Entertainment
‘Marshals’ Luke Grimes Thought He Was Done With ‘Yellowstone’ — He Was Wrong
Luke Grimes has worn Kayce Dutton’s boots for nearly a decade. First introduced in Yellowstone, the epic neo-Western series about the family behind the largest cattle ranch in Montana, the youngest son of patriarch John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) evolves from living under his father’s thumb to building up a life of his own and finding peace with his wife and son. As the show’s success skyrocketed, it launched a franchise of prequels and sequels and cemented creator Taylor Sheridan as a force in Hollywood. Before Season 1 had even started shooting, Grimes made a trip to Boot Barn outside of Los Angeles to pick up a pair of Ariat boots, wanting to be ready for cowboy camp after landing the role. As luck would have it, the costumer liked them, bought a few extra pairs, and Grimes is still wearing the same boots, hat, and jacket while leading CBS’ Yellowstone sequel spin-off Marshals.
“The jeans are a little different. I think I was just skinnier back then. But everything else still fits,” Grimes jokes on a sunny day in New York as we talk about the character that he has become most closely associated with — and one that is clearly very special to him. Wearing a plaid Pendleton and looking as if he could have just stepped off a ranch, even though Season 1 has already wrapped, doesn’t feel especially surprising. After all, he has played Kayce through five seasons of Yellowstone and now 13 episodes of Marshals, which has since been renewed for Season 2. Landing the role of the former Navy SEAL-turned-rancher marked a turning point in his life and career — one that has made him more recognizable, but also brought a sense of stability in an unpredictable industry.
“I’m a little more recognizable now than I was when we started,” Grimes says. “I hadn’t really dealt with that at all in my life. It’s not to some crazy level. I’m not Brad Pitt walking around. But I do get recognized a lot, and that was very new and very different.”
Since first becoming a Dutton, he also moved to Montana, got married, had a child, and, by his own account, became a completely different man.
Grimes Is Ready To Play Kayce Dutton for As Long as They’ll Let Him
Before filming began on Yellowstone, Grimes wasn’t quite sure what he’d gotten himself into. He arrived in Montana during a massive wildfire, with ash in the air and zero visibility of the mountains. “I remember thinking, ‘Why are we shooting here? This place is ugly.’ And then, the day before we started, it rained, and it cleared all the smoke out of the air. I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, this place is absolutely gorgeous.’” That’s where his Yellowstone ride began.
When the series wrapped, five seasons and 53 episodes later, Grimes was convinced he had closed the book on Kayce Dutton and was done forever. “There was no part of me that thought I was going to be going on with any sort of a spin-off,” he says. “For me, it was the last day of Yellowstone. It was like saying goodbye to family. I remember Kelsey [Asbille] and I gave little speeches telling everyone, ‘Thank you,’ and what a beautiful experience it was. Kels was so choked up that she could barely talk. That’s how much it all meant to us. I’ll be lifelong friends with some of the people I worked with there. It was the end of a really beautiful chapter in my life.”
The series finale saw Kayce sell his family’s land to the Broken Rock Reservation on the condition that he could remain there with his wife, Monica (Asbille), and their son, Tate (Becken Merrill), which is about as happy an ending as you could have hoped for on a series with its fair share of violence, murder, and family strife.
When the series wrapped, after having made it out the other side of the reported feud between Sheridan and lead Kevin Costner that resulted in the actor and character’s departure, Grimes was ready to bid Yellowstone farewell. But it turned out that his character wasn’t ready to let him go. The initial pitch of “How about doing a Kayce Dutton procedural?” wasn’t something he was immediately sold on the prospect of.
“I thought it sounded like a really bad idea,” he admits. “I didn’t really, truly know what procedural meant, so I called my friend, and he explained it to me because he’d done one. He said, ‘Dude, that’s going to be a lot of work. It’s a lot more work for you, especially to be the lead of a procedural.’ I was worried about it because it was the unknown.”
After spending five seasons with Sheridan as the driving force behind Yellowstone, Grimes understandably had questions about a Kayce Dutton spin-off on a new network with a new showrunner. What ultimately won Grimes over was a conversation with Marshals showrunner Spencer Hudnut, who brought the experience of seven SEAL Team seasons and a vision for something more than a standard procedural — a hybrid that blends case-of-the-week storytelling into arcs that unfold over a full season or even multiple seasons. “Fundamentally, what it’s about is this team of people, this team of good guys who are going out to find the bad guys. It’s a very simple concept at its core, so the procedural element really works for that.”
I feel very at home with him, and I feel like I would play this guy as long as they would let me.
At the same time, Sheridan is only a phone call away if the need arises, though the goal is for Marshals to stand firmly on its own. “I got a sense from Taylor that he would really appreciate [it] if this thing could stand on its own because he has so much going on,” Grimes says of his former boss. “I also got the sense that if we ever did need him for anything, he was there, and he would make himself available.” In one instance, Grimes did reach out over a casting issue that Sheridan helped resolve. “Honestly, I don’t think it would have been very valuable to anybody had we been bugging him all the time about helping us. That wasn’t the point. The point was he gave us his blessing, and we want to go make something and bring it back done and say, ‘Here it is. I hope you like it.’”
Successfully pulling off a TV series like Marshals is a tricky balancing act: It has to offer enough Yellowstone history to please longtime fans while still telling a story that’s fresh to new viewers. The challenge is reminding audiences why they connected with Kayce in the first place without alienating those unfamiliar with his family’s complicated history. Grimes was keenly aware of that balance. “That was the needle we were trying to thread. If you like the original show, there’s got to be enough in there that you feel like it’s a homage. But also, if you’ve never watched it, we want you to be able to come in fresh and start from Episode 1 and not feel like you were missing out on anything.”
Once Grimes committed to Marshals, his first day on set was very surreal, reminding him of where it all started. “We’re back shooting on the same soundstage that we started Yellowstone on in 2017.” An actor could easily feel boxed in by playing the same character for such a long period of time, but when Grimes says that he feels really blessed, the sincerity is unmistakable. “There are a lot of characters, over the years, that I’ve played that it would feel like torture to have to play for eight or nine years. But with Kayce, if there was going to be one, it would be this one. I feel very at home with him, and I feel like I would play this guy as long as they would let me.”
When Kayce Dutton Lost His Soulmate, Grimes Had To Say Goodbye to a Dear Friend
Kayce Dutton is a character defined by an underlying sadness, carrying a weight that you can feel even when he doesn’t put it into words. Taking a man who seemingly found his happy ending and ripping his soulmate away would understandably have that effect, but as Grimes sees it, pain just finds this guy. “Watching him be happy would be a very lame television show,” he says with a knowing smile. “Part of what’s great about watching him is that he always gets back up. Otherwise, we should have just left them alone and let them be happy. Taylor would be the first to tell you that happiness just isn’t really an option for Kayce Dutton.”
At the start of Marshals, which picks up over a year after the end of Yellowstone, Kayce may have gotten back up after Monica’s death, but he’s still a bit lost with that piece of his life now missing. Grimes himself was heartbroken that Asbille, with whom he had formed a close friendship, wouldn’t be part of the series. “I just felt like, if he still has her, and he still has his dream life, then there’s no show and no point in doing it,” he says. “She’s made her peace with it. She understands that it’s the motor for the whole story.”
