A broad spoof of British period dramas was never going to be for everyone. But Fackham Hall clearly found the exact audience it needed once it hit streaming. The film arrived on HBO Max earlier this month, and from there it started doing the kind of numbers that make a fake-stuffy comedy suddenly look like a very smart bet.
After its streaming debut, the movie shot up HBO Max’s chart in the U.S., and it’s amazing how quickly it caught on. That’s a pretty great result for a title that looked niche on paper but now seems to be benefiting from the fact that viewers are always in the mood for something unserious. The cast includes Damian Lewis and Tom Felton, and the film plays like a deliberately silly cousin to Downton Abbeywith murder-mystery energy thrown in. It’s exactly the kind of comedy that can get overlooked in theaters and then absolutely take off once people can watch it at home. HBO Max has turned it into a genuine surprise story.
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Is ‘Fackham Hall’ Worth Watching?
Collider’s review by Maggie Lovitt stated that Fackham Hall is a very mixed comedy, but it still has enough charm to work more often than not. The film takes clear aim at Downton Abbey and other old-fashioned period dramas, mocking their stiff manners, family traditions, and upstairs-downstairs romance stories. Some of the jokes are smart and some are painfully silly, so whether it works for you will depend a lot on your tolerance for very British, very goofy humor.
“Fackham Hall holds its own as the first of its kind — and carves out a brand-new niche in the satire landscape. No one has been brave enough to take on Downton Abbey (outside of SNL), and Fackham Hall sets a high standard for subsequent period drama satires. With the volume off, Fackham Hall looks like a brand-new historical drama to swoon over, with no expense spared on the production, but with the volume on, it’s a period drama that frat boys might actually be interested in.”
Fackham Hall is streaming now.
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Release Date
December 5, 2025
Runtime
97 minutes
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Director
Jim O’Hanlon
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Writers
Steve Dawson, Andrew Dawson, Jimmy Carr, Patrick Carr, Tim Inman
If you’re looking at overall great decades for cinema, and trying to single out which was the best one overall, the two main competitors – at least of the 20th century – are likely going to be the 1970s and 1990s. What follows is not an argument that the 1990s was better, but an acknowledgment that the decade was at least one of the very best in cinema history, with a selection of movies to showcase that.
These are among the best of the ‘90s, and they also feel like the most important movies of the ‘90s. If a movie made a splash at the time, or seemed to summarize the decade in some way, or did a bit of both while having enduring legacies beyond the 1990s, then such a movie has a chance of landing on this ranking.
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10
‘Trainspotting’ (1996)
Ewan McGregor as Mark Renton, smoking a cigarette at a nightclub in ‘Trainspotting’.Image via PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
The soundtrack plays a fairly decent role in Trainspotting being as beloved a cult classic as it is, and the music’s also one factor in the movie’s overall ‘90s energy and style. Yes, there are songs in the soundtrack from before the 1990s, but those older tracks are paired well with more contemporary (or modern at the time) music, and the attitude of doing that and making it work in such a way feels fitting for the time. Somehow. Again, vibes.
Narratively, Trainspotting is mostly about addiction, and the chaos that comes about when life, already with its ups and downs, is made simultaneously more exhilarating and more despairing when drugs enter the picture. You do get an exploration of the good with the bad, which makes Trainspotting surprisingly nuanced, and there is almost a level of danger to the whole film that would’ve been alarming in 1996, and still feels quite surprising, in some ways, three decades later. Oh, and the film led to a surprisingly good legacy sequel 21 years down the line, too.
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9
‘The Matrix’ (1999)
Image via Warner Bros.
Approaching The Matrix now, it’s a little hard to tell whether it was the culmination of the 1990s, or a foreshadowing of the decade to come. It’s classic science fiction, in any event, with some parts of it feeling distinctly of the time, while other aspects were indeed forward-thinking, so it’s a bit of both. And, anyway, an important part of a decade’s end is what it means for the next decade.
In the case of The Matrix, it was helping to alter what was popular action-wise, with a martial arts resurgence that it helped kick off on an international scale, alongside Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and then maybe Kill Bill, too. Focusing on The Matrix, though, it has that sort of edgy ‘90s vibe and angst, yet channeled into something unique, all the while being the perfect sort of science fiction movie for that specific time in history.
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8
‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)
John Travolta as Vincent and Uma Thurman as Mia dancing during the 50s diner scene in Pulp Fiction (1994)Image via Miramax Films
No disrespect to Reservoir Dogs, which came earlier and so was arguably more important for establishing the whole “indie” boom, signified by various young directors unapologetically making their mark on cinema in the first half of the 1990s. Quentin Tarantino really did do that with Reservoir Dogs, which is a largely great film, but with Pulp Fiction, he did something similarly bold and made something even better.
Pulp Fiction tells three fairly chaotic and darkly funny crime stories that sometimes collide violently, but nonetheless collide in ways that make an odd sort of sense.
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Also, Pulp Fiction is one of the first movies people will think about when they hear the term “1990s cinema,” and that’s for better or worse (because the films that tried to be Pulp Fiction, but failed, were often painful to get through). As for what this one’s about: lots of stuff, with three fairly chaotic and darkly funny crime stories sometimes colliding violently, but nonetheless colliding in ways that make an odd sort of sense. It’s an easy film to take for granted nowadays, but if you place yourself back in 1994 as best as you can, you can hopefully appreciate what a shock to the system Pulp Fiction was, at the time.
7
‘Titanic’ (1997)
Image via Paramount Pictures
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If someone wants to scoff at the idea of Titanic being singled out as a genre-defining movie, then hey, they’re welcome to. People can disagree with any movie being here, or feel grumpy about any movie not being here. There’s freedom there, but Titanic is here on the basis of it being a huge deal, and one of the all-time great pieces of mass-appeal cinema, owing to its marriage of the romance and disaster genres rather seamlessly.
It’s all about the titular ship, and more specifically, about two young people from different backgrounds on that ship who fall in love, and then all the inevitable drama and heartbreak that comes about when they try to survive its sinking together. Much of Titanic is still spectacular, and even if there are things to be cynical about here (such is the case for lots of broadly appealing movies), it’s also an easy film to get swept up in, if you’re willing to give yourself over to its emotional core.
6
‘Fargo’ (1996)
Image via Gramercy Pictures
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It’s hard to pick which Coen Brothers movie of the ‘90s is more iconic, out of Fargo and The Big Lebowski, so consider the latter’s shout-out there as something of an honorable mention. Fargo might well be a more perfect movie, and perhaps more striking, not to mention succeeding as a blend of the dark comedy, crime, tragedy, and thriller genres, alongside maybe some other things, too (possibly even film noir, or at least neo-noir).
There’s also something about Fargo’s energy and look that feels very 1990s, which might sound like a weird thing to say when the movie’s technically set in the late 1980s, but it’s a vibe thing. Fargo does a lot emotionally and succeeds in taking you on an odd sort of ride, and there really isn’t anything else quite like it, even if some Coen Brothers movies at least partly scratch the same itch (like Blood Simple), and even with the fact that there is a Fargo TV series based on/inspired by the film.
