Entertainment
Steven Soderbergh’s Axed ‘Star Wars’ Film Allowed Him To Finish A 19-Year Passion Project
In late 2025, Adam Driver revealed that he had been working with director Steven Soderbergh on a “Star Wars” film that was titled “The Hunt for Ben Solo.” The film would have featured his character, Ben Solo, who was introduced as the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia in 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” However, he passed away at the end of 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” Even so, Driver felt he had unfinished business with the character and spent a few years developing a script with Soderbergh, who was set to direct. Unfortunately, Driver says Disney execs didn’t understand how Ben Solo could still be alive and shut down the project. Although he was disappointed that his film didn’t come to fruition, Soderbergh has since revealed that the canceled project enabled him to pursue his own passion project.
On June 20, Soderbergh released his app “Production 02074” on the Apple Store and is currently working on an Android version. The app is a compilation of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster hit “Jaws” and all the work that went into making the movie.
While speaking to Deadline about his new app, Soderbergh revealed that he saw “Jaws” over 30 times in theaters, and the app is a love letter to one of the most groundbreaking films of all time. The app includes images as Spielberg shot them, along with observations and anecdotes provided by Spielberg himself. The app costs $24.99, with all proceeds going to an animal charity.
Soderbergh Was Able To Finish The Project Because ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ Got Axed
During the conversation, Soderbergh admitted, “If Star Wars had gone forward, this wouldn’t have gotten finished.”
He revealed that his plan to transition from a coffee table book to an app started directly after then-Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy called him to tell him that they were not moving forward with Driver’s “Star Wars” film.
“This was in the immediate aftermath of that not happening. I started in on multiple writing projects, to both see if I could generate material to go and make as movies but also just to keep myself occupied,” he said. “And literally, as soon as we got the call, ‘This is not happening,’ I thought, ‘OK, it’s time to really sit down and get serious about finishing this thing.’ Had I gone off and made that movie, this thing would not have gotten done.”
Soderbergh Says That Everyone Has Since ‘Moved On’ From The Project
Earlier this year, Adam Driver got rave reviews for his work on James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s only one of many projects that the actor has lined up in the near future.
Soderbergh admitted that although the decision to cancel the film was “baffling,” he confessed, “Everybody just immediately moved on.”
“I don’t burn a lot of calories on sh-t I can’t control,” he explained. “There’s no upside to that. And so as soon as Kathy [Kennedy] called and said, ‘It’s not happening,’ I was like, ‘OK, moving on. I got to go to work.’”
Did Steven Soderbergh Throw Some Shade At Disney?
Elsewhere in the interview, they talked about the difficulty of reconciling studio and financial expectations with a director’s vision. Soderbergh noted, “My response is, ‘Well, what do you expect? Why would you expect them to have the vision that you have? If they did, they’d be doing what you’re doing.’”
“I don’t expect enlightened visionary responses from the people that pay for movies. It’s a nice surprise when you are dealing with a studio or an executive that gets it and totally sees what you’re trying to do, and is totally supportive and backs you in whatever request you make. But I don’t expect that as the default,” Soderbergh said.
He didn’t mention any studio or executive in particular, but some fans can’t help but wonder if Soderbergh’s comment was directed at Disney for shutting down his “Star Wars” film, or at the industry in general.
Soderbergh Emphasizes Not ‘Mulling Over Stuff You Can’t Control’
Elsewhere in the interview, Soderbergh made another possible pass at Disney when he said that he “would rather encourage a filmmaker to be prepared for people to not understand at times what you’re trying to do, and not see it until they see it.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t trust people. It just means, don’t expect everybody to feel about it the way you feel about it. Or you’re going to be disappointed a lot,” he continued.
However, he went on to say that “disappointment is not an active state,” adding, “You need to keep yourself in an active state and be doing things, not just kind of mulling over stuff that you can’t control, or that is too late to change. You have to understand that you have a finite amount of real estate in your brain to give to whatever you’re making. You need to be ruthless about excluding noise that doesn’t ultimately help you make a better version of the thing.”
‘Megalopolis’ Also Starred Adam Driver
During the interview, Deadline brought up Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed “Megalopolis” as an example of someone who didn’t want to have any regrets about making their completed project true to their vision. Ironically, the 2024 film also starred Adam Driver in the main role.
Soderbergh used the example to encourage aspiring filmmakers to “be somebody who finishes things” because “finishing something that’s okay but not great is better than not finishing something that could have been great.”
