Well, folks, for those waiting patiently for Tracker to juggle every one of its plotlines and characters in a single episode this season, “Struck” is here to seal the deal. As Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) tackles a new case involving a missing husband, he also takes some important steps forward in the investigation into his father, Ashton Shaw (Lee Tergesen), and the strange work he did before his death. Meanwhile, Reenie Greene (Fiona Rene) continues to wrestle with her PTSD, deciding that the best way to move on is with someone else by her side — and it’s not who you think.

“Struck” Begins With Colter Shaw Investigating Two Fathers — His and One Gone Missing

In Buffalo, New York, “Struck” begins with a wounded man, later identified as a local electrician named Finn Helms (Chad Michael Collins), running from an unknown gunman. Falling to the ground, he begs for mercy as he stares down the barrel of a gun. The next day, Colter gets a call from Randy (Chris Lee), who informs him about the job, which was posted almost instantly by Finn’s wife, Grace (Natalie Jane). Only a few hours out, he takes the job then and there, but not before he asks Randy for a favor. After calling around and diving deeper into this “David Pearson” character, Colter learned that his father and Pearson were working for an organization called the Chronos Stasis Institute. He hopes that Randy can track down some intel about the organization — and considering that the show could easily just be called Tracker in reference to Randy’s digital sleuthing, he’s on the case. Upon arriving in Buffalo, Colter meets with Grace, who is eight months pregnant with their baby girl. She insists that Finn would never just leave them and that he was so excited about the baby. After looking around in the nursery, Colter finds a bloody rag in her husband’s jacket pocket.

Image via CBS

Deciding that the best move is to visit Finn’s job site, Colter speaks with the supervisor, Kelly (Paul du Toit), who is in the middle of dealing with a younger electrician named Doyle (Sean Savoy). But according to Kelly, he fired Finn two months back for stealing equipment on the job — though Doyle later insists that Finn wasn’t a thief, that he was only borrowing the equipment. It turns out that after he was let go, Finn began taking jobs on an app called Power Up, though that method of employment can be a bit sketchy. Doyle reveals that he heard from Finn the night before when he asked him to help out with a job, but he was too busy and didn’t end up going. He hasn’t heard from Finn since. Tracking Finn’s work van to the job site, he finds two pairs of tools and other equipment left behind. Calling Randy, Colter believes that they were cutting into the fiber to steal information before someone was electrocuted. This is confirmed when Randy hacks into a neighboring security camera to find two guys carrying a body. Randy tracks the truck to another side of the city.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, at Reenie’s Denver-based law office, Tracker‘s resident legal counsel receives a visit from Mark (Cesare Scarpone). Now, if you don’t remember Mark but feel like you’re supposed to, that’s because he was introduced earlier this season as Reenie’s random one-night stand in “Eat the Rich.” It’s kind of strange that the show is bringing him back after all this time (especially since he gave Reenie his number way back when), but he explains that he found himself in town, remembered she was from here, and looked her up. When asked if she’s free for dinner, Reenie appears to accept. Back in New York, Colter finds the truck in question in the woods. Hearing something in the distance, he happens upon two men throwing a body into a hole. Confronting them at gunpoint, they reveal that the man they’re burying is not Finn, but rather some “tweaker” who got too high on the job. Apparently, Finn was hired by their boss, Paolo (Robert Daprocida), but after the man in question was electrocuted, he freaked out. Paolo left with Finn to talk him down, but, as Colter notes, he never made it home.

‘Tracker’ Puts Colter Up Against One of His Most Unbalanced Threats Yet

Image via CBS

Colter heads downtown to a building owned by Paolo and finds stains of blood outside and the door ajar. Upon entering the warehouse, he finds Paolo, wounded and propped up against some pallets. The ringleader admits to trying to scare Finn before he fought back. He was the one who shot Finn, but Finn wasn’t responsible for his injuries. Just before Paolo was to pull the trigger on Finn, he was hit by a car driven by a woman who he thought was his wife. The problem was that this woman wasn’t pregnant, leading Colter to suspect that Finn may have been having an affair.

