Matt Damon as Texas Ranger LaBoeuf looking to the distance in the film True GritImage via Paramount Pictures
A host of classic Westerns are heading to Pluto TV soon in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Among these movies are the landmark titles High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and Once Upon a Time in the West. There is, however, also room for a more contemporary Western gem. The movie in question often ranks among the genre’s best examples of the last two decades, along with Quentin Tarantino‘s Django Unchainedand perhaps a couple of other titles. Westerns had a bit of a rough run in the 1990s and after the turn of the century, but the genre is witnessing a resurgence thanks, in part, to the success of Taylor Sheridan‘s sprawling work on television. Sheridan’s run began in the mid-2000s, a few years after the Coen Brothers delivered the critical and commercial hit True Grit.
They made it a point to tell audiences that the movie was an adaptation of Charles Portis‘ novel, and not a remake of the 1969 movie starring John Wayne. Their version was headlined by Jeff Bridges as the alcoholic lawman Rooster Cogburn, who agrees to track down a murderer for a teenage girl named Mattie Ross, played by Hailee Steinfeld in a career-defining debut performance. They were joined by Matt Damon, who played the memorable Texas ranger LaBoeuf, and Josh Brolin as the murderer. True Grit opened to excellent reviews and received 10 nominations at the Oscars, including in the Best Picture category. Bridges and Steinfeld also earned nods for their performances.
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Collider Exclusive · Taylor Sheridan Universe Quiz Which Taylor Sheridan Show Do You Belong In? Yellowstone · Landman · Tulsa King · Mayor of Kingstown
Four worlds. All of them brutal, complicated, and built on power, loyalty, and the price of survival. Taylor Sheridan doesn’t write heroes — he writes people who do what they have to do and live with the cost. Ten questions will reveal which one of his worlds you were made for.
🤠Yellowstone
🛢️Landman
👑Tulsa King
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⚖️Mayor of Kingstown
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01
Where does your power come from? In Sheridan’s world, everyone has leverage. The question is what kind.
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02
Who do you put first, no matter what? Loyalty in Sheridan’s universe is always absolute — and always costly.
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03
Someone crosses a line. How do you respond? Every Sheridan protagonist has a line. What matters is what happens after it’s crossed.
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04
Where do you feel most in your element? Sheridan’s worlds are as much about place as they are about people.
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05
How do you feel about operating in the grey? Nobody in a Sheridan show has clean hands. The question is how they carry the dirt.
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06
What are you actually fighting to hold onto? Every Sheridan character is fighting a war. The real question is what they’re defending.
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07
How do you lead? Authority in Sheridan’s world is never given — it’s established, maintained, and constantly tested.
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08
Someone new arrives and tries to change how things work. Your reaction? Every Sheridan show has an outsider disrupting an established order. Sometimes that outsider is you.
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09
What has your position cost you? Nobody gets to where these characters are without paying for it. The bill is always personal.
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10
When it’s over, what do you want people to say? Sheridan’s characters all know the ending is coming. The question is what they leave behind.
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Sheridan Has Spoken You Belong In…
The show that claimed the most of your answers is the world you were built for. If two tied, both are shown — you’re complicated enough to straddle two Sheridan universes.
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🤠 Yellowstone
🛢️ Landman
👑 Tulsa King
⚖️ Mayor of Kingstown
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You are a Dutton — or you might as well be. You understand that some things are worth protecting at any cost, and that the modern world’s indifference to history, to land, to legacy, is not something you’re willing to accept quietly. You lead from the front, you carry your family’s weight without complaint, and when someone threatens what’s yours, you don’t escalate — you finish it. You’re not cruel. But you are absolute. In Yellowstone’s world, that combination of ferocity and loyalty doesn’t make you a villain. It makes you the only thing standing between everything that matters and everyone who wants to take it.
You thrive in the chaos of high-stakes negotiation, where the money is enormous, the margins are thin, and the wrong word in the wrong room can cost everyone everything. You’re a fixer — the person called when a situation is already on fire and needs someone with the nerve to walk into it. West Texas oil country rewards exactly what you are: sharp, adaptable, unsentimental, and absolutely clear-eyed about what people want and what they’ll do to get it. You’re not naive enough to think this world is fair. You’re smart enough to be the one deciding who it’s fair to.
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You are a Dwight Manfredi — someone who has served their time, paid their dues, and arrived somewhere unexpected with nothing but their reputation and their wits. You adapt without losing yourself. You build loyalty through respect rather than fear, though you’re not above reminding people that the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Tulsa King is for people who are still standing when everyone assumed they’d be finished — who find, in an unfamiliar place, that they’re more capable than the world gave them credit for. You don’t need a throne. You build one, wherever you happen to land.
You carry the weight of a system that is broken by design, and you do it anyway — because someone has to, and because you’re the only one positioned to do it without the whole thing collapsing. Mike McLusky’s world is for people who are comfortable operating where there are no good options, only less catastrophic ones. You speak every language: law enforcement, criminal, political, human. That fluency makes you invaluable and it makes you a target. You’ve made your peace with both. Mayor of Kingstown belongs to people who understand that keeping the peace is not the same as being at peace — and who do the job regardless.
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When To Watch ‘True Grit’ for Free
The movie now holds a “Certified Fresh” 95% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Girded by strong performances from Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, and lifted by some of the Coens’ most finely tuned, unaffected work, True Grit is a worthy companion to the Charles Portis book.” True Grit was also a major box-office success, grossing more than $250 million worldwide against a reported budget of $35 million. Only a few years later, Bridges starred in the Sheridan-penned neo-Western Hell or High Water, which earned him another Oscar nomination. True Grit will be made available to stream for free on the Pluto TV service in July. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
William and Kate, both 44, stepped out at the Track Cycling competition at The Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday, August 1, with their kids — Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 7 — in tow.
The Princess of Wales looked effortlessly chic in an emerald-green blazer over a black-and-white striped sweater and flowy, pleated ivory skirt, which complemented Charlotte’s white-and-black polka dot dress. William, for his part, sported a navy suit without a tie, while his sons each donned Polo button-downs with navy trousers.
Just weeks earlier, William and Kate brought George and Charlotte to the final day of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton are the proud parents of three children and have shared many sweet moments with the little ones over the years. The couple wed in April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, five months after their engagement. William and Kate went on to welcome three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte […]
“I think it means a lot to the players and to tennis fans to see the royal family at Wimbledon,” tennis legendAndy Murray told Hello! last month, referring to Kate’s patronage of the famed tennis club. “It’s part of the tradition of Wimbledon and the fans really like that, especially the overseas fans. She is definitely a tennis fan and she plays a bit herself, I think.”
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Kate attended Wimbledon shortly after completing the National Three Peaks Challenge, a mountaineering feat across mountains in England, Scotland and Wales, as her undisclosed form of cancer remains in remission.
“I have taken on the National Three Peaks Challenge, not simply as a physical endeavor but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back,” Kate wrote via Instagram in June. “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. Through this challenge, I want to raise awareness for the deeper impact of serious illness and the importance of holistic healthcare.”
