Ridley Scott on the red carpetAbaca Press/INSTARimages
Ridley Scott is eying a big year in 2026 as he returns to the sci-fi genre for the first time in nearly 10 years with his latest epic, The Dog Stars. Scott has enlisted some big names like Josh Brolin and Jacob Elordi to star in his new dystopian epic, but only time will tell if this will translate to box office success. Scott has struggled to find box office greatness with his last two movies, both of which were historical epics that were criticized heavily by fans and critics. Scott reunited with Joaquin Phoenix for a biopic about Napoleon Bonaparte, and he also returned to the colosseum for Gladiator II, but neither film was able to overcome its bloated budget and return enough at the box office to become profitable.
One of Scott’s original hits that certainly didn’t struggle at the box office was the first Gladiator movie, which was released in 2000. Starring Russell Crowe, who won his first and only Oscar for his performance as Maximus in the film, Gladiator grossed well over $460 million at the box office against a $100 million budget, meaning it sailed past its break-even point by over $200 million. The film is perfect for fans of both The Odyssey and Braveheart, as it effectively captures the magic of a great historical epic while also centering around an inspiring leader. Gladiator has been streaming alongside its legacy sequel on Paramount Plus most of the year, but the film was recently added to Pluto TV’s streaming library, meaning it’s now streaming for free. Pluto TV is one of the most accessible free streaming platforms in the world — users who are interested don’t even need an account to watch some of the most popular movies and TV shows on the platform.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
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🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
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01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
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02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
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03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
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04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
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05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
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06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
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07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
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08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
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09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
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10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
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Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
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Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
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Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
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John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
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Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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Is Ridley Scott Making Another ‘Gladiator’ Movie?
Around the same time that Gladiator II battled into theaters, it was reported that Ridley Scott had an idea for another Gladiator movie. However, since Paramount didn’t see any return on its near-$300 million investment on the legacy sequel, despite the addition of major stars like Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, it’s unlikely the studio is interested in footing the bill for another Gladiator movie, unless Scott can make it for much cheaper. Scott is due for a box office hit soon after a few misses, and while budgeting information for The Dog Stars has not yet been revealed, his return to the sci-fi genre is at least drawing interest before its August 28 premiere.
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Check out Gladiator for free on Pluto TV or on Paramount Plus, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Ridley Scott’s future projects.
You generally consider a trilogy capper to be the cherry on the icing at the top of the cake, if in this scenario the cake is three epic films telling one grand tale. Well, in this baking analogy, this cake is overly sickly sweet, probably store bought and full of chemicals. But you know what, we still love it, and we’ll gorge ourselves silly on it. Anyway, enough of that, let’s talk about saving the world and saying goodbye to Tom Hardy.
Venom: The Last Dance is having, well, its last dance on Netflix in the United States. The movie officially leaves the streaming platform on August 25, which is sure to be a blow to fans who’ve made the movie one of the most popular in the world. The film even made its way to No. 1 all across the world. And whatever you think about the Venom movies, they made some serious money at the box office. The Last Dance earned $478.9 million worldwide, including approximately $139.8 million domestically and $339.2 million internationally.
In Venom: The Last Dance, Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance. Fair to say, though, things get worse when Knull — the ancient creator of the symbiotes — enters the picture. See, his forces need the Codex carried by Eddie and Venom, sending the pair on one final chaotic road trip.
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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🏜️Paul Atreides
🖖Capt. Kirk
✊Princess Leia
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🔦Ellen Ripley
🔥Max Rockatansky
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01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn’t be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
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02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
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03
What is the thing you’d sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
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04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
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05
You’re facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you’re the only one who sees it defines everything.
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06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they’d pay it again.
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07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you’re in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What’s yours?
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08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
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Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
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Arrakis · Dune
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
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You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.
USS Enterprise · Star Trek
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
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You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
The Rebellion · Star Wars
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.
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You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
The Nostromo · Alien
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
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You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.
The Wasteland · Mad Max
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
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You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
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Who Starred in ‘Venom: The Last Dance’?
Hardy is joined by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as Rex Strickland, Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) as Dr. Teddy Paine, Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man) as Martin Moon, Stephen Graham (Adolescence) as Patrick Mulligan, Clark Backo (Letterkenny) as Sadie Christmas, Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso) as the bartender and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) as Knull. Kelly Marcel, who co-wrote the first two movies, made her feature directorial debut with The Last Dance and wrote its screenplay from a story developed alongside Hardy.