As Randy looks into it, he discovers that Finn was hired by a woman named Adelle Mucino (Lyndon Smith) for a job on the Power Up app a few weeks back. Upon some further digging, they learn that Finn had previously met Adelle on a dating app a few years back while he and Grace were on a break. However, once Finn and Grace got back together, he immediately ended things, only for her to take an interest in his life after all this time. Although this goes far beyond a casual interest. Elsewhere, Finn wakes up to Adelle, who has cuffed him to her bed and is holding him captive, believing that they can be together after all.

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The film also features ‘Peaky Blinders’ favorite Annabelle Wallis.

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That night, Colter breaks into Adelle’s home and takes a look around — and boy, is it frightening. Not only has she drawn up mock wedding invitations for her and Finn, but she has been obsessively writing about him in her journal. On her calendar, Colter discovers that she has been actively tracking his work schedule, and clearly, this has been her plan for quite some time. She’s even cut Grace out of their wedding photos to put herself in her place. So, when Reenie calls and tells Colter that Adelle isn’t who she says she is, we can see what she means. Our favorite rewardist believes that she may have been stalking him for some time, only to intervene the moment she thought he was in danger from Paolo. Finding a luxury home rental brochure, Colter believes that she may have taken him there.

On the other side of town, Finn tries to escape but is caught by Adelle. She recalls their first date and believes that whatever they had was ruined when he went back to Grace. When Adelle slips up and tells Finn that she’s been in his house, things get really weird. But she justifies it by saving his life, believing that they can still start over. When he tells her that he can’t just leave his wife and child, she threatens to cause an “accident” that will get them out of the way, revealing a gun.

Back in Denver, Tracker makes its very best use of Mel Day (Cassady McClincy Zhang) yet, as she oversteps her employer-employee relationship just a bit to try to convince Reenie to meet up with Mark. Mel tells this whole story about how she used to run track in high school, using it to outrun the grief in her life. For a while, it worked, but then she tore her ACL and everything changed. She was forced to actually deal with how she felt. Of course, Reenie sees right through this and notes her, Randy, and Colter’s concern, but believes it’s unwarranted. According to Reenie, it’s her mother and sister who are the “feelers,” and that temperament keeps them from getting things done. On the other hand, she’s like her late father, a “doer.” As she explains, “Someone’s gotta keep the ship running.” Of course, Mel pushes just a little more, and Reenie seems to finally budge.

This Week’s ‘Tracker’ Ends With a New Heading For Colter’s Investigation Into His Father

Image via CBS

Meanwhile, Colter arrives at the rental home to find Finn tied to the bed. Unfortunately, Adelle is already on her way to his house to kill Grace and the baby. At her home, the unsuspecting wife answers the door and is deceived by Adelle into thinking that her husband had had an accident. Adelle uses Finn’s bloody clothes to “prove” that she’s telling the truth, and it works. Everything is so urgent that Grace leaves her phone behind. From Colter’s truck, Finn logs into their security camera to see that Adelle has already taken his wife. But hope is not all lost. Colter believes that she would have taken Grace to a place that would mean something significant to her, something that connects her and Finn. With no better lead than the bridge where they were trapped on their first date, Colter and Finn arrive just in time as Adelle marches Grace toward the ledge.

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Colter and Randy together again? How could we refuse?

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Colter jumps into the line of fire, and Adelle holds Grace firmly at gunpoint. When Finn arrives to try and convince her to leave his wife and unborn child alone, things only change for Adelle when she sees that the police are on their way. Watching the wheels turning in her head as she climbs on top of the bridge, Colter tries to stop her from ending her life. But before he can convince her otherwise, she steps off the platform. Yet, at the very last second, Colter catches her just in time, pulling her up to face justice for her crimes. Elsewhere, Reenie goes to meet Mark, but instead of starting with dinner, she seduces him to bed. However, unlike their last sexual encounter, it appears that she wants things to go further this time around.