Monica’s death — attributed to cancer caused by toxic exposure on the rez — also points to a very real issue. Native American reservations have historically and systematically been targeted as sites for toxic waste disposal, leading to exposure that has long-lasting health impacts. The loss of this wife becomes even more poignant when their son, Tate, holds up her photo (one that they got permission from Asbille to use) at a protest about those toxins underneath the land and clashes with his father as he tries to keep the peace.
“This guy has had the most painful thing that could possibly happen to him happen, after everything else that’s happened to him,” Grimes says, as someone who’s really been through it all with this character. “He’s got to find a whole new direction, or he’s going to fall apart. He’s got to go out and fight for good because otherwise, he will be consumed by his grief. There’s something interesting in watching someone have to find the strength to do something like that.”
Along with procedurals, broadcast TV also tends to love romantic entanglements. Clearly, Kayce isn’t in any kind of space where he could or would entertain that, but Grimes is aware that it won’t stop the network from asking. “I think it’s going to take some time,” he says about whether Kayce will have a love interest. “We’ve talked about it. I understood there were going to be notes from up top about, ‘How do we get this guy back into some sort of romantic thing?’ I just think the audience is going to be mad enough that Monica is dead. If we move on from that too quickly, then I’d be mad, and everybody would be mad. We have to really honor that first, and we do.”
Taylor would be the first to tell you that happiness just isn’t really an option for Kayce Dutton.
He points to a beautiful, profound memorial service scene on the rez in Episode 6’s “Out of the Shadows” as proof of that. “It’s going to be a second,” he continues. “You can maybe play with people coming into Kayce’s life that have some interest, but it’s going to be a while before anything like that is reciprocated.”
With Monica gone, Kayce’s most important relationship is with his son, Tate, his last semblance of family, and the only person who can carry on the Dutton name. That dynamic forces Kayce to confront something uncomfortable: holding onto his dream of a ranch when it’s not what Tate wants mirrors exactly what his father did to him. Now, with his own dream shattered and Tate still too young to know what he wants, the future feels wide open. “Maybe Tate has to move somewhere, and then maybe Kayce has to follow him. Who knows?”
While Yellowstone often felt more like a melodrama for Grimes, Marshals is faster-paced and far more action-packed, forcing him to realize just how unprepared and undertrained he was to shoot 13 episodes. It’s not a mistake he plans to repeat for Season 2. “Honestly, it was unexpected how taxing it was going to be, physically,” he admits. “We started filming, and the scripts kept coming in, and I was like, ‘Oh, another gunfight. Oh, I’m chasing someone in an SUV on a horse.’ It’s just constant. I was like, ‘I’ve made a big mistake. I didn’t train for this. I did not get in shape for this.’” With the plan to do 18-20 episodes in the second season and shooting set to pick back up in May, Grimes jokes that he’ll have to increase cardio and stretch a lot more. “I want to train for longevity. It’s a marathon and a sprint, at the same time.”
Grimes Never Saw ‘American Sniper’ Coming, but Learned Invaluable Lessons From Bradley Cooper
If you rewind to the years before Yellowstone, that marathon arguably began in 2012 with Taken 2, the action-thriller sequel to Liam Neeson’s hit about a retired CIA operative forever being pulled back into danger and forced to rely on his “very particular set of skills.” Grimes was lucky to make it out of that flick alive, and not because of any big fight sequence, but because he played the boyfriend of Neeson’s character’s daughter. “I was only there for one day,” he says with a laugh. “It was very quick. If you blink, you’ll miss me in that movie. It did not feel like I was in a Liam Neeson action movie. It was a very easy day.” Still, he counts the fact that Neeson was very nice to him as a win.
When Grimes moved to New York at 18 to start learning how to act, then to Los Angeles two years later, he wasn’t thinking of anything other than wanting to “get good.” He read every play he could and studied Shakespeare without any real plan to pursue a particular genre or type of character. But growing up hunting, fishing, and watching Westerns with his dad gave him a distinctly American quality. What he never saw coming was that he’d end up playing a Navy SEAL twice.
“I was a very skinny, not athletic, not badass guy at all,” he admits. “To have someone cast me as a Navy SEAL was like, ‘Are they sure? I think they’ve got the wrong guy.’ I could see the Americana thing, and I could see the outdoorsy guy thing, but the team guy/special operator was completely out of left field for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so honored to do it. I just never saw it coming.”
His first turn as a Navy SEAL was in American Sniper, where he played Marc Lee, the first SEAL to lose his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom in a fierce firefight. As one would guess, he found the experience of being directed by Clint Eastwood to be incredibly intimidating, not because he wasn’t nice (Grimes called him “a very kind person”), but because he doesn’t coddle anyone. “You’ve just got to be ready and be on. You’re going to get one take, and then you’re moving on.”
Working alongside Bradley Cooper also left a deep impression on Grimes. As one of the younger guys in that cast, he found Cooper gracious and genuinely invested in lifting his co-stars — something Grimes deeply admired. “There was no, ‘I want to be the person who’s good in this movie, and I want to cut you off at the knees, so you have no opportunity to steal my thunder.’ I see that a lot. People do that. It’s very weird, diva behavior. They’re not all like Bradley. I learned a lot by watching him. If I ever get to that position, I want to be like that. I want to be that guy, and not the other guy.”
Thanks to Clint Eastwood, Grimes Found His Way to ‘Yellowstone’
Grimes credits American Sniper with leading him to Kayce Dutton. Sheridan saw the film while writing Yellowstone, a reminder that acting is only partly about talent and skill, while fate and timing have a hand in it, too. “I’ve definitely thought about that,” he admits. “When you get the sort of job that changes your life in every way, you think about everything that could have gone wrong. The fact that I get to do what I get to do and play a character that I love — it very easily could not have happened. There was a 99.9% chance that this didn’t work out for me. I try to never forget that.”
“Any time I want to complain about anything, or I feel like it’s too much or too crazy,” he continues, “I just have to remember, ‘Dude, you made a bet that you should have lost, and you won. No matter what, be grateful and know that not everybody has their dream come true.’ And now, with my family, it’s even more like that. I have a beautiful wife and a child, and not only do I get to do what I love, but it provides for them. I do pinch myself all the time because I know how incredibly lucky I had to be for all this to work out for me.”
Before riding into the modern Western that is Yellowstone, Grimes appeared in Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven. Set in 1879, the film follows a frontier town that falls under the control of a ruthless robber baron and gold-mining tycoon, protected by an army of hired guns, prompting a widow and her friend (Grimes’ character) to enlist a group of bounty hunters to help free it. The role found him in scenes alongside Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Chris Pratt, and Vincent D’Onofrio. But unlike American Sniper, his experience on that set was more of a mixed bag. “I felt imposter syndrome,” Grimes says candidly. “That was the first time I’d been around that many big, powerful people in the business. I definitely felt a little bit out of my element. There were some people there who were very gracious, and some who weren’t. I continued to learn about the way that I would like to be, one day, if I ever got to that level.” The experience also clarified the kinds of roles he didn’t want to keep playing.
