Passenger, the latest fright flick from Norwegian horror maestro André Øvredal, hits theaters this upcoming long weekend. And while he has a full slate of upcoming projects, there’s one horror movie he doesn’t think he’ll ever get to make — even though the script was brilliant. He recently discussed the never-realized project with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff.

Øvredal is next slated to direct Bendy and the Ink Machine, an adaptation of the popular survival horror game of the same name. It’s “a very cool video game that I’m very excited about,” he told Collider. However, when it comes to dream projects, there’s one that Øvredal still thinks about. It’s a script he wrote based on an iconic horror classic: “Years ago, I wrote a script called The Overlook Hotel, and that was brilliant.” He clarifies that it was a prequel to one of Stephen King‘s most famous creations, but he doesn’t think it’ll ever make it to the screen:

“It’s a prequel to The Shining. That would be amazing. But that’s not really a movie that’s probably ever going to go.”

King’s 1978 novel The Shining centered around struggling novelist Jack Torrance and his struggle against madness and evil as he works as the isolated Overlook Hotel’s winter caretaker; the hotel’s horrific past is expanded in flashbacks as its ghosts drive Torrance to turn against everything he once held dear. Director Stanley Kubrick adapted the novel into a 1980 film with Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall; although the movie is now considered a horror classic, King himself disliked the deviations it made from the novel. King later spearheaded a 1997 miniseries adaptation that hewed more closely to the book, and wrote a sequel, Doctor Sleep, that was later adapted for film by Mike Flanagan.

What Is ‘Passenger’ About?

Passenger stars Jacob Scipio (Pieces of Her) and Lou Llobell (Foundation) as Tyler and Maddie, a young couple who are hitting the road for a van life adventure. A few weeks into their trip, however, they witness a horrific car accident that leaves a driver dead. And while that sight haunts them, so does the Passenger, a gruesome specter that follows them relentlessly. The film also stars Oscar-winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and was penned by Zachary Donohue (The Unknowable) and T.W. Burgess. It will be released on May 22.

Øvredal broke out with the Norwegian horror mockumentary Trollhunter in 2010. He has subsequently helmed the horror films The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Passenger will be released in theaters on May 22. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

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Release Date

May 22, 2026

Runtime

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94 minutes

Director

André Øvredal

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Cast

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  Joseph Lopez

  The Passenger

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The Boy Meets World cast apparently didn’t always get along behind-the-scenes of the beloved sitcom.

“They had some problems working together as … they grew up,” William Daniels’ wife, Bonnie Bartlett told Page Six in an interview published on Friday, May 22, adding that it is “very unusual” for child stars to “continue in the business” after acting onscreen at a young age.

“They have grown up together. They’ve been very smart,” Bartlett, 96, stated. “They’ve done well — all of them. That’s very unusual in a cast with children. They’ve done a good job of that. They’re good people. They’re all good people.”

Boy Meets World aired from 1993 to 2000, following preteen Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his adventures throughout middle school and beyond. The show also starred Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, Will Friedle and Daniels, 99.

Related: Inside William Daniels’ 30-Year Bond With His ‘Boy Meets World’ Costars

William Daniels wasn’t just an onscreen mentor to the young cast of Boy Meets World in the 1990s as Mr. George Feeny — he became a real-life confidant throughout 30 years of friendship. The legendary actor already had a 50-year career in Hollywood — including playing Dustin Hoffman’s father in 1967’s The Graduate and voicing […]

Daniels notably portrayed Cory’s neighbor and teacher, Mr. Feeny, who followed the friend group through high school and college. Feeny ultimately married Dean Lila Bolander (played by his real-life wife Bartlett) in the final season.

According to Bartlett, Daniels was a “positive influence” to the young actors.

“He never told them what to do, but they learned a lot just from watching him … how to behave, what is serious,” Bartlett told Page Six. “You know, with kids, it’s all a joke, it’s all funny. I think [Bill] introduced them to the seriousness of responsibility.”

In the years since BMW ended, Daniels remained close to his former costars even though Savage, 45, seemingly distanced himself from the rest of the TV family.

“He disappeared — I wish I knew why, to this day,” Friedle, 49, claimed to Variety in 2023 of Savage, who played his TV brother. “We didn’t have a fight. There’s no falling out. There was no animosity. He just woke up one day, and decided ‘I don’t want this person in my life anymore.’”

According to Friedle, he tried to initiate contact with Savage for months before giving up.

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“I’ve known him since he was 11 years old, and we have a shared history. And we were doing these conventions together, and we were getting to know each other as adults, and then he just kind of went, ‘I’m done with you,’” Friedle alleged. “I tried and tried and tried for months, until finally my wife was like, ‘Why are you doing this to yourself? He obviously doesn’t want you in his life.’”

Friedle now hosts a “Pod Meets World” recap podcast with former costars Fishel, 45, and Strong, 46. Friedle and Strong also supported Fishel during her stint on Dancing With the Stars last year, in which Daniels even made a cameo.

Savage, for his part, has not publicly discussed his rumored BMW estrangement.

Roommates, the streets are talking after a young woman tied to one of the most shocking rapper murders in recent memory — just learned her fate in court. What started as a birthday trip quickly turned deadly, and now both Alicia Andrews’ and Julio Foolio‘s names are back in headlines as new details continue to unfold from the case that rocked Florida and the rap community alike.

