By Chris Sawin
| Published 38 seconds ago

ChaO is the latest film from animation studio Studio 4°C. The studio was founded in 1995 and has an impressive back catalog, including Mind Game, MFKZ, and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko. ChaO took seven years to make. While the film includes several instances of CGI and digital effects, ChaO was made with over 100,000 hand-drawn animations, achieved the old-fashioned way on paper.

Man And Mermaid Sitting In A Tree!

ChaO is the first feature film from Yasuhiro Aoki. He directed the “In Darkness Dwells” segment of Batman: Gotham Knight and served as a key animator on The Animatrix. Written by Hanasaki Kino, ChaO takes place in the year 20XX. The world is now a place where humans and the Merman Kingdom coexist. However, the merman race is rebelling against manmade ships. The propeller has been inadvertently massacring fish for too long. King Neptunus of the Merman Kingdom demands a change. Meanwhile, the ship manufacturer’s CEO, Mr. Sea, struggles to find a feasible solution.

Stephan, a young man who works for Mr. Sea, has dreamed of leading a project called AirJet, which would replace a ship’s screw propellers with compressed air. As Stephan struggles with his alarm clock and attempts to feel like his work is meaningful, an accident on Mr. Sea’s boat changes everything. Stephan is knocked unconscious, and he wakes up in the hospital, engaged to the princess of Merman Kingdom – a plump, human-sized, apricot-colored fish that he nicknames ChaO.

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

There’s a Shallow Hal element to ChaO that’s fascinating. Stephan doesn’t understand why he has to marry into the Merman Kingdom and constantly calls ChaO a “fish,” which almost comes across as a derogatory term in the film. But there are moments when you catch glimpses of ChaO’s more human form, usually associated with water in some capacity (looking through the spray of a fountain or seeing her sleep in a bathtub). The Merman race will remain in their human form on land once they’re comfortable, and seeing how long it takes ChaO to adjust is part of why ChaO isn’t your average animated film.

The film is about accepting individuals of other cultures. King Neptunus seems more than capable of destroying humankind if pushed far enough, especially with what he shows at the end. His human form looks a lot like Aquaman. His natural form is the same, complete with tattoos and a beard, except he’s an orca. He rides around on a whale on land most of the time. People want the Merman relationship to flourish. That’s why Stephan’s marriage to ChaO is so crucial to keeping the peace. Their relationship is a symbol of coexistence, and Stephan has a vision to keep the seas safer for Mermen, which benefits everyone.

Not Your Average Rom Com

As an animated film, ChaO offers a vastly unique ambiance. Backgrounds are detailed, but messy. The outlines lack any real pattern, colors are splotchy, and characters look wobbly and wavy. The visuals feel like the animation styles of Home Movies and Tekkonkinkreet were intertwined. It’s also interesting to note that not all human people look the same. Some of the population look like Stephan, who’s long and slender. Then there are other people who are shorter, stouter, and have massive heads.

It feels like ChaO blends many genres into one film. At its core, ChaO is a romantic comedy with an adventurous concept. The humor is often ridiculous. For example, the reporter Juno refers to his chief editor as “Boobie rocket missiles” because of her large assets. The ambassador character is extremely masculine, dressed in feminine attire, and constantly picks their nose, wiping boogers on Stephan’s shoulder. Some humor comes from little things you notice, like Stephan’s friends, Robert’s inventions, or ChaO wearing giant orange sneakers in her fish form while walking around the city.

There are martial arts action scenes. A giant robot wreaks havoc on the city. Although it’s a Japanese film, the characters live in a town called Shanghai, which isn’t confusing at all. There’s also an intense racing sequence. You think the cat plastered to the hood is just decoration, but once everything calms down, it begins licking itself.

A Multi-Genre Adventure Coming To Theaters

With all of that going on, ChaO finds at least one more way to surprise you. Stephan begins as a not very likable and selfish character. You sympathize with him slightly at first as he has to marry a different species for the good of humankind and sea-kind, but ChaO is adorable from the moment she’s introduced. She makes mistakes since she’s not accustomed to what can and can’t be done on land, but she loves Stephan wholeheartedly and always means well.

The entire film sees Stephan trying to make it work, but mostly teetering on the edge of never being able to. The things ChaO has been saying since they first met have meaning that is eventually explained, and it all comes together in this action-packed, emotional extravaganza of an ending.

ChaO delivers in that it spans a wide range of genres and makes you feel a spectrum of emotions in the span of an hour and a half. Its unusual animation style makes it more memorable, since it doesn’t look like anything else out there and will be remembered for its extraordinary, one-of-a-kind aesthetic. It also helps that it’s hilarious.

ChaO will be released theatrically on April 10.

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14.

One major storyline of The Pitt Season 2 revolves around the tension between two senior attending physicians at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. On one side is Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), a character who’s been easy to root for due to Wyle’s days on ER and Robby’s capabilities as a doctor. As Season 2 reveals, however, Robby is also a man who’s one shift away from a sabbatical he might not return from. On the other side is Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi), who’s set to take over for Robby while he’s gone for the next three months.

Unlike Robby, Al-Hashimi mostly appears to have it together, but there have been odd moments throughout this Fourth of July shift where she’ll stop what she’s doing and stare off into the distance during crucial moments. In this week’s penultimate episode of Season 2, the truth behind those pauses is revealed when Al-Hashimi chooses to confide in Robby. She may have wished she’d kept it to herself, though, because the truth may end up costing her the job she’s about to take on alone.

