Swimsuit shopping is a challenge for many people, but add a large bust into the mix, and it can feel impossible. Thankfully, Amazon shoppers went through the trial and error to uncover this Goldilocks of a swimsuit, and somehow, it’s under $40!

Both comfortable and flattering, the Tashehe Tummy-Control One-Piece Swimsuit is worth grabbing in multiple colors. It works totally under the radar, supporting your bust while smoothing your tummy. Whether you’re lounging at the pool deck or swimming in the ocean, you’ll look and feel your best.

Get the Tashehe Tummy-Control One-Piece Swimsuit for $37 on Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

The appeal of this one-piece is all in the design. It has a sweetheart neckline that flatters your collarbone, a twist-style bra for structure and strategic tummy ruching to skim over your midsection. Plus, while it’s slimming, it doesn’t squeeze the life out of you. Adjustable shoulder straps and removable cups are the true cherries on top, allowing you to customize the fit.

“I love this suit. It is beautiful, the colors are so bright,” one five-star shopper raved. “It didn’t sag, even though I have a 38D bust.”

Another happy fan wrote, “I have a 36DD bust . . . With a short torso and a large bust, it’s very hard to find a one-piece suit that works for me. This one fits me very well and is actually comfortable! Needless to say, I bought it in two colors.”

With over a dozen colors and prints to choose from, you’ll want to do the same!

For a suit that offers real bust support, hides the middle and costs less than a nice dinner out, it’s an easy ‘yes.’ This beach-ready wonder is basically shapewear in swimsuit form.

Get the Tashehe Tummy-Control One-Piece Swimsuit for $37 on Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more flattering swimsuits and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping
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Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach are sending a hopeful message to newlyweds Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after the pair’s star-studded wedding.

“Taylor and Travis, Before Abby and I fell asleep that magical night, the last thing we discussed was our hope for you,” the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post on Sunday, July 5. “We hope that you feel so surrounded by concentric circles of love and support from your family, friends and global admirers that you enter your new marriage era knowing this: You’re not on your own, kids. You never will be.”

The pair concluded, “We love you, Abby and Glennon (Your Retired English teacher and PE teacher).”

Doyle and Wambach also shared sweet photos featuring the couple dressed up for the Friday, July 3, event at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, wearing a blue gown and black suit, respectively.

Swift’s history with the couple dates back years. In 2015, Swift, now 36, famously invited Wambach and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team on stage during her 1989 Tour. She also credited Doyle with inspiring albums Folklore and Evermore via her memoir, Untamed.

Swift and Kelce, 36, tied the knot on Friday in front of 1,000 of their closest friends and family members, where Adam Sandler served as the officiant. Taylor’s brother, Austin Swift, and Travis’ brother, Jason Kelce, served as the “man of honor” and best man, respectively, in lieu of a traditional wedding party. Their nuptials were celebrated outside of Madison Square Garden on Friday, with digital billboards reading: “JusT&T Married.”

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“The bride and groom’s wedding ceremony looks have been created by Christian Dior Haute Couture. They are designed by Jonathan Anderson, Creative Director of Dior Women’s, Men’s and Haute Couture Collections, in close collaboration with the bride and groom,” a statement from Taylor’s publicist read at the time. “This is the designer’s first couture wedding dress for a world-renowned celebrity. [Both of] their shoes were custom made by Christian Louboutin and the bride wore Cartier jewelry.”

While the couple have yet to share any details or photographs from the evening, several of their famous friends have given glimpses of their looks. Travis’ Kansas City Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes shared photos with wife Brittany Mahomes of the couple posing in coordinating blue ensembles. Patrick opted for a navy suit with a bowtie, while Brittany stunned in an ice blue gown.

Jessica Alba and boyfriend Danny Ramirez, meanwhile, shared behind-the-scenes moments getting ready for the event via Instagram, writing, “We love love 🥰💒🫶🏽 Congrats to T&T — such a beautiful night celebrating you.”

Prince George is all grown up and eye-level with his mom, Kate Middleton, in new pics shared by the royal family in the wake of the princess’ recent cancer update.

