This interview contains spoilers for I Will Find You.

Sam Worthington has made a name for himself by starring in some of the biggest action films of all time. From playing the lead in the record-breaking Avatar series to appearing in fantasy films like Clash of the Titans and Oscar-winning war epic Hacksaw Ridge, he’s no stranger to intense, thrilling projects. The same can be said for Britt Lower, albeit in a slightly different way, as she’s best known for her Emmy-winning performance in Apple TV’s brilliant and often shocking sci-fi series Severance, though her resume also includes quirky comedies like Man Seeking Woman, Casual, and High Maintenance.

Worthington and Lower’s previous roles have prepared them well for I Will Find You, the newest Harlan Coben mystery to be adapted into a TV series. The show centers around a man named David (Worthington), who has been incarcerated for murdering his young son, Matthew (Ashton Cressman), despite maintaining his innocence. Things get more complicated when his sister-in-law, Rachel (Lower), visits him in prison and shows him a recent photograph of a boy who looks exactly like Matthew. The quest for the truth leads to a prison break, a nationwide manhunt, and several dangerous conspiracies. Who can you trust when it seems like everyone is keeping secrets?

Collider got the opportunity to speak to Worthington and Lower about the project. During the conversation, the duo broke down some of the show’s most complex scenes and relationships, as well as their first encounters with Coben’s work. Lower also discussed the biggest similarities and differences between Rachel and Helly and what drew her to the project.

Sam Worthington and Britt Lower Break Down ‘I Will Find You’s Most Complex Moments and Relationships

“We meet them at this inflection point in this family’s life, and it all starts to get murky in hindsight.”

Image via Netflix

COLLIDER: This whole show is very intense, but one moment that really sticks out to me is the Sophie’s Choice situation that David finds himself in in Episode 6, where Nicky asks him to choose between his father and his son’s life. Sam, how did you prepare for that particular moment?

SAM WORTHINGTON: Yeah, I like that moment. I thought we could push it even more, to be honest with you. I think we did some takes where we pushed it emotionally more, because you’re exactly right, it is a Sophie’s Choice moment. And he actually makes a very crazy choice, to be honest, considering he doesn’t know what’s around the corner. But I thought we could have emotionally pushed it even further. How do you prepare? I don’t know. I play off other actors. If I’m surrounded by great actors, then that’s gonna help me get better. I’m only as good as the person I’m opposite.

Speaking of that, this whole cast is incredible, and there’s this dynamic between Rachel and Hayden that is so interesting and complex. I’m curious for you, Britt, how did you and Milo build this chemistry together, knowing that it was going to take this very dark and twisted turn? Because you really have the audience root for them, but then you also maybe kind of want to foreshadow a little bit of what’s to come. How did you find the balance with him to make that relationship work?

BRITT LOWER: Well, Britt and Milo had a totally instant friendship, because we both have Airstreams, and we immediately bonded over talking about winterizing our trailers. I think our friendship was forged immediately there. The relationship with Hayden and Rachel is one of those unique ones where they’ve remained friends after they’ve broken up, which is a very particular kind of dynamic. I think Rachel, to a certain extent, is unaware how she might have been the one who got away for Hayden. I think playing with how much she was aware or not of that was interesting to me. And then we meet them at this inflection point in this family’s life, and it all starts to get murky in hindsight.

Sam Worthington Loves Playing Action Heroes With Gooey Centers

“It’s all about hard muscle and soft muscle and what that means.”

Image via Netflix

Advertisement

Sam, you have this amazing range with your acting, but I do feel like you’ve been carving out this niche of action hero guys who have this warm, parental core. I’m curious what you enjoy about roles with that combination. And what did this series allow you to do that you feel like you haven’t really gotten to yet in your career?

WORTHINGTON: I like exploring that hard muscle, soft muscle. I think that’s something that I kind of enjoy. I’ve explored it for a long time now. The people who have this armor, and what they do to hide their true selves and hide their vulnerabilities, in genres like this, you can explore it more with that kind of character. The next chapter of my life, I’ve gotta go and explore something else that’s deep and dark and inside me that I need to kind of get out and figure out, because I think I’m running out. I’m hitting the max.

It’s funny, when you’re in your 20s, you’re cast as the hero. When you’re in your 30s, you’re cast as something else. You’re 40, you have kids, and you’re cast as the fathers, the parental, and the protectors. I’m about to hit that fifth chapter, so who knows where that’s gonna take me?

I mean, you’re so great at it, so I would love for you to keep playing that role as long as possible!

