Entertainment

How Star Trek Was Destroyed By Hollywood, The Full History Of Its Ruination

Published

5 hours ago

19 February 2026

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How Star Trek Was Destroyed By Hollywood, The Full History Of Its Ruination

By Joshua Tyler
| Updated 1 hour ago

Star Trek has never been at a lower point. The franchise’s current batch of shows receives almost no ratings, and the brand’s total mismanagement has been so bad that it’s driven away existing Trekkies while failing to attract any new viewers.

This is far worse than having no show on the air at all, since a lack of content often builds anticipation and hunger for more. On the other hand, year after year of producing terrible content that actively seeks to alienate fans, breeds hatred and contempt, while destroying any trust or interest in the brand.

Watch the video version of this article.

What happened? What went wrong? How did we end up in this Star Trek hellscape? To find the answer, we have to look into the past.

Paramount Began Planning Star Trek’s Destruction In 2017

The year is 2017. Star Trek had been off television for 12 years. The last Trek release, Star Trek: Beyond, turned out to be a box-office disappointment.

So, Paramount devised a bold new plan to revitalize Star Trek with a prequel series. Oh, wait, they’d just done that. The entire 2009 Star Trek movie franchise was a prequel.

Scott Bakula as Captain Archer on *Star Trek: Enterprise*

But that was on the big screen; this time, the twist was that the prequel would be a series. Oh, wait, they already did that, too. It was called Star Trek: Enterprise, and Paramount pulled the plug after four seasons.

That very recent past seemingly forgotten, Paramount moved forward with another prequel, their third attempt in a row at making a Star Trek prequel happen. Third time was not the charm.

Brian Fuller And The Rise Of Alex Kurtzman

The Disco era began with the debut of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. Discovery was created by a man named Brian Fuller.

Fuller was a well-known television writer and producer. He’d written for both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager in the 90s. Since then, he’d established himself as a much sought-after talent, creating critically acclaimed series like Pushing Daisies and Hannibal.

He had the right resume, and so, Paramount hired him to create a new Star Trek series. His initial pitch was to do something serialized, with “diversity” as a focus, and a dark and gritty tone inspired by Game of Thrones. If you’re a Star Trek fan, you probably already see the problem. That’s right, Brian Fuller wanted to turn Gene Roddenberry’s bright and hopeful view of the future into a Game of Thrones knockoff.

Fuller worked on the show for 9 months. His tenure was marked by missed deadlines and ever-expanding budgets. Paramount clashed with him over his desire to reboot Star Trek into a Game of Thrones series. The company wanted its brand to stick with the traditions that made Star Trek work, and Fuller wanted to warp it into something entirely different. After these struggles and amid much controversy, Fuller essentially left the production while maintaining credit for the show.

Up til this point, Paramount had made good decisions. Hiring Fuller didn’t work out, but on paper, it should have. When Fuller failed to get what Star Trek was as a brand, Paramount made another good decision by getting rid of him.

Getting rid of Fuller was the last good Star Trek decision Paramount would ever make.

They replaced Fuller with Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts. Berg & Hoberts were Fuller’s people. They’d worked with him on past projects and were already helping him make Star Trek: Discovery. The ideas Fuller was implementing, the terrible ideas that got him essentially fired, were also their ideas. So they stayed the course and kept working on their Game of Thrones-ification of Star Trek.

Eventually, Berg & Hoberts were also fired, but not for trying to ruin Star Trek. It happened amidst accusations of abuse towards the show’s writers.

Still, this was Paramount’s chance to course-correct and save Trekkies from the Game of Thrones-ification of Star Trek. Instead of doing that and fixing things, Paramount did something worse.

Alex Kurtzman was put in their place. Kurtzman was the man most responsible for the worst of the recent Star Trek movies, Star Trek: Into Darkness. He now held the future of the entire franchise in his hands. He would remain in charge not just of Discovery, but of the entire Star Trek franchise, throughout the Disco era.

Star Trek: Discovery Launches And Is Hated

By the time Alex Kurtzman was hired, production was pretty far along on Star Trek: Discovery. Kurtzman made tweaks to satisfy some of Paramount’s concerns, but much of what the show would be was already written in stone.

Star Trek: Discovery was the most expensive Star Trek series ever produced, at the time. Paramount could have trashed it and taken a tax write-off, but that’s tough to do with so much money on the line. So they released it.

The show was poorly received by fans. Critics initially praised it, but critics rarely watch shows beyond the first one or two episodes. They ignore it after that, which makes their reviews meaningless.

Reports of Discovery’s ratings were vague and unreliable. Most indications were that after an initially strong debut, people began abandoning the show.

