Chris Pratt has confirmed that Peter Quill, better known as Star-Lord, will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While promoting Season 2 of The Terminal List, Pratt revealed that he has remained in contact with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and executive producer Lou D’Esposito about making good on the promise made at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

The 2023 film concluded with Peter Quill stepping away from the Guardians and returning to Earth to reconnect with his grandfather. However, the film’s final title card made one thing clear: “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return.”

Now, Pratt says Marvel is actively working toward that return.

[credit: marvel studios]

“I have a great relationship with Kevin and Lou, and there have been both ongoing conversations about how we make good on that promise and also hard action taken to make sure that we make good on that promise,” Pratt said during an appearance on The Bingeworthy podcast.

Pratt then offered his clearest confirmation yet that Star-Lord’s time in the MCU is not over.

“So yeah, you’ll see Star-Lord again,”

Pratt said. “He’s not going anywhere.”

The actor did not reveal exactly when or where Star-Lord will return.

That leaves several possibilities open as Marvel Studios continues expanding the cosmic side of the MCU while also preparing major upcoming crossover films.

Pratt has not been officially announced as part of Avengers: Doomsday, so any connection to that film remains speculation. Avengers: Secret Wars could also provide another opportunity for the character to reappear, while future cosmic projects could potentially bring Peter Quill back into space.

Pratt first debuted as Star-Lord in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and went on to play the character throughout the Guardians trilogy as well as Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder.

Although Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marked the end of James Gunn’s version of the team, Marvel deliberately left the door open for Star-Lord.

Pratt’s latest comments now make it clear that the promise was more than just a tease.

Peter Quill will return to the MCU.

The only question left is when.

Let’s Face It, This One Really Stuck With Me

There are comic-book movies that play things safe, and then there are movies like Clayface, which seem determined to reshape what we expect from the genre.

I went into this one hoping for something dark and slightly different, but I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy it quite as much as I did. What surprised me most was how confidently the movie embraces its horror identity. It doesn’t feel as though someone simply took a conventional comic-book movie and added a few scary moments to make it darker. The horror feels like part of its DNA.

At the same time, Clayface never forgets that there needs to be a human story underneath all the strangeness.

The film stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen / Clayface, with a supporting cast that includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan. It is directed by James Watkins, from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini.

Clayface is strange, creepy, uncomfortable, visually interesting and far more emotional than I anticipated. Most importantly, it kept me invested.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars, and I think this is one face from the DC universe that will be difficult to forget.

A Different Kind of Comic-Book Movie

One of the things I enjoyed most about Clayface is that it doesn’t feel trapped by the expectations of what a comic-book movie is supposed to be.

Yes, the character comes from DC. Yes, there are obviously fantastical elements involved. But the film is formally described as a body-horror psychological thriller, and that combination gives it a very different flavour.

That immediately sets it apart.

The movie isn’t constantly trying to overwhelm you. There is a darker, more uncomfortable atmosphere running through it, and I found myself becoming increasingly absorbed in that mood.

It also feels considerably more personal than I expected.

Rather than focusing entirely on how visually impressive Clayface can look or what the character can physically do, the movie’s greatest strength is the person at its centre. That gives everything else more meaning.

There is spectacle, obviously, but there is also vulnerability.

For me, that balance is what separates Clayface from something that could easily have been dismissed as a gimmick.

Tom Rhys Harries Gives the Movie Its Heart

Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen / Clayface, and for me, he is the glue holding the entire movie together.

Sorry. I couldn’t resist that one.

This is not an easy character to play because the performance needs to work before you even consider the more fantastical aspects of Clayface. If I don’t care about Matt Hagen as a person, everything surrounding him becomes considerably less interesting.

Thankfully, Harries gives the character real humanity.

There is an emotional vulnerability to his performance that I really liked. He allows Matt to feel like a person rather than simply the necessary human component of a comic-book character.

It is also a performance that has to communicate a lot without constantly spelling everything out.

Harries handles that very effectively.

There are moments where his expressions and physical performance do as much work as the dialogue. His performance needed to convince me that there was something recognisably human underneath a story that becomes increasingly strange, and I think he achieves exactly that.

More importantly, I found myself invested in the character.

That might sound like a rather basic requirement, but it makes an enormous difference in a movie like this. Without that connection, Clayface could have become little more than an impressive collection of horror imagery.

Instead, there’s an emotional centre.

And Harries deserves a lot of credit for it.

Naomi Ackie Makes Her Presence Felt

Naomi Ackie is another important part of the ensemble.

What I particularly enjoyed about her performance is the grounded quality she brings to the movie.

When you’re dealing with a story containing such unusual and exaggerated concepts, the supporting performances become incredibly important. Everyone cannot behave as though they know they’re in a comic-book movie. The world needs to feel real enough for the extraordinary parts to matter.

Ackie gives the film some of that grounding.

She shares the screen comfortably with Harries and has enough presence that I never found myself simply waiting for Clayface to return whenever the focus shifted elsewhere.

That is important.

A strong central performance can only carry a movie so far. The people surrounding that character need to feel as though they belong within the same story, and I think the cast succeeds in doing that.

A Supporting Cast That Understands the Assignment

The film also features David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan among its principal supporting cast.

Collectively, I thought the cast was one of the movie’s strengths.

Nobody feels as though they wandered in from a completely different type of film. That consistency is particularly important here because Clayface is balancing several different tones at once.

There’s drama.

There’s horror.

There’s psychological tension.

And underneath all of that, there’s still a comic-book movie.

Those ingredients could easily clash, but the performances help hold everything together.

