A late-night situation inside a Tennessee home quickly turned into a deadly investigation. Kendra Scott is now facing serious charges after authorities say a confrontation at a Memphis residence ended with a 20-year-old man being shot and killed. Investigators are working to piece together what happened before the gunfire.

RELATED: Washington Man Convicted After Shooting Mother Of His Children More Than 20 Times While Eight Kids Were Inside Home

Authorities Reveal What Led Up To The Fatal Encounter

According to the Memphis Police Department, the incident happened on Wednesday, July 15, around 1:45 a.m. at a home on Travis Road in the Walker Homes neighborhood. Officers arrived and found 20-year-old Rodderius Morton lying in the front yard near the porch with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.

Authorities say Kendra Scott allegedly told police she discovered a man hiding under her daughter’s bed and claimed she “saw a dude under my kids’ bed, and I did what I had to do.” Investigators later identified Scott as the woman involved and say a neighbor reported hearing banging before finding Morton injured near the porch.

Witnesses Share More Details About The Night’s Events

The neighbor also allegedly told police he saw Scott standing outside with a firearm, saying, “I shot him, I shot him.” A girl inside the home told investigators Morton had been invited over and entered through the back door before Scott arrived. According to the charging documents, Scott returned home around 1:30 a.m. and was allegedly knocking loudly while asking, “Who’s at my house?” The girl reportedly told investigators she was afraid because Scott appeared angry and was carrying a gun, and she claimed Scott had previously made comments about what she would do if she found a boy inside the home.

Scott Faces Serious Charges As Investigation Continues

Police say the girl eventually let Scott inside, where Morton was allegedly hiding under the bed. The girl told investigators that when Morton attempted to leave, Scott confronted him, and the two began arguing before he made his way toward the front porch. Authorities allege Scott followed him, and the girl heard a single gunshot.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Heartbreaking Photos Show Funeral Of 8 Children Killed In Louisiana Mass Shooting (UPDATE)

After three seasons and four years, Netflix’s Heartstopper wraps up this week with Heartstopper Forever. The movie will focus primarily on wrapping up Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie’s (Joe Locke) stories as Nick starts applying for university, forcing the two to think about what comes next. This comes shortly after the conclusion of Alice Oseman‘s webcomic-turned-graphic-novel series on which the show is based. While it will be sad to say goodbye to Heartstopper, Oseman has several other excellent novels that would make amazing television shows, and it would be wise for Netflix to adapt one of those next. There’s one book, in particular, that even takes place in the same universe as the Heartstopper graphic novels, so it could stand on its own as an adaptation.

What Is Alice Oseman’s ‘Radio Silence’ About?

Radio Silence follows Frances Janvier, a star student in her final year of secondary school, and academics are pretty much her whole life. In between trying to finish the year strong and get into Cambridge, Frances is secretly a fan of a podcast called Universe City and posts her art dedicated to the show online. She’s absolutely thrilled when the podcast’s anonymous creator, who goes by Radio Silence, asks her to become Universe City‘s official artist. One night, while out letting off steam, Frances runs into Aled Last, her neighbor who’s a year ahead of her at the affiliated boys’ school. Aled confesses to Frances that he is Radio Silence, and shortly afterward, she reveals the truth about herself as well. Despite never speaking much before, the two realize that they actually have a lot in common, and they quickly become best friends.

As Frances and Aled grow closer, their collaborative efforts on the podcast take off, but they struggle to balance their secret passion with their academics. They’re both expected to lead much more practical lives than they’d prefer, and their friendship leads them to start doubting everything they have been working towards up until this point. Frances and Aled’s friendship represents the perfect little bubble where they can dream big and focus solely on Universe City, but their real lives constantly threaten to get in the way.

