Now more than 10 episodes in, CBS obviously has a hit on its hands with Sheriff Country. Considering the popularity of its flagship series, Fire Country, the show’s success isn’t a complete surprise, but when you go into spin-off territory, there’s always a possibility that the project will crash and burn. But, with a Season 2 renewal bagged all the way back in December, the budding Sheriff Country fandom can expect to go on more calls with Morena Baccarin’s Mickey Fox next year. Today, Collider is excited to unveil an exclusive first look at the upcoming episode of the procedural, which is slated to air on Friday, March 13. With so much still unfolding from the midseason premiere, the stakes have never been as high as they are now for Mickey and the rest of her team.

For a brief refresher, Sheriff Country’s midseason finale put numerous characters at risk after a separatist group brought the fight to the police station. It’s there that Mickey and the rest of the team raced against the clock to save the life of Travis (Christopher Gorham), who had taken a bullet during the tense altercation. After the dust settled, Travis and Mickey — who were introduced to audiences as ex-spouses — seem to be moving towards a reconciliation that could very well spell the start of a new relationship.

In our exclusive first look at this week’s episode, titled “Plus One,” viewers will see Mickey and Boone (Matt Lauria) embark on the newest case threatening Edgewater. The team of officers is looking into a brutal home invasion and, after poring over the details for hours on end, they’re ready to explore other options. At the top of the clip, Boone puts forward the idea that it was never a home invasion and that, instead, they’ve walked into a violent kidnapping. Laying out the facts for his colleague, Boone makes an incredible case for his new theory, until Gina (Caroline Rhea) comes in and blows up his spot with a story about his online dating life.

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The Truth Is In Here — The Collider TV Quiz!

This week, X marks the spot. Eight conspiratorial questions to see if you’re a real X-Files fan… or if you’re an alien posing as an agent.

What Else Does CBS Have on Its Spring Docket?

Between Fire Country and Sheriff’s Country, things have already been heating up (pun intended) at CBS during its stretch from winter to spring. The long-running network is currently home to a slew of original programming that recently saw the return of its beloved reality competition series, Survivor, and is also the place for audiences to get caught up on other favorites from sitcoms like Ghosts and The Neighborhood to procedurals including Tracker, Boston Blue, and the FBI franchise.

Check out our exclusive first look at this week’s episode of Sheriff Country above.

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Release Date

October 17, 2025

Showrunner

Matt Lopez

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We love a morning java run, but our energy levels (and wallets) don’t agree. Coffee often leaves Us tired by noon, desperate for a fix and eventually dropping $8 on another. Morning Made matcha takes the jitters, crashes and sky-high price tags out of caffeination, making your a.m. routine calm, crave-worthy and sustainable in more ways than one.

These Matcha Latte Mix pouches bring barista quality to your kitchen. But unlike your usual coffee-shop indulgence, they’re rich in antioxidants, low in sugar and made with ceremonial-grade matcha. The result? All-day energy and laser focus to power you through your day. These lattes just dropped at Target, and at only $0.70 per drink, they’re bound to sell out.

Get the Morning Made Matcha Latte Mix for $10 at Target!

Be it original, strawberry, or mango matcha, you’ll find a minimal ingredient list and only 30 milligrams of caffeine per serving. These pouches even contain L-theanine for calmness and mental clarity. From work days to school pick-ups, you’ll feel zen and sharp, not tense and tired. The smooth umami flavor is just a bonus.

Better yet, Morning Made’s tasty lattes are much more convenient than a stop at Starbucks. Each drink takes two minutes to make (if that), requiring only warm water, a quick froth and milk to top it off. Whether you’re moseying or running out the door, these matcha packets make your morning routine that much easier. It’s no wonder shoppers are obsessed!

Although these pouches just dropped at Target, the matcha already has a cult following on TikTok and Morning Made’s website. Fans highlight the balanced profile, non-bitter taste and affordable price point, among many other things. One wrote, “I switched to matcha from coffee, and it made a huge difference to my life. I don’t crash after lunch anymore, my gut doesn’t bloat as much and I feel just as energized in the morning. Plus, it tastes delicious.”

It doesn’t matter if you’re already a matcha lover or a transitioning coffee fan. You’ll be obsessed with this new morning ritual — as will your wallet.

Get the Morning Made Matcha Latte Mix for $10 at Target!