Molly Darlington/Getty Images
The duchess was diagnosed in 2024, subsequently undergoing chemotherapy as treatment. She confirmed in January 2025 that she is cancer-free.
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“Cancer doesn’t just affect the body. It changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life,” Kate concluded in her June upload. “I know this personally, and that the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone.”
When Kate completed the mountain challenge, the Prince of Wales brought their kids to the base to greet her. Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and her brother, James Middleton, were also present.
“I’m so incredibly proud of my darling sister ❤️⛰️,” James, 39, wrote via Instagram at the time, celebrating Kate’s accomplishments. “Two years ago, I told you we’d climb this mountain together. We talked about climbing mountains while you were in hospital, and about the incredible healing power that nature can have for both the body and the mind. It was such an honor to join you for your Three Peaks Challenge for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Seeing how far you’ve come is nothing short of inspiring.”
Marlon Wayans is speaking out again about parenting. During a new interview, the actor, comedian, and father of three condemned spanking children as a form of discipline, saying doing so will only lead to resentment when they’re older.
Marlon Wayans has made headlines before when speaking about parenting. Over the last several years, the “Scary Movie” actor has not only talked about loving his transgender son through thick and thin, but has also talked about the importance of protecting them from harm.
Speaking with Los Angeles radio station 92.3, Wayans said that his opinion on spanking children has changed as he’s aged, noting that it does nothing except drive a wedge between the parent and child.
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“Don’t hit’em. Don’t spank your kids, because it shows that you’re a poor communicator. They’re a baby. Why can’t you talk to a baby?” Wayans said. “Every time you spank your kid, you’re taking your potential best friend, and you’re making them your enemy. You’re hurting your potential best friend.”
Marlon Wayans Says Spanking Children Is Not Discipline
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Wayans said that he understands people have used spanking as a form of discipline in the past. However, he argued that when parents hit their minor children, it causes way more harm than good.
“And I know you’re trying to teach them, but they don’t need to learn that way. There’s other ways to teach them, and they’ll never forget those spankings,” he said. “There will always be a part of them that resents you for that. It’ll take a lot of prayer and a lot to get over that. So just don’t do that to them.”
Experts Share Why Spanking Children Doesn’t Work
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Researchers have released studies over the last several years about the ineffectiveness of spanking children. In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics said that, based on a slew of studies, physical punishment only leads to more issues down the road.
“The new AAP statement includes data that show that kids who were spanked in their early years were more likely to be more defiant, show more aggressive behavior later in preschool and school, and have increased risk for mental health disorders and lower self-esteem,” Karen Estrella, MD, said, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Estrella later argued that while spanking may instill fear in the moment, the act of hitting a child can “generate more negative behaviors in a child.”
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Instead of spanking, researchers and clinicians said parents should try three key steps to discipline their child effectively: establishing a positive and supportive parent-child relationship, using positive reinforcement, and trying other disciplinary actions, such as time-outs or taking away items.
Marlon Wayans Previously Spoke About Protecting His Transgender Son
Wayans has been in the media before regarding his parenting strategies. In 2026, the actor spoke about his natural instinct to protect his transgender son from harm while appearing on the “We In Miami” podcast.
“People could judge and say what they want but at the end of the day that’s my child and I’m gonna love my baby regardless of what anybody says and they should be allowed to have their anonymity and enjoy their life exactly the way they want to enjoy it,” he said. “You can’t beat gay out of someone. You can’t hypnotize someone to not be transgender. You just gotta accept and love them.”
Wayans Went Through Five Stages Of Grief Before Accepting His Child
Wayans previously spoke with Jennifer Hudson about initially struggling with the news that his child was transgender, adding that he went through the five stages of grief before getting to the “beautiful, magical place called acceptance.”
“Those are my babies,” Wayans said, talking about his three children, Shawn, Axl, and Kai. “All this was happening to me at one time, and then it was just like this universal thing: acceptance.”
While getting to that place may have been a challenge initially, the “White Chicks” actor said that he felt much better after embracing his child with open arms.
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“And once you accept, you release, give yourself to God, and then everything is all right. It’s better, actually,” he said of the moment.
Y’all! GloRilla is making sure her latest celebration comes with plenty of style, confidence, and moments for the timeline. The rapper recently gave fans a glimpse into her birthday festivities, and social media quickly made it clear that she knows how to have all eyes on her.
On Saturday, GloRilla dropped a birthday photo dump that had fans double-tapping in no time. In one standout shot, the rapper rocked a white two-piece outfit, a long wavy side part, a flawless glam look, and white boots while posing in front of a “HBD CLIP” sign. Other photos from the carousel showed Glo in a vibrant pink-and-red dress with a huge smile, enjoying time on a boat in a swimsuit while showing off her curves, and spending quality moments with loved ones.
Big Glo Is Living Life And Looking Good
The birthday dump gave fans a look at GloRilla living her best life, celebrating another year while staying focused and embracing every moment. At times, the rapper appeared to be enjoying a tropical getaway or island escape, soaking up the views while sipping a drink and taking in the vibes. From the fashion to the memories, GloRilla reminded everyone why she continues to be one of the most talked-about names in the game.
Fans Show Love In The Comments
Fans wasted no time running to Big Glo’s Instagram comment section, and it was definitely up. While many simply stopped by to wish the rapper a happy birthday, others couldn’t help but point out that GloRilla is “getting thicker than a snicker” and looking better than ever. Beyond the compliments, plenty of supporters shared how happy they are to see Glo living her best life and enjoying her special moments.
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One Instagram user @monaleo wrote, “looking burtiful boo 💕 happy bday”
This Instagram user @define_jasmine said, “Happy bday GLO😍😍😍🔥”
And, Instagram user @onetrill_reemo46 added, “😍🤤😘😍🤤😘😍🤤😘🥵💎🤍🍑🫶🏾”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @youngn_official shared, “That 3rd clip.. peaches then got thick lol 😮💨😍”
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While Instagram user @spinagainaj commented, “Dang bae u getting thick😮💨”
Finally, Instagram user @angel__extraordinary__libra said, “Awwww so pretty 🥰 HBD GLO 🎉🎉”
The zombie genre has gone to great heights, but there is still one series that has not reached its full potential. While The Walking Dead continues to deliver repetitive storylines, Netflix’s All of Us Are Dead has still not delivered a second season. The Netflix series first debuted in 2022 and has had a monumental four-year hiatus. This seems to have less to do with the fatigue of zombie content and more to do with Netflix – once again – failing to see what it has on its hands.
All of Us Are Dead is a Korean zombie drama that puts a delightful high school spin on the horror genre. Just as Buffy the Vampire Slayer once showed that high school is hell – literally and figuratively – this new zombie series has its finger on the pulse of what makes school so traumatic for teenagers. The first episode does a miraculous job of introducing the audience to the huge high school with many students from all walks of life. These students endure crushes, mental health issues, and bullying all before the official breakout occurs. All of Us Are Dead isn’t just a run-of-the-mill undead show, but one that has something to say about the trials of youth. This rich material has been begging for a follow-up season but still has failed to deliver.
