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Paralympian Ezra Frech Shares His ‘Purpose’ for DWTS

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What to Know About Season 35 of 'Dancing With the Stars' So Far: Cast, Premiere Date and More

Paralympian Ezra Frech’s reasons for competing on Dancing With the Stars are personal and powerful.

“This is my purpose. I want to change the way the world sees disability,” Frech, 21, exclusively shared with Us on Wednesday, September 2, after the full cast for season 35 was revealed on Good Morning America. “I literally feel like I was put on this earth for that reason, and I’ve attempted to do it through track and field my whole life, and then now I get the opportunity to hopefully do that through dance.”

Frech — who was born with congenital limb differences, leading to the amputation of his left leg at the age of 3 — previously won two gold medals at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

When not competing in high jump, long jump and sprinting events, the University of Southern California grad is serving as a motivational speaker and disability advocate.

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What to Know About Season 35 of 'Dancing With the Stars' So Far: Cast, Premiere Date and More


Related: What to Know About Season 35 of ‘Dancing With the Stars‘ So Far: Cast and More

The Dancing With the Stars ballroom is filling up fast for season 35. While simultaneously confirming the reality competition’s renewal, Hulu shared during the Get Real House event in April that Summer House’s Ciara Miller and Love Island star Maura Higgins would be lacing up their dancing shoes. The following month, Savannah Bananas second baseman Jackson […]

“I am leaning in 100 percent,” Frech shared about his journey into the ballroom. “I want to make my community proud, and hopefully, we can do something special this season.”

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While it’s too soon for Frech and his DWTS partner, Daniella Karagach, to finalize a team name, the pair are already displaying great chemistry as they prepare to perform their first dance in front of judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.

“I feel like we’re pretty compatible,” Frech shared from New York City. “She’s already big sis.”

Karagach, 33, added, “I’m protector energy. I’m bringing that mother protector energy.”

Paralympian Ezra Frech Wants to Change the Way the World Sees Disability Through DWTS

Ezra Frech
Andrew Eccles/Disney

While some in the competition like Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr. may have some prior dance experience, Frech admitted his athletic skills are primarily from a track field.

When asked if DWTS is harder than competing in the Paralympics, Frech didn’t hesitate in his answer.

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“Definitely Dancing with the Stars. The Paralympics and track and field. I grew up doing this since I was 8 years old,” he explained. “It’s my bread and butter, and now I’m throwing all that to the back burner for a couple months and gonna try to do everything I can to become a ballroom dancer.”

Fortunately, he has a coach who is already impressed.

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“You’re getting there,” Karagach said. “It’s only been a week, and you’re really getting there.”

Dancing With the Stars season 35 kicks off with a two-night premiere on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.

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Paramount+ Officially Rebrands For Halloween

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Marlon Wayans plays Shorty in Scary Movie from Paramount Pictures. | © 2026 Paramount Pictures. Ghost Face Spoof Mask protected under copyright registration Fun World Div., Easter Unlimited, Inc.

Horror fans are currently enjoying one of the most exciting years for the genre in recent memory. New filmmakers have been making their mark on the genre throughout 2026, starting with Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach‘s surprise hit Iron Lung in January, followed by fellow YouTubers Curry Barker and Kane Parsons in spring with cinematic breakthroughs Obsession and Backrooms that took theaters by storm. At the same time, favorites of the macabre, like Sam Raimi and up-and-comer Damian McCarthy, also returned with their new projects, Send Help and Hokum, and long-running franchises have been graced with new entries, from 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple to Insidious: Out of the Further. With so much to watch, there will be plenty to catch up on or revisit when spooky season begins next month.

Paramount+ is already preparing for the occasion with the return of its annual Peak Screaming collection. This year, the streaming service isn’t waiting until the leaves turn, announcing today all the terrifying titles that will be available throughout September and October for subscribers looking for a scare. It’s already the home to some major horror staples, including the Scream, A Quiet Place, Paranormal Activity, Pet Sematary, and Scary Movie franchises, but the event will also feature other goodies throughout the season. Kicking things off today is the arrival of the recent Scary Movie revival and its extended cut, bringing back the Wayans Brothers with new horror parodies from Sinners to Ma and Weapons.

Peak Screaming’s return also coincides with the return of serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) for Dexter: Resurrection Season 2. Premiering in October, the series will see Dexter picking up where he left off after dispatching with Prater’s (Peter Dinklage) murder club. He’s not just caught between two terrifying serial killers, but also his own midlife crisis, all while his son, Harrison (Jack Alcott), continues his own campaign of justice. For this chapter, Hall will be joined by some big new names, including Dan Stevens, Brian Cox, Nona Parker Johnson, and Bokeem Woodbine, as well as some prominent returning ones like Uma Thurman and Krysten Ritter as Lady Vengeance.

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Collider Exclusive · Horror Survival Quiz
Which Horror Villain Do You Have the Best Chance of Surviving?
Jason Voorhees · Michael Myers · Freddy Krueger · Pennywise · Chucky

Five killers. Five completely different ways to die — if you’re not smart enough, fast enough, or self-aware enough to avoid it. Only one of them is the villain your particular set of instincts gives you a fighting chance against. Eight questions will figure out which one.

🏕️Jason

🔪Michael

💤Freddy

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🎈Pennywise

🪆Chucky

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01

Something feels wrong. You can’t explain it — you just know. What do you do?
First instincts are the difference between the survivor and the first act casualty.





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02

Where are you most likely to find yourself when things go wrong?
Setting is everything in horror. Where you are determines which rules apply.





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03

What is your most reliable survival asset?
Every survivor has a quality the villain didn’t account for. What’s yours?





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04

What kind of fear is hardest for you to fight through?
Knowing your weakness is the first step to not dying because of it.





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05

You’re with a group when things start going wrong. What’s your role?
Horror movies are brutally clear about who survives group situations and who doesn’t.





