By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 18 seconds ago

Will Smith had a plan to become a major star. When he decided to make the jump from television star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to international sensation he wanted to be in big-budget Summer sci-fi blockbusters. Independence Day and Men in Black were huge hits, Wild Wild West was not, and while he achieved his goal, his biggest misfire came over 20 years later in 2019. That’s the year he teamed up with Ang Lee for Gemini Man, a sci-fi action movie that makes us long for the days of a giant steampunk spider. 

Gemini Man’s Cutting Edge Technology Falls Flat

Before you notice anything else about Gemini Man the 120 FPS rate sticks out like a sore thumb. Ang Lee shot the film entirely at the enhanced rate that gives it the appearance of a daytime soap opera. The movie ran headfirst into the same technological wall as The Hobbit trilogy in that on one hand, it looks and moves incredibly smooth, but on the other, to most of the public, it was shot on location in the uncanny valley. 

Gemini Man pits Will Smith as Marine Scout Sniper Henry against a digitally de-aged Will Smith in a game of cat and mouse. After Henry kills an innocent man on a mission and leaves the service, Clay (Clive Owen), director of the GEMINI program, concocts the insane supervillain plan to take out Henry and replace him with a loyal, obedient clone. Any Spider-Man fan will tell you that clone stories never work out. Even the addition of Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong in supporting roles isn’t enough to save Gemini Man from the clone curse.

Between the enhanced FPS and a digitally de-aged Will Smith, Gemini Man has aged as well as those potatoes in the pantry you swore you’d cook one day. After Earth has gone through the usual revaluation phase and isn’t considered to be as horrible as it was when it launched, but Gemini Man is, if anything, worse than it was in 2019. Cutting-edge technology backfiring combined with a boring plot has left it with little to no redeeming value.

Gemini Man Is Too Absurd To Be This Serious

The worst part about Gemini Man is there’s no sense of fun to it. Wild Wild West is a bad movie but at least Will Smith, Kevin Kline, and Kenneth Branagh are having fun with the absurdity of it all, and the worst of the Men in Black trilogy, Men in Black III, benefits from Josh Brolin doing a Tommy Lee Jones impression. At the box office, it was rejected by audiences with a dismal take of $173 million worldwide. Sounds great, except it needed to go past $275 million to turn a profit thanks to the production budget of $125 million. It’s expensive to look that bad.

Will Smith recovered from Gemini Man by going back to the Bad Boys franchise with Martin Lawrence. Both Bad Boys For Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die were hits, and he’s currently working on I Am Legend 2 with Michael B. Jordan and Creed II director Steven Caple Jr. No matter how bad the movie retcons the ending of the first, it’ll still be more interesting than Gemini Man.

Gemini Man is streaming for free on YouTube and Pluto TV.

More bad news in the gaming industry, this time from Microsoft. Following the crushing news that Sony and PlayStation are to do away with physical media in the near future, it seems the Xbox side of the aisle is also making some moves. Michrosoft is making a huge round of job cuts, with the gaming division set to be hit hardest by that move. CNBC is reporting that the company is going to be eliminating 4,800 jobs across its business, with 3,200 of those losses set to come from within Xbox through 2027.

For those who can’t quite process that horrific news, that amounts to roughly one fifth of the entire Xbox workforce, according to someone quoted within the CNBC report, and about 1,600 of those roles are being cut immediately, while the rest are expected to go over the next year as Microsoft clears the decks.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that the changes would be staggered because “it is not possible to make all the necessary changes in a single day.” She added that the company expects to return to growth in 2027, though that’s hardly going to be a comfort to the teams that have just had their workforce slashed in dramatic fashion. Her statement concluded:

I want XBOX to be one of the few companies that entertains more than a billion people each day and gives everyone the opportunity to create and connect. I know we can achieve this goal. XBOX has many of the most beloved franchises in entertainment history, talented studios around the world, and we will return to growth in 2027.

What Does the Xbox Restructuring Involve?

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Also part of the restructuring is a plan to spin off four gaming studios from Microsoft. Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions are set to become independent again, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have reportedly entered talks to join new ownership. In addition, there’s also real uncertainty over the future of Arkane Studios, which joined Microsoft through its $8.1 billion ZeniMax Media acquisition in 2021, and they are said to be in dicussions about strategic options but no final decisions have been made for the time being.