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Is ‘All of Us Are Dead’ Getting a Season 2?
If a Netflix series isn’t Squid Game or Stranger Things, there is really no guarantee for additional seasons. Even an exciting premise such as All of Us Are Dead hasn’t been prioritized by the streamer. This is especially surprising considering what a success the show was when it hit the platform in 2022. In the first week of airing, it debuted with millions of viewers, which only increased the longer fans had to wait for more episodes.
After four years, fans are wondering if there is any hope for the continuation of this teen zombie series. Netflix has been surprisingly quiet on that front, but key actors such as Choi Yi Hyun and Park Ji Hu confirmed via social media that they have wrapped filming on a second season as of February 2026. This is a surprisingly long wait for a show as popular as All of Us Are Dead. Season 1 ends on a cliffhanger where many characters’ lives hang in the balance.
While this production schedule is promising, there is no official guarantee of when the new episodes will air. This is regrettably not the first time that Netflix has strung viewers along. Some of its most popular shows have lived in permanent limbo or been cancelled altogether when it doesn’t fit perfectly into a box. Shows with special effects are even less likely to survive long wait times.
The wait is seemingly over, but that doesn’t fix the lack of momentum for shows like these. Television series such as House of the Dragon have incurred similar issues when it comes to a release schedule. With long hiatuses, shows lose the interest of the fans, which ultimately may lead to lower viewership. All of these streaming platforms may wonder what the secret sauce is to keep viewers invested, and the answer is something that network television has been doing for decades. It is easier to keep fans on the line and excited when they have a reason to be. Yearly drops of seasons have always worked, a fact that streaming television seems to have forgotten.All of Us Are Dead Season 2 has no official release date, but at least in this case, it seems that the long wait is finally over.
“Hello, this is my first time,” Giudice, 20, began a Friday, July 31, TikTok video, getting emotional. “They are packing up Victoria’s hospital room. She just went in, she’s saving eight people’s lives [via organ donation]. … I’m spreading awareness about Victoria.”
“I can’t really say much right now because this is, obviously, really new,” Giudice continued on Friday. “I just can’t believe this is real, like, seriously just hug your loved ones.”
The Marías frontwoman María Zardoya paid tribute to her late niece and Milania Giudice‘s longtime friend, Victoria Zardoya. “Rest in peace to my sweet niece, Victoria,” the Grammy nominee, 31, wrote via her Instagram Story on Thursday, July 30. “Heaven gained an angel too soon, but she lives on.” María added that the following day […]
Giudice spent nearly one week at Zardoya’s bedside in the hospital in the days ahead of the college student’s tragic death.
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“Milania slept 7 days in a chair until her BFF was ready to give life to 7 people,” the Bravo star’s mom, Teresa Giudice, wrote in the comments section, to which Milania replied, “I would sleep in a chair next to her forever.”
Milania and Zardoya had been close friends since they were young kids.
Milania Giudice and her family are mourning the loss of her childhood friend Victoria Zardoya after a fatal accident. “There are no words for this kind of pain,” Joe Giudice wrote via Instagram on Sunday, July 26, sharing a photo of himself with Milania, 20, and her friends. “Victoria, you were like a daughter to […]
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“Victoria, I can’t believe this is real life. Tears are falling down my cheeks as I type every word,” Alexandra, 20, wrote via Instagram on Friday, breaking her silence on her sibling’s death. “My twin sister, my other half, we were in the womb together, and ever since then we have been inseparable. You are the only person in this world who truly understood every single part of me. You truly were a light in everyone’s life, especially mine. … You were everything and more to me.”
She continued at the time, “You taught me so much about myself and I am so grateful to have been given such an incredible person to call my twin. You were the reason why I could keep going. You are my person and no one will ever compare to you. … [You were] such a young soul filled with so much life. I wish I could go to your room right now, give you the biggest hug and hear your beautiful voice and contagious laugh one more time.”
Spider-Man is the big Marvel superhero, doing for that side of the comics world what Batman and Superman do for DC. There are other heavy-hitters Marvel-wise, of course, like Iron Man, Captain America, and the X-Men, but Spider-Man is just another level of popular, and maybe another level of reliable, too. There have been almost a dozen Spider-Man-centric movies made since 2002, making his dominance over the 21st century hard to deny.
Now, two of those are Spider-Verse movies, which are top-tier, but they’re animated, and so they’re not going to be counted below. Also, the likes of Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame all feature Peter Parker/Spider-Man in supporting roles, and since he’s not the lead in any of them, they won’t be counted below as “Spider-Man” movies. Instead, here’s a ranking of all the live-action Spider-Man movies released theatrically to date, starting with the one misfire of the bunch and then progressing onto eight that range in quality from pretty good to pretty great.
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9
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014)
Spider-Man swinging a sewer cover at Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment
It’s the messy one. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is such an overstuffed mess of a movie, sorry. It’s not irredeemable, and there are worse superhero movies out there, but it really collapses under its own weight in so many regards. There’s a certain Spider-Man movie from 2007 that this one felt like it learned all the wrong lessons from, in terms of having too many villains and stuff in general going on, and maybe another comparable movie is The Dark Knight Rises.
Though The Dark Knight Rises has higher highs than The Amazing Spider-Man 2. All this 2014 movie has to offer are some visuals that are occasionally striking, and a few things that set up some good moments in the third Spider-Man movie Andrew Garfield featured in… no, not one where he got to star as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was his final (at least for now) time playing the central character in a Spider-Man movie, and he did as well as he could with what he was given here. The sentiment that he was a pretty great actor for this series who didn’t get the best material is an often echoed – but overall fair – one.
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8
‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012)
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
While The Amazing Spider-Man doesn’t technically give Peter Parker as much to do, compared to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, it does give Andrew Garfield more to do, or at least it’s a better opportunity for him to showcase why he was right to play Spider-Man (even if it was a short run). He is the Millennial Spider-Man, while the live-action actor before him was probably more late-Gen X, and then the one after was born right near the start of Gen Z (maybe a “Zillennial,” but whatever).
The biggest problem here is that The Amazing Spider-Man is another origin story for Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and is just too narratively similar to the first big Spider-Man origin story, which had only come out 10 years earlier. It would’ve been like Ben Affleck’s Batman being given an origin story in 2015, only a decade after Batman Begins. Just not needed, and too repetitive. It’s far from bad, as an origin story, and probably even a good film in its own right, but if you’d seen the 2002 one (even 10 years earlier), you were likely destined to get some déjà vu while watching this.
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7
‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007)
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
While it marked the final time Sam Raimi directed a Spider-Man movie (to date), and the final instance of Tobey Maguire playing the lead role, Spider-Man 3 wasn’t the proper end of things for either. The former returned to the superhero genre by directing the second Doctor Strange film, and Maguire made a memorable appearance in one of the Tom HollandSpider-Man movies. But that’s getting ahead of things a little.
