davies previously claimed to have written a script for the Christmas Special, so he was either lying then or he’s lying now. Incredibly, there’s now more fuel for this dramatic fire: there has been a leak allegedly outlining the details of the canceled special. This leak has further divided a fandom that is split between believing that it isn’t real and lamenting that we’ll never see this story onscreen.
The (Final) Day Of The Doctor
The second season of Doctor Who on Disney+ left us with quite a few unresolved plot threads. For example, we had no idea why the Doctor’s granddaughter (someone from literally the very beginning of the franchise) was back and what her story was. We had no idea who the shadowy “boss” character was, even though villains like the Meep had been alluding to this person since 2023. Most importantly, we had no idea why Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor had regenerated to a very familiar face: Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, the popular Companion who first teamed up with Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor back in 2005.
The plot of this leaked Christmas Special would clear up many of those details. The plot involved the Doctor investigating a frozen human colony that orbits a dying star. Residents start seeing visions of dead loved ones; the colony’s leader doesn’t believe it’s a big problem. However, he interacted with Rose Tyler way back when, so the Doctor’s new face had been chosen to help deal with this specific crisis. The Big Bad turns out to be the star itself, hoping to suck energy out of the Doctor. It had taken on the appearance of Susan, his granddaughter, to try to lure him there.
In Doctor Who fashion, we find out the star isn’t truly evil; it really did want to provide life for the colony, but it had to resort to absorbing energy in order to do so. The Doctor figures out how to give the star all of the energy it needs so that it and the colony will continue to thrive. The star is grateful, revealing that it created the mysterious time hotel and allowing the Doctor to say goodbye to the real Susan. The Doctor speculates that Joy Almondo interfered with the regeneration to help save a fellow star. We get a happy ending, jettisoning past trauma and preparing for new adventures.
A Divided Fandom
The Doctor Who fandom is a bit divided over this leaked Christmas Special outline. The main point of contention is whether it is real or not. This leak originally came from a Discord server dedicated to Doctor Who leaks, and they were right on the money with some of the leaks regarding Russel T. Davies’ latest seasons. It also has some of the quirks that Russel T. Davies is known for, including a line about needing CGI to animate “small cute creatures of some kind” (the man loves weird critters so much he once turned the Doctor into one). The outline also neatly wraps up several different hanging threads.
That’s actually the primary reason that skeptical fans don’t think this is real. Much of the outline reads like a wishlist of things the fandom has been waiting years for the franchise to answer. That could just be a sign that Davies knew he was on the way out and wanted to courteously avoid leaving too many hanging threads for a future showrunner to deal with. But it could also be glorified fanfiction from a fan trying to pass his own theories off as a kind of lost episode. Both theories are valid, though given his recent Instagram post, it doesn’t seem like courtesy is Davies’ highest priority right now!
The Wilderness Years Are Back
Whether the leak is real or not, one thing is for sure: there will be no Doctor Who Christmas Special this year. We won’t see one for many years, as the BBC has put the show out to tender. That means they are looking for someone else willing to produce this overly expensive sci-fi series. That would be difficult under any circumstances, and it’s especially difficult because so few people watched the latest seasons on either Disney+ or the BBC.
For better or for worse, Doctor Who has now entered its second set of “wilderness years.” Things could ultimately work out for the best; last time the show came back from the wilderness, it became a phenomenon that dominated pop culture for two decades. Of course, the first wilderness period lasted for a whopping 16 years. Should the latest wilderness period last that long or even longer, all of us may be a bit more like the main character once Doctor Who returns. That is, we’ll be wearing dramatically different faces and feeling our age like never before!
As the Emmy season kicks off, the conversation surrounding the nominees is heating up, with networks and streaming services already making their FYC bids. Competition is stiff this year, with heavy hitters like Netflix, Apple TV, and HBO submitting in different categories. From seasoned actors to newcomers, everyone is throwing their hat in the ring, even as some actors, like Jon Hamm, get early disappointing news after being disqualified from their category. HBO has consistently taken home numerous awards, and this season, they have submitted a new intense miniseries that is generating a lot of buzz despite the controversy it has attracted.
Predictions put this 6-part miniseries high up on the list of shows and performers that could secure a nomination when the announcements are made on July 8. The series that tells the story of two brothers entangled in an intense relationship completed airing two weeks ago, but it hasn’t relented on streaming, appearing on HBO Max‘s top ten list for the past several weeks, according to FlixPatrol. As the chances of its stars securing Emmy nominations rise, the show, titled Half Man, continues to make a mark on streaming despite criticism of its violent portrayal of the central relationship.
