Entertainment

S.S. Rajamouli Reveals His Epic James Bond Replacement “Won’t Be Anything Like ‘RRR'”

Published

2 months ago

13 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Summary

Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with director S.S. Rajamouli for Varanasi.
The filmmaker discusses James Cameron’s comments on RRR, how he’s leveling up since the success of that 2022 adventure film, and what fans can expect from the story and runtime.
Rajamouli also discusses filming for IMAX, selecting his slow-motion shots, his unique way of filming, and how the music of Varanasi compares to RRR.

There isn’t a lot known, plot-wise, about S.S. Rajamouli‘s upcoming epic Varanasi. What we do know is that it’s going to be epic in scale with the filmmaker’s signature slow-motion beats, specific scenes filmed for IMAX, and Rajamouli’s dedication to building on the success of his globally revered period adventure, 2022’s RRR.

Starring Mahesh Babu (Pokiri), Priyanka Chopra-Jonas (Citadel), and Prithviraj Sukumaran (The Goat Life), Varanasi follows a Shiva devotee (Babu), who embarks on a mysterious mission to retrieve an ancient cosmic artifact. To do so, he must travel through history, using clues to aid him on his journey. But along the way, our hero discovers that the one who sent him on this quest is an evil mastermind looking to control the world. According to Rajamouli, “It’s about the experience. It’s the experience that will transport you through unimaginably big, gigantic worlds, not just in terms of scale, but in terms of emotions as well.”

At the end of last year, Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the pleasure of sitting down with the cast (which you can check out here) and the director in India, after the first-ever look at Varanasi. During their conversation, Rajamouli shares his vision for the final picture, what it’s like working with Telugu Cinema, how he selects his impactful slow-motion shots, and choosing which sequences will be filmed for IMAX. The filmmaker also discusses what to expect as far as Varanasi‘s runtime, shares the comments from James Cameron on RRR, and how he’s leveling up after that film’s success.

S.S. Rajamouli Shares James Cameron’s Response to ‘RRR’

“I was pinching myself to believe it.”

COLLIDER: I have a lot of questions about the movie, but I like throwing in a few fun questions at the beginning of all my interviews. What is your favorite Indian food, and what is in it?

S.S. RAJAMOULI: It’s called pothichoru. It’s basically a liquid form of lentils and rice. That’s home-cooked food, and I love it.

Is there something that you cook yourself?

RAJAMOULI: I never cook. I hate cooking. I only like eating.

We’re very similar. I’m wearing an Arnold Schwarzenegger T-shirt. I know you’re a movie fan. Do you have a favorite Arnold movie?

RAJAMOULI: Who doesn’t? [Laughs] T2, Terminator 2, and I like True Lies a lot. A completely different kind of film from him. I love True Lies.

What’s funny is that both are James Cameron.

RAJAMOULI: Yeah.

I’m assuming James Cameron must have seen RRR.

RAJAMOULI: Yes.

I’m assuming you spoke to him?

RAJAMOULI: Yes.

I know that you got to meet a lot of Hollywood filmmakers when you were promoting. As such a fan of James Cameron and Spielberg, and all these people, what has it been like to be embraced by Hollywood and have these filmmakers that you look up to talk so highly of you?

RAJAMOULI: It was unreal for me. First of all, meeting him is unreal. Then, him talking about my film is something else. And then him talking about the details of the film, the characters of the film, the movements of the film, and how he and his wife watched the film, and he recommended my movie to his wife, and both of them are watching the film again, he watched it a second time? All that was like, “Is this true?” I was pinching myself to believe it. It was one of the happiest moments in my career.

Pinpointing ‘Varanasi’s “Peak” Emotional Beats

“This will be one of the greatest cinematic moments. We have to do this.”

Rudhra riding on the back of an animal and holding a trident.

After RRR, you’ve been able to do what you want to do for the last few movies, but did you feel any additional pressure or indecision about what you wanted to do after RRR, knowing that so many people around the world are very interested in what you’re going to do?

RAJAMOULI: No. The success of RRR definitely has no pressure on me. My pressure is that, at the beginning of the film, we always have two or three ideas, which are interesting. So, if I start focusing on one idea, I feel that I’m missing out on those two. If I go for the other idea, I will feel that I’m missing out on this. That’s the pressure I go through at the beginning of the film. The success of the previous film, whether it’s Baahubali or any other film, has never affected me.