RELATED: Alicia Andrews Found Guilty In Murder Case Of Rapper Julio Foolio

Alicia Andrews Sentenced In Julio Foolio Killing

A judge has officially sentenced Alicia Andrews, 23, to 15 years behind bars for her role in the 2024 killing of rapper Julio Foolio, born Charles Jones II. According to reports, Andrews helped track Foolio’s movements during his birthday weekend in Tampa before he was ambushed and fatally shot outside a hotel. Prosecutors said Andrews and her boyfriend, Isaiah Chance, followed Foolio from location to location while relaying updates back to the gunmen who later opened fire.

Authorities revealed the attack stemmed from a long-running Jacksonville gang feud involving Foolio and rival groups allegedly connected to ATK and 1200. Trial testimony claimed Foolio’s social media activity and music, including diss-heavy drill tracks, intensified tensions over the years. Investigators said rivals spotted online posts about his Tampa birthday plans and allegedly used that information to coordinate the deadly retaliation mission.

Foolio’s Mother Speaks After Sentencing In Killing

During sentencing, Foolio’s mother, Sandrikas Mays, delivered an emotional statement directly addressing Andrews’ involvement. She told the court her son would still be alive had Andrews not participated in the plan, regardless of whether she pulled the trigger herself. Mays also pointed out that Andrews still has the opportunity to see her family and child, while she can no longer see her son. Her statement reportedly left the courtroom emotional as the judge prepared to hand down the maximum sentence possible for the manslaughter conviction.

“They hunted my son down like a deer in the woods. This was loyalty to v*olence over humanity. My son was treated like his life didn’t matter,” Mays can be heard saying.

Four Co-Defendants Face Life Without Parole

Prosecutors originally charged Andrews with second-degree murder, but jurors ultimately convicted her of manslaughter. Her attorney argued she played only a “minor” role in the crime and announced plans to appeal the conviction. Meanwhile, four additional defendants — Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Davion Murphy, and Rashad Murphy on first-degree murder charges. Although prosecutors pushed for the death penalty, the jury rejected it. The four men now face mandatory life sentences without parole at next month’s hearing.

RELATED: Florida Police Arrest 4 Of 5 Suspects In Connection To Murder Of Rapper Julio Foolio (VIDEOS)

Fans are reflecting on the life and legacy of rapper Rob Base after he passed away at age 59. Rob, who was from Harlem, made up one half of a hip-hop duo with DJ E-Z Rock. E-Z Rock, born Rodney Bryce, also passed away at age 56 on April 27, 2014, from complications with diabetes.

RELATED: Prayers Up! NBA YoungBoy Associate Ben10 Reportedly Shot Again In Baton Rouge Weeks After Houston Incident 

Details On Rob Base’s Passing

Rob Base, whose real name is Robert Ginyard was a prominent figure in the ’80’s hip-hop scene and built his name off the 1988 hit ‘It Takes Two.’ On Friday, May 22, Rob’s official Instagram account released a statement confirming he passed away after a private battle with cancer. The message noted that he will always be remembered for his music and legacy, along with how she showed up as a loving father, family man, and friend.

“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world. Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten. Thank you for the music, the memories, and the moments that became the soundtrack to our lives,” the statement read.

Rob passed just days after he celebrated his 59th birthday on May 18. He also dropped a message on Instagram that day, expressing gratitude and sharing a photo of himself.

Social Media Mourns Rob & Reflects On His Legacy

After news about Rob’s passing broke, The Shade Room’s comment section was flooded with reactions. Plenty of fans credited him for creating an iconic hit, while others shared how sad they feel seeing so many pioneers pass away from cancer.

Instagram user @amazing_amy797 wrote, “I’m bout to blast It Takes Two ALL day. Rest up 🙏🏾🕊️😢” 

Instagram user @jaylapage101 wrote, “Aww man RIP.” 

While Instagram user @kimmymar wrote, “Damnnnn.. it takes two is ICONIC 🔥. RIP 🙏🏽” 

Then Instagram user @onlyonesephora wrote, “Classic, Classic Classic ‼️‼️‼️ Rest Well Rob 🙏🏽” 

Another Instagram user @roycer__ wrote, “Yo MTV Raps era is goated, he was at the top of it. RIP :(” 

Instagram user @jheekidthegr8 wrote, “Mannnnn This got me stuck!!! 🙏🕊🕊” 

Then another Instagram user @iamjakkblakk wrote, “This song in skate key went crazy thank you rob base ya music will live on 🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️” 

While another Instagram user @lilngb wrote, “This song still turn block parties up🔥🔥🔥” 

Finally, Instagram user @teethespacehoochie wrote, “I don’t care how old you are when IT TAKES TWO comes on you hit them dance moves! Rest in peace to him!” 

More About Rob Base’s Career

PEOPLE reports that Rob and DJ E-Z Rock met in Harlem when they were in grade school before they formed their group. Although fans know them best for ‘It Takes Two,’ Rob and E-Z Rock dropped their first track as a duo in 1986 with “DJ Interview.”