In news that is sure to be welcomed by, well, nobody, Microsoft chief people officer Amy Coleman said the company is responding to a workplace being reshaped by AI, though she insisted the technology itself is not directly replacing affected employees. “Some of the tasks we do every day can now be automated,” she wrote, adding that staff will need to “keep learning, keep building new skills, and keep adapting as the work evolves.”

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

The fantasy genre in recent years has been largely landlocked to the television space, largely thanks to the massive popularity of Game of Thrones and its two very successful spin-offs, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Other examples include Netflix’s The Witcher, Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time, and many more, but the genre is making a big return to the big screen in the coming years, such as several The Lord of the Rings spin-offs from Peter Jackson in active development. However, one of next year’s most anticipated projects is now facing a new bout of controversy that feels eerily similar to George R.R. Martin‘s ongoing feud with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal.

After years in development hell, Children of Blood & Bone, the beloved first installment of the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, is finally set to hit the big screen in early 2027 with a star-studded cast to boot. The excitement from fans ever since the news has been palpable, but now, things have taken a turn as original series creator and book author Tomi Adeyemi has officially disowned the upcoming adaptation in a recent social media post, saying “I have not seen the film and I will not watch it” in a collection of direct messages she shared online. Adeyemi didn’t elaborate on specifics for the “painful” falling out with the upcoming project, although one message shared draws specifically to a message to star Amandla Stenberg, saying, “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me.”

Stenberg, who has long been a target of fan backlash across franchises for her roles in the original The Hunger Games and the divisive Star Wars spin-off The Acolyte, has also faced controversy over her role in the adaptation of Children of Blood & Bone. In February 2025, Stenberg officially responded to accusations that the actor was “stealing roles from dark-skinned women” by using a story that claimed Adeyemi wrote the Legacy of Orïsha novels after being inspired by the racist backlash Stenberg received after being cast in The Hunger Games. It is worth noting that, according to the DMs shared by Adeyemi, the falling out between the author and Stenberg took place after the following comments about their creative collaborations:

“I had the opportunity to meet Tomi, the novelist, for the first time. Then, she goes, ‘Amandla, I want you to know that when you were a little girl and were cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, and you had these racist remarks thrown at you because people said that Rue’s death wouldn’t be as sad because you’re a Black girl — that inspired me to write this series, so that Black girls like you and Black girls of all shades could have a story written about them.’ We just started crying, and I said to myself, ‘God wants me here!’”

What Is ‘Children of Blood & Bone’ About?

Image via Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

A fantasy saga set in a fictional African kingdom, Children of Blood & Bone follows a young girl’s quest to recover an ancient magical artifact after thieves take a hold of it. Widely considered to be one of the best YA fantasy novels of the last decade, if done correctly, and adaptation of Children of Blood & Bone has the potential to be on same level as the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson franchises. In addition to Amandla Stenberg, the cast also consists of Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Regina King, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Children of Blood & Bone releases in theaters on January 15, 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

January 15, 2027

Director

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Gina Prince-Bythewood

Writers

Gina Prince-Bythewood, Tomi Adeyemi

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Producers

Reggie Rock Bythewood, Wyck Godfrey, Karen Rosenfelt, Marty Bowen

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Taylor Swift has spent years writing love stories that made millions of fans believe in happily-ever-afters. 

However, according to guests, nothing compared to the real-life moment she walked down the aisle to marry Travis Kelce. 

Behind the towering floral displays, celebrity-packed guest list, and strict no-phone policy was a deeply emotional ceremony that reportedly left the bride in tears after one unforgettable promise from the NFL star. 

As more details emerge, the wedding is proving to be every bit as magical as fans imagined.

Madison Square Garden has hosted championship games, sold-out concerts, and historic sporting events, but guests reportedly barely recognized the famous arena when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce exchanged vows.

According to footage obtained by the Daily Mail, the venue was transformed into an enchanted garden complete with a towering chapel surrounded by rose bushes and trees. 

Gone were the arena’s familiar seats and hardwood flooring, replaced instead with winding walkways, flowing drapery, and romantic displays celebrating the couple’s love story.