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06

What’s the horror movie mistake you’re most likely to make?
Honest self-assessment is a survival skill. Denial is not.





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07

What’s your best weapon against something that can’t be stopped by conventional means?
Every horror villain has a weakness. The survivors are always the ones who find it.





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08

It’s the final scene. You’re the last one standing. How did you make it?
The final survivor always has a reason. What’s yours?





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Your Survival Odds Have Been Calculated
Your Best Chance Is Against…

Your instincts, your strengths, and your particular way of thinking under pressure point to one villain you actually have a fighting chance against. Everyone else — good luck.

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Camp Crystal Lake · Friday the 13th

Jason Voorhees

Jason is relentless, but he is also predictable — and that is the gap you would exploit.

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  • He moves in straight lines toward his target. He doesn’t strategise, doesn’t adapt, doesn’t outsmart. He simply pursues.
  • Your ability to keep moving, use the environment, and resist the panic that freezes most victims gives you a genuine edge.
  • The Crystal Lake survivors were always the ones who stopped running in circles and started thinking about terrain, water, and distance.
  • You think like that. Which means Jason, for all his indestructibility, would face someone who simply refused to be where he expected.


Haddonfield, Illinois · Halloween

Michael Myers

Michael watches before he moves. He is patient, methodical, and almost impossible to detect — until it’s too late for anyone who isn’t paying close enough attention.

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  • But you are paying attention. You notice the shape in the window, the car parked slightly wrong, the silence where there should be sound.
  • Michael’s power lies in the invisibility of ordinary suburbia — the fact that nothing ever looks wrong until it already is.
  • Your spatial awareness and instinct to map every room, every exit, and every shadow before you need them is precisely the quality Laurie Strode had.
  • You are not a victim waiting to happen. You are someone who already suspects something is wrong — and acts on it.


Elm Street · A Nightmare on Elm Street

Freddy Krueger

Freddy wins by getting inside your head — using your own fears, your own memories, your own subconscious as weapons against you. That strategy requires a target who can be destabilised.

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  • You are harder to destabilise than most. You’ve faced uncomfortable truths about yourself and you haven’t looked away.
  • The survivors on Elm Street were always the ones who understood what was happening and chose to face it rather than flee from it.
  • Freddy’s greatest weakness is that his power evaporates in the presence of someone who refuses to give him the fear he feeds on.
  • Your psychological resilience — the ability to stay grounded when reality itself becomes unreliable — is exactly the quality that keeps you alive here.


Derry, Maine · It

Pennywise

Pennywise is ancient, shapeshifting, and feeds on terror — but it has one critical vulnerability: it cannot function against someone who genuinely stops being afraid of it.

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  • The Losers Club didn’t survive because they were braver than everyone else. They survived because they faced their fears together, and faced them honestly.
  • You ask the questions others avoid. You look directly at what frightens you rather than turning away.
  • That directness — the refusal to let fear fester in the dark — is Pennywise’s worst nightmare.
  • It chose the wrong target when it chose you. You are exactly the kind of person whose fear tastes like nothing at all.


Chicago · Child’s Play

Chucky

Chucky’s greatest advantage is that nobody takes him seriously until it’s already too late. He exploits the gap between how something looks and what it actually is.

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  • You don’t have that gap. You take threats seriously regardless of how they present — and you never make the mistake of underestimating something because of its size or appearance.
  • Chucky relies on surprise, on the delay between recognition and response. You close that delay faster than almost anyone.
  • Your instinct to treat every unfamiliar thing with appropriate scepticism — rather than dismissing it because it seems absurd — is the exact quality that keeps you breathing.
  • Against Chucky, not laughing is already winning. You are very good at not laughing.

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Paramount+ Reveals All the Movies Streaming in Time for Halloween

The beginning of September already brought a wealth of horror titles to Paramount+, including the aforementioned Pet Sematary films, several Stephen King titles, and other classics like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Event Horizon, and Seven. October, however, has a few more heavy hitters for all ages coming at the beginning of the month. Mike Flanagan‘s acclaimed King adaptation and The Shining follow-up, Doctor Sleep, will join the streamer’s library, alongside the modern classic It Follows, David Cronenberg‘s body horror hit Crimes of the Future, and Bong Joon-Ho‘s historic Best Picture winner, Parasite, among others. For younger audiences, the first two Hotel Transylvania films will also be available to get in on the spooky fun.

Finally, on the more comedic end, CBS will have not one, but two more spooky contributions to the Paramount+ lineup with the new Ghosts two-part Halloween special and the premiere of Eternally Yours from the creators behind the paranormal hit comedy. While the former is shifting mostly to mid-season for Season 6, the return to Woodstone Manor for the spooky holiday on October 29 will pick up from Season 5’s cliffhanger that saw Pete (Richie Moriarty) fully disappear after a mission across the pond to save the bed and breakfast. Eternally Yours will help fill the gap on Thursdays starting on October 8, centering on couple Charles (Ed Weeks) and Liz (Allegra Edwards), the heads of a coven of vampires who are struggling to accept their daughter’s new human boyfriend while wrestling with the loss of passion in their own relationship after over 500 years together.

Paramount+’s Peak Screaming collection is now available and will have plenty more spooky titles to add once the calendar flips over to October. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on everything coming to the streamer throughout the season.

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Release Date

June 5, 2026

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Runtime

95 Minutes

Director
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Michael Tiddes

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Paul Skenes Rents Movie Theatre At 8AM For Olivia Dunne

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Paul Skenes Rents Movie Theatre At 8AM For Olivia Dunne

Paul Skenes goes all out for Olivia Dunne!

The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, 24, doesn’t think “good morning texts” are enough to woo his influencer girlfriend, 23.

In a TikTok video, Dunne documented how Skenes surprised her with a rented out movie theatre early in the morning. The clip started by showing the baseball star, who wore a white cap, blue sweater, and black shorts, holding a tray filled with their snacks and beverage. As he walked into the movie theatre, the retired gymnast showed the empty seats, proving that they had the place all to themselves. Seated next to each other, Dunne, wearing an all-black outfit, showed her self while giving a thumbs up.