Paramount and their new best friend, Alex Kurtzman, took note and tried making big changes for season 2. They brought in Anson Mount to play Christopher Pike, and Mount was fantastic. Unfortunately, the rest of the show was still the show it was always designed to be. Adding one good character to a terrible show cannot save it.

Paramount Activates Quarantine Protocols For Star Trek: Discovery

Stuck with a show no one liked, Paramount did the only thing they could do besides cancel it: They quarantined the entire series, separating it from the rest of Star Trek. They did that by time-jumping Star Trek: Discovery so far into the future that nothing it did could have any further impact on the franchise.

The USS Discovery time jumps into a far-off future.

They created a spinoff called Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for Pike to rescue him from Discovery’s sinking ship. Though his new series was technically an extension of the Disco-verse, it quickly set out to differentiate itself from Discovery and the mistakes it had made.

Unfortunately, Alex Kurtzman was still in charge, and he simultaneously set out to make Strange New Worlds his own, which meant he made it stupid. He made it his stated mission to work only with people who didn’t actually like Star Trek, intending to hollow out the brand and wear it like a skinsuit.

*Strange New Worlds* debuts its Klingon boy band.

So, instead of hiring serious science fiction writers who might have a fondness for Gene Roddenberry’s work, he hired Strange New Worlds and Discovery writers based on diversity quotas. Those writers, who care nothing about Star Trek or science fiction, then turned the show into a playground for theater kids rather than Star Trek fans. After a strong first-season debut, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds devolved into a series of joke episodes and ridiculous plot arcs, which chased away initially optimistic Trek fans.

Star Trek Starts Winning Razzies

That should have been it for the Disco era. The franchise forked away from it; Paramount was working on other Star Trek shows. Discovery limped onward but was soon canceled after five seasons of disinterest.

*Star Trek: Discovery’s* Michael Burnham

However, Alex Kurtzman had been trying to make a Star Trek: Section 31 spinoff since the first season of Discovery. His plan centered on a widely disliked Star Trek: Discovery character, played by actress Michelle Yeoh.

Fans hated the idea, and no one at Paramount seemed particularly excited about it. They prioritized Strange New Worlds over it, and while a Section 31 series was announced, it never went into full production. Kurtzman’s last update stated clearly that Section 31 was now a very low priority.

And then, in March of 2023, Michelle Yeoh won an Oscar. In April of 2023, Star Trek: Section 31 entered full production as a feature film. Oscar-winning tends to have that effect.

star trek section 31 michelle yeoh — Michelle Yeoh as *Section 31’s* genocidal hero.

In January of 2024, Star Trek: Section 31 arrived as a direct-to-streaming movie on Paramount+. It was the first Star Trek movie released in nearly a decade. It’s now the worst-reviewed movie in the entire Star Trek canon, with audiences giving it an appalling 16% fresh score. It received three Razzie nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actress, and Worst Screenplay.

Star Trek: Section 31 begins when a spitwad flies across the screen, tracing the shape of the Starfleet logo. Viewers would later learn that Spitwad is actually the movie’s hero ship, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any better. The movie revolves around Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou, a character responsible for numerous acts of genocide. And she’s not sorry about any of it.

There are other characters in Section 31, but they’re no better. The super cool Section 31 spy team introduces itself by shouting at each other, issuing threats, and posing for the camera. Like Georgiou, they’re also mostly serial killers, and they’re all pretty upset they aren’t able to do more killing.

Michelle Yeoh savoring the sweet taste of an eyeball in *Star Trek: Section 31*

Luckily, this mission to do a thing takes place in the exact same space bar they’re already standing in. Paramount didn’t need to build any other sets for their heist. What a financially fortuitous coincidence.

There’s a confusing fistfight in front of a bad green screen rendering of a blurry tunnel. A murder mystery that no one cares about. A robot gets incapacitated by being kneed in the crotch.

Star Trek: Section 31 ends when Phillipa Georgiou genocides an entire universe on suspicion of possible mischief and then tells her team she’s going to kill them. If you still have doubts about the quality of Star Trek: Section 31’s writing, please enjoy this actual line of dialogue from the movie: “She died like she lived. By that you know what I mean.”

Star Trek Becomes A Zombie Franchise Thanks To Starfleet Academy

A disaster on the scale of Star Trek: Section 31 should have been the end of Alex Kurtzman. Paramount, however, continues funding his disasters. So enabled, Alex Kurtzman continued moving forward on one of his worst pet projects, Starfleet Academy.

The idea of a show centered around the Academy had been floating around for decades. It’s not something Trekkies ever really wanted, though, because the point of Star Trek is to be about professionals out exploring and not watching kids sitting in classrooms or flirting with each other in the cafeteria. Alex Kurtzman, however, having clearly demonstrated he didn’t really want existing fans, perhaps saw this as an opportunity to finally be rid of them.