“I’m a real stickler about that, and this is an example, 19 years essentially from beginning to end on this project. If I decide to start, it’s going to get done,” he continued. “It may not be perfect, but I can’t think of a single project that I have assigned to myself or that somebody has assigned to me that I have not completed.”
“Production 02074” is currently available on the Apple Store, with an Android version expected in the coming weeks.
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There’s only so much summer one could take, even for The Beach Boys. Formed in 1961, the surf-and-turf Hawthorne heroes were only teenagers when they first started, with the youngest, Carl Wilson, being 14 years old and the eldest, Brian Wilson and Mike Love, being 19 years old. Age-wise, this made them the perfect representation of the youthful, sun-drenched spirit they would soon become associated with.
That Californian influence would spark the genesis of their 1961 debut single, “Surfin’”. Rumored to have been inspired by member Dennis Wilson’s love for surfing, the single later led to their 1962 debut album Surfin’ Safari, establishing them as the peppy doo-wop group behind many summer anthems. But all the sun has to set eventually to make room for a little darkness. For The Beach Boys, nothing marks a greater shift away from their sunny California myth than the closing track of their most celebrated album, Pet Sounds.
“Caroline, No” Is the Most Heartbreaking Beach Boys Track on ‘Pet Sounds’
Like many of the songs on Pet Sounds, “Caroline, No” is inspired by Brian’s experiences and the sentiments that come out from it, as chronicled in the behind-the-scenes making-of book “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” much of Brian’s songwriting starts off with talking about anything, and those conversations could wander away into anything else besides music. Oftentimes, it would be about the boys’ dating experiences. The Beach Boys may be legendary musicians, but, like mere mortals, they are not immune to heartbreak.
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“Caroline, No” became Pet Sounds’ nostalgic anthem, based on the idea of “how wonderful it is when you first meet a girl, and she looks great, and how terrible it is when you know you’ll be breaking up at any moment.” Interestingly enough, instead of Brian, it was co-writer Tony Asher who knew a Carol in his life — his high school girlfriend who moved to New York to pursue a career as a Broadway dancer. When he visited her in the city, he was surprised by how much New York had changed Carol, hence the lyrics: “Where did your long hair go? Where is the girl I used to know?” “Caroline, No” may not be a word-for-word account of their relationship, but it captures the inevitability of growing up, and the way we sometimes miss the “old” version of a person.
“Caroline, No” Is Not the Only Song About the Loss of Innocence on ‘Pet Sounds’
While “Caroline, No” looks back on a relationship that never fully blossomed, “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” serves as the perfect companion piece in reflecting on the loss of innocence. Considering that most of The Beach Boys were only in their early twenties during the making of Pet Sounds, it makes sense that the then-23-year-old Brian would look back on past regrets as he shed the optimistic, commercially appealing image the group had become known for in its earlier work. In its place, he embraced a more introspective tone — one that could only emerge through maturity.
“I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” speaks to Wilson’s deepest insecurity: the fear that he simply did not fit in with anyone else. That anxiety stemmed from the belief that his mind was moving far beyond those of his peers and that nobody could truly keep up with him. While that may sound somewhat pompous, one clear example was the production of Pet Sounds itself, which was marked by creative disagreements within the band. As Pet Sounds represented a drastic departure from The Beach Boys’ surf-rock sound, and with Brian taking near-total creative control during its creation, even members such as his own cousin, Mike, reportedly referred to Wilson as the “Stalin of the Studio.”
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This Beatle Album Inspired Inspired Brian Wilson to Create ‘Pet Sounds’
For all of Brian’s insecurities, which would manifest as more serious mental health struggles in the late 1960s, he remained musically daring. Although Brian often wrote from the heart, he approached Pet Sounds intending to create an album that could compete with The Beatles‘ 1965 record, Rubber Soul. The British album inspired and challenged Brian to experiment with a wide range of sounds and textures, but still be cohesive; make bolder musical decisions but still sound effortless to sing.
The Beatles themselves were well aware of The Beach Boys’ growing presence in the 1960s. Although there was some competition between the two bands, it was nothing that two legendary acts could not handle. Looking back on the period, Love expressed that while artists will always have a certain sense of pride, there was also a great deal of mutual admiration between the groups. Paul McCartney himself is a well-known admirer of Pet Sounds, and its track “God Only Knows” famously reduced the Beatle to tears whenever he hears it. If Pet Sounds can move a legend like McCartney to the point of breaking down, just imagine what it can do to millions of listeners.
