Ashley Hebert found love with J.P. Rosenbaum on season 7 of The Bachelorette — but their marriage wasn’t meant to be.

“I know I have to take a leap of faith. All the time that we spent together, it’s been the happiest time of my life,” Rosenbaum said before getting down on one knee during the 2011 finale. “All I know is that I’m madly in love with you. I love everything about you.”

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The reality TV couple wed in 2012 and went on to welcome two children: son Ford and daughter Essie. In October 2020, Rosenbaum and Hebert announced they were getting divorced.

Despite their split, Rosenbaum told Us Weekly in April 2022 that he and Hebert should be considered a Bachelor Nation success story. “We were together, I mean, nine years, 10 years, whatever it was,” he shared. “And we got two amazing, amazing children out of it. I wouldn’t change anything, obviously.”

Scroll through to revisit their relationship timeline:

For a family that grew up sharing one Arkansas compound, the Duggars are spreading out fast.

From California to Rhode Island to Texas, several of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s adult children are building lives far from home in the Midwest. Keep scrolling for more:

Jill Duggar Heads to Virginia and Rhode Island

Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, announced via their family’s blog in April 2026 that Derick joined the Marine Corps.

“Derick has joined the Marine Corps! He has been selected for Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS),” Jill wrote, noting Dillard “ships out for active duty” to Virginia later that same month. “Lord willing, he will commission as an officer at the end of OCS and then go on to a couple of other trainings before getting his assignment as a Marine Corps JAG officer.”

Jill and the couple’s three sons — Israel, Samuel and Freddy — plan to follow Derick to the East Coast after his initial training.

“After Derick’s 10 weeks of intense training at OCS, Jill and the kids will move to join him in Virginia, and then Rhode Island for the remainder of his training,” the blog post added.

Derrick, who recently served as an attorney in Arkansas, and Jill briefly relocated to Central America for a volunteer mission. They returned to the United States in 2017.

Jana Duggar Settled in Nebraska

Jana Duggar made her own move out west after marrying Stephen Wissman in August 2024, settling in Wissman’s hometown in Nebraska.

Weeks later, Jana shared YouTube footage of the “fixer-upper” house they renovated. The expansive home was upgraded to feature two floors, five bedrooms and multiple bathrooms across both levels.

“He has a little house we bought that we’ve been fixing up and getting pulled together, and so that’s been fun,” Jana told People in an interview at the time.

Jana and Stephen welcomed their first child, son Archie, in December 2025 after the house was fixed up.

Jinger Duggar’s Life in Los Angeles

Jinger Duggar moved to Laredo, Texas, after marrying Jeremy Vuolo in 2016, and the couple relocated to Los Angeles nearly three years later so Jeremy could pursue further theological training.

Despite the cross-country distance, Jinger has maintained close ties with her parents and siblings. She and Jeremy, with whom she shares three children, traveled back to Arkansas for Christmas 2025 for the first time in almost a decade.

“We have not been back to the Duggar house since we’ve been married in nine years for Christmas,” Jinger said on her podcast in December 2025, explaining that they typically spend the holiday with Jeremy’s relatives. “Throughout the years, we’ve decided, ‘Like, OK, that’s going to be the time that we spend with the Vuolo family over Christmas.’ My family [is] always together a lot, and so it’s easy for us to pop back. We [recently] went back three times in one year for weddings

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Related: Jinger Duggar Shares Which Siblings She Talks to the Most

Jinger Duggar may have 18 siblings to keep up with, but she makes sure to stay in touch with all of them. The 19 Kids and Counting alum, 31, was asked which siblings she speaks to the most during a Q&A session on her Instagram Stories on Thursday, August 28. “I’d say I talk to […]

Justin Duggar Settled in the South

Justin Duggar married Claire Spivey in February 2021, soon planting roots in the bride’s native Texas.