“This time last week, completing the National Three Peaks Challenge,” the princess of Wales, 44, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, July 5, alongside a slew of photographs featuring the royal family at the mountaineering event, which takes place across various mountains located in Scotland, England and Wales.

“A huge thank you to everybody who has supported The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity,” the princess continued in the caption. “To find out more or donate, please visit link in bio.”

In the photos, the royal could be seen embracing her husband, Prince William, as well as their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. In one pic, the mom of three can be seen with one arm around George as she appears to speak with Louis — her oldest meeting her at eye-level.

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In another picture, taken from behind George as he looks towards his mom, the princess can be seen patting her son on the back, who appears to be at or near her height.

Kate had previously revealed her decision to compete in the event, noting that she wasn’t looking to just be challenged physically.

“I have taken on the National Three Peaks Challenge, not simply as a physical endeavour but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back,” the princess wrote via Instagram on June 28. “The Royal Marsden [hospital] is a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life changing for so many people.”

The princess of Wales was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer back in 2024, shortly before undergoing a preventative round of chemotherapy treatment. In January 2025, Kate confirmed she was in remission.

“Through this challenge, I want to raise awareness for the deeper impact of serious illness and the importance of holistic healthcare,” the royal continued of her participation of the event. “Every individual is different, and ensuring there is a whole person approach to care enables those living through cancer to manage the deeply personal challenge of diagnosis.”

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Prince George made his first appearance at the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance service. George, 12, joined his mother, Princess Kate Middleton, at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Saturday, November 8. The mother and son sat in a royal box with King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, Duchess Sophie and other members of […]

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She concluded, “Holistic therapies complement clinical pathways and support patients’ ability to maintain their wellbeing, resilience and quality of life during an exceptionally difficult time.”

The princess was candid about how a cancer diagnosis does not just impact the body, but the mind — especially when treatment alters every facet of a person’s life.

“Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in this country hear the words no on wants to hear,” she wrote via Instagram. “What follows is a path that tests every part of who we are: physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. The challenges ripple outwards, touching families, friendships, work and the quiet moments we spend along with our thoughts.”

She’s got over 1 million Instagram followers who know her for her bikini content and Southern charm, but Sarita Natividad has another side that’s been turning heads lately — and it involves a 31-foot center console, deep blue water, and some seriously impressive fish.

The Spanish-American model and content creator grew up in Foley, Alabama, right near the Gulf Coast, but her love of fishing actually started even before that.

Sarita traces it all back to her dad. She grew up fishing in Michigan’s freshwater before her family relocated to Gulf Shores, Alabama, where she got her first taste of offshore fishing. That move changed everything for her.

“I love fishing at home in the Gulf,” she says, “but my absolutely favorite place to fish is the Florida Keys.”

And she’s got a real reason for that. In the Gulf, you have to travel far out to reach the deep water. In the Keys, you can be 10 miles offshore and already be sitting over the deep blue. For someone who’s after species like mahi mahi, snapper, grouper, amberjack, tuna, and the notoriously hard-to-catch wahoo, that kind of access makes a huge difference.

The Wahoo That Changed the Game

If you want to understand just how serious Sarita is about this, look no further than what’s mounted in her living room.

After years of trying to catch a wahoo — one of the fastest and most elusive fish in the ocean — she finally landed one in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It weighed 70 pounds and stretched 66 inches long. She was so proud of that catch that she had a replica made and mounted it on her wall.

“It puts the biggest smile on my face every time I look at it,” she says. “It’s the best tasting fish I’ve ever had and I wish I could catch them more often.”

That wahoo currently holds the title of her biggest catch outside of billfish — which says a lot, because Sarita has been putting in serious work in Cabo chasing marlin.

Cabo and the Blue Marlin That Got Away

Sarita makes regular trips to Cabo San Lucas specifically to target marlin, and she’s had some heart-pounding moments on the line. Striped marlin are her bread and butter down there — she calls the fight on a striped marlin one of the best adrenaline rushes she’s ever experienced.