Suspense maybe shouldn’t be bearable, but sometimes, the milder thrillers out there kind of are. You can also talk about suspense in movies that aren’t necessarily thrillers, or that aren’t entirely thrillers. Comedies can be suspenseful and even anxiety-inducing (see Shiva Baby and After Hours), and if a funny movie can also be tense and unnerving, then any movie of any kind can be, really.
Returning to the idea of suspense being bearable or unbearable, the following titles lean toward the latter. They’re thrillers (alongside some crime, drama, and horror films) that go particularly hard on being intense. Your mileage may vary somewhat, so if you don’t find these unbearable, then good for you. But there’s a good chance that at least some people will find some films below quite hard to get through, especially if you’re not well-prepared for a disquieting sit.
10
‘Zodiac’ (2007)
With his first few movies, released in the 1990s, David Fincher proved he could make some pretty damn suspenseful stuff, but it’s probably 2007’s Zodiac that ends up being his most consistently unsettling. It has the dread you’d expect out of a movie covering the ultimately fruitless search for a notorious serial killer, and finds ways to keep being unsettling even after all the leads seem to dry up.
Zodiac pivots to being about obsession in its second half, and while the paranoia there might not be as in-your-face, there are certainly sequences found closer to the end that feel even more harrowing than the comparatively grislier first half. It’s all very well-controlled and paced throughout, keeping things engrossing even in the quieter moments, and all-around being a much better experience than reading the book it was based on.
9
‘The Wages of Fear’ (1953)
The Wages of Fear was remade as Sorcerer, and that film’s also very suspenseful for sure, but the original might be more of a nail-biter. It’s also easier to appreciate the original for holding up remarkably well, since it’s about a quarter of a century older, feeling timelessly intense as a movie about men on a desperate mission through dangerous territory where any false move could result in their fiery deaths.
It might all sound a bit too simple to work as well as it does, and the 153-minute runtime might also be questionable, or even something of a deterrent, but in execution, The Wages of Fear nails things. It’s also a movie that proved influential on the films of Christopher Nolan, and he’s generally good at crafting suspenseful works, so that’s another reason this one is very much worth checking out, even if you’re not usually the fondest of movies that are many decades old.
8
‘Parasite’ (2019)
Just a perfect movie all around, Parasite has been praised to death at this point. Like, every part of Parasite has been praised to death, truth be told. It’s a very good social dramedy that feels agonizingly relevant and of the times, all the while also being a genuinely exciting thriller. And it lurches into some more genres throughout, but mostly sticks to being a comedy/drama/thriller kind of thing.
The less said about the plot, the better, because all you really need to know is that it’s about two families (one poor, one very well-off), and a strange dynamic/conflict that plays out between the two. The bleak parts make the humorous parts funnier, and then the funny parts contrast with the bleak parts to make them feel all the heavier. It’s a chaotic blend of genres and tone, but ultimately functions incredibly well.
7
‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)
Capturing the harrowing and nightmarish quality of Cormac McCarthy’s writing very effectively, No Country for Old Men is a neo-Western, a thriller, and a very dark crime movie all at once. It’s about a man finding some money at the site of a drug deal that turned deadly, and when he takes it, he ends up making himself the target of a relentless assassin who’s trying to track down the immense quantity of cash.
If it’s not the best Coen brothers movie, then it might well be the best-directed Coen brothers movie, which is saying quite a bit. No Country for Old Men has an inherently intense premise that’s made a whole lot more grim because of the approach taken, not to mention the strength of the acting on offer (Javier Bardem did indeed deserve the huge amount of praise heaped upon him for his performance here).
6
‘Psycho’ (1960)
Psycho might well be the definitive psychological horror/thriller movie made before, say, 1970. What it did for its time was undeniably bold and subversive, to such a famous extent that the biggest surprise Psycho has in store will likely be known ahead of time, should you choose to watch Psycho for the first time decades after it first came out.
That’s not a fault of the movie or anything, and more a testament to how iconic it was as a shock-heavy film. Psycho throws certain storytelling rules out the window before the halfway mark, and though the film was quietly tense before that point, it’s more relentlessly suspenseful afterward. You get the feeling that anything could happen, and the sense of a movie feeling genuinely dangerous while being this old is truly impressive.
5
‘Misery’ (1990)
Based on a pretty much perfect Stephen King novel that the author himself considers one of his best, Misery centers on an author who finds himself in just about the most nightmarish situation possible for someone in his profession. He’s seemingly rescued from a car accident, but finds he’s actually been kidnapped by an obsessive fan who doesn’t take kindly to the discovery that her favorite book series of his has recently ended.