Venom: The Last Dance is streaming on Netflix until August 25.
Portuguese soccer star Quévin Castrodied at age 25 after collapsing during a match.
The central midfielder was competing in a friendly preseason match between his team, Real Sport Clube, and rivals Estrela de Amadora at Estádio das Seixas stadium in Malveira, Portugal, on Saturday, August 22, when he collapsed. He was transferred to a local hospital where he was ultimately pronounced dead, per Press Association.
The Lisbon Football Association announced the tragic news in a Facebook post mourning Castro.
“To the family, friends, and the affiliated club [Real Sport Clube], we extend our deepest condolences during this tragic time for Portuguese football,” the organization wrote on Saturday.
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His current team, Real Sport Clube, also paid tribute via social media, writing, “Quevin Castro was far more than a player, he was a member of our family, leaving a mark on all those who had the privilege of knowing him, both on and off the pitch.”
“At this time of grief, Real Sport Clube – Futebol, SAD extends its most sincere condolences to the family and all friends of Quevin Castro, expressing its full solidarity and unconditional support,” the club’s statement read. “May the memory of Quevin Castro live on in our hearts. Rest in peace.”
Real Sport Clube’s friendly match against Estrela de Amadora was postponed indefinitely following Castro’s death.
Estrela de Amadora paid its respects to Castro’s teammates and family, sharing the team’s “deepest sorrow for the passing of Quevin Castro, player for [Real Sport Clube].”
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“At this moment of profound sadness, Estrela da Amadora extend their most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Quevin Castro, as well as to the entire Real Massama structure,” Estrela de Amadora’s statement read. “Our thoughts are with all those close to him. Rest in peace, Quevin.”
Castro played for several English teams throughout his nine-year soccer career, including a two-year stint with West Bromwich Albion from 2021 to 2023. During his stint with West Brom — whose players are known as the Baggies — he was loaned out to Burton, Notts County and Gateshead.
He later played for Cambridge City and Eastbourne Borough in 2025 and 2026 before returning home to Portugal to sign with Real Sport Clube in June. Tragically, Castro died before he was ever able to play in an official match with Real Sport Clube.
Quévin Castro, of West Bromwich Albion, and Nuno Tavares, of Arsenal, face off in 2021Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
His former team West Bromwich Albion announced plans to honor Castro during the Baggies’ match against Burnley on Sunday, August 23.
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“West Bromwich Albion are devastated to learn of the untimely passing of Quevin Castro, aged just 25,” the team said in a statement. “Albion will pay tribute to Quevin on Sunday, with a period of applause in the 25th minute of the fixture against Burnley. [Coach] James Morrison’s men will also wear black armbands.”
The Baggies went on to offer condolences to Castro’s loved ones, saying, “The thoughts of everyone at Albion are with Quevin’s loved ones at this desperately sad time.”
Notts County Football Club — whom Castro played for on loan in 2022 — said in its own statement that the organization was “shocked and deeply saddened” to hear about the player’s death.
Sony’s war on physical media continues with Crunchyroll. After it announced it would change how it handles its storefront, fans were outraged, claiming the company is making it harder to get physical copies of their favorite shows. Now, a month has passed since the initial announcement, and Sony has not backed down.
Sony’s war on physical media began with PlayStation, when it announced that, by 2028, it would no longer produce physical discs for its games, moving toward all-digital distribution, as it claimed it made more digital sales. This has upset many gamers, and the message started to appear on PlayStation 5 boxes, warning buyers that the company would discontinue disc production. And it’s not just PlayStation, Sony also owns Crunchyroll, and last month it announced that the Crunchyroll Store will be available only to paid subscribers in the Mega and Ultimate Fan tiers, claiming it will create a “new curated experience.” This news also sparked backlash as fans accused Sony of making fans “pay the company more” just to buy merch.
The change to the Crunchyroll store began this month, and according to CBR, the anime platform has delisted many products from its online store, including anime, manga, light novels, Blu-ray discs, etc. Users on social media have also noticed the change, upset that a huge amount of physical media has been removed from the store and that the product selection has been reduced. There is still some anime merch to buy, like the Solo Leveling Season 1 Blu-ray and DVD or the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Complete Series Blu-ray, as well as a variety of figures and Funko Pops, clothing, and other collectible items, but to complete the purchase, customers must be paid subscribers.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
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🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
Advertisement
01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
Advertisement
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
Advertisement
03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
Advertisement
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
Advertisement
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
Advertisement
06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
Advertisement
07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
Advertisement
08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
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09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
Advertisement
10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
Advertisement
Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Advertisement
Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
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Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
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John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
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Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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What Is Crunchyroll?