In addition to making its mark in the hip-hop, ‘It Takes Two’ also landed in the 2009 rom-com ‘The Proposal’, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. The record peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and later earned a platinum certification from the RIAA. Since its release, artist like Snoop Dogg and others sampled it.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Heartbreaking Photos Show Funeral Of 8 Children Killed In Louisiana Mass Shooting (UPDATE)

By Robert Scucci
| Published 22 seconds ago

I love a great vibe-driven thriller where nothing is ever explicitly explained, but the catharsis experienced by its protagonist is forced upon the viewer. 2023’s Fuzzy Head is one of those films in the sense that you kind of know what’s going on, but you’re also seeing everything through the perspective of somebody who doesn’t, thanks to their prolonged state of sleep deprivation. We’re not talking about the kind of grit you’d see in a movie like The Machinist (2004), but there’s definitely some thematic overlap when it comes to its insomnia-driven plot.

Fuzzy Head is a visceral experience as we learn about our protagonist, the traumas that shaped her, and the people she still freely associates with. We catch glimpses of her fleeting thoughts as they arrive, transform into hallucinations or false memories, and dissipate in a perpetual cycle of grief, guilt, and existential dread.

I Don’t Feel Safe Here

Fuzzy Head follows Marla (writer-director Wendy McColm), a young woman who can’t remember the last time she slept. What she does remember, though questionably, is the death of her mother (Alicia Witt) when she was a child. During flashback sequences, we witness Mother putting Marla in increasingly dangerous situations, to which Marla repeats the mantra, “I don’t feel safe here.” We see a number of these exchanges throughout the film, and they all end about the same way: Mother dies from a gunshot wound to the head, and then we transition to present-day Marla, who’s still trying to process what happened.

It’s never made clear how Mother dies in Fuzzy Head until its very late third-act reveal. The mystery of whether Marla shot her abusive mother, if somebody else did, or if Mother shot herself is irrelevant until then anyway, because the real story is how grown-up Marla remembers a younger version of herself discovering her dead mother and spiraling out from there.

In the present, Marla sleepwalks through life, confiding in characters like her best friend Blank (Jonathan Tolliver), The Whistler (Rain Phoenix), and Marian (Numa Perrier). The film gets especially trippy when both of Marla’s worlds collide: the past she’s trying to escape and heal from, and the present where she’s been living in a trance-like state, melting out of one lived experience and into the day her mother died while trying to make sense of it all.

A Visually Stunning Odyssey Of Grief

Fuzzy Head isn’t a movie that offers easy answers, and that’s by design. Like real-life grief and trauma, the film strikes a nerve when you least expect it, and you simply have to digest the discomfort as you try to navigate your way through. This is not a linear account of events, but it’s not a non-linear narrative either. It’s the story of one woman under a very specific set of circumstances who’s trying to make peace with her horrible childhood and how it prematurely ended when her mother was found bleeding out on the bathroom floor.

The whole thing plays like one of those dreams you vaguely remember after only falling half asleep, and as each scene transitions to the next, whatever clarity you latched onto vaporizes right in front of your eyes. It’s a visual representation of what our protagonist is dealing with on a visceral level, and it’ll take you places that all seem strangely familiar while also feeling completely out of this world.

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

Tom Hardy may still have a place on the “MobLand” set.

It recently made headlines that the actor was fired from the show and would be scrapped from the third season due to alleged clashes with producers on set. His unbecoming attitude towards some members of the crew reportedly fueled the decision to kick him off the hit crime show.

Tom Hardy does not have a clean slate when it comes to fallouts on set. Reports, however, suggest that the movie star is taking a break to rest as the demands of his physical roles have left him “falling to bits.”

Whispers swirled that Hardy was fired from his gritty crime drama show after clashes with producers, but now reports show that there is a grey area in the case.

A source with direct knowledge told news outlets that while there is a good chance the actor may not return to the Paramount+ series, there is a slight chance the situation may be overturned.

TMZ reports that, according to the insider, the situation is fluid. The show has not officially been picked up for the third season, so there are still large uncertainties as to where Hardy stands with his role on “MobLand.”

Hardy’s firing reportedly came as a result of a behind-the-scenes clash with producers David Glasser and Jez Butterworth. The situation became heated, and Butterworth allegedly put Paramount in a fix to choose between him and the actor.

Inside The Alleged Altercation Between The Actor And The Producer

As earlier stated, one of the reasons the actor was booted off the show was that he got involved in a series of intense altercations with the hit show’s producers. Sources suggest Hardy has become difficult to work with, as per The Blast.

In addition to the clashes with crew members, the actor was accused of turning up late to set and attempting to change some lines during filming. He also allegedly offered unsolicited notes on the script, leaving crew members dissatisfied. 

According to insiders, Hardy, who plays the role of fixer Harry Da Souza alongside A-list stars Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren, had become disgruntled about how the series was becoming more about his co-stars. 

Since premiering on the streamer last year, the London-based crime family drama has been a big success for Paramount+ and was renewed for a second season. While a third season is yet to be announced, it is quite unlikely the series will end with the second season.

The ‘Venom’ Actor Is No Stranger To On-Set Brawls

Hardy has made global headlines for questionable behavior on set, though over a decade ago. His notoriously volatile behavior during the filming of the 2015 blockbuster “Mad Max: Fury Road” was one for the books.

Previous reports detailed that he got into heated verbal exchanges with his co-star, Charlize Theron, who reportedly accused him of coming very late to set and called him a “f-cking c-nt.”

The altercation left Theron scared of his “aggressive” behavior, and she had to get a female producer to be with her at all times for “protection.” 

The situation escalated, and Hardy, according to director George Miller, refused to continue working until he had to be “coaxed out of his trailer” to work. The actor accepted responsibility for his wrongdoing, admitting that he should have done things differently.

