The long awaited ThunderCats movie is still very much alive, and new insight into the project is giving fans a clearer idea of what to expect.

Director Adam Wingard has remained attached to the film since its announcement, and he has been vocal about his passion for bringing the iconic animated series to the big screen the right way.

A Passion Project Years in the Making

Wingard has made it clear this is not just another studio assignment for him. He grew up with ThunderCats and understands how important the tone and style are to fans.

In past interviews, he explained, “This is a movie I have been dreaming about doing for a long time. I do not want to reinvent it. I want to make the ThunderCats movie fans have always wanted.”

That approach is a big reason the project is taking time. Rather than rushing into production, the team is focused on getting the script and visual direction exactly right.

Not Live Action in the Traditional Sense

One of the most interesting details about the film is that it will not be a typical live action adaptation.

Wingard has emphasized that the movie will use advanced CGI to stay true to the original character designs. He said, “It is not going to look like Cats. We are not doing that. This is going to look like ThunderCats.”

That quote alone has reassured a lot of fans who were worried about how the characters would translate to a modern film.

© 2012 Miser Bros. Press/Rick Goldschmidt

Why the Delay Is Not a Bad Sign

While there is still no official release date or cast, the continued development suggests the studio sees real potential in the franchise.

Wingard has also hinted that the scope of the film is massive, which naturally slows things down. Building a world like Third Earth and doing justice to characters like Lion O, Mumm Ra, and the rest of the team requires serious planning.

Coastal House Media Take

This is one of those rare cases where patience is probably a good thing.

Wingard clearly understands the assignment, and his comments show a level of respect for the source material that fans want to hear.

If he delivers on his promise to stay true to the original while using modern technology to elevate it, ThunderCats could end up being one of the most exciting nostalgia driven films in years.

For now, it is still in development. But it is not going anywhere.

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 1 hour ago

Every single time I stream something with Jesse Eisenberg in it, I have to remind myself that I have free will, and that I can just watch all of his movies in some sort of sensible order. Zombieland (2009) is a modern classic horror comedy, The End of the Tour (2015) is a gut-wrenching yet hilarious biopic about David Foster Wallace that any serious reader should watch at some point in their life, and The Double (2013) doubles as an intense psychological thriller with a perfectly twisted sense of humor. I can keep listing titles, but you get the point. The man’s an actor’s actor through and through.

Had I known that Jesse Eisenberg starred in 2015’s American Ultra, an extremely violent action comedy about a comic book-drawing stoner who doesn’t know he’s a CIA sleeper agent until properly activated, resulting in a hilarious series of escalations that ultimately level an entire town with heavy artillery and a bunch of hapless shadow government goons, I would have watched it years ago.

The only thing I can do with my life now, outside of living in a constant state of regret for missing out on such a fun movie for over a decade, is spread the good word and recommend American Ultra to anybody who may have missed it.

A Sleeper Agent Living In A Sleepy Town

When we first meet Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) in American Ultra, he’s a total mess. He’s the kind of stoner who needs to stay constantly lit in order to function like a regular contributing member of society, but we soon learn that this isn’t entirely his fault. He works as a convenience store clerk and comes home to his long-term girlfriend, Phoebe (Kristen Stewart). Phoebe is beyond patient with him, especially because he suffers from horrible panic attacks whenever he tries to leave town, often ruining their planned vacations.

As it turns out, Mike has been programmed not to leave his small town of Liman, West Virginia because he’s a sleeper agent in his hibernation phase, and people are actively keeping tabs on him. He’s the last known surviving member of the “Wiseman” Ultra Program (inspired by MKUltra), run by CIA Agent Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton), who shows up at his work to activate him after learning that her rival, Adrian Yates (Topher Grace), plans to kill him using his own similarly trained “Toughguy” agents that he believes are superior.