She forces him to continue it, and he has to keep writing something he now hates, or otherwise risk incredible physical pain and, eventually, probable death. Misery is all confined, suspenseful, and honestly quite fun/engaging, which might mitigate some of the horror. Yet that horror is nonetheless visceral, and you do feel the desperation of the whole situation and fight for survival in a very intense way, so the immense suspense factor here can’t be denied.
4
‘The Departed’ (2006)
The Departed tells the same basic story as Infernal Affairs, with a criminal infiltrating the police force and a police officer going undercover in the criminal world. Both realize that someone else might be an opposing mole, and so there’s a whole cat-and-mouse game that involves one finding the other before said other can expose them. With The Departed, that whole premise is stretched out to about 2.5 hours.
And it really does keep things going — and always intense — for that entire runtime, which is one of the longest Martin Scorsese movies that isn’t a full-on epic. It’s sort of another Scorsese gangster movie, but with more of an emphasis on being a thriller, and The Departed does thrill indeed. It’s the kind of thing that’s also riveting if you’re rewatching it, or know what happens ahead of time, with that being a sign of a suspense-heavy movie going above and beyond, and truly delivering.
3
‘Whiplash’ (2014)
The second film Damien Chazelle directed, and probably his best one overall too, Whiplash is also the most intense exploration of pursuing art and greatness at the cost of everything else Chazelle’s done to date. It’s mostly just one young man doing a bunch of increasingly risky things because he wants to be a legendary drummer one day, and there’s a tyrannical instructor who’s just as willing to push his most desperate (and potentially vulnerable) students.
Drumming has never been so intense, and it probably won’t be ever again to quite this extent. Maybe that’s okay, though. Maybe the world only needs one music-related film that’s this damn gruelling. It’s about as perfect as psychological dramas get, too, being so introspective and effectively nauseating that it puts a good many psychological thrillers to shame, too (even though it’s not technically a thriller).
2
‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)
Kind of an epic movie set during World War II, but not really in the expected way, Inglourious Basterds has a lot of moving pieces and a pretty large cast, too. It takes place in Nazi-occupied France, and many of the characters are people who are either resisting Nazi violence or taking the fight to the Nazis themselves, and the fact that they’re all outgunned and/or underdogs makes so much of the movie all the more intense.
Also, Inglourious Basterds plays around with history and has fictional characters colliding with some real-life historical figures, and the way things are rewritten keeps the suspense high, since you can’t rely on knowledge of actual history to know what’s going to go down. It’s also home to some of the most suspense-filled sequences of the 21st century so far, including the opening scene, the one in the tavern, and then much of the finale inside a cinema.
1
‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)
Essentially, Uncut Gems is a movie about a man digging himself into a deeper hole for a bit over two hours. He’s played by Adam Sandler, and he just doesn’t know when or how to quit hustling, betting money on increasingly risky things in pursuit of a big score. And that involves borrowing more and more money from people, some of whom react very poorly to it all, and everything just worsens to an almost comical degree.
If it’s comedic, though, then it’s certainly dark comedy, and dark in a way that some people just might not find all that funny. But either way, Uncut Gems will put you on edge for pretty much its entire runtime, which is a Safdie specialty (see also Good Time, and the more recent Marty Supreme, which was directed by Josh, but not Benny Safdie).
Love Island USA‘s KC Chandler overshared about his “vanilla” preferences in bed.
During a conversation with Sydney Eugene on the Tuesday, June 23, episode of the Peacock series, KC was asked if he is dominant in bed, to which he replied, “I am very free for all. I am laid-back.”
KC made it clear that he preferred a simple experience.
“When it comes to bedroom s*** and sex, I like to control the tempo, music and the ambiance,” he noted. “I could do it to no music. I could put Family Guy on.”
He continued: “I don’t need that extra stuff. I am very vanilla. I don’t do all that s***. … I have done whipped cream. I love whipped cream. It is cold, sweet and something different. But that is the most I have done.”
Love Island USA follows a group of singles who have to pair off in order to stay in a luxury villa in Fiji. The contestants — referred to as Islanders — live in isolation under constant video surveillance.
Hosted by Vanderpump Rules alum Ariana Madix, Love Island USA requires the group to be coupled up in order to have a chance at receiving the $100,000 prize. While the Islanders are filming nonstop for weeks, viewers are watching daily episodes — and even get to cast votes that affect couples and the fate of the contestants who are facing temptation as sexy new singles make their debut.
The popular dating show returned in June with contestants Aniya Harvey, Beatriz Hatz, Bryce Alakai Dettloff, KC Chandler, Kenzie, Melanie Moreno, Sincere Rhea, Sean Reifel, Trinity Tatum and Zach.