The next day, Colter stops by the Helms household on his way out of town, this time bringing gifts. Following in his father’s footsteps, he gives them a wood-carved owl for the baby, but ultimately refuses to take their money. “I’m just glad everyone’s okay,” he says. Leaving their home, Randy calls Colter with more information about the Chronos Stasis Institute. According to his research, about four months before Ashton Shaw was murdered, he and David Pearson were going up to Alaska on some work-related trip. At the same time, the government was using a subcontractor named TIC to lease a large plot of land up in the Great North. “Thanks, Randy, I know what I have to do,” Colter says as this week’s Tracker comes to a close.

Tracker airs Sundays on CBS and is available the next day for streaming on Paramount+.

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Release Date

February 11, 2024

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Showrunner

Elwood Reid

Writers

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Ben H. Winters, Hilary Weisman Graham

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• 

  Justin Hartley

  Colter Shaw

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Pros & Cons

• Every plotline moved forward this week, which is a serious win!
• Adelle Mucino was a solid antagonist who could easily come back

• Mark was so many episodes ago I totally forgot he existed.

When it comes to the best movies of the 1980s, there are few films more beloved than E.T. Brimming with adventure, heart, and one of cinema’s greatest friendships, the movie remains among the most special of director Steven Spielberg’s career. Additionally, the picture was a massive box office and merchandising success, so it only seemed natural that Universal would pursue a sequel.

Of course, such a follow-up never came to pass, thanks to Spielberg himself, though the director is set to deliver another sci-fi film focused on aliens with Dislcosure Day in June. While most studio directors would love to have a franchise spun off of one of their films, Spielberg fought to keep it from happening, and, with the gift of retrospect, we couldn’t be happier that everyone’s favorite extraterrestrial never returned to the big screen.

Spielberg Fought to Keep an ‘E.T.’ Sequel From Happening

Image via Universal Pictures

These days, if a film hits at the box office, it’s almost inevitable that there will be some sort of sequel or follow-up, whether the story calls for it or not. But back in the 1980s, turning a hit property into a sequel was not always a guarantee. For Steven Spielberg, though, he did consider revisiting E.T., albeit briefly. According to the Hollywood Reporter, a recent conversation with Drew Barrymore saw Spielberg reflect on the idea. “I flirted with it for a little bit—just a little bit to see if I [could] think of a story—And the only thing I could think about was a book that was written by somebody that wrote the book for it called The Green Planet, which was all going to take place at E.T.’s home,” Spielberg explained. “We were all going to be able to go to E.T.’s home and see how E.T. lived. But it was better as a novel than I think it would have been as a film.”

However, Spielberg’s ultimate rejection of the idea wasn’t the end of the potential follow-up. At the time, Spielberg’s rejection alone wasn’t enough to call off any sort of sequel. “That was a real hard-fought victory because I didn’t have any rights,” the director stated. “Before E.T., I had some rights, but I didn’t have a lot of rights. I kind of didn’t have what we call ‘the freeze,’ where you can stop the studio from making a sequel because you control the freeze on sequels, remakes and other ancillary uses of the IP. I didn’t have that. I got it after E.T. because of its success.”

Interestingly, Spielberg is rumored to use his rights to stop further E.T. desecration. Universal’s Orlando theme parks have long celebrated Spielberg’s work, with The E.T. Adventure being one of the resort’s longest-running attractions. However, per Theme Park Tourist, there is a rumor that Spielberg has threatened to end his relationship with Universal, should they close the attraction, though these rumors remain unconfirmed. Still, when one considers the lineage of such efforts, or the proposed work itself, it’s safe to say Spielberg’s rejection of the idea was the right move.

An ‘E.T.’ Sequel Could Have Ruined the Original Film’s Legacy

In the decades since E.T., Spielberg has overseen some of the greatest franchises in film history. However, follow-ups without the director’s involvement have often yielded poor results. One needn’t look any further than the Jaws series for an example. What started with a film that is still nothing short of remarkable ended with a picture that is often considered one of the worst movies ever made. A major part of what made the series fall from grace so fast was the lack of Spielberg’s involvement, a feat that does not bode well for an E.T. sequel.