Guests reportedly climbed a coral-colored staircase before passing never-before-seen photographs of the couple displayed throughout the venue. As Candi Staton’s “Young Hearts Run Free” echoed through the space, attendees made their way beneath a soaring archway toward the ceremony.

Adam Sandler reportedly entered first to officiate the wedding before Swift appeared in Christian Dior haute couture.

Adding another personal touch, Jason and Kylie Kelce’s daughters served as flower girls, scattering petals ahead of the bride as she walked toward Travis to an instrumental version of her own hit, “Love Story.”

Donna Kelce later summed up the day in the simplest way possible, saying she couldn’t reveal “a heck of a lot except it was magical, man, magical.”

Swift Reportedly Couldn’t Hold Back Her Emotions During The Vows

For all the extravagant details surrounding the wedding, guests say the ceremony’s most unforgettable moment came during the exchange of vows.

Although Travis Kelce reportedly appeared slightly nervous as he stood at the altar, attendees said he remained composed throughout one of the biggest moments of his life.

“He kept it together,” one guest told the Daily Mail, adding, “And there was a lot of tear drying because Taylor looked tearful during a part in the vows where he promised to protect her forever.”

The emotional exchange didn’t just affect Taylor Swift. According to two guests who later spoke with NBC News, many in the audience were wiping away tears by the end of the ceremony, with Travis himself appearing visibly emotional.

“Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos described the vows as “real, vulnerable, serious and silly, deeply loving.”

Even the Kelce family reportedly found themselves overwhelmed, not by nerves, but by the sheer scale of the celebration.

“They’ve had three years to get used to Taylor’s world,” one insider explained, further noting, “But they’ve never seen anything like the spectacle of MSG [Madison Square Garden]. It was a lot.”

Taylor Swift’s Wedding Weekend Mixed Heartfelt Moments With Plenty Of Humor

The emotional ceremony followed a rehearsal dinner that delivered plenty of laughs. Held Thursday night inside Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theater, the more intimate gathering welcomed around 100 guests before Friday’s larger celebration.

One of the evening’s biggest talking points reportedly came courtesy of Lena Dunham. During her speech, the actress and longtime Swift friend allegedly joked that “American football is just straight guys reenacting gay porn.”

According to reports, the remark divided the room, prompting both “gasps and laughs.” Swift, however, reportedly loved every second of it and declared Dunham a “genius.”

By Saturday evening, the celebration had become impossible to ignore. Madison Square Garden confirmed the marriage by illuminating its exterior with giant pink digital displays reading “JUST&T MARRIED!”

The Grammy Award winner’s longtime publicist, Tree Paine, later confirmed the wedding as well, sharing details about the singer’s Dior gown and Adam Sandler’s role in the ceremony.

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According to an insider, asking the Hollywood star to officiate was an easy decision. “They’re big fans of his personally and professionally. When they asked him, he told them it was a huge honor. He said yes immediately,” they shared.

Swift Filled Her Wedding With Familiar Faces From Every Chapter Of Her Life

The guest list reflected nearly every era of Taylor Swift’s career. Hollywood stars, music icons, comedians, athletes, and longtime friends all gathered under one roof. 

Some of the big names included Brad Pitt, Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, Dakota Johnson, Jessica Chastain, Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Lopez, and Ed Sheeran.

Other A-list stars including Ellie Goulding, Camila Cabello, Ice Spice, Benson Boone, Nikki Glaser, Fergie, Jessica Alba, Ethan Hawke, Kelsea Ballerini, and members of Swift’s Eras Tour dance team were also present. 

Performances by Stevie Nicks and Sir Paul McCartney reportedly kept the celebration going into the early hours. One surprise favorite among guests wasn’t an actor or musician, though.

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“Graham Norton was actually one of the people everyone wanted to go up and speak to,” one insider claimed. “I don’t think he realized how popular his show is [in the States]. People like Lena [Dunham] and Selena [Gomez] were around him. He was a focal point because Taylor loves him so much.”

Taylor Swift May Already Be Turning Her Wedding Into Her Next Creative Chapter

The wedding’s carefully orchestrated production quickly sparked speculation that fans could eventually see more than just photographs.