As each couple faced obstacles in Sunday’s episode, production sprung the Casa Amor reveal on the villa.
Love Island USA is all about coupling up — so which Islanders are currently together and which have already called it quits in the villa? Peacock’s popular dating show returned in June 2026 with contestants Aniya Harvey, Beatriz Hatz, Bryce Alakai Dettloff, KC Chandler, Mackenzie “Kenzie” Annis, Melanie Moreno, Sincere Rhea, Sean Reifel, Trinity Tatum […]
Casa Amor will divide the couples into two different villas — one for the men and one for the women. During their separation, the Islanders are encouraged to test the stability and longevity of their connections with the arrival of a group of brand new bombshells.
The villa test will end with everyone deciding whether they want to recouple with a bombshell or remain in their existing couple.
New episodes of Love Island USA are released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.
Join Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv in our first-ever Love Island USA fantasy league! This is your chance to predict who you think will win Season 8 and rank the Islanders weekly based on how confident you are that they will survive the next elimination. You will be playing against our editors, get access to exclusive content and have the chance to win fun prizes. Sign up for free today!
Taylor Swift treated attendees of fiancé Travis Kelce’s Tight End University (TEU) to a surprise performance.
Swift, 36, took to the stage at the summit’s “Tight Ends & Friends” benefit concert at The Pinnacle in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, June 23, where she performed “Love Story” with fellow musical guest Lainey Wilson. Rocking a strapless black dress with a silver fringed asymmetrical hemline, Swift gave Wilson, 34, a hug before she addressed the crowd.
“[“Love Story”] was a very special request from a very special tight end,” Swift told fans, per social media footage captured by a USA Today reporter. “He wanted to hear this particular song and that tight end … is named George Kittle.”
TEU was founded by Kelce, 36, and fellow NFL stars Kittle, 32, and Greg Olsen in 2021. The annual three-day program is dedicated to helping tight ends “bond, collaborate with, and learn among their peers.” TEU also raises money for organizations selected by its founders.
Taylor Swift doesn’t need a blank space to fit into a photo. The singer keeps finding a way to force herself into pictures of her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, at his Tight End University program — and the results are hilarious. A pair of photos surfaced on Wednesday, June 25, of Kelce, 35, posing for photos […]
Swift and Kelce were photographed with Kittle and Olsen, 41, at a party ahead of the 2026 TEU season on Monday, June 22. The pop star sported a yellow floral jacquard mini dress from Simkhai and matching Aquazzura stilettos for the occasion, while the Kansas City Chiefs tight end opted for a white and red polo, tan shorts and dark brown loafers.
“TEU Yearbook cover worthy ✨,” the organization captioned the photo via Instagram on Monday.
Kittle’s wife, Claire, and Olsen’s daughter, Talbot, were also featured in the snap.
Swift’s performance at TEU 2026 marked her second year participating in the “Tight Ends & Friends” concert. Last year, she hit the stage to sing her 2014 hit “Shake It Off.”
“We would like to dedicate this to our favorite players who are going to play, and these are the tight ends,” Swift said before her performance at the time.
This year’s TEU summit is likely to be Swift and Kelce’s last as an engaged couple, as the two are expected to tie the knot later this summer. While the location and date of the nuptials are not yet confirmed, rumors have swirled that the couple plans to wed at Madison Square Garden in New York City over the July 4 holiday weekend.
Last week, Travis celebrated what fans speculated was his bachelor party with brother Jason Kelce, teammate Ross Travis, comedian Druski and others at invite-only hotspot Bird Streets Club on Wednesday, June 17. The group was also spotted at a Dave Chappelle comedy show and a Chris Lake concert.
Meanwhile, a small group of women was spotted arriving at Swift’s mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, including the singer’s close friend Abigail Anderson Berard and her toddler.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani fueled speculation that the couple’s wedding would take place in the city during a June 15 press conference.
“I am fully confident in the work of the NYPD, as well as our state partners, in delivering that safe experience,” he told reporters. “We are the biggest city in the country. We are used to big events, and we are incredibly excited for the [World Cup]. We know it coincides with the Knicks’ [NBA] Finals run. We know it coincides with July 4, America 250, Taylor Swift’s wedding — all happening at the same time — and we are so excited to welcome the world here.”
“Jackass” is coming to a close with the fifth and final film in the franchise, marking the end of an era for the stunt-driven series that defined a generation. As anticipation builds for the upcoming movie, the cast is being honored with a fitting tribute that reflects the humor and chaotic energy of its cast members. Now etched into the night sky, their legacy is set to remain visible for generations to come.