I also appreciated that the supporting characters don’t make the film feel overcrowded. There are enough personalities around Matt to give his world texture without making the movie feel desperate to introduce dozens of characters purely for the sake of expanding a universe.

It keeps its attention where it belongs.

The Horror Really Works

This is probably where Clayface surprised me the most.

Its body-horror and psychological-horror classification isn’t simply window dressing.

There is something fundamentally unsettling about Clayface as a concept.

And the movie understands that.

Instead of avoiding the disturbing implications of the character in favour of something more conventional, it embraces them. The result is a movie that can be uncomfortable without feeling as though it is desperately trying to shock you every few minutes.

For me, the best horror is often the stuff that stays in your imagination.

There are ideas here about appearance, identity and our relationship with ourselves that naturally lend themselves to horror. The movie taps into those without needing to explain every theme directly to the audience.

I appreciated that.

It trusts you enough to sit with some of those ideas.

And because the horror is linked so closely to the character, it feels relevant rather than decorative.

There are undoubtedly moments designed to make you uncomfortable, but I never felt the film had forgotten about the person underneath all the horror.

That makes an enormous difference.

The Flow Keeps Everything Moving

Pacing was another area where I thought Clayface worked particularly well.

The film has a reported runtime of approximately 108 minutes, and I think that suits this story.

It doesn’t take forever to get going, but it also doesn’t rush through the quieter material just to reach the next big moment.

There’s a rhythm to the movie that I really enjoyed.

It knows when to slow down.

It knows when to build tension.

And it knows when to let loose.

That balance means the movie rarely feels monotonous.

This becomes particularly important with horror because constantly trying to operate at maximum intensity can actually make a film less effective. If everything is supposed to be shocking, eventually nothing is.

Clayface understands the value of contrast.

Some moments are quieter and more character-focused. Others allow the horror and spectacle to come forward. Moving between those different gears prevents the film from feeling repetitive.

For the most part, I thought the transitions between them felt natural.

There were a few occasions where I thought a moment could have been given slightly more room to breathe, which is one of the reasons I haven’t gone all the way to five stars. But those are relatively minor criticisms.

Overall, this movie moves.

More Than Just Impressive Effects

Obviously, a character called Clayface creates certain expectations visually.

But what I appreciated is that the film never allowed its visual side to become the only reason for watching.

The physicality of the character is important, naturally, but I found the psychological side far more interesting.

The movie keeps returning to questions surrounding identity.

How much of who we are is connected to what we see in the mirror?

How much of ourselves is determined by how other people see us?

And what happens to a person’s sense of identity when those things stop feeling permanent?

Those are fascinating ideas for a character like Clayface.

I wasn’t expecting the movie to make me think about them quite as much as it did.

That doesn’t mean Clayface suddenly becomes a philosophical lecture disguised as a comic-book movie. Far from it. There is plenty here for anyone simply wanting something dark and entertaining.

But there is something underneath the surface.

Quite literally, in this case.

It Actually Has Its Own Identity

One of my frustrations with interconnected franchises is that individual movies can sometimes start feeling like trailers for whatever comes next.

Thankfully, that isn’t what I took away from Clayface.

The movie is part of DC’s broader cinematic universe and its Gods and Monsters chapter. But what I liked is how strongly Clayface establishes its own tone.

It feels like its own movie.

That sounds simple, but it matters.

I didn’t need endless reminders of a larger universe to remain interested. I was interested in this character, this atmosphere and this particular story.

More comic-book movies should have that confidence.

Give me different genres.

Give me different tones.

Give me filmmakers willing to make something that doesn’t look and feel exactly like the movie that came before it.

Clayface gave me enough of that individuality to make me excited about where this type of comic-book filmmaking can go.

There is no post-credits surprise, so no need to face all the credits.

Why Four Stars and Not Five?

For all the things I enjoyed, I wouldn’t call Clayface perfect.

There are sections where its different identities fight for attention a little more than I would have liked.

Being a psychological thriller, body-horror movie, character drama and comic-book film all at once is an ambitious balancing act. Most of the time, I think it pulls it off.

Most of the time.

There were moments where I would have preferred the movie to remain with its characters slightly longer rather than moving onwards.

And although I liked the film’s ambition, not every element landed equally strongly for me.

Still, those issues never seriously damaged my enjoyment.

I would rather have a movie take risks and occasionally become slightly messy than have something technically polished but completely forgettable.

Clayface has personality.

It has atmosphere.

And it certainly isn’t forgettable.

A Surprisingly Emotional Experience

Perhaps my biggest compliment is that I cared more about Matt Hagen than I expected to.

A character like Clayface could so easily become defined entirely by appearance and abilities. Instead, the film gave me enough of a human connection that I genuinely cared about the person at the centre of it.

That changed the entire experience for me.

The darker material matters more when you are emotionally invested.

The horror becomes more unsettling.

The quieter scenes become more meaningful.

And the bigger moments feel earned rather than obligatory.

That’s ultimately why Clayface worked for me.

It gave me the strangeness I wanted but also something underneath it.

Conclusion: Consider Me Mouldly Impressed

Let’s face it, Clayface could very easily have gone horribly wrong.

Okay, that’s my final face pun.

Probably.

What I got instead was one of those movies that reminded me why I enjoy seeing comic-book characters pushed into completely different genres.

Tom Rhys Harries gives the film a strong and vulnerable centre, while Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan help create a supporting ensemble that keeps the stranger elements of the movie grounded.

I really enjoyed how the movie flowed. It takes the time to establish its atmosphere, gradually increases the intensity and knows when to allow the character moments to take centre stage.