“In hindsight, I was in over my head in many ways. The pressure on both of us was overwhelming at times. What she needed was a better, perhaps more experienced partner in me,” he previously said, addressing his clash with Theron. 

A Sabbatical Is In The Works For The Actor 

Last month, headlines carried that Hardy would be stepping away from the spotlight following the wrap of his latest crime drama “MobLand.” The reason for the acting hiatus was revealed to be that the demands of his physical roles have left him “falling to bits.” 

There has been no reported timeline for this break, although it was noted that he plans to be out of the spotlight for the foreseeable future on his major career break.

As shared by The Blast, Hardy will be stepping back “so he can have a rest,” as he previously complained that his demanding roles are physically wearing him out. 

Starring in hit action films like “Venom,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and “Taboo,” with rigorous physical activities and stunts, the physical roles seemed to have taken a toll on him, and he may go off-screen for several years to recover. 

Besides his desire to keep his health and physical abilities in check, the TV show star wants to spend quality time with his family. Hardy is married to actress Charlotte Riley, and they share two children. 

Tom Hardy Likes Real-Life Physical Activities

Even though his on-screen roles are physically demanding, Hardy seemingly likes them like that and would not ask for any less. Off-screen, the actor participates in martial arts competitions and even won a gold medal at a Jiu-Jitsu competition in England in 2022.

Gasps filled the room when the actor, who was a blue-belt holder at the time, showed up as a competitor at the 2022 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship. According to his opponent, who had participated in over five tournaments, the TV star was his strongest competitor.  

According to The Blast, Hardy later explained that he joined the competition to support a global nonprofit organization named REORG. The nonprofit promotes the sport as a means of therapy for active military and veterans who are suffering from mental health issues. 

He further explained that REORG  utilized “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Physical Fitness Training as a form of therapy to overcome physical and mental challenges, strengthen social connections, and improve overall health and well-being.” Utilizing his training helped him feel calmer and a deeper sense of inner resilience.

Will Tom Hardy return to “MobLand?”

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 minute ago

Here’s a question for you Star Trek superfans out there: what do you think William Shatner’s craziest idea was? If you know enough about the man’s creative resume, you might be tempted to say his TekWar series. Or, for an even deeper cut, his musical journey (seriously, his rendition of “Tambourine Man” is shocking in all the worst ways). When it comes to the franchise that made him famous, though, the answer probably involves Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Following Leonard Nimoy’s two successful Trek movies, Shatner switched from the captain’s chair to the director’s chair to give us the worst film in the franchise (at least, until Section 31 came to life). 

Most of the jokes about the Final Frontier focus on the bonkers ending in which Kirk pisses off God so much that this higher being sprouts laser eyes. Believe it or not, though, this ending was originally going to be even crazier because Shatner wanted to film himself fighting 10 rock men (not a euphemism, I swear) as an appetizer to his fight with God. This had to be cut for budget reasons, but Star Trek later brought this idea to life by showing hallucinated rock monsters in the Enterprise episode “Strange New World”!

What Does God Need With A Rock Monster?

You’re gonna need a lot of context for this, so grab your favorite “Go climb a rock” shirt and buckle up. In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (which Shatner both directed and co-developed the story for), there was an epic fight scene scripted where Captain Kirk would fight 10 “rock men” who emerge from the stone faces of the exotic alien planet, Sha Ka Ree. But this plan was mostly scrapped due to the extreme budget cuts facing the film. The crew did rig up a single animatronic rock man, but the scene of it attacking Kirk looked so embarrassing that it was cut entirely.

A mere 12 years later, the Enterprise episode “Strange New World” premiered. Some of the Enterprise crew excitedly visit the surface of an Earth-like planet, but a storm sends them seeking shelter; they soon discover that there are creepy monsters hiding within nearby caves. In a twist, the monsters are revealed to be hallucinations caused by some trippy space pollen on the planet. What’s interesting, though, is exactly what the crew members hallucinated. Look closely, and you will see they are rock men, which is a clear homage to the abandoned rock monster concept from the Final Frontier!

Sci-Fi Meets The Stone Age

While it was cool to belatedly see Star Trek bring William Shatner’s rock monsters to life, the franchise was effectively beaten to the punch two years earlier. 1999 saw the release of Galaxy Quest, which was one big love letter to Trek. In it, Tim Allen’s Shatner-like character faces off against Gorignak, a giant rock monster that also serves as an homage to The Final Frontier’s abandoned rock monster idea. Eventually, worlds collided when the video game Star Trek: Fleet Command got a Galaxy Quest crossover that brought over several familiar characters from the film, including the Gorignak!  

On one hand, it’s kind of sad that we never got to see William Shatner fighting a bunch of animatronic rock monsters in The Final Frontier; after all, an added layer of cheesiness could only improve that stinker of a film. On the other hand, though, all of the rock monster homages over the years, including a giant CGI monster in Galaxy Quest and creepy hallucinations in Enterprise, almost make the sacrifice worth it. If you’re still disappointed you never got to see Captain Kirk fighting a rock-hard alien who could easily pin him, you could always just go read some fanfiction based on “Amok Time.” Don’t worry, I won’t judge you!

Not that much, anyway.

Taylor Swift’s upcoming wedding to Travis Kelce is already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about celebrity events of the year.

But while fans are focused on the glamorous guest list, hidden venue details, and designer dress rumors, not everyone invited seems thrilled.