‘Radio Silence’ Would Be the Perfect Show for ‘Heartstopper’ Fans

After Heartstopper‘s success, now would be the perfect time for Netflix to tackle a Radio Silence adaptation. While Heartstopper is a romance first and foremost, Radio Silence is a story about friendship. Frances is deeply lonely and unhappy in her fast-paced pursuit of academics, only feeling truly like herself when listening to and making art for Universe City. Similarly, Aled is keeping Universe City a secret from the people in his life, feeling like he has to hide who he is to pursue the future that he’s on track to have. After accidentally meeting in person, Frances and Aled realize that they’ve already found each other online, making them feel as if they were always meant to be best friends.

Those who have read the Heartstopper graphic novels will know that Aled is also present in that series as one of Charlie’s friends, but the character was replaced in the Netflix adaptation by a new creation, Isaac (Tobie Donovan), particularly because Aled has his own story. That said, Nick and Charlie do briefly appear in a chapter of Radio Silence and, with some tweaks, could easily cameo in a potential adaptation. Just like Heartstopper, Radio Silence centers teens and their journeys without talking down to its viewers. It also tackles heavier themes, including mental health, making it the perfect successor to Heartstopper now that Forever has concluded that story.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially confirmed that it will stop producing physical disc versions of all new PlayStation games beginning in January 2028, marking one of the biggest shifts in the company’s gaming history.

Under the new policy, every PlayStation title released after the January 2028 cutoff will launch exclusively in digital form through the PlayStation Store and participating retailers. Games released before that date will continue to be available on physical media, and existing disc-based games will remain supported.

The announcement reflects the gaming industry’s continued move toward digital distribution, with Sony pointing to changing consumer habits as the driving force behind the decision.

In a statement announcing the transition, Sony said:

“This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.”

The decision applies to both first-party PlayStation Studios releases and third-party games launching on PlayStation platforms after January 2028. While collectors will still be able to purchase physical copies of games released before the deadline, future releases will exist only as digital downloads.

The news has already sparked heated discussion among gamers. Many players have expressed concerns about game preservation, digital ownership, resale value, and the inability to lend or trade games. Others see the move as inevitable, pointing to the steady growth of digital purchases over the past several console generations.

Sony’s announcement also comes shortly after controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto VI’s physical edition, which ships as a download code rather than a game disc, fueling ongoing debate about the future of physical media in gaming.

Whether welcomed or criticized, Sony’s decision signals the beginning of a new era for PlayStation—one where physical game collections will eventually become a thing of the past for all new releases.

2026 has already been an important year in the saga of Guy Ritchie’s career, with more success stories to share and controversies to overcome. Ritchie’s first project of the year, Young Sherlock, was a massive hit on Prime Video despite all episodes being dropped at once as a binge. Prime Video even renewed the show for Season 2, and with cameras already rolling on the sophomore season, it’s all but confirmed that Young Sherlock Season 2 will stream in 2027. Ritchie then returned to the big screen with the release of his latest action movie, In The Grey, but the film struggled to get off the ground at the box office before scurrying to digital platforms. This was despite the star power of Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal, who had both worked with Ritchie in the past.

One of Ritchie’s biggest shows to emerge in the last few years has been MobLand, the hit Paramount Plus crime thriller starring Tom Hardy and Pierce Brosnan. MobLand is coming back for Season 2 later this year, but Ritchie is moving to Prime Video for a new project sure to please fans’ of the Paramount Plus series. News broke last week that Ritchie is working with Young Sherlock producer Rob Williams to develop a new British crime series, Capital, which will explore the modern-day underbelly of London’s world of organized crime. Prime Video subscribers who refused to venture to Paramount Plus for MobLand need not fret — Ritchie is bringing the MobLand vibe to other services with his new replacement series. Further details such as casting and release information are being kept under wraps for now.

Does Guy Ritchie Have Any Other 2026 Movies?

At the time of writing, Ritchie does not have any more movies coming to theaters before the end of this year. It was thought that his new thriller, Wife and Dog, was hitting theaters in 2026, but the film was recently delayed to February 19, 2027, to give the post-production team extra time to make sure it’s fully polished and ready to go. James Norton, Rosamund Pike, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Anthony Hopkins lead the new film, which is billed as Ritchie’s answer to Succession. It follows a rich family and their quest for power that leads them down paths of betrayal and murder.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Ritchie’s new crime series, Capital, and check out new episodes of MobLand on Paramount Plus.

