The Dark Knight (2008) delivered one of the most iconic performances in movie history. Christopher Nolan cast Heath Ledger as the Joker, an anarchic, mysterious criminal devoted not to money or power, but to chaos. His grand plan was not to control or profit from Gotham City, but to plunge it into chaos. In the words of Bruce Wayne’s (Christian Bale) faithful butler, Alfred (Michael Caine): “Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

It was a masterful performance, but also sadly, one that would not be revisited. On January 22, 2008, Ledger passed away, aged just 28. His death cast a poignant shadow over the film, and the performance became a tribute to a unique talent. Out of respect for his memory, The Joker was not recast or mentioned in the 2012 follow-up, The Dark Knight Rises. However, those who wondered what became of the character get a hint in one of the film’s spin-offs, and it’s the perfect end to a timeless performance.

Heath Ledger’s Performance in ‘The Dark Knight’ Could Not Be Replaced

Audiences and critics were captivated by The Dark Knight, considered the best Batman film ever made by many, with Ledger also in the conversation for the best interpretation of The Joker. With no identification, no trail leading to who he really is, and conflicting stories about how he gained his gruesome scarred ‘smile’, the character is bathed in mystery, while still retaining the grounded realism of Nolan’s trilogy.

Ledger would win a posthumous Oscar for his performance in 2009, and fans wondered how the character would be addressed in The Dark Knight Rises. Would he be recast? Would archive footage be used? Could technology be incorporated for one last cameo? Speaking to Empire Magazine in 2012, Nolan revealed the answer was none of the above.

“We’re not addressing the Joker at all,” he said. “That is something I felt very strongly about in terms of my relationship with Heath and the experience I went through with him on The Dark Knight.” He explained: “I didn’t want to in any way try and account for a real-life tragedy. That seemed inappropriate to me. We just have a new set of characters and a continuation of Bruce Wayne’s story, not involving the Joker.” True to his word, there is no mention of the Joker in The Dark Knight Rises. However, one promotional tie-in does give a hint as to where he might be.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Novelization Suggests the Joker’s Whereabouts

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

The official novelization of the movie, by Greg Cox, gives the faintest suggestion of where the Joker could be found. In the movie and the book, the Dent Act is established in the wake of Harvey Dent’s (Aaron Eckhart) death, which cracked down on organized crime in Gotham City, sending the worst of the worst to the hellish Blackgate Prison, where we meet Bane (Tom Hardy).

It’s that move that leads to a mention of the character in Cox’s book. “Now that the Dent Act had made it all but impossible to cop an insanity plea, it had replaced Arkham Asylum as the preferred location for imprisoning both convicted and suspected felons,” it explains. “The worst of the worst were sent here, except for the Joker, who, rumor had it, was locked away as Arkham’s sole remaining inmate. Or perhaps he had escaped. Nobody was really sure. Not even Selina [Kyle, played in the film by Anne Hathaway].”

It is the clearest official explanation of what happened to the Joker, a figure rumored to be around, somewhere in Gotham’s underworld. It’s vague and undefined, but for that very reason, it’s perfect.

The Joker’s Fate is the Appropriate Farewell

The apocryphal nature of the Joker’s whereabouts in The Dark Knight Rises’ novelization is a small Easter egg for those who want to dive deeply into the world Nolan created. In many ways, its opaque nature matches the character perfectly. Just as we didn’t know his true name, or how he got those scars, so too his exit from the world is just as mysterious. It leaves the possibility that he’s out there without having a definitive end or representing the late Ledger in some way.

Whether Ledger would have returned had he lived remains uncertain. While his sister, Kate, told the Australian press in 2018 that “he had plans for another Batman,” no alternative timeline has been confirmed by Nolan or any other filmmakers. As it stands, this small mention was the Joker’s farewell, and if we had to say goodbye, it’s appropriate that the final mention should be as mysterious and enigmatic as the performance itself.

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Release Date

July 16, 2008

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Runtime

152 minutes

Producers

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Benjamin Melniker, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Kevin De La Noy, Michael Uslan

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Are the Minions losing their pop culture hold? Minions & Monsters, the latest installment in the Despicable Me franchise, marks the third prequel entry and the seventh Despicable Me film. While the animated feature was praised by critics, earning a franchise-high Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, its box-office performance has come up lacking. Minions & Monsters follows James and Henry (Pierre Coffin), two minions who belong to a different group from the ones that served Gru, with more artistic tendencies. One day, they stumble into Hollywood and become superstars until the introduction of sound in filmmaking, when the minions are unable to adapt due to their language. After getting fired, James plans to make his own movie, but to make it a success, they need to find a giant monster.