“We’ve decided to settle down in Texas, kind of around Claire’s parents and their hometown,” Justin said in an April 2021 video for TLC. “Something new that I’ve learned about Claire is that she can’t go in the mornings without a cup of hot tea. She always has to have her hot earl grey tea and done a certain way, which I’m figuring out. But, I think it’s cute.”

This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.

Just days after a body was found in a lake in Newport News, Virginia, the remains have been identified as a 16-year-old girl who had been missing for three weeks.

Police confirmed on Thursday, April 9, that the body discovered in Mariners’ Lake on Monday, April 6, is Marwa Barakzai.

She was last seen on March 19, and a large-scale search that involved officers, volunteers, boats equipped with sonar and K-9 units that combed through wooded areas followed.

Police said that Barakzai was last seen when she asked her school bus driver to drop her off at a different location than usual, according to 13 News Now. Investigators noted that she left behind her laptop, which raised concerns and led investigators to intensify the search efforts.

Related: Missing Teen Found After 2 Months, Arrested Man Claims ‘Misunderstanding’

A 13-year-old girl was found safe in Maryland on Friday, December 26, more than two months after she was reported missing from Kentucky. Wynter Wagoner was found inside a home on Dalewood Drive in Silver Spring, Maryland, by Montgomery County Police, U.S. Marshals and the Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Office, according to Lex 18. Wagoner was […]

Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said during a news conference on April 9 that Barakzai’s body had been in the water for weeks. Additionally, Drew said she was still in the same clothes she was wearing at the time she went missing.

Her remains were not in good condition when she was found, so the identification was made by using dental records.

Drew added that the medical examiner found no signs of foul play.

“There were no signs of struggle, no strangulation, no sexual assault and no trauma,” he said. “We asked if there were any signs of foul play, and the answer was no.”

Authorities have not determined Barakzai’s cause of death, adding they would not comment on if her death involved suicide due to the ongoing investigation.

“Out of respect for the family and what we’ve uncovered, we’re going to wait until the detective finishes their work,” Drew said.

A toxicology report is currently pending, which police said could take six to eight weeks to complete.

Related: What Happened to Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra? What We Know About Her Death

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New details have continued to emerge following the death of Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra. The Suffolk County Police Department confirmed the swimsuit designer’s identity on August 5, after a body was found on a boat at the Montauk Yacht Club just after midnight. She was 33 years old at the time of her death. ABC News reported […]

Drew said that the case was emotional both for investigators and the community, and he told reporters that he personally helped carry Barakzai’s body when she was located.

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“When you connect with a family, that matters,” he said. “We want them to know how much we care.”

While her body has been found, authorities acknowledged that there are still several unanswered questions when it comes to her disappearance. However, they said that locating Barakzai’s body will hopefully allow the community and her loved ones to begin the healing process.

Barakzai’s family held funeral services for the teen on the afternoon of Friday, April 10.

It’s going down in the streamer community as PlaqueboyMax hosts his streamer diss track wars. While some are just throwing friendly fire and spitting bars, others are taking lethal shots. Despite Kai Cenat staying out of the streamer scene since his ‘Marathon 3’ ended seven months ago, his name still seems to come up. Reggie didn’t hold back and took a few shots of his own, sparking a reaction from Adin Ross, which ended up dragging Kai’s name back onto the timeline and fueling even more back-and-forth. 

RELATED: Blueface Responds After Adin Ross Reveals $100K Fine For Contract Breach In Boxing Match Against Chibu (VIDEOS)

Kai Cenat Previously Explained Why He Distanced Himself From Adin Ross

Tension has been brewing in the streamer community after once-close friends Kai Cenat and Adin Ross stopped associating. From expensive birthday gifts to collab streams, the two were once locked in. Back in July 2025, Kai Cenat revealed that he distanced himself from Adin Ross after Adin’s manager allegedly called him the N-word multiple times over the phone.

At the time, Kai said he and Adin were still cool, but it was clear he wasn’t comfortable with the hate he received from Adin’s stream community and preferred to stay away from the unwelcome energy.