HBO has submitted Half Man for 21 categories, with some actors competing for the same category. Events in the series span three decades, with different actors portraying the characters at different stages. For Lead Actor in a limited series, Mitchell Robertson and Jamie Bell have been submitted for their portrayals of younger and older Niall Kennedy, respectively. Meanwhile, Stuart Campbell and Richard Gadd submitted in the Supporting Actor category for their portrayals of younger and older Ruben Pallister. HBO has also submitted more acting and creative categories. While the competition is stiff, Half Man boasts some of the best performances this year, and it could secure a nomination or even a win.
‘Half Man’ Was Saved By Its Performances
Series creator and writer Richard Gadd came to prominence with his hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer. Expectations were high for his next project, but Half Man did not reach the critical acclaim of Baby Reindeer. The show’s use of violence was singled out by critics, who noted that it could be uncomfortable to watch at times. However, the writing and acting remained top tier, with all the actors receiving acclaim for their performances, especially Bell.
All episodes of Half Man are available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
-
2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
-
BBC One
- Directors
-
Alexandra Brodski, Eshref Reybrouck
- Writers
-
Richard Gadd
Soccer star Trinity Rodman made a surprise appearance at the 2026 World Cup — and used the memorable moment to debut a new ‘do.
Rodman, 24, attended Team USA’s qualifying game against Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on Friday, June 19, where she presented the match ball ahead of kickoff. (USA ultimately won 2-0.)
The pro athlete looked chic in a blonde bob chopped to her chin, which complemented her Adidas T-shirt, camouflage-printed jeans and gold statement earrings.
Rodman, who previously appeared on the American team at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, is no stranger to switching up her look — much like her famous father. Rodman has tried out the likes of curls and pink braids through the years.
USWNT forward Trinity Rodman is making a name for herself on the Olympic stage, ushering in a new era of U.S. women’s soccer. After briefly attending Washington State University, Rodman, 22, was chosen as the second draft pick for the Washington Spirit. At only 18, Rodman became the youngest player ever drafted, and went on […]
“Me to my pink hair: your work here is done,” she wrote via her Instagram Stories after the Paris 2024 Olympics, revealing her plans for a fresh haircut.
Whether it’s her hair or her outfits, Rodman is in a class of her own.
“I’d say my style is very loud, colorful, creative, and personal. I’m all over the board,” she told Vogue in 2024. “I feel like I’ll wear whatever and somebody [inevitably] says, ‘Oh, that’s such a Trin outfit.’ I’m, like, ‘I don’t know what that means!’ I do think there’s a vibe to it. Whatever I find that looks cool, and whatever stands out, I am going to grab it. And that could be a genetic thing.”
@ciara That’s it. We’re going on tour! 😂🤟🏽
Trinity’s estranged father, former NBA star Dennis Rodman, is also known for his standout style choices.
“I think he changed the game. I think he started that crazy out-there fashion in the NBA. People can disagree with me, and I’m probably biased, but I just think what he did in his time,” Trinity recalled. “It shows today. He kind of also showed the world not to be afraid to express yourself in any type of way, if that’s masculine, if that’s feminine. You can do it, through fashion.”
Rebecca Ferguson has been busy this year starring in two of the biggest projects of the year with Mercy and The Magic Faraway Tree. While the former struggled at the box office under the weight of its $60 million budget, once it began streaming on Prime Video, it became an instant phenomenon. The film co-stars Chris Pratt, and it follows a police officer who must stand trial in front of an AI judge for murdering his wife. As for The Magic Faraway Tree, the film opened with a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes before debuting in select theaters overseas. It has since been announced that it will be released in theaters in America later this year. Ferguson is also readying for a return as Juliette in Silo Season 3, and she has another big sci-fi project coming later this year.
Rebecca Ferguson has confirmed that she will reprise her role as Lady Jessica in Dune: Part Three, which is coming to theaters on December 18. However, she has confirmed that she will only have one scene in the film, which will be quite an adjustment to fans who have grown comfortable seeing her in a leading role in the first two films. Before the arrival of Dune: Part Three in theaters, fans were showing up in droves to check out the first two Dune movies on streaming, which has led them back into the HBO Max global top 10 in a handful of countries. Dune and Dune: Part Two are held in high regard as two of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, so it’s safe to say that expectations for the third installment are as high as ever.