Hilaria Baldwin is once again spotlighting her sprawling Hamptons mansion in hopes of finally finding a buyer after the luxury estate lingered on the market for four years.

Despite price cuts and renewed promotion on social media, the Baldwins’ lavish retreat remains unsold, turning what was once their beloved family getaway into an unexpectedly stubborn real estate saga.

Hilaria Baldwin Shares Emotional Farewell To Beloved Hamptons Home

Hilaria Baldwin recently took to Instagram to showcase the couple’s Amagansett property once more, posting a video tour and a carousel of professional photos while speaking candidly about the decision to sell.

Addressing followers directly, the yoga instructor explained that the family is ready for a new phase in life.

“Our family is going to go off on a new adventure, which means we are selling our Hamptons home,” she said in the video.

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Reflecting on the years spent there, she continued, “It’s bittersweet because we have made so many amazing memories there, and we are excited for our next chapter!”

She also expressed hope that the estate will soon welcome a new family.

“While we are sad to leave it, we know the next owners will love it just as much as we do… so I wanted to share it here… it really is a piece of paradise.”

The 42-year-old also included a link to the property listing in her Instagram bio, encouraging followers to take a closer look at the luxurious residence.

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Price Cuts And A Listing That Keeps Returning

According to the Daily Mail, the Baldwins originally placed the 10,000-square-foot estate on the market in September 2022 with an eye-watering asking price of $29 million.

However, the listing has repeatedly disappeared and reappeared over the years.

Four months after its debut, the price dropped to $24.9 million. Later attempts to sell it saw the property removed from the market altogether, only to return again after further adjustments.

The latest update suggests another reduction. The listing appears to have fallen from $21 million in December 2025 to $19.99 million, representing a significant drop from the initial figure.

Despite the cuts, a buyer has yet to emerge.

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Hilaria Baldwin And Family Life Inside The 10,000 Square Foot Estate

The property itself has long been a centerpiece of the Baldwin family’s public life.

Alec Baldwin first purchased the estate in 1996 for $1.75 million, long before it became the backdrop for their bustling household.

In recent years, the sprawling home has also been featured on the reality series “The Baldwins,” which highlights the couple’s hectic life raising seven children together.

Their family includes Carmen, Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo, Eduardo, Lucía and the youngest, Ilaria.

At one point, the couple even planned to renovate the beachfront retreat. Those plans were abandoned when they instead opted to sell the home in 2022.

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Alec also appeared in a promotional real estate video in January 2024, praising the property and recalling his happiest memories there.

In the clip, the actor shared that he was “always happiest” while staying at the house and pointed out that he and his wife had added “additions” that expanded the building to roughly 10,000 square feet.

Controversies That Followed The Baldwin Family

The effort to sell the property has unfolded alongside several controversies surrounding the Baldwin family.

One of the most significant came in October 2021 during the filming of the Western movie “Rust” in New Mexico.

Alec Baldwin was holding a prop revolver that discharged, fatally wounding cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

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The actor has consistently denied pulling the trigger and has maintained that he was informed the weapon contained no live ammunition.

The ongoing fallout from the incident created a difficult backdrop for the home’s listing, which repeatedly came on and off the market amid heightened attention to the case.

Meanwhile, Hilaria Baldwin has also faced scrutiny over her public persona after critics questioned her claims about Spanish heritage in 2020, an episode that led to widespread online mockery.

Hilaria Baldwin Painting Sparks Online Mockery

The Hamptons home has also become the setting for another unexpected viral moment involving a striking piece of artwork displayed in the living room.

The large painting, created by artist Brendan O’Connell, was inspired by a paparazzi photograph showing Hilaria Baldwin grocery shopping in front of shelves filled with Rice-A-Roni boxes.

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The artwork drew attention when the Baldwins showcased their home in a photo profile for The New York Times.

Discussing the painting with the newspaper, Hilaria admitted, “I have to admit that I’m extraordinarily embarrassed that there is a gigantic painting of me in this room.”

She added with humor, “It’s like: ‘Welcome to my living room. Here is a painting of me.’”

However, when Alec Baldwin later shared highlights from the profile on Instagram, social media users quickly turned the moment into a joke.

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Among the reactions were comments such as “This is multi-faceted rage bait,” “She can’t be too embarrassed with the picture bc she hung it up,” and “Only a narcissist would have their pic in their living room. Who wants to see that!!!”