WORTHINGTON: As I said, it’s all about hard muscle and soft muscle and what that means. It’s an exploration of masculinity that maybe I didn’t see in characters in movies when I was growing up. Sometimes, they were very one-dimensional, and I’ve even played characters that are very one-dimensionally heroic. That doesn’t interest me. What interests me is, what are they hiding? What are they protecting? What’s on the outside, and how’s that impacting what’s inside? You’ve always, then, got a conflict going on, regardless of what the outer conflict is.

Britt Lower Talks About the Similarities and Differences Between ‘I Will Find You’ and ‘Severance’

“They have the shared DNA of being dogged on a mission.”

Image: Courtesy of Netflix

Speaking of similarities between characters, Britt, I feel like there’s a scrappiness in this quest for the truth that both Rachel and Helly have. As a Severance fan, I’m so curious, what do you think a conversation between the two of them would look like?

LOWER: Oh, wow. You’re right — they have the shared DNA of being dogged on a mission. I think the thing I was drawn to about Rachel that is different from Helly and the Severance world is that Rachel’s outside. She’s on a very clear, active mission in the real world — on the road — and it’s really rooted in this family system. Obviously, Helly’s family is a whole different kind of surreal scramble, but maybe they talk about their families.

Oh, I like that. I want to see that now.

LOWER: And then they’d go to therapy together.

That would probably be good for both of them, yeah. I’m sure you can’t tell me much about Season 3 of Severance, but I’m curious if you took anything away from filming I Will Find You that you feel like really helped you step back into that world.

LOWER: Hm, I’m not sure. It’s such a fascinating question. I’m very excited to go back and film Season 3 — it’s just such a love of mine. And it was great to do this project that is really different. It’s this propulsive crime drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes you want to click on the next episode, and we worked really hard to make sure it was rooted in the emotionality of these characters, their dynamics together, and the authenticity of two people who have lost everything and are coming to this inflection point in their lives and going on a mission to save Matthew.

Sam Worthington and Britt Lower Reveal How They Discovered Harlan Coben’s Work

“She was the one who said, ‘You gotta talk to the guy.’”

Image: Amanda Matlovich/Netflix

Advertisement

Harlan Coben is obviously such a major talent in this mystery and thriller genre. I’m curious if you guys remember your first ever exposure to his work.

WORTHINGTON: Mine was Tell No One. I’m friends with [director] Guillaume Canet, so I remember seeing that years ago, not actually understanding that it was Harlan’s work, to be honest. It was only when Harlan brought it back up. And then my wife binges all of them. She was the one who said, “You gotta talk to the guy,” because she loves all the twists and turns, the red herrings, the cliffhangers. She loves all of that.

LOWER: I was certainly aware of Harlan Coben, but I really didn’t get a deep dive until I read the book, and then got to read the pilot and the subsequent episodes next to it. There’s lots for folks who read the novel and watch the series — there’s some subtle differences that were really intentional that I think will be fun for people to discover. Harlan was talking about this earlier. You have to craft different twists and turns for a novel than you do for a series, because it’s a visual medium. I think it’s gonna be really fun for people to watch.

WORTHINGTON: The books are the books. You don’t just recreate the book — the book is a bouncing-off point to recreate the Harlan Coben series. That’s how he looks at it.

I was really struck by the ending to the show, because it feels very satisfying and hopeful, but also grounded in the truth that things are not going to be perfect. There’s going to be some difficult roads ahead for all of them. I’m curious what you think is next for your characters after the final scenes that we see.

LOWER: They’re all gonna go to therapy again. Like I said, everybody needs therapy. [Laughs] But they’re together. I think it’s a really earned quiet moment for the whole family. Matthew’s holding his little sister, and [to Sam] you guys have that beautiful scene on the porch, father and son, where they’re present with each other. And that’s what family is. You move through the hardest of times, and then you put one foot in front of the other, and you have each other’s backs.

I Will Find You is now streaming on Netflix.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Release Date

June 18, 2026

Network

Advertisement

Netflix

Showrunner

Robert Hull

Advertisement

Directors

Adam Davidson, Maggie Kiley, Maja Vrvilo, Brad Anderson

Advertisement

Writers

Robert Hull, Harlan Coben

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding plans remain a favorite topic of discussion, with wedding experts sharing their thoughts.

The famous duo is reportedly set to say their vows on July 3, with Madison Square Garden being the most speculated spot for the ceremony. Now, insiders are shedding more light on their alleged plans.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement in August 2025 after two years of dating.

According to new reports, insiders claim Swift and Kelce have enlisted a Los Angeles-based celebrity wedding planner for their big day. Mark Seed, who helped actress Jennifer Lawrence plan her 2019 wedding to Cooke Maroney, has reportedly been working on the couple’s ceremony for months.