Most importantly, I enjoyed that Clayface actually feels different.

It’s dark without becoming miserable.

It’s strange without losing sight of its characters.

It’s visually ambitious without relying entirely on spectacle.

And it’s horrific without forgetting the humanity underneath the horror.

Is everything perfectly moulded?

Not quite.

But the imperfections didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the experience. If anything, the willingness to take risks is part of what I liked about it.

I went into Clayface expecting an interesting addition to the DC universe.

I came out having enjoyed something far stranger, darker and more emotionally engaging than I expected.

A solid 4 out of 5 stars from me.

And if this is the shape DC’s more experimental movies are going to take, then consider me mouldly impressed.

Catch Clayface at a movie theatre near you.

Hey, Days of Our Lives fans. EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) just found out that Rita Lesley (Maggie Carney) has known Dominic Marino since at least his boarding school days. So EJ is on fire, because the woman he thought was blindly loyal to the DiMeras is not blindly loyal to him. Rita has a whole other agenda.

Let’s talk about the coming explosive confrontation between EJ and Rita. And sure, it seems like EJ is about to have a spectacular fall from power. I think Rita is key to his coming downfall. And EJ won’t like that.

Days of Our Lives: Rita’s Long History with the DiMeras

As you know, Rita’s been working for the DiMera family since Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) was alive and making trouble himself. Rita was his longtime personal assistant, so she knows about Stefano’s family crimes and criminal associates, including Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering)’s evil lookalike, Arnold Feniger (Galen Gering).

And Rita has also assisted Stefan DiMera (Brandon Barash), Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez), Chad DiMera (Connor Floyd), Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk), and, of course, EJ, and she is deeply loyal to the DiMera legacy. Although her backstory is decades of loyal service, we actually didn’t meet Rita until May 2024, when Days of Our Lives debuted her as EJ’s sassy henchwoman.

And Rita’s long-standing role as Stefano’s right hand is why she’s not afraid to put EJ in his place. Rita has been a big help, like when EJ had to deal with Arnold’s return. When EJ used him for a scheme and then needed him gone, Rita was integral to getting rid of Arnold.

Rita’s Role in EJ’s Schemes on DOOL

And then in 2025 and 2026, we’ve seen Rita help EJ open the Tom Horton Free Clinic. She oversaw the build of the secret lab. Rita also helped EJ with hospital owner duties and coordinated sneaky lab stuff with Dr. Rolf. She was key to all of this.

Rita also bossed around people at the hospital. Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans), Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey), and other doctors hated to see Rita walking the halls with her clipboard and her sour expression. More recently, Rita helped EJ kidnap Kristen to ship her off. Unfortunately, Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford) thwarted that and let Kristen go.

Days of Our Lives: The First Sign of Disloyalty

However, Rita’s loyalty to EJ wavered when Salem‘s chief water inspector, Devlin St. John (John Oliver), came sniffing around about the Coriseal thing. EJ wanted him dead, but Rita had the hots for John Oliver’s character and injected him with CRS17 serum and then shipped him off in a pod. That was in defiance of EJ’s orders, because he wanted Devlin killed, not living on a private island.

And then, when EJ caught Rita doing it, she told EJ she had flu medicine for him and tricked him into taking CRS72. So, he’s forgotten he ever even met Devlin St. John. That was the first sign of disloyalty. And we always say that Rita was blindly doing EJ’s bidding up until that point.

And since then, Rita has gotten way more devious. She stole EJ’s prized possession, Stefano’s black Phoenix ring. She shipped it to his secret brother, Dominic Marino. I think all this is on Stefano’s pre-death orders. So, we know Rita hopes she’s making Stefano proud and claims loyalty to the DiMeras, but not to EJ personally, and that’s where he’s shocked.

I suspect that Rita’s been around most of EJ’s life, and Stefano taught EJ to trust Rita implicitly, and EJ has, and now it’s a problem. Later, we found out Rita was dropping clues to Belle Black (Martha Madison) and Chad after Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) got the chess set from Stefano’s bequest.

Rita Disappears on DOOL

This past week, Marlena confronted Rita about Dominic’s parentage, but Rita denied knowing anything. And Rita issued the same denials to EJ when he was asking her about Dominic. And after that, Rita disappeared. I’m quite confident she left town, took off for Venice, and is working directly with Dominic as he prepares for his big Salem debut. Rita clearly knew Dominic was the real heir apparent.

EJ recently asked Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord) to use her ISA skills to help him uncover the truth about Dominic, because EJ is desperate to know if Dominic is indeed his secret brother.

Days of Our Lives: EJ’s Twofold Confrontation with Dante

And this week, EJ confronted Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and it was a twofold confrontation. First, EJ warned Dante, “Don’t hurt Sami.” And of course, Dante acted like EJ was a possessive, jealous ex-husband who couldn’t stand the thought of another man being with Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney). Then EJ wanted info about Dante’s boarding school buddy, Dominic. And we had EJ asking if Dante had ever met Dominic’s parents.

Dante claimed all he knew was that Dominic’s parents lived in Salem, and that a woman whose name started with R, which he couldn’t remember, looked after young Dominic and would drop him off and pick him up from the fancy boarding school for his family. And when EJ said, “Was her name Rita?” and then described her, Dante confirmed, “Yeah, that’s her.”

So now EJ wants to know why Stefano never mentioned this long-lost son he supposedly had with Marlena, because he wasn’t long lost. Obviously, Stefano knew. So EJ feels deeply betrayed by Rita. He’s trusted her forever. And now EJ doesn’t know who he can trust. His own son, Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman), just ratted him out.