As the Baldwins continue to promote the Hamptons property, the home remains both a symbol of family memories and a lingering real estate mystery, still waiting for its next owner.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese will make her Team USA debut alongside fellow WNBA standouts Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers tonight, March 11, 2026. After wrapping up season 2 of Unrivaled, Reese and many other WNBA players packed their bags and headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament. Angel Reese is one of six athletes making their national team debut, which has sent a wave of excitement through basketball fans online, many of whom are eager to see the LSU alum shine on the main stage.

Angel Reese Is Gearing Up To Make Her National Team Debut Alongside WNBA Stars, Including Caitlin Clark

While the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, Germany, is in September, Reese and several others will lace up their sneakers for the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers from March 11 to 17. The team, according to USA Basketball, will feature a mix of notable players, including veterans Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, and sensational young players, including Clark, Bueckers, and, of course, Reese.

Reese, known for her elite rebounding skills, will surely bring an edge to the national team on the hardwood. While speaking with the media during USA basketball practice, Reese opened up about how much the opportunity means to her, calling it an “honor.”

“… being able to know this is a lifelong dream for me,” she said, according to Swish Appeal.

Angel Reese Has Dreams Of Playing For Team USA In The Olympics In 2028

While Reese and the rest of Team USA have a while to go before being named to the Olympic roster for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, California, making that team is another goal Reese hopes to accomplish.

“Just steps to 2028,” Reese said about her upcoming FIBA appearance. “I mean, that’s a big goal for me. So just continuing to take these small steps and continue to learn and grow.”

Reese then spoke about playing for coaches like Kara Lawson, Nate Tibbetts, and Sue Bird, calling their approach to player development “amazing” before expressing her desire to continue to grow those relationships.

Angel Reese Isn’t Worried About The Noise… She’s Focused On Doing What She Can For Team USA

Securing her position on the national team was no easy feat for Reese. Over the years, the women’s national team has been stacked with standout players, including Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley, and 4-time league MVP A’ja Wilson.

A roster like that is hard to live up to, but Reese said in a recent interview that she isn’t trying to model her game after any one player and is instead focused on contributing to the team as a whole.

“Everybody’s not going to be able to score 20. So just being able to come in here and find my niche of what I can do specifically that I can impart ways for everyone else that I know that I can always bring to the table is going to be a big part of my life,” she said.

Reese Said She And The Younger Team USA Players Are Continuing To Learn From The Veterans

That doesn’t mean Reese isn’t learning from the veterans. According to the Indy Star, she is relying on as many experienced Team USA players as possible.

“There are a lot of new faces here, but we can rely a lot on our vets,” she said, “because they have been in the moment and they have this experience.”

Reese went on to share that while she’s “looking forward” to her big debut, she can’t wait for the roles to be reversed so she can be a “good example” to other players.

Social Media Users Are Beyond Excited To See Reese Make Her Team USA Debut

USA Basketball has shared behind-the-scenes photos of Reese and other Team USA players preparing for the start of the FIBA tournament.

In one video montage, viewers could see Reese posing for her official Team USA headshots, while another introduced the LSU alum to the world as No. 9.

The social media posts caused much excitement online, with one user calling Reese the “greatest rebounder in WNBA history.” At the same time, another said Reese was in elite company, sharing a Team USA number with greats like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Leslie.

Other users also got in on the fun, with one sharing “USA BARBBBBB” and another posting “Overly tea.”

Drew Barrymore is back and dishing out fantastic dating and friendship advice exclusively to Us Weekly readers.

Your questions answered, with love from me to you!

@NiccolllleL74 writes:
Dear Drew,
I just walked away from a 10-year relationship. How do I dip my toe into the dating pool?

As someone who’s been single for a very long time myself, I hope I can just keep it real with you. Give it time. Enjoy your freedom. Enjoy your friends. Have alone time. Figure out who you are before becoming part of another couple. That said, if you feel inspired to go on some dates, do it. There’s more accessibility to dating than ever, but please get to know who you are before taking on someone else and losing yourself in a relationship.

Xo, Drew

Related: Drew Barrymore’s Honest Quotes About Dating After Divorce

Drew Barrymore has not held back about the struggles of returning to the dating scene following her split from ex-husband Will Kopelman. Barrymore and Kopelman tied the knot in 2012 and later welcomed daughters Olive and Frankie. After four years of marriage, the pair announced their split in April 2016. Thank You! You have successfully […]

@starrykat writes:
Dear Drew,
Do you have any tips for flirting?