Spider-Man 3 has some of the same problems as The Amazing Spider-Man 2. There are a handful of villains here who end up stepping on each other’s toes, and the final act in particular suffers from feeling overstuffed. All the stuff with Peter Parker going through his emo phase, though, and the bits of the film where the camp is dialed up to new levels… yeah, you can kind of see why it’s been re-evaluated. People “get” Spider-Man 3 a little more nowadays, and it feels hard to call it the worst Spider-Man movie, as a result. There are still things about it that don’t work, but not as many as there may have seemed once, 15 to (almost) 20 years ago.
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6
‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ (2019)
Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Far From Home looking worried with his hands on his headImage via Sony Pictures Releasing
It speaks to the consistency of the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, at least so far, that the “weakest” of his ones to date is the still pretty good Spider-Man: Far From Home. This is the movie equivalent of a vacation episode, since most of it takes place during a summer trip to Europe, with it being admittedly somewhat taxing to adjust to a live-action Spider-Man movie that doesn’t have New York City as its central location.
It’s a fun film, or fun enough, and it also feels interesting in being something of an epilogue to Avengers: Endgame, with Endgame not actually being the final film of Phase 3, since Far From Home played that role. There’s an argument to be made that at this stage, Peter Parker/Spider-Man doesn’t have as much of an identity separated from the Avengers and the broader MCU, but this was addressed/amended, to some extent, in Holland’s third and fourth outings as Spider-Man. Speaking of…
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5
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ (2026)
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the most recent Spider-Man movie, and the fourth starring Tom Holland, making him now the most prolific Spider-Man actor, certainly by lead appearances, and then overall, too, thanks to him being in three other MCU movies. He largely gets to stand alone here, necessitated by the way the third movie ended, with him getting a fresh start as Spider-Man and without anyone knowing he’s really Peter Parker.
So, Tom Holland gets to carry a lot of the movie, more so than his past Spider-Man movies, and he’s great here. Most of the supporting players are also good, and they really only start to distract from the Spider-Man stuff a bit in the final act, which is where you feel the MCU machine taking over a little, and setting up future movies (possibly Avengers: Doomsday, though more likely films actually beyond that). It almost gets a bit much, but Brand New Day sort of sticks the landing, and then lots of the ride it provides up until that point is also successfully exciting, not to mention decently emotional at times, too.
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4
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Tom Holland is so smol in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Lil’ baby Tom Holland. Well, young is the better word. He’s young. And he actually feels really young here, and that does make his Peter Parker feel small in a vulnerable and endearing kind of way. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield both felt like guys in their 20s playing high schoolers, because they were, at least in their first movies. Tom Holland was younger, being only just 20 when Spider-Man: Homecoming was filmed, and he does actually look like a high schooler.
That helps Spider-Man: Homecoming work particularly well as a coming-of-age movie on top of being a superhero one, potentially even to the extent that it’s a better coming-of-age film than it is a superhero movie. The more expected superhero action here is still good, though, and seeing Tony Stark/Iron Man have a prominent role in this movie without being right at the center the way he was for his own movies and the Avengers ones was neat. This is just an inherently likable and crowd-pleasing movie, and proved to be a particularly good opportunity for Holland to showcase (after a scene-stealing role in Captain America: Civil War) why he was a good choice for the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. And no retread of the Spider-Man origin story here, either, which was a big plus.
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3
‘Spider-Man’ (2002)
Tobey Maguire in the spidey suit staring ahead in Spider-Man, 2002.Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
2002’s Spider-Man began the webslinger’s reign over cinema, and though that reign was on potentially shaky ground during Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, he kept pulling through. There was goodwill for the character overall, even if Spider-Man 3 might’ve halted the Tobey Maguire run, and then The Amazing Spider-Man 2 might’ve halted the Andrew Garfield run. Watch out, Tom Holland; don’t trip up. This series is unforgiving.
2002’s Spider-Man was the first time there was a proper blockbuster/theatrically released movie about Spider-Man, and it was phenomenal for its time.
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Uh… Spider-Man, though. The character had existed on the page for decades before 2002, of course, and there had been some TV shows and TV movies with the character before, but 2002’s Spider-Man was the first time there was a proper blockbuster/theatrically released movie about Spider-Man, and it was phenomenal for its time. Alongside the first X-Men, and maybe the first couple of Blade movies, it suggested Marvel superheroes could really dominate the box office into the 21st century in a way only really Superman and Batman had done during the 20th century (and even then, not 100% of the time). Without Spider-Man (2002) and its success, the blockbuster world might well look very different today.
2
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
There are problems with Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s pretty blatantly dependent on nostalgia, with the whole poorly-kept secret, in the lead-up to its release, surrounding the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. But it was fun to feel like it was a mystery, and then not knowing 100% still made it a blast in that scene where they enter the picture (more or less literally).
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Other than that, it is a bigger Spider-Man movie than the previous two Tom Holland ones, and he gets some moments to shine here, while the scenes he does end up sharing with Holland and Maguire are also great. Two all-time great villains are brought back, from the Maguire movies, and then No Way Home even does a decent job at making Electro a better character than he was in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. And there is one other moment near the climax that harkens back to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and makes it a bit stronger in hindsight, giving Andrew Garfield’s Peter some genuinely touching emotional closure. Maybe No Way Home is a tiny bit messy, but it’s messy in a good way, and that final act is excellent, all the while giving Tom Holland’s Peter some origin story-esque stuff, just in a more interesting and unexpected way (if you know, you know).
1
‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)
Spider-Man on top of a speeding train in Spider-Man 2 (2004)Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Spider-Man 2 does so many things right that just calling it the best of the live-action Spider-Man movies doesn’t feel like enough praise. It’s right up there among the best and most important movie sequels of all time, doing a bit of an Empire Strikes Back thing, feeling to Spider-Man (2002) what that movie was to the original Star Wars. In both cases, you have an original that did everything exceptionally well, and then a sequel that took all that worked and made everything even better.
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This movie gets off to a great start, and then just keeps building with the difficulties it puts Peter through, the comedy that hits the mark almost every time (not something you can say about the more recent Spider-Man movies and their jokes, honestly), and then it finds room to make Doc Ock just as compelling a villain as the Green Goblin was in the first movie, which is saying a lot. Spider-Man 2 is the gold standard for live-action superhero movies generally, and feels like a true masterpiece that was great in 2004, and has honestly aged so well that it feels like an even greater movie nowadays, some 20+ years later.
Taylor Swift’s father, Scott Swift, reportedly took matters into his own hands after his daughter became entangled in Blake Lively’s bitter legal war with Justin Baldoni. According to a new report, the 74-year-old allegedly provided Baldoni’s attorneys with information about private communications between Swift and Lively in exchange for the withdrawal of a subpoena targeting the singer.
The alleged arrangement came after Lively reportedly asked Swift to delete their messages amid concerns that the exchanges could undermine part of her case. However, accusations involving the texts and alleged efforts to pressure Swift were later struck from the court record after a judge deemed them improper.
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Swift had repeatedly attempted to distance herself from the “It Ends With Us” dispute but was eventually subpoenaed by Baldoni’s legal team for communications potentially connected to the case. As the litigation intensified, Lively allegedly asked Swift to erase private messages they had exchanged.