Grimes Originally Dreamed of a Career in Comedy
While there’s a clear throughline between projects like Taken 2, American Sniper, and The Magnificent Seven, what seems out of place on Grimes’ resume are the Fifty Shades films — Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed. He admits that when he signed on, he knew the books were popular, but didn’t fully understand what he was stepping into. “When I signed on, Charlie Hunnam, who I was a fan of, was going to play Christian Grey, and I was going to be his brother. The attractive thing to me was that I would be working for two days on the movie. I signed on for all the sequels at the same time, and it was two days on each of those movies.” At the time, it made him more money than he had ever made in his life. “It was a chess move,” he explains. “Not that I’m not grateful. It was amazing. I was able to eat for years because of those movies.”
But then, Hunnam dropped out, and they asked Grimes if he wanted to audition to play Christian instead of Elliot, which he knew wasn’t the right move. “I don’t know if I would have gotten it or not,” he says. “That’s not what I’m trying to say. I knew that I didn’t want that level of responsibility on that movie. I was like, ‘I’ll take my two days, but I don’t know if I’d be very good at being the guy on the poster of this thing.’”
Playing Elliot Grey — and becoming something of the comic relief in the Fifty Shades films — presented another potential path for Grimes: the chance to do comedy. “Believe it or not, when I was growing up, my dream was to be on SNL, as a cast member and not just to host it,” he says. “I was a huge comedy fan. When I was little, I loved Jim Carrey. I loved comedy movies. I always thought that would be something I would do more of, and I hope to. I got to do Eddington last year with Joaquin [Phoenix] and Ari Aster, and that was a dark comedy. I’d love to do more comedy.”
That’s when it felt like, “Okay, I probably will never have to get a normal job again. I can just be an actor now.”
Instead of doing more comedy, Grimes jokes about how he now plays “the saddest guy of all time” as Kayce Dutton. But if Fifty Shades was the job that let him live comfortably for a while, Yellowstone was the one that made him realize he wasn’t going to have to wait tables again. “Yellowstone hit really big around the time we were shooting the fourth season,” he says, “Very early COVID is when the show took on a different life, and everybody started watching it. It wasn’t just middle America anymore. It was New York and L.A., as well. I would get recognized there just as much, which I was very surprised by. That’s when it felt like, ‘Okay, I probably will never have to get a normal job again. I can just be an actor now.’ It took a long time. I was probably 35 years old when that happened.”
Now 42, Grimes is not only more famous but also the guy on the poster. In Marshals, he may just be one member of an elite U.S. Marshals unit — along with Pete Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green), Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel), Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos), and Miles Kittle (Tatanka Means) — where Kayce can combine his skills as a cowboy and former Navy SEAL to deliver justice across Montana. But he’s also the face carrying on the Dutton legacy. In Episode 2, “Zone of Death,” there’s a moment where Kayce gives teammate Miles some advice the way that only a Dutton can: “There’s always going to be a snake. You can’t reason with it and hope it will back down. You’ve got to be more dangerous than it is.”
It’s a moment that not only shows that Kayce understands what it means to be a Dutton, but it also hints at what’s still to come. “You’re seeing Kayce really in his element, taking Miles under his wing,” explains Grimes. “We’re not really used to seeing Kayce take that leadership position or give anybody advice, so for him to open up and start becoming someone who’s really taking care of business and taking care of other people, it’s a nice change of pace for him.”
Grimes Hopes There Will Be a Dutton Family Reunion in His Future
The spin-off’s strong performance across both live and streaming platforms earned it an early Season 2 renewal — welcome news, considering Grimes reveals that the first season ends on “a very, very big Yellowstone-style cliffhanger.” He also notes that, because Sheridan never told him anything that was coming on Yellowstone, he enjoys being taken along for the ride with everyone else and not having all the details in advance. “I’m getting the scripts a little bit before we’re making them and shooting them, but not too much before, and I really like that. I get some big, broader story ideas just because Spencer wants to know if I have any input on anything.”
After shooting a season of the CBS series, Grimes has a much clearer sense of what a procedural is and how they can push the boundaries of the genre. He’s excited by what could come next and hopes that they can widen the scope even further in the future. “I think the options are endless,” he adds. “We’re not stuck anywhere location-wise anymore. These marshals can get placed anywhere. Maybe not right away, but maybe at some point, we could all get stationed somewhere else. Maybe for a few episodes, we have to go out of the country somewhere and get them all out of their comfort zone. The world is our oyster, in terms of what these marshals can actually get sent to do.”
Marshals isn’t the only Yellowstone spin-off in production. Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) are also headed to South Texas for Dutton Ranch, where there will surely be plenty of drama to follow. That also raises the possibility of siblings Kayce and Beth crossing paths again at some point. Grimes lights up at the idea. “I think it’d be great. I think it’d be super fun. I do know that when I signed my contract, there was a stipulation in there for, if we ever do that, how it would work. They haven’t boxed themselves out of being able to do that. Why not?” It may simply come down to what makes more sense: bringing Beth into the Marshals world or sending Kayce over to Dutton Ranch.
Grimes may not have imagined the path his career would take, or that his journey as Kayce Dutton would carry him from one hit series to another, but he remains grounded and ready to follow wherever it leads. As for what comes next, he’s looking to branch out beyond acting and step behind the camera. Whether that means directing an episode of Marshals or tackling material of his own is still an open question. “We’ve talked about possibly directing,” he says. “I have always wanted to direct and write. I have a couple of ideas right now that I’m tinkering with. It’s definitely on my bucket list to write and direct a film for myself.”
Photography: Andrew Lipovsky | Groomer: Benjamin Thigpen | Location: The East Wing, New York
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026
- Showrunner
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Spencer Hudnut
- Writers
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Spencer Hudnut, Tom Mularz, Dana Greenblatt
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Taylor Frankie Paul is reflecting on her past mistakes on the last day of Mental Health Awareness Month. On Instagram, the “SLOMW” reality star revealed that she was still processing the drama that unfolded in her life from March to May 2026. In addition, she shared an important message with her followers who might also be struggling.
Paul recently shared a new slideshow of photos on her Instagram, speaking about what she’s learned throughout Mental Health Awareness Month.
“Still processing two shows were put on pause. Balled it up in both shows, made some boys cry and now I’m bawling,” she wrote. “What is life? …Take it seriously, learn lessons but don’t forget to be silly too. It’s okay to smile again after making mistakes. Today is the last day of mental health awareness month and just know if you’re out there struggling you’re not alone.”
Paul previously opened up about Mental Health Awareness Month in early May, according to The Blast. After sharing an AI-generated photo of herself with bruises and scratches, Paul said the photo represented how she was feeling in real life.
“Patches for pain, heat relaxes the tension, IV helps hydrate and supplement when lacking all nutrients due to no appetite, bandaids were deliberate—pain you cannot see,” she captioned the picture.
Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season Of ‘The Bachelorette’ Was Axed After Shocking Video Surfaces
Paul’s post comes months after sources revealed production on season 5 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” had been halted due to her alleged domestic disputes with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
Shortly after, a video of Paul appearing to assault Mortensen with her fists was shared online. Also in the clip, Paul can be seen throwing two heavy, metal chairs at Mortensen, one of which hit her minor daughter, leaving a visible mark.
The video was shared days before Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” was set to begin. However, ABC and Disney pulled the plug on the program after public backlash.
“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney representative said.