Adin later pushed back, saying it wasn’t just his chat making racist remarks. He even called his manager on stream to ask if he really said it. The manager claimed he didn’t remember and, if he did say it, he didn’t mean it in that way. Over time, the tension continued to grow, with fans questioning where they stand. Despite Adin seemingly throwing shade, Kai has yet to respond.

Reggie And Adin Ross Go Back-And-Forth After Diss Track Shots

As of April 9, Reggie participated in PlaqueboyMax’s diss wars. While he didn’t show up, they played his tracks dissing Adin Ross and Cuffem. In one bar, he says, “If you diss KC3 again we gon come and kill your mans.” The streamer went on, “And Adin Ross you ride with Cuffem we gon knock you off.” He added, “Aye Adin Ross you think you tough you is not a boss…“You think cause you rich we won’t come and end it all.” Reggie then asks Cuffem, “How you let a white b**** control your life.” 

Adin later went live while folks shared their thoughts. He said he wasn’t bothered and wouldn’t sue Reggie over the threat. He states, “I promise you he probably had to get that diss track approved by Kai. Had to get a permission slip signed to even say that sh**.”

Reggie responded, “Cap. Kai has nun to do with what the Clover Boys do as men we are our own people SYBAU,” Adin clapped back, “Daddy can I please make a tweet responding back, please.”

Reggie continued going off on Adin as he wrote, “You using Black people for your personal gain. You still a bih tho lol, sh** sad fr, you cool tho, love you, hope to see you soon. He claimed Adin is mad because Kai doesn’t mess with him anymore. He also told supporters to pay attention, saying the Clover Boys get hate because they’re winning.

Social Media Reacts

Folks gathered under The Shade Room Teens as they reacted to Reggie and Adin’s feud. Some gave Reggie props on his bars, standing ten toes behind what he said. Others came to Adin’s defense, while many shared their thoughts on Kai and Adin’s past friendship.

Instagram user @sukkituki added, “Adin envious he da birthday person cousin 😂”

Instagram user @ukiyo.dai wrote, “I have way more respect for Reggie for this. Young black man calling out these white boy culture vultures and I love to see it 👏🏾 “

While Instagram user @1liiant_  wrote, “Kai havent been sayin sh** 😭”

Instagram user @yeahdat.j wrote, “I get it is easy to hate on adin if you don’t like him already but toh the diss was made and adin responded what else was he supposed to do”

Instagram user @just.talkfacts wrote, “It’s funny how the big three Kai, speed and Adin, get the most hate. Reggie you still a shrimp under another man label of a group he started. Adin made a platform bigger than what you do”

While Instagram user @aaransmith_ wrote, “When reggie was like that tho?”

Instagram user @tammynguyen1451 wrote, “Reggie not wrong idc. Adin and all his lapdogs hate farm kai any chance they can get, now they hate farm kai friends. Weird af”

Instagram user _wonderwoman91 added, “Yeahhh Reggie 🔥 🔥 🔥”

While Instagram user @klake137 wrote, “This is why I see Kai as the most popular streamer in the world. The man hasn’t been on streaming in the past six months and still is always in somebody’s mention.” 

RELATED: Oop! Kai Cenat & Adin Ross Clap Back After Joe Budden Takes Shots At Streamers (Videos)

Aww! Congratulations are in order for Scotty and Lemuel Plummer, who have confirmed the arrival of their first child together. Lemuel shared the news on his birthday in a heartfelt Instagram post.