EJ’s Mounting Problems on DOOL

And this is the worst time for EJ to lose Rita. He’s got the George O’Halloran (Michael Rose) crisis. But since Xander Cook Kiriakis (Paul Telfer) shot him on Friday after George shot Xander, that may be a problem EJ can cross off his list. Xander’s a good shot. So maybe George is dead, which would be a gift to EJ, because then he can claim the whole Coriseal thing was cooked up by George, who was clearly bad, since he shot Xander while trying to steal a laptop that contained evidence of all of his crimes.

So we also just found out EJ and Rita are behind the Gabi Chic counterfeit bag ring. That’s a criminal matter surrounding EJ that Rita is not helping with anymore. That might be a problem.

Dominic’s Arrival and Rita’s Loyalty on Days

The good news is all the mystery isn’t going to last much longer, because we know that Dominic Marino arrives in Salem on November 2nd, which is a Monday. But I actually expect a glimpse of him on the Friday, October 30th episode, in a black mask.

And when Dominic comes to town, I’m certain that Rita will be at his side, and then EJ is going to corner Rita and rip her a new one. But since Dominic’s her priority, I don’t expect EJ to get too far with Rita. I’m sure she’ll tell EJ this is Stefano’s agenda. That’s where her loyalty is.

Days of Our Lives: Is Rita Dominic’s Surrogate Mother?

And some viewers wonder if, in a real twist, Rita might be Dominic’s surrogate mother. And rather than Marlena having been pregnant with Stefano’s child, he might have had Dr. Rolf harvest her eggs while Marlena was in a coma, and then made an embryo, and Rita carried it. That would explain the loyalty, sort of like how Vivian Alamain (Louise Sorel) always has a special place in her heart for Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) after she stole Kate Roberts‘s (Lauren Koslow) embryo.

So, we assume Dominic’s on the way to take over the DiMera family and push EJ aside. I expect him to take over DiMera Enterprises and the DiMera mansion as well. And I expect Rita will have paved the way for Dominic, and that means EJ is going down. And he can’t do much to stop them, since Rita’s got all the receipts on decades and decades of EJ’s shady and criminal deeds, because she aided and abetted him the whole way. Rita is the key to EJ’s downfall that is coming soon.

Stay true to you! Dr. Tess Mauricio wants you to be your own inspiration. The celebrity dermatologist, who counts Cardi B, Priyanka Chopra, and Kim and Khloé Kardashian as patients, sat down with ET to share her tips for looking like you, only better.

“The idea is to help patients look like the best version of themselves, not someone else,” she shares.

To help get you there, Mauricio offers a lineup of options at her M Beauty Clinic locations in Beverly Hills and San Diego, California, including lasers, ultrasound, radiofrequency microneedling, injectables, and regenerative treatments to address everything from texture, tone, and firmness to wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin laxity.

Think of it as more of a refresh than a makeover, with her most popular treatment, The Time Machine Procedure™.

“It is our signature nonsurgical regenerative aesthetics protocol designed to help patients achieve natural-looking rejuvenation by combining advanced technologies with regenerative approaches in a single treatment plan. … Rather than relying on one treatment to do everything, we thoughtfully combine different tools to address skin quality, collagen production, and visible signs of aging,” she says.

Still, the perfect beauty blend looks a little different for everyone.

“We incorporate the UltraClear® Cold Fiber Laser, which offers multiple treatment modules that allow us to tailor the level and depth of resurfacing to each patient’s needs, and can combine it with PRP or PRFM, and where clinically appropriate, other specialized treatments, alongside topical peptides and targeted skincare,” she explains.

“I’m a believer in treatments that improve the quality of the skin itself. … Every protocol is customized. It’s about finding what works for each person rather than following every new trend. … The key is choosing the right combination.”

And the upkeep continues long after your appointment ends. 

“Consistent, appropriate maintenance can keep your skin glowing through the years without surgery. … We create a personalized home care plan and talk with patients about optimizing sleep, managing stress, nutrition, hormones, and overall health, which is especially important for regenerative aesthetics since we’re asking our bodies and immune systems to help repair the skin naturally. … In-office treatments can do a lot, but daily habits between visits and our overall health and lifestyle matter too,” Mauricio notes.

But hitting pause on aging also means putting a stop to certain habits.

“Too much sun too soon after a treatment can be a problem, and tanning or skipping sunscreen can undo progress and contribute to future damage. People can also irritate their skin by piling on too many strong products or by restarting active ingredients too soon after a procedure. … More isn’t always better,” the doctor warns.

A light touch can go a long way with injectables, too.

“People can go overboard with filler when you try to add more volume instead of restoring facial harmony and balance. Filler can be useful for the right patient, and when performed artistically, it can be powerful, but it isn’t the answer to every concern.”

After all, Mauricio’s favorite kind of before-and-after is one you can’t quite put your finger on.

“The key is healthy-looking skin at every age, not to look like someone else. … People want to age in reverse without looking like they have had work done. … My patients know they can look natural while achieving their goals.”

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Director Will Gluck is speaking out about Amanda Bynes and her last on-screen role. The child actress stepped away from the spotlight following her role in the 2010 movie “Easy A,” in which she starred opposite Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Lisa Kudrow, and Stanley Tucci. The film, which first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, was a major financial success, grossing $75 million against a budget of only $8 million. The film earned Stone a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, and it won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy.