Since its release, Minions & Monsters has made over $161 million worldwide. But according to a recent report, it failed to meet its projected domestic box office of $80 million during the 4th of July weekend. The film made $36 million across over 4,000 North American theaters between Friday and Monday, and $61 million since Wednesday. This marked Minions & Monsters as the “lowest start in the franchise,” even lower than 2010’s Despicable Me‘s $57 million. The report also noted that families did not avoid the box office that weekend, as Toy Story 5 still performed, generating $31 million during its third weekend. Experts say the drop is due to fatigue, but believe Minions & Monsters still has the potential to be profitable.

What Is the Despicable Me Franchise About?

The Despicable Me franchise follows Gru (Steve Carell), a supervillain-turned-good, and his army of minions, small yellow creatures who are loyal to their “big boss.” The franchise can be split into two parts: the Despicable Me films and the Minions movies. Despicable Me follows Gru’s story: how he was on his way to becoming the greatest supervillain, but things changed when he started a family of his own, and he is now part of the Anti-Villain League.

Meanwhile, the Minions movies take place before the events of Despicable Me, with Minions: The Rise of Gru being the closest entry to the present timeline. These films follow the Minions before they served Gru as they travel around the world to find a “Big Boss” to serve, only to be met with constant disappointment because of their antics. Across all seven films, the Despicable Me franchise has grossed over 5.2 billion worldwide and received widespread praise, earning numerous nominations from the Saturn Awards, the Annie Awards, and the BAFTAs, among others.

Minions & Monsters is now showing in theaters. Follow Collider for more updates.​​​​​​​

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Release Date

June 24, 2026

Runtime

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90 minutes

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Hilary Duff has a way of making even a quick farmers’ market run feel like fashion inspiration moment. While picking up fresh groceries over the holiday weekend, she proved once again that the best summer outfits aren’t complicated — they’re built around timeless basics you’ll actually wear on repeat. One detail immediately caught our attention: the retro Adidas sneakers that grounded her entire look.

The actress stepped out in Los Angeles on July 5 wearing these exact Adidas Samba OG Sneakers, pairing them with black leggings, white crew socks and oversized sunglasses for an effortlessly cool off-duty outfit. The iconic sneakers are one of fashion’s biggest staples, and unlike many viral trends, they have the staying power to earn a permanent spot in your closet.

Get the Adidas Samba OG W Shoes for $100 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

It’s easy to see why the shoes are timeless. The low-profile silhouette works with everything from leggings and athletic dresses to relaxed denim and breezy linen pants, making them one of those rare sneakers you’ll reach for nearly every day.

Related: Jennifer Aniston’s Designer Crossbody Has a $29 Amazon Twin

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Jennifer Aniston has never been one to chase trends. Instead, she finds timeless staples she genuinely loves and wears them on repeat, which is exactly why we’re paying attention to the crossbody bag she just brought back for another summer. If she’s still reaching for the same designer bag a year later, it’s probably worth […]

Designed with a suede overlay, classic stripes and gum soles, the Samba sneakers give off that vintage-inspired aesthetic that celebrities seem to love. They’re available in the classic Core Black and Cloud White colors, however, you can also shop them in several other neutral and color-blocking shades. Of course, we’re opting for the black to channel Duff.

She’s not the only one who loves the style. Over 650 shoppers gave the shoes a five-star rating, including one reviewer who sported them internationally. During their trip, the shopper said, “They were so easy to break in, and I walked miles in them every day on my trip to Spain.”

Another shopper said the shoes are “so versatile” because they can be dressed up with trousers or worn casually with jeans.

If Duff’s laid-back farmers’ market outfit has you rethinking your everyday sneakers, you may not want to wait too long. Popular Samba sizes have a habit of selling out quickly whenever they’re back in stock, so hurry.