Related: Social Media Is Mentioning Janeisha John After Zeus CEO Lemuel Plummer & ‘Baddies’ Star Scotty Share Gender Reveal Photos

Scotty & Lemuel Plummer Welcome Baby Girl

On Friday, April 10, Lemuel Plummer shared a joint Instagram post with Scotty announcing that the couple has welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Icelynn Blaire Plummer. The post included a carousel of photos showing the couple holding their new bundle of joy in a hospital room. In the photos, the baby was wrapped in a cheetah-print blanket and wearing a matching headband, coordinated with her mother, Scotty. See below:

Lemuel Plummer Shares Heartfelt Message Following Daughter’s Arrival

Lemuel announced the arrival of their baby girl on his birthday. He shared a heartfelt message in the caption of his post, thanking Scotty for giving him the “greatest birthday gift I could ever receive”

He wrote,

This is by far the greatest birthday gift I could ever receive… our baby girl, Icelynn Blaire Plummer. @scotlyndryan, thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️

I can’t thank God enough for blessing us with a beautiful, healthy baby girl… she is perfect in every way. Scotty, baby, I am so inspired, in awe, speechless, humbled, blessed, and honored by your strength, resilience, sacrifice, courage, selflessness, and unconditional love… from carrying her to bringing her into this world. You are my queen and my person.

I love you and our baby girl more than words could ever express. Happy Birthday to us 🥹❤️🙏🏽… this is what magic feels like.

♈️ baby ♈️ daddy ♒️ mommy

Social Media Users Share Congratulations

Following the announcement, social media users flooded the comments section with congratulations and reactions.

Baddies castmate Biggie wrote, “So excited 😍🔥 to meet titi baby”

Another Instagram user wrote, “her name is so cute”

While Instagram user @rayray_.08 wrote, “the fastest pregancy I ever seen 😭😭”

Instagram user @meltmoneyteewhy wrote, “Scotty was photo ready 😍🔥 congrats”

Another Instagram user @rubyyalexaaa wrote, “Icelynn and Scotlynd are such cute mommy and daughter names”

While Instagram user @_hearts44niah wrote, “omgggg congrats to scottyyyy 🥹🥹💕💕”

Instagram user @cherishluvvvvv wrote, “Awww congrats. She was born on his birthday !!!”

Another Instagram user @tashiawayja wrote, “I just know he was irritating her so bad 😂😂”

While Instagram user @darealestt.chlo wrote, “brooo I hope that baby dont look like him but this is so cuteee 🥹🥹”

RELATED: Congrats! Jay Cinco Proposes To Lala Baptiste At Their Baby Shower Celebration (VIDEOS)

Chile… things took a disturbing turn inside a Tennessee nursing home, and a licensed nurse is now at the center of a case that ended in a guilty verdict. Now, Sharandal Mitchell has been convicted after a jury found her guilty of assault tied to a March 2024 incident. What started as workplace tension over patient care quickly spiraled into a situation involving a diaper, a face, and a whole lot of side-eyes.

RELATED: Say, WHAT?! 20-Year-Old Florida Woman Reportedly Indicted After Allegedly Giving Birth In Toilet & Letting Her Newborn Baby Drown

Mitchell Convicted In Shocking Assault Case

A jury has found contracted nurse Sharandal Mitchell guilty of assault after a deeply disturbing incident at Medina Christian Care Nursing Home in Medina, Tennessee. According to the Office of the District Attorney General for Tennessee’s 28th Judicial District, a jury convicted Mitchell on Tuesday of offensive contact, a Class B misdemeanor, after she allegedly smeared a soiled adult diaper on a coworker’s face during a March 2024 confrontation.

Wait…So, What Exactly Happened?

Authorities say the situation began when a coworker reported Mitchell, a licensed practical nurse contracted through ShiftKey. The coworker alleged that Mitchell refused to care for a patient suffering a prolonged nosebleed and failed to administer prescribed medication. After facility management instructed her to surrender her medication cart keys and leave the premises, Mitchell allegedly refused and remained on-site. Additionally, behavior officials described this as erratic, as she blamed the coworker for alerting management. Law enforcement eventually responded to the scene, and officers reportedly waited about two hours while Sharandal Mitchell refused to leave.