The request was reportedly detailed in an affidavit filed by Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman. According to a Daily Mail insider, Lively worried that the communications would “prove” there was “never any mention of any sexual improprieties” involving Baldoni, despite her sexual harassment allegations against him. “There was only her b-tching about how much she hated Justin and wanting Taylor to come to her apartment to scare this d-ckhead director,” the source claimed.
The allegation does not establish what was contained in the messages, whether Swift deleted anything or whether any request to erase communications occurred.
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Lively’s legal team has rejected related accusations as false and improper.
Scott Swift Was Reportedly The Source Behind The Allegations
The individual who reportedly provided information about the alleged threats was initially described as “a person very closely linked to Taylor Swift.” That person was later identified by the Daily Mail as Swift’s father, Scott.
According to sources, Scott became concerned about his daughter being pulled further into the increasingly ugly dispute between Lively and Baldoni. He allegedly decided to cooperate with Baldoni and Freedman in an effort to protect Swift from additional legal involvement.
Scott has long played an important role in his daughter’s business affairs, making him both personally and professionally invested in keeping her away from the controversy. The report claims he “voluntarily gave up this information as part of a deal that would include [Baldoni’s team] withdrawing their subpoena for Taylor.”
Neither Taylor nor Scott has publicly addressed the report about his alleged cooperation.
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Justin Baldoni’s Attorneys Sought Evidence Of Alleged ‘Witness Tampering’
Freedman argued in court documents that the subpoena was designed to obtain information “relating to witness tampering and evidence spoliation.” Evidence spoliation generally refers to the destruction, alteration, or failure to preserve information that may be relevant to litigation.
Baldoni’s attorneys accused Lively of attempting to “coerce” Swift into publicly supporting her legal claims. According to the filing, Swift’s team responded to Lively’s alleged “inappropriate and apparently extortionate threats in at least one written communication” sent to attorney Michael Gottlieb.
“It is those communications that [Baldoni’s team] seeks to obtain by way of subpoena, as they would evidence an attempt to intimidate and coerce a percipient witness in this litigation,” the letter stated. A percipient witness is someone believed to possess direct knowledge relevant to a dispute.
The filing did not prove that witness intimidation, coercion, or destruction of evidence occurred. It presented allegations from Baldoni’s legal team that Lively’s attorneys subsequently fought to remove from the case.
Blake Lively’s Attorneys Called The Claims ‘Baseless’
Lively’s lawyers filed a motion asking the court to strike the accusations, describing them as “baseless, unnecessary, improper and abusive.” The court granted that request. The decision removed the allegations from the docket and prevented them from becoming part of the issues being litigated in that proceeding.
In a prior response to similar claims, Lively’s attorney categorically denied that she threatened to expose Swift’s private messages unless the singer publicly supported her. The legal dispute continued for months after Swift’s involvement became public. Baldoni’s case was dismissed in October, according to the report.
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In May, after a judge dismissed most of Lively’s claims, she reportedly agreed to settle with Baldoni. She later sought $8 million in legal fees, a demand he is fighting.
Blake Lively Was Missing From Taylor Swift’s Wedding
Any remaining possibility of a public reconciliation between Swift and Lively appeared to fade when the singer married Travis Kelce on July 3. The couple exchanged vows during an elaborate ceremony at Madison Square Garden surrounded by hundreds of guests. Adam Sandler reportedly officiated the wedding, while Stevie Nicks and Paul McCartney performed. Swift also surprised attendees with a performance of her own.
Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, were conspicuously absent despite once being considered fixtures within Swift’s closest celebrity circle. A source claimed Lively was deeply upset about being excluded from the celebration. Lively was “sad and a little bit ped. No, a lot ped,” the insider said. “That friendship was over before but if there was hope, it’s gone. They’ll never be friends again.”
Neither Swift nor Lively has publicly confirmed that the wedding invitation issue permanently ended their relationship.
Peacock is closing out summer with a slew of new movies, shows and reality TV reunions that will have everyone talking.
Love Island, The Valley and Married at First Sight will all have reunions this month, promising more fireworks in August than there were on the 4th of July.
Peacock is also streaming two 2026 breakout hits, the horror film Obsession and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
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August 1
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Almost Famous The Angry Birds Movie Armageddon Battleship The Best Christmas Pageant Ever The Big Short The Boy Next Door Bring It On The Cable Guy Clash of the Titans Clueless Couple Retreat Dear Evan Hansen Escape Room Escape Room: Tournament of Champions Exodus: Gods and Kings F9: The Fast Saga The Faculty Fantastic Mr. Fox Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Field of Dreams Fifty Shades of Grey Fifty Shades Darker Fifty Shades Freed Flashdance Flushed Away Fool’s Paradise Footloose Friday Night Lights The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Good Boys Good Will Hunting Gremlins Gremlins 2: The New Batch Grown Ups Grown Ups 2 The Help Insidious Insidious: Chapter 2 Insidious: Chapter 3 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Keanu Kindergarten Cop Knock Knock Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda 2 Kung Fu Panda 3 Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events Let’s Be Cops The Lincoln Lawyer Little Miss Sunshine Major Payne The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions Mean Girls Mean Girls 2 Megamind Mud National Lampoon’s Animal House Neighbors Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising Old Old School One Hour Photo Peeples Pineapple Express Predator The Predator Pretty in Pink Robin Hood Save the Last Dance The School of Rock Seabiscuit The Secret Life of Pets The Secret Life of Pets 2 She’s All That Sideways Source Code Troy Twins Uncle Buck Wrath of the Titans
August 2
The Killer Among Us, Season 1 – Finale (Oxygen)
August 3
The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Season 17 – Finale (Bravo) Ms. X, Season 1 – Premiere (Peacock Exclusive)
August 6
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The Valley, Season 3 – Reunion Part 1 (Bravo) The Ballad of Wallis Island
August 7
Universal Pictures
You, Me & Tuscany – Premiere (Peacock Exclusive)
August 9
Unknown Serial Killers of America, Season 2 – Premiere (Oxygen)
August 10
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, Season 5 – Premiere (Bravo) The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Season 17 – Reunion Part 1 (Bravo) Kim’s Convenience, Seasons 1-5 Copshop
August 11
Marry Me
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August 13
The Valley, Season 3 – Reunion Part 2 (Bravo)
August 16
Oppenheimer
August 17
The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Season 17 – Reunion Part 2 (Bravo)
August 18
The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, Season 3 – Finale (Bravo)
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August 20
We Are Pat The Valley, Season 3 – Reunion Part 3 (Bravo)
August 21
The 355 She Dances
August 24