Is There Going To Be a Time Jump in ‘Dune 3’?
There will be a massive 17-year time-jump between Dune: Part Two and Dune: Part Three. Fans were expecting some manner of gap, considering there are 12 years between Frank Herbert’s first Dune novel and Dune: Messiah, but the movies will spread things out more than expected. The biggest newcomer to the Dune 3 cast is Robert Pattinson, who has been tasked with playing the villainous Scytale. After going on hiatus during Dune: Part Two, Jason Momoa will also return to Arrakis in Part Three to play a clone of Duncan Idaho known as Hayt.
Check out the first two Dune movies on HBO Max and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Dune: Part Three.
- Release Date
-
February 27, 2024
- Runtime
-
167 minutes
- Director
-
Denis Villeneuve
- Writers
-
Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, Frank Herbert
- Producers
-
Herb Gains, John Harrison, Mary Parent, Patrick McCormick, Richard P. Rubinstein, Cale Boyter, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Joshua Grode, Tanya Lapointe
The line-up for Avengers: Doomsday is perhaps the most stacked of any movie this decade, with seemingly everyone from the MCU’s past making an appearance. Even Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the franchise, although this time the Academy Award winner won’t be donning his Iron Man costume, instead controversially starring as the villainous Doctor Doom. The cast also includes Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach‘s new Fantastic Four, as well as Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Tom Hiddleston, Florence Pugh, and many more.
Although almost every beloved MCU face will appear, one man currently not confirmed for the future of the franchise is Dave Bautista, known for his role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. Bautista has admitted the character is “completely closed” to him, hence his name missing from the Doomsday team sheet. However, he admitted he didn’t rule out an appearance in the blockbuster in some other capacity, saying in an interview, “I do wanna be in that world, I’m a fan of that world, I’m a fan of comic books and the whole universe.”
He continued, “Marvel, DC, I just wanna be in it. I made that known to James, I made that known to the [Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars directors] Russo brothers. Personally, I talked to them, all of them, and told them, ‘Don’t count me out. If there’s a character that I’d be right for and that you want me for, man, I’d be totally open-minded to it.’ It’s just the Drax character ran its course.” If you’re missing your Bautista fix ahead of Doomsday, fear not, as one of his more recent projects is a sleeper streaming hit right now.
Which Bautista Movie Is Currently a Streaming Hit?
The movie in question is the sci-fi action Western, Afterburn, released by Amazon MGM Studios, which made its debut in September 2025. Attempting to capture the same post-apocalyptic chaos of Mad Max, the film failed spectacularly, earning just a few million dollars at the box office against a reported $60 million budget. Thankfully, Bautista made up for the miss just a few months later, taking Prime Video subscribers by surprise with the quietly brilliant crime thriller The Wrecking Crew, also starring Jason Momoa. At the time of writing, Afterburn is one of the ten most-streamed movies on MGM+ in the U.S.
Afterburn is streaming now. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.
- Release Date
-
September 19, 2025
- Director
-
J.J. Perry
- Writers
-
Tommy Wirkola, Matt Johnson
- Producers
-
Neal H. Moritz, Steve Richards, Toby Jaffe
Entertainment
Steven Spielberg Perfectly Blended Sci-Fi and Fantasy in This Criminally Underrated $600 Million Hit
Steven Spielberg fans are charging back to theaters around the world to see his latest sci-fi blockbuster, Disclosure Day, which features some big stars like Emily Blunt and Colman Domingo. The film opened in theaters last weekend, grossing only $90 million during its first few days at the box office, but it has a long way to go considering it carries a $165 million budget. Spielberg has been on a bit of a hiatus from the sci-fi genre, with his last two feature films — West Side Story and The Fabelmans — going in a much different direction. Spielberg is known as one of the directors that both revolutionized the sci-fi genre and made it relevant, and although he’s now almost 80 years old, it appears he still has a few more films left in him.
Spielberg’s last sci-fi movie before the release of Disclosure Day was Ready Player One, which took itself much less seriously than his new alien invasion thriller. Make no mistake: this isn’t an insult — Ready Player One is, without question, one of the most fun movies Steven Spielberg has ever directed, even if it isn’t without its flaws. Eight years removed from the worldwide premiere of Ready Player One, the film is now streaming on HBO Max in America, and it’s also quietly become one of the top 10 most-watched titles on VOD platforms around the world such as Prime Video and Apple TV. Spielberg recruited Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke to star in Ready Player One, along with Ben Mendelsohn and T.J. Miller. Cooke is now best known for her role as Alicent Hightower in the HBO original fantasy series, House of the Dragon.