Dr. Al-Hashimi Has Been Behaving Strangely on ‘The Pitt’ Season 2

When Dr. Al-Hashimi first appears on the scene, it’s easy to distrust her, especially because she’s set up to be Dr. Robby’s replacement as senior attending. She also has a very different way of doing things; Robby prefers a more old-school approach to medicine, while Al-Hashimi supports integrating new technology, including the use of A.I., which some of the other doctors balk at.

Related

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Who knew the Pitt’s most self-centered character had this kind of depth in him?

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Despite this complicated intro, Al-Hashimi’s character evolves throughout Season 2. She comes out of her shell at times, and as she opens up, her willingness to make jokes and tease Dr. Robby has surprised even him throughout the shift. Yet, amidst Al-Hashimi visibly lowering her guard, something much more serious seems to be going on. At various intervals, for a few seconds, Al-Hashimi freezes, staring off into the distance. The first time happens early on in the season, when she’s checking in on the abandoned Baby Jane Doe, but it’s also occurred several more times since — and those instances have gotten the attention of Robby as well as other doctors and nurses working in the Pitt.

‘The Pitt’ Season 2’s Penultimate Episode Reveals the Truth Behind Al-Hashimi’s Behavior

Everyone at The Pitt seems to have some sort of emotional trauma going on; with the high stress and high stakes of their job, how could they not? It’s different with Al-Hashimi, though, since the audience doesn’t know much about her, so early theories began to take shape online about what those freezes were really about. Had she lost an infant patient before, or perhaps even her own child? Before becoming part of the staff at PTMC, she used to work at the VA, and a conversation with Dr. Jack Abbot (Shawn Hatosy) also reveals that she previously worked overseas. Could it be possible that she has post-traumatic stress from something in her past?

In the closing moments of Episode 14, all is revealed when Al-Hashimi approaches Robby and asks him to give his honest opinion on a case. Robby is beyond done with this shift, but he agrees to help. The patient chart Al-Hashimi presents is for a 40-year-old who has had a history of seizures since the age of five, when she contracted viral meningitis. It doesn’t take long for Robby to put the pieces together: “Baran, is this you?” She can only look at him with a face full of pain. Now, it’s clear: every time Al-Hashimi has seemingly spaced out, she’s been having a seizure.

Dr. Al-Hashimi’s Decision To Tell Dr. Robby the Truth Has a Deeper Meaning

Image via HBO Max

While this is arguably one of The Pitt‘s most shocking moments this season, it’s also surprisingly sweet. Robby has spent many episodes being unkind to his replacement, along with almost everyone else, but Al-Hashimi seeks him out because, in her words during the shift, “After working with you, Dr. Robinavitch, I’ve come to respect your opinion.” Before the truth comes out, the moment already has greater significance. Al-Hashimi not only respects Robby’s status as senior attending, but as a fellow physician — and if anyone can help her, it’s him.

However, Al-Hashimi may regret her honesty because she doesn’t know that Robby is already on the verge of a bigger breakdown. While this could be one more thing to push him over the edge, it could also mean the end of her time on The Pitt. She’s on the verge of taking over Robby’s role, but now she’s dealing with seizures on top of everything else. How will she be able to keep working, especially in high-pressure situations where freezing up for a few seconds could be costly? Over the course of a single shift, Al-Hashimi has grown into a strong candidate to replace Robby, but before the day ends, she could be packing her bags.

If I want to see cats fight, I have four of them in my home.

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 25 seconds ago

The trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was released this week, and so far, it seems like merely a visit among the legacy characters with a new character thrown in to make it look like Andy and Miranda have been doing something for the past 20 years. What little of the plot was revealed centers around a scandal Miranda is experiencing, and she has retained her old assistant Andy as a consultant to help navigate the storm.

This results in lots of scenes of Andy with legacy characters Emily and Nigel, trying on clothes and walking around in them, showing off. Once or twice, we’re treated to a snarky comment from Miranda in which she picks on Andy’s sense of fashion or down-home sensibility. It’s as though nothing has changed at the magazine Miranda is editor of, not even the styles the models are adorned in.

We are treated to bits of recap from the original film, when Andy is telling newcomer Amari all about her adventures in the previous film. What we’re not shown a lot of is what is going to happen next. None of the lines are funny on their own. Some of them are sarcastic and caustic but most of them are just Andy, Emily, and Miranda sniping at one another like three little boys in an insult contest, with Andy taking the brunt of the attacks, as usual.

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Sure, there’s lots of pretty clothes and shots of big fancy parties in big fancy places where people strut around like living mannequins to exhibit the fashions, and I suppose that’s the main thing we want from a Devil Wears Prada movie, but the majority of the trailer was merely a commercial for Paris Fashion Week with a few celebrities in the mix.

More Of The Same 20 Years In The Making

Not even the presence of new addition Simone Ashley as Amari could save the trailer. Ashley, known for her role as Olivia in the British high school comedy drama Sex Education, and as Kate Sharma in Bridgerton, plays the girl working the post Andy formerly worked. Ashley’s strength as an actress is in playing “bitches with a heart of gold,” and she seems typecast as the cold and disdainful Amari, but the character fits right into Miranda Priestly’s world.

The strength of the first movie was how Andy was a fish out of water at the fashion magazine while Amari seems to be an Emily-in-training. I don’t know what the movie gains by circling the wagons around women whose main sport is cutting one another down, but the trailer indicates that Ashley’s talent is going to be wasted playing yet another Olivia or Kate Shwarma.