One source hailed Seed’s skills, declaring he could “build something spectacular out of nothing.” As Madison Square Garden remains the most promising spot for the lovebirds’ wedding, insiders noted it would likely take days for Seed to build a venue for the ceremony, given the size of the location.

Page Six added that MSG has no events on its calendar from June 29 through July 6, giving Seed plenty of time to work his magic. If Swift and Kelce do decide to remodel the venue for their ceremony, wedding experts have shared their thoughts on what the event would look like.

The Singer’s Wedding May Be On The Same Scale As Her Unforgettable Eras Tour

Darren Olarsch, founder of On The Move Entertainment, a production company based in NoMad, weighed in on transforming MSG into the perfect wedding venue. Olarsch explained that the process would cost a pretty penny and likely be on the same scale as Swift’s historic global concert tour, saying:

“It would be an Eras-tour level production… It’s doable, but it is like planning a concert. What might be a $300,000 wedding somewhere else, inside the Garden would be $3 million.”

Olarsch explained that to make MSG feel more “romantic, close and intimate,” Swift and Kelce would need to build overhead structures with drape-style decorations. They would also need to build a wedding venue on the floor, create a mini stage, a dance floor, basically turning the setting into “a venue within a venue.”

The Grammy Winner’s Signature Style May Influence Her Wedding Decorations

New York-based celebrity wedding planner Lauren Zizza believed Swift’s trademark style would play a key role in the decorations, referencing her love for floral arrangements. Zizza cited the singer’s “romantic, storybook aesthetic,” which has been the foundation of her music.

“Some design elements would likely include an enchanted garden, soft candlelight, draped ceilings, and fabric with vintage touches,” Zizza speculated. Another wedding planner agreed with Olarsch’s “venue within a venue” narrative, noting multiple spaces may be created to host different parts of the ceremony.

The source believed the couple needed four distinct spaces for the wedding ceremony, a cocktail hour, a dinner dance, and an afterparty. The source added that the massive structure of Madison Square Garden allows Swift and Kelce to hold a more intimate ceremony before a larger-scale celebration.

New York City Mayor Confirms The Couple’s Wedding Location

One of the reasons why Madison Square Garden is widely believed to be the venue for Swift and Kelce’s wedding stems from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The Blast reported that he confirmed the news days earlier while addressing the city’s packed calendar.

“We know it coincides with the Knicks’ 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,” Mamdani said. His words naturally caused a stir amongst fans because the lovebirds were yet to announce their wedding venue.

When asked if he scored an invite to the ceremony, Mamdani said no, joking that he would probably spend the big day listening to the singer’s “Only the Young” song. He also hoped the duo would have a “lovely wedding” in his city.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Were Seen Enjoyed Pre-Wedding Festivities

Days earlier, The Blast reported claims of Swift feeling burdened by her wedding preparations. A source alleged that she was under so much pressure, trying to make things perfect while enduring the global media attention on her union with Kelce.

These alleged worries seemingly disappeared on Wednesday, June 17, when Swift and Kelce spent quality time with their friends. A group of women, including the singer’s best friend, Abigail Anderson Berard, was captured on video at her Rhode Island home.

A blonde, slender figure, presumably Swift, was seen on a balcony wearing a white dress while enjoying what appeared to be pre-wedding festivities with her girls. On the other hand, The Blast shared that Kelce was seen hanging out at the exclusive Bird Streets Club in Los Angeles with his male friends.

Will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce say their vows in Madison Square Garden?

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 35 seconds ago

Have you ever watched something so downright dumbfounding that you didn’t know how to put it into words? 2012’s Hyperfutura falls squarely into that wheelhouse, and I still haven’t decided whether it’s lightning in a bottle or a flash in the pan. It’s a psychedelic journey centering on an unemployed man named Adam (Eric Kopatz), who signs up for a paid three-day medical experiment, and then everything goes off the deep end. The best way to describe what happens in this film is to compare it to that scene in A Clockwork Orange, when Alex has his eyes taped open while watching a wall of televisions, forced to witness and absorb all the horrors of the world as intensely as humanly possible.

The problem here is that there’s no real agenda or objective. Every film site says that Adam becomes a prototype for the first half-man, half-machine, but writer-director James O’Brien shock-cuts his way through the entire thing with such reckless abandon that I’d argue there’s hardly even a plot here. While I admit some of the footage is kind of cool to look at, it’s pretty much just a doomscroll of a movie that repeatedly visits upsetting moments in history while our protagonist is needlessly tortured throughout the film’s entire runtime.