The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Season 17 – Reunion Part 3 (Bravo) Days of Our Lives, Season 62 – Premiere (Peacock Exclusive)
August 25
Borderlands
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August 27
The Undeclared War, Season 2 – Premiere, All Episodes Married at First Sight, Season 20 – Finale (Peacock Exclusive) Married at First Sight, Season 20 – Reunion (Peacock Exclusive) The Woman in the Yard
August 28
Fear Lake Lanier
August 31
Love Island USA, Season 8 – Reunion (Peacock Original) Mama June: From Hot to Not, Season 8 – Premiere (We TV)
NEW EPISODES WEEKLY: The Dan Patrick Show (Monday through Friday) PFT Live (Monday through Friday) The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (Monday through Friday)
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MLB & SNB August 1: MLB – Giants vs. Padres August 1: MLB – Tigers vs. Athletics August 2: MLB – Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Angels August 2: MLB – Giants vs. Padres August 2: MLB – Tigers vs. Athletics August 2: MLB Sunday Stretch #14 August 2: MLB – SNB #18: Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers August 2: MLB – Game of the Day #126 August 3: MLB – Game of the Day #127 August 4: MLB – Athletics vs. Reds August 4: MLB – Game of the Day #128 August 4: MLB – Giants vs. Rangers August 5: MLB – Giants vs. Rangers August 5: MLB – Athletics vs. Reds August 5: MLB – Game of the Day #129 August 6: MLB – Athletics vs. Reds August 6: MLB – Game of the Day #130 August 7: MLB – Athletics vs. Red Sox August 7: MLB – Game of the Day #131 August 7: MLB – Tigers vs. Giants August 8: MLB – Athletics vs. Red Sox August 8: MLB – Game of the Day #132 August 9: MLB – Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals August 9: MLB – Athletics vs. Red Sox August 9: MLB Sunday Stretch #15 August 9: MLB – Tigers vs. Giants August 9: MLB – Game of the Day #133 August 9: SNB #19: Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres August 10: MLB – Game of the Day #134 August 10: MLB – Astros vs. Giants August 10: MLB – Rays vs. Athletics August 11: MLB – Game of the Day #135 August 11: MLB – Astros vs. Giants August 11: MLB – Rays vs. Athletics August 12: MLB – Rays vs. Athletics August 12: MLB – Astros vs. Giants August 12: MLB – Game of the Day #136 August 13: MLB – Game of the Day #137 August 14: MLB – Game of the Day #138 August 14: MLB – Rangers vs. Athletics August 14: MLB – Rockies vs. Giants August 15: MLB – Rockies vs. Giants August 15: MLB – Game of the Day #139 August 15: MLB – Rangers vs. Athletics August 16: MLB – Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays August 16: MLB Sunday Stretch #16 August 16: MLB – Rockies vs. Giants August 16: MLB – Rangers vs. Athletics August 16: MLB – Game of the Day #140 August 16: SNB #20: Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros August 17: MLB – Game of the Day #141 August 17: MLB – Athletics vs. Royals August 18: MLB – Giants vs. Guardians August 18: MLB – Game of the Day #142 August 18: MLB – Athletics vs. Royals August 19: MLB – Giants vs. Guardians August 19: MLB – Game of the Day #143 August 19: MLB – Athletics vs. Royals August 20: MLB – Giants vs. Guardians August 20: MLB – Athletics vs. Royals August 20: MLB – Game of the Day #144 August 21: MLB – Giants vs. Red Sox August 21: MLB – Game of the Day #145 August 21: MLB – Athletics vs. Astros August 22: MLB – Athletics vs. Astros August 22: MLB – Game of the Day #146 August 23: MLB – Athletics vs. Astros August 23: MLB – Cincinnati Reds vs. Arizona Diamondbacks August 23: MLB – Game of the Day #147 August 23: SNB #21: San Francisco Giants vs. Boston Red Sox August 24: MLB – Game of the Day #148 August 24: MLB – Reds vs. Giants August 24: MLB – Twins vs. Athletics August 25: MLB – Game of the Day #149 August 25: MLB – Reds vs. Giants August 25: MLB – Twins vs. Athletics August 26: MLB – Reds vs. Giants August 26: MLB – Game of the Day #150 August 26: MLB – Twins vs. Athletics August 27: MLB – Game of the Day #151 August 27: MLB – Diamondbacks vs. Giants August 28: MLB – Game of the Day #152 August 28: MLB – Orioles vs. Athletics August 28: MLB – Diamondbacks vs. Giants August 29: MLB – Arizona v Giants – Game 1 August 29: MLB – Game of the Day #153 August 29: MLB – Diamondbacks vs. Giants – Game 2 August 29: MLB – Orioles vs. Athletics August 30: MLB – Miami Marlins vs. Washington Nationals August 30: MLB Sunday Stretch #17 August 30: MLB – Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs August 30: MLB – Diamondbacks vs. Giants August 30: MLB – Orioles vs. Athletics August 30: MLB – Game of the Day #154 August 30: SNB #22: Houston Astros vs. New York Mets August 31: MLB – Giants at Atlanta August 31: MLB – Game of the Day #155 August 31: MLB – Athletics vs. Rangers
Motocross August 15: Supermotocross – Race Day Live – Unadilla August 15: Supermotocross Rd. 26: Unadilla August 22: Supermotocross – Race Day Live – Budds Creek August 22: Supermotocross Rd. 27: Budds Creek August 29: Supermotocross – Race Day Live – Ironman August 29: Supermotocross Rd. 28: Ironman
Premier League August 22: Premier League – Nottingham Forest v. Leeds United August 22: Premier League – Ipswich Town v. Sunderland August 22: Premier League – GOAL RUSH August 22: Premier League – Brentford v. Spurs August 23: Premier League – Brighton v. Aston Villa August 29: Premier League August 30: Premier League
Women’s soccer August 15: Women’s Soccer – DC Power FC vs. Carolina Ascent FC August 15: Women’s Soccer – Lexington SC vs. Brooklyn FC August 15: Women’s Soccer – Fort Lauderdale United FC vs. Sporting JAX August 15: Women’s Soccer – Dallas Trinity FC vs. Tampa Bay Sun FC August 22: Women’s Soccer – Sporting JAX vs. Tampa Bay Sun FC August 22: Women’s Soccer – Dallas Trinity FC vs. Carolina Ascent FC August 23: Women’s Soccer – Brooklyn FC vs. DC Power FC August 28: Women’s Soccer – Fort Lauderdale United FC vs. Brooklyn FC August 29: Women’s Soccer – Lexington SC vs. DC Power FC August 29: Women’s Soccer – Carolina Ascent FC vs. Tampa Bay Sun FC August 29: Women’s Soccer – Sporting JAX vs. Dallas Trinity FC
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Tour de France August 1: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 1 August 2: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 2 August 3: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 3 August 4: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 4 August 5: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 5 August 6: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 6 August 7: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 7 August 8: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 8 August 9: Tour de France Femmes – Stage 9
WNBA August 2: WNBA – Los Angeles Sparks vs. Portland Fire August 3: WNBA – Seattle Storm vs. New York Liberty August 9: WNBA – Dallas Wings vs. Minnesota Lynx August 10: WNBA – Toronto Tempo vs. Atlanta Dream August 17: WNBA – Dallas Wings vs. Golden State Valkyries August 23: WNBA – Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky August 24: WNBA – Atlanta Dream vs. Los Angeles Sparks