An actual scene from *Star Trek: Starfleet Academy*

Ratings for the show are self-reported by Paramount and so can’t be relied on. However, most evidence suggests no one is watching it. Some estimates have its total viewership as being under a million. Fans hate it beyond all measure, and Starfleet Academy has some of the lowest audience scores of anything currently airing on streaming.

Yet, somehow, Starfleet Academy was renewed for a second season and will continue. Why? I suspect money laundering. If you have a better explanation, I’d like to hear it.

Heroes Arose, But Alex Kurtzman Struck Them Down

It didn’t have to be this way. Even after Fuller’s plans failed, Paramount had ways to correct course.

Developing in parallel with the Disco-verse was a Star Trek animated series called Lower Decks, helmed by Rick & Morty alum Mike McMahan. Mike McMahan is a serious, lifelong Star Trek fan, and while technically his show was produced under Alex Kurtzman’s auspices, all indications are that Kurtzman had nothing to do with Lower Decks.

That allowed McMahan to stack his staff with serious writing talent, who knew the genre and knew everything about Star Trek. They took Star Trek seriously, and as a result, Lower Decks was a huge success, and it had nothing at all to do with the Disco-verse.

Alex Kurtzman rewarded McMahan’s success by canceling his show after five seasons and firing him. Paramount did nothing to stop him.

Tangential to the Disco-verse was the Picard-verse, a series vanity project Alex Kurtzman developed around Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard character. The show was a disaster for two seasons until the third, when Paramount somehow convinced Kurtzman to turn the whole thing over to veteran TV showrunner and legit Star Trek fan Terry Matalas.

Matalas delivered the best Star Trek season of the modern Trek era. Matalas lobbied to be given more work, doing more Star Trek. Fans launched petitions to try and convince Paramount to hand the entire franchise over to him.

Alex Kurtzman, still with an iron grip on the franchise, responded by passing on Matalas and hiring more people who don’t like Star Trek to replace him on the franchise’s next projects, Section 31 and Starfleet Academy.

And that’s the current state of Star Trek. We’re left with dancing Klingon boy bands and rainbow vomit. Sure, the .001% of humans who spent their formative years as theater kids may like it. Is that really a demographic worth pursuing? It’s like five people, and four of them are named Skylar.

The Legacy Of Star Trek’s Disco Era

Brian Fuller achieved what he set out to achieve. He erased Star Trek and replaced it with an outer space Game of Thrones.

His plan culminated in a horrible Suicide Squad/Guardians of the Galaxy ripoff mashup with the Star Trek name slapped on it in hopes of tricking people into giving them money. Then it blossomed into a Dawson’s Creek knockoff with combadges.

The ship that launched Star Trek’s Disco-era, the USS Shenzou.

Alex Kurtzman’s attempt replace Trekkies with new Trekkies who would like his slop, totally failed. He didn’t find replacements, because those replacements would have to be young women. Newsflash: Young women are never going to watch something called Star Trek.

And yet, despite no longer having an audience or a point for existing, Star Trek keeps going anyway. It’s become a zombie franchise that Paramount keeps making because that’s what franchises are supposed to do. Keep going.

Maybe it will keep going for a while. There doesn’t seem to be any way to stop it. So Star Trek fans have beamed away, and after years of abuse, they’re unlikely to return. No need to set the auto-destruct on your way out, Trekkies. Alex Kurtzman blew it up a long time ago.

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Brianna LaPaglia Slams Zach Bryan Again Over $12 Million NDA

Published

1 minute ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Brianna LaPaglia at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards

The media personality, who previously shared that she was offered $12 Million attached with a condition that she signs a non-disclosure agreement, spills more on what her life would have been if she accepted the terms.

Brianna LaPaglia has been vocal about the downsides of her relationship with Zach Bryan, which lasted for almost a year. She previously noted that the mishaps in her relationship with men may steer her towards having a taste of the other side.

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Brianna LaPaglia Reveals Mind-Blowing Details Of Zach Bryan’s NDA

Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA

LaPaglia sat down with the hosts on a recent episode of “Impaulsive,” where she spilled the tea on the non-disclosure agreement she was presented with after her split from Bryan. She told Logan Paul and Mike Majlak that the agreement would have prohibited her from being on social media.

Explaining further, she said that she would not have the liberty of posting on the internet, doing her job, or speaking about her ex unless it was in a positive light.

She vehemently insisted that, contrary to popular opinion, even if she could go back and take the money, she would not, as that would put her life under surveillance. “It was out of the question. It was so controlling,” the podcaster added.

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LaPaglia also noted that the “insane” offer included “all of Barstool [Sports],” also covering and controlling her then-“BFFs” podcast co-hosts, Josh Richards and Dave Portnoy’s activities.

She further shared that the contract, which was supposed to span for five years before the $12 million was completely paid, will demand regular check-ins with her ex’s manager.