Behind the excitement, some guests are reportedly upset over strict invitation rules that have left a few reconsidering whether they even want to attend.

As anticipation builds around the July 3 ceremony in New York City, one issue has reportedly created tension among invitees. According to Daily Mail, some guests were surprised to discover they were not allowed to bring a plus one.

One unnamed guest admitted the restriction left her uncomfortable about attending alone. “My invite did not let me bring a plus one,” the source told the outlet.

The guest went on to explain why the decision made her hesitant about showing up at all. She said, “I mean, what am I supposed to do? Go alone? That is so awkward. I don’t think I am going to attend because I don’t want to go by myself and I am not sure I will know too many people there. I mean, sorry, I am not friends with Gigi and Bella Hadid!”

The frustration appears to stem from the fact that some attendees were reportedly given permission to bring partners while others were not. That uneven treatment allegedly left some guests feeling singled out.

“I know Selena Gomez is bringing her husband Benny Blanco, so she has a plus one, but I am not allowed to have a plus one because I am a single woman. I get it, the venue can probably allow for only so many people, but it’s not the best feeling,” the source added.

Despite the disappointment, the guest made it clear there were no hard feelings toward Swift personally. Still, the awkwardness surrounding the invitation process has apparently become a major topic among those expected to attend.

Taylor Swift Wedding Venue Mystery Fuels Speculation

Another unusual detail surrounding the wedding has only added to the growing buzz. Guests reportedly still do not know where the ceremony will actually take place.

Instead, attendees are expected to learn the exact location on the morning of July 3. The secrecy has triggered nonstop speculation online and among Swift’s celebrity circle.

The unnamed source admitted that they understood the reasoning behind the decision. “I get that too, she doesn’t want everyone knowing where she is getting married until the last minute for security reasons,” the guest explained.

Still, the mystery has created a guessing game among invitees trying to figure out where one of the year’s biggest celebrity weddings could happen.

“Now it is one big guessing game, everyone is wondering where it will be. Probably a massive hotel like the Waldorf Astoria that has amazing security and access,” the source said.

The legendary Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan would certainly match the scale of the occasion. The historic hotel has long been tied to high-profile celebrity and political moments, including John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy’s honeymoon in 1953. Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III also famously announced their engagement there in 1956.

Even with the confusion surrounding the venue and invitation rules, the source insisted they still support Swift and understand the pressure attached to an event this massive.

Celebrity Guest List Adds Pressure To The Event

Part of what makes the situation feel intimidating for some attendees is the sheer level of celebrity expected at the wedding.

The rumored guest list reportedly includes Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Lena Dunham, and Zoe Kravitz. Travis Kelce’s side is also expected to bring major names from the sports world.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has already confirmed he will attend the ceremony. Travis’s brother Jason Kelce, teammate Patrick Mahomes, and actor Miles Teller are also expected to be present.

For guests who are not part of Swift’s inner celebrity circle, walking into a room filled with A-list stars alone could understandably feel intimidating.

That concern became especially clear when the source admitted, “It’s the wedding of the year, but I may sit this one out because I am shy.”

Travis Kelce And Taylor Swift Continue Building Buzz

Swift and Travis have spent the past few years becoming one of entertainment’s biggest power couples.

After first going public with their relationship in 2023, the pair officially announced their engagement in August 2025.

The announcement instantly dominated social media after the couple shared photos of Travis proposing in a garden setting.

Swift also showed off her large diamond engagement ring while jokingly captioning the post, “Your English teacher and gym teacher are getting married.”

Since then, nearly every reported detail surrounding the wedding has turned into headline news. From the guest list to the venue mystery, interest in the ceremony has only intensified as the date approaches.

Swift’s Wedding Dress Rumors Take Over Online

Beyond the guest drama, fans are also obsessed with speculation surrounding Taylor Swift’s wedding dress.

Reports previously claimed the singer may wear a custom Stella McCartney gown inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s famous 1950 wedding dress when the Hollywood icon married Conrad Hilton.

The inspiration reportedly connects to Swift’s longtime admiration for Taylor, whom she referenced musically on her recent album, “The Life Of A Showgirl.”

As the wedding date gets closer, the secrecy surrounding the event continues fueling even more curiosity.

However, for some guests, the biggest concern right now has less to do with fashion or celebrity sightings and more to do with whether attending alone is worth the discomfort.

By Jonathan Klotz and Joshua Tyler | Published 6 seconds ago

Star Wars used to be the end-all, be-all in space sci-fi, but in the years since the original trilogy, others have rushed in to fill the void left by its waning popularity. Whether you love new Star Wars or hate it, you’d probably still love more of that old-school Star Wars vibe. Luckily, there’s a way to get it.

We set out to determine which non-Star Wars movies and TV shows most capture the feel of Star Wars, while at the same time delivering the best possible spectacle and story. It’s not just a ranking of which entry is best. If it were, then Babylon 5 would be a lot closer to the top.

These are the 18 best sci-fis that are most like Star Wars, without actually being Star Wars.

18. Jupiter Ascending 

Jupiter Ascending is the only entry on this list that includes Channing Tatum playing a half-man/half-dog. There’s no hiding the fact that Jupiter Ascending is a strange movie. It was supposed to be the Wachowskis grand return to sci-fi cinema, but instead, it’s a glorious mess. 