5
‘Heat’ (1995)
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
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Heat is an all-timer of a heist movie, and also much more than just a heist movie. Like, the two main characters are a police detective and a master thief/criminal, respectively, and the movie is mostly about the former trying to stop the latter from pulling off a massive bank heist, yet there’s a good deal of drama (plus a fair few side characters) to make Heat feel like more than just an action/crime film.
Without any shootouts or chases, it would still be riveting because of how it explores aspects of human nature, especially relating to men. It’s a movie kind of for the boys, sure, but it’s nuanced and has things to critique regarding the things that men (on either side of the law) do. And then it’s also just cool and exciting. It manages to have the cake, eat the cake, still have the cake, eat more of the cake, somehow the cake comes back and stays had, then the cake’s nibbled at again, and on and on, until Heat wraps up after a very satisfying (almost) three-hour runtime.
4
‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)
A T. rex looking at a flare in the rain during a tense scene in the original Jurassic Park (1993)Image via Universal Pictures
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There are other iconic Steven Spielberg movies he directed during the 1990s for sure, beyond just Jurassic Park. Schindler’s List even came out the same year as Jurassic Park, and was obviously a very different sort of movie, and then 1998’s Saving Private Ryan was also one of the most important movies of the ‘90s. Yet Jurassic Park is going here, even if those war films of Spielberg’s might technically have more to say.
Jurassic Park is important for the decade for other reasons. Namely, it was revolutionary in terms of technology and special effects, and then it was also arguably the definitive blockbuster of the ‘90s, or it sits alongside Titanic when looking at movies from the decade that went big and succeeded immensely. Also, no movie with dinosaurs has ever come close to being as good as Jurassic Park, just like how no shark-related movie has ever really come close to touching Spielberg’s Jaws.
3
‘Goodfellas’ (1990)
While it’s unfair to say that gangster movies made before Goodfellas lacked any kind of brutal honesty, Goodfellas does feel like it went the extra mile in that regard, and probably influenced The Sopranos more than any other gangster movie. And, hey, if you count a show’s decade as the one in which it began airing, then you could call The Sopranos the best show of the 1990s. Even if not, Goodfellas influenced the best gangster show of the 2000s, so to spin that in a lawyerly way, look at that: its influence went well beyond the decade it was released during.
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It’s about two and a half hours of Henry Hill guiding you through life in the mafia, albeit without ever being a full-fledged made guy. Goodfellas bounces around tonally, being funny, bleak, sad, and sometimes even quite disturbing, feeling coherent throughout regardless, and overall being a candidate for the crown of “best gangster movie ever.”
2
‘Fight Club’ (1999)
Image via 20th Century Fox
There’s a lot to be disturbed by in Fight Club, especially if you’re somehow able to enter into it without knowing what happens by the film’s end, but there’s also quite a bit here that’s genuinely entertaining and darkly funny. The best way to succinctly summarize the film is to say that it’s about a listless and lonely man who meets a far more charismatic individual, and then his life gets changed in ways that are first exciting, and later confronting.
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Fight Club feels incredibly 1990s in style and tone, perhaps even more so than The Matrix, which came out the same year and could also be seen as an inadvertent culmination of the decade that had been. Plenty of the film still holds up and feels compelling nowadays, of course, yet there really doesn’t feel like any other point in history at which Fight Club (or at least this version of Fight Club) could’ve ever been made, besides the late ‘90s.
1
‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)
Image via Columbia Pictures
There are plenty of thrilling and/or scary films based on Stephen King stories, sure, but The Shawshank Redemption is arguably better than any of those, and outside of some dark moments, it’s really not in thriller or horror territory. Instead, it’s a drama set in prison, and a mostly character-focused one at that, being about two men with different outlooks on life – and their time behind bars – striking up a gradual but undeniably enduring friendship.
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Put simply, The Shawshank Redemption is about as beloved and easy-to-like as movies get, so regardless of the decade it came out in, it’d probably be a good candidate for “best of” – or “most significant movie of” – that decade. If you can find someone who doesn’t like a single part of this movie, they might well be 1 in a billion (for better or worse).
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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz Which Oscar Best Picture Is Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country
Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.
🪜Parasite
🌀Everything Everywhere
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☢️Oppenheimer
🐦Birdman
🪙No Country for Old Men
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01
What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.
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02
Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?
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03
How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.
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04
What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?
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05
What do you want from a film’s ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?
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06
Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.
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07
What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.
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08
What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.
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09
How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.
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10
What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?
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The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is…
Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.
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Parasite
You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.
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Everything Everywhere All at Once
You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.
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Oppenheimer
You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.
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Birdman
You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.
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No Country for Old Men
You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.
Queen Latifah will host the Monday, May 25, awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. She returns to the role 31 years after her January 1995 AMAs hosting debut alongside Tom Jones and Lorrie Morgan.
Taylor Swift leads this year’s nominees with eight nods, followed by Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean, Sombr and Morgan Wallen — all with seven each.
Outside of presenting awards, the CBS and Paramount+ broadcast will feature performances by the Pussycat Dolls, Busta Rhymes, New Kids on the Block, Billy Idol, Karol G, Teyana Taylor, Hootie and the Blowfish, Keith Urban, Riley Green, Katseye and more artists.