She wrote over the video: “Apparently good morning texts weren’t enough so here we are at a rented out movie theatre at 8am.”

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Meanwhile, in the caption, Dunne revealed that they’re watching a new Christopher Nolan film, writing, “The Odyssey with a side of breakfast.”

Fans React To The Video

The TikTok share racked up over a million views and received an upward of 72,000 likes. A follower commented, “Living the dream! Even at 8am,” while fan noted, “They always do amazing things together. Made for each other.”

With Dunne’s and Skenes’ fortune in mind, one TikTok user remarked, “I’m honestly shocked you guys don’t have a movie theater like this in your own home.”

According to reports, the couple has a combined net worth of $11 million, with Dunne at $6 million and Skenes at around $5 million.

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How Olivia Dunne And Paul Skenes Make Time For Each Other

Dunne and Skenes both have busy schedules, but despite that, they always find ways to make their relationship work. During an interview with PEOPLE, the former LSU Tiger opened up about how they combat long distance.

“Honestly, I don’t think we have any rules,” Dunne shared. “I just think being super present with one another while you’re together, while you have that time together, is super important.”

She continued, “I mean, he makes time to come to my events. I make time to go watch him pitch. I try to make every start I can.”

Being Supportive Of Each Other

Ever since confirming their relationship in August 2023, Dunne and Skenes have been supportive of each other’s careers.

“We both are so busy that we understand if one another can’t be there for everything,” Dunne told the magazine. “But I think just really valuing the time you spend together and being super present in every moment.”

College Sweethearts

In 2025, Dunne discussed what else works for their relationship.

“We don’t restrict each other from doing things,” she told PEOPLE. “I’ve been in relationships in the past like that — where it’s almost like you have a leash on you, you can’t do anything.”

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Dunne met Skenes while attending Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2023. She was part of LSU’s gymnastics team from 2020 to 2025, but has since retired from the sport. As for Skenes, he made his MLB debut in 2024.

“I would kind of see him around, and I was like, ‘Who is this tall guy — this tall mysterious man,’” Dunne recalled on Flau’jae Johnson’s “Best of Both Worlds” podcast in 2024. “I literally had no clue who he was, but I would just see him around.”

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The Uncertain Fate of Tom Hardy’s ‘MobLand’ Has Officially Been Decided

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The Harrigans have faced the most violent and explosive threats already. And it’s only been one season. MobLand turned Tom Hardy loose in the criminal underworld during its first season before expanding the family’s problems even further for Season 2, which hasn’t even premiered yet. But following speculation over the show’s future, particularly relating to Hardy, the path forward has just become clear.

Paramount+ has officially renewed MobLand for Season 3, with Hardy, Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye), and Helen Mirren (1923) all confirmed to return. The surprisingly early renewal arrives more than two weeks before Season 2 premieres on September 18, so that’s a major vote of confidence before audiences have seen what comes next for the Harrigans.

Hardy will return as Harry Da Souza, the one man army who has found himself caught in the middle of the family’s increasingly dangerous problems, while Brosnan and Mirren will also reprise their roles as the demented Conrad and Maeve Harrigan, the patriarch and matriarch at the center of the criminal empire.

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In season two, the Harrigans struggle to show a unified front as rising rivals threaten their fractured criminal empire – and Harry, their street-smart and formidable ‘fixer,’ must walk a dangerous tightrope when tensions within the family intensify. As violence spills into every corner of their lives, loyalties snap, safety proves temporary, and the battle for power leaves no room for mercy.



















































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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz
Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars

Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

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🌧️Blade Runner

🏜️Dune

🚀Star Wars

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01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.





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02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.





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03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.





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04

How do you deal with authority you don’t trust?
Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.





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05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term?
Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.





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06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.





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07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.





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08

What would actually make survival worth it?
Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.





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Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

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The Resistance, Zion

The Matrix
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You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

  • You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
  • You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
  • You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
  • The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.


The Wasteland

Mad Max
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The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

  • You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
  • You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
  • You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
  • In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.


Los Angeles, 2049

Blade Runner
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You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

  • You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
  • In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
  • You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
  • In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.


Arrakis

Dune
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Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

  • Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
  • You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
  • Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
  • In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.


A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars
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The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
  • You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
  • You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
  • In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.

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Who Stars in ‘MobLand’?

The second season will also bring back Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey), Lara Pulver (Sherlock), Anson Boon (Pistol), Mandeep Dhillon (After Life), Jasmine Jobson (Top Boy), Teddie Allen, and Emmett J. Scanlan (Peaky Blinders). Johnny Flynn, Ophelia Lovibond, Janet McTeer, and Toby Jones are also among the ensemble.

MobLand is commissioned by Paramount+ and produced in association with Paramount Television Studios and 101 Studios. Hardy also serves as an executive producer alongside Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen), David C. Glasser, Jez Butterworth, Ivan Atkinson, Dean Baker, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, and Keith Cox.

The early renewal means Paramount+ won’t have to leave viewers wondering about the show’s future as Season 2 unfolds. More importantly, with Hardy, Brosnan, and Mirren already locked in to return, whatever happens during the upcoming 10 episodes won’t mark the end of the Harrigans’ bloody fight for power.

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MobLand Season 2 premieres September 18 on Paramount+, with Season 3 officially on the way.


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Release Date
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March 30, 2025

Network

Paramount+

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Directors

Daniel Syrkin

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    Pierce Brosnan

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    Conrad Harrigan

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Coach Alum Shelley Fabares’ Cause of Death Revealed

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New details have emerged about the death of One Day at a Time and Coach alum Shelley Fabares.

Fabares died at age 82 on August 22, with her immediate cause of death listed as acute respiratory disease, reported People on Wednesday, September 2, citing the star’s death certificate.