Image via Crunchyroll
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Crunchyroll is the largest streaming platform for anime content. Founded in 2006, it houses over 2,000 titles. It has over 15 million subscribers, and in 2020, the streaming platform was acquired by Sony from its previous owner, AT&T. Crunchyroll is the place for anime fans if they want to watch some of the biggest titles, like Solo Leveling, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, and Witch Hat Atelier. But because of licensing agreements, the platform isn’t available in every region, including Japan and other Asian countries. Crunchyroll isn’t the only platform that carries anime. Prime Video carries Studio Ghibli content, as well as other shows like the new Ghost in the Shell series, and Netflix also has its own anime library and is the go-to platform for those who don’t have access to Crunchyroll.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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Release Date
2019 – 2024-00-00
Network
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Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV, Kansai TV, Tokai Television Broadcasting, Fukui TV, Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting, Iwate Menkoi Television, Sendai Television, SAGA TV, TNC, OHK, Ishikawa TV, Kochi Sun Sun Broadcasting, TV Shizuoka, UMK TV Miyazaki, Television Shin Hiroshima System, NST, NBS, Sakuranbo TV, TSK, Ehime Broadcasting, KTS, NIB, Fukushima TV, TOS, AKT, Toyama Television, TV Kumamoto, Okinawa Television Broadcasting
Horror literature is not just about frightening stories; it serves as a mirror of humanity’s darkest sides and deepest fears: a fever dream, or a whispered warning from the beyond. The finest works in the genre go beyond mere fright, lingering in our minds and reshaping how we see morality, beauty, and even the safety of our own homes. So it’s no wonder that the masterpieces of horror across the centuries have reshaped literature, culture, and the way we imagine fear itself.
From primal blood thirst and macabre madness to spiritual and psychological collapse, every generation of horror literature has something to add to its explorations of the dark side of humanity. Some of these books are fundamentally connected to their respective time and era, while others are rare works of literature that achieve perfection in horror and have become timeless cultural landmarks, turning fear into pure art. Read on to discover our handpicked selection of horror books that are all 10/10 masterpieces.
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1
‘Uzumaki’ (1998–1999)
Image via Shogakukan Inc.
A Japanese horror manga written and illustrated by Junji Ito, Uzumaki revolves around the people of Kurouzu‑cho, a fog‑shrouded coastal town cursed by spirals, where everyone is slowly consumed by the unseen force. Said to hold the secret of the world, the titular pattern infects every corner of life, twisting bodies, minds, and even the landscape itself. As the obsession deepens, ordinary citizens mutate into grotesque spiraling forms, while teenagers Kirie and Shuichi attempt to fight the spell and escape the nightmare.
Hailed as Ito’s magnum opus, Uzumaki redefined horror in manga and earned widespread acclaim when it was first published, landing an Eisner Award nomination for Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material. The ’90s Japanese cult classic transforms a simple shape into a cosmic terror, weaving imagery so grotesque and hypnotic that readers feel trapped in its coils. Celebrated as a horror manga masterpiece, the nightmare of Uzumaki deepens in every chapter, blurring the line between body horror and existential dread.
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2
‘The Shining’ (1977)
The Shining – 1977 – book coverImage via Vintage
Stephen King’s third published novel, The Shining tells the story of Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a job as a caretaker at a heritage hotel in the Colorado Rockies. He moves there in the off-season with his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny, who possesses a unique psychic ability, unbeknownst to his parents, that helps him see the unseen supernatural forces present in the hotel. When the family gets trapped inside during a snowstorm, Jack starts getting terrifying visions that take a toll on his sanity, leaving Wendy and Danny in danger.
The Shining was King’s first hardcover bestseller and went on to become a massive literary and cultural phenomenon. Drawing from his personal experiences, the author depicts the terrifying realities of abuse, addiction, and psychological collapse through the lens of the supernatural. Celebrated as one of King’s greatest horror masterpieces, The Shining was the first work that changed his status from a rising name to a master of the genre.