How did you decide on this film being, “Yes, this is what I want to make?”

RAJAMOULI: It is very difficult to pinpoint and say, “Yes, this is the time,” or “This is the moment in story development that I felt like this is the work.” It’s a kind of process that goes back and forth, back and forth. Also, it took a long time because at the same time, I was also in L.A. promoting RRR. So, I was doing that job there, coming back to India, dabbling a little bit with the story discussions, and again, going back. I don’t know exactly at which point I thought, “Yes, this is the film,” but I remember this definitely is one of the moments when we had the emotional sequence leading up to the moment where Rudhra, the character played by Mahesh [Babu], comes on the bull with the dust flying around. We thought, “This will be one of the greatest cinematic moments. We have to do this.”

I know this is very early; you’re in the middle of filming right now. The film’s not out for a long time, and I hate asking the generic question, but what do you want to tell people about the movie and what it’s about?

RAJAMOULI: It’s about the experience. It’s the experience that will transport you through unimaginably big, gigantic worlds, not just in terms of scale, but in terms of emotions as well.

One of the things that I love about your work is the way that you use slow motion in your action set pieces to help tell the story. How do you figure out which shots you want to do in slow motion, and are you figuring it out on set, or are you figuring it out in the editing room after, or is it a combination of both?

RAJAMOULI: Much, much before. Much before the shooting or editing on the writing table itself, I’ll be figuring out which shots are going to be slow motion. Those moments are the peak moments of emotion, so I can’t decide that on the set. It has to be much before.

S.S. Rajamouli Breaks Down His IMAX Strategy

“Why would I want to hide it?”

I love IMAX. It is my favorite format, and you are going to be releasing this in IMAX, and you’re filming it for IMAX. Can you talk about the decision as to why? Because James Cameron and films like Oppenheimer, all in IMAX, the full screen. Are you doing that, or are you doing select scenes in full-screen IMAX?

RAJAMOULI: Select screens. I would like to do the entire film in full IMAX, but our timelines and the way we work, we are not studio-backed. We are production company-based. So, that would be impossible for us to do the entire film in IMAX. That being said, I also love the moments where a normal scene opens into that gigantic world, you know? I really love that feel.

When we were having the conversations with the IMAX technicians and IMAX people in L.A., they were saying it can cut between the platforms and between the aspect ratios, and people will not notice it. You can hide those cuts. They were suggesting different ways to hide the cuts. I said, “Why would I want to hide it?” I want to blatantly tell the people, show the people that you are going to witness something extraordinary as they open the screen to the larger screen. It gives me elation. Why should I hide it? I would rather flaunt it rather than hide it. When we played this teaser for the audience at the event, you must have noticed when I opened Varanasi from the cinemascope to the full IMAX, there was a roar. So, I want to use it, capture it, and not hide it.

Oh yeah, when it does that, I’m like, “It’s on.” With the footage that you showed, can you talk about why you picked the scenes that you showed for the trailer over other scenes?

RAJAMOULI: It was in last October, I guess, when my artist started putting the pencil on the paper and started drawing the images. We know the story, and I told him that I wanted the audience to experience it. “I don’t want words, I want visuals. I want visuals, and people should get a sense of what this film is going to be, what scale, what scope this is going to be. So, there are no words. There are no words. I just want visuals.” And he started doing the job, and we picked some.

The picking of those visuals is mainly based on, “Am I feeling it or not?” I didn’t want words to describe it. “Am I feeling it or not? Yes, I am feeling it here. I am feeling it here. Yes, go through it, go through it, go through that scale.” We made the basic, simple black and white pencil-lined drawing of what this is going to be, and from last October until now, we started developing it, developing, and developing it. Studios worked on it day and night, day and night, until the last moment, where we are releasing. Some of the artists were working 24 hours, like, literally 24 hours, no sleep. They are working until they deliver this.

S.S. Rajamouli Aims for Another Epic Runtime

“It is always whatever is best for the story.”

I’m waiting for this thing to pop up behind us. What can you say about the antagonist of the film and this wheelchair with the Dr. Octopus-type arms?