Once Victoria rattles off the activation phrase, “Chariot Progressive, listen. Mandelbrot set is in motion. Echo Choir has been breached. We are fielding the ball,” Mike initially thinks it’s some obscure song lyric and goes back to work without a second thought. But when he’s later assaulted by two Toughguys outside, his very particular skill set (read: the ability to effortlessly kill scores of people) comes rushing back to him. The problem is that he’s still the same Mike he’s always been, only now he suddenly has no idea what he’s actually capable of.

After narrowly escaping two of Yates’ goons, Laugher (Walton Goggins) and Crane (Monique Ganderton), and regrouping with Phoebe, Mike slowly starts learning what’s really at stake. At the same time, he realizes he barely remembers anything about his life before settling down with Phoebe, who may know far more about his situation than she initially lets on.

Pineapple Express Meets John Wick 

American Ultra takes the stoner humor from Pineapple Express, rolls it up nice and tight, and then lights up John Wick-style the second Mike is activated. Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mike is so much fun to watch because he’s horrified by what he’s capable of, but also weirdly curious about how deep the conspiracy involving him, Lasseter, and Yates actually goes. Is he really the last of his kind? And can he take out the supposedly more sophisticated generation of sleeper agents designed to eliminate him?

At the same time, he’s just trying to keep his girlfriend safe, even though she’s surprisingly chill about the whole ordeal, which adds another layer of suspicion and tension to his already paranoid mental state. At the end of the day, though, American Ultra has a shockingly simple premise that lets you sit back and watch everybody start blasting when it matters most. It’s Jesse Eisenberg taking what he learned from Zombieland and applying it to a covert ops conspiracy where he’s an unwilling participant.

There’s no real moral dilemma here, or anything that requires deep thought. You just need to appreciate this one for what it is and enjoy the ride.

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

Jennifer Garner is stepping into what may be her most personal role yet. The actress, beloved for everything from “13 Going on 30” to Marvel’s Elektra, says she’s never related more deeply to a character than the one she plays in the upcoming miniseries “The Five-Star Weekend.”

The new Peacock drama, which premieres July 9 on BINGE, dropped its full trailer this week and gives fans a closer look at Garner as Hollis Shaw, a famous cook and bestselling author whose seemingly perfect life begins to unravel after a devastating personal loss.

For many fans, the role already feels strikingly similar to Garner herself, especially given the actress’ wholesome online persona filled with cooking, baking, and gardening videos. And according to Garner, she felt that connection immediately while reading the script.

“The more I read, the more it surprised me, and the more it resonated with me, and all of the ways that Hollis and I are alike were kind of shocking to me,” Garner told Hello! magazine.

Garner Found Comfort In Bringing Real-Life Passion To New Role

While Garner has spent decades in Hollywood playing wildly different characters, she admitted this role felt uniquely natural because it allowed her to incorporate something she genuinely loves off-camera: cooking.

“All of the ways we are different were really fun for me,” she explained. “And I have found that cooking in front of a camera, this is the first time I’ve ever used something that I love, which is cooking and baking, on camera as a character.”

Jennifer Garner Says Cooking On Camera Felt ‘Perfectly At Home’

The actress said the experience ended up becoming unexpectedly comforting during filming. “And I found it to be, like Hollis does, really calming, really settling,” she continued.

Garner also admitted that acting can sometimes leave her questioning herself, but this project felt different. “Acting for me is always like, ‘Do I know what I’m doing?’” she said. “And in that [setting] I was like, ‘Oh no, I know how to do this. I am perfectly at home here. I know this character.’ It’s really been a blast.”

‘The Five-Star Weekend’ Centers Around Grief, Friendship, And Reinvention

In the series, Hollis’ life is shattered after the sudden death of her husband, forcing her to confront painful truths hidden beneath her carefully curated life. “The death starts to expose the cracks in Hollis’s picture-perfect life, her strained marriage, her complicated relationship with her daughter, and her growing pursuit of validation from her fans,” the official logline reads.

As she struggles to move forward, Hollis invites four friends from different periods of her life to her Nantucket home for a healing weekend getaway. But as emotions boil over, old wounds resurface and long-buried secrets begin to emerge.