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Release Date

March 30, 2025

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Network

Paramount+

Directors

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Daniel Syrkin

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• 
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  Pierce Brosnan

  Conrad Harrigan

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Celebrity beauty trends may spark interest for some looking to make a change, but today’s cosmetic patients are looking for results that feel more natural and personalized. 

Dr. Waqqas Jalil, a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Aspect Plastic Surgery in Toronto, shared his thoughts with The Blast on why the “overfilled” aesthetic look is fading, how stars like Kylie Jenner continue to influence requests, and why the future of aesthetics is focused on customized treatments, skin health, and subtle enhancements that help patients look less transformed and more refreshed. 

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Not long ago, there was a trend of overfilling the face with filler, but that has slowly moved toward a more natural look. Instead of drastic changes, many patients are now seeking more refreshed, natural looking results. 

“What we’re seeing among celebrities reflects a broader shift in aesthetic medicine. Patients are increasingly drawn to treatments that offer meaningful results without significant downtime, things like skin quality treatments, subtle volume work, and body contouring that looks natural rather than overdone,” he told The Blast.

“The key difference between a result that reads as ‘refreshed’ versus ‘obvious’ is almost always the planning stage: understanding the patient’s anatomy, proportions, and long-term goals before any treatment begins. When done well, these procedures should enhance someone’s features rather than alter their identity, and that principle applies whether you’re on a red carpet or not.” 

Cosmetic Trends The Majority Of Patients Are Currently Asking For

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Dr. Jalil said that he sees a consistent “seasonal rhythm” depending on what time of year it is. 

From January through March, he often sees requests for “facial refreshes” after the holiday season. Requests for neurotoxin, fillers, peels, and blepharoplasty are the norm. 

“As spring comes around, we see a surge of consultations as patients plan to be recovered by summer,” he said. “Summer months favor procedures with shorter recovery or timing that fits vacations, such as liposuction or select breast surgery.”

In the fall and winter, things pick up the pace with larger procedures, such as facelifts, mommy makeovers, and extensive body contouring.

Cosmetic Trends Often Start With Celebrities

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When a celebrity posts about a particular treatment or procedure, or reveals in an interview something they’ve done, widespread interest tends to fire up a trend. One example of this is when Kim Kardashian shared her experience with XERF and everyone suddenly wanted to try it out because she raved about her results.

“Celebrity looks often spark widespread interest. A prominent makeover on Instagram or in the press creates buzz and prompts patients to ask, ‘Can I get that?’ Celebrities can introduce techniques and shape preferences, but those looks must be adapted to each patient’s anatomy, goals, and lifestyle,” he explained. “For example, when high-profile figures such as Kylie Jenner publicly discuss breast augmentation, interest in similar procedures rises but her result reflects her unique frame, proportions, and aesthetic goals.” 

Dr. Jalil added that many patients will go into the office asking for the exact same thing a celebrity has done, but he has to “translate trends into realistic, individualized plans so patients achieve flattering, natural outcomes rather than attempting a one-size-fits-all copy.” 

Setting Realistic Expectations When Deciding On Cosmetic Treatments

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One thing Dr. Jalil focuses on is setting realistic expectations. He said he sometimes will even ask the patient to bring in a “wish photo” to help identify the goal.

“I usually take an opposite approach to some and actually encourage patients to bring in ‘wish photos’ or ‘celebrity photos’ to reveal goals and help me gauge realism,” he said. “During a thorough consult, we explain what’s achievable given their anatomy, skin quality, and lifestyle.” 

He will also outline any risks, what recovery can look like, and even show some before and after examples. If someone comes in with unrealistic expectations or signs of body dysmorphic disorder, he will recommend a second opinion with a trusted colleague.

A top concern for Dr. Jalil has become DIY procedures or the mentality that there’s a one-size-fits-all thought process thanks to social platforms. 