The Sequel Trailer Ain’t Sequeling

It has been exactly 20 years since the iconic hit comedy The Devil Wears Prada was released. Anne Hathaway starred as Andy Sachs, a young intern fresh out of college who wants to become a journalist, but winds up hired into the fashion magazine world of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the most demanding boss in Manhattan.

Throughout the movie, Miranda exercises her power as a fashion maven with an iron grip over her entire staff, including Andy, Miranda’s other co-assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), and fashion guru Nigel (Stanley Tucci), demanding such impossible tasks as an airline flight during a hurricane and an advance copy of the then-unpublished sixth Harry Potter novel. The movie was based on a book by Lauren Weisberger about her time working for fashion icon Anna Wintour, and both book and movie skewer the industry through the Wintour analog of Miranda. The movie was such a runaway success that even Wintour loved it, despite it parodying her.

A sequel should deliver on more of the same from its predecessor while also adding something new. The Devil Wears Prada 2 seems to give us the “more of the same part,” but seems to have avoided giving audiences much that is all that new in favor of a cynical and nostalgic cash grab that seems a mere remake of the original movie with some extra ambition on Andy’s part thrown in for good measure. Is Andy still going to be the innocent, or have the intervening 20 years turned her fully into another Miranda?

After watching this trailer, I’m not sure I care. If I want to see cats fight, I have four of them in my home. I don’t need to pay money to a theater to watch them do it on screen for no reason. At least the first movie was funny, but this trailer is devoid of humor and did not make me want to see a movie that I’ve been excited about since it was announced.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters on May 1, 2026.

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Revival series are all the rage when it comes to beloved older sitcoms. Now, the latest show to return to the airwaves is none other than “Malcolm in the Middle,” which aired on Fox for seven seasons. The new show, “Malcolm in the Middle: Life is Still Unfair,” is set to premiere in April and will feature Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Justin Berfield, and Christopher Masterson returning.

Erik Per Sullivan is the only original cast member not to return. Now, ahead of the premiere, reviews for the new show are mostly positive.

Early Reviews Heap Praise On The ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Revival

The review embargo for “Malcolm in the Middle: Life Is Still Unfair” was lifted on April 9. Currently, the show sits at an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Although lower than many expected, this easily makes the show “certified fresh” on the platform. This is based on 27 reviews.

One reviewer, Akos Peterbencze from Looper.com, wrote, “I can’t speak for every fan, but ‘Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair’ is almost every bit as delightful, bonkers, and mad fun as the original was.”

Robert Lloyd from the LA Times stated, “It’s true to itself. It gets a little sentimental and a little serious in the clutch; there will be closure, self-realization, and ego death. And, as if embarrassed by the whole business, the show will do something crazy to blast the tear from your eye.”

Lastly, Alan Sepinwall from What’s Alan Watching said, “If Boomer and the others wanted to keep periodically returning to these misfits, I would grow wary. But in the short-term, there’s just enough of that old ‘Malcolm’ feeling that I was glad, Mr. Cranston, to get more of this.”

Not All Critics Are Happy With The ‘Malcolm’ Series

Regarding the reception to “Malcolm in the Middle: Life is Still Unfair,” there are also several negative reviews, with some stating that the show overall just doesn’t work the way the creators intended. In a negative review, Dave Nemetz from TV Guide wrote, “Family reunions are nice and all… but this one might only prove you really can’t go home again.”

Nathan Chizen from Exclaim! said, “The original Malcolm in the Middle looks like a product of its time, and, unfortunately, so does its revival.” Additionally, Aramide Tinubu said for Variety, “This finale certainly has a heartfelt moment or two, but the show overall is wholly unnecessary.”

Lastly, Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter reviewed the show, saying, “Life’s Still Unfair is far from comfort food. It’s bizarrely discomfiting. It’s almost audaciously unpleasant.”

Still, some of the negative reviews praised the performances, especially those of Cranston and Kaczmarek.

What To Know About The ‘Malcolm’ Revival Series

“Malcolm in the Middle: Life Is Still Unfair” has been in the works for quite some time now. Filming for the show reportedly began in April 2025 and concluded the following month. From there, Hulu and Disney+ announced in December that the show would premiere on April 10.

In total, the limited series will consist of four episodes. Regarding the plot, it involves Muniz returning to the role of Malcolm, this time estranged from his family, including Cranson’s Hal, Kaczmarek’s Lois, and Berfield’s Reece.

As mentioned, Sullivan won’t be returning to the show as Dewey. Instead, the role will be played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark as Sullivan is currently studying at Harvard and has left acting behind. The cast held the series’ premiere event in New York City on April 7.

Bryan Cranston Says Comedy Is Essential

Cranston has made a major name for himself since the end of “Malcolm in the Middle” with more serious roles, such as in “Breaking Bad.” However, in a recent interview with The Guardian, the veteran actor opened up about why comedies, like the new show, are “essential.”

He told the outlet, “Comedy is essential right now. It’s not even important. It’s essential. Because it’s a break from the bombardment of non-stop information. People who have the news on 24 hours a day in their homes, I don’t think they realize the damage they’re doing. You might as well make a house full of asbestos or just have radiation constantly emitting through your house.”

He went on to joke about appearing naked on camera, including in the official trailer for “Malcolm in the Middle: Life is Still Unfair.”