Mila Kunis plays Jupiter, a housekeeper and secretly the Queen of Earth. The forces of House Abrasax, led by Balem, want to stop her from claiming her legacy. Eddie Redmayne’s performance as the villain may make you think he wandered in off a different, far more serious movie, but no, that’s just how uneven the tone is. 

For all of its faults, Jupiter Ascending was a throwback in 2015 to the 90s-style of sci-fi that tossed you into a strange, wonderful world, and dared you to try and keep up with it. The film doesn’t work; it’s barely coherent, visually confusing, and the acting is… questionable. And yet, Jupiter Ascending dared to be weird, it tried to do something different, and a decade of sanitized, by-the-numbers sci-fi later, it’s worth checking out for anyone sick and tired of movies developed by committee. 

17. Rebel Moon 

Zack Snyder wanted to make a Star Wars film, but Disney said no, so he went to Netflix and made Rebel Moon. Sometimes it really is that simple. George Lucas used Akira Kurosawa’s Hidden Fortress as inspiration for A New Hope, and Snyder used Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai as inspiration for Rebel Moon.

Adapting Seven Samurai is always a recipe for success. It’s a great story. A few holding out against all odds against the many? Rebel Moon is a handful against a battalion. 

It’s one of Netflix’s most expensive original movies. The streaming giant gave Snyder a blank check, and it looks like it. Rebel Moon is near the bottom of this list for a reason, but it’s worth checking out once, if for no other reason than to see Zach Snyder’s vision for Star Wars, but it’s a bit of a drag with uneven pacing and the patron saint of bad movies, Charlie Hunnam.

You can also experience the sequel, The Scargiver, which was so bad that Netflix yanked the black check out of Snyder’s hands before he could utter the words, “Trilogy.”

16. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets

Few people in Hollywood can match the visual style of French director Luc Besson. He brought to life The Fifth Element and Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy, but his most beautiful film is Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. Based on a French comic series, the film is packed full of stunning visuals; each world on its own would be the highlight of any other movie, but here, it’s just scene 5. 

Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne lead the cast as Federation Soldiers sucked into a decades-old conspiracy around a missing planet. The massive space station Alpha is home to over 3,000 alien species, and maintaining peace among them is a dangerous balancing act. In Valerian, the focus isn’t on Babylon 5-style politics, but on exploring different worlds and coming across a new alien species every 10 minutes, making the film a visual masterpiece. 

If your favorite part of Star Wars is the constant parade of unique and strange background aliens, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is the perfect movie for you. 

15. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

The success of Star Wars in 1977 took Hollywood by surprise and started a scramble for the next big sci-fi hit. Universal Pictures pulled the old Buck Rogers license out of mothballs and turned it into a television series, but then, six months after the series had debuted, the television pilot hit theaters as a standalone movie. 

That sounds convoluted, but then again, so does everything when it comes to Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, a film that put trade negotiations front and center decades before The Phantom Menace. NASA astronaut Buck Rogers emerges from suspended animation in the 25th century and immediately finds himself in the middle of trouble between the remaining humans on Earth, living in New Chicago, and the Draconians, an alien species secretly plotting to conquer the planet. 

The movie is again a pilot for the two-season television series, which started with Buck as a defender of New Chicago and, in season two, had him roaming the galaxy with his crew to find the lost tribes of humanity. If you were to mash the Star Wars prequels against Flash Gordon, you’d get Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

14. Babylon 5

If your favorite part of Star Wars was the Galactic Senate from the prequels, then there’s a 90s sci-fi series for you. Babylon 5 puts the focus on intergalactic politics in a way no show has before, or since. Set on a space station that houses countless alien species, all with their own goals, motivations, and ancient grudges, it’s sci-fi for the most hardcore of sci-fi fans. 

The show starts off with an attempted assassination on the Vorlon ambassador, Kosh, and Babylon 5’s commander, Jeffrey Sinclair, is the prime suspect. It’s a quaint beginning for a show that would eventually culminate in one of the best sci-fi wars ever shown on a television budget. Unlike every other show on this list, Babylon 5 was plotted from the very beginning to tell a single, cohesive story over 5 seasons. 

That right there puts it above The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker, two feature films that couldn’t agree on what story the sequel trilogy was trying to tell. 

13. Krull

It was one of the largest box office bombs in history. For decades, it was the butt of jokes. But Krull had the last laugh. Combining science fiction with fantasy, a simple rescue-the-princess plot alongside one of the coolest weapons in movie history, Krull became a cult classic. 

After The Beast interrupts Prince Colwyn’s wedding to Princess Lyssa, he sets off on a quest to win her back. The only thing in his way is the Beast’s mountainous Black Fortress and an army of Slayers. All Colwyn has is a band of magicians, thieves, including a young Liam Neeson, and a cyclops. 

The special effects don’t hold up today, the plot is as basic as it gets, but there’s no denying that Krull is a fun movie. Sometimes you don’t need 30 minutes of worldbuilding and exposition; all you need is a quest to slay an evil warlord and rescue a princess.

12. Killjoys

Say “sci-fi western” and most people think of The Mandalorian, or Firefly, but there has to be someone, at least one person out there, who thinks of Killjoys. The Canadian Sci-Fi original series aired for 5 seasons, from 2014 to 2019, and you didn’t watch a single one.

Dutch, Johnny, and Da’vin work as bounty hunters, and these three are professionals, so they don’t disintegrate any of their targets. Looking at you, Boba Fett. Over the course of 50 episodes, the trio unravels the mysteries of the universe, upends the delicate political structure, and end up saving the universe. A few times. 