“DIY injections or at-home treatments dangerously underestimate risk, and viral trends ignore individual anatomy and safety,” he shared. “Equally troubling are edited or AI images and selectively staged before and after posts that create unrealistic expectations. Add in toxic fitness culture which celebrates transformations without acknowledging when surgical or medical interventions are involved, and you have a recipe for misinformation that puts patients at risk.”

Laser And Skin Resurfacing Are In Strong Demand

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For people who are seeking to dip their toes into the world of cosmetic procedures and treatments and aren’t ready for surgery, Botox, fillers, lasers, and skin resurfacing have become popular options. 

“They have strong demand but serve different needs. Injectables are quick, low-downtime solutions for volume and lines,” Jalil said. “Lasers/resurfacing address texture, sun damage, and skin quality long-term. For many patients, especially moms wanting improvement with limited downtime, we combine modalities for superior, natural-looking results.”

Dr. Jalil said that he expects more “combination protocols” such as energy devices plus biologics and targeted surgery alongside lifestyle modifications to continue to rise in popularity. He also expects there to be an increasing interest in procedures that restore pre-pregnancy body shape with natural-looking results. 

Whatever a patient decides to do, Dr. Jalil said he advises they chose a qualified, experienced surgeon who will listen to your goals, explain the process and outcome, and build a tailored plan to your particular case.

Sandy Brondello, the coach of the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo team, has apologized following Angel Reese reacting to her calling her a “protected species.”

RELATED: Internet Users Are Droppin’ Mixed Reactions To Angel Reese’s Recent ‘Fit Check (PHOTOS)

Toronto Tempo Coach Apologizes After

On Saturday, July 18, Sandy Brondello took to X to share an apology directed toward Angel Reese. According to USA Today, Brondello made headlines after her team, the Toronto Tempo, faced off against the Atlanta Dream on the evening of Friday, July 17. Nyara Sabally was reportedly guarding Reese when Reese pushed toward the basket and came into contact with Sabally. Subsequently, Brondello pleaded for a foul to be called on Reese.

“Angel, she’s a protected species. Oh, come on. You can agree. It’s (expletive),” Brondello reportedly said the refs.

Angel Reese sends Sabally to the locker room in pain pic.twitter.com/jhDfvuoTxp

— Angel Reese Truth Teller (@Daxson_12) July 18, 2026

Ultimately, the play was reviewed and called a foul. But officials reportedly declined to upgrade it to a “hostile act.”

“Angel, I’m sorry. Last night, in the emotion of the moment after Nyara’s injury, I used a phrase that I shouldn’t have used, and I take full responsibility for that. My frustration was with the officiating, but my words unfairly put the focus on you,” Brondello initially tweeted before adding. “I also understand that my words carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league, and I’m deeply sorry for that. I’ve spent my career competing with, coaching and learning from incredible Black women… I regret that my words caused hurt to a community I respect so deeply. I have a lot of respect for you as both a player and a person, and I sincerely apologize to you, your teammates, and the Dream organization for my comment.”

Angel Reese Reacts To Her Calling Her A “Protected Species”

Hours earlier, on the evening of Friday, July 17, Reese had taken to X to share her reactions to Sandy Brondello’s words. Furthermore, Reese reposted a message that read, “Calling a Black woman a species…”

Then, she added, “ARE WE SURPRISED?! @SBrondello 🤡”

Social Media Reacts To Toronto Tempo Coach Calling Angel Reese A “Protected Species”

Social media users reacted to Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello in TSR’s comment section.

RELATED: Not Feelin’ It? Internet Users Are Goin’ IN On Angel Reese’s Latest Game-Day ‘Fit Check (VIDEOS)

Zendaya’s carefully curated “The Odyssey” wardrobe has sparked a much larger debate about who should be allowed to wear (and own) ancient cultural artifacts.

The actress wore earrings made from roughly 3,000-year-old Iranian gold medallions during a London photocall for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic. While the jeweler insists the artifacts were mounted without being altered or damaged, critics argue the pieces should be preserved in a museum or returned to Iran rather than worn as celebrity accessories.