Signs around Madison Square Garden reading “No parking” and “film shoot” fueled rumors that cameras may have been documenting the celebrations.

Given Swift’s history with projects like “Miss Americana” and “Taylor Swift: The End of an Era,” the speculation only intensified.

According to one insider, “Everyone who was at the big party had to sign a release for legal reasons as they entered.”

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They also noted, “No one refused. It might be just for her and Travis to remember their special night. Or it might be for something else.”

Following the whirlwind celebration, insiders claimed the newlyweds were “exhausted,” adding that there was no official party on Saturday night.

Instead, Swift’s private jet reportedly landed in Connecticut, fueling speculation the couple slipped away to High Watch, her Rhode Island mansion, where lights were reportedly visible later that evening.

Even with wedding festivities behind her, Swift reportedly isn’t slowing down for long. Sources claim collaborators from previous albums have already been asked to “start working on concepts for videos in August.”

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It looks like Danny McBride is serious about bringing G.I. Joe back to the big screen.

During a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, McBride confirmed that he has completed a screenplay for a new G.I. Joe film, and according to the actor and writer, Paramount Pictures is enthusiastic about moving the project forward.

“I’ve written one. I’m stoked about it. I’m really fired up about the script,” McBride said. “Paramount seems fired up about it, so hopefully we’re shooting it next year.”

For longtime fans of the franchise, perhaps the most exciting revelation wasn’t the production update—it was hearing how deeply McBride understands the source material.

“It was definitely the cartoons and the comics,” he explained. “G.I. Joe was my thing when I was a kid. I liked that more than Star Wars, more than anything. I still have all the characters.”

That lifelong passion helped shape the movie’s direction.

According to McBride, his original pitch wasn’t even for a traditional G.I. Joe film. Instead, he wanted to make a movie centered around the Dreadnoks, Cobra’s infamous biker gang of mercenaries. Paramount liked the idea but felt the franchise first needed a proper relaunch before branching into spinoffs.

“I had an idea for a Dreadnoks movie,” McBride recalled. “So I went to Paramount and pitched it, and they were like, ‘Well, the franchise kind of needs to be launched, so we can’t come out with a Dreadnoks movie. Would you have an angle for a G.I. Joe project?’ And I was like, ‘Hell yeah, I’ll have an angle for that.’”

Rather than simply rehash familiar stories, McBride developed a new concept alongside his The Righteous Gemstonescollaborators Jeff Bradley and John Carcieri.

The film reportedly follows Duke and a team of Joes as they investigate Springfield, the infamous town from the comics that secretly operates under Cobra’s control.

“You’re following Duke and a group of other Joes. There’s that town in the comic, Springfield, which is a town that’s secretly all Cobra, and so that is where our film takes place.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the tone.

Despite McBride’s reputation for outrageous comedies like Eastbound & Down and The Righteous Gemstones, he insists this won’t be a comedic take on the iconic toy line.

“We cracked something that we really love,” he said. “It’s not a comedy; it’s kind of suspense and action. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

He even described the screenplay as a more grounded approach to the franchise, suggesting audiences should expect tension and espionage rather than over-the-top parody.

While McBride stopped short of revealing any casting announcements, he hinted that conversations are already taking place behind the scenes.

“We have some pretty interesting people lining up to be in it,” he teased. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it looks like it’s going to be pretty fun.”

Following the disappointing box office performance of Snake Eyes in 2021, Paramount has been searching for the right direction to revive the franchise. If McBride’s comments are any indication, the studio believes it has finally found a fresh approach—one rooted in the classic comics while delivering a grounded action-thriller centered around Duke, Cobra, and the mysterious town of Springfield.

Should production begin next year as planned, G.I. Joe fans may finally be getting the franchise reboot they’ve been waiting for.

Former NFL player Marcellus Wiley, the husband of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Annemarie Wiley, has been arrested on a domestic battery charge.

Marcellus, 51, was charged on Saturday, July 4, in Orange County, Florida, per TMZ and People. Online records viewed by Us Weekly show that he made an initial appearance in court pertaining to the charge on Sunday, July 5.

According to People, the former defensive end was still in custody as of Sunday. The outlet reported that no additional information about the circumstances of Marcellus’ arrest was available at press time.

Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for Marcellus for comment.

Related: Former ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Stars: Where Are They Now?

While some Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars have been a part of the Bravo hit since season 1 — looking at you, Kyle Richards — others have proved that diamonds aren’t forever. The sixth installment in the Real Housewives franchise was announced in March 2010 and aired its first season seven months later. At the […]

Marcellus played for NFL teams the Buffalo Bills, the San Diego Chargers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars during his career, which ended in 2006. He has subsequently worked as a sportscaster for ESPN and Fox Sports.

The former football player appeared alongside his wife, Annemarie, 42, on RHOBH season 13, which premiered in October 2023. She left the show after one season.

In May, Marcellus faced allegations of sexual assault by four women, including a former ESPN production assistant, according to court documents obtained by Us.

The woman claimed Marcellus lured her to his hotel room in 2009 under the guise of a work meeting.

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Related: What to Know About Shannon Sharpe Rape and Sexual Battery Accusations

NFL Hall of Fame Shannon Sharpe was accused of rape and sexual battery in a bombshell $50 million lawsuit. In court documents filed in Nevada on April 20, according to NBC Sports, a woman identified as “Jane Doe” accused Sharpe of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions as well as making verbal threats. Sharpe strongly […]

“When we went to his room, Wiley excused himself to use the bathroom,” the woman alleged, per a court filing obtained by Us. “He emerged from the bathroom naked. He pushed me up against the windows of the room so hard I thought they would shatter. I was petrified and believed I was going to be killed.”

She continued, “I repeatedly pleaded with him to stop and to let me go. He would not. He pushed me face down on the bed and kept me there with my face pressed into the mattress in such a way that I had difficulty breathing, which made me fear for my life. Wiley held me down and masturbated over me until he ejaculated. Only then did he allow me to leave the room.”

Another woman claimed she met Marcellus when she was 13 and accused him of raping her when she turned 18.

“Marcellus Wiley raped me on my 18th birthday, after grooming me from the age of 13,” she alleged in the filing. “If Columbia [University, where Wiley attended college] had properly pursued the complaints … I would never have been groomed and raped.”

At the time, Marcellus denied the accusations against him in a YouTube video.

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“I’m going to continue to challenge all these false accusations,” he said. “I’m exposed to inconsistencies, [I] break down the film and confront what I believe to be attempts at [causing harm to] my reputation through legal coercion or legal extortion. … They’re trying to leverage lies for personal gain. As they say, assassination by accusation. That’s their goal. They’re trying by lying. They don’t want justice. They want just ice. Money, bling, things.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. 

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

HBO® Original series House of the Dragon has never been a show for passive viewing. Between the political intrigue, family betrayals, and spectacular dragon action, every episode is designed to pull viewers deeper into the world of Westeros.

That’s especially true now that Season 3 is underway. After two seasons of rising tensions and fragile alliances, the Dance of the Dragons is finally set to erupt into open warfare, with HBO teasing bigger battles, higher stakes, and more dragonfire than ever before. Which makes it the perfect moment for Govee to enter the dragonpit. Following the launch of its TV Backlight 3 lineup, Govee has partnered with House of the Dragon to bring the atmosphere of Westeros beyond the screen and into viewers’ living rooms.

What the collaboration does offer is a way to make each episode feel a little bigger. With themed lighting effects inspired by the world of House of the Dragon, viewers can create a setup that reacts to the action on-screen and helps extend the mood of the show throughout the room. And for a series built around fire, shadow, and spectacle, that’s a particularly appealing proposition.

Govee and ‘House of the Dragon’ Are a Natural Match

Part of what makes House of the Dragon so compelling is its visual identity. The series constantly shifts between extremes: candlelit plotting in ancient stone halls one moment, dragons tearing through the sky the next. Warm golds give way to cold grey skies, torchlight becomes dragonfire, and intimate conversations can explode into violence without warning.

That atmosphere is a huge part of the viewing experience. The Green and Black councils are defined not just by politics, but by distinct palettes, costumes, locations, and moods. Dragonstone feels different from King’s Landing, just as a smoky battlefield feels different from the polished halls of power.