Isn’t it funny? There are so many symbols for being taken — like, back in the ’50s, when couples would be “pinned” — but other than social media’s relationship status labels, how do we let people know we are single and ready to mingle? Flirting, of course! Flirting may feel like a risk, but when you turn on your magnetic personality and pull someone out of their shell, it’s so much fun! Be bold and keep it playful.

Xo, Drew

@ellie.ssmith05 writes:
Dear Drew,
What’s the base of a good friendship?

This is a question I find very important, and the answer for me is honesty. Most of my friends give me a lot of tough love. We’ve known each other for 20 or 30 years, and they want me to be my best and point out whenever I’m not. Not only does this mean they care, but I am honored they take the time. I know not to take it as criticism. I just appreciate how much trust it shows. I also love that my friends and I can lie on the couch in sweatpants and eat takeout and be utterly relaxed. I like traveling with my friends. I like remembering that we are all individuals. I like to surround myself with people I can be completely myself with. I know they have my back. I love to make them proud. And if anyone ever messes with one of my friends, watch out, because I am as loyal as it gets. The most powerful thing about friendship is that it’s an opportunity to stop worrying about what isn’t there and create everything that you want. We’re not always born into a stable family dynamic, but friends can become your family. I live, work, laugh and play with my friends, and they are a constant source of self-improvement. What more can anybody ask for?

Xo, Drew

Related: Drew Barrymore Reveals the Surprising Way She Joined the Mile-High Club

Drew Barrymore revealed she joined the mile-high club — but not in the way people might expect. During the Monday, February 9, episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the host revealed to guest Kaley Cuoco that she’s a member of the infamous “club,” but it wasn’t a private experience. “American Airlines,” she quipped. Cuoco, 40, […]

@katiestannaz writes:
Dear Drew,
Are long-distance relationships worth it?

Ooooh, I love this question! First, it depends on where you are in life. If you’re looking to settle down and start a family, a long-distance relationship is far trickier. It’s not that it can’t be done, but it would take tremendous planning and being on the same page in order to make it work. If you leave it up to chance, I guarantee heartbreak and resentments. There are multiple scenarios that prove it can work. Take military families, in which one parent is called to work abroad. Many of those families make it work, but it takes clear communication. If done right, a long-distance relationship can be really beautiful. Each individual gets to have their own journey in life, but eventually everybody wants to come home.

Xo, Drew

Animated fish films have been done. Finding Nemo. Shark Tale. Ponyo. So to hear about another doesn’t feel like anything new. However, The Pout-Pout Fish, starring Nick Offerman as a grumpy ocean pout named Mr. Fish, is a little different. It’s an adaptation of Deborah Diesen‘s series of children’s books, which have grown so popular over the past two decades that it has even turned into a musical. Co-directed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington, from a script by Elise Allen and Elie Choufany, The Pout-Pout Fish is a cute, wholesome little movie aimed at kids. It’s straightforward to a fault, and could really use songs from the musical to liven it up. Adults might find themselves getting bored, but your kids will see it through more imaginative eyes. For little ones, it’s a sweet story with fun lessons to learn.

What Is ‘The Pout-Pout’ Fish About?

The Pout-Pout Fish is a joint production between the United States’ Viva Pictures and Australia’s Maslow Entertainment, which means a voice cast made of both Americans and Aussies. Nick Offerman is perfectly cast as the grumpy ocean pout simply known as Mr. Fish. He can’t help it that he looks this way. Ocean pouts have a naturally downturned mouth, which makes them look miserable. It’s not a fun life for Mr. Fish, a lonely guy who is constantly being told by the other fish in the reef to smile and cheer up.

Related

This ‘Parks and Rec’ Episode Showed Us a Completely Different Side of Ron Swanson for the First Time

A red shirt Ron is a happy Ron.

Everything changes for Mr. Fish when he meets a new neighbor in the form of Pip (Nina Oyama), a happy, high-energy leafy seadragon child. She’s the exact opposite of the moody Mr. Fish, but after he accidentally destroys her home, the two go on a road trip, so to speak, to locate the mysterious Shimmer (Jordin Sparks), a mythical fish that can supposedly grant wishes. If they can find her, Shimmer can put Pip’s home back together again before her parents get back with her 400 new siblings. It won’t be easy, though, as along the way, they encounter numerous obstacles in the form of other sea life. There’s also another fish who wants to reach Shimmer before them. Benji (Remy Hii), an orange cuttlefish, must save his own family’s home. Who will make it to Shimmer and get their wish granted first?