‘Easy A’ Director Addresses Amanda Bynes’ Last On-Screen Role

In 2010, Amanda Bynes played mean girl Marianne Bryant in “Easy A,” opposite Emma Stone’s Olive Penderghast. When Olive’s little white lie spirals out of control, she leans into her new provocative persona and sews a red “A” onto her clothes, echoing Hester Prynne’s punishment in “The Scarlet Letter.”

Director Will Gluck recently admitted that the role was “kind of tough for” Bynes while speaking to Jess Lucero on the Plus One podcast on Wednesday, October 21. “She was a huge star, and then she had to play, like, a second banana to Emma,” he admitted. “But she was great.”

Will Gluck Said He Was ‘Shocked’ By Amanda Bynes’ Struggles

Although Bynes found success as a child star, she quit acting following her role in “Easy A” and famously struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues beginning in 2012.

Her parents were granted a conservatorship for her from 2013 to 2022. During that time, she was subject to psychiatric holds and inpatient treatments amid several run-ins with the police.

Looking back, Gluck said that he was “shocked” to see what became of her career, telling Lucero that she was “100 percent a pro.”

“Her parents were on set, too,” he continued. “I was shocked after all this happened, and everyone said to me during the time, ‘Did you see anything?’ I said, ‘Literally, not at all.’”

Amanda Bynes Never Auditioned For Her Role In ‘Easy A’

He also revealed that the actress didn’t actually audition for her role in “Easy A.”

“She didn’t audition for Easy A, but we met, though, beforehand,” the director added. “She was one of the few people who didn’t audition on that movie. We met for a long time. And she was great on that set.”

Lucero praised Bynes, saying that she was “obsessed” with her performances. She went on to reveal that the “She’s the Man” star was actually one of the actresses who got her interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry.

“She was so good, too,” Gluck agreed, noting that it was “strange” what happened to her career.

Amanda Bynes Revealed That She ‘Literally Couldn’t Stand’ Her ‘Easy A’ Role

Although Gluck had nothing but praise for the actress, Bynes told Paper magazine in 2018 that she absolutely hated her role when she watched the film.

“I literally couldn’t stand my appearance in that movie, and I didn’t like my performance. I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting after seeing it,” she said, although she admitted that her drug use might have altered her perception of the film.  

“I was high on marijuana when I saw that, but for some reason it really started to affect me. I don’t know if it was a drug-induced psychosis or what, but it affected my brain in a different way than it affects other people. It absolutely changed my perception of things.”

Amanda Bynes Released A New Song In 2026

Bynes is now sober and working to turn her life around. In 2022, she told PEOPLE magazine that she has been “working hard” to improve her health so that she can live and work independently.

“I would like to thank my fans for their love and well wishes during this time. I would also like to thank my lawyer and my parents for their support over the last nine years,” she said at the time.

“In the last several years, I have been working hard to improve my health so that I can live and work independently, and I will continue to prioritize my well-being in this next chapter,” she added.

She attempted to make a comeback in April 2026 with a new song, “Girlfriend,” along with Zabba and Fenix Flexin. Juan McLean wrote and composed the single.

Scary books have the potential to make scary movies. That’s a fact (so is, unfortunately, the opposite outcome). Here is a deviously diverse collection of creepy novels that were so popular with readers that they were made into feature films. Terrifying feature films.

With stories about ghosts, vampires, werewolves, demons, and fish (really, really big fish), here are the absolute scariest horror movies that originated as books. From the page to the screen, these fright-fests have left an indelible impression on audiences all over the world, and make the perfect nighttime viewing in the weeks leading up to Halloween…

10

‘The Ritual’ (2017)

Image via Netflix

People love rituals, don’t they? There is something quite comforting about repeating a sequence of events in a certain time period. However, the 2011 folk-horror novel The Ritual is anything but comforting. Adam Nevill’s book and the David Bruckner-directed film follow a group of old friends who elect to go hiking in the remote Scandinavian wilderness in Sweden, as a sort of tribute/memorial to their friend who recently died. Except, in these woodsy woods, they are not alone.

Once there, the buds Luke (Rafe Spall), Phil (Arsher Ali), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), and Dom (Sam Troughton) end up taking a shortcut through a part of the forest that is sacred, unbeknownst to them. After that, a moder, a mythological Norse creature that resembles a goat-man from hell, begins to stalk and pick them off (along with a group of death metal-loving fans of the moder who reside there). It’s a very trippy movie, with stunning and frightening visuals galore (Andrew Shulkind’s cinematography alone is lush, wildly inventive, and wonderfully weird).

9

‘Malevolent’ (2018)

Director Olaf de Fleur Johannesson’s adaptation of the novella Hush by Eva Konstantopoulos stays fairly close to the plot of the eldritch source material. The main difference is that Malevolent is set in Scotland. The title of the book was probably changed to avoid confusion with the Mike Flanagan thriller, Hush, and also to capitalize on the success of the other menacing-sounding film titles that are just adjectives, like Sinister, Insidious, and Ravenous.

The story follows a brother-sister team who run a scammy ghost-hunting/medium business. In the book, Angela has always had the natural gift of communing with the dead, just like her deceased mother. In the film, she discovers this later on. Angela (Florence Pugh, with a very grounded performance), and Jackson (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) are hired by an elderly lady, Mrs. Greene (Celia Imrie), who asserts that her big old house is haunted by little kid specters. As Jackson coaxes Angela to get into the nitty-gritty, they realize that this place is actually crawling with spirits, and it’s a lot more than these scammers bargained for. Great ambience all around, this is a pretty spine-tingling film.