The actor said, “Taking my clothes off seems to be my whole life. I thought a nudity clause meant that it was circumspect as to when someone was going to be naked. I didn’t know my agent viewed a nudity clause as ‘nudity is essential.’ So here I am, a 70-year-old man parading around in his skivvies – or less.”

Frankie Muniz Recently Reflected On Getting Older

It has been almost 20 years since “Malcolm in the Middle” ended its original run in May 2006. Now, with the reboot, the chartacters are are all more advanced in life. Recently, Muniz spoke with USA Today, saying he can’t believe he’s now in his 40s, as Malcolm is on the show.

He told the outlet, “I ride a Peloton, and now it says ‘Frankie Muniz, 40s.’ I’m like, ‘Whoa, bro, my mom’s 40.’ She’s not; she’s 70, but in my head, I think that.”

The actor also reflected on now being near the same age as Cranston was when he began playing his dad on the original show. According to Muniz, “It’s pretty wild when you think that because I remember thinking he’s so old, you know? I’m not that old!”

By TeeJay Small
| Published 13 seconds ago

Stephen Colbert has already managed to have a generational television run over the course of the past several decades. Whether you were a fan of his satire on The Colbert Report, or his more straightforward material on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, it’s hard to ignore the impact that the 61-year-old has had thus far. Of course, The Late Show is slated to come to a close this May, leaving many to wonder exactly what Colbert and his crew will do next.

Now, thanks to a write-up in Variety, we can confirm that Stephen Colbert will continue working as a writer, but he’ll be taking a more serious dramatic pivot. The comedian’s next chapter will include a co-writing credit on a new Lord of the Rings film titled Shadow of the Past. While discussing this surprising change of pace on a recent episode of the Smartless podcast, Colbert compared his trajectory to that of Saturday Night Live‘s Bill Hader.

The Colbert/Hader Parallel

During the Smartless interview, which was recorded before the news of Shadow of the Past was made public, Colbert made attempts to dodge questions about his next big project. Rather than giving a direct answer, he explained “the person who did the thing I most admire — I mean, not most admire, but the thing that really struck me is, you know what Hader did when he left SNL? He went and wrote for South Park for a season.”

The late night host concluded that working on an established IP that you love, and one to which you hold a personal attachment, is a great way to get your own creative juices flowing, and jumpstart something fresh and new in your artistic career. It’s worth noting that Bill Hader has since gone on to create and star in HBO’s Barry, which has earned countless accolades and an overwhelmingly positive response from critics. Hader also back-doored a promising career as a director through the series, and has since secured a deal with MRC to helm a psychological horror movie titled They Know.

Colbert’s Transition To Middle Earth Makes Sense

Fans of Stephen Colbert will be quick to point out that the comedian is a hardcore Tolkien fan. Needless to say, he’s probably more than happy to hang up his mantle as a late night host in favor of taking a hands-on role in the future of the expansive Lord of the Rings franchise. For now, details regarding Shadow of the Past are scant, but Colbert has confirmed that the narrative will be adapted from cut content originally slated for The Fellowship of the Ring.

It’s unclear at this time if Colbert will be punching up the script with his trademark blend of witty one-liners, or if he’ll be playing things entirely straight, and harnessing his inner LOTR fanaticism to deliver something as powerful and moving as Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. Either way, it could be the start of something completely unexpected. Nobody could have anticipated Bill Hader’s transformation on Barry, both as a serious performer and as a shockingly promising director. If that career change is any indication of what we’re getting with Colbert, it’s certainly worth following along.

G Herbo and Taina Williams have taken over the internet with their tropical getaway as they celebrate her 28th birthday. Between the baecation vibes, bikini pics with her homegirls, and nonstop fun in the Dominican Republic, it’s clear they are having a time. But in the midst of all of that, Herb had fans zooming in on something that just proved he’s all the way in is his lover boy era.

RELATED: Twenty ATE! Taina Williams Gags Fans With NEW Look Amid G Herbo’s Sweet Birthday Shoutout (PHOTOS)

New Ink, Same Love: G Herbo Shows Out For Taina Williams

G Herbo is in love with Taina Williams and he shows it off with no hesitation.  The rapper has been vacationing with his fiancée while celebrating her birthday, which was on April 1. The vibes have been on a 1000 throughout their trip, but fans just got a closer look at how deep their bond really runs. Taina dropped a photo of her and Herb locking lips, and while her huge engagement ring wasn’t hard to miss fans were busy zooming in on something else in the photo — Herb’s fresh face tattoo. The new ink is Taina’s name going down the side of his face, right near his sideburn. Folks online were hype to see the fresh tat with many saying that it proves he’s in his lover boy bag and wants to keep his Queen close at all times.

The Internet Is Livin’ For Herb’s Lover Boy Era

Folks over in The Shade Room comment section were here for Herb’s energy. Plenty of fans dropped fire and red heart emojis, while others said they enjoy seeing him and Taina happy and in love.

Instagram user @pizzaoverlove wrote, “He love that girl ❤️❤️❤️” 

Instagram user @model_bishh wrote, “Yessssss🔥🔥” 

While Instagram user @famouskillake wrote, “Let them people be happy 🥴👏🏽❤️” 

Then Instagram user @keykisses wrote, “He’s so in love… 🔥” 

Another Instagram user @_trendsettah_ wrote, “They so cute 😍🔥” 

Instagram user @reginaebria wrote, “I love this for themmmmm!🥰😍” 

While another Instagram user @javincabowens_ wrote, “We support parents loving each other correctly 🔥” 

Finally, Instagram user @prncess.goat wrote, “Herb is in loveeeeee. As he shouldddd😍” 

G Herbo Pops Out With Taina For A Lil’ TikTok Vacay Flex

Tattoos aren’t the only thing G Herbo is flexing. Him and Taina gave fans a closer look at their trip vibes, and its screaming luxury. Taina hopped on a TikTok trend using a viral audio, showing off the private jet in the background, clear sunny skies, and Herb ready to roll. Peep the video below.