“In an effort to overcome grief and find herself again, Hollis gets the idea to host a weekend away at her house on Nantucket with three friends from different stages in her life: her childhood, her twenties, her thirties, and one surprise fifth star,” the synopsis continued. “Set against a luxurious and coastal backdrop, the stars will mature in ways they could never imagine as boundaries are pushed and secrets are exposed.”

Jennifer Garner Says The Story Resonated Deeply With Her

The series also stars Chloë Sevigny, Regina Hall, Gemma Chan, and D’Arcy Carden as Hollis’ close friends, while Harlow Jane, daughter of Patricia Arquette and Thomas Jane, plays Garner’s on-screen daughter Caroline. For Garner, the emotional themes of friendship, aging, and reinvention ended up being some of the most meaningful parts of the project.

“I think this is a role about friendship. It’s a role about growing at this stage in your life,” Garner explained. “It’s women who are in the middle of this – what is their next chapter going to be? What’s their next story going to be? Their story is not done.”

The actress also made it clear that the experience of filming the project left a lasting impact on her. “I just can’t think of anything I’ve enjoyed more than being with this group and doing this role this summer,” she added.

One day before Mother’s Day, eight children who had passed away in a mass shooting were buried in Louisiana. Faith leaders and politicians paid tribute at the funeral on Saturday (May 9), which took place about 20 days after Shamar Elkins shot them on April 19, along with his estranged wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, and his alleged girlfriend, Christina Snow. Heartbreaking photos of the funeral service are now going viral. Seven of the children who died were Pugh and Snow’s kids, but also siblings. The other child was reportedly Pugh’s nephew.

RELATED: Police Reveal Details About Louisiana Man Who Shot Wife, His 7 Children, Another Woman & Child (UPDATE)

What Happened To The Children? 

Shamar Elkins used an assault-style weapon in the attack, despite a 2019 felony firearms conviction. His wife, Shaneiqua, was seeking a divorce. She and Christina were wounded in the shooting that stretched across two houses in a Shreveport, Louisiana, neighborhood. Details from officials last month revealed that the 8 children suffered gunshot wounds inside Shaneiqua’s home. Elkins had allegedly kidnapped his three sons from Christina’s home, taken them to his wife’s two streets over, where his four daughters were.

Then, he shot and killed all seven of his own children and his wife’s nephew. Several children reportedly died in their sleep, while others had tried to get out the back door and one was found dead on the roof. Another child reportedly escaped the gunfire by jumping off the roof, suffering injuries.

Elkins died after fleeing and a police pursuit. It was not clear whether he was killed by officers who fired or from a self-inflicted gunshot, according to police. An investigation remains ongoing. The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in more than two years.

Funeral Service Honors 8 Kids Who Passed Away

The kids who passed away were: 11-year-old Sariahh Snow, 6-year-old Khedarrion Snow and 5-year-old Braylon Snow, 7-year-old Layla Pugh, 6-year-old Kayla Pugh, 5-year-old Shayla Elkins and 3-year-old Jayla Elkins and 10-year-old nephew, Mar’Kaydon Pugh. 

As mentioned, the funeral service happened during Mother’s Day weekend at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Louisiana. It began with a long procession of mourners slowly filing past eight white caskets with large photos of the children next to them.

Gold crowns and bouquets of white flowers were placed on top of the closed caskets. A choir behind the altar and individual singers performed throughout the service.

“In spite of how you may be feeling today, we still need to know that God is still good,” Bishop Bernard Kimble, senior pastor of the Mount Olive Baptist Church, said in opening remarks.

The funeral’s pamphlet contained tributes to each of the children. Some of them had affectionate nicknames. Jayla Elkins was called “Jaybae.” Kayla Pugh was “K-Mae” and Mar’Kaydon Pugh was “K-Bug.” Also, the pamphlet said, Khedarrion Snow had “a sweet and loving heart,” and “though his life on earth was short, his light was mighty.” Layla Pugh was “bright, intelligent, bold, and full of love” and enjoyed making TikTok videos with her siblings and cousins.