​​​​​​​Additionally, after reading the nine-page treatment for the film, it’s easy to see why Spielberg ended up turning against it. Ultimately, the first film is perfect in its stand-alone form. Its deep themes are only made more prominent with the knowledge that our lead characters will never see each other again. Trying to follow that up in such a brazen way would have not only cheapened the ending, it would have ruined the film’s legacy. While it’s hard to step away from a beloved character or fantastic story, it was truly the right move to let E.T. be the masterpiece it is.

Euphoria fans have watched the cast change on and off screen since the series first debuted.

Based on the Israeli series of the same name, Euphoria follows troubled high school student Rue (Zendaya) as she struggled to remain sober after rehab. The series also explores topics including mental illness, toxic relationships, sexuality and more. After its premiere in 2019, the show’s ensemble cast, which includes Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Maude Apatow, Colman Domingo quickly skyrocketed to fame.

The HBO series was quickly renewed for a second season, but it took nearly three years for the episodes to air, with the network ordering two individual specials about the aftermath of Rue and Jules’ (Schafer) breakup in the meantime.

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Euphoria‘s third season was originally set to air on HBO in 2025 before it faced several delays, including creator Sam Levinson’s commitment to his short-lived series The Idol. The delay was extended during the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which took place in late 2023.

“We’ve been through strikes before, you know, they increase the cost,” HBO CEO Casey Bloys said in November 2023 about production costs. “I don’t see a scenario where I go, ‘Well, I was going to make another tentpole show, but now I’m not going to because we have to pay X amount more.’ I don’t think it works like that.”

Scroll down to see then-and-now photos of the Euphoria stars:

Britney Spears’ career and personal life have faced a series of ups and downs over the years.

Spears first showed off her vocal skills on the singing competition Star Search at 10 years old in 1992. Following a stint on The Mickey Mouse Club, she signed a record deal with Jive Records in 1997 and created chart-topping hits.

As Spears’ popularity continued to grow, so did the attention on her personal life. Spears married her backup dancer Kevin Federline in October 2004 after a whirlwind romance. The twosome later welcomed sons Sean Preston and Jayden James.

In 2007, Spears made headlines for a very public breakdown, which lead her to temporarily lose primary custody of her boys. She was also placed under a legal conservatorship in February 2008, which gave her father, Jamie Spears, control over her finances and her person.

Hulu released an episode of The New York Times Presents titled “Framing Britney Spears” in February 2021, which renewed public interest in her conservatorship. A judge officially terminated the conservatorship in November 2021.

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Years later, on March 5, 2025, Spears was arrested for a DUI the night before while driving near her home in California. She was booked at 3:02 a.m. on Thursday morning and released within three hours.

On April 12, 2026, Us Weekly confirmed that the iconic pop star had voluntarily checked herself into rehab.

Scroll through to revisit Britney’s ups and downs over the years:

The best television shows are ones where you feel compelled to zoom through each episode until you reach the very end. These types of binges point to a series being altogether addictive, and who doesn’t love becoming obsessed with a fantastic new show? Within Apple TV’s already impressive streaming library, one series released in the summer of 2024 is guaranteed to have you binging it in one sitting.

What Is ‘Presumed Innocent’ About?

Presumed Innocent is based on the 1987 novel by Scott Turow, and you might have already seen the 1990 film version starring Harrison Ford, but that shouldn’t deter you from checking out the Apple TV series, which puts its own spin on the source material. The eight-episode thriller follows Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), a successful prosecutor with a loving family, but viewers quickly learn that there’s a very different side to his character.

Rusty has secretly been having an affair with his co-worker, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), and this only comes to light after Carolyn is brutally murdered in her home. Rusty’s life would have been complicated enough after her murder, but things become even more disastrous when his colleague, Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard), decides to charge him with Carolyn’s murder. Presumed Innocent unfolds at breakneck speed as Rusty fights for his innocence, but the question remains: is Rusty truly innocent — and if he didn’t kill Carolyn, who did?

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The tense, unpredictable series also stars Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, and Chase Infiniti.