When Star Wars fans were excited over the video game Star Wars: Outlaws, or the canceled 1313, what they wanted was a game that plays like Killjoys. It’s a sci-fi western about characters who aren’t exactly heroes, but unlike that other show, this one was able to tell a complete story. That and you have to love a show that uses the name, Team Awesome Force. 

11. Stargate

It’s hard to remember now, but for most of the 80s and 90s, Star Wars wasn’t a pop culture juggernaut; it was something nerds loved. During that dark period, studios tried to create their own Star Wars-style sci-fi franchises, and of all of them, Stargate found the most success. It all began with the 1995 Roland Emmerich film that sent the U.S. military through a portal to battle an Egyptian God. Surprise. It’s an alien. 

Unlike other movies on this list that throw an endless string of nonsense names and deep, unfathomable lore at viewers within the first 30 seconds, Stargate takes its time to explain what’s going on (there’s a strange portal, they go through it), why it’s important (can Ra invade Earth from his side?), and teases at why the aliens all look like they came out of Ancient Egypt. 

Stargate introduced moviegoers to a universe of infinite possibilities, and for once, it paid off with the launch of the television franchise (does this sound familiar?). Between Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe, there are 17 seasons of amazing sci-fi adventure television waiting to be discovered. Best of all, there’s a new series coming to Amazon Prime. The Stargate is opening again and now’s the time to step through. 

10. The Last Starfighter

It’s every kid’s dream. After countless hours playing a video game, it becomes real, and you get to save the universe. 1984’s The Last Starfighter is pure wish fulfillment, and it’s awesome. 

Like Star Wars: A New Hope, it follows the classic hero’s journey format. Only, instead of growing up in the desert, our future hero fighter pilot grows up in a trailer park.

Teenager Alex Rogan earns the high score in the arcade game Starfighter, not realizing it was developed by an undercover alien to locate warriors to save his planet. Alex goes from living in a trailer park to flying a real spaceship against real aliens in the span of 48 hours. 

The greatest tragedy about The Last Starfighter is that we never received a legacy sequel. 40 years later, video games are more popular than ever before. A modern-day remake would be a license to print money. Sci-fi can be wish fulfillment that exists for no other reason than to be fun and make you happy. To this day, nothing hits that mark quite like The Last Starfighter.

9. The Fifth Element

One of Bruce Willis’s best movies, The Fifth Element launched the career of Milla Jovovich, helped turn Chris Tucker into a star, and proved that well-written, visually-stunning sci-fi could become a blockbuster even in the jaded culture of the 90s. By 1997, caring about things and earnestness was considered uncool, which became a plot point in Luc Besson’s sci-fi magnum opus. How The Fifth Element earned over $290 million at the box office, and millions more through DVD sales, should be studied by upcoming filmmakers. 

The Fifth Element turned a futuristic cabbie into an unlikely savior when the reincarnation of a forgotten alien species lands on the hood of his cab. Together, the two have to stop The Great Evil from consuming Earth by overcoming Zorg, a greedy billionaire who might be the creepiest sci-fi villain of the 90s thanks to Gary Oldman’s scenery-chewing performance. 

Few films to this day are as manic as The Fifth Element, which deserves to be right up there on every sci-fi fan’s Mt. Rushmore and, in the process, delivers some of the same kinds of space thrills as Star Wars. 

8. Flash Gordon

Besides the amazing soundtrack provided by Queen, Flash Gordon is the most American sci-fi movie you’ll ever come across. A quarterback saves the universe using his football skills to take down a unit of elite guards? How awesome is that? 

Star Wars was inspired by the serials of the 1930s, and Flash Gordon was one of those serials. But it started out as a comic strip, and you can tell. The villain’s name is Ming the Merciless, all the visual designs are old-school pre-Star Wars sci-fi, and again, the hero’s name is Flash Gordon. This is pure camp, and that’s before you get to the legendary overacting of Brian Blessed as Vultan! 

The tropes, designs, and plot beats of Flash Gordon make it required viewing for all sci-fi fans, and it has the same DNA as Star Wars. You can’t appreciate how far science fiction has come if you don’t know where it started. Flash Gordon is a love letter to the genre’s pulp roots, and honestly, you wish more films were made today in the retro-futuristic style. Ming the Merciless may be corny, but the man’s rizz is unmatched. 

7. John Carter 

In a just world, John Carter would have been the start of a retro-futuristic sci-fi franchise to rival Star Wars in scale and scope. Taylor Kitsch should have become a superstar. John Carter is a fantastic movie that bombed hard because Disney had no idea how to market it. 

Adapting the classic sci-fi pulp novel, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the same man who created Tarzan, John Carter looks fantastic, and the story of a  Civil War soldier sent to Mars is a straight-up crowd-pleaser. Unfortunately, the limited crowds that went to see it weren’t enough to make it a success. 

John Carter’s Mars vistas stretch on forever, but that beauty came with a hefty price tag. The film needed to earn $600 million to break even. It earned $300 million. Disney lost hundreds of millions of dollars and decided instead of turning John Carter into a sci-fi franchise, they’d go out and buy one. 

Three years later, Disney bought Star Wars. 

Now do you wish you had seen Taylor Kitsch’s cult hit in theaters when you had the chance?