RAJAMOULI: Definitely not sci-fi. It’s not sci-fi. It feels like it’s a sci-fi film. It’s not. It’s a more fantasy, mythological-based film. And the antagonist, Kumbha, I’m always known for presenting my antagonist better than my protagonist. I love working with antagonists. I just love his character, his intensity, and Prithviraj [Sukumaran], the way he brought that out with his performance, is really incredible. He just had his face, nothing else. No arms, no legs, no body movement. Nothing. His menace, he had to bring to his face, and he did it with great aplomb.

I’m curious about the runtime of the movie. I love long movies, especially when they’re deserving of a long runtime. RRR is a little over three hours, but you’ve made previous films that are 3.5 hours. Are you already thinking that this could be three hours, 3.5 hours?

RAJAMOULI: Usually, I aim my films based on the script that we have. Usually, my stories feel like they will be a two-hour and 40-minute to a three-hour kind of thing. That is how most of my recent movies have been like that. I think Varanasi will be, also, on those lines. I am at this point. I’m assuming it will be a little bit less than three hours.

In America, not a lot of people are as crazy about a three-hour movie. They like a two-hour movie. Personally, again, if the movie warrants it, it could be any length, but do you get the pressure to make it shorter, or do you get the creative freedom to do whatever’s best for the story?

RAJAMOULI: It is always whatever is best for the story. I seriously believe that if the content is not interesting, whether it is, three hours, two hours, 1.5 hours, or even three minutes, people wouldn’t care for it. They just get bored, and they just switch it off, or they walk out of the theater. They’re not interested. If you’re able to pull the audience into the world, into the emotions of the characters, and resonate with the emotions of the characters, I think runtime doesn’t matter.

‘Varanasi’s Songs “Won’t Be Anything Like” ‘RRR’

“We should concentrate on how to make that high higher or bigger.”

The two main characters smiling and dancing in RRR.

One of the things about RRR in America was the music and the songs. It exploded around the world. Can you talk a little bit about the music and the songs of your new film?

RAJAMOULI: Each film is different, Steve. It’s a big trap that many filmmakers tend to fall into, trying to see what are the elements in the previous film or the successful film, and because the audiences will be expecting it, how do we recreate that? Each film is different. Each film has different, unique points, with different emotions, different highs. I feel we should concentrate on how to make that high higher or bigger, rather than trying to recreate from the previous success. Of course, we feel great about RRR and how we performed worldwide.

I look at Varanasi as, “How can I get those kind of high moments,” but I do not try to recreate that music into Varanasi. We will have music, which will be great. Will have songs which are great, but they won’t be anything like RRR.

Which shot or sequence of this film thus far has been the most challenging to pull off, or is it still in front of you?

RAJAMOULI: The sequence that I am shooting now, in the middle of the shoot, I think that is one of the more technically challenging moments. We had to combine many known technologies to achieve what we needed to achieve. And the sequence I know, which will be really difficult, really tough to pull off, is a sequence that we have already shot. It’s the Ramayana episode. So, we completed the shoot, and we know the VFX for that is going to be a really, really tough job for all of us.

Right now, it’s November 2025. When do you actually finish filming? What’s still in front of you?

RAJAMOULI: We have completed about 50% of the shoot, and the 50% is behind us. We are thinking we can finish our shoot by next June. Something like that.

One of the things that I learned from Priyanka was that you will shoot the rehearsals and everyone is in street clothing, whatever they’re wearing, and then you’ll edit that and show it to them with their just normal clothes, and then that’s what you will actually shoot. Can you talk about your process? Because that’s unusual.

RAJAMOULI: Because I work with actors from different industries, and I am working with technologies which are not regularly used in filmmaking, it is very important for the cast and crew to understand, even for me to understand, the process of how we are going through filming it. So, I figured out the best way to do it is do a test shoot. So get the actors, give them the lines, get my DP, get the people who are involved in it, the production designer, whoever is involved in it, with the cameras, and let the actors do their acting. It’s a little bit like an extension of the actors reading the scripts. They invest. They do the reading. So I am taking it a little bit forward. I am doing the test shooting as they are reading the lines, making them act, and asking, “How do you like to do it? Would you like to walk as you are saying that? Would you like to sit? Would you lean onto something? Would you want something in your hand to explore?”

ss rajamouli varanasi priyanka chopra — Priyanka Chopra Jonas in a poster for ‘RRR’ director S.S. Rajamouli’s new film, ‘Varanasi’.