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‘Presumed Innocent’ Is a Thrilling, Wild Ride From Start to Finish

Each episode of Presumed Innocent will have you glued to your screen. The narrative is told through multiple flashbacks that dig deeper into Rusty’s life and his past with Carolyn, as well as brief, haunting images that force the viewer to question the facade Rusty presents to the world. These types of visuals elevate the series from just a standard psychological thriller and create a tension that will leave your heart racing. There’s also the fact that Presumed Innocent doesn’t stick to just one genre. Later episodes pivot to a courtroom drama, with Rusty’s trial center stage. The overwhelming stress tied to Rusty’s fate is depicted realistically and harshly, especially as it affects everyone from his dedicated lawyer (Bill Camp) to his loyal wife (Ruth Negga). The finale brings down the curtain in a super satisfying way, with every loose end wrapped up, and it’s certainly a wild ride to the conclusion.

Presumed Innocent would be compelling enough with its propulsive writing and the story’s twists and turns, but the series is truly electric because of its impressive ensemble. Gyllenhaal is perfectly cast as a conflicted man who struggles to hang on to a life that he’s partly responsible for destroying. His scenes with both Reinsve (recently nominated for an Oscar for her work in Sentimental Value) and Negga are brimming with differing chemistry that is all too fascinating to watch. Another standout performance comes from Chase Infiniti, who has popped up on everyone’s radar with her recent turn in the Oscar-winning One Battle After Another; her breakout role in this Apple TV series shows her earliest potential as an actor. Each member of the cast ensures that the show draws you in; Gyllenhaal, Negga, Camp, and Sarsgaard were even nominated for Emmys for their work.

Presumed Innocent has already been greenlit for a second season, based on an entirely new story and with a brand-new cast. Season 2, which is expected to be released later this year, will be adapted from the novel Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray, starring Rachel Brosnahan, Matthew Rhys, and Fiona Shaw. This means that Season 1 of Presumed Innocent acts as a standalone series, making it a perfect binge-watch if you’re looking for a new show to become your latest streaming obsession.

Lucy Liu is opening up about a deeply unsettling chapter in her life, recalling how a breast lump led doctors to wrongly diagnose her with cancer. That mistake ultimately resulted in multiple unnecessary surgeries.

The actress admitted she didn’t question the diagnosis at the time, trusting medical professionals even as the ordeal took a physical and emotional toll.

Liu is now using her experience to advocate for early detection and patient awareness, while also helping others avoid similar ordeals.

Lucy Liu Details How Misdiagnosis Sent Her To The Operating Table

Liu is reflecting on a harrowing medical experience from her past, revealing how a cancer misdiagnosis led her to undergo surgeries for a condition she didn’t actually have.

In an interview with PEOPLE, the “Charlie’s Angels” star recalled discovering a lump in her breast back in the 1990s. At the time, she admitted she didn’t immediately think much of it, but the lack of accessible medical information made the situation far more frightening.

When she finally visited the doctor for an expert opinion, she was told it was cancer. She put in for surgery to get the lump removed, but it was later discovered it wasn’t cancerous.

Liu Began Advocating For Herself From Then

Liu says the ordeal ultimately reshaped how she approaches her own health, pushing her to become a stronger advocate for herself in medical settings. Looking back, the actress admitted she initially ignored advice from friends who urged her to seek a second opinion.

“Even though my friend had said to get a second opinion, I sort of thought, ‘Well, what’s the point? The doctor knows what they’re talking about,’” Liu admits.

Today, the actress has taken that hard-earned lesson and turned it into purpose, using her platform to promote proactive health management and encourage others to advocate for themselves.

Lucy Liu Drums Up Attention To The Need For Early Detection

Liu continues to use her profile to spotlight the importance of early detection, partnering with Pfizer as part of its “Every Breakthrough Matters” campaign.

Through the multi-channel initiative, the “Kill Bill” star has helped amplify conversations around cancer awareness.

“It’s not about the fixing, it’s about really understanding what screening is, and about information and advocacy,” Liu said. “Although there is so much available to us technologically, a lot of people don’t do it because they don’t want to know if something’s wrong, or they’re too busy.”