Additional sports dates August 1: IMSA – Porsche Carrera Cup – Road America #2 August 1: 2026 AIG Women’s Open – Round 3 August 1: IMSA – Road America 120 August 1: IMSA – Qualifying – Road America August 1: Lamborghini Super Trofeo – Road America #2 August 1: USA Swimming Toyota National Championships – Day 5 August 2: IMSA – Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix August 2: 2026 AIG Women’s Open – Final Round August 5: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 1 AM August 5: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 1 PM August 6: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 2 AM August 6: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 2 PM August 6: NFL – HOF Game: Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers August 6: U.S. Gymnastics Champs – Senior Men Day 1 August 7: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 3 AM August 7: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 3 PM August 7: U.S. Gymnastics Champs – Senior Women Day 1 August 8: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 4 AM August 8: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 4 PM August 8: U.S. Gymnastics Champs – Senior Men Day 2 August 9: World Athletics U20 Champs – Day 5 August 9: U.S. Gymnastics Champs – Senior Women Day 2 August 12: Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Day 1 (Prelims) August 12: 2026 U.S. Amateur Golf – Round of 64 August 12: Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Day 1 (Finals) August 13: Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Day 2 (Prelims) August 13: 2026 U.S. Amateur Golf – Round of 32 August 13: Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Day 2 (Finals) August 14: Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships – Individuals All-Around Finals Day 1 August 14: Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Day 3 (Prelims) August 14: 2026 U.S. Amateur Golf – Quarterfinals August 14: Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Day 3 (Finals) August 15: Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships – Groups All-Around DAY 2 August 15: Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Day 4 (Prelims) August 15: 2026 U.S. Amateur Golf – Semifinals August 15: Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Day 4 (Finals) August 16: Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships – Individuals and Group Apparatus Finals Day 3 August 16: 2026 U.S. Amateur Golf – Championship Match August 21: Liga MX – Juárez vs. America August 22: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 1 August 22: IMSA – VP Racing SportsCar Challenge – VIR #2 August 22: IMSA – Ford Mustang Challenge – VIR #1 August 22: IMSA – VP Racing SportsCar Challenge – VIR #1 August 22: IMSA – Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix August 22: IMSA – Qualifying – VIR August 22: Liga MX – Chivas vs. Tijuana August 22: Liga MX – Tigres vs. Atlante August 23: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 2 August 23: IMSA – Ford Mustang Challenge- VIR #2 August 23: IMSA – Michelin GT Challenge at VIR August 24: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 3 August 25: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 4 August 26: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 5 August 27: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 6 August 27: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 7 August 28: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 8 August 29: Kentucky Downs 2026 August 29: Big Ten Football – San Jose State vs. USC August 30: La Vuelta a Espana Stage 9 August 30: Purina’s Incredible Dog Challenge 2 August 30: Kentucky Downs 2026 August 30: NFL Special
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Same-Day: TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle, Season 1 (Monday through Friday) Meet the Press with Kristen Welker (Sunday) Sunday Today with Willie Geist (Sunday) TODAY (Monday through Friday)
In February, there’s one comedy show that jumps out as the most intriguing new series of the year. Peacock‘s The ‘Burbs is very loosely based on the 1989 cult comedy classic starring Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher. Keke Palmer headlines the new series, which re-contextualizes the paranoia of The ‘Burbs and expands upon it. Now, […]
Next-Day News (Below are the days episodes come to Peacock): Dateline (Saturday) Nightly News with Tom Llamas (Daily) Noticias Telemundo (Tuesday through Saturday) Noticias Telemundo En La Noche (Daily) Noticias Telemundo Fin De Semana (Sundays and Mondays) Noticias Telemundo Mediodía (Tuesday through Saturday)
Next-Day Talk Shows (Below are the days episodes come to Peacock): Access Hollywood, Season 30 (Monday through Friday) The Kelly Clarkson Show, Season 7 (Monday through Friday) Late Night with Seth Meyers, Season 13 (Tuesday through Friday) The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Season 13 (Tuesday through Friday) Watch What Happens Live, Season 22 (Monday through Friday)
Netflixhas evolved from one of the foremost places to stream studio content to a producer of its own excellent original works. Whether it’s dominating the animated landscape with mega-hits like KPop Demon Hunters or taking over the sci-fi genre with shows like Stranger Things, Netflix is a force to be reckoned with in the battle for new and iconic IPs. One area where the channel is slowly making progress is in the action movie genre.
Gripping plotlines, impressive stunts, and nonstop thrills are all par for the course when it comes to action films. Like children’s and family movies, action films are deceptively difficult to execute well. It is not merely a matter of throwing in an explosion here or adding a few more stunts there. A great action movie needs to feel like an odyssey, a rewarding saga that audiences are allowed to participate in. While Netflix makes strides in almost every genre, its foray into action is steadily rising in both quantity and quality. Here are Netflix’s best original action movies so far.
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‘Carry-On’ (2024)
Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek in Carry-OnImage via Netflix
Whether or not Carry-On can be called a Christmas movie is up for debate in the same vein as the ongoing Die Hard debate. Taron Egerton stars as Ethan Kopek, a TSA agent working on one of the busiest travel days of the year, Christmas Eve. As if his workday wasn’t stressed enough, Ethan soon has an unknown hijacker talking to him through an earpiece, threatening his coworkers and loved ones if he does not let a suspicious package go through the safety check and onto a plane.
Carry-On is full of suspense. Its realistic and close-to-home setting ramps up the stakes and makes it instantly gripping. Egerton is phenomenal in the movie and carries the focus well. Jason Bateman is brilliant as the cold, calculating, and methodical Traveler. Carry-On makes a good watch any time of the year, but especially for action fans who want a little mayhem in their holiday movies.
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‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ (2021)
Angela Bassett, Karen Gillan, Michelle Yeoh, and Carla Gugino examine guns and other weapons in a library in Gunpowder MilkshakeImage via Netflix
If you were to combine the maternal feelings and chaotic felicity of Everything Everywhere All at Once with the fast-paced fight scenes of John Wick, you would get Gunpowder Milkshake. Karen Gillan stars as Sam, an assassin who is used to kicking ass and taking names, who gets saddled with an eight-year-old girl named Emily (Chloe Coleman) who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gunpowder Milkshake is packed with talent, including Everything Everywhere All at Once‘s Michelle Yeoh. Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Angela Bassett, and Paul Giamatti are also part of the extremely gifted cast.
Gunpowder Milkshake is refreshingly original and one of the best female-led action movies of the 21st century. There are gorgeous slow-motion sequences that make the visceral visually stunning. Released during the height of the COVID pandemic, Gunpowder Milkshake didn’t receive the attention it deserved. The blend of distinctly feminine elements and gritty action tropes is brilliant, and if you haven’t checked out this absolute triumph yet, this is your sign.
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‘Damsel’ (2024)
Princess Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) pointing a sword at an offscreen threat in Netflix’s DamselImage via Netflix
From facing monsters in titles like Stranger Things and Godzilla: King of the Monsters to solving mysteries in the popular Enola Holmes trilogy, there is nothing Millie Bobby Brown can’t do. One of her most epic action movies yet is the 2024 dark fantasyDamsel. In Damsel, Brown stars as Elodie, a young woman who thinks her dreams are about to come true when she is wedded to the young and eligible Prince Henry (Nick Robinson). However, there are darker circumstances and deeper motives at play, and immediately after saying her vows, Elodie is tossed into a deep cavern where a dangerous dragon lives.