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Scroll down for the complete list of 2026 American Music Awards nominees — and look for the bold names to see who won each category:
Artist of the Year Bad Bunny Bruno Mars BTS Harry Styles Justin Bieber Kendrick Lamar Lady Gaga Morgan Wallen Sabrina Carpenter Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year Alex Warren Ella Langley Katseye Leon Thomas Olivia Dean Sombr
Album of the Year 111xpantia, Fuerza Regida Am I the Drama?, Cardi B I’m the Problem, Morgan Wallen Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter Mayhem, Lady Gaga Music, Playboi Carti So Close to What, Tate McRae Swag, Justin Bieber The Art of Loving, Olivia Dean The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift
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Song of the Year “Back to Friends,” Sombr “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley “Folded,” Kehlani “Golden,” Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami “I’m the Problem,” Morgan Wallen “Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter “Man I Need,” Olivia Dean “Mutt,” Leon Thomas “Ordinary,” Alex Warren “The Fate of Ophelia,” Taylor Swift
Taylor SwiftKevin Winter/Getty Images
Collaboration of the Year “All the Way,” BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman “Amen,” Shaboozey, Jelly Roll “Gone Gone Gone,” David Guetta, Teddy Swims, Tones and I “Stateside,” PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson “What I Want,” Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae
Social Song of the Year “Chanel,” Tyla “Illegal,” PinkPantheress “Lush Life,” Zara Larsson “No Broke Boys,” Disco Lines, Tinashe “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” Role Model
Best Music Video “Berghain,” Rosalía, Björk, Yves Tumor “Chanel,” Tyla “Gnarly,” Katseye “Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter “The Fate of Ophelia,” Taylor Swift
Best Soundtrack F1 the Album Hazbin Hotel: Season 2 KPop Demon Hunters Wicked: For Good Wuthering Heights
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Tour of the Year Cowboy Carter Tour, Beyoncé Grand National Tour, Kendrick Lamar, SZA Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, Shakira Oasis Live ’25 Tour, Oasis The Mayhem Ball, Lady Gaga
Breakout Tour American Heart World Tour, Benson Boone Am I Okay? Tour, Megan Moroney Even in Arcadia Tour, Sleep Token Submarine Tour, The Marías The Sincerely, Tour, Kali Uchis
Breakthrough Album of the Year I Barely Know Her, Sombr Midnight Sun, Zara Larsson The Art of Loving, Olivia Dean
Best Throwback Song “Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls “Rock That Body,” Black Eyed Peas “What’s Up,” 4 Non Blondes
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Best Vocal Performance “Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga “Die on This Hill,” Sienna Spiro “Golden,” Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami “Ordinary,” Alex Warren “Where Is My Husband!,” Raye
Song of the Summer “American Girls,” Harry Styles “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley “Dracula,” Tame Impala, Jennie “Elizabeth Taylor,” Taylor Swift “Fever Dream,” Alex Warren “Homewrecker,” Sombr “Iloveitiloveitiloveit,” Bella Kay “Stateside,” PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson “Swim,” BTS “The Great Divide,” Noah Kahan
Best Male Pop Artist Alex Warren Benson Boone Ed Sheeran Harry Styles Justin Bieber
Best Female Pop Artist Lady Gaga Olivia Dean Sabrina Carpenter Tate McRae Taylor Swift
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Breakthrough Pop Artist Katseye Sienna Spiro Zara Larsson
Best Pop Song “Golden,” Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami “Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter “Man I Need,” Olivia Dean “Ordinary,” Alex Warren “The Fate of Ophelia,” Taylor Swift
Best Pop Album Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter Mayhem, Lady Gaga So Close to What, Tate McRae The Art of Loving, Olivia Dean The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift
Best Male Country Artist Jelly Roll Luke Combs Morgan Wallen Riley Green Shaboozey
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Best Female Country Artist Ella Langley Kelsea Ballerini Lainey Wilson Megan Moroney Miranda Lambert
Best Country Duo or Group Brooks & Dunn Old Dominion Rascal Flatts Treaty Oak Revival Zac Brown Band
Breakthrough Country Artist Sam Barber Tucker Wetmore Zach Top
Best Country Song “All the Way,” BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley “Good News,” Shaboozey “Happen to Me,” Russell Dickerson “Just in Case,” Morgan Wallen
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Best Country Album Cloud 9, Megan Moroney I Hope You’re Happy, BigXthaPlug I’m the Problem, Morgan Wallen Restless Mind, Sam Barber What Not To, Tucker Wetmore
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Don Toliver Kendrick Lamar Playboi Carti Tyler, the Creator YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist Cardi B Doechii GloRilla Sexyy Red Ykniece
Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist EsDeeKid Monaleo Pluto
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Best Hip-Hop Song “ErrTime,” Cardi B “Nokia,” Drake “Rather Lie,” Playboi Carti, The Weekend “Take Me Thru Dere,” Ykniece, Quavo, Metro Boomin, Breskii “Wgft,” Gunna, Burna Boy
Best Hip-Hop Album Am I the Drama?, Cardi B Masa, YoungBoy Never Broke Again Music, Playboi Carti Octane, Don Toliver The Last Wun, Gunna
Best Male R&B Artist Bruno Mars Chris Brown Daniel Caesar PartyNextDoor The Weeknd
Best Female R&B Artist Kehlani Summer Walker SZA Teyana Taylor Tyla
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Breakthrough R&B Artist Leon Thomas Mariah the Scientist Ravyn Lenae
Best R&B Song “Burning Blue,” Mariah the Scientist “Folded,” Kehlani “I Just Might,” Bruno Mars “It Depends,” Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller “Mutt,” Leon Thomas
Best R&B Album Finally Over It, Summer Walker Hearts Sold Separately, Mariah the Scientist Swag, Justin Bieber The Romantic, Bruno Mars
Best Male Latin Artist Bad Bunny Junior H Peso Pluma Rauw Alejandro Tito Double P
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Best Female Latin Artist Gloria Estefan Karol G Natti Natasha Rosalía Shakira
Best Latin Duo or Group Clave Especial Fuerza Regida Grupo Firme Grupo Frontera Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda
Breakthrough Latin Artist Beéle Kapo Netón Vega
Best Latin Song “Latina Foreva,” Karol G “Marlboro Rojo,” Fuerza Regida “Me Jalo,” Feurza Regida, Grupo Frontera “Nuevayol,” Bad Bunny “Ojos Tristes,” Benny Blanco, Selena Gomez, The Marías
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Best Latin Album 111xpantia, Fuerza Regida Dinastía, Peso Pluma, Tito Double P Lux, Rosalía Mi Vida Mi Muerte, Netón Vega Tropicoqueta, Karol G
Best Rock/Alternative Artist Deftones Linkin Park Sleep Token The Marías Twenty One Pilots
Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist Geese Gigi Perez Sombr
Best Rock/Alternative Song “Back to Friends,” Sombr “Dracula,” Tame Impala “Ensenada,” Sublime “The Great Divide,” Noah Kahan “Up From the Bottom,” Linkin Park
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Best Rock/Alternative Album Breach, Twenty One Pilots Deadbeat, Tame Impala Even in Arcadia, Sleep Token I Barely Know Her, Sombr With Heaven on Top, Zach Bryan
Best Dance/Electronic Artist Calvin Harris David Guetta Fred again.. Illenium John Summit
Best Male K-Pop Artist Ateez BTS Enhyphen Stray Kids Tomorrow X Together
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Best Female K-Pop Artist Aespa Blackpick Illit Le Sserafim Twice
Best Afrobeats Artist Burna Boy Moliy Rema Tyla Wizkid
Best Americana/Folk Artist Lord Huron The Lumineers Mumford & Sons Noah Kahan Tyler Childers
Tracker, which has been an instant hit for CBS, has also gone through some changes behind the scenes including cast exits and an offscreen relocation.
The hit series premiered in 2024 with Justin Hartley being introduced as survivalist Colter Shaw, who goes out on the road to help solve a multitude of cases for a reward.
Since Tracker made its successful debut, the show has found fun ways to keep viewers entertained with fun story lines and crossovers that allowed Hartley to reunite with former costars from projects such as Smallville and This Is Us. So far, Jensen Ackles, Jennifer Morrison and Sofia Pernas have appeared on the show after working with Hartley on other projects.
Tracker, however, has also dealt with its fair share of departures. The procedural faced changes when Robin Weigert exited the show after being a series regular in the first season. It was later confirmed that Abby McEnany and Eric Graise would be leaving the show as well.