This revelation prompted one of the hosts to interject and state that said manager would have been “like a probation officer.”

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The Podcaster Labeled Her Ex A ‘Psychopath’

Continuing the conversation, LaPaglia shared that Bryan often made fun of her career as a podcast host, calling it embarrassing. In her words, “He hated everything to do with podcasting… he thinks it’s like the worst thing ever.”

After she disclosed the details of the agreement, Paul could not come to terms with the fact that Bryan wanted that amount of control over her even after their relationship had ended. He said:

“I am failing to understand why he wanted that level of control over you post-relationship,” to which she immediately responded, “because he is a psychopath, a narcissist, and a very scary person.”

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The 26-year-old stated that she wanted that chapter of her life to be over, adding that she shared her story publicly for herself and other girls who are probably going through a similar situation. Paul and Majlak applauded her stance to reject the multi-million dollar deal, tagging it a noble act.

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The Internet Sensation Previously Stuggled With The Decision To Turn Down The Money

Shortly after their breakup in 2024, LaPaglia went public with the details of their split on her podcast, where she announced that she was offered a large sum of money to stay completely silent about her experiences with the singer.

LaPaglia’s co-host, Dave Portnoy, noted she went back and forth over accepting the deal before she ultimately decided that she did not want the “blood money.” The Blast shared that she admitted that it was a moral battle for her at the time, considering the financial and economic status of her family.

Furthermore, she disclosed that another thing that sealed the deal on her decision was her experience with Bryan emotionally abusing her. She claimed that taking the money would have cost her peace of mind, as she would lose sleep in fear of what emotional abuse tactic he would resort to.

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The Barstool Sport Personality Considered Dating Women Post Breakup

After her messy breakup with the “Pink Skies” singer, LaPaglia got candid about the possibilities of her dating life taking a turn. She shared her intentions of testing the waters in same-sex relationships.

The Blast reported that her preference in the dating pool was already tilting towards women, owing to the way things turned out with men in the past. She also revealed that it would not be a first for her because she had engaged in same sex dating before.

“I think that they’re better, so maybe I really am fully a lesbian, so maybe that’s why none of my relationships with men have worked out,” the podcaster told her co-host Josh Richards. However, LaPaglia noted that at the time, she was content with remaining single and enjoying life on her own.

Inside Zach Bryan and Brianna LaPaglia’s Relationship

Image Press Agency/MEGA

The estranged lovers first met in May 2023 at the Academy of Country Music Awards. A month later, they shared the stage during Bryan’s concert at Forest Hills Stadium in New York City. By July of the same year, they confirmed the status of their romantic relationship.

The duo had their red carpet debut at the 2024 Grammys, where Bryan bagged his first Grammy, stepping out together hand in hand as they made points to highlight their love for each other publicly.

The content creator was head over heels for Bryans and had no issues admitting it. She often voiced her feelings on her podcast and showed great support for her then-boyfriend’s music career.

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As shared by The Blast, the former lovebirds celebrated their first anniversary together in July 2024 with sweet social media posts, and three months later, the relationship hit rock bottom. Bryan announced the split online in October.

Will the heat between Brianna LaPaglia and Zach Bryan eventually settle?

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Cops Called to Shia LaBeouf’s L.A. Home Before Mia Goth Split

Published

15 minutes ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Shia LaBeouf
Home Hit With Calls to Cops Before Mia Goth Split

Published
February 18, 2026
5:00 PM PST

Cops were called out to Shia LaBeouf‘s Los Angeles area home more than once prior to his breakup with Mia Goth … according to police records obtained by TMZ.

Docs show that authorities showed up to the home belonging to Shia for calls involving a disturbance of the peace and an alleged stalking incident.

According to the records, in November 2024, a call was logged for a “husband and wife” disturbance of the peace, where an “uncooperative female” was repeatedly heard on the 911 call saying “just go” — stating she was trying to get her husband to leave.

The docs describe a male being heard in the background cursing … before the call was eventually cleared. The Pasadena City PIO confirms the incident did involve the residents of the home … however, no full police report was required.

In another call from August 2025, a caller told cops an “old friend” was mentally ill and she thinks she is married to Shia LaBeouf … stating she is “murderously angry with him, appears to be stalking him and is going to his home.”

According to the docs, the caller — who appears to be a fan of Shia and did not live in his neighborhood — told cops they saw the individual obsessing over Shia via their Instagram profile.

The caller said they were simply concerned when seeing these posts online and claimed the person believed they were married to Shia. It is unknown if Shia was even aware of this incident, but the docs mention Shia’s home address.

2026

TMZ.com

As we first reported … Shia was arrested Monday night in New Orleans after allegedly punching a bar employee, sparking a brawl before cops arrived. He was later charged with two counts of simple battery.