So, that gives us a lot of freedom. And I see them as they are going through their lines and motions. I will be able to see, my DP will be able to see in which pose or which movement, or which still moment, they are more comfortable with delivering their emotions. So, we will be having multiple cameras, and we will be capturing all of that, and we will do the edit on that and see how it is flowing through, and that will be our basis for shooting the actual shoot.

Varanasi is slated for global release on April 7, 2027.

Release Date: Advertisement

April 7, 2027
Director: S. S. Rajamouli
Writers: Vijayendra Prasad, S.S. Rajamouli

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7 actors who lost out on roles for seriously bizarre reasons

Published

9 minutes ago

1 April 2026

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Talent doesn’t always guarantee a gig in Tinseltown.

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A CW Show’s Best Episode Is Responsible For Star Wars’ Worst Movie

Published

22 minutes ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

A CW Show's Best Episode Is Responsible For Star Wars' Worst Movie

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 33 seconds ago

Supernatural felt like it was on the air forever, 15 seasons and 327 episodes is an incredible run, but it’s even more impressive for a genre show. That’s why it’s hard to remember, but way back in the second episode, “Wendigo,” Alden Ehrenreich made his acting debut as the young Ben Collins, and while he’d go on to star in Weapons, Ironheart, and Beautiful Creatures, his most infamous role was no fault of his own. Ehrenreich starred as young Han Solo in Solo, the most unneeded prequel of all time, and a film that destroyed the entire Star Wars side-story project Disney had been pursuing, which is a little ironic, as his very on-screen role was so good, it helped turn Supernatural into the juggernaut it would become.

Sam And Dean Take On One Of Supernatural’s Best Monsters

“Wendigo” is the second episode of Supernatural. which means it had the task of setting the tone and format for the rest of the series. The pilot introduced characters, set up the world, and established stakes, but “Wendigo” was the first real Monster of the Week episode. Back before it was a battle against demons and angels, the show mined folklore and urban legends for its villains, and the Algonquian legend of the Wiindigoo, a ravenous, gigantic, emaciated cannibal, made for the perfect introduction to the Winchesters.

Alden Ehrenreich’s Ben Collins is wandering in the wilderness with his older sister, Hayley, as they try to find their other brother, Tommy, who went missing. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) find the siblings, and thanks to their dad’s journal, deduce it was a Wendigo that took Tommy. The Wendigo they find isn’t a furry, bestial monster, instead it’s closer to the actual tradition, a strange-looking, gaunt, humanoid that has more in common with Slender Man than Big Foot, but it’s also one of the best-looking monsters of Season 1.

A Young Jared Padalecki, Gina Holden, Alden Ehrenreich, And Jensen Ackles In 2005’s “Wendigo”

The episode plays out as you’d expect, with Sam and Dean losing horribly to the beast before they outsmart it and snatch victory from its ravenous jaws of defeat. Supernatural eventually got stuck in a rut with subsequent episodes playing out in the same fashion, but given its later seasons’ emphasis on the mythology arc, it’s refreshing to go back and see such a simple Monster of the Week story that lets Sam and Dean be, well, Sam and Dean, going up against a beast from classic folklore.

From All-Time Great To All-Time Flop

Following the success of “Wendigo,” Supernatural became a hit, and Alden Ehrenreich hasn’t had to stop working yet. Supernatural fans should at least check out Beautiful Creatures, based on the young adult novel of the same name, where he plays a teen who falls in love with a young witch. It’s Southern Gothic, giving it a sense of style and charm that what should have been his breakout film, Solo, completely lacks.

Alden Ehrenreich As *Han Solo In Solo: A Star Wars Story*

It’s not Ehrenreich’s fault that Solo was a failure. Asking him to play one of the most iconic roles in movie history that made Harrison Ford a movie star was an impossible task. The fact that he does as well as he does is a testament to his acting ability and his own natural charm. Solo was the victim of studio interference.

Supernatural had to overcome its own periods of studio interference, and its spin-off, The Winchesters, also had a rough start to production. Years after it finally came to an end, it’s fun to look back at the saga of Sam and Dean and realize how good we had it. Two brothers, a 1967 Chevy Impala, and a Monster of the Week became one of the greatest genre shows in history.