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3
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (1959)
Image via Viking Press
A gothic horror novel by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House is one of the most influential haunted house stories of modern literature. The story follows an occult scholar who invites a few people to the titular, isolated mansion to investigate supernatural occurrences. As eerie events begin unfolding at the mansion, it significantly impacts a fragile, traumatized woman in the group, pushing her down a psychological spiral. In 1960, the novel was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Since its first publication, The Haunting of Hill House has been celebrated as one of the greatest haunted house stories ever written and a high point in 20th-century psychological Gothic horror. The story’s real terror comes not from external elements but from within its characters, as the house turns into a dreadful entity in itself. The novel cemented Jackson’s reputation for chilling fiction and has since been adapted into films, plays, radio shows, and a loosely adapted streaming hit.
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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
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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
🎈Pennywise
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🪆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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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4
‘Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ (1886)
The cover for ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ by Robert Louis StevensonImage via Suzeteo Enterprises
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Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic horror novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is easily one of the most famous pieces of 19th-century English literature. A respected London doctor, Henry Jekyll, develops a formula that can split the morally opposed aspects of his personality into separate identities. His friend and lawyer, Gabriel Utterson, begins investigating a series of strange occurrences connecting Henry and a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde. Through Utterson’s investigation, the reader is exposed to the spine-chilling, horrifying mystery of the two men.
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a defining work of Gothic horror fiction that gave rise to the titular metaphor to symbolize contrasting identities and personalities. Narrated as a chilling Victorian mystery, the novel examines humanity’s perpetual struggle with the duality of our nature and is a masterpiece of psychological terror. The original story and the core concept have since been adapted into every possible medium and storytelling style, including parodies and spoofs, even though no major adaptation has been faithful to the original narrative.
5
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ (1890)
The cover for ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar WildeImage via Wordsworth
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A Gothic horror and philosophical masterpiece by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray is his first and only completed novel and revolves around the titular character, a wealthy young man in Victorian England and the muse of his artist friend, Basil Hallward, who pictures him as a flawless example of male beauty. After meeting Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian is quickly taken in by the aristocrat’s hedonistic outlook toward beauty and self-fulfillment, which pushes Dorian to make a deal with the Devil, resulting in gruesome consequences.
With themes of vanity, morality, and spiritual decay, the novel is hailed as a masterpiece of psychological and philosophical horror and one of Wilde’s finest works. When it was first published, The Picture of Dorian Gray attracted extensive controversy and criticism, and it was largely ignored until the 1980s. Now, however, it’s considered a classic of Gothic literature in particular and English literature in general. The Picture of Dorian Gray has since been adapted for film and stage, with the most notable example being the 2009 film starring Ben Barnes.
6
‘Dracula’ (1897)
The original cover of the ‘Dracula’ novel by Bram StokerImage via Archibald Constable and Company
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A vampire novel that spawned a whole new generation of vampire horror literature, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a literary landmark that has remained at the heights of its genre throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The epistolary novel largely follows an English solicitor named Jonathan Harker, who visits the titular nobleman in Transylvania for business. Count Dracula soon reveals his true nature and moves to England, plaguing the coastal town of Whitby and terrorizing Harker’s fiancée, Mina. Harker then joins a group led by Dutch scholar Abraham Van Helsing to hunt and kill the Count.
With Dracula, Bram Stoker created a monster that has become an icon of vampire horror and remains a significant artifact of Victorian history studied for what it reveals about race, religion, gender, and sexuality in the context of that era. Drawing from ancient folklore and history, the novel drives terror not through violent actions but through the slow, invisible corruption that the dreaded monster instills in his victim’s mind. One of the most seminal works of Gothic horror fiction and an influential piece of British literature, Dracula has almost single-handedly defined the depiction of vampires in modern pop culture.
7
‘Frankenstein’ (1818)
Image via Oxford University Press USA
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Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, better known as simply Frankenstein, is not just the first novel by an English novelist but is also considered the first true science fiction horror book. The story follows Dr. Victor Frankenstein, an obsessive young scientist who conducts an unconventional experiment and creates a sapient creature from various parts of dead bodies. Frankenstein’s ambitious endeavors lead to disturbing and shocking results, escalating into tragedy and revenge.