The arrest came months after his split from Mia Goth. We broke the story … following the breakup, Shia relocated from Los Angeles to New Orleans in December, purchasing a 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath Uptown cottage for just over $1 million.

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Human Remains Found in Coal Bin Identified as Man Who Vanished in 1988

Published

28 minutes ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Police in Alabama have identified human remains discovered in a coal bin as a man who vanished 38 years ago and was the subject of a long-lingering cold case.

DNA testing on the remains — which were first found in late 2004 — finally returned a hit for 21-year-old Bryant Keith Bates.

Us Weekly confirmed Bates was last seen alive on November 15, 1988, after he had left his family’s home in North East Lake for a funeral.

When he failed to return from his friend’s funeral, Bates’ relatives grew suspicious and reported him missing to the Birmingham Police Department.

Early on in the missing persons probe, his family expressed grave concerns the young man was killed intentionally.

Back on November 22, 2004, police were contacted by an exterminator, who told them he had discovered human skeletal remains buried inside a coal bin while working in the crawl space of a South East Lake rental property.

The skeletal remains were brought to the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office for examination, and it was determined the victim was male and likely of African descent. They estimated his age to be between 17- and 30-years-old and said that he stood 5-foot-10.

Officials say that Bates was last seen wearing a pair of plaid pants with a white shirt that had blue trim — the same clothing that was found along with the skeletal remains.

A Coca-Cola brand watch and a chain necklace were also recovered, and both belonged to Bates.

An autopsy determined that Bates was shot in the head. His manner of death was deemed a homicide, and now, investigators are trying to bring his killer to justice.

Police do not have an idea at the moment how long ago Bates was killed. They also have failed to discuss any possible suspects they may have in mind.

Information about the unidentified remains was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2015, but no match was found.

Three years later, a bone sample was submitted to the University of Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) for analysis, and the results confirmed the remains were those of a man. A profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, however, there still was no match.

Then, in March 2025, officials took a bone sample and submitted it to Othram, Inc., for further analysis. The DNA profile developed from that specific analysis confirmed that the remains were of African descent and aided genealogists in developing new leads about who the man might be.

Officials claim those fresh leads were sent to the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office and allowed them to locate immediate family members of the deceased.

In Feb. 2026, officials say UNTCHI performed DNA testing of Bates and confirmed that the missing remains that were found were those of Bates.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office says the identification was made possible by utilizing forensic genetic genealogy analysis (FGG) and is the second positive ID using the process. Officials say they currently have 26 cases being analyzed by the FGG process.

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Nazgul the wolfdog steals show during 2026 Winter Olympics race, gets photo finish

Published

41 minutes ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Watch the pet cross the finish line in Milan Cortina.

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Inside The Subtle ‘Star Wars’ Nod To The Late Carl Weathers

Published

55 minutes ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Martin Scorsese promotes 'The Moon Killers' in Madrid

The late actor Carl Weathers is being honored in the new “Star Wars” movie, “The Mandalorian & Grogu.” After three seasons on Disney+, the titular Mandalorian, played by Pedro Pascal, is finally heading to the big screen. Although Weathers has sadly passed away, Lucasfilm honored the late actor by sneaking his name into The Mandalorian’s latest adventure.

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Inside Carl Weathers’ Role In The ‘Star Wars’ Show ‘The Mandalorian’

In the first few seasons of “The Mandalorian,” which are currently available to stream on Disney+, Carl Weathers plays the role of Greef Karga. The character became an agent of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild and Guild Master of the Nevarro Hunters following the collapse of the Galactic Empire. He later became the High Magistrate of Nevarro and became someone the Mandalorian could trust.

However, that wasn’t Weathers’ only contribution to a galaxy far, far away. He also directed two episodes of the show. He directed “Chapter 12: The Siege” (Season 2, Episode 4) and “Chapter 20: The Foundling” (Season 3, Episode 4). Fans loved his character, but also praised the work that he did behind the camera.

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Carl Weathers’ Name Appears In ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’

Eagle-eyed fans who watched the trailer that dropped on February 17 noticed a nod to Carl Weathers when a creature smashes through a door that is marked with the name “WEATHERS APOLLO” written across the top.

“Weathers” is clearly a reference to the late actor, while the name “Apollo” is clearly a nod to one of his best-known roles. Weathers portrayed Apollo Creed in the first four “Rocky” films, from 1976 to 1985. Although he began as the primary antagonist to Rocky Balboa, he eventually became Rocky’s close friend and mentor.

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Carl Weathers Passed Away In 2024

According to a death certificate obtained exclusively by The Blast, Weathers passed away on February 2 at 12:18 AM at 76 years old. His death certificate listed “atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease” as his official cause of death.

His family confirmed the news in a statement, saying, “He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers.”