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

Published

37 minutes ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Jen Shah was indicted for her alleged role in a long-running telemarketing scheme while filming season 2 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

Bravo viewers met Shah during season 1 of RHOSLC, which filmed in 2019 and aired in 2020. She quickly became a polarizing character on the franchise, with fans questioning her job and need for several assistants.

“People will come to me and I’ll invest in their companies, so we have got a lot of different investments, all different kinds of things,” Shah said of her career on Access Hollywood’s “Housewives Nightcap” in November 2020. “I’ve been able to do it because what I’ve been able to carve out, the niche I’ve been able to carve out in the direct response marketing world.”

Not long after production began on season 2 of RHOSLC — which also starred Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose, Heather Gay, Lisa Barlow and Mary Cosby — news broke on March 30, 2021, that Shah and one of her assistants who appeared on the show, Stuart Smith, were arrested in Utah.

Every defendant in the case has pleaded guilty to their respective charges as of July 2022, when Shah became the final defendant to change her plea. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of a plea deal. After Shah was convicted, she was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison. Shah reported to prison in 2023, and was later released in December 2025.

Scroll through for a breakdown of the charges and everything we know about Shah’s legal drama:

This is an ongoing article that was originally published in March 2021 and last updated on April 1, 2026.

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Rashad Scroggins Confirms Their Breakup (Video)

Published

50 minutes ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Social Media Called It! Rashad Scroggins Says He "Dodged A Missile" While Confirming Breakup With Brittany Renner PJ Washington

Brittany Renner seemingly wants all the smoke behind Paul Jermaine Washington III, her son with PJ Washington. She went from jokingly defending him a couple of days ago to blasting his parental involvement. Things escalated when PJ seemingly took sides in the internet beef between Renner and his wife, Alisah Chanel. Meanwhile, some internet users found themselves on Rashad Scroggins‘ Instagram page.

After photos of their friends-to-lovers journey disappeared from their IG feeds, the people had questions under his other posts. This time, the internet clocked it. Scroggins told his followers he’s single and “dodged a missile.”

RELATED: Oop! Brittany Renner Drops SPICY Reply To PJ Washington’s Wife Alisah Chanel Over Her Reaction To A Joke

Brittany Reacts To PJ Washington’s Selfie With His Wife Alisah

After Brittany and Alisah’s back and forth on IG Stories and in The Shade Room’s comment section, PJ Washington seemingly stepped in. He reminded the public via his IG Stories that Alisah is the one — the ring is secured! After TSR posted the sweet selfie, Brittany hopped on her IG Stories to clock PJ about not replying to a message about their son, Paul. She had texted him, “What are your plans after the season ends? Did you have dates in mind you wanted to get Paul?” Washington seemingly hadn’t responded and the timestamps suggest Renner texted him a few days prior.

“Despite the dead eyes, I am glad to see your thumbs aren’t broken and you’re alive and well. While we have a moment, can we get back to the question at hand @pjwashington,” Renner wrote in her post.

Social Media Users Flood Brittany Renner’s Recent Boo With Breakup Comments

Brittany’s internet tussle with Alisah and PJ had folks on social media asking about her own love life. She and Rashad Scroggins debuted their relationship earlier this year. Last TSR reported, he had shared a post about their mountain trip in late December. Their sweet, and often joint, posts continued through Valentine’s Day. He was even in the podcast episode where she revealed she had dropped her child-related case in California against PJ Washington.

That podcast page is gone now. Also, sometime this week, their couples’ posts disappeared from their pages. And fans noticed. Two days he shared photos of himself on IG with the caption, “Everything should be cool.” Since then, the comment section has been flooded in with breakup speculation.

@juricafit wrote, “Big bro. She don’t want to be saved. Cole told us.”

“What happened? I liked you 2 together 😢,” @exceptionalerin added.

“Tell the truth, you knew what you were signing up for G 😅,” @earthtola_ commented.

“Why you deleted the pics of yall together?” @reginajackk asked.

@damsel_not_distressed added, “You got out in time! She’s already back to the messiness 🙄.”

“Females don’t understand that men get tired and fed up too! A man with boundaries is a different beast! 💪🏼,” @oohkathylee commented.