The death certificate also listed primary pneumonia as a condition that resulted in her death, reported the outlet. The report noted that Fabares was diagnosed with pneumonia in the weeks before her death and later diagnosed with acute respiratory disease in the days before she died, per People.

Fabares’ family previously told People that the actress had died of pneumonia.

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Related: Celebrity Deaths of 2026: Carla Jeffery, More Stars We‘ve Lost This Year

Hollywood mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2026. In June, legendary music executive Clive Davis also died at age 94 following a hospitalization for an upper respiratory infection. The following month, G.R.L. member Lauren Bennett died at age 37, while Bonnie Tyler died at 75. Emergency!‘s Randolph Mantooth and Police […]

The actress and singer was reportedly cremated on August 28.

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“To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort,” her family said in a statement announcing her death last month. “She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member, and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humor, and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.”

“For millions, Shelley was a beloved actress whose work became part of the fabric of American television and film,” the statement continued. “From her memorable role as Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show, where she also launched a successful recording career with her number one hit, ‘Johnny Angel,’ to her appearances opposite Elvis Presley in three films, her beloved role on Coach, and her many other television and film performances, she brought talent, intelligence, and warmth to every performance. But to those closest to her, her greatest legacy was personal: the love she gave so freely, the friendships she treasured, and the family bonds she held dear.”

The statement added, “We will remember Shelley for her kindness, loyalty, wit, courage, and beautiful spirit. We will miss her deeply — not only as a celebrated performer, but as the loving and extraordinary person she was in our everyday lives.”

Tim Currys Official Cause of Death and More Top Us Stories


Related: Tim Curry’s Cause of Death at 80 and More Top Us Stories

Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on September 2, 2026. Here are the key takeaways: • Tim Curry‘s cause of death was coronary artery disease, according to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health records obtained by Us. The Rocky Horror Picture Show star’s records also […]

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Fabares’ Coach costar, Craig T. Nelson, remembered working alongside the actress in a statement to Entertainment Weekly in August, describing her as “just an extraordinary woman.”

“She was welcoming in the midst of chaos and always someone I could go to for advice and counsel, not only myself but others as well. I’ll remember you with love, Shelley Fabares,” Nelson said.

Fabares is survived by her husband, M*A*S*H actor Mike Farrell.

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The 10 Bleakest Animated Movies of All Time, Ranked

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Two dogs swimming away from soldiers in The Plague Dogs

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the movies discussed!

Animation isn’t a genre: it’s a medium unto itself, a kind of filmmaking capable of telling unique stories in ways that no other kind of movie can imitate. It’s the perfect realm for filmmakers’ imaginations to run wild, for them to harness the medium’s virtual visual limitlessness to tell whatever narrative they want to tell in whatever way they can think of. Sometimes, though, those narratives can get gloomy — very, very gloomy.

It’s one thing for an animated movie to be dark, but it’s a whole other step up for it to be hopelessly bleak. These are movies that aren’t just dark-toned: they’re harrowing experiences that very rarely have an ending that one could reasonably call “happy” in any sense, if ever. From older classics to more modern cult gems, history’s bleakest animated films prove that animation is most definitely not just for kids.

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10

‘The Plague Dogs’ (1982)

Two dogs swimming away from soldiers in The Plague Dogs
Two dogs swimming away from soldiers in The Plague Dogs
Image via Embassy Pictures

Martin Rosen hasn’t made very many films, but he’s nevertheless one of the most underappreciated animation directors of the 20th century. He made two movies based on novels by Richard Adams, the second one being The Plague Dogs. It’s about two dogs escaping from a lab and being chased as possible carriers of the bubonic plague.

Even though the film is considerably less well-known and iconic than Rosen’s other noteworthy animated film, it’s still a fantastic movie, ingeniously directed, beautifully written, and visually striking. That doesn’t mean, however, that The Plague Dogs is an enjoyable film in the traditional sense — quite the opposite, in fact. Shocking, unflinching, and a brutal experience for animal lovers, it’s a loud bark against animal abuse that refuses to go unheard.

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9

‘Watership Down’ (1978)

Two rabbits in the forest in Watership Down (1978) Image via Cinema International Corporation

Martin Rosen’s better-known adaptation of a Richard Adams novel, Watership Down has for long been considered one of the saddest animated films ever created — and for good reason. Beautifully animated and intellectually stimulating (certainly much more so for adults than for children), it’s a landmark in the history of British animation. As far as the medium goes, it’s one of the best movies of the 1970s.

Watership Down is a violent, carefully paced study of authoritarianism, survival, and politics, but with rabbits. It’s a simple gimmick on paper, but it works like a charm. Nevertheless, it’s a bleak, upsetting, utterly frightening film, even if things do end on a decently happy note. Sometimes, a happy ending isn’t really enough to offset an entire two acts’ worth of nightmarish political horror seen through the eyes of cute bunny rabbits.

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8

‘A Scanner Darkly’ (2006)

A close up of an animated Keanu Reeves in A Scanner Darkly
A close up of an animated Keanu Reeves in A Scanner Darkly
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Richard Linklater loves experimenting with different genres and techniques. With A Scanner Darkly, he jumped into the field of animation for a second time — and the result is stunning. Arguably Keanu Reeves’ most mind-bending movie (yes, The Matrix included), it’s a faithful adaptation of a novel by legendary sci-fi author Philip K. Dick.

The film’s dazzling visual style, created through interpolated rotoscope animation (a far-too-rare technique in the industry nowadays), isn’t just an empty gimmick. Made to look like a comic book or graphic novel, A Scanner Darkly first unsettles the audience’s eyes so it can then riddle their minds with a plot built on top of drug use and political instability. There’s some humor here and there, but the chillingly pitch-black tone is constant, and the movie certainly doesn’t have audiences smiling in joy by the time the credits roll.