Justin Hartley’s Tracker is easily CBS’ biggest hit show — so why has it gone through three cast shakeups in just two seasons? When Tracker premiered in 2024, it introduced Us to survivalist Colter Shaw (Hartley) as he travels the country to help find missing people, track down information on criminal cases and more. The […]
“The only rule I really have of the show is each week Colter is going to come to a new place and there’s going to be a new case. How he gets those answers and what he uses on the team, that’s all something that’s up for grabs,” executive producer Elwood Reid explained to Us Weekly in May 2025. “Meeting these [local] weird characters is something we’re going to try to do more of as the season goes on. Just Colter coming in and interacting with other characters. That’s fun to see Justin flex those muscles with really good guest cast members.”
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More recently, Reid noted there was only one constant on the show: Hartley’s fan-favorite character.
“The audience leans in because they’ve seen that character before. But I think they’re still thinking the central DNA of the show is Colter. With this guy, what makes him appealing is he is a mystery to himself,” he told Us in December 2025. “He’s a mystery to the audience. We see him and his off time putting together some pieces of his past.”
He concluded, “I don’t know if we’ll ever put it all together, but he’s going to struggle to continue to do that. That’s just as far as we have thought. The biggest improvement we made this year — in my opinion — was getting people in the same room. Just that connectivity, I do think the audience is enjoying seeing their characters in the same place physically.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the show’s biggest BTS changes:
Justin Hartley‘s hit show Tracker has lost several main characters after just two seasons — but who is still left from the cast? CBS found success with Tracker immediately after it premiered in February 2024 to record-breaking ratings. Viewers have since tuned in week after week to see fictional survivalist Colter Shaw (Hartley) travel the […]
Cast Exits
CBS
CBS found success with Tracker immediately after it premiered in February 2024 to record-breaking ratings. Viewers have since tuned in week after week to see Colter travel the country to help solve various missing persons cases with the help from handlers Teddi (Weigert) and Velma (McEnany), hacker Bobby (Graise) and attorney Reenie (Fiona Rene).
After joining Tracker in season 1, Weigert’s character was written off in the premiere with her wife, Velma, admitting that they needed some distance. Velma then started working with Reenie, and Teddi wasn’t discussed again in season 2. News later broke that Graise and McEnany wouldn’t be coming back for season 3.
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New Faces Joining the Show
CBS
Chris Lee originally joined Tracker in season 2 as Bobby’s cousin Randy — and he was then promoted to series regular. Cassady McClincy was brought in as well in season 3 in the role of Melanie “Mel” Day.
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Kathleen Robertson and Mark Engelhardt were later cast in recurring roles for season 3.
Relocation to Los Angeles
CBS
News broke in May 2026 that Tracker is relocating to Los Angeles with the biggest California tax credit for a series to date. According to Deadline, Tracker will move from Vancouver, where the first three seasons were shot. Its studio, 20th Television, is currently locking down production facilities in and around Los Angeles.
Filming for season 4 is slated to begin in late June 2026 after a $48 million tax credit.
Fantasy is the gift that keeps on giving. As one of the most prolific and complex genres in any medium, fantasy has sprawled into several different categories or subgenres, all of which have found great success in movies, literature, theater, and even music. High and low fantasy are probably the best-known categories within this revered genre, but few are more fascinating or underrated than grimdark. A rather recent subsection of fantasy, grimdark eschews traditional notions of good and evil to instead focus on bleak and dangerous worlds populated by morally grey characters who use brutality and cynicism to survive. Conflict is usually prevalent in these stories, with intense politics, warfare, and bloodshed.
The term itself comes from the tagline for the British miniature game Warhammer 40,000, which famously states: “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.” As a new-ish subgenre of fantasy, very few movies can absolutely be classified as grimdark, and they don’t always check every box as what’s usually considered the best example of the subgenre, A Song of Ice and Fire and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. For example, some of these have morally grey heroes but lack the sweeping political angle. However, the movies on this list all have enough qualities to not only thrive within this blossoming subgenre but also represent it quite faithfully, bringing a more cynical and often harrowing perspective to the usually black-and-white realm of fantasy.
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8
‘The Head Hunter’ (2018)
Image via Vertical Entertainment
Jordan Downey‘s The Head Hunter is among the most severely underappreciated fantasy movies of the new millennium. This remarkably dark gem stars Norwegian actor Christopher Rygh and is set in a fictionalized version of the Dark Ages populated by dangerous creatures that terrorize a kingdom. It centers on a knight known only as The Father (Rygh), who spends his days hunting these creatures while chasing the one that killed his daughter years ago.
Dark to a fault, The Head Hunter is probably the bleakest and most unforgiving fantasy experience we’ve seen in the last twenty-five years. It does a lot with its limited budget, even if its reach ultimately far exceeds its grasp. Yet, narratively, the film more than delivers, presenting a harrowing tale of revenge through a distinct and dangerous fantasy approach. The Father is a perfect antihero, relentlessly pursuing a monster that might just be the most sinister creation since Dragonslayer‘s Vermithrax Pejorative. Add to that one of the grimmest endings ever, and you get a fantasy movie that’s also a true punch to the gut.
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7
‘Conan the Barbarian’ (1982)
Image via Universal Pictures
A building block of cinematic dark fantasy, Conan the Barbarian is a jewel of ’80s cheese and excess. In the role that made him a star, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as the titular character, a barbarian on an unstoppable quest to avenge his parents’ deaths at the hands of Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones), the cruel leader of a cult. The film is based on the characters created by iconic pulp fiction writer Robert E. Howard in the 1930s.
Arguably the best sword-and-sorcery movie ever made, Conan the Barbarian is still the movie against which all subsequent entries into the subgenre are measured. Conan himself is the poster boy for complex fantasy antiheroes, a highly individualistic warrior on a fearsome quest for revenge and mainly concerned with survival and personal glory. The film is also a love letter to ’80s machismo, complete with an oiled-up Arnie at the peak of his physical abilities, a not-so-subtle weaponry fetish, and a rather inspired view of death. Today, it remains a beacon of ’80s cinema and the ultimate depiction of its pulpy character.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
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Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
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🎭Ethan Hunt
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01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
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02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
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03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
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04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
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05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
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06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
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07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
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08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
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09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
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10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
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Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Rambo
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Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
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Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
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John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Ethan Hunt
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Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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6
‘Tale of Tales’ (2015)
Salma Hayek and Christian Lees as Queen of Longtrellis and Prince Elias in Tale of Tales.Image via Archimede Film
Matteo Garrone‘s 2015 fantasy horror Tale of Tales is quite possibly the most under-the-radar movie on this list. Starring an ensemble including Oscar nominees Salma Hayek and John C. Reilly alongside French icon Vincent Cassel, the film presents three different stories based on the Italian fairy tales by poet Giambattista Basile. The tales are all set in fantasy realms and explore themes of ambition, desire, lust, and obsession.