@gannicus_kd_wilson wrote, “U can’t call the girl trash now my n*gga the world tried to warn u and tried post how much u was in love naw take that L now @rashadscroggins.”

Rashad Scroggins Confirms He’s “Single,” Says He “Dodged A Missile”

Rashad Scroggins left his comment sections scrambled. Looking for answers. He even kept his cone of silence amid Brittany Renner blasting her ex-boyfriend and his wife. Then, on Tuesday (March 31), he finally spoke out on video and in the comment section.

In videos on IG Stories, Rashad shared a general message about life being “full of surprises and interesting at the same time.” Then, he admitted that he was “really loud before,” and it’s a switch-up to go quiet. To him, though, “some stuff is not worth you going forward it.”

“When you take that step back and there’s still chaos around the corner. When you enter somebody’s life, you hope to change, you hope to grow, you hope to make it better. I want to be better as a person, but some people, they just want to do the same thing over and over and over…they’re stuck in a loop and they can’t figure out that I need to do something different.”

He then told his viewers to never get stuck in life, and to keep moving forward. Up to that point, he hadn’t dropped any names and he kept the same energy in follow-up clips.

“I’m a big believer that idle time is the Devil’s playground. If you want to be a stay-at-home wife or you don’t want to work, you’re going to have issues. You have to do something with your time. I’m not saying stay-at-home wife is out, but you have to do something productive with your time. I pray for everybody, I hope they get happy.”

Rashad also acknowledged that he’s speaking in riddles and refused to get into specifics. He added:

“Mannnn, everybody told me,” before laughing. “My God look out for me man…I dodged a motherfing missile, do you hear me? I dodged all the ruckus…Thank you, thank you.”

RELATED: Issa New Couple? Social Media Reacts As Mystery Man Shares Mountain Trip Memories With Brittany Renner (VIDEOS)

In his follow-up, Scroggins said that people have to pay attention to what they have, including their own skills, rather than trying to eat off of what someone else has.

“Life is still gonna require you to do something or you’re going to feel an internal, deep hole that nobody’s gonna be able to fill. You’re going to think you need money, a jet, Rolls Royce, a chef, whatever you think that you need, it ain’t gonna be it. You need to figure out your purpose,” he said while filming outside. Adding, “To be clear, I’m single. I’m chilling, safe. Peaceful. Listening to birds. Just calm. Yes, that’s the story.”

Rashad said a lot of things transpired in a couple of days, but he didn’t go into details about what. Again, he never name-dropped Brittany Renner, but later made a reference to her. After defending the expression of his feelings, he said he was “kinda scared” to speak out because he wants “no smoke” with “her.” He said, “I just wish the best for her…but two things could be true.”

Rashad Scroggins announces that he’s single. As previously reported, he was linked to Brittany Renner last December as they shared moments from a trip to the mountains. (📸: @gettyimages) ✍🏾: #TSRStaffJW pic.twitter.com/D7a4tjwRle
— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) April 1, 2026
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RELATED: Brittany Renner Reacts After Alisah Chanel Alleges She’s Pregnant, Refused To Let PJ Washington See His Son And Begged For $150

What Do You Think Roomies?

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Supergirl Goes Full-On John Wick In New Trailer

Published

1 hour ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 1 hour ago

The latest trailer for Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, and Eve Ridley, has been released, and I take back everything I said about the previous teaser trailer. Everything about the old trailer indicated a disrespect for the Superman source material and a rebellious girl-boss operating under the slogan, “Truth. Justice. Whatever.”

Yet the new trailer, released March 31, 2026, reveals a lot more about the plot and the source of Supergirl’s anger. A story that was indicated to be about Kara, aka Supergirl, helping an alien girl named Ruthye avenge the death of her father becomes much more poignant when you know that the murderer has also poisoned Krypto, Supergirl’s faithful canine that she’s had since her days on Krypton.

Supergirl’s John Wick Arc

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If You’re Worried About The New Harry Potter, Tubi Has Something Much Worse

Published

1 hour ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

If You’re Worried About The New Harry Potter, Tubi Has Something Much Worse

By Robert Scucci
| Published 15 seconds ago

With all the Harry Potter buzz lately, everybody’s writing about the franchise, its future, J.K. Rowling, and so on. I don’t really have anything new to add to the conversation, so this is my warped way of inserting myself into it. I’ve read the books and seen the films. They didn’t define my childhood, but I remember enjoying them. They’re fine, but they were one-and-done for me. I’ve never been big on young adult fantasy, but sometimes it’s nice to feel like you’re part of the zeitgeist, so you play along to understand the references.