Louisiana Officials Attend & Speak At Joint Funeral 

During the service, other speakers included Shreveport Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor. Taylor acknowledged that “there are no words sufficient to ease this pain.” Additionally, Councilman James Green encouraged audience members to collectively “take off our funeral face” because “this is a celebration” of the children’s lives. Also, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux expressed the city’s condolences.

“May we honor them by carrying forward the gentleness, joy and love they so freely shared,” Arceneaux said.

Among those in attendance was also former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, whose political career was cut short by a 2011 assassination attempt.

Buses were made available afterward to transport mourners to a graveside burial. At the conclusion of the church service, Bishop Kimble prayed for healing to begin.

“Help us as we move from this spot,” he said. “Because we know, oh God, grief is only temporary. And if we’ll put our hands in your favor, you’ll lead us through this.”

Amid the funeral, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry ordered U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff at the Capitol and state government buildings for the next week. A message read from Landry said the victims “were the light of their homes and the heart of their classrooms.

The message continued, “They were full of promise and found joy in the simplest things, such as dancing, playing outside and sharing laughter with family and friends. Their futures were bright and held great promise.” Adding, “It is incumbent upon us to honor the memory of those lost by standing together against such senseless violence.”

RELATED: Louisiana Officials Release Gun Photo & Arrest Man Linked To Weapon Shamar Elkins Used To Kill 8 Children 

Associated Press writer John Raby contributed to this report via AP Newsroom. 

One of the highest-grossing films of the early 2000s became a streaming hit over the weekend. As 2026 featured the success of many science fiction hits, like Project Hail Mary, Hoppers, Iron Lung, and, arguably, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s no surprise that people began revisiting the genre to see what it was like in the past. Now, one of them managed to capture audiences once more, decades after its release.

One sub-genre of science fiction is disaster movies, and in the early 2000s, there were many of them. Some of them were based on fictional scenarios of Mother Nature taking revenge. In contrast, some are based on actual discussions people had before Hollywood decided to bring that what-if scenario to life, on a larger scale. One of these films was The Day After Tomorrow, which drew inspiration from discussions about climate change.

Recently, The Day After Tomorrow made a streaming comeback over the weekend, ranking #9 on Peacock’s Top 10 Movies in the United States, between The Martian and Ordinary Angels. Directed by Roland Emmerich, who’s known for his work in 1998’s Godzilla, White House Down, both Independence Day movies, and Moonfall, the film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as he and his friends have to survive New York that has succumbed to a superstorm as the world braces for numerous natural dissasters due to global warming, thus leading to a new ice age to cool down the planet. Also starring in this feature is Dennis Quaid (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), who plays paleoclimatologist Jack Hall, the father of Gyllenhaal’s character, Jack, who discovers evidence of the impending global catastrophe during a research expedition in Antarctica.

Is ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ Worth Watching?

Since its release, The Day After Tomorrow has grossed over $552.6 million worldwide, making it the 6th-highest-grossing film of 2004, between The Passion of the Christ and Meet the Fockers. But despite its box-office performance, the movie received mixed reviews, earning a 45% critics’ score and a 50% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that the film featured many clichés of the genre, with one describing it as “the Weather Channel on steroids.” However, many praised the use of CGI to bring this disaster film to life, but failed to address the serious conversations about climate change, instead creating a movie that didn’t make sense to some extent.

The Day After Tomorrow is available to stream on Peacock. Follow Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

May 28, 2004

Runtime

124 Minutes

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Director

Roland Emmerich

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Writers

Roland Emmerich, Jeffrey Nachmanoff

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By TeeJay Small
| Published 1 hour ago

If you spend a lot of time trolling Hulu for the best binge-worthy TV shows like I do, you’ve probably found your fair share of duds. Some shows don’t have the writing chops to really make you laugh, some lack a cast talented enough to have staying power, and some are just victims of early cancellation before they can hit their stride. Luckily, I won’t need to look for a new show for a while, because I’ve got five seasons of Abbott Elementary that I can watch over and over again until I die.