Nick Offerman and Nina Oyama Carry ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’

The Pout-Pout Fish succeeds and fails in its all too familiar trope of the grumpy lead character forced together with the happy, gregarious one. The audience knows this will lead to a change for the former, and by the end of the movie, Mr. Fish is not going to be so pouty. What matters is how the film gets there. Kids’ movies can go in one of two directions. There’s the best of Pixar, Disney, and DreamWorks, with lots of comedy and smart writing aimed at adults as well. Think of Inside Out, for example. That film and its sequel are thick with themes and learning about life aimed at children. It does that, while also providing well-crafted characters and plenty of laughs. Then there’s the more simplistic route. This is The Pout-Pout Fish. There is a little bit of backstory to Mr. Fish, pretty much nothing about Pip, and even less for most of the other sea life they meet along the way. The jokes are simple and flat (one fish has to stop because a school of fish is swimming over a crosswalk), and while your kids might chuckle at times, The Pout-Pout Fish is pretty laugh-free for anyone who can legally drive.

It’s a bare-bones film, yet it’s not a dud because of its voice cast. Offerman is made for voice work. He’s done that many times over the year for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Sing 2, and Smurfs. Casting him as the lead pouty fish here is a great move. This is what makes it so frustrating that his talents aren’t used to their full potential. Mr. Fish is a little grumpy. That’s it. He’s never loud, over-the-top, or silly, and Offerman’s dry wit isn’t given any great lines. Anyone could have voiced him. Still, because it’s Offerman’s unique manner of speaking, we’re pulled in, and Mr. Fish immediately becomes more real.

Australian actress Nina Oyama is tasked with carrying much of the emotional weight of The Pout-Pout Fish. She’s in her 30s, but is convincing as a hyper kid. It’s disappointing that her excitement is the entirety of her character, but Oyama gives it her all. Paired with Offerman, the relationship between Mr. Fish and Pip is the selling point. The pair have great chemistry in a plot that’s overly cute and aims only for the basics.

The Themes of ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’ Are Too Spot On

Image via Viva Pictures

The Pout-Pout Fish could have benefitted from a different style of animation. After watching animated films like The Wild Robot, the uninspired artwork here adds very little. What could have propped up a thin story is instead one more aspect that makes The Pout-Pout Fish come across as mediocre. Shots of the reef, the abundance of kelp that threatens them, and the shipwrecks a few live in are flat. The Pout-Pout Fish isn’t a book come to life. It’s nothing more than moving pages in a generic format.

There are plenty of other supporting characters to keep the action going. Benji is desperate to prove himself to his mother, Marin (Miranda Otto), the intimidating cuttlefish leader who needs to find a new home for her species so badly that she’s willing to wreck the reef the other fish live in. On Mr. Fish and Pip’s journey, they come across various other characters, such as Amy Sedaris as a group of, like, valley girl, like, pink dolphins. While some of these characters are only meant to be part of one scene, The Pout-Pout Fish spends too much time with Benji and his journey, when Mr. Fish and Pip are where the best part of the story is.

The Pout-Pout Fish is about Mr. Fish’s adventures, most of all, as he learns not to be so grumpy and let other fish in. The film gets there by having Mr. Fish spout those life lessons as he learns them, as if he’s reading inspiring quotes from the source material rather than coming across like an authentically growing character. It’s the books, now on the screen, delivering its cute message, but in a way that lays it on way too thick. The Pout-Pout Fish is not bad by any means, but don’t go in expecting a new animated classic. Little kids will probably enjoy it for the innocent, lesson-filled, mild fun it is, especially if they’ve been introduced to what inspired it first. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s what The Pout-Pout Fish aims for, and it achieves the goal.

The Pout-Pout Fish comes to theaters on March 13.

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Release Date

March 20, 2026

Runtime

92 minutes

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Director

Ricard Cussó

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Writers

Elie Choufany, Deborah Diesen

Producers

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Nadine Bates

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Pros & Cons

• Nick Offerman is perfectly cast as Mr. Fish.
• Nina Oyama’s voice acting brings energy to the plot.
• The chemistry between Mr. Fish and Pip carries the story.
• Kids can learn from the wholesome message about friendship and confidence.