@latainax3_Me & my man we on a island hoeeeee 🤣🤣🇩🇴♬ original sound – 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘯𝘪𝘺𝘯𝘪𝘺🫦

RELATED: Taina Williams Claps Back After Trolls Drag G Herbo’s “Just Because” Gift For Emmy (VIDEO)

“Vanderpump Rules” alum Stassi Schroeder is weighing in on the Amanda Batula/West Wilson “Summer House” drama. On a new episode of her podcast, Schroeder slammed Batula for needing “male attention.” Schroeder’s comments come a week after Batula confirmed her relationship with Wilson after weeks of speculation, causing drama within the Bravoverse due to his previous relationship with Batula’s friend, Ciara Miller.

Stassi Schroeder Weighs In On Amanda Batula And West Wilson’s Relationship, Says Batula Needs ‘Male Attention’

Batula confirmed her relationship with Wilson via a joint Instagram post, according to The Blast.

“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” the post said. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we need a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”

On her “STASSI with Tay” podcast, Schroeder took a few moments to speak about the situation, emphasizing that she was on Miller’s side despite having known Batula for years.

Schroeder went on to blast the “Summer House” OG, saying her sudden jump to Wilson wasn’t much of a surprise.

“She acts this way with men everywhere. She needs male attention really badly. She needs validation and I think that is what led her to West,” she said.

Schroeder Speaks On The Bullying Amanda Batula Has Received Over Her Relationship With Wilson

Despite her comments, Schroeder did ask the audience to go easy on Batula, who has been slammed by social media users on several different forums.

“The bullying has been enough. People can only take so much online hate until they f—ing lose their minds. And it’s really dangerous. Let her carry on and live her life now. She’s got to go to the reunion, she’s got to answer for everything,” she said.

Bravo figurehead Andy Cohen shared a similar statement, reminding viewers that they were interacting with real people. “I do think it’s worth reminding all the passionate fans of the show that these are real people involved,” he said on an episode of “Radio Andy.” “And so, these are real people involved.”

Bethenny Frankel Co-Signs The Message … Shows Support For Amanda Batula

Former “Real Housewives of New York” star Bethenny Frankel also weighed in on the matter, appearing unbothered by the latest events.

“Consenting adults can be with other consenting adults,” she told E! News. “No one’s married.”

The SkinnyGirl founder also called for the end of the backlash, saying, “It’s enough. You can’t have a relationship on a reality television show. There’s no girl code on reality television fueled by alcohol and scantily clad bikinis. Immediately no. It’s ridiculous.”

Miller Reflects On A Meaningful Time In Her Life

Miller has not broken her silence on the situation yet; however, she recently took to her Instagram Stories to reflect on a meaningful experience from her childhood.

“I grew up a Girl Scout,” she wrote, per The Daily Dish. “It’s where I first learned what sisterhood looks like, it taught me courage, confidence, and how to carry myself through hard things.”

Elsewhere in the post, Miller asked her nearly 900,000 followers to consider donating to a Girl Scout troop in New York City. By providing funding, the Girl Scouts are able to serve the community, work toward collective goals, including badges and camp, and learn the importance of showing up for one another.

Miller Gets Emotional After Revealing She Purchased Her Grandfather’s Home In North Carolina

In the current season of “Summer House,” Miller is sharing more of her personal story. In the latest episode, the model opened up about purchasing her late grandfather’s North Carolina home.

“Growing up, once my parents got divorced, we probably lived in like five different houses from kindergarten to high school,” Miller told a producer before saying her grandfather’s home had a special place in her heart.

“My grandparents always just had that one house. My grandfather built this house. It’s where my dad and his siblings grew up,” she said. “The holidays were spent there. This is definitely the house that raised me.”

For Miller, purchasing the property means more to her than viewers likely realize.

“It’s just a way of me honoring all of my grandparents’ hard work, and the sacrifice that they went through to even have a home, and build a home for their family, and I hope to be able to have that with my family one day,” she finished.

By Jonathan Klotz and Joshua Tyler | Updated 17 seconds ago

Star Wars used to be the end-all, be-all in space sci-fi, but in the years since the original trilogy, others have rushed in to fill the void left by its waning popularity. Whether you love new Star Wars or hate it, you’d probably still love more of that old-school Star Wars vibe. Luckily, there’s a way to get it.

We set out to determine which non-Star Wars movies and TV shows most capture the feel of Star Wars, while at the same time delivering the best possible spectacle and story. It’s not just a ranking of which entry is best. If it were, then Babylon 5 would be a lot closer to the top.

These are the 18 best sci-fis that are most like Star Wars, without actually being Star Wars.

18. Jupiter Ascending 

Jupiter Ascending is the only entry on this list that includes Channing Tatum playing a half-man/half-dog. There’s no hiding the fact that Jupiter Ascending is a strange movie. It was supposed to be the Wachowskis grand return to sci-fi cinema, but instead, it’s a glorious mess. 