Taylor Frankie Paul Broke Her Silence After Learning Programs Had Been Impacted
Paul spoke out after the video’s release, admitting she was struggling with what had been going on.
“It’s just heavy. It’s a heavy time, and it’s unfortunate,” she said. “I’m struggling for sure, but also at the same time I feel like if I don’t show up, then I’m just giving these opportunities away and not enjoying what we’ve worked on and something super exciting that’s coming. I just feel like it was the right thing to do… show up even though it’s hard.”
Mortensen, meanwhile, shared his own statement through his rep, revealing that he had hoped to keep his and Paul’s personal matters out of the public eye.
“He kind of just lets it all happen to him, and I think he realizes with the severity of everything now that he just can’t do that,” the statement read.
Season 5 Of ‘The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’ Will Be Different
According to a previous report from The Blast, season 5 of “SLOMW” will return to Hulu, but not the way fans are used to.
Instead of a full season of episodes, viewers will only get the five episodes filmed before the show’s cameras went down in March 2026.
But that doesn’t mean the popular reality series is going anywhere anytime soon.
“Right now, they’re just filming confessionals for season 5,” a source said. “They’ve decided they’re not going to film the rest of season 5, but apparently they’re still going to film season 6.”
A ‘Mormon Wives’ Spin-Off Is Coming To Hulu
Another report from The Blast reveals that Hulu is expanding the “Mormon Wives” franchise with a series set in Orange County, California.
While details about the new series have been kept under wraps, the show will include Bobbi Althoff, Madison Bontempo, Aspyn Ovard, Avery Woods, Salomé Andrea, Chandler Hagginson, Ashleigh Pease, and McCall DaPron.
Jen Affleck will also be part of the group.
“A new group of dynamic young mothers in Orange County collide in a community where beliefs are not just their religion; they are their identity,” the show’s synopsis reads. “While some defend their way of life, fighting against modernity, others embrace change, becoming a platform to disrupt the status quo.”
Continuing, it reads, “Scandals and secrets will be revealed, facades will crumble, and families and friendships will change forever on both sides of the battlefield as this group of strong, game-changing influencers comes together to build their answer to #MomTok.”
Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun bump up their love with a poignant walk around NYC!
The movie star and her freshly minted beau were spotted on the streets of the Big Apple getting the best out of their nights in the spirit of their whirlwind romance, which has caught the attention of many spectators.
Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun have both been in long-term relationships in the past, with the former’s engagement to business Jonathan Davino and the latter’s marriage to mining heiress Yael Cohen, which produced three kids.
Sweeney and Braun had a blast in NYC on Saturday, ending the evening with a visit to Times Square. The couple was seen together earlier, both wearing fashionable all-black outfits. While the actress was clad in a short black dress with a deep neckline, Braun went with a black suit.
Braun told the world on Instagram of how the late-night adventure started after Sweeney admitted that she had never been to Times Square before. The video showed the duo riding rental bikes through the city before stopping for food.
At one point, Sweeney, dressed casually in a blue hoodie and sunglasses, sampled a burger. When Braun asked for her verdict, she gave an approving response, indicating that she enjoyed it.
The actress then went to the bright lights and zesty energy of Times Square, posing in front of a giant digital billboard promoting her American Eagle campaign. As noted by Page Six, Sweeney danced along to “Empire State of Mind,” the iconic New York anthem playing in the background.
Scooter Braun Gushed Over His Partner’s Acting Prowess
In an interview on Suzy Weiss’ “Second Thought” podcast on May 28, the music executive shared his take on the new season of “Euphoria.” Braun admitted that the show has generated a lot of mixed feelings, but he added that he still loves it.
He conceded that his judgment could be subjective and singled out one of the show’s principal stars as an outstanding performer, a veiled reference to Sweeney. The Blast noted that Braun was enthusiastic about the actress, describing her as genuine, intelligent, generous, and grounded among her best attributes.
The former talent manager also admitted that the romance hit him “out of the blue” and called the romance “one of the most surprising things in his life.”
Braun Reportedly Has One Surprising Take On Sydney Sweeney’s Explicit Scenes
Braun’s praise for Sweeney came shortly after reports surfaced about his reaction to the actress’ controversial scenes in the latest season of Euphoria. According to a source, the media personality has remained supportive of Sweeney despite the criticism surrounding her role.
The insider claimed he understands that certain scenes are part of the entertainment industry and respects the actress’s commitment to her work. Instead of influencing her decision on what she is doing with her career, the former manager reportedly believes in her instinct and backs her creative selections.
The source also noted that there has been no tension in their relationship because of the public scrutiny of Sweeney’s performance. Much of the criticism centered on Sweeney’s character storyline involving OnlyFans, as well as several attention-grabbing wardrobe choices that quickly went viral online.
Though many applauded her for having the courage to take risks as a performer, some industry watchers voiced concerns that the increased attention on her provocative roles might detract from her overall acting skills. Beyond Euphoria, Sweeney has also taken on intimate and provocative scenes in other recent projects, including The Housemaid, further fueling discussions about the direction of her career.
The Emmy Nominee Had The Perfect Caption For Her ‘Euphoria’ Character’s Craziest Season
The model revisited the whirlwind that was Cassie Howard’s journey in “Euphoria” Season 3. The actress shared a collection of behind-the-scenes photos and videos from the hit HBO series on Instagram, offering fans a glimpse into some of the season’s most memorable moments.
The post also had screenshots of Cassie and Nate’s wedding, video from their time at the Silver Slipper Strip Club, and pictures relating to the controversial OnlyFans storyline she had.
Cinemablend noted that Sweeney’s content was accompanied by a short caption that seemed to perfectly encapsulate the experience of playing Cassie during one of her most dramatic seasons yet.
Cassie’s storyline has sparked mixed reactions from viewers. While some praised the bold direction of her arc, others criticized the handling of her subscription-content storyline.
During the season, there was quite a bit of discussion surrounding the character’s actions and how the show depicted online content creation. Sweeney, despite the furor, hinted in her post that she had enjoyed the experience of being part of the final season of the Emmy-winning drama.
Whether the tribute marks the end of Season 3 or a farewell to the series itself remains unclear, as creator Sam Levinson has yet to confirm if another season is on the horizon.
Sydney Sweeney Is Not Breaking A Sweat Over Her Nude Scenes Backlash
The actress was not the only personality related to the HBO series catching flak for their creative decisions. Producer Levinson also got an earful from critics, prompting him to defend the storyline, especially in relation to Cassie’s questionable costumes and scenes.
As stated by The Blast, he explained that the idea behind those scenes was to elicit humor and some level of healthy absurdity, not to send a provocative tone.
According to Levinson, the humor stemmed from the bizarre situations surrounding the character, including having her housekeeper film the videos, which added another layer of satire to the story.
Sweeney also lent her voice to the pushback against the critics, emphasizing that none of the decisions surrounding her characters go out without passing through her table. She previously affirmed that Levinson never pressured her into filming raunchy scenes, and if need be, adjustments often came in where necessary.
She bemoaned the unhealthy fixation on the elements of nudity in her performance rather than recognizing the massive amount of work that goes behind the scenes to achieve anything.
Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun know how to serve that couple of content!