This line of thinking led me to Tubi (home of Amityville Death Toilet), where you can stream The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens. This movie falls into the “mockbuster” category, meaning it was produced to capitalize on the success of the wildly popular Harry Potter franchise, and for no other reason.

The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owen 2008

This movie, in so many words, is a blatant Harry Potter knockoff that hasn’t publicly disclosed its finances, but I’ll describe as hilariously low budget. It’s filmed in Canadian strip malls, you can spot crew members reflected in mirrors, and the CGI looks like something anybody could throw together after a day or two button-mashing in Blender. Oh yeah, and Roddy Piper is basically a Hagrid/Dumbledore stand-in, so on all fronts this cinematic experiment is something you need to know about.

Codex! Scriptoria! Please!

The entirety of The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens is narrated by Mandy Finch (Ciara O’Hanlon), the bookworm of the group, basically functioning as Hermione in this universe (yes, there’s a sequel, Billy Owens and the Secret of the Runes). Mandy recalls the events we’re about to witness, which immediately tells me they all lived to see another day, otherwise somebody else would be narrating.

We’re introduced to our hero, Willard “Billy” Owens (Dalton Mugridge), who, on his eleventh birthday, realizes he’s a wizard after buying a magic wand from Roddy Piper’s William Thurgood for $11.

Billy Owens learns that the magic word is “please.” Roddy Piper uses what looks like Microsoft PowerPoint technology to spell words like “Codex” and “Scriptoria” in his antique shop. There’s another kid named Devon (Christopher Fazio), who’s clearly meant to be a Ron Weasley surrogate, but his presence is so inconsequential that I’m only mentioning it to prove I actually sat through this entire movie to impress you. And I did without bumping it up to 1.5x speed for reasons I’ll never fully understand.

The kids learn that Sumerian prankster god Loki is going to seize their small town of Spirit River if they don’t intervene, so naturally, they go to the library, where they try to hide from a security guard by talking loudly and waving their flashlights around. There’s a CGI fire at William’s shop, and then there’s a dragon.

At one point, because there’s clearly no budget, Billy tries to get out of doing chores by waving the wand at his parents. You think something cool is about to happen, but instead his father just looks the other way and Billy hides under a coat. Everybody saves the day, and we get one of those “To Be Continued” cards, threatening us with a sequel.

You Have To Be A Special Kind Of Person To Subject Yourself To This

The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens is hardly a movie. Though its runtime is 84 minutes, the last 10 are bloopers and credits. The amount of nothing that happens here is insane, and the little effort that went into it is still disproportionate to the story it’s trying to tell. If you’re wondering who movies like this are made for, the answer is me. It’s so stupid that I can’t help myself.

Actually, now that I think about it, this movie does serve a purpose. If you’re one of the millions of people upset about the new Harry Potter trailer, just fire up The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens on Tubi to remind yourself that it could be so much worse.

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The Valley’s Zack Warns There’s More Amanda, West Drama

Published

1 hour ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

The Valley‘s Zack Wickham teased more might be revealed about Amanda Batula and West Wilson‘s shocking romance.

“Well, I will say that one of our friends’ cousins was on a vacation,” Zack said on the Tuesday, March 31, episode of SiriusXM’s Smith Sisters Live. “And met [Summer House star] Jesse Solomon and he just told her everything and then she told me.”

Zack continued: “So, I’m like, if what he told her is real, then brace yourselves, America. Sorry Jesse, I didn’t mean to throw you under the bus. I’m not saying anything publicly, but oh, my God.”

Rumors swirled that Amanda, 34, and West, 31, were hooking up shortly after she announced her split from husband Kyle Cooke in January. (West, for his part, has had an on-and-off connection with costar Ciara Miller since 2023.)

Earlier this month, Amanda denied having any potential involvement with another costar. “It’s not going to happen. I’m not touching any of my cast members,” she said on the “Trading Secrets” podcast. “Love them dearly, but I’m good.”