Shocking Patient Room Assault Leads To Guilty Verdict

Things reportedly got worse inside a patient’s room, where prosecutors say Mitchell walked in while the coworker was there. Then, she allegedly put on gloves, picked up a used adult diaper with urine and feces. From there, she grabbed the coworker by the hair and smeared it on her coworker’s face. The coworker then pushed her away to defend herself before officers stepped in and took Mitchell into custody.

District Attorney General Frederick H. Agee said the jury’s verdict makes it clear there’s accountability for what went down inside a healthcare facility. He added that though misdemeanor cases don’t usually make it to trial, his office is treating this case with the same weight as felony matters. Lastly, Mitchell will face sentencing in May before Circuit Court Judge Clayburn Peeples.

RELATED: Man Banned From Planet Fitness Over Unpaid Bill Allegedly Returns And Stabs Employee (VIDEO)

Gucci Mane shocked his fanbase when he seemingly broke his silence on Pooh Shiesty‘s ongoing kidnapping and robbery case. He didn’t name-drop anyone in his newly released diss track, ‘Crash Dummy.’ But the internet found the lyrics pointed enough! From describing a set-up to confirming he signed papers “under duress,” Gucci’s words went viral overnight. Guwop released the song following a viral report about his statement to police after the alleged incident on January 10. Between his statement and ‘Crash Dummy,’ social media has been poppin’ off nonstop about the case, Gucci’s street cred and what it means to be a “snitch.” And even other rappers are joining in, with some picking sides! Here’s where these rappers, including Waka Flocka, Asian Doll and Moneybagg Yo, seemingly stand.

RELATED: Oop! Gucci Mane Breaks Silence On Kidnapping Case With Diss Track ‘Crash Dummy’ Aimed At Pooh Shiesty & Big30 (LISTEN)

Moneybagg Yo Shares A Message About Pooh Shiesty & Big30

On Friday, as the internet went off about ‘Crash Dummy,’ Moneybagg Yo made it clear who he’s standing behind. And, spoiler alert, it’s not the alleged victims in the case. He reposted a photo and video on his official IG Stories from the page @insidethebagg, which is known to be his lifestyle and media page. It appears his main page is also tagged in the post. The picture and video shared show Moneybagg Yo, Pooh Shiesty and Big30 talking and posing in the studio. Also, the caption reads, “Free Shiest Life!! Free Thirt Ball” with a 100% emoji. For those who don’t know, all three rappers are from Memphis.

Asian Doll Seemingly Calls Gucci Mane A “Rat”

Asian Doll, whose from Dallas but was once the first female rapper to Gucci Mane, is on the same vibe as Moneybagg Yo. She took to X with her disapproval after her former boss dropped, ‘Crash Dummy’ on Friday morning. In one tweet, she seemingly dissed Gucci without naming him, writing, “Rat a** n*gga a pure b***h.” Another tweet said, “FREE POOH SHIESTY & BIG30 #SnitchK.” 

RELATED: Aht! Aht! Asian Doll Claps Back As Fans Speculate About Gucci Mane’s Label Amid Pooh Shiesty’s Arrest

Waka Flocka Addresses Claims He Dissed Gucci Mane During Atlanta Performance

Even Gucci Mane’s former collaborator-turned-foe, Waka Flocka Flame, spoke on him following ‘Crash Dummy’s release. However, his focus seemed to be less on picking a side, and more on clearing his name. Last night, he was one of several guests that took the stage at State Farm Arena for the ‘Boys 4 Life’ tour. Before the show, Gucci had already teased his ‘Crash Dummy’ track. A video of Waka Flocka’s performance circulated in which blogs and viewers claimed they heard him say a version of, “F**k Gucci Mane.”