I’m not trying to oversell it when I say Abbott Elementary might just be the funniest show on TV. On paper, it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing I’d vibe with, but after taking a chance on the ABC sitcom, I’m completely hooked. I first became aware of the show last year when they collaborated with It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia to produce a pair of hilarious crossover specials. Having grown up loving Always Sunny, I tuned in just for the gang, and stayed for the off-the-walls antics of the teachers and students at Willard R. Abbott Elementary School.

Overqualified And Underappreciated

In case you haven’t seen it, Abbott Elementary is a series created by former Buzzfeed contributor Quinta Brunson. Brunson stars as a newly-minted elementary school teacher named Janine Teagues, working in the heart of a deeply underfunded Philadelphia school system. Through the lens of a mockumentary film crew, we meet an ensemble of wacky characters, including the self-centered principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), the wise and jaded kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), and the straight-laced and overqualified Gregory Eddie, played by Tyler James Williams of Everybody Hates Chris fame.

Each episode highlights the struggles that teachers face, from bussing strikes, to budget cuts, to the occasional ringworm outbreak. Brunson created the show as a love letter to some of her own teachers from the Philly school system, and worked extra hard behind the scenes to ensure that the series handles topical issues with care. The heart of Abbott Elementary is best exemplified by the middle school teacher Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti), who is constantly trying to ensure that his students have access to clubs and resources that simply aren’t in the budget. Though he’s obnoxious, overbearing, and unspeakably corny, Jacob always goes above and beyond for his students.

Family-Friendly Humor With Bite

Personally, my favorite characters are Principal Coleman and Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter). The former is a character that feels like it was written using my exact likeness before race and gender swapping for the purpose of being legally distinct, while the latter feels like every one of my scheming, Italian aunts from back in Boston. Melissa is a die-hard Philly sports fanatic, an avid gambler, and a top-tier teacher when it comes to showing her kids how to hustle against the system. With endless obstacles in their path, the Abbott crew somehow manage to give their students the best education possible, and take the time to address systemic issues with a surprising level of care.

Though the characters on Abbott Elementary are extremely well realized, the thing that makes this show so special is its nonstop humor. I’m usually a fan of raunchy comedies and foul-mouthed performers (a la Always Sunny) so I was shocked at how many laughs this family-friendly workplace comedy could draw out of me. Pound for pound, I’d say I laugh out loud harder and more often watching Abbott Elementary than I do with any other movie, show, or web series. Every line out of Ava’s mouth is a work of art, and Mr. Eddie’s straight-man glances to the camera are like Jim from The Office on steroids.

If you haven’t had the chance to check this one out yet, be sure to catch Abbott Elementary on Hulu today. For those unsure about giving it a spin, I’d say start with episodes like “Attack Ad,” “Read-A-Thon,” or “Smoking.” Pretty much every episode of this show is a guaranteed banger, but those are some of the episodes that stand out as ruinously funny.

Billie Eilish’s controversial comments about meat-eating have officially gone larger than life. After the Grammy winner sparked massive online backlash for saying people cannot truly love animals while still eating them, PETA is now throwing its full support behind the singer with a gigantic billboard towering over Times Square.

The animal rights organization unveiled the massive display at 1530 Broadway in New York City, strategically placing it near fast-food giants McDonald’s and Popeyes while thousands of tourists and fans pass through the busy area daily. The campaign launch also coincides with fans heading into AMC and Regal theaters on 42nd Street to watch Billie Eilish’s new concert film.

The viral controversy began after Eilish declared during a recent interview that “eating meat is inherently wrong” and argued that people cannot claim to love animals while continuing to consume them. Her comments immediately divided social media, with many meat-eaters criticizing the singer while others praised her for speaking openly about veganism and animal cruelty.