6. Farscape

Star Wars has shifted gears in the last few years, becoming a streaming franchise. It’s playing catch-up behind the 90s and early 2000’s series Farscape, which perfected the serialized formula of ragtag heroes going up against an oppressive government. Farscape is clearly influenced by the original trilogy, right down to having Jim Henson’s Creatureworks provide puppets, but that’s not a bad thing. 

Farscape starts off with human astronaut John Crichton surviving a trip through a wormhole and winding up on the far side of the galaxy. He quickly learns to get along with the escaped convicts Ka D’Argo, Zhaan, and Rygel on board a living spaceship, the Moya, as they try to stay one step ahead of the corrupt Peacekeepers. Later on, the leather-clad villain Scorpius comes after Crichton for his hidden knowledge of wormholes, and this all leads to Crichton being split into two separate versions: an imaginary Scorpius living in his head, the organic spaceship giving birth, and a constant struggle to survive when it feels the entire universe is out to get them. 

If you liked the original trilogy, and even if you liked Guardians of the Galaxy, you need to fire up Farscape and start binging it right now. This is everything fans wanted out of a Star Wars streaming series.

Welcome To The Top 5

Congratulations, you’ve reached the top five, and things are about to get really fun. Keep in mind that this list is ranked by two criteria: how much something is like Star Wars and how good it is. 

It’s an average of the two factors, which can result in all kinds of ranking weirdness, especially in the lower levels of this list. These are the 5 best Star Wars sci-fis that aren’t Star Wars at all. 

5. Predator: Badlands

Remember when Chewbacca carried C3-PO on his back? How the mismatched characters played off of each other? Turn that into a survival story on an alien planet where everything is trying to kill them, and you get Predator: Badlands, the latest in the long-running franchise. 

Dek is a Predator who heads off to a planet in order to hunt down the apex predator. A Weyland-Yutani android is the only survivor of an encounter with the beast. Only the top half of her body survived. Dek straps her to his back, and together, they navigate a world where everything is trying to kill them. 

It has the feel of a Star Wars novel in the best way possible. It’s easy to imagine a Wookie and a droid having to navigate a planet similar to Genna. Predator: Badlands lacks the size and scope of a Star Wars film, but it’s an absolute blast from start to finish. All it takes is one setting, two characters, and a horde of bizarre alien lifeforms that make the Rancor look like a puppy. 

4. Firefly

The Mandalorian was praised for taking Star Wars in a bold new direction: Space Western. Well, why not take some time and enjoy the series that put space westerns on the map? Firefly is still the greatest one-season sci-fi series of all time, and the sequel film, Serenity, is the perfect ending to the crew’s story. 

Out on the edge of the known galaxy, Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew pick up odd jobs, carrying cows, protecting a brothel, whatever they have to do to get enough gas to keep flying. Imagine the adventures of smuggler Han Solo under the watchful eye of the Empire, and that’s Firefly, only with no aliens, more cowboy hats, and more jokes. 

A new animated series is on the way, set between the end of Season 1 and Serenity, making this the best time to get caught up on the space western that paved the way for The Mandalorian. 

3. Dune

David Lynch’s Dune is an underrated masterpiece, but Denis Villeneuve’s modern adaptation turned the classic sci-fi novel into a blockbuster. 12 years before Star Wars, author Frank Herbert took sci-fi fans to the planet of Arakkis, the center of intergalactic politics and trade, thanks to the miracle mineral: Spice. Imagine if Tattooine was important for any reason other than its abundance of Skywalkers, and that’s Arakkis. 

It even has a chosen one, destined to reshape the galaxy. Paul Atreides is the hero that Anakin Skywalker wishes he could be. Paul liberates his planet, unites a people, has twins destined to be even greater than him, and doesn’t become a villain. In the first two movies. 

Star Wars is more of a space fantasy than hard sci-fi, but Dune isn’t afraid to get weird. Later books include human/sandworm hybrid that lives for thousands of years and rules over the galaxy. Oddly, that’s not as strange as it gets. 

2. The Expanse

A grounded, hard sci-fi series might not seem like it would have much in common with Star Wars, but The Expanse centers around a ragtag group of misfits on a medium size ship flying around saving the Galaxy. 

It’s based on a series of books set in a not-too-distant future where humanity has colonized the solar system. Earth, Mars, and the asteroid belt are locked in political tension, and a crew of unlikely allies gets pulled into events that reshape civilization. 

Despite being a totally different type of space sci-fi from Star Wars, The Expanse pulls off the crew of the Millennium Falcon against the universe vibe better than anything has since The Empire Strikes Back. Ride shotgun with the crew of the Rocinante as they battle to save the solar system from threats not inside and out, on one of the best sci-fi shows ever produced. 

1. Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy is so much fun, it turned a dancing tree into the hottest Christmas toy. Comic fans knew how strange and bizarre the cosmic side of Marvel was, but in 2014, the general public took a trip to Knowhere and had their minds blown for the first time since they stepped foot inside a hive of scum and villainy. 

The colorful cast even brings to mind the original trilogy, except both Star-Lord and Rocket are Han Solo, Gamora is Leia’s intrusive thoughts given physical form, Drax is C-3PO, Groot is R2-D2, and Mantis is… there. 

The Guardians trilogy is among the very best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and any one of them could be someone’s favorite movie, and you know what, sure. It’s fun, and it’s awesome. Each one of them reveals another strange corner of the galaxy, and while yes, Adam Warlock was wasted, the thrill of what comes next is only comparable to the original trilogy.