But the blue marlin is still on her bucket list. She’s had a few on the line over the years, each time for just a few seconds before they broke off. For now, she keeps chasing.

One thing she’s firm on: marlin and sailfish always get released. Every other legal, in-season catch goes in the cooler.

Her Fans Had No Idea

When Sarita started sharing her fishing content, her followers were shocked. Watching her reel in heavy fish from deep water — working the rod, managing the fight, landing the catch — wasn’t what they expected.

“My fans were shocked to see me reeling in big fish from down deep,” she says. “It’s such a workout and you have to have good technique and patience.”

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. People love seeing her genuinely in her element, and her catch-and-cook content has become a fan favorite. She keeps it real from the moment the hook sets to the moment the meal hits the plate.

The Double Standard She Loves Busting

Sarita is well aware of the assumption some people make when they see a woman on a fishing boat. They think she needs help. They don’t expect her to be the one fighting a 50-pound fish to the surface.

She loves proving them wrong.

“I think people assume because I’m a girl that I need help or can’t catch strong fish,” she says. “I love proving them wrong.”

She’s even got tournament ambitions. Sarita wants to compete in a fishing tournament as a female angler and win — specifically to cash in on the Calcutta side bets, where the female angler with the winning fish typically takes home the largest payout.

The Boat, the Beach, and the Sunset Bite

At home, Sarita doesn’t rely on charters. She runs her own 31-foot center console that she and her family converted from an old parasail boat into a fully rigged fishing machine. That kind of setup speaks for itself.

She’s out on the water early — usually by 7 a.m., when the bite is best. But she also has a soft spot for the sunset bite. It may not produce as often, but there’s something about waiting for that last big strike of the day with the sky turning orange behind her that she can’t give up.

When she’s not offshore, she’s working the beach, targeting pompano, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, and anything else cruising the shoreline. She loves the calm of it, even if the big fish require something more intense.

“Fishing can be relaxing,” she says, “but I love the chaos that comes with offshore fishing. The rush of finding a huge school of mahi and trying to land as many as possible before they get away is so intense.”

That chaos is exactly where Sarita Natividad is most at home.

Mariska Hargitay celebrated pal Taylor Swift’s star-studded wedding to Travis Kelce in style — with a flawless new ‘do to match.

Hargitay, 63, was among the famous faces present as Swift and Kelce, both 36, said “I do” inside New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden arena on Friday, July 3.

While Swift and Kelce each wore bespoke Christian Dior Haute Couture ensembles for the occasion, Hargitay and husband Peter Hermann twinned in black. The Law & Order: SVU star, for her part, donned a halter dress with a silver choker, both of which complemented her newly chopped bob.

“Fresh ✂️ for @therealmariskahargitay for the Taylor n Travis FUN,” Hargitay’s hairstylist, Chris McMillan, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, July 5, breaking down his glam process. “Prepped hair with @chrismcmillanhair glassy smooth blow-dry spray to keep humidity out (was 100 degrees that day) smooth strands and keep hair shiny and healthy.”

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McMillan then applied his eponymous brand’s mousse to the actress’ mane “for lift around the face and crown.”

“Using hands to open up around the face and ad root lift rough dry strategy give hair direction and volume,” he explained. “Round brush blowout to create a more polished look and direction then @t3micro 1 1/4 [inch] flat iron to create the waves [and] flicks. My pro tip is using @chrismcmillanhair major hairspray as heat protection on dry hair to not only protect the strands but hold style for the long night of festivities.”

McMillan completed his styling with his balm for added texture to create a “lived-in, day-old hair same day edge.”

“Cool girl hair always for @therealmariskahargitay,” he gushed. “Bobs can be tricky. The key for this style is the side part, texture and BLUNT BOB.”