Waka Flocka says “Fuck Gucci Mane” at an Atlanta concert…. looks like that old beef is resurfacing 👀 pic.twitter.com/eNKxkIBbMG

— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) April 10, 2026

But Waka took to Instagram Stories early Friday to clear the air. He said folks online are doing too much, writing, “Y’all reaching with the Gucci sh*t be bool and stop putting me and hate in the same sentence.” Hours later though, Waka Flocka seemed to mock Gucci Mane, quoting lyrics from the song in an IG Stories video.

RELATED: C’mon Hips! Momma Dee Reminds Fans She’s ‘Still Got It’ After Surprise Stage Appearance On ‘Boys 4 Life’ Tour (VIDEO)

Latest In The FBI Case Against Pooh Shiesty & Gucci’s Police Statement

Here’s the latest in the case. A week after his arrest on April 1, Pooh Shiesty was denied bond. In a bombshell criminal complaint, the FBI had accused him, his dad, Lontrell Williams Sr., Big30, and six others of being involved in kidnapping and robbing Gucci Mane and two others. On Wednesday, an FBI agent testified that Gucci and the victims spoke to local police on January 10. He claimed that Gucci, real name Radric Davis, told his security, former cops, that they were outgunned.

After the bond hearing, Pooh Shiesty’s lawyer confirmed that while R.D., media-identified as Radric Davis, did talk to police that night. However, he hadn’t yet given a statement to the FBI. An interview is scheduled, per the FBI agent who testified at the bond hearing. But, even Shiesty’s lawyer said that the information at the hearing indicates Gucci Mane and the other victims, M.M. and B.P., haven’t spoken to the FBI or police since January 10. Pooh Shiesty was remanded to prison until trial, which has no start date as of Wednesday.

Social Media Is Tossing Around The “Snitch” Label Amid ‘Crash Dummy’ Release

RELATED: Pooh Shiesty’s Lawyer Shares Four MAJOR Updates On FBI Timeline, Alleged Victims & Evidence In His Kidnapping Case (VIDEO)

What was Pooh Shiesty’s reaction to learning about Gucci Mane’s police statement? He reportedly shook his head and leg in the courtroom on Wednesday. And that’s the same general energy on the internet. A mix of shock, disappointment and a whole lot of “snitch” speculations. If you let the internet tell it, the legal drama unfolding is a Pooh Shiesty vs. Gucci Mane situation. But to be clear it’s the FBI versus nine people accused of being involved in a high-profile kidnapping and robbery. Still, Gucci Mane is Gucci Mane, arguably the godfather of trap music, and ‘Crash Dummy’ was an unexpected turn that not only other rappers are weighing in on.

RELATED: Whew! Fans React To Clip Of 21 Savage Bumping Pooh Shiesty’s Music Amid Allegations That He Robbed Gucci Mane (WATCH)

By Robert Scucci
| Published 21 seconds ago

I’m probably dating myself here, but does anybody else remember when a three-hour movie coming out felt like a cultural event? James Cameron’s Titanic was so long, 3 hours and 14 minutes to be precise, that it was sold for home viewing on double VHS sets. It was a cultural phenomenon, costing $200 million to produce and earning over $2.2 billion at the box office. But it was also the exception, not the rule, when it came to cost and scale of storytelling.

These days, ever since the MCU became the cultural juggernaut that it is, movies have gotten longer and exponentially more expensive, which makes me wonder why studios stopped putting out 90-minute movies with budgets at or around $50 million. When you look at the box office returns for so many doomed projects, they tend to have two things in common: they’re too long, and they cost too much to make.

Don’t believe me? I brought receipts.

Make Them Cheaper And Shorter! 

While I’m not totally averse to long movies, I’ve always been a strong advocate for the 90-minute runtime. It’s a simple three-act structure that lets filmmakers tell a complete story. They’re also cheaper to make, and you can have more movies in rotation at your local theater on any given day. A three-hour movie occupying multiple screens cuts into revenue potential because we’re putting all of our eggs in one basket.

2024’s The Flash cost $220 million to make and runs 144 minutes. It earned $271.4 million at the box office. That might seem like it at least broke even and secured a small profit, but it didn’t. Factor in marketing and distribution, and it’s a box office failure.