Rather than backing down amid the backlash, the “Everything I Wanted” singer doubled down on Instagram by posting graphic slaughterhouse footage to her more than 125 million followers. The disturbing clips reportedly showed calves being kicked and thrown into trucks, pigs twitching while being dragged across slaughterhouse floors, and other scenes tied to the meat and dairy industries.

“[G]o watch a documentary or two and some footage of what is done to the animals u claim to love and what it does to the planet u pretend to love as well,” Eilish wrote. “[I]f that footage was hard for u to watch I encourage u to pls take a look at urself.”

PETA Says Billie Eilish Is ‘Not Afraid’ To Speak Out

According to PETA, Eilish’s posts inspired many followers to rethink their diets, with some users even crediting the singer for influencing them to become vegetarian or vegan. “Billie Eilish made me go vegan,” one social media user reportedly wrote, while another added, “Just saw Billie’s Instagram story. I am now a vegetarian.”

PETA President Tracy Reiman applauded the “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” singer for using her platform to spark uncomfortable conversations about animal rights. “If you claim to love animals but you’re still eating them, you’re lying to yourself, and Billie Eilish and PETA aren’t afraid to say it,” Reiman said per an email sent to The Blast.

“Helping animals, the environment, and our own health is as easy as leaving animals off our plates, and PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone make the switch,” she added.

Eilish Previously Pressured Oscar de la Renta To Ban Fur

Long before her latest comments about meat-eating sparked controversy online, Billie Eilish had already made headlines for using her celebrity status to push major changes within the fashion industry. Back in 2021, the singer famously agreed to wear an Oscar de la Renta gown to the Met Gala only after the luxury fashion house committed to permanently banning fur sales.

At the time, Eilish spoke openly about her stance on animal cruelty while discussing the decision with The New York Times. “It was shocking that wearing fur isn’t completely outlawed,” she said.

The Grammy winner also admitted she felt proud to help influence change at such a major fashion brand, describing herself as a “catalyst” behind the company’s policy shift.

Billie Eilish Continues To Blend Pop Stardom With Animal Rights Activism

Beyond fashion campaigns and viral social media debates, Eilish has continued to align herself closely with animal rights organizations and grassroots activism efforts. The singer and her brother, Finneas, have both participated in events supporting Farm Sanctuary, which is recognized as the first farm animal rescue organization of its kind in the United States.

Over the years, Eilish has consistently used her massive platform to connect mainstream pop culture with conversations surrounding veganism, factory farming, and animal welfare. And with PETA now amplifying her latest remarks across Times Square, the singer’s message is once again reigniting debate over whether people can truly claim to love animals while continuing to eat them.

LeBron James has been a pillar of the NBA for over two decades, and the idea of retirement is inevitably coming into focus.

The basketball legend was drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He joined the Miami Heat in 2010 before returning to the Cavaliers in 2014, helping the franchise win its first-ever NBA Championship in 2016. James moved to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.

James — who has been married to Savannah James since 2013 — has a lot to look forward to whenever he decides to officially hang up his jersey. The future Hall of Famer and his wife share sons Bronny, 21, and Bryce, 18, and daughter Zhuri, 11.

In October 2024, LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history when they both suited up for the Lakers.

“For a father, it means everything,” LeBron said after the game. “For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have influence on your son. Be able to have moments with your son. And ultimately, to be able to work with your son. I think that’s one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for.”

Related: Celebrity Kids Following In Their Parents’ Athletic Footsteps

Shaquille O’Neal’s son Sharif, Serena Williams’ daughter, Olympia, and more kids are proving to be just as athletic as their parents. The retired professional basketball player’s son transferred to Louisiana State University from the University of California Los Angeles in 2020. He chose the university because people there “didn’t really talk about” his dad, he […]

Scroll down for LeBron’s most candid quotes about retiring from the NBA:

May 2023

After the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 West Conference Finals, LeBron told reporters during a press conference that he hadn’t “begun to even think about next year” when asked about the possibility of retiring.