Get the Adidas Samba OG W Shoes for $100 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

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

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Related: Jet, Set, Go! Amal Clooney Just Wore the Perfect Airport Jeans

Amal Clooney just made the case for retiring skinny jeans at the airport. Her latest travel outfit struck that perfect balance between polished and comfortable, proving flared denim can look just as sophisticated while offering a little more room to move. The best part? You can recreate the look on Amazon for just $44. On […]

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding may have looked effortless from the outside, but newly revealed details suggest an enormous operation was working behind the scenes to keep the couple’s big day private.

As more information emerges from the July 3 celebration at Madison Square Garden, reports indicate that guests, vendors, and even law enforcement personnel faced unprecedented restrictions designed to prevent photos, videos, or other details from leaking before the newlyweds were ready to share them.

The measures show just how seriously Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce approached privacy during one of the most anticipated celebrity weddings in recent memory.

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According to TMZ, the couple required guests to surrender their phones upon entering Madison Square Garden, effectively creating a technology-free environment inside the venue.

Attendees were reportedly subjected to additional screening procedures designed to identify hidden recording devices, including Meta smart glasses and other wearable technology capable of capturing photos or video.

The restrictions reportedly extended beyond wedding guests. Even New York Police Department officers assigned to work security during the festivities were allegedly required to surrender their phones while on duty, highlighting the lengths organizers went to in order to prevent unauthorized images from surfacing online.

For an event attended by approximately 1,000 guests, maintaining that level of privacy represented a significant logistical challenge.

The Security Measures May Have Been About More Than Privacy

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The strict rules may also help explain another wedding detail that has recently surfaced. According to reports, Swift and Kelce hired professional camera crews to document every stage of the wedding process, from the planning phase through the ceremony and reception itself.

Insiders claim the footage will eventually be compiled into a special film documenting the couple’s journey to the altar. Rather than releasing the project publicly, reports suggest the finished product may be distributed to wedding guests as part of personalized thank-you packages.

If accurate, the strategy would allow Swift and Kelce to control how their wedding story is preserved and shared, rather than relying on leaked photos, social media posts, or unauthorized recordings. In that context, the no-phone policy appears less like a celebrity demand and more like an effort to ensure the couple’s own cameras captured the definitive version of the event.

A Star-Studded Guest List Made Privacy Even More Challenging

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The scale of the security operation becomes easier to understand when considering who was inside Madison Square Garden. The wedding attracted some of the biggest names from sports, music, film, and fashion, creating countless opportunities for images to leak online.

Among the attendees were Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner, Vanessa Bryant and daughter Natalia Bryant, Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber, Jessica Alba and Danny Ramirez, Selena Gomez, and the Haim sisters.

Several guests later shared carefully selected glimpses of their wedding attire on social media, but notably avoided revealing details from inside the ceremony itself. Vanessa Bryant celebrated the newlyweds in an Instagram post, writing, “Congratulations T&T!!!!”

Meanwhile, Natalia Bryant shared a photo of her blue gown, writing, “Something blue.”

The limited social media content suggests the couple’s privacy strategy was largely successful despite the enormous guest list.

The Wedding Marked The Latest Chapter In Swift And Kelce’s High-Profile Love Story

The elaborate celebration served as the culmination of one of pop culture’s most closely watched relationships.

Kelce proposed in August 2025 after a carefully planned engagement that reportedly transformed part of his property into a romantic setting designed specifically for the occasion. The couple later announced their engagement on Instagram with the playful caption, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Taylor Swift Once Explained Why Fans Never Saw Her And Travis Kelce’s First Date

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Swift first publicly discussed her relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs star during her 2023 Time Person of the Year interview, describing the pair as “just two people supporting each other doing what we love.”

In that same interview, she revealed more details about when the two started seeing each other. “So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other,” she said. “By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? “We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

Nearly two years later, that relationship culminated in a wedding so tightly controlled that even police officers reportedly couldn’t bring their phones inside.

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This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

Druski has the internet in tears after sharing a new behind-the-scenes video from his skit ‘JOE’ on Instagram. The comedian shared the clip on Monday, July 6, but originally released the skit during the BET Awards on June 28.