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7

‘Padak’ (2012)

A mackarel looking at a dead fish in a fish tank in 'Padak' Image via CJ Entertainment

Criminally underseen, and therefore criminally underrated, Padak is a South Korean film about a mackerel from the ocean trying to escape from a restaurant aquarium tank before he’s eaten. Those who think this looks like a cutesy Finding Nemo rip-off ought to think twice: Padak is one of the most brutal animated movies they’ll ever come across.

Padak is psychological survival horror through and through, with some biting social commentary and a critique of the sadistic treatment of animals that is horrifying enough to put anyone off eating sushi for a few months. It’s not often that animated movies where the characters are cute animals end with the majority of said animals — the protagonist included — being eaten alive. Not exactly the kind of stuff you see in a Disney flick.

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6

‘Perfect Blue’ (1997)

A distressed woman with blood on her face in Perfect Blue.
A distressed woman with blood on her face in Perfect Blue.
Image via Rex Entertainment

Satoshi Kon was one of the greatest anime filmmakers of all time, and his untimely passing was one of the industry’s saddest moments. Nevertheless, the legacy he left behind was four exceptional animated movies, the best of which is arguably the psychological thriller Perfect Blue. Brilliantly surrealistic and stunningly animated, it’s one of the best anime films ever made.

Perfect Blue‘s blending of fantasy and reality is perfect, successfully placing the audience inside the fragmented headscape of the perfection-obsessed protagonist. The result is a disturbing, violent, often confusing film that borders on being horror, throwing increasingly dark and unhinged scenes and character moments at the audience relentlessly.

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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz
Which Oscar Best Picture
Is Your Perfect Movie?

Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country

Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.

🪜Parasite

🌀Everything Everywhere

☢️Oppenheimer

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🐦Birdman

🪙No Country for Old Men

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01

What kind of film experience do you actually want?
The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.





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02

Which idea grabs you most in a film?
Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?





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03

How do you like your story told?
Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.





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04

What makes a truly great antagonist?
The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?





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05

What do you want from a film’s ending?
The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?





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06

Which setting pulls you in most?
Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.





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07

What cinematic craft impresses you most?
Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.





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08

What kind of main character do you root for?
The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.





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09

How do you feel about a film that takes its time?
Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.





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10

What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema?
The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?





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The Academy Has Decided
Your Perfect Film Is…

Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.

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Parasite

You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.

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Everything Everywhere All at Once

You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.

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Oppenheimer

You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.

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Birdman

You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.

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No Country for Old Men

You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.

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5

‘Mad God’ (2021)

A masked figure standing in a dark room holding up a light in Mad God - 2021
A masked figure standing in a dark room in Mad God – 2021
Image via Shudder

Phil Tippett is, first and foremost, a visual effects supervisor and producer — one of the field’s biggest and most impactful exponents. During the ’90s, though, he started working on his directing debut, Mad God. It turned out to be a passion project that took around three decades to complete, but the effort was very much worth it. It’s a movie that’s guaranteed to become a cult classic in not too many years.

Mad God is an unhinged ride into the depths of Hell, a film that gleefully keeps pushing the limits of what audiences consider grotesque and disgusting. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart; there’s no doubt about that, but those with the stomach to not just tolerate, but enjoy a movie so bleak, jarring, and surrealistic are sure to have an unforgettable ride with Tippett’s twisted little brain child.

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4

‘Where the Dead Go to Die’ (2012)

A disturbing scene in a field of sunflowers in 'Where the Dead Go to Die' Image via Unearthed Films

A film being bleak doesn’t necessarily imply that it’s good. Indeed, the straight-to-video cult classic Where the Dead Go to Die, a clear example of extreme cinema and exploitation horror, isn’t typically praised as a particularly high-quality movie. Nevertheless, any list of the bleakest animated films ever is incomplete without at least a mention of this ultra-mega-hyper-violent movie.

The animation is ugly and off-putting by design; the tastelessly gratuitous violence and darkness are too much to stomach for most viewers, and the senseless story isn’t exactly aided by the cheap use of lazy scares. Nevertheless, those who love über-dark animation simply have to check this one out at some point. Though it’s definitely not good, it’s so bizarre in the things it attempts that, at the very least, it’s absolutely unforgettable.

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3

‘Anomalisa’ (2015)

David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh lying on a bed in Anomalisa Image via Paramount Pictures

Charlie Kaufman, best known as a screenwriter (perhaps the greatest in the industry today), has also directed a few movies here and there. His second directing effort and his first (and thus far only) animated movie was co-directed with Duke Johnson. It’s Anomalisa, a wild trip of a movie full of Kaufman’s signature blend of existential dread and absurdist surrealism.

With its distinct puppet-based stop-motion animation and one of animation’s greatest screenplays ever, Anomalisa is a profoundly thoughtful study of romance, aging, and human connections, the likes of which only an artist like Kaufman could have delivered. It’s filled to the brim with the same kind of neurotic cynicism and depressing bleakness that characterizes the writer-director’s work, but the bits and pieces of hope and humanism that he sprinkles in boost the experience tremendously.

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2

‘Grave of the Fireflies’ (1988)

Seita and Setsuko walk in a field of flowers and fireflies in Grave of the Fireflies.
Seita and Setsuko walk in a field of flowers and fireflies in Grave of the Fireflies.
Image via Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli filmmakers create art pieces that aren’t afraid to dive into sadder bits of the human condition than the majority of animation, but never has any of them made a film more gut-wrenching than Isao Takahata‘s Grave of the Fireflies. This absolutely soul-shattering World War II drama based on a true story is enough to leave any animation fan crying on the floor for hours.

Led by two of Studio Ghibli’s best characters, the sad animated film does something that the war genre often likes to do: evaluate the nature of war as an innocence destroyer by showing it through the eyes of children. However, few anti-war films with child protagonists are as effective as this one. Stunningly animated, beautifully written and directed, and chilling to its core, Grave of the Fireflies is one of the legendary anime studio’s best outings.