Damsel is a fantastic flip on the fairytale genre. It takes back the ground used as an all-too-often trope of sacrificing the lives of innocent young women as a means to an end. Brown proves in Damsel why she is one of the foremost action stars of the day, and the performances given by Robin Wright, Angela Bassett, and the rest of the cast are equally dedicated and captivating. Shohreh Aghdashloo is irreplaceable as the voice of the dragon. The writing in Damsel lifts the character of the dragon off the page and, much like the damsel herself, sheisn’t relegated to merely being a plot device, but is in fact an important part of the story.
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‘Day Shift’ (2022)
Snoop Dogg and Jamie Foxx are looking ahead in an office in Day Shift.Image via Netflix
In a world where vampire hunting is a money-making enterprise, Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx) goes on an all-out killing spree trying to make money fast so his ex-wife doesn’t relocate with his daughter. Day Shift is a gory, nonstop horror-meets-action banger. As the movie makes note, this is nowhere near Twilight. In Day Shift, vampires are soulless, blood-sucking villains, and the hunters like Bud are there to “cut necks and cash checks.”
Foxx is, as always, brilliant, and his odd couple dynamic with Dave Franco as Seth makes for a highly entertaining movie. Day Shift is a perfect choice for dark fantasy-action fans and puts viewers in the mind of films like Blade and Daybreakers. The comedic elements lift the overall tone of the film and keep it from being a straight horror. There have been whispers about a possible Day Shift sequel in the future, and Franco has said he would be up for it and would love to work with Foxx again.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
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Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
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🎭Ethan Hunt
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01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
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02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
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03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
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04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
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05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
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06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
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07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
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08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
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09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
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10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
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Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Rambo
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Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
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Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
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John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Ethan Hunt
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Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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‘Ultraman: Rising’ (2024)
Ultraman holding a baby kaiju in the pale moonlight in Ultraman: RisingImage via Netflix
Ultraman: Rising is an awesome Netflix original action movie that the whole family can enjoy. It is one of the best animated movies of the past five years and packs a whole lot of punch and heart. The story revolves around protagonist Ken Sato (Christopher Sean), a famous baseball player who returns to Japan after having a successful life and career overseas. Ken’s return to Japan carries the emotional weight of taking over the Ultraman mantle from his father, a source of deep contention between them, and his relocation is made even more complicated when he takes in a baby Kaiju that has lost its mother.
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Ultraman: Rising is the latest in a solid canon that has included everything from anime to TV shows. It feels like a capsule story within the Ultraman franchise, and you don’t have to be familiar with any of the other projects to enjoy this spectacular standalone film. Ultraman: Rising has action scenes with superhero themes and a touching undercurrent about family and parenting. The baby Kaiju is absolutely adorable, and watching Ken bond with her makes the movie highly rewarding. If you want a fun action-packed movie with a good story that everyone can watch together, Ultraman: Rising is your next watch.
‘Space Sweepers’ (2021)
Tiger Park, Captain Jang, Tae-ho, and Bubs looking down at Dorothy in ‘Space Sweepers’Image via Netflix
Set in the future, Space Sweepers follows a misfit crew of scavengers who stumble upon a highly advanced android child. Those onboard The Victory face a crisis of conscience and have to decide whether to turn the robot Dorothy (Park Ye-rin) in for money, or keep her safe. The cast is spot-on, and Space Sweepers delivers one of the more interesting and introspective performances about an android with the identity journey of Bubs (Yoo Hae-jin and Kim Hyang-gi).
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Netflix is known for its excellent selection of South Korean TV shows and movies, and Space Sweepers is no exception. It has the ensemble movie format down to an art. Each character is interesting on their own, and the group as a whole is dynamic to watch. Netflix offers an English dub of the movie and subtitles. Space Sweepers is an interesting and enthusiastic fan-favorite that could be poised to reach cult status as time goes on.
‘Enola Holmes 2’ (2022)
Taking after her older brother, the famed detective Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill), Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) has a keen mind for solving mysteries. Instructed by her mother, Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), to be cunning and independent, Enola is a leading lady like none other in the Victorian era. Headstrong, fiercely loyal, and abounding with tenacity, Enola tackles cases that get dismissed by other detectives.
The second movie in the trilogy, Enola Holmes 2, is the best of the canon. The romance, action, and intrigue are all dialed up to 11, and the introduction of Moriarty (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) as a villain is excellent. Enola Holmes 2 offers some interesting insights into social and gender issues of the era and is a great watch for fans of period murder mysteries.
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‘The Gray Man’ (2022)
Lloyd Hansen, played by actor Chris Evans, having a drink while sitting on a chair in The Gray ManImage via Netflix
Directed by The Russo Brothers, The Gray Man stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans as combatants. In the movie, Gosling plays Six, a CIA agent with virtually no identity. Evans plays Lloyd, a psychotic hitman who puts a bounty on Six’s head, ensuring that everyone, not only himself, will be trying to end him. It becomes an all-out brawl as multiple agents and assassins get involved, and The Gray Man is full of excitement.
The Gray Man is adivisive movie. It has an abysmal critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, but an audience approval rating of 90%. It seems as though viewers either love or hate this original action movie. While The Gray Man is no Avengers, it has exhilarating action scenes, solid fight sequences, and watching Evans play a villain in an action movie after his long stint as Captain America in the MCU is refreshing. Although there were talks about a possible sequel to The Gray Man, the project has been put on hold for the time being.
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‘Vampires vs. the Bronx’ (2020)
Three teenagers hold up crosses and look afraid in Vampires vs. the BronxImage via Netflix
Bringing some fresh blood (pun intended) to the vampire genre is the dark comedy Vampires vs. the Bronx. In the movie, three young friends notice a strange influx of people to their neighborhood who act out of the ordinary, right as a bunch of locals go missing. When Miguel (Jaden Michael), Bobby (Gerald Jones), and Luis (Gregory Diaz IV) investigate, they find out that the newcomers are actually vampires.
Vampires vs. the Bronx is a funny and bloody action movie. It has a distinct energy and grit to the mise en scène and the storyline emphasizes the importance of a local community. All of the cast are brilliant, and fans of shows like Stranger Things and Buffy the Vampire Slayer need to add this Netflix original to their watchlist.
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Vampires vs. the Bronx has a direct contradiction of Rotten Tomatoes scores compared to The Gray Man. It ranks incredibly high with critics, but very low with audience votes. This makes it another movie you have to see for yourself to decide. Movies like Vampires vs. the Bronx and The Gray Man prove that action fans are a highly discerning crowd, and they can’t be swayed by critics’ votes, one way or the other.
EW checks in with some of the network’s most memorable faces — from Nina Blackwood to Vanessa Lachey — to see where they landed after signing off from MTV.
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