Traditional living room lighting doesn’t always support that scale. Bright overhead lights can wash out darker scenes, while complete darkness can make the room feel disconnected from the screen. That’s where reactive backlighting comes in.

Rather than simply adding decorative lighting behind a television, Govee’s system extends the colors and movement of the content itself into the surrounding environment. The effect is designed to make the room feel more connected to whatever is unfolding on-screen. For a drama series that swings between quiet plotting sessions and full-scale dragon warfare, that extra layer of atmosphere can make a noticeable difference.

Govee Is Ready to Enhance Your TV Watching Experience

One of the biggest misconceptions about TV backlighting is that it’s supposed to compete with what’s happening on-screen. In reality, the best setups do the opposite. The television remains the focus, and the lighting simply supports what’s already there.

When dragonfire erupts across the screen, the room can reflect some of that warmth and intensity. When a scene shifts into darkness or shadow, the surrounding environment follows suit. The result isn’t distraction. It’s reinforcement. That’s particularly useful for a show like House of the Dragon, which uses lighting and color as storytelling tools.

The series often communicates mood through visuals long before a character says a word. A gloomy council meeting feels different from a triumphant arrival. A storm gathering over Dragonstone feels different from a sunlit moment of victory. Govee’s collaboration is built around that idea. Instead of treating lighting as an afterthought, it turns it into part of the overall viewing experience.

What Makes Govee TV Backlight 3 Different?

At the heart of the TV Backlight 3 is Govee’s color-matching technology. The system uses a dual-camera setup that analyzes what’s happening on-screen and synchronizes the backlighting in real time. Rather than displaying static colors, it actively responds to the content you’re watching. That distinction matters.

Traditional LED strips can add ambient lighting to a room, but they don’t necessarily react to the action unfolding on-screen. Govee’s system is designed to do exactly that, creating a more dynamic effect that changes alongside the show itself.

The TV Backlight 3 captures and processes visual information at up to 30 frames per second, helping the lighting keep pace with rapid scene changes. For House of the Dragon, that’s particularly important. A single episode can move from a candlelit strategy meeting to a dragon battle in seconds. The visual language of the series is constantly evolving, and the lighting system is built to respond just as quickly.

Govee’s high 74dB SNR sensor also helps improve color detection and synchronization, allowing the system to track subtle changes in brightness, contrast, and tone. That means viewers can experience more accurate transitions as scenes shift from warm torchlight to cold moonlight, from smoky battlefields to the fiery chaos of dragon combat. In a series where atmosphere is everything, those details matter.

There’s a Govee TV Backlight for Every Type of Viewer

Another advantage of the current lineup is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Govee offers multiple options depending on your setup, preferences, and budget. The lineup includes the TV Backlight 3 Lite, TV Backlight 3, and TV Backlight 3 Pro, with pricing ranging from $69.99 to $209.99.

For viewers looking to try reactive TV lighting for the first time, the TV Backlight 3 Lite serves as an accessible entry point. It’s a straightforward way to add more atmosphere to movie nights, gaming sessions, and weekly House of the Dragon watch parties.

The standard TV Backlight 3 builds on that foundation with enhanced color matching and real-time responsiveness, making it an attractive option for viewers who want a more advanced setup. At the top end of the lineup sits the TV Backlight 3 Pro, offering the most comprehensive version of the experience for users looking to get the most out of their home entertainment space.

Whether you’re a casual viewer catching episodes every Sunday night or the kind of fan who has spent years debating Targaryen succession laws online, there’s a setup designed to fit your needs.

What Can Fans Expect From ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3?

Fortunately, the timing of this collaboration couldn’t be better. Season 3 premiered Sunday, June 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, and is also available to stream now on HBO Max. Based on everything we’ve seen so far, the series is finally delivering the war that has been looming since the show’s earliest episodes.

The trailers alone suggest that the conflict between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Team Green is finally reaching its breaking point. After two seasons spent carefully building alliances, rivalries, and mounting tensions, House of the Dragon appears ready to unleash the war that’s been looming over Westeros from the very beginning. The Dance of the Dragons is no longer a threat waiting on the horizon—it’s here. And with dragons serving as the ultimate weapons in Westeros, Season 3 looks set to deliver the large-scale battles and destruction fans have been anticipating for years.