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1

‘Waltz With Bashir’ (2008)

Ari Folman looking out at the water beside a car in 'Waltz with Bashir' Image via Sony Pictures Classics

Perhaps it’s because it’s a documentary. Perhaps it’s because it’s so richly constructed and made with such emotional rawness. Perhaps it’s because of how terrifyingly timely its themes feel. It’s likely because of all of that and more. The fact of the matter is that Waltz With Bashir, one of 2008’s most essential films, is the bleakest animated movie ever made.

A masterfully paced and structured examination of Israeli occupation, the value of memories, and the surreal nature of wartime violence, Waltz With Bashir is a masterpiece that shows the creative extent to which animation can be taken when placed in the right hands. It’s perhaps the most emotionally flooring experience that animation cinema has to offer, but it’s oh so worth it.


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Waltz with Bashir

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Release Date

June 12, 2008

Runtime
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90 Minutes

Director

Ari Folman

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Writers

Ari Folman

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If You Love ‘Neuromancer,’ You Need To Read This Near-Perfect Masterpiece

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The covers of the Centenal Cycle trilogy — Infomocracy, Null States, and State Tectonics — by Malka Older

We are only a few months away from Apple TV‘s Neuromancer adaptation, premiering on January 22, 2027. In the meantime, many science fiction fans have picked up the original 1984 novel by William Gibson — either for the first time, or for a much-deserved re-read. It’s a great time for fans of the cyberpunk genre, as they are exploring its roots and meeting it in the medium where it began. Looking back on cyberpunk can be enlightening, but the genre has never stopped advancing over the last five decades. Fans of Neuromancer will find many follow-up reads worth their time, but those that want to catch up on the cutting edge of cyberpunk should turn their eyes to Infomocracy by Malka Older.

Some might think it’s a stretch to refer to Infomocracy as “cyberpunk,” but it has many of the hallmarks that are most important to fans. The story is set in a futuristic world with all kinds of well-thought-out new technology, yet it’s very terrestrial, with no long space odysseys or intergalactic warfare. Instead, it explores a world that has embraced information technology so wholeheartedly that the entire globe now participates in “micro-democracy,” with areas as small as a city block voting for their own representatives. Of course, that kind of worldwide power struggle creates space for the cyberpunk staples we all want to see, from espionage and spyware to enhanced superhumans with retractable weapons hidden under their skin.

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‘Infomocracy’ is a Hopeful Sci-Fi Story

The covers of the Centenal Cycle trilogy — Infomocracy, Null States, and State Tectonics — by Malka Older
The covers of the Centenal Cycle trilogy — Infomocracy, Null States, and State Tectonics — by Malka Older
Image via Macmillan Books

The biggest difference between Neuromancer and Infomocracy — and perhaps the reason it isn’t often categorized as cyberpunk — is its comparatively hopeful tone. Neuromancer is told from the perspective of Case (Callum Turner), a young man who has suffered tremendously as a direct result of his futuristic setting, and who sees more horrors everywhere he turns. The whole book explores the ways in which each character on Case’s crew has been manipulated and hurt by the insatiable corporate plutocracy they live in, and no matter how hard they work, they can’t flip a switch and win equality for humanity — not even in the sequels.

Infomocracy has a very different tone from Neuromancer, and from many other bleak, noir-flavored cyberpunk stories. The story begins during the third-ever election cycle in this global system of micro-democracy, so the strengths and weaknesses of this relatively new form of government are still being tested. It also has various point-of-view characters, so we aren’t stuck in one headspace the way we are with Case. Infomocracy‘s Mishima is easy to compare to Neuromancer‘s Molly (Briana Middleton) since she is a spy and a fighter with weaponized augmentations, but even her perspective isn’t as dour as anything Gibson wrote.











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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz
Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
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Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

🌧️Blade Runner

🏜️Dune

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🚀Star Wars

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01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.





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02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.





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03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.





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04

How do you deal with authority you don’t trust?
Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.





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05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term?
Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.





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06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.





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07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.





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08

What would actually make survival worth it?
Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.





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Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

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The Resistance, Zion

The Matrix

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

  • You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
  • You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
  • You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
  • The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.

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The Wasteland

Mad Max

The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

  • You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
  • You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
  • You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
  • In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.

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Los Angeles, 2049

Blade Runner

You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

  • You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
  • In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
  • You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
  • In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.

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Arrakis

Dune

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

  • Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
  • You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
  • Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
  • In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.

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A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
  • You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
  • You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
  • In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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The real tone shift comes from Ken, an idealistic young campaigner working for an underdog political party called Policy1st. He’s realistic without coming off as naive, initially hoping his work in this election will help him climb the ladder to a better position down the line. Ken is the novel’s ground-level point of view, leading us through the futuristic city streets which are plastered with ads and computer interfaces, and introducing us to the real world that micro-democracy governs. The audience is able to question the faults of this system alongside Ken without feeling out of place or breaking their immersion.

Throughout all this drama, theoretical threats loom in the background, much like the corporations and artificial superintelligences in Gibson’s work. We are constantly reminded that, despite its faults, micro-democracy has successfully maintained global peace since its introduction, and no one wants a return to war of any kind. However, corporations are not above violence in order to achieve their ends, and the centralized tech monopoly Intelligence must also be willing to get its hands dirty to keep the wheels turning. Meanwhile, Older’s background in humanitarian aid and crisis response comes through in some of the book’s most stressful moments, reminding us that sometimes decisiveness is a virtue.

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‘Infomocracy’ Builds on ‘Neuromancer’

Neuromancer-Book-Cover
Neuromancer-Book-Cover
Image via Editora Aleph

Neuromancer is credited with popularizing and codifying the cyberpunk genre, and many of the biggest cyberpunk works since then have been inspired by it. Infomocracy and its sequels take that a step further. While the series is clearly inspired by cyberpunk ideas in some ways, Older didn’t bend her story to fit into the genre. It may stick out among cyberpunk recommendations, but that’s exactly the reason it’s worth reading.