On June 24, days before the release of “Jackass: Best and Last,” the show’s official social media accounts shared a final tribute to the cast who helped bring the franchise to life.
“While this is indeed the last jackass movie, you can always look up to the night sky and see their legacy in the stars. yes, that’s right, they’ve got their very own c-ckstellation,” the message read.
The post was accompanied by photos of Star Name Deeds for cast members, including Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Jasper Dolphin, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Zach “Zachass” Holmes, Compston “Dark Shark” Wilson, Rachel Wolfson, and producers Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze.
The deeds from Star Name Registry were registered on June 9 and show each star’s position on the night sky.
Fans Can View The Constellation Online
The post also provided a website where fans could view the stars, which form a p-nis-shaped constellation aptly named The Little D-cker.
As information on the site notes, “14 unique gaseous stars” make up The Little D-cker. “When you next look up into the night sky, gaze past Ursa Major, Draco, and Camelopardalis to see the greatest astrological erection our galaxy has ever known,” the blurb read.
Many fans were amused by the send-off, while others commended the “Jackass” family for including Ryan Dunn, who died in a car crash in 2011, and Bam Margera, who had a falling out with Knoxville and Tremaine after being let go from the fourth “Jackass” film.
Steve-O Confirms Upcoming ‘Jackass’ Movie Is The Last
In 2022, before the release of the fourth movie, “Jackass Forever,” Knoxville implied in interviews that it would be the last film. However, he ultimately changed his mind. This time, the fifth movie will definitely be the final one, as confirmed by both Knoxville and Steve-O.
In an interview with Playboy, the stunt performer said, “One hundred percent it’s the end. Really, the end of ‘Jackass’ was when Knoxville got hit by that bull in the last movie. That was the f-cking final hit for Knoxville’s head. Had to be. If Knoxville is no longer willing to get hit in the head, you really can’t do ‘Jackass’,” Steve-O said.
Knoxville has suffered many injuries in the past, including multiple concussions. The worst injury, however, was from “Jackass Forever,” when he was thrown into the air after being rammed by a bull. He later revealed that he had a brain hemorrhage, which led to a cognitive decline and mental health struggles. It took several months for him to recover, and his doctors warned him that he could no longer take any injuries to his head.
Johnny Knoxville Got Emotional While Filming
In a February interview with Rolling Stone, emotions got the best of Knoxville as he talked about the final film, noting that he would no longer get to “play” with bulls, which he revealed was his favorite animal to “f-ck with.” While doing a press interview, Knoxville said the last movie “was a very emotional film to make. It’s the first time I cried in a ‘Jackass’ film.”
As Steve-O shared, “Jackass: Best and Last” consists of never-before-seen footage they filmed over the years that was never allowed to be shown. “I genuinely don’t know why it’s allowed now, but it’s in there. That’s what this movie is: finding a home for such f-cked-up sh-t that never had a home, and one last hurrah of all of us getting together and doing whatever we have in us to do,” he said, adding that he was “beyond moved” while watching footage.
Johnny Knoxville And Jeff Tremaine Launched A ‘Jackass’ Podcast
On June 18, Knoxville and Tremaine launched “Jackass the Podcast.” The show delves into the franchise’s history, including the most memorable pranks, outrageous stunts, and painful injuries, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at how the cultural phenomenon came together. The hosts will be joined by special guests from the cast and crew.
“Jackass: The Best and Last” features unseen footage from the past two decades, along with new stunts and cast interviews. It will be released in theaters on June 26.
Following the success of Taylor Sheridan‘s shows, Paramount+ dedicated itself to producing and procuring more shows targeted at the same audience demographic. Sheridan’s magnum opus, Yellowstone, was infamously passed on by several networks and streamers, nearly all of which tried to create their own replacements once it became a sensation. Sheridan himself went on to create several other hit shows for the streamer he called home for nearly a decade. He has chosen to strike a new deal with NBCUniversal, leaving his legacy in the hands of a new group of leaders at Paramount. The streamer has attempted to expand the Yellowstone franchise without Sheridan’s direct creative involvement and has released similar series such as MobLand, which is due to return for a second season this year.
Now, a third show aimed at the same demographic has been moved from Showtime to Paramount+ for its second season, which was released recently. The show in question premiered in 2024 and received mostly positive reviews from critics. It was headlined by the Oscar-nominated Michael Fassbender, with Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere, Katherine Waterston, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Hugh Bonneville in supporting roles. The show was created and executive-produced by the brothers John-Henry Butterworth and Jez Butterworth, the latter of whom also worked on MobLand.