The Brown family, stars of the hit reality TV series Alaskan Bush People, is speaking out after Matt Brown was found dead at 43.
“It is with profound sadness and broken hearts that we share the loss of our beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend, Matthew Brown,” the statement, shared exclusively with Us Weekly on Sunday, May 31, began. “To millions of viewers, Matt was known as one of the original stars of Alaskan Bush People. To us, he was so much more.”
The family continued, “Matt was intelligent, curious, creative, and endlessly fascinated by the world around him. He was a gifted outdoorsman who felt most at home on the water, in the wilderness, or sharing what he had learned with others. He was an accomplished fisherman, an experienced boatman, and served as the radar operator on our family’s vessels. He loved adventure and never stopped exploring new ideas.”
Bear Brown, Matt’s brother, confirmed his sibling’s death at the age of 43 via TikTok on Saturday, May 30, revealing that their other brother, Noah Brown, was with the group of private citizens when they located his oldest brother’s remains.
“On Saturday, May 30, 2026, a group of private citizens conducting a search along the Okanogan River located a deceased individual in the river,” a Sunday, May 31, updated press release shared by Washington state’s Okanogan County Sheriff Office’s official Facebook account read in part. “The individual was recovered and brought to shore, where he was positively identified as Matthew Brown.”
Bear Brown slammed people leaving disrespectful comments about brother Matt Bear amid the family’s concerns for his well-being. “First off, I’m not just making a video on rumors. It’s a very, very, very, very small chance it’s not him. It’s like 99 percent him,” Bear, 38, said of the family’s fear for Matt, 43, in […]
Noah later broke his silence in the wake of his oldest brother’s death, confirming he was with the group of citizens when his brother’s remains were located.
“Matt had an extraordinary mind. He taught himself sign language, studied Egyptian hieroglyphs, petroglyphs, and Sanskrit, learned conversational Spanish, and could spend hours mastering a new skill simply for the joy of understanding it. He was also a talented artist whose creativity allowed him to see beauty and meaning in places others often overlooked,” the family’s Sunday statement to Us continued. “Those who truly knew Matt knew his heart. He was compassionate, generous with his time, and deeply wanted to help others.”
The family continued, “During periods of sobriety and recovery, he openly shared his struggles with addiction and mental health through his online videos and personal outreach. He encouraged others to seek help, offered hope to people fighting similar battles, and used his own experiences in an effort to make others feel less alone.”’
Matt Brown Courtesy of Matt Brown/Instagram
No official cause of death has been announced at the time of publication, though Matt’s brother Bear speculated that his sibling’s death was “self-inflicted.”
“I was so worried that he would end up ODed or something like that,” he said in a Saturday social media upload. “I didn’t think he would hurt himself.”
In the exclusive Sunday statement to Us, the family said they are “incredibly proud of the lives” Matt touched prior to his untimely death.
“Some of the messages we treasure most are from people who told us Matt’s honesty about addiction and recovery gave them hope during their own darkest moments,” the statement continued. “At the same time, Matt spent many years battling serious mental health challenges and addiction. These were complex struggles that affected every aspect of his life. Like countless families facing similar circumstances, we experienced periods of hope, recovery, setbacks, heartbreak, reconciliation, and renewed hope again.”
The family added, “Our dad, Billy Brown, never stopped believing in Matt’s ability to heal and find peace. Throughout the years, there were rehabilitation programs, interventions, treatment efforts, and countless attempts to support his recovery. Those efforts continued long after our father’s passing. In recent months, as Matt publicly shared his pain and struggles, members of our family were actively trying to reconnect, offer support, and help him find his way back to stability and healing.”
The family urged fans to remember that the “truth” regarding their family dynamics is “far more complicated than” what could ever be shown on television, adding that “mental illness and addiction are devastating diseases that impact not only the person suffering but everyone who loves them.”
“Families facing these challenges often make difficult decisions, establish boundaries, and endure periods of separation while never losing their love for the person at the center of the struggle. Our family was no different,” they continued. “Matt’s life was not without mistakes, struggles, and painful chapters. Like all of us, he was imperfect. Some of those chapters caused hurt, and we do not minimize that. At the same time, we do not believe that any person’s life should be defined solely by their lowest moments, especially when there was so much more to who they were.”
The family of Alaskan Bush People showcased their unique lifestyle for viewers from 2014 until 2022. The Discovery Channel docudrama-style reality show followed Billy Brown and Ami Brown as they survived in the remote wilderness of Alaska — and later Washington state — with their seven children, Matt Brown, Joshua “Bam Bam” Brown, Bear Brown, […]
The family went on to encourage fans to use the loss of their family member to advocate for “greater compassion for those silently battling mental illness, addiction, loneliness, and despair,” adding that “words” and “kindness” matters.
“If there is one message we hope people take from Matt’s life, it is that no one should have to suffer alone. If you are struggling with addiction, depression, or hopelessness, please reach out. Talk to someone. Ask for help. There is strength in seeking support, and there is always hope,” the family continued. “Matthew’s life cannot be measured solely by how it ended. It should be measured by the people he encouraged, the adventures he lived, the knowledge he pursued, the beauty he created, and the love he shared with those around him.”
They concluded, “When we think of Matt, we will not think first of his struggles. We will remember the young man who could navigate rough waters, draw for hours, lose himself in learning ancient symbols and forgotten histories, make us laugh unexpectedly, and dream bigger than most people ever dare. He was imperfect. He was human. He was deeply loved. And he will be missed beyond words.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
One of the good things about streaming becoming so easy and widespread is that there always seems to be some place for any movie to end up. The big streamers can fight over new releases, or just make multi-billion dollar deals to buy the competition, but there’s usually somebody who appreciates the classics. We’re specifically referring to classics like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which you can watch for free on Tubi.
Italian director Sergio Leone’s 1966 epic is generally considered one of the greatest films of all time, and definitely one of the best Westerns, and perhaps even the singular definitive spaghetti Western. Though it’s skewed because of modern reviews that take its legacy into account, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’s Rotten Tomatoes score sits at 97% for both critics and audiences — meaning it’s a consensus that the movie is straight-up great. How often does that happen?
What Is ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ About?
Along with Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is part of the loosely connected “Dollars Trilogy” (also known as the “Man with No Name Trilogy” after star Clint Eastwood’s ostensibly nameless antihero… though he does technically have a name in all three movies). The movies aren’t really related to each other, beyond the fact that Sergio Leone directed them, they’re in the same genre, and Clint Eastwood is in them as a laconic cowboy who wears a cool hat and a sarape. (Unfortunately, Leone didn’t have the foresight to have his cowboy movies tie together for a big Marvel-style payoff.)
In The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Eastwood’s character is a bounty hunter nicknamed Blondie, and though he’s not necessarily a nice guy, he’s the “Good” in the title. He runs a scam with a bandit named Tuco (the “Ugly,” played by Eli Wallach), where he hands him over to the authorities for a bounty and then saves him from being hanged so they can split the money and do the trick again in another town. They cross paths with a mercenary called Angel Eyes (the “Bad,” played by Lee Van Cleef) who is trying to find a stash of stolen Confederate gold.