Questions surrounding the earrings are further complicated by the Ziwiye hoard itself, a disputed collection whose objects entered the antiquities market without being recovered through a documented archaeological excavation.

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Zendaya, who plays the goddess Athena in Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey,” paired the ancient earrings with a flowing white Jacquemus dress selected by her longtime stylist, Law Roach.

According to CNN, the earrings contain gold medallion discs attributed to the first millennium B.C., making them approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years old. The pieces originated in ancient Iran and have been linked to the Ziwiye hoard, a collection of gold, silver, and ivory objects reportedly discovered in the country’s northwestern Kurdistan province during the late 1940s.

London jeweler Glenn Spiro later placed the discs inside an 18-karat yellow gold setting bordered by diamonds. Fine jewelry company Barron London acquired the earrings in 2020 and says they are held in its private collection, not offered for sale.

Barron London Defends The Earrings’ Setting

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Barron London stressed that the original medallions were not pierced, reshaped, or permanently altered when they were converted into earrings. The “ancient gold discs are held within a simple, noninvasive claw setting that does not alter or damage the original objects in any way,” the company told CNN.

The jeweler also welcomed conversations about preservation and the earrings’ history. “Cultural heritage rightly inspires important conversations, and we welcome informed dialogue about provenance, preservation and the appreciation of exceptional craftsmanship,” its statement read.

Barron London suggested that displaying the earrings could draw attention to Iran’s artistic history at a time when the country is frequently discussed through the lens of war and political conflict. “We hope these earrings can serve as a reminder of the country’s enduring artistic, cultural and historical legacy,” the jeweler added.

Critics Say The Artifacts Belong In A Museum

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The company’s explanation did little to satisfy critics who believe artifacts of that age and cultural significance should not be treated as fashion accessories. “This is unethical,” one user declared, as someone else called the move “disgusting.” “As an archaeology student, I hate this,” another social media user wrote. “They should be in a museum.”

Meanwhile, some Iranian critics argued the underlying issue was not whether Zendaya and Roach handled the earrings carefully, but how the artifacts left Iran and entered a private collection in the first place. “This piece is a part of Iran’s history and cultural heritage, and it should not be in the hands of anyone other than Iran and its people,” one commenter wrote.

Zendaya has not publicly responded to the criticism.

The Ziwiye Hoard Has A Complicated History

Although the medallions are attributed to the Ziwiye hoard, that label does not provide a fully documented ownership history.

The collection was reportedly discovered near Ziwiye in 1947, but the objects were not recovered through a controlled archaeological excavation. According to the Penn Museum, pieces quickly entered the antiquities market after the find and were divided, damaged, or melted down.

As reported by Pakistani Art, archaeologist Oscar White Muscarella later challenged whether every item marketed as part of the Ziwiye hoard actually came from the same location. He noted that the pieces passed through dealers rather than being formally documented at the site. That uncertain history is significant because “attributed to Ziwiye” does not necessarily establish when an individual object left Iran, who initially sold it, or whether its removal complied with the laws in effect at the time.

Objects associated with the treasure are now scattered across private holdings and museum collections, including institutions in New York, London, Paris, and Tehran.

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The Timing Intensifies The Backlash

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The controversy has also been heightened by the renewed war involving the United States and Iran. More than 3,000 people were reported killed in Iran during the earlier phase of the conflict, according to figures cited by Reuters. Fighting has since resumed, making the appearance of ancient Iranian artifacts on a Hollywood press tour feel especially insensitive to some observers.

“While they’re bombing Iran, mind you,” one TikTok user wrote. Still, there is no indication that Zendaya selected the earrings to make a statement about Iran or knew the full debate surrounding the Ziwiye hoard’s provenance.

By now, you’ve probably seen Anya Taylor-Joy in the trailer for Lucky, a new crime thriller miniseries that premiered on Apple TV this week. She plays the titular hero Lucky Armstrong in the story of a heist gone wrong, and the manhunt that follows. The show is based on a novel by Marissa Stapley, but beyond that, it is rooted in a dark real-life story that is close to Stapley’s heart. In an interview with PEOPLE ahead of the premiere, Stapley revealed that her own family suffered a major financial scam when she was a child, and it shapes her worldview to this day. That was a major inspiration for Stapley to write her book, and it comes through in the TV adaptation as well.