Emma D’Arcy recently teased that Season 3 “starts at 60 miles an hour,” promising viewers the war that has been building across the first two seasons. Showrunner Ryan Condal has gone even further, revealing that the season opens with the legendary Battle of the Gullet and calling the premiere “arguably the craziest episode of television ever made.” rom a franchise that has delivered unforgettable spectacles like Hardhome, the Battle of the Bastards, and the Battle of Winterfell, fans are in for the biggest and most explosive return to Westeros yet.

With themed House of the Dragon lighting effects and the real-time responsiveness of the TV Backlight 3 lineup, Govee offers fans a way to bring a little more of Westeros into their homes. From candlelit intrigue to dragonfire-filled warfare, the system is designed to follow every twist, betrayal, and battle as it unfolds.

House of the Dragon Season 3 premiered June 21 on HBO and HBO Max, with new episodes releasing weekly through August 9. The Govee TV Backlight 3 lineup, including TV Backlight 3 Lite, TV Backlight 3, and TV Backlight 3 Pro, is available now.

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House of the Dragon

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Release Date

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August 21, 2022

Network

HBO

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Showrunner

George R.R. Martin

Directors

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Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel

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  Fabien Frankel

  Ser Criston Cole

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Please do not be alarmed—remain calm… Beyoncé‘s Parkwood Entertainment label has secured a legal victory in federal court.

In July 2025, Hirose Enterprises LLC, owned by Shuji Hirose, filed a lawsuit against the “Single Ladies” singer’s music label, alleging that it had used a sample from their 1998 song, “Moonraker,” without permission.

Their case was dismissed in late June 2026, though, after a judge said that the company had no legal grounds to sue because it filed its suit before the company was even formed.

Beyoncé’s “RENAISSANCE” album has been a cultural phenomenon since its summer 2022 release. During that time, the singer’s label faced other legal woes, as popular artists claimed she also used samples of their work in her songs without proper permission.

A U.S. district judge dismissed the copyright and breach-of-contract complaint filed by Hirose Enterprises in late June 2026, according to Billboard. In the original filing, Hirose claimed to own the rights to John Holiday’s 1998 song, “Moonraker,” which Queen Bey sampled in her 2022 single, “Alien Superstar.”

A rep from Parkwood Entertainment said that the label cleared the sample from Holiday himself, credited him as a songwriter on the track, and paid him $10,000 and 0.5% royalty share, per Complex. Despite that, Hirose claimed they were the true owners of the track and should’ve been involved in the administrative process.

The lawsuit, filed on July 29, 2025, was deemed invalid by the judge because Hirose Enterprises LLC was formed a week later in early August 2025.

A U.S. Judge Used Bey Lyrics In His Ruling On The Matter

The judge presiding over the copyright claim used lyrics from the song in question in his ruling.

“Please do not be alarmed, remain calm: like the DJ booth referenced in the works at issue, this district judge must conduct a troubleshoot test of the entire system—that is, a jurisdictional inquiry—before reaching any of the parties’ merits arguments,” he wrote. “Plaintiff had no legal existence at the time it brought suit, so it cannot have held a stake in the outcome of the litigation at the time it filed the complaint.”

“Alien Superstar” is the third track on Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning seventh studio album, “RENAISSANCE.” The album, released in July 2022, is all about self-expression and inspiring others to live their authentic lives. It’s also an ode to the LGBTQ+ community—a group of people Beyoncé thanked during the 2023 Grammy Awards.

Beyoncé Slammed English Duo Right Said Fred For Claiming She Sampled Their Work Without Permission

Hirose Enterprises LLC wasn’t the only party claiming Beyoncé and her team used samples from music they didn’t clear. In 2022, the English duo Right Said Fred attempted to take a swipe at Beyoncé on X, formerly Twitter, calling her “arrogant” for allegedly using a sample of their hit “I’m Too Sexy” without permission.

“Normally, the artist approaches us but Beyoncé didn’t because she is such an arrogant person. She just had probably thought ‘come and get me’ so we heard about it after the fact when you did. But everyone else, Drake and Taylor Swift, they came to us. To use our melody, they need our permission, so they send us the demo and we approve it and if so we get a co-write credit,” they wrote.