“We had a great run, but we fell short of our goal and our goal is to win championships,” he said. “That’s what this franchise is about, so that’s disappointing.”

He continued: “I don’t like to say it was a successful year because I don’t play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career. I don’t get a kick out of making a conference appearance. I’ve done it a lot. It’s not fun [for] me to not be able to get to the finals.”

LeBron hinted that his athletic future was up in the air. “We’ll see what happens going forward, but I don’t know,” he added. “I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.”

May 2023

When responding to a fan page’s tribute to his career, LeBron shared a cryptic post stating the world should “appreciate him while he’s still here,” adding that “more greatness” was “on the way.”

He shared the same post via his Instagram Story, adding some lyrics to Jay-Z’s “What More Can I Say”: “I supposed to be number one on everybody’s list. We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist.”

The message prompted fans to believe that retirement was — at the very least — on LeBron’s mind.

July 2023

At the 2023 ESPYs, LeBron received an award for surpassing the NBA’s highest-scoring record. (He scored 28.9 points per game throughout the season, with an average of 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists.)

During his speech, he spoke about the rumors of his retirement from the game.

“I don’t care how many more points, or what I can or cannot do on the floor,” LeBron said. “The real question for me is, ‘Can I play without cheating this game?’ The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”

February 2024

Despite reports that the Golden State Warriors inquired about making a trade for LeBron at the league’s deadline, LeBron insisted at an All-Star Game press conference that he wanted to end his career with the Lakers.

LeBron stated, “I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left,” adding, “I know it’s not that many. … I am a Laker and I’m happy and [have] been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way. But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in. Hopefully [it] is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization, so many greats. But we’ll see.”

April 2025

Following a shocking first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, James expressed uncertainty about his future. 

When asked about how much longer he envisions himself playing after the team’s Game 5 loss, James said, “I don’t know.”

“I don’t have an answer to that,” he told reporters. “Something I’ll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don’t know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So we’ll see.”

When asked what he thinks the Lakers need to improve in the offseason, James was similarly ominous. 

​​”It’s a business,” he said. “So you don’t know what the roster will look like next year besides the guys that [are] locked into contracts. S***, I got a lot to think about myself. So I don’t know what the roster will look like. I don’t know where I stand right now.”

June 2025

On June 29, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania announced James elected to opt in to his $52.6 million contract extension ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

“Breaking: Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James is opting into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN,” Charania wrote on X.

Paul added,  “LeBron ‘knows the Lakers are building for the future … but he values a realistic chance of winning it all.’”

Paul and James have worked together since they were first introduced in 2003.

May 2026

After the Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, James looked ahead with uncertainty. 

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“I think you guys asked me about [retirement], and I’ve answered questions,” he told reporters. “I don’t think I’ve come out and been like, ‘Oh, retirement is coming.’ With my future, I don’t know, honestly. … Obviously it’s still fresh from, obviously, losing [the series]. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me.”

James said he wanted to “recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and spend some time with them” before making any kind of decision. 

“I think for me it’s about the process,” he explained. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play.”

By Robert Scucci
| Published 14 seconds ago

For me, Eddie Murphy is one of those hit-or-miss actors, but when he hits, he’s an absolute force of nature. I’m willing to forget about Norbit (2007) because Bowfinger (1999) is such a perfectly executed satire, and I’m willing to forget about The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) because we have 1982’s 48 Hrs., his feature film debut, which is now streaming in all of its buddy cop glory on Netflix.

If you long for the days when two mismatched men get together to fight crime despite conflicting motives and personalities, all while the captain chews out our heroes for following nobody’s rules but their own because the mayor’s going to have his butt in a vice grip, 48 Hrs. delivers this in spades. Sure, you can tell yourself that Deadpool & Wolverine is the perfect modern analog to the buddy cop film, and you wouldn’t even be lying to yourself, but sometimes you need to jump back a few decades to see how it’s really done. 

After all, 48 Hrs. is considered by many to be the OG, and became the template for the modern buddy cop comedy as we know and love it. 