They praised him as an “exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts, and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend.”

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Martin Scorsese Voices Ardennian Shopkeeper In ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

Alberto Ortega – Academia de Cin / MEGA

In addition to Weathers, acclaimed director Martin Scorsese will also appear in a galaxy far, far away. Polygon confirmed that the Ardennian shopkeeper seen at the beginning of the trailer is voiced by none other than Martin Scorsese.

The film is also bringing some serious star power with “Alien” actress Sigourney Weaver, playing Ward, a colonel and leader of the New Republic’s Adelphi Rangers who previously served as a pilot for the Rebel Alliance. “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White is also voicing Rotta the Hutt, the son of deceased crime lord Jabba the Hutt.

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Watch The Trailer Below

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Guy Ritchie Fans Need To Binge Netflix’s Stellar Action Comedy Before Season 2 This Year

Published

1 hour ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Custom image of Guy Ritchie against a library and a cracked screen

Guy Ritchie has had quite the comeback in the 2020s, and has become more productive than at any other point in his career. While the late 2010s featured him as the director behind poorly received blockbusters like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and Aladdin, Ritchie kicked off the new decade with six new mid-budget genre films, and he has three more on the way. It feels as if Ritchie is returning to his roots by making smart, snarky gangster stories with his trademark non-linear sensibilities, and he’s even managed to extend that style into television. The Gentlemen isn’t just one of the most entertaining projects that Ritchie has ever been involved with, but it’s a distillation of what makes him such a unique storyteller.

The first film in this third wave of Ritchie’s career was The Gentlemen, a fun heist thriller with a collection of handsome dudes, blackly funny ultra-violence, and an overcomplicated plot involving illegal drug smuggling. While it was great to see Ritchie make something that felt like a deliberate throwback to his work on Snatch, The Gentlemen series is more than just a retelling of the film, as it is set in the same universe and goes far more in-depth with its analysis of family dysfunction. Given that Ritchie likes to sneak in bite-sized escapades and jokes into his stories, The Gentlemen has proven that he just might be better fit to make prestige television than to continue doing feature films.

Netflix’s ‘The Gentlemen’ Isn’t a Remake, but an Expansion of Guy Ritchie’s Movie

While the film featured Matthew McConaughey as an Oklahoma drug kingpin, The Gentlemen introduces a new family empire with the Horniman, a British dynasty that controls a powerful cannabis farm. After the death of the family’s patriarch, Archibald (Edward Fox), the fortune is passed down to his youngest son, Eddie (Theo James), bypassing his older heir, Freddie (Daniel Ings), altogether. Eddie is a former veteran of the British Army who knows a thing or two about maintaining relationships with dangerous organizations, but he’s shocked to find that his father owes a massive debt to the Scouse drug dealer Tommy Dixon (Peter Serafinowicz).

As he enters the illicit world of underground drug smuggling, Eddie finds both allies and adversaries; while the rival drug kingpin Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone) wants to take back the land that Eddie has now used to curate his farms, the incarcerated gangster’s daughter Susan (Kaya Scodelario) might be able to provide the Hornimans with a truce. However, both families are threatened by the encroaching danger of Stanley Johnson (Giancarlo Esposito), an American billionaire who is desperate to buy them out by any means necessary.

Guy Ritchie Had Already Found His Style With His First Crime Thriller Short Film

The roots of Ritchie’s career can be traced back to these 20 minutes.

The Gentlemen succeeds because the series paints a colorful portrayal of the different parties involved in the illegal trade, which is treated as a prestige family business. While Eddie has worked for the good of his country through both the Army and the United Nations’ peacekeeping force, he surprisingly finds that handling his father’s business requires the same set of skills. He is trying to protect the family fortune, and is also attempting to soothe tensions and avoid any violent conflict.

This aspect of the story allowed Ritchie to expand the material beyond the action that would need to be included within a single film, and allowed for a greater exploration of the interconnected world. Some of the most compelling parts of The Gentlemen are simply observations about the various gamekeepers, distributors, security forces, and corrupt law enforcement officials involved in any of Eddie’s business moves. The series moves like a chess game, which makes it all the more exciting when Ritchie breaks out into his trademark slapstick humor.

Netflix’s ‘The Gentlemen’ Is Guy Ritchie at His Best

Even in his worst films, Ritchie has always had an eye for casting, and The Gentlemen benefits from a cast who elevates their characters beyond stereotypes. James has always been a more dynamic actor than the generic heartthrob that he was pigeonholed as early on in his career, and he turns Eddie into a fascinating character filled with contradictions. Eddie is ruthless in cutting out those who are disloyal to him, but he also considers that he has the potential to change his family legacy and redefine what a “gentleman” can be. Scodelario’s performance is perfectly matched to his because Susie is also trying to break out from under the shadow of a highly powerful father, and was ironically able to emulate his qualities after he was trapped in prison. The return of Bobby into Susie’s life doesn’t just make her loyalties ambiguous, but drives a wedge against the more positive influence that Eddie had on her.