What Is ‘Ready Player One’ About?
A condensed synopsis for Ready Player One, which also stars Mark Rylance, reads as follows:
“In 2045, the real world is a bleak wasteland, and most of humanity escapes into the OASIS — a vast virtual universe. When its visionary creator dies, he leaves behind a series of hidden challenges, and teenager Wade Watts joins a global race to find the ultimate Easter egg that grants total control of the OASIS.”
One of the aspects of Ready Player One that was criticized the most was the intense amount of pop-culture references. Parts of the film felt like Space Jam 2, where it was more of an advertisement for other Warner Bros. properties than anything else.
Check out Ready Player One on HBO Max and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg’s new sci-fi movie.
- Release Date
-
March 29, 2018
- Runtime
-
140 minutes
- Writers
-
Zak Penn, Ernest Cline
-
-
Tye Sheridan
Parzival / Wade
The person living in the home the late Anne Heche crashed into days before her 2022 death is reportedly denying claims she reached a multi-million dollar settlement with the late actor’s son.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ and outlined in a Friday, June 19, report, Lynne Mishele — who rents the Los Angeles home and was living in the residence on August 5, 2022, when Heche crashed her Mini Cooper into the house, causing a fire — claims she has not reached a “tentative settlement” with Heche’s son and administrator of her estate, Homer Laffoon, for damages and emotional distress.
In November 2025, Us Weekly exclusively reported that Laffoon filed court docs requesting six months to legally wrap everything up regarding his mother’s crash.
“The relatively unusual circumstances of [Heche’s] passing (a vehicle crash into a home) and the resulting potential litigation required [Lafoon] to devote a substantial amount of time to evaluating claims and negotiating a potential settlement to move the administration forward,” Laffoon’s lawyer wrote in the report.
Anne Heche’s family negotiated a “tentative agreement” over claims against the late actress’ estate over her fatal car crash, Us Weekly can exclusively report. On Monday, November 3, Heche’s son Homer Laffoon, who is the administrator of her estate, filed court docs asking for six months to wrap up everything. In his report, Laffoon’s lawyer […]
The attorney added that Laffoon “has secured a tentative agreement that will need Court approval, once finalized. [Lafoon] is cautiously optimistic that the creditor claims can all be resolved without litigation.”
Anne Heche Getty Images
In her new filing, Mishele reportedly admits that while an agreement was discussed with Lafoon’s team, she claims she “needs to see a complete accounting of Anne’s estate before agreeing to any deal,” per TMZ.
According to Mishele, she has not received any accounting information from Heche’s estate “even though [Heche] passed away nearly four years ago.”
Laffoon was left in charge of his mother’s estate and finances after she died on August 11, 2022, from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries sustained from the fiery car crash days prior. She was 53. (The actress was kept on life support until August 14, 2022, when she was matched with various organ recipients for organ donation.)
A final autopsy and toxicology report produced by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner revealed that the actress had cocaine but no alcohol in her system at the time of the fatal crash.
In the 2025 filing, Laffoon revealed that his mother’s estate received three claims filed against it over his mother’s crash — two by homeowners and one by the renter. Each claim filed over the incident seeks $2 million in damages and distress. Another creditor claim was filed by Heche’s ex, actor Thomas Jane, who claimed she owed him $157,000 on a 2022 loan.
As Anne Heche’s loved ones continue to grieve the actress’ death, some family members have been put in charge of handling her finances. In November 2022, Heche’s eldest son, Homer Laffoon, was named the general administrator of her estate. As a result, the then 20-year-old — whom Heche shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon — was […]
In response, Laffoon claimed he submitted “the appropriate paperwork with SAG-AFTRA to take possession of royalty payments made to [Heche] or her business entities for her prior works in the entertainment industry.”
Heche’s son further claimed that her estate is “insolvent,” made of only modest assets left behind totaling $200,000.
Laffoon and his half-brother, Atlas Tupper, are the only two beneficiaries of the estate. Tupper’s dad, James Tupper, initially opposed Laffoon taking over as administrator of Heche’s estate. Heche’s ex claimed the actress sent him an email that appointed him as administrator. Laffoon objected to the email being enforceable. The judge ended up siding with Laffoon and giving him control of Heche’s estate.
Celebrity hair colorist Jack Martin is mourning the death of his wife of more than three decades.