2025’s Weapons cost $38 million to produce, with a runtime of 128 minutes. Still a little long for my taste, but it earned $270 million, almost exactly the same as The Flash, for a fraction of the cost. That’s a financial success.

Of course, there are other variables at play. Superhero fatigue had fully set in by 2024, while a strong horror flick from a rising filmmaker is usually a reliable moneymaker. But the core takeaway still stands. The longer, more expensive movie performed worse than the shorter, cheaper one.

2024’s Joker: Folie a Deux cost $200 million and runs 138 minutes. It earned $208 million, barely recouping its production budget. That’s a failure. Compare that to 2019’s Joker, which cost just $70 million, runs just over two hours, and earned over a billion dollars. The pattern is hard to ignore.

Let’s push it further. 2025’s Anaconda runs 99 minutes, cost $45 million, and brought in $135 million at the box office, earning three times its production budget. If you need more proof, just look up the financials for any movie to come out over the past decade, and tell me what you see. 

The John Wick Method Works For Scaling An IP

I’m going to lay out something I’m calling “The John Wick Method,” because it perfectly illustrates the point. I’m not against long films. I’m not against expensive films. But films that are both long and expensive need to earn their keep. Superhero movies learned this the hard way when Marvel and DC kept cranking out epics nobody asked for, forcing them to course correct, reconsider their release schedule, and how much money they’re dumping into projects that don’t necessarily guarantee a return on their investment.

The John Wick franchise, on the other hand, started small and scaled up. The first film topped out at $30 million and earned $86 million. It runs 101 minutes. The concept was proven, audiences wanted more, and the sequel followed with a $40 million budget, a 122-minute runtime, and $174 million in box office receipts. Chapter 3 runs nine minutes longer than Chapter 2, cost $75 million, and earned $327 million, and so on. People wanted John Wick to be bigger and badder, that’s exactly what they got, and the numbers prove that this is the way to properly scale towards a film like Chapter 4, which is nearly three hours long, but doesn’t feel like a total slog to get through. It’s exactly why it earned $447 million against its $100 million budget. 

You know what didn’t perform well? 2023’s Napoleon, which had a $200 million budget, barely broke even at $222 million, and comes with a 205-minute director’s cut that hit streaming because the 157-minute version apparently wasn’t punishing enough. Think about how many Anaconda and Weapons-type films we could have cycled through theaters if Ridley Scott didn’t have such a hard-on for historical epics.

This isn’t an indictment of long, expensive movies. But when 2000’s Gladiator was released, it felt like an event, not standard practice. We wanted to see what $103 million looked like on the big screen. And because it was a great movie that fully justified its 155-minute runtime, it felt like a special occasion. That’s why it earned nearly half a billion dollars. It was spectacular, and people wanted to see it again. 

We Want Movies, Not Events

When every single film is treated like an event, audiences have to be selective. The last time I went to a regular, non drive-in theater, four tickets, a large popcorn, and a large soda cost me $100. If it’s also going to cost me three hours of my time for a movie that isn’t even good enough to recoup its budget, then why aren’t studios cranking out shorter, cheaper films?

We’ve reached the point where it’s obvious you don’t need hundreds of millions of dollars to make something worth watching. And nobody wants to burn an entire afternoon or evening on something that’s just “meh.” It will deter them from making a night at the movies a regular family outing, especially when you consider how much it costs to go to the movies these days.

The John Wick franchise did it right. It proved demand with a tight runtime, and a relatively inexpensive concept, then scaled up once it was proven that audiences were invested. Unless studios can consistently capture lightning in a bottle like that, it’s time to cut runtimes, cut budgets, and make movies people actually want to sit through instead of self-indulgent endurance tests. Do that, and you’ll see more asses in seats. Suddenly, 10 screens can show 10 different movies. Suddenly, people care about going to the theater again.