The Actress Is Happy She Helps People Take Their Health Seriously

Liu also expressed gratitude for the ability to use her story to inspire others, saying she finds purpose in encouraging people to take their health seriously and advocate for themselves.

The veteran screen star noted that she doesn’t dwell on regret when reflecting on her experience, instead focusing on growth and the lessons learned along the way.

“I think there are too many punishing moments that you can have,” she said. “And I don’t think it should start from that place. I think it should start from a much more positive place, because you can’t go back in time.”

Liu added that she’s encouraged by the growing number of people who are becoming more proactive about their health.

“I feel like a lot of people have been advocating for themselves more and more, and especially for women’s health in general,” she added.

Lucy Liu Teases ‘Mystery Role’ For ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’

Very few could have predicted Justin Rose’s impressive 2026 Masters final round surge — except, perhaps, Rose himself.

The English golfer — who has yet to earn a green jacket in his pro golf career — surged to the top of the leaderboard on the last day of the tournament on Sunday, April 12, at Augusta National.

The golfer is currently tied for second place at the time of publication with only a few holes left to play.

On Sunday morning, Rose, 45, posted a seemingly prophetic affirmation on his social media account ahead of the round.

“I said it last year…. I’ll say it again…. Let’s have a day! 🌺🌸,” he shared via X, along with a photo of a sign outside of Augusta National.

The comment section of the potentially historic post were filled with positive messages from fans.

“You’d look good in green Rosey, Have a day!” commented one user.

“Best of luck today, would love to see you finally win this. 🤞,” said another.

Rose was on the precipice of winning the 2025 Masters Tournament last year, losing in the playoff to Rory McIlroy.

The epic tournament came down to the final few shots between the two golfers.

“The playoffs … it always ends so quickly,” Rose said after the 2025 tournament. “It’s sudden death. … If you’re not the guy to hit the great shot or hole the great putt, it’s over. That’s the nature of sudden death.”

Rose also finished in second place at the Masters in 2015 and 2017. He is one of nine golfers to finish as the runner-up at least three times in Masters history.

The former world No. 1 trailed McIlroy by seven strokes after the first two rounds of this year’s Masters, before gaining four strokes back in the third round on Saturday, April 11. That still left Rose three strokes behind the leader heading into Sunday.

Related: LIV Golfer Byeong Hun An Reacts to Rory McIlroy’s Historic Masters Rounds

It seems like Byeong Hun An doesn’t believe in jinxes. “Congrats to Rory Mcilroy [sic] for winning back to back Masters,” An, 34, said in a Friday, April 10 post via X, days before the iconic tournament is scheduled to conclude. The message, instead, came after McIlroy’s historic first two rounds at the 2026 Masters […]

Rose birdied five of his first nine holes on Sunday, which put him in the solo lead heading into the back nine, but consecutive bogeys on holes 11 and 12 set him back behind McIlroy on the leaderboard.

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In early 2026, Rose broke the record for lowest score at the Farmers Insurance Open and became the first golfer to lead the tournament from start to finish since 1959.

Before the Masters, Rose said he was “feeling good about things” coming off that tournament.

“I feel like when I have found my game, I’ve played very well,” Rose said before the Masters began. “Farmers is a good example of that and more evidence that I’m still able to find my best, which is great to know.”

Prolific director Steven Soderbergh has no beef with Adam Driver. The Oscar-winning director, who found success with the Ocean’s trilogy, was working on a movie featuring Ben Solo, a character who played a prominent role in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. Although the character supposedly died at the end of 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” the actor had an idea to bring the character back. After initially getting approval from Lucasfilm, the idea was scrapped by Disney heads, and the project is, according to Soderbergh, officially dead.

Steven Soderbergh Clears The Air

While promoting his new movie, “The Christophers,” Variety couldn’t pass up a chance to ask him about his canceled “Star Wars” film. When they asked him what he learned from trying to get the movie made, he replied, “That there’s no such thing as wasted time.”