Mila Kunis plays Jupiter, a housekeeper and secretly the Queen of Earth. The forces of House Abrasax, led by Balem, want to stop her from claiming her legacy. Eddie Redmayne’s performance as the villain may make you think he wandered in off a different, far more serious movie, but no, that’s just how uneven the tone is. 

For all of its faults, Jupiter Ascending was a throwback in 2015 to the 90s-style of sci-fi that tossed you into a strange, wonderful world, and dared you to try and keep up with it. The film doesn’t work; it’s barely coherent, visually confusing, and the acting is… questionable. And yet, Jupiter Ascending dared to be weird, it tried to do something different, and a decade of sanitized, by-the-numbers sci-fi later, it’s worth checking out for anyone sick and tired of movies developed by committee. 

17. Rebel Moon 

Zack Snyder wanted to make a Star Wars film, but Disney said no, so he went to Netflix and made Rebel Moon. Sometimes it really is that simple. George Lucas used Akira Kurosawa’s Hidden Fortress as inspiration for A New Hope, and Snyder used Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai as inspiration for Rebel Moon.

Adapting Seven Samurai is always a recipe for success. It’s a great story. A few holding out against all odds against the many? Rebel Moon is a handful against a battalion. 

It’s one of Netflix’s most expensive original movies. The streaming giant gave Snyder a blank check, and it looks like it. Rebel Moon is near the bottom of this list for a reason, but it’s worth checking out once, if for no other reason than to see Zach Snyder’s vision for Star Wars, but it’s a bit of a drag with uneven pacing and the patron saint of bad movies, Charlie Hunnam.

You can also experience the sequel, The Scargiver, which was so bad that Netflix yanked the black check out of Snyder’s hands before he could utter the words, “Trilogy.”

16. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets

Few people in Hollywood can match the visual style of French director Luc Besson. He brought to life The Fifth Element and Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy, but his most beautiful film is Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. Based on a French comic series, the film is packed full of stunning visuals; each world on its own would be the highlight of any other movie, but here, it’s just scene 5. 

Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne lead the cast as Federation Soldiers sucked into a decades-old conspiracy around a missing planet. The massive space station Alpha is home to over 3,000 alien species, and maintaining peace among them is a dangerous balancing act. In Valerian, the focus isn’t on Babylon 5-style politics, but on exploring different worlds and coming across a new alien species every 10 minutes, making the film a visual masterpiece. 

If your favorite part of Star Wars is the constant parade of unique and strange background aliens, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is the perfect movie for you. 

15. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

The success of Star Wars in 1977 took Hollywood by surprise and started a scramble for the next big sci-fi hit. Universal Pictures pulled the old Buck Rogers license out of mothballs and turned it into a television series, but then, six months after the series had debuted, the television pilot hit theaters as a standalone movie. 

That sounds convoluted, but then again, so does everything when it comes to Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, a film that put trade negotiations front and center decades before The Phantom Menace. NASA astronaut Buck Rogers emerges from suspended animation in the 25th century and immediately finds himself in the middle of trouble between the remaining humans on Earth, living in New Chicago, and the Draconians, an alien species secretly plotting to conquer the planet. 

The movie is again a pilot for the two-season television series, which started with Buck as a defender of New Chicago and, in season two, had him roaming the galaxy with his crew to find the lost tribes of humanity. If you were to mash the Star Wars prequels against Flash Gordon, you’d get Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

14. Babylon 5

If your favorite part of Star Wars was the Galactic Senate from the prequels, then there’s a 90s sci-fi series for you. Babylon 5 puts the focus on intergalactic politics in a way no show has before, or since. Set on a space station that houses countless alien species, all with their own goals, motivations, and ancient grudges, it’s sci-fi for the most hardcore of sci-fi fans. 

The show starts off with an attempted assassination on the Vorlon ambassador, Kosh, and Babylon 5’s commander, Jeffrey Sinclair, is the prime suspect. It’s a quaint beginning for a show that would eventually culminate in one of the best sci-fi wars ever shown on a television budget. Unlike every other show on this list, Babylon 5 was plotted from the very beginning to tell a single, cohesive story over 5 seasons. 

That right there puts it above The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker, two feature films that couldn’t agree on what story the sequel trilogy was trying to tell. 

13. Krull

It was one of the largest box office bombs in history. For decades, it was the butt of jokes. But Krull had the last laugh. Combining science fiction with fantasy, a simple rescue-the-princess plot alongside one of the coolest weapons in movie history, Krull became a cult classic. 

After The Beast interrupts Prince Colwyn’s wedding to Princess Lyssa, he sets off on a quest to win her back. The only thing in his way is the Beast’s mountainous Black Fortress and an army of Slayers. All Colwyn has is a band of magicians, thieves, including a young Liam Neeson, and a cyclops. 

The special effects don’t hold up today, the plot is as basic as it gets, but there’s no denying that Krull is a fun movie. Sometimes you don’t need 30 minutes of worldbuilding and exposition; all you need is a quest to slay an evil warlord and rescue a princess.

12. Killjoys

Say “sci-fi western” and most people think of The Mandalorian, or Firefly, but there has to be someone, at least one person out there, who thinks of Killjoys. The Canadian Sci-Fi original series aired for 5 seasons, from 2014 to 2019, and you didn’t watch a single one.

Dutch, Johnny, and Da’vin work as bounty hunters, and these three are professionals, so they don’t disintegrate any of their targets. Looking at you, Boba Fett. Over the course of 50 episodes, the trio unravels the mysteries of the universe, upends the delicate political structure, and end up saving the universe. A few times. 