Ever since it was first published, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has profoundly influenced horror storytelling in art, literature, theater, and later cinema, with the name “Frankenstein” becoming synonymous with freakish monsters. Thought-provoking and deeply unsettling in its exploration of unbridled ambition and the dangerous consequences of playing God, Frankenstein’s horror is deeply rooted in the social, political, and cultural anxieties of the era. With elements of Gothic fiction and the Romantic movement, the novel is one of the most iconic works in English literature and a foundational piece of the genre.
8
‘The Exorcist’ (1971)
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A novel better known for its film adaptation, The Exorcist is William Peter Blatty’s most acclaimed and successful novel and is inspired by a real-life incident that supposedly occurred in 1949. The story narrates how Regan, a 12-year-old girl and daughter of a famous actress, gets possessed by a demon, and two Roman Catholic priests attempt to exorcise it. In 1973, Blatty adapted the novel into a supernatural horror thriller directed by William Friedkin, which earned Blatty an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Exorcistredefined supernatural horror in contemporary literature by combining deep psychological realism and grounded subjects like theological controversies and human grief with paranormal terror. It is not just frightening but also drives a deeply unsettling feeling that lingers beyond the final chapter. While the book was a bestseller, it only garnered widespread attention after the film’s release, which itself became a benchmark for horror cinema, turning The Exorcist into both a literary and cinematic franchise.
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Many of Us default to a tee and jeans on the daily, but Ellen Pompeo opted for a coordinated style that’s comfier, classier and much more versatile. Her black lounge set is what rich moms wear for dinner, travel and beyond, and we found the look on sale for only $15. Run!
The Grey’s Anatomy star turned up to a West Hollywood sushi restaurant for a low-key dinner with a friend, and her outfit appeared effortlessly put together. It was comprised of a black tank, straight-leg pants, easy slides and a woven crossbody slung over her shoulder. We’re copying her sleek, expensive style from now through April!
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Get the Afitne Two-Piece Lounge Set for $15 (was $27) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
This Afitne Two-Piece Lounge Set nails the same celeb vibe with its flowy sleeveless top paired with tailored-looking lounge pants. We’re also big fans of the size-inclusive fit, which comes in XS through XXL options and two inseam lengths. If you ask Us, this Amazon find combines relaxed and sophisticated elements for a wear-everywhere appeal we can’t wait to copy.
Like you, we’re also obsessed with Free People’s boho-chic aesthetic. In fact, we love the style so much, we can occasionally justify a $200 dress . . . even if we get grief from our significant other. Since discovering Amazon’s Free People-like selection, however, we’re not even tempted by the label. These 17 chic summery […]
Not only does the set have elevated, star potential, but it also feels ultra comfortable. In fact, the set’s dreamy fabric is stretchy, light as air and silky soft. One happy shopper said it’s “so comfortable, good quality and extremely flattering despite my bumps.” You can thank the black hue for that slimming hack.
It’s also the kind of outfit that travels well. “I hate nothing more than being uncomfortable on a long flight, but I don’t want to look like I’m on my way to the gym or to bed,” another reviewer wrote. “This looks cute and is comfortable to wear.”
Whether you’re grabbing sushi in West Hollywood or running errands on a Tuesday, this two-piece set makes you appear rich, classy and Pompeo-polished. We love the outfit worn solo for late summer, then with a cardigan come fall. Black is optional, but not if you want the full Pompeo effect. At only $15, we’re snagging a few!
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Get the Afitne Two-Piece Lounge Set for $15 (was $27) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.
A memorial service for the former MTV reality star was held on Saturday, August 22, at the Augustana Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Challenge star Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio posted highlights from the memorial via his Instagram Story. He shared a photo of a program “celebrating the life of Tyler” — which featured a quote from the biblical passage Philippians 4:6-7.
The quote read, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
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Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio attends Tyler Duckworth memorialCourtesy Instagram / Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio
Tyler’s mother, Joni, announced on August 13 that her son had recently died from undetermined causes.
“My son, Tyler, passed away earlier this week,” Joni wrote via Facebook at the time. “Cause of death has yet to be determined. I will post on Facebook about services as soon as his dad and I figure it out.”
The Grand Forks Police Department later shed more light on the circumstances surrounding Tyler’s death, telling People that he was found unresponsive in his apartment on August 11 after neighbors called to report water coming through the ceiling.
The Real World: Key West star’s cause of death is still “pending the results of an autopsy,” per law enforcement. A spokesperson for the North Dakota State Forensic Examiner’s Office confirmed to Us that the investigation into Tyler’s death “will take at least 90 days for the full investigation to be completed.”