“Last night, my world changed forever. My beloved wife, Dalia, took her last breath, and with her, a part of my heart left this world as well,” Martin wrote via Facebook on Thursday, June 18, announcing Dalia’s death. “How do I put into words what you meant to me? How do I summarize a love that took a lifetime to build? You were not just my wife. You were my safe place, my peace, my comfort, my closest friend, and the greatest love I have ever known.”
Martin was married to Dalia for more than 30 years.
“For more than three decades, you walked beside me through every joy, every struggle, every success and every disappointment,” the hairstylist recalled on Thursday. “When life was kind, you celebrated with me. When life was cruel, you carried me. You stood beside me when others disappeared. You believed in me when I doubted myself. You gave me strength when I felt weak and hope when I felt lost.”
Martin continued, “You were the person I wanted to tell everything to. The first face I looked for when something wonderful happened. The arms I wanted around me when life became unbearable. Home was never a place to me. Home was you. You gave me a kind of love that many people spend their entire lives searching for and never find. A love that was patient, loyal, forgiving, and unconditional. You loved me at my best and at my worst. You saw every flaw I had and chose me every single day anyway.”
Dalia died after battling with an undisclosed form of cancer.
“When you became sick, I prayed endlessly for a miracle. Not because I was afraid to be alone, but because I could not imagine a world without your laughter, your voice, your smile, your touch, and the beautiful presence that filled every corner of my life,” Martin wrote of Dalia’s diagnosis. “Watching cancer take pieces of you was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. Yet even in your suffering, your courage amazed me. Even when your body became weak, your spirit remained beautiful.”
According to Martin, his wife was the source of his “strength” throughout her cancer battle.
“I keep thinking about all the little things that made up our life together. The conversations no one else heard, the meals we shared, the quiet moments [and] the routines that seemed ordinary at the time but now feel priceless,” Martin added. “I would give anything to have one more morning with you, one more conversation, one more laugh, one more chance to hold your hand and tell you how deeply I love you.”
(Phot by Getty) Jill Martin has shared insight into what it was like battling cancer and dealing with a divorce in the same year. The Today contributor said she was “operating with generosity and kindness and trying my best” as she grappled with two major and difficult challenges within a short period of time, speaking […]
He continued, “You were not simply part of my life, you were my life. You gave meaning to my days, purpose to my work, and warmth to my soul. Every achievement I celebrated felt sweeter because you were beside me. Every hardship felt lighter because we carried it together.”
Martin further stressed that his love for Dalia “did not end” with her death on Wednesday, June 17.
“Death may have taken your hand from mine, but it can never take your place in my heart,” he stated. “It can never erase the life we built, the memories we created, or the love that bound our souls together for so many years. Thank you for every sacrifice you made for me. … You were the greatest blessing God ever gave me. And if there is mercy in this universe, then this goodbye is not forever.”
Katy Perry seemingly had a little fun with her love life while performing at Spain’s O Son do Camino music festival. During a performance of her hit song “Never Really Over,” the singer used a giant prop cellphone as part of the show’s visuals, with several familiar names appearing as incoming callers.
Fan-captured footage showed Perry declining calls from “OB,” widely believed to be ex-fiancé Orlando Bloom, as well as “JM” and “Diplo,” references many fans interpreted as John Mayer and Diplo, two of her former romances.
As the calls flashed across the screen, Perry repeatedly sent them to voicemail while singing lyrics from the breakup anthem. The playful moment quickly caught fans’ attention online, especially given the singer’s recent split from Bloom.
Justin Trudeau Gets A Very Different Response
While Perry appeared eager to reject calls from several former flames, one caller received a much warmer welcome.
The final incoming call displayed the initials “JPJT,” an apparent reference to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has been romantically linked to the singer in recent months. Unlike the previous callers, Perry repeatedly tapped the accept button as the crowd cheered.
The cheeky on-stage moment comes just days after Perry and Trudeau were photographed enjoying a cozy picnic date in Santa Barbara, where the pair were seen kissing and embracing. Their romance reportedly began earlier this year following Perry’s highly publicized breakup from Bloom.
Perry Says Love Has ‘Transformed’ Her
The concert stunt also comes on the heels of Perry’s recent comments about finding happiness again following her split from Orlando Bloom.
Speaking on the “Unfamous” podcast, the pop star admitted that a new relationship has brought significant changes to her life. “I have love in my life now. That’s transformed me,” Perry said. “You think when The Beatles say, ‘All you need is love,’ it’s a cliché? Clichés are clichés for a reason.”