Neuromancer itself will likely be changed when it hits Apple TV. Book adaptations never feel 100% faithful, even if that’s what the producers intended, and this will be no different. If the Neuromancer TV show is a re-examination of the book’s original ideas, then newer cyberpunk books like Infomocracy should definitely be in the conversation. Infomocracy is the first book in Older’s Centenal Cycle trilogy, which also includes Null States and State Tectonics. The story is finished, and is available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

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As for Neuromancer, the TV show premieres on Apple TV on January 22, 2027. The original novel is available in print, digital, and audiobook formats now, along with two sequels — Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive.


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Release Date
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January 22, 2027

Network

Apple TV+

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Showrunner

Graham Roland

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Tim Curry’s Cause of Death, More Top Us Stories

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Everything to Know About RHOSLC Alum Jen Shah's Legal Drama

Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on September 2, 2026. Here are the key takeaways:

Tim Curry‘s cause of death was coronary artery disease, according to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health records obtained by Us. The Rocky Horror Picture Show star’s records also listed a history of stroke and kidney cancer as contributing conditions. Curry was cremated on August 31, with his remains sent to the United Kingdom.

Billy Ray Cyrus publicly backed daughter Miley Cyrus dropping her last name in an Instagram post, writing, “Family means more than ever now.” He compared Miley’s move to mononymous icons like Dolly, Cher, Elvis and Prince, calling it “a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend” ahead of her upcoming album, Bass Persuades.

• A “frantic” 911 call surfaced in the death of adult film star Christian Styles, whose legal name was Zachary Jaghab. A police report exclusively obtained by Us revealed the caller performed CPR under a dispatcher’s guidance after the OnlyFans personality was found “not conscious” and “not breathing” on August 20. A cause of death has not been determined, and an investigation is ongoing.

Edited by Samantha Benitz. Story produced with AI assistance

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What happened to the cast of “Police Academy”? See the misfit recruits more than 40 years later

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Catch up with your favorite band of ne’er-do-well recruits as EW looks back at the cast of the original 1984 cop comedy.

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Taylor Frankie Paul ‘Accepted Proposal’ on Bachelorette

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Taylor Frankie Paul Confirms She Accepted Marriage Proposal on Bachelorette 1

Taylor Frankie Paul reveals some major spoilers from her cancelled season of The Bachelorette during upcoming Secret Lives of Mormon Wives episodes.

The Thursday, September 3, episode of Hulu’s “Get Real” podcast features an exclusive clip from SLOMW season 5 — where Taylor, 32, breaks down all of the Bachelor Nation drama.

In her discussion with costars Jessi Draper, Mikayla Matthews and Mayci Neeley, Taylor seemingly nods “no” when Jessi asks whether she’d “had sex” during Fantasy Suites. Taylor confirms that a suitor — presumably Doug Mason — did “get down on one knee and propose,” though there was major drama shortly after her engagement.

“[I said,] ‘Yes.’ Yes, I did [get engaged],” she revealed. “Then, I come home. Obviously [me and ex Dakota Mortensen] were texting. ‘When are you going to be home?’ I don’t know how it led to it but he came over.”

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Taylor Frankie Paul Confirms She Accepted Marriage Proposal on Bachelorette 1

Taylor Frankie Paul on “The Bachelorette”
Disney/Sami Drasin

“Umm … I think I know how that happened,” Mikayla, 26, quipped.

While Doug’s name is never directly mentioned during the clip, the SLOMW ladies essentially confirm his identity by revealing Taylor’s suitor has the “same initials” as Dakota. Taylor swore she was initially unaware of the many similarities between Doug and Dakota.

“I didn’t start thinking that until people said it around me,” she insisted.

Jessi seemed skeptical, replying, “They have the same initials. They’re both from Idaho. It’s so weird.”

Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette was originally supposed to premiere on ABC in February but was pulled off the lineup three days before its debut. At the time, Taylor and ex Dakota were embroiled in a domestic violence investigation in Utah.

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Taylor Frankie Paul Is Trying to Make It Work With Bachelorette Contestant Doug Mason


Related: Taylor Frankie Paul Is Seeing ‘Bachelorette’ Contestant After Axed Season

Taylor Frankie Paul is giving her romance with The Bachelorette contestant Doug Mason a second chance. A source exclusively tells Us Weekly that Taylor, 31, and Doug, 28, are “seeing each other” again and are “trying to make it work” after her season of the reality dating show was pulled by ABC. “They were hanging […]

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office ultimately decided not to press any criminal charges in the case — though Taylor has since been involved in two separate child custody battles with Dakota and her ex-husband, Tate Paul. (Taylor shares Indy May, 8, and Ocean, 6, with Tate while she and Dakota welcomed 2-year-old son Ever True in 2024.)

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With the domestic violence case dropped, Taylor signed and promoted a fan petition calling on ABC to air her season of The Bachelorette. The Change.org petition has since gained more than 25,000 signatures of support, as of publication.

“You guys started a petition for the show. I love you all,” she wrote via her Instagram Story in August.

Meanwhile, filming on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was temporarily halted in February though the full cast — sans Taylor — later returned to complete the season. Taylor reportedly shot news scenes for SLOMW’s opening credits but did not take part in any further group segments with the cast.

Taylor Frankie Paul Confirms She Accepted Marriage Proposal on Bachelorette 2

Taylor Frankie Paul on “The Bachelorette”
Disney/Michael Kirchoff

In May, Mormon Wives producer Jeff Jenkins confirmed that Taylor and Dakota will not be able to film scenes together for the foreseeable future, as they both have restraining orders requiring them to stay 100 feet away from each other for a period of three years. However, Jenkins hinted to Variety at the time that Taylor could be back to filming more regularly on SLOMW in the future.