Tuco finds out the cemetery where the gold is buried and Blondie finds out the specific grave it’s hidden in, forcing them all to (kinda) work together in an uneasy alliance. It’s a spoiler to say it all builds to a three-way standoff over who gets the gold, but treating that as a real spoiler does a disservice to Leone’s directing, Ennio Morricone’s iconic score, and Eastwood’s steely-eyed glare. And we’re talking about the definitive spaghetti Western here, so it’s not like there wouldn’t be a standoff at some point. It’s like saying the movie has boots and revolvers in it.
As of January 1, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is streaming for free on Tubi, so there’s really no reason not to set aside three hours or so and revel in the ecstasy of gold (that’s the big song from the soundtrack).
There was a time when I genuinely thought nothing would ever top Breaking Bad because almost every episode felt stressful in a way very few shows manage. Walter White (Bryan Cranston) kept making decisions that looked smart in the moment and disastrous five episodes later, which made the tension build naturally instead of feeling manufactured. The transformation of Walter White from high school teacher to ruthless drug lord kept audiences gripped to their TVs for five seasons. The series also stars Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt, and Dean Norris, and it remains in the conversation of the best TV shows of all time.
After finishing the show, I kept searching for thrillers that could create that same feeling of pressure, paranoia, or emotional exhaustion, and honestly, most of them could not. Only a few stayed with me, which usually made me question every scene in different ways. Not only did these series match the tension and thrilling nature of Breaking Bad, they even surpassed the beloved AMC series. These are the only thriller shows that, for me, stand above Breaking Bad.
‘The Shield’ (2002–2008)
The thing that immediately separates The Shield from a lot of police dramas is Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis). From the very first episode, the show makes it clear that Vic is not a clean cop trying to survive inside a dirty system. He is already part of the problem. He steals from drug dealers, manipulates witnesses, and controls the streets through fear as much as law. The Strike Team around him follows the same pattern, especially Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins), whose decisions gradually make every situation worse. The FX series also stars Catherine Dent, Michael Jace, Kenny Johnson, and Benito Martinez.
What keeps the show gripping for seven seasons is how badly things begin piling up once the team starts covering for itself. One lie creates another problem, then another, until even ordinary arrests begin carrying the risk of exposure. Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder) and Dutch Wagenbach (Jay Karnes) slowly begin seeing pieces that do not fully add up, and the pressure around Vic keeps tightening season after season. By the end, the show stops feeling like a story about cops chasing criminals and turns into something much uglier about power, loyalty, and panic.
‘True Detective’ (2014–Present)
HBO struck gold with this impeccable anthology series. Every season of True Detective drops somebody into a case that slowly starts affecting the rest of their life. Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) spend years circling the same murders in Louisiana until the investigation begins following them outside work. Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) keeps revisiting an old disappearance while his own memory slowly becomes less reliable with age. Even the weaker seasons still keep that same feeling where the detectives never seem emotionally separate from the crimes they are investigating. Other featured actors include Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell, Jodie Foster, Fiona Shaw, and Vince Vaughn.
The series also changes shape from season to season instead of repeating the exact same formula every time. One story leans heavily into serial killings and religion, another moves through political corruption and broken partnerships, while another becomes quieter and more personal. That atmosphere keeps the show gripping because the danger rarely feels far away, even during mundane scenes. The tension builds as we, the audience, piece together the mystery alongside the detectives.
‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)
This HBO series is a genuine masterpiece for a reason. At the beginning of The Sopranos, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) starts having panic attacks and quietly begins seeing a therapist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). That alone changes the shape of the show because Tony is not only dealing with rival crews, money, and violence. He is also trying to explain himself in a small office every week while his personal life keeps getting messier around him. His wife Carmela (Edie Falco) already suspects more than he admits, and his children are growing old enough to notice the contradictions in the house.
The criminal side keeps expanding too. Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese), Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico), and the rest of the crew constantly create new problems through greed, ego, or plain stupidity. Some conflicts explode into violence very quickly, while others sit quietly for years before turning ugly. What makes The Sopranos different is how ordinary so much of it feels in between those moments. One scene could involve murder or betrayal, and the next could simply be Tony arguing with his family over dinner. This develops its own level of tension from episode to episode across its impressive six-season run.
‘Better Call Saul’ (2015–2022)
I understand that this might be controversial… but sometimes, the spin-off does it better than the original. Before he becomes Saul Goodman, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) is a struggling lawyer trying to build a real career in Albuquerque. He takes small public defender jobs, looks after his older brother Chuck (Michael McKean), and keeps trying to prove that he belongs inside the same legal world that never fully trusts him. The relationship between Jimmy and Chuck becomes the center of the show very quickly because Jimmy genuinely wants his brother’s respect, even while he keeps cutting corners to get ahead.
At the same time, Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) slowly gets pulled deeper into the cartel side of the story. His work with Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) grows season by season until the legal world and the criminal world begin sitting directly beside each other. Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) also changes the story in a major way because she understands Jimmy better than almost anyone else and still keeps following him into situations she knows are dangerous. Watching Jimmy slowly become Saul works so well because the show never treats it like one sudden transformation. It happens piece by piece, and it’s completely mesmerizing. The deliberate pacing made Odenkirk’s performance genuinely something special.
‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)
Set during the late 1970s, Mindhunter follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they begin interviewing serial killers to understand how violent criminals think. At first, even the FBI does not fully believe the work matters. Most agents still focus only on solving individual cases, while Holden becomes obsessed with studying patterns behind the murders themselves. Very quickly, the interviews begin turning uncomfortable because the killers speak calmly about horrifying crimes as if they are discussing ordinary memories. The David Fincher thriller series that traces the origins of criminal profiling also stars Anna Torv, Cotter Smith, and Stacey Roca.
The show becomes especially tense whenever Holden starts getting too emotionally invested in the work. His conversations with Edmund Kemper (Cameron Britton) slowly stop feeling like professional interviews and start resembling psychological games where Holden constantly pushes further than he should. At the same time, Bill’s family life becomes more strained as the subject matter begins following him home. The series is so gripping that many scenes involve nothing more than people sitting in a room talking, though the atmosphere still feels deeply unsettling almost the entire time. It’s a shame that Netflix put these series on an indefinite hold because Mindhunter was easily one of their best.
Mindhunter
- Release Date
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2017 – 2019
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Joe Penhall
- Directors
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David Fincher, Carl Franklin, Andrew Dominik, Andrew Douglas, Asif Kapadia, Tobias Lindholm
Britney Spears is sending multiple cryptic messages.
“If you’re one of those mean girls pointing and laughing and looking at your phone in the audience just look up today… River sends you guys a message!!!!!!!!” Spears, 44, captioned a Friday, May 29, Instagram post.
In a separate Instagram shared the same day, Spears filmed herself dancing in front of a pool with a body of water visible in the distance.
“When I moved out of the country for a while I changed my name for some reason and the mean girls stopped laughing!!!!! Damn I miss it there,” she wrote.
Britney Spears wants to put her DUI arrest in the rearview mirror. “Britney is embarrassed by all of the details and videos coming out from one of the most traumatic, regretful nights of her life,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “She feels it’s cruel, especially after she went to rehab and put in the […]
It is unclear who the “mean girls” are Spears is referring to. In a third upload, Spears reflected on feeling “too much chatter” that’s “going on behind your back.”