When Star Wars fans were excited over the video game Star Wars: Outlaws, or the canceled 1313, what they wanted was a game that plays like Killjoys. It’s a sci-fi western about characters who aren’t exactly heroes, but unlike that other show, this one was able to tell a complete story. That and you have to love a show that uses the name, Team Awesome Force. 

11. Stargate

It’s hard to remember now, but for most of the 80s and 90s, Star Wars wasn’t a pop culture juggernaut; it was something nerds loved. During that dark period, studios tried to create their own Star Wars-style sci-fi franchises, and of all of them, Stargate found the most success. It all began with the 1995 Roland Emmerich film that sent the U.S. military through a portal to battle an Egyptian God. Surprise. It’s an alien. 

Unlike other movies on this list that throw an endless string of nonsense names and deep, unfathomable lore at viewers within the first 30 seconds, Stargate takes its time to explain what’s going on (there’s a strange portal, they go through it), why it’s important (can Ra invade Earth from his side?), and teases at why the aliens all look like they came out of Ancient Egypt. 

Stargate introduced moviegoers to a universe of infinite possibilities, and for once, it paid off with the launch of the television franchise (does this sound familiar?). Between Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe, there are 17 seasons of amazing sci-fi adventure television waiting to be discovered. Best of all, there’s a new series coming to Amazon Prime. The Stargate is opening again and now’s the time to step through. 

10. The Last Starfighter

It’s every kid’s dream. After countless hours playing a video game, it becomes real, and you get to save the universe. 1984’s The Last Starfighter is pure wish fulfillment, and it’s awesome. 

Like Star Wars: A New Hope, it follows the classic hero’s journey format. Only, instead of growing up in the desert, our future hero fighter pilot grows up in a trailer park.

Teenager Alex Rogan earns the high score in the arcade game Starfighter, not realizing it was developed by an undercover alien to locate warriors to save his planet. Alex goes from living in a trailer park to flying a real spaceship against real aliens in the span of 48 hours. 

The greatest tragedy about The Last Starfighter is that we never received a legacy sequel. 40 years later, video games are more popular than ever before. A modern-day remake would be a license to print money. Sci-fi can be wish fulfillment that exists for no other reason than to be fun and make you happy. To this day, nothing hits that mark quite like The Last Starfighter.

9. The Fifth Element

One of Bruce Willis’s best movies, The Fifth Element launched the career of Milla Jovovich, helped turn Chris Tucker into a star, and proved that well-written, visually-stunning sci-fi could become a blockbuster even in the jaded culture of the 90s. By 1997, caring about things and earnestness was considered uncool, which became a plot point in Luc Besson’s sci-fi magnum opus. How The Fifth Element earned over $290 million at the box office, and millions more through DVD sales, should be studied by upcoming filmmakers. 

The Fifth Element turned a futuristic cabbie into an unlikely savior when the reincarnation of a forgotten alien species lands on the hood of his cab. Together, the two have to stop The Great Evil from consuming Earth by overcoming Zorg, a greedy billionaire who might be the creepiest sci-fi villain of the 90s thanks to Gary Oldman’s scenery-chewing performance. 

Few films to this day are as manic as The Fifth Element, which deserves to be right up there on every sci-fi fan’s Mt. Rushmore and, in the process, delivers some of the same kinds of space thrills as Star Wars. 

8. Flash Gordon

Besides the amazing soundtrack provided by Queen, Flash Gordon is the most American sci-fi movie you’ll ever come across. A quarterback saves the universe using his football skills to take down a unit of elite guards? How awesome is that? 

Star Wars was inspired by the serials of the 1930s, and Flash Gordon was one of those serials. But it started out as a comic strip, and you can tell. The villain’s name is Ming the Merciless, all the visual designs are old-school pre-Star Wars sci-fi, and again, the hero’s name is Flash Gordon. This is pure camp, and that’s before you get to the legendary overacting of Brian Blessed as Vultan! 

The tropes, designs, and plot beats of Flash Gordon make it required viewing for all sci-fi fans, and it has the same DNA as Star Wars. You can’t appreciate how far science fiction has come if you don’t know where it started. Flash Gordon is a love letter to the genre’s pulp roots, and honestly, you wish more films were made today in the retro-futuristic style. Ming the Merciless may be corny, but the man’s rizz is unmatched. 

7. John Carter 

In a just world, John Carter would have been the start of a retro-futuristic sci-fi franchise to rival Star Wars in scale and scope. Taylor Kitsch should have become a superstar. John Carter is a fantastic movie that bombed hard because Disney had no idea how to market it. 

Adapting the classic sci-fi pulp novel, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the same man who created Tarzan, John Carter looks fantastic, and the story of a  Civil War soldier sent to Mars is a straight-up crowd-pleaser. Unfortunately, the limited crowds that went to see it weren’t enough to make it a success. 

John Carter’s Mars vistas stretch on forever, but that beauty came with a hefty price tag. The film needed to earn $600 million to break even. It earned $300 million. Disney lost hundreds of millions of dollars and decided instead of turning John Carter into a sci-fi franchise, they’d go out and buy one. 

Three years later, Disney bought Star Wars. 

Now do you wish you had seen Taylor Kitsch’s cult hit in theaters when you had the chance?