8

‘Dracula’ (1931)

Image via Universal Pictures

The first film based on the 1897 Bram Stoker novel Dracula famously wasn’t licensed; the filmmakers simply changed the names, and voilà, the early horror masterpiece Nosferatu was born in 1922. Nine years later, though, Hollywood took its first stab at the material and produced Dracula. With Tod Browning and Karl Freund helming the film, and Bela Lugosi in the starring role, this fairly-true-to-the-book production blew audiences away.

The all-too-familiar story is centered on a Count (Lugosi) in the Carpathian Mountains. This eccentric gentleman does a real estate deal with a British chap, Jonathan Harker (David Manners). Dracula sees a picture of Johnny’s betrothed, Mina (Helen Chandler), and becomes enraptured; she looks exactly like Drac’s long-lost love. So, being the romantic that he is, Dracula travels (in some dirt) on the ship the Demeter to England to win Mina’s heart (and suck on a few necks in the process). Drenched in the dark hues of German Expressionism, this creepy Gothic masterpiece has aged very well (just like the Count himself).

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‘Frankenstein’ (1931)

Image via Universal Pictures

One of the greatest Gothic horror masterpieces in the literary cannon is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It’s a sometimes inspiring, other times nihilistic story that raises more philosophical points in a relatively short work (224 pages) than other tomes that stretch on and on. So, needless to say, many filmmakers have tackled the source material, with varying degrees of success. The one film that stands out above all others (sorry, Guillermo Del Toro, your Frankenstein was pretty cool, too) is the original 1931 (dang, what a year for horror) film directed by James Whale.

The famed tale is about an unconventional scientist, Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive), who is obsessed with defying death. He’s found a way to reanimate dead tissue in the hopes of “curing” mortality. While the book explores his backstory rather in detail, the film focuses mainly on Frank’s creation and what results from it. The ironically named “villain” is The Monster (Boris Karloff), yet the true monsters are the fearmongering townspeople who want him dead simply because they are too dense to understand him.

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‘Silver Bullet’ (1985)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Cycle of the Werewolf is Stephen King’s shortest book at only 127 pages (a novella, if you will), but it packs quite the meaty punch. It was adapted into the only King film about lycanthropes, Silver Bullet. With some charmingly comedic elements to this tale, it’s actually one of King’s most frightening as well.

Director Daniel Attias’s take on the story provides some of the scarier werewolf imagery depicted onscreen. The plot focuses on a tween, Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim), a wheelchair user who begins to suspect that local clergyman, Reverend Lowe (Everett McGill), is involved in more hairy situations than he lets on. Of course, since Marty is a kid, nobody believes him…until the mounting evidence is too much to ignore. With the help of his sister, Jane (Megan Follows), and his wise-cracking Uncle Red (peak Gary Busey), they devise a plan to eradicate the wolf-man once and for all…which involves a bullet that, yup, isn’t gold or pewter. The SFX team here did a fantastically furry job in creating the anthropomorphized wolf makeup, as did Attias in casting the unholy Reverend in the creepiest shadows possible.

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‘The Amityville Horror’ (1979)

Image via MGM

The 1977 book The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson was on the bestseller list for 42 weeks, so a feature film was inevitable. The movie, directed by Stuart Rosenberg, was also a tremendous hit — made for five million, it grossed over 86. The reason for the success of both of these works is because the source material is based on a real-life account of a horrific murder that took place on Long Island, NY, and people really seem to love scary stories “based on true events.”

Yet, it’s a fictitious story about a family that moves into a beautiful Dutch Colonial house…that happens to be a multiple-murder site. The Lutzes, George (James Brolin) and Kathy (Margot Kidder), were not aware of this little fact when they purchased the house (can anyone ever trust real estate people in movies?), but when George turns savagely violent and wakes each night at 3:15, the precise time the murders took place in the house, they get an inkling that something sinister is up. With some of the cooler horror set pieces of the late 70s, involving black flies, bloody walls, and iridescent eyeballs, to name of few, The Amityville Horror scares and shocks in perfect proportion.

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‘Carrie’ (1976)

Image via Everett Collection

After countless so-so remakes, the Stephen King classic Carrie has recently been rejuvenated by the electrifying Mike Flanagan series. Prior to that, of course, was the original hit film of the same name. Brian De Palma’s adaptation of the King story, about the dangers of mixing bullying with telekinetic powers is a powerful, terrifying one indeed.

The titular Carrie White (Sissy Spacek, who received a rare horror movie Oscar nomination for this role) is an isolated girl who is routinely mocked by her classmates. Making matters worse, her mother, Margaret (Piper Laurie, who also got an Oscar nom), is a religious nut who not only shelters Carrie but also torments her, too, with Draconian Christian guilt. So, one bully girl, Chris Hargenson (Nancy Allen, with bouncy hair), and her doofus boyfriend, Billy Nolan (John Travolta, also with bouncy hair), orchestrate a scenario at the prom (in the movie’s most infamous scene), where they rig the vote so that Carrie wins prom queen and then is doused with a bucket of pig blood. Cue telekinetic anarchy. This epic finale is one of cinema’s best, and even the aftermath, with a really nicely placed jump scare, is perfectly executed. The implication is that while Carrie may have passed on, her power leaves a lifelong impact on the survivors — the same way this film eerily lives on.