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Tale of Tales is a rather singular fantasy. As any good grimdark project, the three stories are suitably bleak and have a pervasive tone of inescapable dread. There are no real winners here, only those whose ambition doesn’t get the best of them and those who succumb entirely to it. The first tale, starring Salma Hayek as a queen who will do everything to conceive a child, is the strongest, but all three are visually impressive and narratively enchanting. Garrone casts a true spell through his lush visuals, and the stories’ dark outcomes only enhance the superficial beauty, contrasting with the darkness and misery at their core.
5
‘The Crow’ (1994)
Brandon Lee in The Crow (1994)Image via Dimension Films
Alex Proyas‘ 1994 cult classic The Crow can be easily described as multiple genres: a revenge thriller, a supernatural mystery, a superhero movie, and an urban fantasy. However, the central gothic vibe and somber tone are its most distinct qualities. The late Brandon Lee stars as Eric Draven, a musician killed alongside his fiancée on Devil’s Night. A year later, he is resurrected by a crow and goes on a night-long quest to punish those who killed him and his love.
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Nowadays, the film’s legacy can’t be discussed without mentioning the tragic death of Brandon Lee during filming. However, The Crow stands proudly as a quality gothic thriller and one of the most original urban fantasy movies ever made. The macabre tone perfectly complements Proyas’ approach to depicting a gloomy, morally bankrupt, crime-ridden Detroit, populated by gangs and murderers. As for Eric, he’s more of an avenging Angel of Death than a superhero looking for justice. Revenge is central to The Crow, and Proyas depicts it in the most stylish and striking way possible.
4
‘Mad God’ (2021)
A miner in the dark in Mad GodImage via Shudder
From the wildly creative mind of the iconic Phil Tippett comes Mad God, a 2021 stop-motion animated fantasy unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The plot centers on a figure known only as The Assassin, who descends from the heavens into a sinister underworld populated with monsters, dangers, and cruelty.
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“Nightmarish” is the only word to describe Mad God, a work of pure lunacy and genius from one of the industry’s most singular talents. The film is populated with the most disturbing visuals, with Tippett depicting some truly messed-up monstrosities that might stay with you, haunting your nightmares for days to come. Central to its themes are the inevitability of civilization’s demise and the cycle of violence, as well as the nature of war and the inherent irony of innocence in a world that seemingly does nothing but destroy it. The stop-motion visuals greatly enhance these ideas, culminating in an incredibly terrifying movie that might as well border on traumatizing. In other words, a must-watch.
3
‘The Green Knight’ (2021)
Few movies of the 2020s have aged as well as David Lowery‘s The Green Knight. In one of his richest and most introspective performances, Oscar nominee Dev Patel stars as Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, who accepts a challenge from the mysterious Green Knight (Ralph Ineson), sending him on a quest to discover himself and reclaim his courage. The film is among the most inspired takes on the Arthurian legend, set in an amoral, gloomy version of Camelot.
Of all the characters on this list, Gawain might be the most complex. Patel delivers one of the finest performances of his career as the selfish, self-serving knight on a quest to discover the true meaning of honor and, in the process, determine the kind of man he is. In his journey, he confronts several figures who both challenge and aid him, leading him to the final, fateful confrontation with the Green Knight. Many take issue with its abrupt and unclear ending, but that’s part of the film’s message. In the world of The Green Knight, there are no real answers, only questions; it’s the desire to solve them that matters.
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2
‘The Northman’ (2022)
Image via Universal Pictures.
And speaking of fantasy masterpieces of the 2020s, we have The Northman, Robert Eggers‘ take on Norse mythology. A berserk Alexander Skarsgård stars as Prince Amleth, an exiled prince who witnesses his father’s death at the hands of his uncle, Fjölnir (Claes Bang). Years later, Amleth returns to avenge his father’s death and rescue his mother, Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), from the hands of his murderous uncle.
Unlike other Eggers movies, there’s very little left for interpretation in The Northman. Here, the director opts for an in-your-face approach to violence, depicting the Viking Age in all its furious, savage, unforgiving glory. At the heart of it all is a frenzied Skarsgård in one of his most committed performances as the tragic prince on a ruthless one-man quest to avenge his father. As bloody as it’s visually jaw-dropping, The Northman is a stellar revenge epic that audiences at the time didn’t know how to appreciate. Luckily, time has been extremely kind to it, and it’s now widely recognized as one of the greatest dark fantasies ever made.
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1
‘The Seventh Seal’ (1957)
Image via AB Svensk Filmindustri
An institution in the realm of fantasy and a foundational block in cinema’s understanding of the genre, The Seventh Seal is an enduring masterpiece that only keeps getting better with each passing year. Ingmar Bergman‘s 1957 movie follows Antonius Black (Max Von Sydow), a disillusioned Swedish knight returning from the Crusades to find his country devastated by the Black Death. Soon, he finds himself facing Death himself (Bengt Ekerot) in a game of chess for his life.
One of the best Scandinavian movies of all time, The Seventh Seal is a masterclass of allegorical storytelling. Although the war and political angles are more of a background element, they have a profound impact on Antonius’ lack of purpose and his overall disinchantment. The knight itself is a perfect amoral antihero, having lost the honor that should characterize him, replacing it with a cynical view of life and a final wish to achieve a truly meaningful deed before his eventual demise. Ultimately, the film presents a miserable and almost defeatist outlook in the service of an insightful examination of life and death.
The pop superstar, 36, skipped the Monday, May 25, awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Swift leads the pack of AMAs nominees this year. Her eight nods include Artist of the Year, Best Female Pop Artist, Album of the Year and Best Pop Album for The Life of a Showgirl, Song of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Pop Song for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Song of the Summer for “Elizabeth Taylor.”
Prior to the ceremony, Swift was already the most-awarded artist in AMAs history, with a record-breaking 40 wins throughout her career.
Celebrities stepped onto the 2026 American Music Awards red carpet in show-stopping looks for one of the hottest events of the year. A-listers dazzled as they gave Us some serious fashion inspo under the bright Las Vegas lights on Monday, May 25, in honor of the star-studded ceremony held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena […]
Two months before the AMAs, Swift attended the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, where she earned seven trophies for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl, Pop Song of the Year, Best Lyrics and Best Music Video for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Favorite Tour Style for The Eras Tour.
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Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce, joined her at the event, marking the couple’s first time attending an awards show together since they began dating in the summer of 2023. During her acceptance speech for Best Pop Album, she paid tribute to the Kansas City Chiefs player, 36.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
“This album probably also feels very happy and confident and free because that’s the way that I get to feel every single day of my life because of my fiancé, who is here tonight,” she gushed. “So, thanks for the vibes.”
“They’re both involved and making decisions together,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in April, noting that the two have been “focused on actually enjoying the process rather than getting caught up in the pressure” amid the countdown to their summer wedding date. “They’re keeping things light.”
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In fact, wedding planning has allowed Swift and Kelce to spend even more quality time together.
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“Travis and Taylor have both been very laid back,” the insider revealed, adding that Swift “thinks it’s cute that Travis cares about a lot of the details” for their big day. “They’ve made a conscious decision not to let it cause any tension between them.”