“It was great to work on that with Adam Driver and [writers] Rebecca Blunt and Scott Burns,” he continued. “Sometimes that’s just the way things go. I know what we came up with was good. I think it would have excited audiences. Working with smart people, trying to solve sh-t, is how you get better.”

Steven Soderbergh Claims Adam Driver ‘Felt Bad’

In the interview, Soderbergh revealed that Driver “felt bad” about involving him, only to see the project end up on the cutting-room floor.

“Adam felt bad for having gotten me into it. I think he felt like he wasted my time, and I made it clear to him, ‘Dude, that was not wasted time.’ It’s a problem-solving experience that will get applied to everything I do going forward,” Soderbergh said.

“I’m not upset. I feel positive about everything that we did together,” he added.

‘If It Was Gonna Happen, It Would Have Happened’

In a separate interview with The Playlist, Soderbergh confirmed that the movie was dead, saying, “Look, if it was gonna happen, it would have happened.” He also reiterated that he didn’t feel that the project wasted his time.

“I don’t regret one minute of the time we spent working on that,” he explained. “I felt the work was good. It’s just good for you to be in that room and working on it. It’s like CrossFit – it’s good for you. It’ll have a residual effect that will be unexpected at some point.”

“As soon as it became apparent, OK, not gonna happen, I sat down and started writing [something else],” Soderbergh said. “It’s like, ‘OK, new scenario, let’s get cracking.’ At a certain point, it’s like complaining about the weather. You just gotta keep moving.”

Soderbergh Says The Story Idea Was Adam Driver’s Idea

Although it isn’t clear exactly what the movie would have been about, Soderbergh revealed that the idea for the movie actually came from the actor.

“It was strictly Adam saying, ‘I think there’s still somewhere to go with this character.’ That’s how it started,” Soderbergh revealed. “Otherwise, I never in a million years would have found myself in that universe again.”

But when asked if he would ever return to the project again, Soderbergh gave a very simple: “Nope.”

Steven Soderbergh Is ‘Frustrated’ Over The Film’s Cancellation

This isn’t the first time that Soderbergh has addressed the film’s cancellation. In a February 2026 interview with BK Mag, the director said they were “all frustrated” that the film was scrapped before they could even discuss a budget.

“You know, that was two and a half years of free work for me and Adam and [writer] Rebecca Blunt,” he explained. “When Adam and I discussed him talking about it publicly, I said, ‘Look, do not editorialize or speculate about the why. Just say what happened, because all we know is what happened.’ The stated reason was, ‘We don’t think Ben Solo could be alive.’ And that was all we were told. And so there’s nothing to do about it, you know, except move on.”

“I’d kind of made the movie in my head, and just felt bad that nobody else was going to get to see it,” he continued. “I thought the conversation was strictly going to be a practical one—where they go, what is this going to cost? And I had a really good answer for that. But it never even got to that point. It’s insane. We’re all very disappointed.”

Tom Cruise has a career packed with plenty of science fiction films. Edge of Tomorrow survived a turbulent production and became a surprise success. Oblivion may not have been as successful, but it led to Cruise working with Joseph Kosinski, and the two eventually reunited for Top Gun: Maverick. One could even argue that the technology used by Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise borders on the edge of science fiction. But there’s one science fiction movie that Cruise never managed to become a part of, despite his desire to play the lead role, and that’s John Carter.

Based on the John Carter of Mars novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the John Carter movie was shaping up to be truly epic. Andrew Stanton, the mastermind behind Pixar hits Finding Nemo and WALL-E, was making his live-action debut with the film. Michael Chabon, an accomplished novelist who helped contribute to the Spider-Man 2 screenplay, co-wrote the script. The cast was talented, including Bryan Cranston, Willem Dafoe, and Mark Strong among them. However, John Carter ran into a number of roadblocks that led to it being one of the biggest box office bombs in history — yet it’s far from a horrible movie.