“[Taylor is] just made for this,” Jenkins, 58, said in May. “To share her life on camera, she does it like breathing air. She doesn’t edit herself. She’s really built for this type of lane. So I’m very hopeful that she’ll be back very soon, and I’m hopeful we can do all sorts of other projects with her as well.”

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives viewers will presumably get to hear lots more about the scrapped season of The Bachelorette when season 5 premieres on Hulu Thursday, September 10.

If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

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Perez Hilton’s ‘Lost Decade’ Raises More Hospital Fears

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Perez Hilton at the 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

The online empire Perez Hilton spent years building is still operating without him, but the man behind the famous gossip brand is reportedly facing a far more personal crisis behind hospital walls. 

Nearly a month after a disturbing livestream led to his hospitalization, friends say Hilton’s recovery has become increasingly complicated. 

While family members work to manage his affairs and doctors oversee his treatment, those closest to the blogger claim his struggles now involve memory loss, isolation, and growing confusion about the life waiting for him outside.

Perez Hilton at the 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Even from a hospital bed, Perez Hilton is said to be fixated on the business that made him a household name.

According to a longtime family friend, one of the blogger’s biggest concerns has been the future of his celebrity news website. 

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Hilton reportedly has little way of knowing what is happening online and, as a result, he has repeatedly questioned friends and family about the site’s performance and public reaction to his hospitalization.

“He asked how the site is doing. He asked how people are talking about him – what they’re saying,” the friend said.

The concern comes at a particularly uncertain time. Sources told the Daily Mail that Hilton had already been looking beyond blogging before the incident, with several reality television opportunities reportedly failing to materialize. 

Although the shocking livestream initially drove a spike in traffic to his website, insiders claimed that surge did not last.

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Hilton’s Family Takes Charge As Recovery Continues

Perez Hilton attends ''Jigsaw'' Los Angeles Premiere held at ArcLight Hollywood
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

While public attention has centered on Perez Hilton’s condition, his family has quietly assumed responsibility for nearly every aspect of his life.

Sources say the media personality currently has no access to social media, his mobile phone, or the internet. Communication with the outside world has reportedly been limited to calls made through the hospital’s landline. 

During that time, his mother and sister have stepped in to oversee his affairs and coordinate his care.

“He can’t do any work at the moment. His family is handling all of his affairs,” a source explained, adding, “His mother and sister are making sure he is getting the best care. They are hopeful.”

The support system has become particularly important because friends describe Hilton as struggling to be consistent. One longtime family friend revealed that conversations could shift dramatically within minutes.

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“One minute he’s thinking about moving forward and making plans for when he’s back at work,” the friend noted. “The next minute he’s talking about walking away altogether.”

Those fluctuations have reportedly reinforced concerns that his recovery journey may be much longer than originally anticipated.

Perez Hilton Reportedly Believes He Has ‘Lost A Decade’

Perez Hilton Hospitalized After Self Harm LiveStream
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Perhaps the most troubling claims involve Hilton’s memory. According to sources close to the 48-year-old, he appears convinced that it is still 2016 and has difficulty understanding how much time has passed. 

Friends told the Daily Mail that he has seemingly “lost a decade,” leading to moments that are both confusing and heartbreaking for those around him.

One example reportedly involves Katy Perry. Hilton has allegedly asked friends to bring the singer to visit him, insisting they remain close friends. 

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Sources say he believes Perry is still part of his everyday life and reportedly argues that she “would be nowhere without him” because he helped champion her early career.

The requests have reportedly been difficult because, according to insiders, the two have had little contact in recent years.

A source close to Hilton described the situation bluntly, saying, “He is not all there.”

Friends say the confusion extends beyond celebrity relationships. They describe him as rambling, drifting between topics, and occasionally losing track of conversations altogether. 

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Although moments of clarity still occur, loved ones reportedly fear the cognitive challenges could become one of the most difficult parts of his recovery.

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Hilton’s Family Reveals What Triggered Emergency Move To Miami

Perez Hilton at the CATHEDRALE Grand Opening
KWKC/MEGA

As Perez Hilton’s loved ones continue trying to understand the events that led to his hospitalization, family members have shed more light on a turbulent chapter that began months before the August crisis. 

Before relocating to Florida this summer, Hilton had been living in Las Vegas with his three children. According to relatives, 2026 became one of the most challenging years of his life after he suffered a near-fatal battle with sepsis that left him hospitalized for 21 days. 

The health scare was later followed by additional complications, including a blood clot that required surgery, leaving those close to him concerned about both his physical and emotional well-being. 

Following that ordeal, Hilton decided in June to leave Las Vegas and return to his hometown of Miami, where his mother, sister, and extended family could provide support. 

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His brother-in-law Tom later explained that the move made sense because of the strong family network waiting for him there. 

“There is that structure of support there [in Miami] and he did just go through that near-fatal health scare,” Tom said on “The Perez Hilton Podcast With Chris Booker”. He admitted the move was “a little surprising” but noted that Hilton can sometimes be impulsive. 

Hilton himself acknowledged the transition wasn’t easy. Before his hospitalization, he spoke publicly about feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious about uprooting his children and starting over in Miami after several years in Las Vegas. 

Perez Hilton Granted Structured Path To See His Children

Perez Hilton speaking outside of Las Vegas courtroom
Image courtesy of Melanie Vanderveer/The Blast

As Hilton’s family works through the long recovery process, another significant development has centered on his relationship with his three children.

After the August crisis, Hilton’s mother, Teresita Lavandeira, sought temporary custody of Mario, Mia, and Mayte while their father remained hospitalized and under psychiatric care. 

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The Blast reported that a Miami judge later approved the request, creating a temporary arrangement to provide stability for the children while Hilton focused on recovery. 

The court also established a pathway for Hilton to maintain contact with his children. Under the order, he is eligible for supervised visitation, but only after receiving psychiatric clearance from medical professionals. 

Any visits must be supervised by an approved family member or mental health professional. Reports indicated that Hilton agreed to the arrangement.

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