Stapley’s novel Lucky was published in 2021, telling the story of a young con artist pursued by both the FBI and organized crime bosses after a botched scam. Her book was a hit, thanks in part to Reese Witherspoon‘s book club, which also led to the screen adaptation. Witherspoon is one of the producers of the series, though Jonathan Tropper and Cassie Pappas are the showrunners. For all of these creators, the guiding star is Stapley’s real-life experience from childhood.

Stapley Lived The ‘Lucky’ Story

Image via Apple TV

The Stapley family’s experience of financial scamming is different from Stapley’s book, not least of all because they lived it from the victim’s side. According to the author, when she was 10 years old her mother was fooled by a couple posing as investors. She ended up trusting them with her entire life’s savings, with no way to seek repayment after they disappeared.

This was a major reason why Stapley became interested in writing a con artist story. She said that she did a lot of research into financial scams, and not just the particular methods — she also researched the psychology of the people who go down this road to make a living. She hoped to better understand the people who took advantage of her mother, and to ultimately reach a place where she could forgive them from a far. She said that her mother was always able to keep the experience in perspective and see the good in the world, in spite of what happened to her.

“I believe most people are redeemable,” Stapley said. “That’s a fact. I think that when you look at someone like Lucky, you realize everybody has a story. And my mom was like that. She was so forgiving.” Stapley’s mother was able to read her book before she passed away from cancer. The author said she is pleased to see the moral complexity of her book translating into this adaptation.

“This show is, in some ways, about what causes people to do the things they do, but also there’s always a way out,” Stapley told PEOPLE. “There’s always a way out, and I think that’s important.” The author later added that she believes Lucky’s biggest obstacle is shame, and she believes that’s true for most people. “I think we should find our better angels and find the best hearts of ourselves,” she said.

‘Lucky’ Will Be On The Run All Summer

Image via Apple TV

Lucky premiered on Wednesday on Apple TV with two episodes. There are five more to go airing every Wednesday through August 19, meaning we’ll be watching Lucky’s progress for the rest of the summer. However, some critics have seen the entire series already, setting the show’s scores early. It has an 81% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 6.9 out of 10. Critics generally felt the show was fun and action-packed, but didn’t feel it delivered on all of its promises in the end.

In addition to Taylor-Joy, Lucky stars Annette Bening, Timoth Olyphant, Clifton Collins Jr., and Aujanue Ellis-Taylor. Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine production company worked with Apple Studios, Tropper Ink, LadyKiller, and J.V.T. Films to bring this story to life, with Taylor-Joy and Stapley serving as producers as well. The show was filmed in Las Vegas and Los Angeles last year.

Lucky faces stiff competition this summer, as the TV lineup is stacked. Apple TV just kicked off Silo Season 3, and Sugar still has four more episodes to air as well. There’s also the new miniseries adaptation of Cape Fear, and Season 5 of Trying, both of which are ongoing week-to-week. It’s a great time for new or lapsed viewers to give Apple TV a try, but it’s a lot to keep up with. Meanwhile, other streamers have some big titles airing right now, and more are on the way.

If Lucky can snag some big ratings in a summer like this, it would be a heist for the ages. The series premiere is streaming now, with new episodes airing on Wednesdays on Apple TV. Stapley’s novel is available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

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Release Date

July 15, 2026

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Apple TV

Showrunner

Jonathan Tropper, Cassie Pappas, Jonathan van Tulleken

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Directors

Jet Wilkinson, Jonathan van Tulleken

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Writers

Jonathan Tropper, Cassie Pappas, Mark Stasenko, Marissa Stapley

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Some actors can dominate a movie with volume. Viola Davis can do it with a stare that looks like it has already survived the whole argument. She’s a class act. She has the kind of presence that towers above most other actors, even the really good ones. Her best films hit differently.