6. Farscape

Star Wars has shifted gears in the last few years, becoming a streaming franchise. It’s playing catch-up behind the 90s and early 2000’s series Farscape, which perfected the serialized formula of ragtag heroes going up against an oppressive government. Farscape is clearly influenced by the original trilogy, right down to having Jim Henson’s Creatureworks provide puppets, but that’s not a bad thing. 

Farscape starts off with human astronaut John Crichton surviving a trip through a wormhole and winding up on the far side of the galaxy. He quickly learns to get along with the escaped convicts Ka D’Argo, Zhaan, and Rygel on board a living spaceship, the Moya, as they try to stay one step ahead of the corrupt Peacekeepers. Later on, the leather-clad villain Scorpius comes after Crichton for his hidden knowledge of wormholes, and this all leads to Crichton being split into two separate versions: an imaginary Scorpius living in his head, the organic spaceship giving birth, and a constant struggle to survive when it feels the entire universe is out to get them. 

If you liked the original trilogy, and even if you liked Guardians of the Galaxy, you need to fire up Farscape and start binging it right now. This is everything fans wanted out of a Star Wars streaming series.

Welcome To The Top 5

Congratulations, you’ve reached the top five, and things are about to get really fun. Keep in mind that this list is ranked by two criteria: how much something is like Star Wars and how good it is. 

It’s an average of the two factors, which can result in all kinds of ranking weirdness, especially in the lower levels of this list. These are the 5 best Star Wars sci-fis that aren’t Star Wars at all. 

5. Predator: Badlands

Remember when Chewbacca carried C3-PO on his back? How the mismatched characters played off of each other? Turn that into a survival story on an alien planet where everything is trying to kill them, and you get Predator: Badlands, the latest in the long-running franchise. 

Dek is a Predator who heads off to a planet in order to hunt down the apex predator. A Weyland-Yutani android is the only survivor of an encounter with the beast. Only the top half of her body survived. Dek straps her to his back, and together, they navigate a world where everything is trying to kill them. 

It has the feel of a Star Wars novel in the best way possible. It’s easy to imagine a Wookie and a droid having to navigate a planet similar to Genna. Predator: Badlands lacks the size and scope of a Star Wars film, but it’s an absolute blast from start to finish. All it takes is one setting, two characters, and a horde of bizarre alien lifeforms that make the Rancor look like a puppy. 

4. Firefly

The Mandalorian was praised for taking Star Wars in a bold new direction: Space Western. Well, why not take some time and enjoy the series that put space westerns on the map? Firefly is still the greatest one-season sci-fi series of all time, and the sequel film, Serenity, is the perfect ending to the crew’s story. 

Out on the edge of the known galaxy, Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew pick up odd jobs, carrying cows, protecting a brothel, whatever they have to do to get enough gas to keep flying. Imagine the adventures of smuggler Han Solo under the watchful eye of the Empire, and that’s Firefly, only with no aliens, more cowboy hats, and more jokes. 

A new animated series is on the way, set between the end of Season 1 and Serenity, making this the best time to get caught up on the space western that paved the way for The Mandalorian. 

3. Dune

David Lynch’s Dune is an underrated masterpiece, but Denis Villeneuve’s modern adaptation turned the classic sci-fi novel into a blockbuster. 12 years before Star Wars, author Frank Herbert took sci-fi fans to the planet of Arakkis, the center of intergalactic politics and trade, thanks to the miracle mineral: Spice. Imagine if Tattooine was important for any reason other than its abundance of Skywalkers, and that’s Arakkis. 

It even has a chosen one, destined to reshape the galaxy. Paul Atreides is the hero that Anakin Skywalker wishes he could be. Paul liberates his planet, unites a people, has twins destined to be even greater than him, and doesn’t become a villain. In the first two movies. 

Star Wars is more of a space fantasy than hard sci-fi, but Dune isn’t afraid to get weird. Later books include human/sandworm hybrid that lives for thousands of years and rules over the galaxy. Oddly, that’s not as strange as it gets. 

2. The Expanse

A grounded, hard sci-fi series might not seem like it would have much in common with Star Wars, but The Expanse centers around a ragtag group of misfits on a medium size ship flying around saving the Galaxy. 

It’s based on a series of books set in a not-too-distant future where humanity has colonized the solar system. Earth, Mars, and the asteroid belt are locked in political tension, and a crew of unlikely allies gets pulled into events that reshape civilization. 

Despite being a totally different type of space sci-fi from Star Wars, The Expanse pulls off the crew of the Millennium Falcon against the universe vibe better than anything has since The Empire Strikes Back. Ride shotgun with the crew of the Rocinante as they battle to save the solar system from threats not inside and out, on one of the best sci-fi shows ever produced. 

1. Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy is so much fun, it turned a dancing tree into the hottest Christmas toy. Comic fans knew how strange and bizarre the cosmic side of Marvel was, but in 2014, the general public took a trip to Knowhere and had their minds blown for the first time since they stepped foot inside a hive of scum and villainy. 

The colorful cast even brings to mind the original trilogy, except both Star-Lord and Rocket are Han Solo, Gamora is Leia’s intrusive thoughts given physical form, Drax is C-3PO, Groot is R2-D2, and Mantis is… there. 

The Guardians trilogy is among the very best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and any one of them could be someone’s favorite movie, and you know what, sure. It’s fun, and it’s awesome. Each one of them reveals another strange corner of the galaxy, and while yes, Adam Warlock was wasted, the thrill of what comes next is only comparable to the original trilogy.