The singer went on to compare the feeling to becoming a parent, explaining that some experiences are impossible to fully understand until they happen.
Katy Perry Reflects On Painful Split From Orlando Bloom
Although Perry appears to have moved forward, she acknowledged that ending her relationship with Bloom was far from easy. “I don’t typically feel like a victim. You can hear it in my songs [that] I don’t resonate with that, but last year was pretty tough,” she said.
Rather than dwelling on the heartbreak, Perry said she chose to confront the difficult emotions head-on. “It would have been easy for me to fall into that weird victim triangle. So, instead of falling into ‘woe is me,’ I was just like, ‘Let’s just feel this f pain, let’s feel this anger and let’s move on. Let’s learn from it also. Let’s get some feedback from it.’”
The singer also revealed that the experience helped her reevaluate personal boundaries and self-respect. “You know what it is? It’s really boundaries [of] boundaries within yourself, and then when to boil it even further down, it’s just self-respect. It’s just love for yourself,” Perry explained.
Perry And Bloom Share A Daughter
Perry and Bloom first sparked romance rumors in 2016 before briefly separating in 2017. The couple reunited the following year and became engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2019. In August 2020, they welcomed their daughter, Daisy Dove, together. Since then, she has brought her daughter with her on tour, something she called an incredible experience.
“It’s always incredible when I get to bring my daughter to work,” she said. “I think when mothers can be their most supported, authentic selves, that is always a good template for children to model. And I’m just glad to model a strong, steady, intelligent, funny, weird woman for my beautiful daughter.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Perry explained that much of her personal growth has been driven by her desire to set a positive example for her daughter. Reflecting on parenthood, the singer said she believes children often learn most from watching how their parents navigate life.
“I think, as mothers and fathers, we’re just modeling something for our children, and all we can hope for is that they will grow up into better versions of ourselves, and themselves,” Perry shared.
NewsBeat38 seconds ago
Boston Globe publishes full page thank you to Tartan Army for bringing joy city ‘will never forget’
Crypto World2 minutes ago
Bitcoin Network Activity Erupts After Iran Peace Deal: Is The Bottom In For BTC?
Entertainment4 minutes ago
Critically Acclaimed Box Office Bomb May Still Get A Sequel
-
Business6 days agoNo Jackpot Winner as $257 Million Prize Rolls Over to $269 Million Monday Draw
-
Fashion1 day agoWeekend Open Thread: Miami – Corporette.com
-
Crypto World6 days agoZimbabwe Requires Crypto Businesses to Register Annually Under New FIU Regulations
-
Business20 hours agoWall Street Week Ahead: Investors see Micron earnings as pulse check of AI rally momentum
-
Entertainment6 days agoMatt Damon’s Viral Sci-Fi Thriller Has Taken Over HBO Max
-
Tech6 days agoAs AI companies race to go public, who else is along for the ride?
-
Business6 days agoAnthropic staff to meet White House officials next week, Axios reports
-
Entertainment7 days agoDeion Sanders Shares Powerful Post After Viral Advice To Deiondra
-
Crypto World6 days agoBitcoin could crash to $48,000, if this historical pattern is triggered
-
NewsBeat6 days agowhat doctors are seeing in ebike crashes
-
NewsBeat6 days agoWarning of disruption as Cardiff Crossrail works to start
-
Politics6 days ago“Israel’s” ban on ICRC visits ruled illegal, but Knesset moves to stop them permanently
-
NewsBeat6 days agoTributes to former deputy head teacher at Cambridge school among death and funeral notices
-
Crypto World21 hours agoHIVE shares jump as $220M AI deal speeds Bitcoin mining pivot
-
Entertainment6 days agoKate Middleton Glare Goes Viral After Kids Booed At Royal Event
-
News Videos6 days agoFinancial Accounting | Last Day Revision Strategy and Booster | CMA Inter – June 2026
-
Crypto World6 days agoXRP ETFs Outperform As Bitcoin And Ethereum Funds Extend Outflow Trend
-
NewsBeat6 days agoSinger Oliver Tree dies aged 32 in helicopter crash in Brazil
-
Tech6 days agoOver 400 Arch Linux packages compromised to push rootkit, infostealer
-
Crypto World6 days agoMarket Preview: SpaceX (SPCX) IPO Record, Federal Reserve Meeting, and Iran Nuclear Agreement
You must be logged in to post a comment Login