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Related: Mariska Hargitay’s Daughter Sang a Taylor Swift Song for Her 60th Birthday

Taylor Swift didn’t attend Mariska Hargitay’s 60th birthday party, but she was there in spirit. “The highlight was each one of my children sang to me. Each one of them sang,” Hargitay recalled during The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, February 8, discussing the birthday party her husband, Peter Hermann, threw last month. […]

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Hargitay has been friends with Swift for many years, appearing in the pop star’s 2014 “Bad Blood” music video alongside a slew of famous faces, including pals Selena Gomez, Hailee Steinfeld and Karlie Kloss. Swift, for her part, even famously named her first pet cat after Hargitay’s SVU heroine, Olivia Benson.

“When she named her cat, I had so much going on. I was out of town, and when things calmed down, I thought it warranted a real something [special],” Hargitay exclusively told Us Weekly in 2014, revealing she sent feline Olivia an engraved collar. “[Naming her cat after my character is] so sweet and too fabulous.”

Hargitay paid it forward nine years later, naming her then-new cat Karma after Swift’s Midnights song of the same name.

Suits alum Rick Hoffman is detailing the secrets behind his wellness and weight loss journey.

“#Circlingback,” Hoffman, 56, recently captioned an Instagram selfie, where he posed in a checked button-down shirt and gray slacks. He added over his photo, “Been a min.”

Without elaborating further on his social media hiatus, several Instagram users quickly offered their praise over his slimmed-down physique.

“What a transformation 🔥🙌👏❤️,” one follower wrote in the comments section, with another adding, “Someone is lit! 🔥🔥🔥.”

Related: Celebrities‘ Weight Loss Transformations: Photos of Jelly Roll and More

Shocking, indeed! Some celebs seek out extreme methods to shed pounds, while others transform with the aid of healthier methods. From Rosie O’Donnell’s and Jordin Sparks’ respective 50 pound weight losses to Biggest Loser winner Rachel Frederickson’s whopping 155 lighter frame, see before and after pictures of celebrities’ weight loss transformations.

Former Suits costar Sarah Rafferty chimed in, succinctly sharing “🔥😍” emojis.

Another fan, meanwhile, asked for the “secret” to Hoffman’s weight loss since he looked “great.”

“Intense intermittent fasting and keto diet,” Hoffman replied, noting that he also cut out alcohol.

Intermittent fasting is a diet pattern based on time limits, according to the Mayo Clinic, where followers eat a typical diet for a set period of hours or days. At the end of the session, one would switch to consuming very few or no calories for hours or days. A keto diet, meanwhile, is a specific type of high-fat, low-carb meal plan.

Hoffman has not further detailed his weight loss, though has long been candid about his health ups and downs.

“At the age of 23, I had the biggest challenge I ever had. I got struck with major anxiety where I would be woken up and I felt like I was jumping out of my skin 24/7 in this nightmare,” Hoffman recalled in a March interview. “I was diagnosed with OCD, but this was back in 1993 when nobody really knew what the hell that was, and when you see things from a different perspective like that, where you feel like your world is impending doom around the corner every day, you see the world incredibly differently than other people.”

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He continued at the time, “Had I not had that happen, I never would have made it with any career. It was a real quick slingshot through life lesson to really know where you stand on this planet, which is just with everyone else.”

Nearly 18 years after his diagnosis, Hoffman landed the role of attorney Louis Litt on Suits. The show ran for nine seasons, wrapping in 2019. Hoffman later reprised his role in the short-lived West Coast spinoff, Suits LA, last year.

“When I got the call, I was naturally excited and surprised, and thrilled to say yes,” Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter in March 2025 of his Suits LA appearance. “How they were able to fit [Louis’ journey] that has now formed in one episode, I thought, was just really well done. I liked how they were able to do it in such a small amount of time. They were able to deal with some actual, real, existential moments, as well as ridiculous buffoonery.”

Rebecca McLeod is making the most of her time away from the ring after claiming the Knockout Queen championship, sharing glimpses of a summer filled with sunshine, wake surfing, and celebrations while proudly keeping her newly won title close.

Fresh off her victory, which earned her the Knockout Queen victory, McLeod has been documenting life beyond fight night with a series of Instagram posts that show both the rewards of her hard work and the recovery that comes with stepping into the ring.