West later said he was “just hanging out” with Amanda on an episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.

“She’s single now,” he noted. “That’s [a] very important person to me and I care about her a lot. That’s a friend.”

As the rumors progressed, Amanda and West confirmed on Tuesday that their relationship status changed.

“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” read a joint social media statement. “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 needed a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”

Amanda and West broke down how their connection evolved from friendship to more.

“We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected,” they continued. “Our connection grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”

The statement concluded: “As our feelings evolved, we wanted to take time to understand exactly what we were feeling. We also recognize that this has had an impact beyond just us and never wanted our actions to cause any hurt or be perceived as careless. We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”

After news of their romance broke, a source exclusively told Us Weekly, that Ciara, 30, is “heartbroken by this,” adding, “Her and Amanda were very close and she feels more betrayed than ever by both of them.”

A second source told Us, “Ciara cut off both Amanda and West after finding out.”

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Ross Mathews looks back at his 'terrible' “Mean Girls ”audition: 'I've never told anyone this'

Published

2 hours ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

The Drew Crew member explained that he initially thought that he was “too old” to play someone in high school.

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Lili Reinhart says a male director once told her, 'Suck in your stomach'

Published

2 hours ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

The “Forbidden Fruits” star has spoken candidly about her struggles with body image.

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Megan Thee Stallion Speaks, More Revealed About Hospitalization

Published

2 hours ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

UPDATE: Megan Thee Stallion Speaks Out As More Details Are Reportedly Shared About What Led To Her Recent Hospitalization

Megan Thee Stallion has spoken out as more details have reportedly been shared about what led to her recent hospitalization.

RELATED: Winning On Stage & At Home! Megan Thee Stallion Shares Selfie With Klay Thompson Amid Her Broadway Debut (PHOTO)

More Details Have Been Shared About What Led To Megan Thee Stallion’s Hospitalization

On Wednesday, April 1, The Hollywood Reporter published an update on Megan, reportedly shared by her spokesperson. In the statement, the spokesperson asserted that “…Megan was transported to a local hospital to undergo a medical evaluation after experiencing concerning symptoms.”

“Doctors ultimately identified extreme exhaustion, dehydration, vasoconstriction and low metabolic levels as the cause of her symptoms. Megan has since been treated, discharged and is now resting. Megan is incredibly grateful for the prayers and well-wishes from her supporters and is looking forward to resuming her role as Zidler on Moulin Rouge on Thursday,” the statement concluded.

Furthermore, The Hollywood Reporter noted that Megan would not be returning to the Broadway stage for Wednesday’s show. Instead, she would return to the stage on Thursday, April 2.

Megan Thee Stallion Speaks Out As Social Media Reacts

Then, on Wednesday, April 1, Megan Thee Stallion took to her Instagram account to share her own statement about her hospitalization and condition.

“Last night was a real wake-up call for me. I’ve been pushing myself past my limits lately, running on empty, and my body finally said enough. It honestly scared me. I thought I was gonna faint on stage, I really tried to push through my performance but I just couldn’t. Hotties I wanna be real with y’all because you mean everything to me and I hate letting yall down 🥺 I just need one day to rest, reset, and take care of myself the way I should have been..I’ll be right back on that stage Thursday, stronger, clearer, and ready to give you 100% the way you deserve. Thank you for always riding with me and loving me through everything,” she wrote.

In TSR’s comment section, fans reacted to Megan’s statement.

Instagram user @since_we_being_honest wrote, “My granny used to say If you don’t rest your body will literally force you too!”

While Instagram user @luvdaisha_ added, “Girl no need to be sorry your health is importing take care of yourself you need more than a day !”

Additionally, Instagram user @bae_ismeee wrote, “A hospital stay and she rests for A DAY! Smh black women-we have GOT to do better and be good to ourselves.”

While Instagram user @ryennmilan added, “Girl take a REAL rest. Your body will take what it needs from you at the worst times.”

More On Her Recent Hospitalization

As The Shade Room previously reported, on Tuesday, March 31, Megan reportedly hit the stage for Broadway’s ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical.’ However, shortly after the show started, she did not return to the stage and reportedly fell “very ill.” Ultimately, it was reported that she was taken to a hospital.