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The couple’s wedding will be traditional, with “classic touches” like Taylor’s dad walking her down the aisle as well as father-daughter and mother-son dances.
According to a second source, “Taylor loves those emotional, meaningful moments, and Travis [is] on the same page.”
The rapper and actress, 56, opened the Monday, May 25, awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“I gotta say, it feels so good to be back here hosting the AMAs after 31 years,” Latifah said as she addressed the crowd. “You believe that? Some of BTS wasn’t even born, that’s crazy. That Black don’t crack baby! And if you would have told me 31 years ago I’d be back on that stage, a stack of awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a career thats taken me from music to film, I probably would’ve looked at you and said, ‘Who you calling a trailblazer?’”
She also shared a message in honor of the country’s military vetereans, as the awards show fell on Memorial Day.
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This is not Latifah’s first time helming the AMAs. She previously made her cohosting debut alongside Tom Jones and Lorrie Morgan during the January 1995 awards show.
Celebrities stepped onto the 2026 American Music Awards red carpet in show-stopping looks for one of the hottest events of the year. A-listers dazzled as they gave Us some serious fashion inspo under the bright Las Vegas lights on Monday, May 25, in honor of the star-studded ceremony held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena […]
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“I am excited to return to the American Music Awards stage to host this year,” she said in an April press release. “It’s been an incredible year for music and there is no better place to celebrate than in Vegas.”
Dick Clark Productions CEO Jay Penske was equally excited about Latifah returning to her hosting role after 31 years.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Queen Latifah back as host of the American Music Awards,” Penske said at the time. “A true powerhouse and trailblazer, she brings a dynamic presence and deep connection to both fans and fellow artists, making her the perfect choice to lead a night of celebrating the biggest names and most defining moments in music.”
David Becker/Getty Images
While Latifah has focused more on acting in recent years, she is also known for her influential hip-hop career. Nearly two decades after her most recent studio album, 2009’s Persona, she exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2025 that she is “finding my pen again.”
“We’re going to see what comes of that,” she teased of her potential return to music. “I’m pretty open. There’s rap artists that I would love to get down with. There’s also rock artists.”
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Although Latifah acknowledged that “a lot of music is different” now than when she started out in the 1980s, she is willing to experiment with her sound.
“I want to do some house music. I’ve made house music since the first album,” she explained. “I definitely want to step into that space and have some more fun. I could do reggae. I mean, there’s so many things I feel like I can step into — and of course, more jazz.”
As for possible collaborations, Latifah shouted out several popular artists she hopes to work with at some point in the future.
“I love Doechii. I would do anything with Doechii,” she told Us. “She is dope. She sounds like she’s from my era. She drew from all the great rappers of my era, for sure, and she produces. She can do no wrong in my eyes.”
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After joining Megan Thee Stallion during her 2025 Coachella set, Latifah noted, “We don’t have a record together so that could always be fun.”
Latifah is also eager to hit the studio with Missy Elliott again following their 2009 track, “Fast Car.”
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“I would love to work with Missy again,” she shared. “[Missy and I] have a couple of records that we have never put out through the years. I have so much music that I haven’t put out that I need to put out. I already have half the collaborations that I would’ve wanted to do.”
Summer is officially here, which means there’s more time to read.
Whether you prefer checking out these must-read books at the beach or by the pool, tons of authors are making their highly anticipated return with new novels just in time for peak relaxation.
Former Bachelorette star Hannah Brown, for one, is continuing her summer release schedule with Reasons to be Loved By You, her third novel. This one follows the story of Nikki Bennet and appears to pull a major story line from her own life — but more on that in a second.
Keep scrolling for a list of the highly anticipated books of summer 2026:
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‘Rules for the Summer’ by Meghan Quinn
The spice queen is back with another summer romance. Rules for the Summer is a story of forced proximity between Renley Gossage and Theo Williams who find themselves as neighbors for the summer. (out now)
‘Payback’ by Elizabeth Rose Quinn
Pay to Stay is the minimum security prison where the privileged serve time Friday to Monday only. When the seven inmates find their guard dead, they must solve his murder before their prison stay changes drastically. (out now)
‘The Burning Side’ by Sarah Damoff
Damoff’s followup to The Bright Years follows April and Leo, whose house burned down in the middle of the night. They escape to April’s hometown with their two young children as they deal with the aftermath of trauma and a new life. (out now)
‘A Pair of Aces’ by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Eunice Carter is Manhattan’s first Black female prosecutor and has her sights set on bringing down notorious gangster Lucky Luciano. Working with madame Polly Adler, who has built up her high-class brothel business, the women do anything to convict the leader of one of New York’s most famous crime families. (out June 2)
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‘The Kennedys and the Windsors’ by Caroline Hallemann
Journalist Hallemann chronicles the two iconic families and how they mirror each other in rather telling ways. (out June 2)
‘Reasons to be Loved by You’ by Hannah Brown
Former pageant girl Nikki Bennet has gotten over her time on reality dating show LovedBy, after finding out that her fiancé had been dating another woman. But when she gets home for a family vacation, her brother announces that he’s engaged to “the other woman” in her ex-fiancé’s relationship. Teaming up with Cara’s brother to end the marriage before it begins might just lead to a love story of her own. (out June 23)
‘Crash Into Me’ by Robinne Lee
Author Lee is back with the highly anticipated followup to her 2017 novel The Idea of You. Get ready to rip your heart out with a second-chance romance following Cecilia Chen, who is struggling as a mom in a complicated marriage, and Anouk Ferrand, whom she hasn’t seen for 20 years. (out July 7)
‘Helpless’ by Jessica Knoll
When returning to campus following the death of their beloved college professor, Faye finds herself drugged and kidnapped by an ex boyfriend, Henry. The story unfolds through a week of Faye’s captivity as she experiences several demands from Henry — and the truth. (out July 7)
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‘The Romance Revival’ by Christina Lauren
Emery Finch has been married to Luca for three years. The two tied the knot after only knowing each other for one night. When a tragic accident takes Luca from her, Emery must make him remember their life together. (out July 14)
‘With Friends Like You’ by Amy Chozick
This psychological thriller follows Emily, a new mother in Manhattan, who begins fixating on finding her college roommate Daisy, who has been missing for years. When Daisy suddenly reappears, so many questions arise. (out July 21)
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‘Tempest’ by Victoria Aveyard
A high-stakes pirate love story is everything we never knew we needed. Follow Cat Rose as she does everything in her power to save her empire while hunting their greatest enemy: the only man she’s ever loved. (out September 8)
The Western genre as a whole predates TV by decades. By the time it spread its influence from the big to the small screen, it was already a major phenomenon, being a major part of cinematic history, and becoming immortalized in pop culture. We have an entire arsenal of compelling Western stories, from the iconic and legendary to the most unforgettable. But these stories, particularly on TV, aren’t all remembered as much as they should.