That same week, Tyler’s mother, Joni, released a longer statement to People in which she reflected on his primary career as a world history teacher.
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Tyler Duckworth in March 2006.Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images
“My Ty-Guy would skip to school when he was little,” Joni said. “He has now gone on to a better place where the hurts and challenges (pun intended) are no longer.”
She continued, “Tyler found his passion in teaching, and he was good at it. I understand his students loved him. He taught world history. He loved history and geography, and as he had traveled the world over, I am sure he brought many insights to his students.”
Away from the classroom, Tyler became a pioneer for LGBTQ+ contestants on MTV’s The Challenge by winning the Cutthroat and Rivals seasons in 2010 and 2011, respectively. He also competed on Challenge incarnations The Duel, The Gauntlet III, All Stars 2 and All Stars 3.
“You were more than a friend. More than a roommate. You were the brother I never had,” Challenge alum Devenanzio, 44, wrote via Instagram on August 14. “Rest easy, Tyler. You’ll always be family.”
Brad Fiorenza shared that he was “absolutely heartbroken” to have lost such a beloved member of the Challenge family.
“We shared something special being part of The Challenge family,” Fiorenza, 45, wrote. “I’ll always be grateful for the memories we shared; especially at this last event just a couple weeks ago. Tyler will be deeply missed by so many. May his amazing soul live on in the lives he’s touched. RIP my dear friend.”
Season 2 of Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation has shared an exciting update ahead of its new installment. Based on a popular mobile game released in 2020, the series later expanded into a manga and now a Disney+ show. With Season 2 scheduled to come out in just a few months, Disney has shared more details on what’s to come.
Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation is a show set at Night Raven College. In this all-boys magic boarding school, students are split into seven houses based on some of Disney’s iconic villains, known in this universe as “The Great Seven.” Season 1 spotlights Heartslabyul House, based onAlice in Wonderland‘s Queen of Hearts, and how some students have expressed grievances toward the dorm’s Housewarden. Season 1 had eight episodes and, since its release, sits at a MyAnimeList Score of 6.83. With Season 2 set to take place in a different House, it’s no surprise that new characters will also be introduced.
The official Japanese Disney+ account released a teaser video for Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Animation: Episode of Savanaclaw, the show’s second season. It not only showcased more scenes of Savanaclaw’s Housewarden, Leona Kingscholar (Yuichiro Umehara), but also teased a new protagonist. Just like the manga, Yuuka Hirasaka, voiced by Fairouz Ai (Chainsaw Man), will be making her debut. Just like Season 1’s lead, Yuken Enma (Jonathan Ha/Yohei Azakami), she is also from Japan, but was selected to attend Night Raven Academy despite a lack of magical talent. Additionally, she will be the only female studying in the school this season.
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Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek
Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🚀Star Wars
💍Lord of the Rings
🧙Harry Potter
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👑Game of Thrones
🖖Star Trek
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01
What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.
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02
Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.
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03
How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world’s conflicts tells you everything about its soul.
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04
Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for.
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05
What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are.
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06
How does your universe treat good and evil? A world’s moral architecture tells you more about it than any map.
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07
What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?
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08
What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.
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Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…
Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.
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A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.
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You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
You’d find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.
Middle-earth
Lord of the Rings
You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world’s beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.
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Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
Tolkien’s universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.
The Wizarding World
Harry Potter
You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what’s right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.
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The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
Harry Potter’s universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.
Westeros · The Known World
Game of Thrones
You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.
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Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don’t confuse the world as it is with the world as you’d like it to be.
Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
Winter always comes. You are already prepared.
The United Federation of Planets
Star Trek
You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.
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Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
The Federation is the universe’s most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
You don’t just hope that’s possible. You think it’s the only thing worth working toward.
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What To Watch If You Like ‘Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation’
With Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation: Episode of Savanaclaw set to premiere in a few months, there are plenty of titles with similar vibes worth watching in the meantime. The first that comes to mind is the Descendants film series, which is also available on Disney+. These movies take place in a world where the various kingdoms have united to form Auradon, while Disney’s villains, their henchmen, and their children have been banished to the Isle of the Lost. A magical barrier surrounds the island, preventing its inhabitants from using magic and ensuring they no longer pose a threat to Auradon. The first three films follow the children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil, while the fourth and fifth films, The Rise of Redand Wicked Wonderland, shift the focus to a new set of characters.