“When you get that awkward, weird feeling you can actually start to feel perhaps too much chatter is going on behind your back… it actually effects [sic] people… I still send them love but most importantly…” she wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, May 26.
She continued, “I hope they feel my smile… the media has been a bit much in my opinion and I hope they can respect my unbelievable and miraculous spiritual journey… I’m so excited to embrace my journey and hope they stop showing embarrassing things from my past 🙄🙄🙄 I just bought the most adorable high heeled sandals 👡 for summer… its the little things you know… god bless.”
Spears’ posts come months after she was taken into police custody on March 4 after an anonymous caller reported that she had been “traveling at high speeds and swerving.” After her arrest, Spears was taken to a local hospital to get her blood drawn, which was registered under the legal limit.
“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” a spokesperson for Spears told Us Weekly in March. “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
The next month, Spears was charged with driving under the influencer while in a treatment facility. She accepted a plea deal on May 4 and was sentenced to 12 months of probation and one daily in jail, which was credited with time served. She was also ordered to complete a DUI class and pay $571 in state-mandated fees and see a psychologist once a week and a psychiatrist twice a month.
Actor Mark Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” franchise, is being put on blast by Jamie Kennedy after he shared an AI-generated photo of U.S. President Donald Trump in a grave. Although the actor apologized after facing backlash from the White House, many have voiced their disappointment in Hamill’s actions on social media.
In early May, the actor shared an AI-generated image on Bluesky that showed Trump lying in a shallow grave. The dates on the gravestone read 1946-2024.
Hamill captioned the post, “If Only — He should live long enough to witness his inevitable devastating loss in the midterms, be held accountable for his unprecedented corruption, impeached, convicted & humiliated for his countless crimes.”
“Long enough to realize he’ll be disgraced in the history books, forevermore,” he added. White House Spokesman Davis Ingle responded to the post, calling him a “deranged lunatic,” as previously reported by The Blast.
“The Life of Chuck” actor then attempted to apologize, but it seemed tongue-in-cheek, as he shared his message alongside another photo of Trump with an outrageous hairstyle.
“Accurate Edit for Clarity: ‘He should live long enough to… be held accountable for his… crimes,’” he wrote. “Actually, I was wishing him the opposite of dead, but apologize if you found the image inappropriate.”
The apology did little to quell the online firestorm, especially after Jamie Kennedy called him out for his comments.
Jamie Kennedy Says ‘Luke Skywalker Has Lost It’
In an episode of his podcast, “Hate To Break It To Ya”, Jamie Kennedy blasted Mark Hamill for posting the AI-generated image of Trump depicting him in a shallow grave.
“That is insane. That is brain rot gone beyond,” Kennedy said. “This is nuts. Luke Skywalker has lost it, dude. You’re like a big voice in the world, and you’re promoting that. Like, what is wrong with you?”
He went on to say, “You can call this guy whatever you want, but he’s the elected leader, so clearly he’s legally in, and he won, and he’s the elected leader,” Kennedy continued, calling Hamill’s post “irresponsible” and “evil.”
Has Mark Hamill Retired From ‘Star Wars’?
As most fans know, the character of Luke Skywalker met his end at the end of 2017’s “The Last Jedi.” At this time, it is unclear where the franchise is heading. The recently released film “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was set before the events of the sequel trilogy, during a time when Luke Skywalker was still alive. However, Hamill believes that the franchise should focus on new characters.
“I am so grateful to George for letting me be a part of that back in the day, the humble days when George called ‘Star Wars’ ‘the most expensive low-budget movie ever made,’” he told ComicBook in 2025. “We never expected it to become a permanent franchise and a part of pop culture like that. But my deal is, I had my time. I’m appreciative of that, but I think they should focus on the future and all the new characters.”
Mark Hamill Felt ‘Closure’ After His Character Died
The Skywalker Saga seemed to come to an end with 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” Luke Skywalker seemingly had no children. Leia Organa, the daughter of Darth Vader, had a son with Han Solo – Kylo Ren/Ben Solo – but he passed away at the end of the film. Although Rey called herself “Rey Skywalker” at the end of the movie and was determined to be the daughter of a clone of Palpatine, she is not a Skywalker by blood, and therefore, it seems that the bloodline has officially come to an end.
“My character was given complete closure,” Hamill said in an interview with TODAY, noting that the end of his story “felt like a conclusion.”
“I died… and once the Skywalker trilogy was over, it was a whole new era for them [Lucasfilm],” he added.
Still, the journey into a galaxy far, far away will continue with “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which is scheduled for a theatrical release in May 2027. The film stars an A-list cast consisting of Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, and Amy Adams.
Prime Video recently returned to the world of one of its first hit television shows with Jack Ryan: Ghost War, which sees John Kraskinski reprising his role as the titular super spy. Add in the fact that Ghost War is packed with enough action and bloodshed to rival Reacher, and it’s no wonder that it’s rocketed up Prime Video’s streaming charts in the past week. Those same streaming charts are currently home to another military-themed movie that has a science fiction flair. This movie also holds the title of being one of the worst box office bombs of all time, and nearly ending one actor’s career.
Said movie is Battleship, directed by Peter Berg and featuring an ensemble cast that includes Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson, and Rhianna in her acting debut. Currently, Battleship sits at #6 on Prime Video’s U.S. charts, according to FlixPatrol. That’s a far cry from Battleship‘s theatrical records, as it ended up losing Universal $150 million and was brutally ripped apart by critics. So what exactly is contributing to Battleship‘s surprise resurgence on streaming? There’s a key element that might explain why it’s been a major draw for Prime Video subscribers.
‘Battleship’ Is a Tug-of-War Between an Alien Invasion Movie & War Thriller
The major reason for Battleship‘s poor critical and box office reception lies in the strange update that Berg and screenwriters Jon & Erich Hoeber made to the source material. While the Battleship board game features two opposing naval forces engaged in battle, the Battleship movie decides to pit Kitsch’s Alex Hopper and a crew of naval officers against a group of alien invaders. Yes, this is a movie that features the Navy duking it out with aliens. Apart from the aliens utilizing bombs that resemble the pegs that Battleship players use and a tense sequence where Alex’s crew utilizes radar to target the invaders’ ships, this is a movie that bears very little resemblance to its source material. Berg even admitted at a WonderCon panel how little his movie resembled the game it was named after.
“Battleship’s a unique experience. It certainly doesn’t have any direct correlation to the game. That being said, it was a lot of fun to try to find way to reference the game. If you look at the ordinance that the enemies use, it looks a bit like pegs. Both of our ships’ radar systems have trouble seeing each other, so they gotta try and predict where the enemy is so that they can go after them. And there were some other things that were kind of fun.”
While the alien aspects of Battleship might be out of place, Berg does show his appreciation for the military by featuring actual veterans and naval officers in the cast. A group of veterans helps Alex’s crew operate an actual battleship in the movie’s climax, and another subplot features Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales, a double amputee played by Gregory Gadson — who’s actually a Navy Colonel and double amputee. This was Gadson’s first acting role, yet he turns in a great performance that makes you wish he was the hero of the movie. It wasn’t enough to save Battleship from a critical thrashing, as reviews unfavorably compared it to Michael Bay‘s Transformers movies.
8 Years Later, Prime Video’s Spy Saga Is Giving ‘Reacher’ Fans Everything They Want
The franchise returns later this month.