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‘Jaws’ (1975)

Image via Universal Pictures

A hugely successful book about a giant killer fish? Surely it must be Moby Dick (no, and that’s a whale). Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel Jaws was well-received indeed, as it remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 44 weeks. Of course, the Stephen Spielberg film adaptation is one of the most famous horror movies of all time, with suspense, thrills, and chills in all the right places. Plus, that score…

Jaws is the story of a New York cop, Brody (Roy Scheider), turned small town (island) police chief who goes head-to-head with not only a voracious great white shark but also the local town government. A cautionary tale about greed, and, in part, about underestimating one’s opponent (they did, indeed, need a bigger boat), this is a rich film with fully realized characters and foreboding, moody sequences to spare. The hair-raising elements are all supremely executed as well, from the ominous opening night swimming death scene to the ferocious finale.

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‘Pet Sematary’ (1989)

Image Via Paramount Pictures

Stephen King is arguably the best true horror writer of all time, but he’s definitely the most prolific. With over 60 novels and 200 short stories to his name (with the majority of them residing in the horror sphere), his most brilliantly frightening book is probably Pet Sematary. Since he adapted the screenplay himself, the movie is basically just as blood-curdling.

Director Mary Lambert took King’s words and whipped them up into a frenzy of fearsome images that are almost impossible to get out of the viewer’s head. Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) is a doctor who’s just relocated his happy little family to a remote part of Maine to work at the university there. He soon learns that there is an ancient Micmac burial ground located nearby that, when a dead thing is buried therein, returns from the grave, full of “life.” Unfortunately for Louis, when people from his own small clan end up in the cursed soil and head back home, they are anything but hospitable. With some of the eeriest moments of any movie, perfectly placed, macabre special effects makeup, and an unforgettable lesson about the very nature of inescapable death itself, Pet Sematary goes down as a true bone-chiller.

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‘The Exorcist’ (1973)

Image via Warner Bros.

It’s not necessarily that widely known that the quintessential demonic possession film, The Exorcist, was originally a book (by the film’s screenwriter, William Peter Blatty). Yet when one reviews the plot, which is really comprised of several major, intertwined storylines, it definitely makes sense that it stemmed from a multi-narrative book.

The primary story is centered on Regan (Linda Blair), a kid, and her mom, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), a famous actress. Regan becomes possessed by a vile demon, and Chris calls on the very best religious figures she can find to expel the evil entity from her child. Only problem is, the young priest Father Karras (Jason Miller), has basically lost his faith, and the older one, Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), nearly perished the last time he tried to vanquish a hell-born monster from a mortal host. Once Regan goes full demon, basically every time she is onscreen, it’s another opportunity for director William Friedkin to give us all nightmares. With some of the most iconic horror images ever seen (pea soup sales must’ve plummeted in ’73), The Exorcist is one book turned very, very scary flick.

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The Exorcist

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Release Date

December 26, 1973

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Runtime

122 minutes

Writers

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William Peter Blatty

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Gleb Savchenko is playfully biting back after being branded an “unemployed professional hater” following his recent Dancing With the Stars criticism.

On Thursday, October 22, Savchenko, 43, posted a TikTok video of himself looking unbothered while sipping a cocktail and scrolling through his phone. “POV: Another day of being an ‘unemployed professional hater,’” he wrote over the video.

“Constructive criticism about dance technique.. never personal 🙃,” the DWTS alum captioned the post.

Savchenko recently came under fire from ballroom fans after he criticized the decision to pair actress Jenna Dewan with pro dancer Alan Bersten on this week’s Dedication Night episode of DWTS. Bersten, 32, stepped in for Dewan’s regular partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, who was handed a one-week suspension over comments he made about judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

“Alan, I think he’s Alan,” he said in a TikTok livestream earlier this month. “I mean, he’s just not up to the level of dancing, like, period. [The] quality, the technique. He’s a good dancer, I guess, for TV but if we talk about art? Like, creating art? He’s like, eh.”

In a separate TikTok livestream earlier this week, Savchenko attempted to clarify his comments, insisting he was not attacking Bersten.

“I didn’t attack Alan at all,” he said. “Alan’s a good dancer for his niche. He’s great for his thing. But he can’t be compared to Val. … I’m not talking trash, I’m just saying how it is.”

“Different styles, different technique, different s***. … I don’t wanna compare anybody, I think everybody’s great for their own thing. And it takes time to get better and better,” he added.

Related: ‘DWTS’ Season 35 Troupe Revealed: Who Is Returning to the Ballroom?

The Dancing With the Stars troupe for season 35 has been revealed. News broke on Friday, September 4, that Jaxon Willard, Carter Williams and Onye Stevenson will all return to the ballroom, alongside newcomer Kamri Peterson. “Season 35 Troupe,” an Instagram post read, announcing the casting news. “Help us show some love to Kamri, Jaxon, […]

Savchenko is not among the troupe of professional dancers competing on DWTS this season. He last appeared with Hilaria Baldwin during season 34.

“I’ll probably say a little break, a little hiatus, a little reset,” he described stepping away for season 35 in an exclusive interview with Us in September.

“I’m not retired from Dancing With the Stars. I’m coming back as a celebrity to win it,” Savchenko then quipped.

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“I don’t even remember how many seasons I’ve done nonstop and the tours,” he explained. “So this year is actually a good thing to take a break. You know, watch the show. And it’s such a cool experience when you watch it from the side, and when you’re not there, you see how amazing it is and how cheesy it is and how fun it is.”

Watching season 35, Savchenko recalled thinking “’Oh my god, I actually did that for, like, what, 12 years?!’ But it’s fun, you know. It’s fun. It’s good vibes. I just love it.”

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on October 22, 2026. Here are the key takeaways:

• Hannah Gosselin said she has not spoken to her brother Collin Gosselin in nearly a year following the release of his memoir, In the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood. In a TikTok Story, Hannah said she has stepped back from the family situation but maintains a relationship with her mom, Kate Gosselin, and her other siblings.