“THIS IS JUST THE START,” she wrote after the event, revealing that winning the championship was about more than the belt. Alongside celebrating the prize money, McLeod thanked everyone involved in making the tournament possible, from coaches and organizers to the camera crew and fellow competitors.

“A huge shoutout to every girl who stepped into the ring,” she wrote. “Win or lose, it takes real courage to get in there.”

The Championship Belt Comes Along For The Ride

While the bruises from competition were still visible in one update, McLeod quickly shifted into vacation mode. She was seen relaxing by the water before taking the Knockout Queen belt out for a unique celebration, bringing the championship onto a boat and even balancing it overhead while wake surfing.

In another clip, McLeod floated in the water with the title resting across her wakeboard, jokingly captioning the post, “surfing USA babyyy.”

The championship has remained a recurring guest throughout her summer adventures. Whether posing poolside, enjoying meals with friends, or spending time on the lake, McLeod has continued to feature the gold belt as a reminder of the milestone she recently achieved.

Her latest photo dump summed up the past few days with a simple caption: “Last few days been like,” alongside snapshots of boating, surfing, and relaxing under the summer sun.

Still Ready To Silence The Critics

Despite embracing the downtime, McLeod has also made it clear she isn’t losing her competitive edge.

Following her victory, she shared a pointed message directed at critics, writing, “She talked the most. Did the least. Work harder…. Speak less girl….”

In another post featuring action shots from the fight, she added, “Not here to talk s—t but pay up you coward,” referencing the confidence she carried into, and out of, the event.

Looking Ahead After A Career-Defining Win

Away from the trash talk, however, McLeod’s overall message has centered on gratitude. She described the tournament as the beginning of a new chapter, saying she feels “incredibly grateful, proud, and more motivated than ever.”

For now, that motivation is being balanced with some well-earned rest. Whether she’s carving through waves with the Knockout Queen belt in hand or soaking up the California sunshine, McLeod appears determined to enjoy the rewards of her biggest career victory before turning her attention to whatever comes next.

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Vampire Lestat Episode 5.

We’re closer to the finale of The Vampire Lestat now, so it should come as no surprise that the show is pushing into even more deeply personal territory for its eternally mercurial lead. While Louis (Jacob Anderson) has been spending his time with an eerily convincing Claudia (Delainey Hayles) lookalike named Regina, Lestat (Sam Reid) takes one look at his fledgling’s waitress-turned-paid-companion in this week’s episode, “New York,” and immediately knows that she’s not the same person.

Yet in the aftermath of sizing Regina up, Lestat finds himself back in the recording studio where he’s been working on his first album with the band to write what might be his most soul-baring song yet about his biggest failure as a maker. As it happens, the resulting Episode 5 track wasn’t just tricky to get right from a composition standpoint, but also when it came time to perform and shoot the final emotional number.

Both Sam Reid and Daniel Hart Had the Hardest Time With This Episode 5 Song

When Collider had the opportunity to speak with The Vampire Lestat‘s cast and creative team before the season premiere, we had to ask Reid and series composer Daniel Hart about which song was most difficult to pull off — and they both had the same answer in “Stained Glass Eyes,” the song that Lestat writes about his biggest memories of Claudia, including the moments leading up to her death in Season 2’s penultimate episode, “I Could Not Prevent It.” According to Hart, the song was rewritten more than once before he and series creator Rolin Jones agreed on its final iteration:

“… it’s the only song of the batch that is in Season 3 where I rewrote it from the ground up three separate times — different music, different lyrics, fully formed demos, fully fleshed out. I turned one in, and Rolin was like, ‘I think that’s not quite right.’ The second version, completely starting over, completely new ideas, completely different music style, different lyrics. I finished it, I listened back to it, and I was like, ‘I think that’s completely not right.’ The third time, I finally found what I was looking for. And then it plays a huge role in Episode 5, which was always the intention. That was a writing assignment that I got from Rolin, was like, ‘We need a song about Claudia.’”