The Gentlemen has just as many twists and turns as any of Ritchie’s films, and the series is straight up hilarious, willing to go far for the sake of an absurdist joke. He may be currently stealing scenes on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but Ings is just as great on The Gentlemen because Freddie seems to always find a way to undercut his brother’s strategies — even if his intentions are pure. While the first season of The Gentlemen proved that Ritchie has the capability of building an entire universe, the impending second season might ensure that the series goes down in history as his greatest achievement.

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Concertgoer sues Donny Osmond, claims she was hit by giant ball at Vegas show

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1 hour ago

19 February 2026

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Joanne Julkowski alleges that she suffered physical and mental issues.

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Bob Dylan Made a Bold Prediction About This Rock Band’s Immortality and Time Has Proven Him Right

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2 hours ago

19 February 2026

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For over several decades, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan has been actively shaping and redefining the definition of popular music, reinventing the sound, so when he speaks about the future of music most people tend to listen. His distinct baritone voice has not only been the voice behind many hit songs such as “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Blowin’ in the Wind”, but he also has the ability to recognize lasting greatness in others. Dylan’s influence and musical talent didn’t just stop at his own catalog. Beyond his own songwriting genius, he was able to spot that the rock band U2 would be a musical act that would last decades.

The Moment Bob Dylan Told Bono U2 Would Outlive Every Era

Bob Dylan has, of course, long been revered for his artistry, so much so, in fact, that Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him as the best songwriter of all time, followed by another great legend, The Beatles’ Paul McCartney. And at 84, after nearly 60 years in the music industry, he is still going strong, with his last studio album, Shadow Kingdom, released in 2023 to critical and commercial success. Given Dylan’s prolific career, which includes 10 Grammy Awards, it might seem surprising that there are any artists of his caliber that he would single out as superior in talent, let alone hail them as having a career that would be remembered for a century or more.

Bob Dylan’s Greatest Diss Song Still One of the Best Songs Ever Written

This classic Bob Dylan song continues to be debated.

However, according to the rock ‘n’ roll and folk icon, there is at least one band whose music deserves such high praise. That band is U2. U2 is, of course, the iconic Irish rock band formed in 1976. Known for their eclectic sound, fervent lyrics, and dedication to various political causes, the group, led by Bono, has attained worldwide fame with hit albums such as How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and Under A Blood Red Sky. The popular band, which cites the Ramones, T. Rex, and David Bowie as inspirations, has also influenced artists such as The Killers and Muse. But to impress Dylan, well, that’s a special feat all on its own. According to Bono in his autobiography of the band, U2 by U2: The Definitive Band History, when he expressed admiration for Dylan, the latter shocked him with his own praise for the group: “I said to Bob Dylan, ‘People are going to be playing your songs for thousands of years. He said, ‘Man, they’re going to be listening to your songs too. It’s just no one’s going to know how to play them.”

Bob Dylan’s Admiration for the Beatles Reveals a Complicated Relationship

U2 aren’t the only artists Bob Dylan has praised. While it is well known that Dylan and The Beatles had a rather complicated relationship, often fraught with creative tensions, each act did heap both criticism and praise on the other, and there is no denying that the group drew inspiration from Dylan. However, Dylan had on occasions voiced his admiration for the Fab Four’s artistry and songs, particularly in their classic 1963 song “Do You Want to Know a Secret, which was primarily written by John Lennon with George Harrison as lead vocalist.

The nearly two-minute pop ballad was released as the second single off their hit debut album Please Please Me. “The radio was on from beyond a wall, and the sound was coming through in static,” Dylan once recalled about the track on 2004’s Chronicles: Vol 1. “They were so easy to accept, so solid. I remember when they first came out. They offered intimacy and companionship like no other group. Their songs would create an empire. It seemed like a long time ago. ‘Do You Want to Know a Secret’. A perfect ’50s sappy love ballad, and nobody but them could do it. Somehow, there was nothing wussy about it.”

Bob Dylan performing while a camera flashes in Don't Look Back

Bob Dylan’s Classic ‘Just Like a Woman’ Features The Most Heartbreaking Lyrics of His Career

A track that dives into the devastating highs and lows of an unnamed woman whose identity remains debated today.

In addition to “Do You Want to Know a Secret”, Dylan also praised another Beatles song, “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” In 2015, he told NME Magazine, he praised not only the single but their legendary Ed Sullivan performance, “’I Want To Hold Your Hand’…They were doing things no one else was doing. Their chords were outrageous, just outrageous, and their harmonies made it all valid… I knew they were pointing in the direction of where music had to go.”