Taylor Kitsch Beat Tom Cruise for the Lead Role in ‘John Carter’

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

In an oral history conducted by TheWrap, Stanton admitted that casting John Carter himself was a tough process, especially since the list of potential candidates was apparently a very long one. Taylor Kitsch would land the role, but Tom Cruise was determined to get it first. Stanton had his mind set on casting Kitsch, though:

“I had Taylor already in mind by the time Tom made his interest known. Tom had a long history with the material, so it wasn’t too surprising to discover he still had interest in it. He was a consummate professional in his discussions with me about the role, and beyond respectful to the fact I was already on an audition path with Taylor,” he said.

This wasn’t the first time Cruise had been attached to a John Carter film. Back in 1990, Disney was flirting with the idea of adapting the material with Cruise as Carter and Julia Roberts as the Princess of Mars, Deja Thoris. The team behind the scenes was just as impressive: John McTiernan was approached to direct following the success of Predator and Die Hard, with Back to the Future screenwriter Bob Gale tapped to flesh out the script. Things stalled out when McTiernan decided to direct Last Action Hero (which ironically turned out to be another box office bomb), but it’s not surprising that Cruise wanted to join Stanton’s version.

‘John Carter’ Is a Good Movie That Was Let Down by Its Marketing

Looking back at John Carter, it’s a film that was ahead of its time. Most of the political intrigue and worldbuilding rivals anything displayed in Dune or Game of Thrones, and Stanton’s work with Pixar makes many of the computer-generated characters — including Dafoe’s Tars Tarkas, leader of the Green Martians — feel like actual flesh and blood. Stanton and Chabon also manage to distill the essence of A Princess of Mars into an action-packed adventure that also has a fair amount of humor and heart. So what exactly led to its box office misfortunes?

The answer lies in the marketing campaign which saw Stanton making a number of baffling choices. He chose not to advertise his work with Pixar in the trailers, when that could have drawn newcomers to the theater. Instead of going with A Princess of Mars as the title, the choice was made to simply call the film John Carter, without considering that some audience members might not know about the books. The cherry on top was the fact that Disney’s marketing team at the time was led by someone who had no experience in movies, and therefore didn’t really know how to sell the film. “This is one of the worst marketing campaigns in the history of movies,” a Disney exec told Vulture. “It’s almost as if they went out of their way to not make us care.”

The Failure of ‘John Carter’ Marked a Turning Point for Disney

John Carter might have been yet another example of Disney fumbling a potential sci-fi franchise, but it would also mark a turning point for Disney. A few months after John Carter‘s failure, The Avengers would take the box office by storm and Disney would also acquire Lucasfilm. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe proving to be a moneymaker and the Star Wars franchise under its belt, Disney would slowly rely on those two properties for sci-fi stories.

John Carter is a simple case of execution failing to meet intent. While Andrew Stanton intended to deliver a cosmic epic that matched Edgar Rice Burroughs’ books, he didn’t take marketing into account. But the film’s reappraisal in later years proves that it had the glimmers of something special — and it didn’t need Tom Cruise to pull it off.

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John Carter

Release Date

March 9, 2012

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Runtime

132 minutes

Director

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Andrew Stanton

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No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont shared a personal update on social media, revealing his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis ahead of the band’s upcoming Las Vegas residency. He talked candidly about his health, offering insight into his journey while reassuring fans as No Doubt prepares to take the stage in one of entertainment’s biggest hubs.

Tom Dumont Has Early-Onset Parkinson’s Disease

On April 11, Tom Dumont took to Instagram to share an update on his health. According to the 58-year-old guitarist, he had been experiencing symptoms in the past years, which prompted him to visit a neurologist and undergo a series of tests to find out the underlying cause of his issues.

“I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. It’s been a struggle. It’s a struggle every day. And I’ll make another video with details about what Parkinson’s entails,” Dumont said.

Parkinson’s disease, per the Mayo Clinic, is a degenerative neurological disorder with symptoms that may include tremors, rigid muscles, poor balance, and speech changes. While the disease has no cure, patients are given medication or may undergo rehabilitation to reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life. According to statistics, more than 1.1 million Americans are affected by Parkinson’s, with about 90,000 people diagnosed every year.

The Guitarist Shared His Story To Raise Awareness