• The animation is flat and uninspired.
• The story is too thin to carry a feature film.
• It does too much telling with lines that explain too much.

Robert Carradine
Final Film Will Be Dedicated to Late Actor

Published
March 11, 2026
12:33 PM PDT

At first glance, it might seem like Taylor Sheridan has an unblemished track record, but look closer, and you’ll find a failed franchise-starter that was headlined by someone who might win an Oscar in a few days. The movie in question marked Sheridan’s second collaboration with director Stefano Sollima, after the very divisive Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Sheridan has expressed reservations about that movie, admitting that he perhaps isn’t cut out for franchise filmmaking. This isn’t strictly true, considering how expansive his Yellowstone universe on Paramount+ has become. He was also on board to kick-start a new franchise with Sollima for Prime Video, with Michael B. Jordan attached as star and producer.

The movie debuted in 2021 to mixed reviews, having been offloaded by Paramount due to pandemic-related strains. The studio also sold the distribution rights to the sci-fi action film The Tomorrow War, starring Chris Pratt, and the comedy sequel Coming 2 America, starring Eddie Murphy. Both movies did well on Prime Video, but Sheridan and Sollima’s film hasn’t exactly stood the test of time. It rarely shows up on viewership charts. Prime Video probably hoped that the Sheridan movie would pair well with its other dad-oriented programming, such as Jack Ryan, Bosch, and the then-unreleased Reacher. However, audiences finally seem to be checking it out, albeit on a different platform altogether.

Related

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Plenty of movies were based on plays. So whip out your program and find your seat because the quiz curtain is about to rise.

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Here’s the Failed Franchise-Starter Co-Written by Taylor Sheridan

The movie in question, of course, is Without Remorse. Also based on books by Jack Ryan creator Tom Clancy, the movie now holds a 45% critics’ score and a 41% audience score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The website’s consensus reads, “Despite a commanding performance from Michael B. Jordan, Without Remorse fails to escape its outdated patriotic tropes and forced franchise place settings.” Without Remorse featured Jordan as John Kelly, a character who appears in the Jack Ryan novels, and has previously been played by Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber in the movies Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears. Jordan is now up for an Oscar for his dual performances in Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners, while Sheridan is working on 1944, a new spin-off of Yellowstone. Today Without Remorse is currently among the most-watched movies on the domestic Tubi charts. You can watch the action-thriller on Prime Video. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

April 30, 2021

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Runtime

110 minutes

Director

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Lui Koon-Nam

Producers

Akiva Goldsman, André Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Michael B. Jordan

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• 

  Michael B. Jordan

  John Kelly

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By Joshua Tyler
| Updated 19 seconds ago

Even the most optimistic pundits are now willing to admit that the quality of entertainment produced by Hollywood has declined. Many reasons have been put forward for this flagging level of competence, but there’s only one solution: exclusionary gatekeeping.

For more than a decade, the entertainment industry has run entirely on inclusivity. Hiring both in front of and behind the camera has been done with a representation-first mindset, which means everyone must be allowed in to whatever you’re doing, whether they’re a qualified fit for your audience or not.

The Death Of Differences

The same transformation happened in entertainment journalism. When the online movie news world emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was run almost entirely by obsessive fans. I know because I helped build it as the founder of CinemaBlend in 2000.

Sites like CinemaBlend, Ain’t It Cool News, Dark Horizons, Film Threat, The Movie Blog, and others were operated by individual owners who were deeply knowledgeable about the topics they covered. These weren’t corporate brands managed by committees. They were passion projects run by people like Vic Holtreman, Chris Gore, John Campea, Garth Franklin, Christopher Null, and Harry Knowles.

They weren’t trying to represent everyone. They were writing for their audience: hardcore male genre fans.

Over time, those independents were either iced out by algorithms that were sued into promoting mainstream media (this actually happened), or bought out by corporate conglomerates (including Cinema Blend, which I exited in 2015) who ditched the genuine, knowledgeable, gatekeeping fan owners in favor of creating something inclusive. Where those original owners had only hired other fans who shared the interests of their audience, the new owners hired opinion makers who represented everyone and everything, which in reality means they hired people who stood for nothing and no one.