Today, Westerns continue to thrive on TV, thanks to contemporary masterpieces that have reinvented the genre and breathed new life into it, such as Landman and the wildly popular Yellowstone. But let’s take a look at the trailblazing, unique, and perfectly written Western shows from history that are criminally underrated. They’re not the most remembered, most celebrated, or even all that remarkable, but they have a spark that kept them perfect from their first episodes to their finales. From misunderstood cult classics to arguably some of the greatest Westerns to ever be released on TV, here are the unappreciated shows Western lovers need to see.
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‘That Dirty Black Bag’ (2022)
Dominic Cooper standing with a young man in a deserted street in That Dirty Black Bag.Image via AMC+
In this gritty, unapologetically violent homage to Spaghetti Westerns, That Dirty Black Bag is an eight-part miniseries that aired in 2022. It takes what you love about that particular subgenre and elevates it with high-quality production values, brutally realistic depictions of frontier life, and is contrasted by gorgeous cinematography that will completely immerse you in the spectacle.
At the center of its story is a tale of murder, greed, corruption, and madness, all revolving around a shady small Western town sheriff with a dark past as he meets his match after encountering a bloodthirsty bounty hunter, with a sickening need to decapitate and collect his victims’ severed heads, who is carving a brutal path of revenge. It’s a hauntingly bleak and unrelentingly violent eight-part masterpiece with not a single wasted episode or dull moment. It utilizes its small window of time to tell a gripping tale that doesn’t paint a romanticized picture of the West and just wants to draw you into the bloody mayhem of this unpredictable story.
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‘The English’ (2022)
Chaske Spencer and Emily Blunt riding horses together in The English.Image via Prime Video
In this gripping new take on revisionist Westerns, The English is a compelling six-part miniseries that aired on the BBC and Amazon Prime in 2022. Written and directed by Hugo Blick, it’s a subversive and unique Western tale that takes viewers through the old frontier on an emotional journey that deconstructs the romantic side of this iconic point in history.Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer star as a scorned English woman and a Pawnee native U.S. Army scout who combine forces to slay the man who killed the English woman’s son.
The English is a refreshing spin on the Western formula, complete with a story that deeply deconstructs the traditional narrative structure for these types of stories, and strives to push for a darker, more mature, and ultimately bleaker tone. Performances are beyond spectacular, as Blunt and Spencer have impeccable chemistry and easily slip into their roles, providing decent development and making the audience understand their characters, even when they’re not traditional heroes. The whole series is a different approach that sadly hasn’t gotten much notice in recent years, but it’s still worth a watch, and can quite amaze any new viewers.
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‘Longmire’ (2012–2017)
Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) and Vic Moretti (Katee Sackhoff) on ‘Longmire.’Image via Netflix
Based on a best-selling mystery novel series by Craig Johnson, Longmire ran from 2012 to 2014 on A&E, and was eventually picked up by Netflix for an additional three years. A strikingly gripping, unexpectedly compelling, and ultimately misunderstood gem of a show, it’s impressive how good this Western is, despite its several cancellations. Starring Robert Taylor as the titular Walt Longmire, it follows this Wyoming sheriff as he tries to keep the peace within his jurisdiction.
While not the most polished, original, or even exciting Western series, Longmire excels exponentially with its character development and story structure. Robert Taylor was perfectly cast as the stoic, resilient Longmire, and his performance is elevated by a capable supporting cast that all play equally interesting characters. The pacing is near-perfect, and mystery elements can really draw viewers into each episode. It may not be entirely perfect, but its positive far outweighs the bad, making it a must-watch for even those who aren’t really fans of Westerns.
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‘Outer Range’ (2022–2024)
Josh Brolin in Outer RangeImage via Prime Video
Delving more into the realm of science fiction, next is Outer Range, an early 2020s neo-Western TV series created by Brian Watkins. Taking the idea of a Western in a whole different direction, it takes viewers on a tense, mind-bending journey while following a ranch family in Wyoming as they find their lives in turmoil when the appearance of a mysterious black hole on their land, coupled with the new arrival of an equally mysterious woman and a rival family bidding for their land, throws their world upside down.
Outer Range is truly unlike any Western on this list. It’s a true standout of the genre in recent years, being a completely original story that mixes genres into a powerful blend that’s purely entertaining. Sure, it’s not the most well-crafted series, considering it meanders at points and doesn’t fully explore its unique ideas, which ultimately led to its abrupt cancellation after two seasons. However, still, it feels fresh and original, and does something not many other Westerns, other than Westworld, have tried to do for the genre. Overall, it’s flawed but notable.
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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
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Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🏜️Paul Atreides
🖖Capt. Kirk
✊Princess Leia
🔦Ellen Ripley
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🔥Max Rockatansky
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01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn’t be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
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02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
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03
What is the thing you’d sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
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04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
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05
You’re facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you’re the only one who sees it defines everything.
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06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they’d pay it again.
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07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you’re in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What’s yours?
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08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
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Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
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Arrakis · Dune
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.
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USS Enterprise · Star Trek
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
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The Rebellion · Star Wars
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.
You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
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The Nostromo · Alien
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.
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The Wasteland · Mad Max
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
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‘Godless’ (2017)
Jack O’Connell as Roy Goode holding a gun and wearing a black hat in ‘Godless.’Image via Netflix
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The 2017 miniseries Godless takes history, drama, and action and combines them into a thrilling viewing experience that Western fans really should take notice of. Loosely inspired by true events, it’s an engaging seven-parter that can instantly grip you into the narrative, as it follows an outlaw (played by Jack O’Connell) as he abandons his gang and finds refuge in the old mining town of La Belle, New Mexico. After getting to know this tragic town and the residents, he soon fights for the people, along with the help of a hardened widowed rancher (Michelle Dockery), when his old gang eventually finds him.
Godless is quite a fascinating and well-structured Western miniseries that manages to tell an effective and emotional story and compelling character drama all within a few episodes. The writing is top-notch, the performances of the main cast, especially Michelle Dockery as the capable Alice Fletcher, are exceptional and fully flushed out, and the story strikes the right balance between being an exciting Western and a memorable history lesson. It may not have produced a huge splash after its release, but Godless deserves better attention for what it gest right.
‘Dark Winds’ (2022–Present)
Zahn McClarnon sits thinking at a kitchen table in Dark Winds.Image via AMC
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AMC’s Dark Winds is one of the most underrated Western series in recent memory, even while it’s still running strong on the network. This utterly fascinating, truly one-of-a-kind show is a masterclass in storytelling and psychological thrills, combining crime, drama, and a neo-Western setting into a cohesive blend of entertainment. Starring Zahn McClarnon, it follows three officers of the Navajo Tribal Police as they investigate a series of disturbing, violent crimes around the Four Corners of the Southwestern United States in the 1970s.
Dark Winds takes you on a twisted and mind-bending journey into a world full of murder, corruption, and deceit. It’s the mystery and psychological tension that truly grips you right from the first episode and onward, and each episode enthralls you with more suspense and surprise twists. While it’s currently still airing, it hasn’t received the proper recognition from general audiences or even the Emmys, but it still has a devoted fan base that understands its unique brilliance and hopes that it gets the acclaim that it deserves.