Paramount+ Has the Perfect Alternative to ‘MobLand’
We’re talking, of course, about the gripping spy drama The Agency. The series features Fassbender as a CIA agent who returns to his home base after being in the field for a number of years, during which he made personal decisions that his bosses would have preferred he hadn’t. The first season of The Agency holds a 66% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Emphasizing spycraft’s heavy toll to both intriguing and tiresome effect, The Agency situates its all-star cast in a sumptuously-shot world of espionage.” The second season, which was released on June 21, holds a perfect 100% score on the aggregator.
The Agency returned with a bang; according to FlixPatrol, it’s already the number two show on Paramount+, both domestically and worldwide. It’s trailing the latest installment of Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe, Dutton Ranch. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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December 1, 2024
- Network
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Paramount+ with Showtime
- Showrunner
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Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth
- Directors
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Joe Wright, Zetna Fuentes, Neil Burger
The end of Bunnie XO and Jelly Roll’s nearly decade-long marriage has sparked plenty of headlines, but now, attention is shifting to a chapter of her life long before the country star entered the picture.
As Jelly Roll publicly insists their split remains amicable, one of Bunnie’s former husbands is sharing deeply personal memories about their relationship, their struggles, and the heartbreak that followed.
While fans were stunned by news of their divorce, both Bunnie XO and Jelly Roll have made it clear that there is no public war unfolding between them.
During a concert in Saratoga Springs, the Grammy Award winner paused to address speculation surrounding the end of their marriage. The singer told fans that despite filing for divorce in May, he and Bunnie remain close.
According to the musician, they are still “best friends” and “will always be best friends.”
Bunnie echoed a similar sentiment on a recent episode of her podcast, “Dumb Blonde,” where she described the breakup as ending “on the best possible terms.”
Their split came as a surprise to many followers who had watched the pair overcome addiction struggles, public scrutiny, and even an admitted affair during their years together.
Yet insiders have suggested that the couple’s increasingly different public identities may have contributed to the decision.
One source previously claimed that Jelly Roll’s highly visible embrace of Christianity clashed with Bunnie’s candid discussions about sex and relationships on her podcast and social media platforms.
Bunnie’s Ex-Husband Recalls Their Unusual Beginning
As Bunnie XO navigates life after Jelly Roll, her former husband Francisco “Frankie” Lombardo is shedding light on the relationship they shared years earlier.
Lombardo told the Daily Mail that meeting the podcast host in 2009 changed his life. At the time, he was confiding in her about problems with another relationship while she was married to Christopher Gilbert and working as a dancer in Las Vegas.
According to Lombardo, Bunnie was hustling to make ends meet and had financial support from several “sugar daddies.” Their connection developed quickly. He recalled meeting both Bunnie and Gilbert together before she unexpectedly whispered, “I want to make out with you.”
Within a week, Lombardo had moved in with her. Although the circumstances appeared complicated, Lombardo insisted there was no cheating involved and maintained that Bunnie and Gilbert had already separated before their romance began.
After Gilbert’s marriage officially ended, Bunnie and Lombardo tied the knot in Maui on Valentine’s Day 2010. “We were like, ‘Hey, let’s go to Hawaii and let’s get married.’ And we did it,” Lombardo recalled.
He described their marriage as adventurous and intensely close, comparing their dynamic to Bonnie and Clyde. “We’re f*****g best friends,” he said while reflecting on that period of their lives.
Bunnie XO’s Lifestyle Became A Major Source Of Tension
Despite their strong bond, Lombardo said one issue repeatedly created friction in their marriage.
“When I met her, she said to me right out of the gate, ‘I just want to let you know that I have a couple sugar daddies,’” he recalled.
The arrangement became difficult for him to accept. “I was super jealous,” Lombardo admitted, explaining that he wanted Bunnie entirely to himself. The situation reportedly led to arguments throughout their relationship.
Bunnie has openly discussed her history with wealthy benefactors in the past, previously revealing that she received “half a million dollars” from sugar daddies who showered her with luxury gifts.
She has also acknowledged that she was still financially relying on clients during the early stages of her relationship with Jelly Roll.
“I literally went on tour with him and was seeing clients just to fund our life at the time,” she revealed on her podcast.
According to Bunnie, she was working as a high-end escort in Las Vegas and earning significant sums while helping support their lifestyle.