This same process was happening in Hollywood itself. It’s why John Lasseter was fired for giving a hug, and Pixar hasn’t made a truly great movie since. The result in both the entertainment creation and the entertainment reporting space has been a disaster. Box office numbers are plummeting. Viewers now use positive Rotten Tomatoes scores as an indicator for which movies to avoid.

Gatekeeping Is The Answer

There’s only one solution, and that solution is gatekeeping. Gatekeeping is the act of controlling access to an idea, community, opportunity, or resource by deciding who is allowed in and who is excluded.

As part of the push towards radical inclusivity by big corporations and activists, the term gatekeeping has become a pejorative. It’s used as an emotionally charged attack against meanies. Being called a gatekeeper is the kind of thing that gets people cancelled. 

But nothing of any worth happens without some form of gatekeeping. Gatekeeping is just another way of saying quality control. Quality control isn’t mean, it’s sensible.

Without gatekeeping, we’d end up with unqualified pilots crashing planes maintained by unqualified mechanics. Without gatekeeping inspectors, the quality of the food you eat degrades, the drugs you need aren’t reliable, and nuclear reactors go into meltdown. 

Creative endeavors are no different. Without gatekeeping a new Star Trek show hires writers who know nothing about Star Trek, and then its scripts end up filled with obvious mistakes and terrible plot holes which any fan could have spotted if they’d done some gatekeeping to hire one. 

Inclusivity Is Lazy And Destructive

If you have standards and want to keep them, you must exclude people or things that do not meet them. Enforcing standards is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive.

I require my son to get As in math. To make that happen, I check his grades and help him with his homework when he struggles. If he doesn’t study and fails a test, I have to enforce consequences. 

If I remove my requirement for an A, I no longer have to do anything. My son also won’t learn math, but I’ll save a lot of time. 

Radical inclusivity is a way of removing standards, a way of deferring responsibility for maintaining quality. It’s lazy and destructive.

Exclusion Maintains Differences And Diversity

Exclusion maintains the integrity of your work, your idea, and your brand. Samurai swords are only Samurai swords as long as Claymores are excluded from being classified as Katanas. Pepsi is only Pepsi as long as you exclude lemonade from Pepsi cans. It’d be easier to fill Pepsi cans with whatever liquid is cheapest and most available, but then it wouldn’t be Pepsi anymore, and eventually people would stop buying it. 

Maintaining unique differences is hard, so homogenization disguised as inclusivity allows corporations to take an established universe like Star Trek or Star Wars and wear it like a skin suit, puppeted by inclusive hires (hiring done without relevant standards) who have no idea what they’re a part of, and because they don’t care are totally willing to treat fans like fat, juicy, pay pigs to be farmed for maximum profit. They fill Star Wars up with whatever happens to be lying around, and then play the Star Wars theme music in front of it. 

Giant Freakin Robot Is An Exclusionary Publication

Late last year, I relaunched Giant Freakin Robot with a renewed determination to avoid these pitfalls by making this the most exclusionary geek site on the internet. What does that mean? It means we will not work with writers who have bad ideas or ideas that are in direct conflict with the values and interests of our readers. That doesn’t serve them or us.

Specifically, Giant Freakin Robot’s readers are geeky men, and always have been, so that means finding commentators who have the same fundamental world view that most geeky men have. Engaging Alex Kurtzman fans to write for Giant Freakin Robot would make about as much sense as investing in Giant Freakin Robot makeup tutorials.

To serve our audience in this way requires gatekeeping. So we’re contracting with talented freelancers based on exclusion, rather than inclusion, and we’re doing it using this simple ad:

There’s only one required question in the application process, which pops up after you read the ad. That question is: Do you hate Starfleet Academy? Yes/No

We’ve received thousands of applications from writers, most of them recently laid off by struggling, inclusive corporate publications. 95% of those applicants checked No and failed this rather simple IQ test. Their applications were automatically sent to a trash bin.

Before we bring on anyone new, in addition to correctly answering that single question, they’ll have to meet the standards of quality and creativity established by our crack team of genius geek culture commentators. We’ll continue to exclude anyone who doesn’t measure up. 

If you want a world free of gatekeeping, go to X for random opinions and watch endless AI slop on YouTube. But if you’re looking for a place that throws out the bad and only keeps the good, then read Giant Freakin Robot. Gatekeeping is our business; it’s what we do.