‘Hell on Wheels’ (2011–2016)
Finally, AMC didn’t produce just one highly underrated Western masterpiece; it had to create two. Lastly is Hell on Wheels, the groundbreaking Western historical drama series that aired from 2011 to 2016, creating quite a remarkable impact on the network and on the genre. Starring an incredible cast, including Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, Dominique McElligott, and Robin McLeavy, it follows the workers and mercenaries tasked to ensure the construction of a railroad system across the Great Plains in a post-Civil War America.
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This series features powerhouse performances, excellent character drama, compelling writing, and gorgeous cinematography to give audiences the feeling of watching a Western epic. It’s dark and gritty, and perfectly captures a more raw, brutally realistic feel of the old West, which enhances the historical elements and makes it all the more fascinating to watch. Hell on Wheels captivates from start to finish, providing great entertainment for all viewers to see.
Even amongst the true faithful of the Star Wars fandom, the verdict on The Mandalorian and Grogu seems to be “good, but not great.” True to its pedigree as an adaptation of a TV show, it feels less like a feature film than a handful of episodes stapled together. Sure, it provides plenty of action and cool moments with its titular characters, but that’s not enough. Audiences agree, which is why this movie had the lowest opening weekend ever recorded for a Star Wars live-action film. It’s still earning far more than the lowest earner in the franchise: The Clone Wars movie, which preceded the acclaimed TV show of the same name.
Those movies are very distinct. They feature different characters, different plots, and are made for two entirely different mediums (live-action and animation). But they do have one major thing in common: they were each written by Dave Filoni, who has recently replaced Kathleen Kennedy and became President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm. Many cynical fans were all too happy to see Kennedy go, but it’s far too early to celebrate. Considering that Filoni was also a writer and executive producer for the much-maligned series The Book of Boba Fett, the failure of The Mandalorian and Grogu means the new Star Wars boss already has three strikes against him!
Space Cowboy
Even before this latest Star Wars movie, Dave Filoni was becoming a controversial figure within the fandom. He gained early praise as showrunner for The Clone Wars, which is rightfully considered some of the best Star Wars media ever made. He then created Rebels, another fan-favorite cartoon in a galaxy far, far away. But as Filoni got more creative control within the franchise, his work became increasingly self-referential. He ensured that shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett included callbacks to his own characters and turned Ahsoka into a live-action Rebels sequel. While this thrilled Filoni’s fans, it worried critics who thought he had lost the ability to truly innovate.
Still, Filoni has more hits than misses, so he was recently promoted to President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm. This seemed like a good idea on paper because Filoni has a strong history of creating beloved TV shows, which have been the primary form of Star Wars content for many years. However, Disney now wants to pivot Star Wars back to the big screen, and The Mandalorian and Grogu was their first new movie in the franchise since 2019. However, this Filoni-written film fizzled. It has a relatively low 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is well on its way to earning the lowest box office of any Star Wars film.
His Failure Is Now Complete
That would be the worst box office failure for the franchise since Star Wars: The Clone Wars hit theaters in 2008. That movie (replete with Hutt fart jokes, no less) was also written and even directed by Dave Filoni. It has an abysmal 18 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and earned only $68.5 million at the box office. By comparison, The Mandalorian and Grogu is going to earn far more money, but its earnings will still fall short of every live-action film before it. Two films is a pattern, and the simple truth is that Dave Filoni’s involvement is officially the kiss of death for Star Wars movies.
That’s bad news considering that he’s the new Star Wars boss and there are new franchise films (like the very buzzy Starfighter) in development. At this point, Filoni’s fans will point out that he’s still got the golden touch when it comes to TV shows in a galaxy far, far away. It’s true that Filoni still mostly has the goods in this arena (Ahsoka was solid, and Maul–Shadow Lord is downright brilliant), but he was also extensively involved in The Book of Boba Fett, a terrible series that wasted one of the franchise’s most beloved villains.
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When you factor in the failure of both this show and the Clone Wars movie, it’s easy to see that The Mandalorian and Grogu is the third strike for Filoni. Unfortunately, he hasn’t struck out. Instead, he’s now got more power over the Star Wars universe than anyone since George Lucas. Will he lead the franchise into a new golden age or deliver something even fouler than baby Rotta? Only time will tell, but after the disappointment of The Mandalorian and Grogu, a growing number of fans are all saying the same thing: I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
Draper, 34, was joined by the Vanderpump Villa star, 33, at the awards show held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Nevada on Monday, May 25. The pair wore coordinated black ensembles. Draper stunned in a black gown with white ruffles at the bottom while Brunette sported a black sports coat and slacks.
Brunette held the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star close as they posed for photos. At one point Brunette gave Draper a peck on the head.
Draper and Brunette met when the cast of Mormon Wives traveled to Italy to film for Vanderpump Villa season 2 in 2024 . Brunette works as a server on the Lisa Vanderpump-led reality series which aired in April 2025.
Marciano Brunette had plenty to say about the future of Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura’s marriage just months before their split. “Jordan is a good person that cares about his family,” Brunette, 33, who had an emotional affair with Draper, also 33, during her marriage to Ngatikaura, 28, exclusively told Us Weekly at The Vanderpump […]
At the time of filming, Draper was married to ex Jordan Ngatikaura. However, Draper formed a close bond to Brunette while she was abroad. While she downplayed their connection at first, Draper later admitted to having an emotional affair with Brunette.
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“We had been dealing with the affair for about six months behind closed doors. No one knew. During those six months, it got worse than it ever had. He was blackmailing me. He was threatening to send my texts to Marciano out to the world,” Draper claimed on “The Viall Files” podcast in November 2025, claiming that it was addressed on the show but didn’t make the final edit. “Anytime I did anything he didn’t agree with, he had it on his TikTok drafts and he was like, ‘I’m going to post it.’”
David Becker/Getty Images
Earlier this year, Draper and Ngatikaura split after five years of marriage. The exes share two children: son Jagger, 6, and daughter Jovi, 3.
“This has not been an easy decision and it comes with a heavy heart,” he told Us in a March statement. “I’m grateful for the shared memories and the lessons. While our paths are now moving in different directions, my priority remains my children and ensuring they feel loved, supported, and protected through this transition.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Jessi Draper responded to a report claiming “sparks might be flying” between her and Vanderpump Villa’s Marciano Brunette. After TMZ published photos of Jessi, 33, cozying up to Marciano, also 33, on Sunday, April 19, the outlet shared the images via its Instagram account. “Looks like sparks might be […]
Draper claimed in her “Call Her Daddy” interview that she had planned to file for divorce from Ngatikaura herself — but he was first to file paper work.
“Having an affair on-camera definitely shook up my life a little bit,” Draper told Vulture in an interview published in May. “But I hope to inspire, and learn from my mistakes, and hopefully let people know that everyone does make mistakes and it’s OK.”
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