Lombardo said the reality of that world was often difficult for him, even though he understood it was part of who she was when they met.
Bunnie And Lombardo Faced Heartbreak Before Their Divorce
Beyond relationship tensions, the former couple also faced serious personal challenges. Lombardo revealed that his family’s legal troubles placed enormous strain on their marriage.
After his parents lost their home following criminal proceedings, they moved in with them. The arrangement proved overwhelming.
“With everything crashing down,” Lombardo said he reached the “lowest point” of his life. He believes those circumstances played a major role in the collapse of the marriage.
Another painful issue involved the couple’s efforts to start a family. Lombardo said both he and Bunnie XO desperately wanted children and pursued fertility treatments together.
“I really wanted a baby with her. She wanted to have a baby,” he explained. The experience mirrors fertility struggles Bunnie later discussed while married to Jelly Roll. On “Dumb Blonde,” she described IVF as “one of the loneliest, darkest journeys.”
She revealed that the process had left her emotionally drained and that Jelly Roll’s own treatment for a low sperm count created additional challenges.
Even so, she recently insisted that they still plan to become parents despite their divorce.
Bunnie XO’s Former Husband Thinks Her Next Chapter Is Just Beginning
Although Lombardo admitted their breakup devastated him, he maintained a friendship with Bunnie over the years.
One of the most painful periods came when she entered a relationship with another man after their split. Lombardo said watching her endure alleged abuse was “a nightmare.”
Referencing a figure identified as “Karma” in Bunnie’s memoir, he recalled seeing her arrive at his home seriously injured and said he preferred not to revisit those memories.
Lombardo’s own life has not been without controversy. He faced domestic battery allegations in 2023, though the case was dismissed in 2024. He has denied wrongdoing, stating: “I would never put my hands on a woman.”
Despite everything that has happened, he believes Bunnie is entering a transformative period. “I think we’re going to witness her really kind of blossom now and kind of step into herself a little bit more as an individual and not really be in the Jelly shadow,” he said.
Still, he could not resist offering one final piece of advice to the woman he once thought he would spend forever with. “I was like, ‘Just do me a favor. Don’t get f*****g married.’ It’d be the fourth time. It makes no sense,” he shared.
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This year, Christmas will come early with Avengers: Doomsday and Robert Downey Jr’s return to the MCU. While Downey Jr picked up an Oscar for Oppenheimer in recent years and has a huge filmography, for most fans around the world, he’s best known for his embodiment of Tony Stark. His portrayal of Marvel’s playboy, billionaire, philanthropist is so iconic that it’s hard to separate the art from the artist.
So, when he decided to return to the MCU in a different role, fans were blown away. But good things take time, and so does Doomsday. The original SDCC announcement reintroduced the fan-favorite actor with the catchphrase, “new mask, same task,” which could mean many different things. Among them is the fact that Iron Man kick-started the entire universe and pulled Marvel Studios from financial struggles at the time. Now, with his return, fans are expecting the MCU might get a soft reboot, which makes space for better stories than what we’ve been getting since Avengers: Endgame.
The original Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau, establishes Stark’s origin story after being held hostage in a cave. In those days, Marvel didn’t have Disney’s backing, so the movie was made with independent sensibilities and more practical effects, while Downey Jr brought a panache and overconfidence to Tony Stark that had not been seen before in a superhero. The movie was a big hit, earning $585 million at the box office and saving Marvel from bankruptcy.
Originally an underrated comic book character, Iron Man instantly got everyone’s attention on the big screen, becoming a cornerstone of the MCU, setting a template for years to come. Its success was followed by Iron Man 2, with Favreau and Downey Jr. returning to entertain fans once again. Though the movie’s portrayal of Mickey Rourke’s antagonist Whiplash remains controversial, the sequel introduced many characters that play a huge role in the larger MCU, like Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Don Cheadle’s Rhodey.
The Iron Man Movies Head to a New Streamer in 1 Week
For fans who’d like to start their MCU binge now for Doomsday or simply want to revisit their favorite movies, you’re in luck. Iron Man and Iron Man 2 are coming to Hulu, per CBR. Check them out for some great practical effects, improv moments that have become pop culture moments now, quotable dialogues, and compelling performances. The cast also includes Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, and everyone’s favorite Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury.
Iron Man and Iron Man 2 are coming to Hulu on July 1. Avengers: Doomsday will come out on December 18. Stay tuned to Collider for more such updates.
- Release Date
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May 2, 2008
- Runtime
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126 minutes
- Writers
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Matt Holloway, Art Marcum, Hawk Ostby, Mark Fergus
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