She never feels like she is chasing the big acting moment. The emotion usually arrives from pressure that has been sitting in the body too long. These five movies show the full force of that. Let’s get into it.

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‘Prisoners’ (2013)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Prisoners is already a brutal movie before Nancy Birch (Viola Davis) fully understands what has happened. Two little girls vanish on Thanksgiving, and Denis Villeneuve turns the search into a nightmare about grief, faith, rage, and how fast ordinary parents can become strangers to themselves. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) takes the loudest path into violence, while Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard) is crushed by the moral horror of what Keller starts doing. Davis sits in the most painful middle as Nancy, a mother who wants her daughter back and knows the cost of letting desperation decide everything.

The scene where Nancy realizes Alex Jones (Paul Dano) is being held and tortured is sickening. She is horrified, but she also cannot fully reject the tiny chance that this cruelty might lead to Joy Birch (Kyla-Drew). That is the awful truth Prisoners keeps digging into. Love can become monstrous when fear has no exit. Davis has limited screen time compared to the leads, yet Nancy’s face stays with you because she shows the part of grief that cannot scream anymore. It just sits there, bargaining with God and shame.

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‘Widows’ (2018)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Widows opens with Veronica Rawlings (Viola Davis) losing her husband Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) and discovering that his criminal life has left her with a debt dangerous men expect her to pay. The movie takes a heist setup and fills it with politics, race, marriage, money, police violence, grief, and the ugly math of survival. Veronica’s life has been built partly on comfort, partly on denial, and suddenly every lie around her starts charging interest.

She mourns Harry, hates him, misses him, and slowly accepts that his death has left her no clean version of the truth. The heist crew forms because these women have been boxed in by men who either used them, ignored them, or underestimated them. Veronica’s power comes from how practical she becomes after the shock. No glamour, no cute empowerment speech, no easy healing. Just a woman standing in the wreckage and deciding she will not be buried inside it.

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‘The Woman King’ (2022)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

The Woman King gives Davis the kind of role Hollywood spent decades pretending women like her could not headline. General Nanisca (Viola Davis) leads the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit of Dahomey, and the film builds its action around discipline, sisterhood, trauma, politics, and the fight against enemies outside and inside the kingdom’s future. This could have been hollow warrior-pageant material. It has too much pain in its bones for that.

Nanisca is fierce but that fierceness doesn’t have one mood. Davis shows command in Nanisca, guilt, tenderness, fury, and the exhaustion of someone who has had to become almost untouchable to survive. Her bond with Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) brings the story its deepest wound, especially as Nanisca’s past starts crashing into the woman she has trained herself to be. The action lands because the bodies matter. The rituals matter. The scars matter. Davis makes Nanisca feel like history, myth, and personal trauma all fighting inside one person. When she stands before her warriors, the movie understands exactly what kind of star it has.

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‘Doubt’ (2008)

Image via Miramax

This film centers on a Catholic school in 1960s New York, where Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep) suspects Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of abusing Donald Miller (Joseph Foster), the school’s first Black student. Then Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis) arrives, and the whole moral shape of the movie gets harder. She is Donald’s mother, and she has been forced to think about survival in a way Sister Aloysius has not. Doubt gives Davis only one major scene, and it is still one of the clearest proofs of her greatness.

Davis turns that conversation into a full life. Mrs. Miller knows her son is vulnerable. She knows the school may be his best chance. She knows her husband is violent toward him. She also understands that the world is already cruel to a Black boy who may be different. Her choices sound unbearable because they are made inside an unbearable reality. The tears come, but the thinking never stops. That is what destroys you. Mrs. Miller is not confused. She is trapped, and Davis lets every sentence carry the weight of a mother choosing the least damaging path she can see.

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‘Fences’ (2016)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Fences belongs to August Wilson’s language, to the rhythm of a backyard in 1950s Pittsburgh, and to the long shadow Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) casts over everyone near him. Troy talks, jokes, rages, seduces, lies, and fills space like a man determined to be the center of every room. Rose Maxson (Viola Davis) has spent years loving him, feeding the family, raising Cory Maxson (Jovan Adepo), caring for the home, and making peace with pieces of herself she had to put aside.