RELATED: Erika Kirk Blasts “Whiteface” Comedy After Druski’s Viral Skit & Candace Owens Mentions Charlie In Response (VIDEOS)

Druski Shares Behind-The-Scenes Video From ‘JOE’ With Fans

Druski is breaking the internet with his new clip from his skit ‘JOE.’ His original video is a parody and “prequel” of the film ‘Michael’ about the late Michael Jackson. The pop star and his siblings became famous as the Motown group The Jackson Five. Their father, Joe Jackson, was a strict disciplinarian and the group’s manager, played by Druski in the skit. The original video resembles a real film trailer, and it highlights the family’s early days in the entertainment industry. The behind-the-scenes video features Druski as Joe, who is in the car with Michael and his brothers while they sing ‘Once More Chance.’ Druski shared the clip with the caption “BEHIND THE SCENES 🎬😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭 #JOEJACKSON.”

“Sing louder,” Druski said in the clip. “Fix your face, Jermaine! Fix your face!”

Fans React To The New Footage

The new footage has already received more than 2 million likes, and fans reacted to the new footage on The Shade Room‘s Instagram page.

Many roomies were impressed with Druski’s acting chops, and his makeup artist also received well-deserved flowers from fans.

User @randy_thames noted, “Mustache coming from the nostrils 😂😂😂.”

@iam_venise wrote, “Fix your face Jermaine!” 😩🤣.”

User @kkiss1122 wrote, “Can we give his makeup artist their flowers because they NEVER miss 😂😂😂💪🏽.”

@barbie_killer_ replied, “Lmaooooooo I thought that nicca was The Weeknd first 2 seconds.”

User @nhamomusic wrote, “HIS BIG AHH PLAY TOO DAGGONE MUCH LMAOOO I LOVE HIM 😂.”

@dayaaa_j added that the comedian rarely holds back. “Druski gon always take it to hell 😭😭.”

‘JOE’ Also Received Millions Of Likes

The skit ‘JOE’ also received more than two million likes after it dropped on Instagram. The comedian released the footage while he was hosting the BET Awards, where Janet Jackson was in attendance. The post was captioned, “The Prequel to MICHAEL… ‘JOE’ 😂 Coming to Theaters Soon #BETAwards.” So far, the Jackson family hasn’t reacted to the videos.

Tim Allen and Jenna Elfman‘s romance on Shifting Gears has raised eyebrows — but what has been said about the surprising fictional age gap?

Shifting Gears, which premiered in 2025, introduced fans to Matt (Allen) and Eve’s (Elfman) romance in season 1. The pair dated throughout the second season before calling it quits due to long distance. Matt and Eve — who have an age gap — found their way back to each other before season 2 concluded.

“Our showrunner [Michelle Nader] put this thing together and they really like the romance. I wanted a car show about a widower to deal with grief. That’s what I wanted,” Allen exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2026. “I loved Kat Dennings [as my daughter] because she’s the perfect choice. That old dynamic is really where I was at.”

Allen chose to go with the flow when Elfman’s character was introduced, saying, “They threw this romance in there and I know Jenna so I said, ‘That’s not the problem. It’s just that I’m feeling way too old for her.’ Sometimes they say, ‘Visually it doesn’t look like you think it does.’”

After seeing the reception to the relationship, Allen became interested to see where the show takes the characters next.

“She’s so fun to be around and it’s brought out a whole different part of that show and brought a different audience to that show,” he continued. “I’m really out there for the car guys and I make sure the car stuff is fun and exciting. Then the office is cool and now you’ve got romance for the people that want that. Because it turns out the flirting and the actual activity between these two characters is working and I said, ‘All right, I’ll go there.’ [Jenna is] really good at this and the romance is kind of generated quite by accident.”

Elfman, meanwhile, praised Allen for his support as a scene partner.

“I love doing scenes with Tim. I got very excited and it took me a couple episodes to go, ‘OK, who are we in this? Who are you? How is he playing within this format? How is his timing?’ It takes a moment to see how we’re dancing together as partners,” Elfman told Us in February 2025.

The actress continued: “He’s so confident as a comedic actor. He’s just confident and I’m confident and we don’t care if something [doesn’t land]. When you’ve been doing it long enough, you’re not paranoid about a joke not working and you don’t care. There’s no preciousness and there’s enough confidence to support the exploration of the scene of humor.”

Keep scrolling for the most candid commentary about Matt and Eve’s age gap:

Expressing Concerns

After the ABC show featured jokes about the age gap, Allen spoke to Us about his reaction.