Queen Bey Paid Right Said Fred More Than Any Other Singular Writer On The Album

Prior to that, the group appeared to express their excitement about being featured on the project, writing, “It’s nice to get a writing credit on the new ‘Beyonce’ album. ‘Renaissance’ Credits: Drake, A. G. Cook, Syd, Right Said Fred, & More #Beyonce,” according to VIBE.

Beyoncé wouldn’t let the group’s claims slide, though, considering she and her team blasted their “erroneous and incredibly disparaging” comments in October 2022. “Permission was not only granted for its use, but they publicly spoke of their gratitude for being on the album,” the statement read.

Beyoncé and her team went on to say that, despite only using the composition of their song “I’m Too Sexy,” they were paid a considerable amount for approving the use. Additionally, Beyoncé said the Right Said Fred duo “own more than any other singular writer and have co-writer credit.”

Beyoncé’s Team Fired Back At A Designer Who Claimed They Weren’t Paid

Days later, on October 12, 2022, designer Nusi Quero alleged he wasn’t paid for styling work he did for the dance album. Two days later, a rep from Bey’s team told E! News that the claims were flat-out false.

“It is deeply troubling that designer Nusi Quero has posted damaging statements about Marni Senofonte regarding non-payments for work completed,” they said. “In fact, he was paid for his work, and there is proof of all payments made.”

The rep went on to say that two payments were made on May 9 and July 8. The third and final payment was returned due to an error on the designer’s part. After multiple attempts to reach him, a physical check was mailed on September 29.

2026 has been a great year for Studio Ghibli fans. Not only have the films been getting theatrical re-releases in the past few months, but the Ghibli Museum has also been busy releasing new exhibitions for fans to see, including a new short film. Now, another major announcement has been made that would make accessing these magical pieces of media even easier.

Since its creation in 1985, Studio Ghibli has released over 20 feature films, including award-winning hits like Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron. Founded by Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, Studio Ghibli has been renowned for its storytelling, animation, and whimsy, as it tells stories about young people dealing with problems that are relatable to a general audience. U.S. viewers can stream these films from home, while those in the UK and Ireland can watch them not only in theaters but also at home.

In a recent report, it was announced that GKids has acquired the Studio Ghibli library, giving the UK and Ireland the theatrical, home video, TV, and digital rights to the studio’s 23-film catalog. To celebrate this new deal, there will be an IMAX theatrical release of Kiki’s Delivery Service on August 21, followed by The Secret World of Arrietty and Whisper of the Heart. It was also confirmed that there will be a physical re-release of the entire Studio Ghibli library, including Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron, Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, and more. Additionally, it was reported that, from the fall of 2026 onward, GKids plans to “roll out further titles of the new Studio Ghibli 4K Remasters in IMAX and on physical media.”

GKids President David Jesteadt commented on the latest news, promising that the company will “take loving care” of Ghibli’s catalog and thanking the studio for its “continued trust and support.”

“We promise UK and Irish fans that we will take loving care of the Ghibli catalog, beginning with the IMAX release of Kiki’s Delivery Service this summer, and expand from there across all home video and digital platforms. Our deep thanks to our longtime friends at Goodfellas for entrusting us with these masterpieces and to everyone at Studio Ghibli for their continued trust and support.”

What To Watch If You Like Studio Ghibli

As UK and Ireland fans wait for August for this latest deal to take effect, there are other anime projects out there that can scratch that same itch. The first that comes to mind are any of the animated features directed by Makoto Shinkai, such as Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume. These films are just as good as the ones made by Studio Ghibli and have also received high praise for their animation, storytelling, and characters.

If you have Netflix, then A Whisker Away is a good movie to watch. It follows Miyo Sasaki (Mirai Shida/Cherami Leigh), who’s given a mask that allows her to transform into a cat. After transforming in and out of her cat persona, she decides to stay a cat forever, thinking her life would be better if she weren’t human. She eventually regrets her decision and has to find a way to return to her original form. Since its release in 2020, A Whisker Away has received high praise, earning a 93% critics’ score and a 77% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Kiki’s Delivery Service and other Studio Ghibli films are available to stream on HBO Max and Prime Video in the UK. Follow Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

July 29, 1989

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Runtime

103 Minutes

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