The Director of ‘Battleship’ Is Tackling Another Major Franchise
While Battleship might have flopped at the box office, it doesn’t mark the end of Peter Berg’s time tackling military-based franchises. Berg is set to direct, co-write and produce a Call of Duty movie at Paramount alongside Taylor Sheridan, though he’s already faced an uphill battle after an interview in which he called video game players “weak”…which isn’t the right approach one would want to take when adapting a video game series based on military conflicts. Taylor Kitsch is faring far better, as he not only turned in a better performance in Berg’s Battleship follow-up Lone Survivor, but also anchors one of Prime Video’s biggest franchises with The Terminal List and its spin-off series, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.
Battleship remains an odd beast; despite having a less than stellar theatrical run, it’s finding a new audience who probably appreciates how bonkers it is or that the military action is enough to overlook the science fiction elements. If you want to have a laugh with your friends, it’s worth a weekend watch.
- Release Date
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May 18, 2012
- Runtime
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131 minutes
- Writers
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Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber
- Producers
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Duncan Henderson, Scott Stuber, Bennett Schneir, Brian Goldner
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Even Katie Holmes is bored with plain white sneakers. The actress strolled through Brooklyn rocking a sleek black sneaker style that quickly caught our eye — which is saying a lot, given that her jeans were purple. We’re starting to think we should ditch our white ones, too, especially since Holmes’ look is on sale for just $37.
Comprised of a simple black cardigan, rustic purple jeans and a leather tote slung over her shoulder, Holmes’ outfit screamed ‘cool mom.’ It had that effortlessly luxe appeal that seems hard to recreate, but isn’t once you have the right shoes. These black sneakers are it, sharpening jeans, polishing tees and making any outfit look intentional.
Get the Vepose Black Retro Casual Sneakers for $37 (was $50) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
These Vepose Black Retro Casual Sneakers nail Holmes’ cool-mom vibe, featuring a similar low profile, solid black color and understated design. But they take classy up a notch, thanks to crinkled leather, suede accents and a square toe that makes them modern, not basic.
What sold Us is what’s on the inside. Arch support and memory foam padding mean you can wear these comfy sneakers for a full afternoon of errands, days at the zoo and walks through the neighborhood. Shoppers even love them for travel!
“They’re lightweight and don’t feel bulky, which is a big plus for travel or all-day wear,” one happy shopper wrote. “Overall, these are stylish, comfortable and a little different in the best way, making them a great choice if you want something casual but still eye-catching.”
Pair these chic kicks with jeans, as Holmes did or rock them with a midi dress and a comfy cardigan. They work with wide-leg trousers for the office, cropped pants on weekends and yes, even leggings for lounging around the house.
These simple stunners are minimal without being boring, retro without feeling dated and comfortable without looking orthopedic. That’s a tough trifecta to nail at any price, let alone under $40. If you see your size, snag it!
Get the Vepose Black Retro Casual Sneakers for $37 (was $50) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
Sitting between HBO’s crime darling The Sopranos and fan-favorite period drama Peaky Blinders is a perfect marriage of the two shows in Boardwalk Empire. The brainchild of Sopranos writer and executive producer Terence Winter, the series also features Steve Buscemi — who appeared in and directed episodes of The Sopranos — as Atlantic County Treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson. With a pilot reportedly costing around $18 million and directed by Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire has its own charm and scale, from its adaptation of real-life mafia criminals to featuring early breakout roles from some of television’s biggest names, such as Stephen Graham, Charlie Cox, and Bobby Cannavale.
What is ‘Boardwalk Empire’ About?
Boardwalk Empire sets the scene in 1920s Atlantic City, just hours before Prohibition laws are put into effect. While everyone else is lamenting the ban on liquor, Nucky sees it as the perfect opportunity to distribute bootleg alcohol at premium prices. The best part is he never has to do the dirty work himself; he’s simply a man who knows how to network with the right people to do his bidding. When he’s not dealing with Prohibition, Nucky is working his way up the political ladder. Illegal booze brings in the money, but winning the 1920 Atlantic City mayoral election guarantees him the power he needs to make moves throughout the city with minimal to no interference from the feds.
However, just because Nucky is part of the government himself doesn’t mean he’s safe from gangs looking to grab a piece of the pie. Rival organizations — from Arnold Rothstein’s New York syndicate, which becomes the launching pad for Charles “Lucky” Luciano (Vincent Piazza), to the Chicago Outfit that paves the way for Al Capone (Graham) — all want in on Nucky’s growing empire. At the same time, these men refuse to be mere puppets under Nucky’s control, and they have no problem turning on him if things stop going their way. Business only gets messier once these factions begin clashing with each other, forcing Nucky to pick the side that benefits him most.
‘Boardwalk Empire’ Is Perfect for Crime Drama Fans Who Want Something More Subtle
Unlike the hedonism of Los Angeles or New York City, there is a certain decorum in Atlantic City — mainly because Nucky’s job as treasurer requires him to be scandal-free. Because of this, criminal business in Boardwalk Empire is conducted as discreetly as possible to avoid attention. Even when lines are crossed, murders are carried out without causing too much public commotion. These gangsters don’t need the public living in fear of them; their main priority is to keep their liquor flowing through Atlantic City.
This duality between subtlety and violence keeps things exciting in Boardwalk Empire. Other characters who follow this mold include Nucky’s protégé, James “Jimmy” Darmody (Michael Pitt), who was once destined for Princeton before choosing to serve in the Army. Discharged due to an injury, Jimmy returns to Atlantic City, shattered, but still wants to become a gangster. He might be pulling the trigger, but behind closed doors, he is trapped in a cycle of trauma. The same complexity also applies to Margaret Thompson (Kelly Macdonald), a working-class suffragette who becomes Nucky’s love interest. Although meek and soft-spoken, she grows into a force of her own, becoming involved in Nucky’s illicit businesses.
‘Boardwalk Empire’s Nucky Thompson Is the Nicest Villain in Television History
One of the shared threads between Nucky, The Sopranos‘ Tony (James Gandolfini), and Peaky Blinders‘ Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is the clash of identities. Like the other two, Nucky is a gangster underneath his tailored suits, but outside operations, he is something else entirely. However, in Nucky’s case, the split is even more institutional. Tony is a mob boss navigating suburban family life, Tommy is a post-war entrepreneur affected by trauma, but Nucky is a politician whose criminal empire is built on top of his government position. Loosely inspired by real-life politician Enoch L. Johnson, Nucky is a public darling — charismatic, good with minorities, and almost guaranteed electoral success.
Because of his status, Nucky prefers negotiation and influence over brute force, though there are rare moments when he extends his generosity. He has a soft spot for undeservedly unfortunate people, partly because he himself came from a difficult upbringing. That is what makes Nucky so difficult to read. One moment, he is compassionate; the next, he is utterly merciless. As Margaret once points out, there is an innate kindness in Nucky, which makes it hard for her to understand how he can continue living this kind of life. For Nucky, it is never about the size of the sin — only how much sin he is willing to live with.
- Release Date
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2010 – 2014-00-00
- Showrunner
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Terence Winter
- Directors
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Timothy Van Patten, Allen Coulter
- Writers
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Terence Winter, Nelson Johnson
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