“The age difference is not much different than my wife and I,” Allen, who has been married to wife Jane Hajduk since 2006, told Us in June 2026.

Allen noted that his response to the age gap varies, adding, “It depends on the pictures. It gets creepy for me at a certain age [and] we’re right at that border. If Jenna didn’t look so damn nice than our age gap is not that much. I just let my hair go natural and she just looks — especially on camera — quite young.”

Trusting the Vision

“They say when you’re lit better and I go, ‘When I’m lit better, I look probably 68,’” he quipped to Us. “I just don’t want to be creepy about it — and that’s kind of the borderline image these days.”

Allen continued: “It hasn’t really come out — except when they joke about, ‘Well, a guy your age.’ When they have her making jokes about it, it’s not my preference. But I said, ‘It’s admitting what is there.’ There’s times — and I’ll give it to them — that they lit right and in the right clothing so it doesn’t look creepy.”

Following What Works

After Matt and Eve’s brief onscreen split, Allen shut down the assumption that their issues were too large to work through.

“Coming up, you’ll see it’s not over yet and it’s really a different thing for a comic to play this,” Allen told Us in January 2026. “In the show, by design there’s more drama to lay the comedy on top of. It’s something I’ve always liked to do.”

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Allen stood by the vision, saying, “The reality of the story is that it was working and it was really romantic for the show. [While] they’re not really a couple yet, it just was really sad. Both of us really got affected by the writing of it and played it very well.”

Not Being Afraid of Obstacles

Before season 2, showrunner Michelle Nader teased the fictional couple’s journey.

“I will say that it is really interesting to watch them,” Nader shared with Us in September 2025 about the onscreen dynamic. “It’s interesting to watch their relationship develop, and so they’re going to go into high gear — but it’s going to be a little bit of a roller-coaster.”

There has been no shortage of Stephen King adaptations in recent years, but some have been more successful than others. Most fans would agree that the best adaptation of one of King’s novels to come in 2025 was The Long Walk, which earned widespread acclaim from critics and audiences while also finding success at the box office. The harrowing horror movie stars up-and-comers Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, and it was directed by Hunger Games helmer Francis Lawrence. The most anticipated King adaptation of 2025 came at the end of the year with The Running Man, the second retelling of the story after Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 action classic. Unfortunately, the collective star power of Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, and Colman Domingo wasn’t enough to get The Running Man off the ground, and it ran out of stamina quickly before scattering to Paramount Plus.

Stephen King has written hundreds of novels, many of which, such as The Running Man and Carrie have been adapted more than once. Carrie was told as a feature film back in the 70s, and now Mike Flanagan is telling the story through the lens of a Prime Video original TV show. Carrie won’t be the first time that one of King’s books unfolds over the course of a show on Prime Video, though. King’s famous short story, The Colorado Kid, was previously adapted into a series on Prime Video, Haven, which ran for five seasons between 2010 and 2015. Over 10 years after Haven went off the air, the show has resurfaced as the #10 most popular horror show in the world on Prime Video.

What Is ‘Haven’ About?

The official synopsis for Haven, which was written and created for TV by Jim Dunn and Sam Ernst, reads as follows: “FBI agent Audrey Parker arrives in the coastal town of Haven, Maine, expecting a routine case. Instead, she uncovers “The Troubles” — a wave of supernatural afflictions haunting the town’s residents. Teaming with local detective Nathan Wuornos and smuggler Duke Crocker, Audrey digs deeper into the mysteries plaguing Haven, only to find her own hidden past is tied to its darkest secrets.” Haven stars Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant, and Eric Balfour in leading roles. The show earned a solid 63% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes to pair with a strong 84% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter.

Check out all five seasons of Haven on Prime Video with ads and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of King’s work.

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Release Date

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2010 – 2015-00-00

Directors

Tim Southam, Fred Gerber, Jason Priestley, Rob Lieberman, T. W. Peacocke, Adam Kane, Keith Samples, Ken Girotti, Lynne Stopkewich, Rachel Talalay, Rick Rosenthal, Stephen Reynolds, Mairzee Almas

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Writers

Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn

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  Adam Copeland

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  Dwight Hendrickson

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  Brenda Bazinet

  Gwen Glendower

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  Christian Murray

  Chet Lawson

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  Christine Taylor

  Cathy the Caterer

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