The Unlikeliest Of Partners

48 Hrs. wastes no time showing us just how much of a badass San Francisco Police Inspector Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) is. When he wakes up, the first thing he does is pour whiskey into his coffee right before arguing with his girlfriend, Elaine (Annette O’Toole). These two behavioral quirks are obviously problematic, but they tell you everything you need to know about his character. Namely, he’s so devoted to and traumatized by his job that he neglects any semblance of a home life while simultaneously drinking himself into an early grave.

When Jack is tasked with hunting down escaped murderer Albert Ganz (James Remar) and his accomplice, Billy Bear (Sonny Landham), he makes an extreme decision that could land him in a whole heap of trouble. Going against SFPD protocol, Jack thinks it’s in everybody’s best interest to work with Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy), a former member of Ganz’s gang who only has six months left on his three-year sentence before he becomes a free man. Jack signs a 48-hour release to get Reggie back on the streets and figures he’ll deal with the consequences later.

As you would expect from an early ‘80s buddy cop flick, the main source of tension comes from the fact that Jack is a white cop and Reggie is a Black criminal. Most of the humor and tension comes not only from their racial differences, but from the fact that they’re both incredibly hard-headed individuals who insist on doing things their own way. The agreement is simple: if Reggie helps locate Ganz and put him behind bars once and for all, he wants his sentence dropped so he can walk free.

It doesn’t take long for the two men to come to blows in 48 Hrs., but again, since we’re talking about a buddy cop flick, it also doesn’t take long for Jack and Reggie to realize they’re not so different after all. Jack, while technically a man of the law, doesn’t exactly do things by the book, which always results in him getting thoroughly chewed out by Captain Haden (Frank McRae). Reggie is obviously behind bars because of his criminal activities, but he’s much smarter than he initially lets on, and his street smarts, compounded by his willingness to go all in while helping Jack track down Ganz, prove invaluable to his de facto partner.

Some Will Say This Didn’t Age Well

Again, like most R-rated buddy cop films from the early ‘80s, there will be some people who tell you the film “aged like milk” or is problematic. While it’s easy to say that in 2026, it’s also easy to forget that this film was a product of its time. Racial epithets and other unwholesome phrases are tossed around casually and frequently, but you’re lying to yourself if you think people didn’t talk like this to some extent in the early ‘80s, especially under these kinds of extenuating circumstances. On the flip side, it’s a good benchmark to see how far we’ve come as a society when it comes to how we treat each other, making it historically significant.

It’s also worth noting that 48 Hrs. is a surprisingly subversive film, and the reason its buddy cop dynamic works so well is because Jack and Reggie absolutely hate each other when they first meet. It’s a deep, systemic hatred that’s supposed to make them mortal enemies. They need to clash hard before broing out, and the initial animosity they have for each other only means that when they start getting along, the payoff feels earned. 

When they finally start clicking with each other, that dynamic becomes essential because both men continually impress each other when they’re not beating the hell out of each other. If you’re tuning in to watch Eddie Murphy chew the scenery like an absolute master when he’s fully in his element, you just have to wait for the redneck dive bar scene, where he borrows Jack’s badge and absolutely schools a room full of Confederate-flag-waving, card-carrying racists. They’re left speechless by how brazenly he commands a situation that could have ended horribly if he wasn’t 100 percent confident things would go his way.

That dynamic, playing off Nick Nolte’s “swig from flask and ask questions later” style of operating, makes for a legendary pairing that I can’t confidently say has been replicated at such a high level since. Head on over to Rotten Tomatoes for confirmation if you need it, but buddy cop comedies don’t land 92 percent critical scores by accident (or on purpose, for that matter). Everything else feels like a cheap imitation, and rightfully so. While there were earlier precursors like 1949’s Stray Dog and 1967’s In the Heat of the Night, 48 Hrs. cemented itself in movie history as the modern template for this kind of film, making it not only one of the first of its kind, but also one of the best.

As of this writing, 48 Hrs. is streaming on Netflix.