Reid’s answer was the same, though we did make a point to ask him, specifically, about which song was hardest not from a performance standpoint, but because of the greater emotions at play for the character. Per Reid, episode director Levan Akin suggested shooting the sequence where Lestat writes the song like a music video, but the biggest consideration in his mind was to avoid it veering too far into musical theater territory. “We shot that like we would have shot a scene, and that is kind of trippy, to be singing a song while doing that. So, it was sort of like, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to get my mind around doing this and not make it feel like a musical, as well? Like, make it feel justified?’”

Reid also told us that he considers the “Stained Glass Eyes” sequence to be “one of the bolder choices of how the show ended up being,” which is certainly saying something, considering everything that has played out across the last four episodes so far. Similarly, Lestat’s band also considers the song a major left turn for their sound, but is ultimately overruled when Lestat decides to scrap everything they’ve been working on and rerecord the album, using “Stained Glass Eyes” as their template. What will this change do for the album, especially in the wake of Armand (Assad Zaman) knocking off the band’s lead guitarist, Larry (Noah Reid)? Looking back on the episode’s game-changing song, though, Reid admits that he can’t really revisit the moment on his end: “I sort of watch that with my eyes closed a little bit.”

New episodes of The Vampire Lestat premiere Sundays on AMC.

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

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

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

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

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

That lifelong passion helped shape the movie’s direction.

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

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

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

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

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

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the tone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 19 seconds ago

In the 2000’s, Vin Diesel didn’t want to do any sequels. 2 Fast 2 Furious replaced him with Tyrese Gibson, and XXX: State of the Union stuck Ice Cube in his palace as a new recruit in Samuel L. Jackson’s secret program. The 2005 sequel to Diesel’s extreme reimagining of secret agent movies was a flop and more evidence that audiences fell in love with Diesel, and not fast cars or skateboarding down a mountain to break into a terrorist cell. Now that XXX: State of the Union is on Netflix and its far removed from the crushing disappointment of Ice Cube’s casting it can be streamed and judged on its own merits as an action movie. And it’s….not bad! 

Ice Cube Is No Vin Diesel

Ice Cube’s Darius Stone isn’t a video gaming playing extreme athlete like Diesel’s Xander Cage, instead he’s a disgraced Navy SEAL serving time in a military prison for breaking the jaw of General Deckert (Willem Dafoe). The swagger Cube brings to his portrayal of Stone is very different from the anti-authority attitude Diesel brought to Cage. Instead of moving like the coolest guy in the room, Stone moves like the toughest guy in the room. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just different.

Under the leadership of Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) as part of the XXX program, stone uncovers a government conspiracy, is framed for murder, goes up against his old SEAL unit, and naturally, blows up a lot of Washington D.C. in the process. As far as action movie plots go, there’s nothing revolutionary about it, which is why audiences rejected it as a XXX sequel.

State Of The Union Is A Traditional Action Movie

XXX hit in 2002 at the perfect time when the James Bond style of spy movies had already been parodied by Austin Powers and The X Games were turning into must-watch TV. In the movie’s opening scene, a tuxedo-clad spy is murdered because he can’t blend into a Rammstein concert. The world had changed. Culture had changed. Spy action movies remained the same. XXX: State of the Union was a step back. A well-crafted one with a great closing set piece (trains are always awesome), but a step back. 

Giving more screen time to Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t the answer, and the petty in-universe explanation that Xander Cage was killed in Bora Bora turned off a lot of fans. Combined, the XXX sequel failed to earn back its production budget. It’s no wonder that the franchise was put on ice until 2017’s XXX: Return of Xander Cage. 

Ice Cube deserved better. His cameo in the third film caused theaters to erupt, which seems ironic given how they rejected his original appearance as Darius Stone, but between 2005 and 2017, 21 Jump Street happened. Ice Cube wasn’t meant to play the anti-authority rebel, he was meant to play the put-upon authority dealing with everyone who refuses to play by the book. Unlike his comedies, XXX: State of the Union is perfectly acceptable entertainment. At least it’s not as bad as Ghosts of Mars.