If you’re after something outside Disney, thenThe School for Good and Evil on Netflix is worth a watch. This 2022 fantasy feature follows Agatha (Sofia Wylie), who’s dubbed by her village as a witch, and Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso), who dreams of becoming a princess. They both make their way to the School of Good and Evil but are sent to the wrong schools: Agatha to the School of Good, and Sophie to the School of Evil.
Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation: Episode of Savanaclaw is scheduled to come out in December 2026. In the meantime, Season 1, aka Episode of Heartslabuyl, is available to stream on Disney+. Follow Collider for more updates.
WhileRidley Scotthasn’t had a bona fide hit in quite some time, some movies have performed worse than others. Gladiator IImade around $460 million at the global box office, but it cost a reported $300 million to produce. Similarly, Napoleon barely recouped its reported $200 million budget at the box office. But another recent movie directed by Scott emerged as one of his biggest bombs ever. The movie in question, The Last Duel, grossed just $30 million worldwide against a reported budget of $100 million, and featured the likes of Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, Adam Driver, and Ben Affleck in the cast. It received tremendous reviews and has certainly fared better at home. The Last Duel was directly influenced by a classic that’s currently streaming on HBO Max, but not for much longer.
The classic was released in 1950, which makes it 76 years old. Such was its impact on cinema and culture that its title has come to define an entire narrative structure. The film tells the story of a samurai’s murder from three different perspectives. It starred the legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune and was directed by Akira Kurosawa. The recipient of the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, the movie was also honored with the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
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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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Here’s How Long You Have Left to Watch the Japanese Classic on HBO Max
We’re talking, of course, about Rashomon. The movie now holds a near-perfect 98% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “One of legendary director Akira Kurosawa’s most acclaimed films, Rashomon features an innovative narrative structure, brilliant acting, and a thoughtful exploration of reality versus perception.” In addition to The Last Duel, films such as Reservoir Dogs and The Usual Suspects, and even the Star Wars show The Acolyte, have been influenced by Rashomon. Along with Kurosawa’s other classics Seven Samurai and Ikiru, the movie will be removed from HBO Max on September 30. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Netflix has launched several big action blockbusters so far this year, but the most popular new release of them all has been War Machine. Best known for his role in Prime Video’s Reacher, War Machine stars Alan Ritchson, who is well on his way to becoming one of the biggest action stars in the world, especially in the streaming landscape. Netflix brought together stars Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton for another massive 2026 blockbuster, Apex, which also earned over 100 million views during its first 30 days on streaming. The streamer also has a few big releases coming before the end of the year, including Ray Gunn, the animated feature from Brad Bird 30 years in the making. The film is releasing on Netflix globally on December 18, the same day as Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday.
Not only does Netflix constantly release new movies and TV shows featuring recognizable stars, but the streamer also has an impressive library of older classics that’s always rotating titles in and out. Netflix is especially adept at acquiring popular sci-fi shows that have been canceled or discarded by a network, and one series that has found a home on the streamer in recent years is Orphan Black. The show stars She-Hulk’s Tatiana Maslany, who even won an Emmy for her roles as Sarah, Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel, and Krystal. In addition to streaming on AMC+, all five seasons of Orphan Black have also found a home on Netflix lately, but the streamer recently announced that this won’t be the case for much longer. Netflix has confirmed that Orphan Black is leaving streaming this month, and the last day to watch the show will be on August 31.
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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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What Is ‘Orphan Black’ About?
The official synopsis for Orphan Black, which was written and created for TV by Jeff Fawcett and Graeme Manson, reads as follows: “Orphan Black follows Sarah Manning, a street-smart con artist whose life shatters when she discovers she’s one of many identical clones. Tatiana Maslany embodies a dozen distinct characters as Sarah uncovers a shadowy conspiracy behind her origins. Hunted by a ruthless corporation and a fanatical religious sect, the clones must unite to survive.” Maslany did not return to star in the Orphan Black: Echoes spin-off show, which stars Krysten Ritter. The show was canceled after only one season. The show has all the elements from other sci-fi shows like Severance and Black Mirror, making it a must-watch for fans of great dystopian TV.
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Check out all five seasons of Orphan Black before they’re removed from Netflix at the end of this month and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.