Then Troy tells her about Alberta, the affair, and the baby. Davis tears through that moment with the force of someone finally naming what the marriage has cost her. Her “I been standing with you” hits hard because Rose is finally refusing to swallow her pain politely. The performance has love in it, real love, which makes the betrayal worse. Rose’s later decision to raise Raynell Maxson (Saniyya Sidney) is not a weakness. It is her own moral line, separate from Troy’s damage. Davis turns Fences into a record of what women give, what men take for granted, and what dignity looks like after the shouting stops.

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Fences

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Release Date

December 25, 2016

Runtime

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139 Minutes

Writers

August Wilson

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Bunnie Xo is getting settled into her lavish new pad on the heels of her divorce from country singer Jelly Roll.

“Matt seeing the new house for the first time,” Bunnie, 46, wrote via Instagram on Friday, July 17, sharing footage of her pal checking out her new digs.

As Bunnie walked Matt through each room, he was admittedly shell-shocked by the sheer size of everything.

“What is this?” he gushed, entering Bunnie’s new closet and “makeup room,” which featured wall-to-wall gray shelving units.

Related: Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo Finalize Divorce 1 Month After Confirming Split

Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo have legally ended their marriage. According to court docs obtained by TMZ on Friday, July 17, the exes privately finalized their divorce earlier this month. The exact details are confidential, but the outlet claims the pair are splitting several items, including an aircraft, cars, homes and their intellectual properties. The […]

Walking down another hallway, Matt joked the space was “f***ing spooky” yet seemed incredibly “nice.” He further marveled at an outdoor shower, a shoe closet, a “wellness center” that can accommodate 15 guests and a backyard pool.

“This is the craziest s***t I’ve seen in my life,” he quipped to Bunnie. “I feel poor. I am broke. I want a new house.”

Several hours prior, news broke that Bunnie and Jelly Roll, 41, privately settled their divorce earlier this month. The now-exes reportedly agreed to split several luxury items, including an aircraft, cars, homes and intellectual properties. Jelly Roll also allegedly is set to pay Bunnie an undisclosed one-time lump sum payment.

The Grammy winner and Bunnie announced in June that they separated after a decade of marriage — one month after Jelly Roll filed for divorce. Despite the breakup, Jelly Roll and Bunnie continually asserted that they plan to remain cordial.

“Me and my wife are best friends. We will always be best friends. We just got off the phone earlier today,” Jelly Roll said during a concert last month. “Nobody cheated on nobody. She just did a whole podcast about it. You can go watch it. Every word of it is the truth. That will be my best friend forever. This is the only time I will ever speak about it.”

That same day, Bunnie released a bombshell episode of her “Dumb Blonde” podcast to tell her side of the breakup. She repeated Jelly Roll’s statement about their amicable dynamics and revealed they still plan to go through IVF to have a baby together. (Jelly Roll is already a father of two from previous relationships.)

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Related: Bunnie Xo Breaks Silence on Jelly Roll Divorce, Reveals Reason for Split

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Bunnie Xo has broken her silence after her estranged husband, Jelly Roll, filed for divorce after nearly 10 years of marriage. Opening up on the Thursday, June 18, episode of her “Dumb Blonde” podcast, Bunnie, 46, detailed the argument that led to her and Jelly Roll, 41, calling it quits. “J and I have never […]

Bunnie eventually pulled her podcast episode from streaming platforms the next week.

“I took it down because I realized I just don’t want one of the hardest moments of my life to become a permanent headline,” she said on the July 10 episode of her podcast. “ don’t want to live in that but I also believe that people deserve the space to heal, to evolve and to move forward. But also, if I’m being real, I don’t want the divorce to become my entire personality. I don’t want to be the poster child for divorce.”

She continued, “That episode served a purpose for me at that time, and it was real, it was honest, and it came from exactly where I was emotionally in that moment. But I’m not in that same place anymore.”