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Brandi Glanville reveals what caused her facial parasite: 'Sucks to age, like, 20 years overnight'

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2 hours ago

19 February 2026

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The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum has been battling an aggressive and invasive parasite for three years.

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NBA YoungBoy Addresses Rumors Involving Alleged Fake Page

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2 hours ago

19 February 2026

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NBA YoungBoy Sets The Record Straight After Rumors Claim He's Messaging Women From A Fake Social Media Account

It seems like NBA YoungBoy can’t escape having his name dragged into the mix. For some time now, rumors have continued circulating online, with the internet constantly attaching different women to the married rapper’s alleged roster. This time, some even claim that a few known influencers were involved. Well, it looks like he caught wind of the speculation and is ready to set the record straight.

RELATED: Social Media Users Think Yaya Mayweather Shaded NBA YoungBoy While Reflecting On Love & How People Change After Incarceration

NBA YoungBoy Puts An End To Rumors About His Alleged Finsta Account

The rapper took to his Instagram account late Tuesday, February 17, to clear the air on rumors that have surfaced about him. NBA YoungBoy uploaded a video ready to put an end to rumors claiming he’s been messaging other women from an alleged “finsta,” a term used for a fake or secondary Instagram page someone runs privately under a different name.

He addressed the accusations by saying, “Last time I’m telling you… y’all stupid a** boys can get yourselves hurt behind a h***. I’m talking to you like a man. I don’t play on no fake page. I ain’t got that to do, man. I’m too up. I’m too G’d up, man. They want a n***a to f*** a b**** bad. I don’t even talk to half these weird h*** y’all keep bringing up. I wouldn’t dare talk to ’em. Never spoke to them. All jokes aside, I don’t think y’all know how bad I can’t stand y’all. I’ll spit on one of y’all girlfriends.”

In his message, he made it clear he’s fed up and warned those who continue playing on his name. Over on X, YoungBoy also tweeted “At this point” with a laughing emoji as he reacted to Tbvnks claiming his ex-girlfriend used to call YB her “husband” and allegedly had multiple phone cases with his face on them during their relationship.

Social Media Reacts

Many gathered under The Shade Room’s comment section, trying to dissect what NBA YoungBoy was clearing up. While some understood what he meant and came to his defense, others brought up his marriage. A few even suggested the situation might be a case of catfishing.

Instagram user @vonjaee wrote, “I believe YB, He a real Mack he doesn’t need to do all that”

Instagram user @t_o_r_o2000 added, “That man literally cheats in peace so why would he have to use a fake account to do it lol”

While Instagram user @itsstyqueana wrote. “why he ain’t messaging me….”

Instagram user @calzne wrote, “is he trying to convenience us or himself 😂😂cause why is he even speaking on this”

Instagram user @chrisdaasshole added. “he married and tryna be with his family, and yall spreading all these rumors. how else he posed to feel 😂”

While Instagram user @effortlesslyerika wrote, “He didn’t clear up shit be nobody knows wth he even saying”

Instagram user @prettypaid_dee wrote, “Translation: he don’t want your chick & if he did he wouldn’t have to use a fake page to get her. Don’t get yourself hurt behind a female that would give it up to him as soon as he smiles!”

Instagram user @teridixon_32 added, “It’s so many NBA Young boy fan pages. I believe him! It’s giving catfish episode.

While Instagram user @millkk.marie added, “Y’all better leave Kentrell alone”

Yaya Mayweather Clears Her Father’s Name As She Seemingly Addresses Rumors With NBA YoungBoy

While the internet is still debating about NBA YoungBoy’s alleged social media accounts, Yaya Mayweather, the mother of one of his sons, entered the chat. She asked folks to leave her dad, Floyd Mayweather, out of the drama, especially as rumors began circulating that streamer Summyah Marie was still in communication with him and now allegedly YB as well. One person reacted, “So Summyah f****** with the grandfather of YB son and also YB himself? Horrible a** b**,” while another defended her, writing, “who tf gaf tho? can’t she talk to whoever she wants?”

If y’all recall, Floyd previously went viral after getting dragged into the mix a few months ago are rumors suggested that he allegedly tried to get streamer Summyah Marie’s number while she was live. She turned him down, as she was dating rapper NoCap at the time. When some continued to press the issue that Floyd and Summyah were still talking, Yaya clapped back, saying, “How y’all going to try to tell me about MY dad? Last time I checked, I’m pretty sure I’ve known him my whole life and I’m around him regularly… and we talk so I know what’s going on. Like are y’all ok?”

She even laughed off the situation, calling out those allegedly engaging with fake pages amid YoungBoy clearing the air. Summyah Marie also addressed the chatter, denying that she’s been talking to either NBA YoungBoy or Floyd.