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• Ariana Grande debuted a sleek bob and chocolate hair color in a carousel of fall photos on Instagram, retiring her signature ponytail and waist-length locks. The singer credited stylist Brandon Pietsch, who quipped in his own post that “the ponytail is taking a hiatus.”

• Katie Thurston shared an update on surrogacy plans with husband Jeff Arcuri and pushed back on unsolicited advice to adopt amid her breast cancer journey in an exclusive interview with Us. The former Bachelorette star said she expects the search for a surrogate match could begin sometime next year, and recently revealed doctors found “no evidence of disease.”

Edited by Samantha Benitz. Story produced with AI assistance

Charli D’Amelio is opening up about her finances after months of speculation surrounding an alleged fallout with her parents, Marc and Heidi D’Amelio. The 22-year-old TikTok star revealed that she didn’t start learning about or getting involved in her own finances until around 21, despite working professionally since she was 15. Her admission comes as rumors continue to swirl about her relationship with her family, including unverified allegations that her parents mishandled millions of dollars she earned during her rise to fame. Although Charli firmly denied claims that her parents stole from her, she acknowledged that growing up in the spotlight taught her some difficult lessons about money, trust, and taking control of her career.

Charli D’Amelio Reveals She Only Started Learning About Her Money At 21

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In a revealing interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published October 21, Charli discussed the challenges of becoming a major celebrity while still a teenager. The influencer, who shot to fame on TikTok in 2019, admitted she had only recently begun taking her finances seriously.

“I didn’t start learning about and getting involved in my financials until I was about 21,” she told the publication.

Charli also reflected on how long she had been working, noting that her career began when she was 15.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to be living the life that I am, but I’ve also been working nonstop since I was 15, so I should have stuff to show for it,” she explained.

Her remarks offer a glimpse into the financial responsibilities that came with building a multimillion-dollar career before reaching adulthood. Charli did not disclose how much money she has now or suggest she earned nothing from her years of work. However, she acknowledged that navigating the business side of fame has not always been easy.

Charli D’Amelio Denies Claims Her Parents ‘Stole’ Her Money

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The financial admission comes months after allegations involving Charli’s parents began circulating online. In May, celebrity gossip account DeuxMoi shared an unverified claim suggesting that millions of dollars had allegedly been transferred from accounts associated with Charli’s career.

The allegations sparked speculation about a possible family dispute, especially after fans noticed Charli and her parents no longer followed each other on Instagram. However, when The Hollywood Reporter directly asked whether the rumors about her parents mishandling her money were true, Charli rejected the allegations.

“No, they’re not true,” she said. “I wouldn’t say that they stole my money.”

After reportedly pausing, she added, “I think we did a lot of things as a family.”

Her response marked one of the clearest public statements she has made about the controversy. The allegations against Marc and Heidi remain unsubstantiated, and Charli’s comments do not establish that any money was stolen.

Charli D’Amelio’s Father Previously Denied The Financial Allegations

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Charli’s father, Marc D’Amelio, had already pushed back against the rumors when they surfaced earlier this year. Responding to the allegations on social media, Marc insisted that the claims were false.

“This is not true. We love Charli but she is being manipulated and I have the receipts,” he wrote, according to reports at the time.

Marc also disputed suggestions that the family had depended on Charli’s earnings to support themselves. The controversy coincided with changes in Charli’s professional relationship with her family. In June, it emerged that she had separated from Be Happy Snacks, the popcorn company associated with the D’Amelio family. Her parents remained involved in the business, while Charli began to take greater independence in her career and financial decisions. The professional separation fueled further speculation about the family’s relationship, although the family has not publicly explained the reasons behind every business decision.

Charli D’Amelio Says She Is Finally Taking Control Of Her Career

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Charli’s financial revelations were part of a broader discussion about becoming more independent after years of working within a family-centered entertainment business. She parted ways with longtime manager Greg Goodfried in December 2025 and has since been making more decisions about her career without hiring a replacement.

“I like it. I’m in charge. Now I say what I’m doing and not doing,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.

The change appears significant for someone who became one of TikTok’s biggest stars while still attending high school. Charli also admitted that her experiences in the entertainment industry had changed how she approaches other people.

“You can’t be a trusting person,” she said, reflecting on lessons she learned about people’s intentions.

However, she didn’t direct that remark specifically at her parents. The influencer has continued exploring opportunities beyond social media, including performing on Broadway, as she works to build a career on her own terms.

Charli D’Amelio Opens Up About Her Relationship With Sister Dixie

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While discussing her family, Charli also addressed speculation about her relationship with older sister Dixie D’Amelio. The siblings built much of their early fame together, appearing in social media videos, business ventures, and the Hulu reality series “The D’Amelio Show.” However, questions about their relationship intensified as reports of family tensions circulated.

Asked about Dixie, Charli made it clear that their bond remains important to her.

“I mean, that’s my sister. I’m going to love her till the day I die,” she said. “But there are times where you’re figuring stuff out.”

Charli also revealed that watching episodes of the family’s reality show for the first time had been an unusual experience. She described it as “watching something I never lived,” saying she felt disconnected from parts of her life during her rapid rise to fame.

For Charli, taking charge of her finances and career is now part of a larger effort to understand those years and decide what comes next. Her latest interview offers a more complicated picture of the rumored family feud: she has denied the most serious financial allegations while acknowledging that her relationship with fame, money, and family has changed considerably.