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Release Date
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2013 – 2017-00-00
Network
Space, BBC America
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Showrunner
Graeme Manson
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Directors
Ken Girotti, T.J. Scott, David Wellington, Grant Harvey, Helen Shaver, Aaron Morton, Brett Sullivan, Chris Grismer, Peter Stebbings
Writers
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Aubrey Nealon, Karen Walton, Tony Elliott, Peter Mohan, Sherry White, Jeremy Boxen, Kate Miles Melville, Greg Nelson, Jenn Engels, Nikolijne Troubetzkoy
Mark Ruffalo has rejected accusations that he is “antisemitic” for opposing Hollywood studio Paramount Skydance’s executives’ ties to the Israeli government.
“The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest,” Ruffalo, 58, wrote via X on Saturday, August 22. “Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people. This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel.”
The Spider-Man: Brand New Day actor stressed, “To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect. Everything I know about acting, activism, and humanism has been profoundly shaped by the Jewish friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have been integral and family throughout every point of my life.”
Ruffalo has been a vocal opponent of Paramount Skydance’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros since the deal was announced in February. Paramount Skydance chairman David Ellison is the son of Oracle cofounder and prominent Donald Trump ally Larry Ellison. (David, 43, and Larry, 82, became co-owners of Paramount Skydance following a 2025 merger.)
Listen up, fellas! Mark Ruffalo, Ryan Gosling and more of Hollywood’s leading men have staunchly supported their female colleagues and utilized their platforms to speak out in celebration of feminism and gender equality. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I […]
The latest controversy started when Ruffalo condemned a clip of Safra Catz — Oracle’s executive vice chair and a Paramount board member — recently speaking about “profoundly scary technologies” that Oracle shared with the Israeli government following the October 7 terror attacks in 2023.
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Paramount Skydance responded to Ruffalo with a statement that invoked accusations of antisemitism.
“We are, as always, troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute,” a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement on Friday, August 21. “Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong — they’re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe. This doesn’t deserve a response in kind — and to be clear, we don’t tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone.”
The company went on to say, “We understand people feel strongly about this merger and are hopeful and expect that it will be judged based on the legal merits, not underlying bias. We’re asking for the same good faith we’re extending: less rhetoric, more understanding. Paramount’s future is being written for everyone who wants to make and watch great stories.”
In light of those accusations, Ruffalo drew attention to what he warned would be “real consequences” for people across the country if Paramount Skydance is allowed to buy Warner Bros.
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“This merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country. Scrutinizing the Ellisons, including Oracle’s business built on data, surveillance technology and government contracts, and the serious threat to editorial freedom and the loss of a livelihood for thousands of families, is fair and necessary,” he wrote on Saturday. “The $111 billion deal would hand one family control over CNN, HBO and Warner Bros., backed in part by foreign money whose influence on editorial decisions has never been fully explained to the public.”
Mark RuffaloDave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
The Emmy Award-winning actor called for more transparency from government regulators before the Warner Bros acquisition is allowed to move forward.
“Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for serious national security review, and regulators still haven’t given the public a real answer,” he claimed. “Until they do, the merger shouldn’t move forward. Now is the time to dive boldly into all these issues, not step back or concede.”
Ruffalo was among dozens of Hollywood actors and filmmakers to sign an open letter of “unequivocal opposition” to the Paramount-WB union in April.
“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good. The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised,” the creatives wrote in their open letter. “Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement. Media consolidation has already weakened one of America’s most vital global industries — one that has long shaped culture and connected people around the world.”
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Paramount Skydance recently announced that its potential acquisition of Warner Bros will not close until June 1, 2027, to allow more time for a regulatory review.
Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo have remained firmly in the spotlight since starring in the 2004 romantic comedy 13 Going on 30, but even the most diehard fans might need an update on other members of the cast. The Alias alum played Jenna Rink, a 13-year-old girl who traveled to the future to see what […]
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Long before this current dispute with Paramount, Ruffalo has been passionately outspoken about his political opposition to the Trump administration.
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He exclusively told Us in January that he would “never say never” to potentially running for office in the future.
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“I mean, I spent a lot of time in that world, and acting — it’s for the people,” Ruffalo argued. “So, I love the people and politicians could be doing something good for the people.”
Asked about the current political landscape in the U.S., Ruffalo told Us, “It’s bulls***. And the people in America are suffering. If the people in America weren’t suffering, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. You know, it’s a failure on both parties. They become completely captured by corporations, both parties. And it’s time for a new America that is for the working people who were the plurality of this country.”
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