Fortunately, this independent effort is only an hour long, so at the very least you can go into this one knowing that any suffering you’ll experience will be temporary.

Genius Or Pretentious? I Honestly Can’t Tell

Here’s the entire plot to Hyperfutura: Adam gets fired from his machinist job at a factory. He sees a suspicious flyer hanging on a telephone pole stating that if he signs up for a three-day medical experiment, he’ll be compensated. He shows up, is given a pill by a clearly evil doctor (Gregory Kiem), and is then monitored from a surveillance room by a guy known only as the Specialist (Brando McClure), who’s so evil that he even has a twirly mustache to drive the point home.

Adam meets a woman named Simone (Karen Corona), who’s undergoing the same treatment, which, to the best of my knowledge, involves getting tapped with plastic tools while being electrocuted, some drug-addled sensory deprivation, and also overstimulation, depending on how far along they are in the process. I think there’s a romantic bond here, but I can’t tell you for certain. I’m not lying when I say that this movie is basically an hour of stock footage with inverted effects while a bunch of jumbled, disastrous world events are tossed into the editing software as haphazardly as possible.

Cool To Look At, For A Minute

I wanted to check out Hyperfutura because I love vibe pieces that operate in a fugue state. In my mind, I was expecting another film in the same vein as Beyond the Black Rainbow, which also has a barebones plot but vibes so hard that it’ll put you in a straight-up trance. This plays out more like a film student who just got a new computer, complete with free editing software, and decided to cram in as much footage as the free trial would allow. For this joke to work, the free trial lets you render a final product that’s exactly as long as this movie, but not a minute longer.

Hyperfutura’s Wikipedia page cites influences like Ed Wood, The Church of the SubGenius, and even references to James Orin Incandenza, the fictional experimental filmmaker who lives in the pages of David Foster Wallace‘s Infinite Jest. I’ve spent the last two weeks revisiting the audiobook after first reading the novel in college, and I’m failing to see any connection here beyond the possibility that whoever curated the information for that rundown thought name-dropping in this fashion would give the film some clout.

Hyperfutura is cool to look at for about a minute. If you can make it through the full hour, you’ll probably wish you’d grabbed a few screenshots to make a cool desktop wallpaper, but outside of that, I’d hardly call it a movie. And if you’re going for that weird “experimental, drug-induced, soul-wrecking odyssey that’s drenched in neon and high-contrast filters” kind of vibe, there’s plenty of brainrot on Instagram that does it better and only takes 30 seconds out of your day. Personally, I’d recommend Nutter Butter’s social media pages because they effortlessly pull off what James O’Brien is trying so hard to do here.

As of this writing, you can stream Hyperfutura for free on Tubi. Seriously, don’t pay for it.

Days of Our Lives shocks with a pawn missing from Stefano DiMera’s (Joseph Mascolo) chess set that he bequeathed to Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) and John Black (Drake Hogestyn) in his will. And now Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) and Chad DiMera (Connor Floyd) and Belle Black (Martha Madison) are all really interested in the chess set and exactly what was meant by this gift.

We’re going to talk about the missing pawn in Chad and Belle’s theory about another pawn and whether it might be Brady Black or somebody else equally interesting who’s supposed to take his dad’s place.

Days of Our Lives: The Missing Pawn Mystery

So, initially the assumption was that the missing pawn in the chess set referred to John Black, the original pawn himself. But then Chad pointed out this week that the chessboard and pieces were an inheritance meant for both Marlena and John.

And Chad pointed out that Stefano, his dad, would have no idea that John wouldn’t be alive to receive the bequest personally. So, then Chad and Belle were discussing whether it might have been a mystery meant for John rather than being about John.

And that leads us to the question of is there another pawn right now versus another pawn in the past? Marlena recently gave her daughter Belle permission for her and Chad to investigate the mysterious chessboard that Stefano gifted his queen of the night and his original pawn John.

However, Marlena was clear she didn’t want to know what Belle and Chad discover. So once they started thinking it through, Chad and Belle decided the missing game piece isn’t just symbolic of John Black’s past as Stefano’s brainwashed mercenary.

Chad and Belle are thinking that the pawn could reference a whole other person altogether. Maybe a new person. After all, there’s 16 pawns on the board. Eight on each side, eight in each color, not just a single pawn.

DOOL: Stefano’s Operatives and the Key Discovery

This suggests that Stefano had in the past or still has right now another operative or operatives or possibly a victim that he’s using as a pawn in this sick twisted game he’s playing from beyond the crypt. We’ve also gotten other hints recently with EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) and Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) playing a frustrating game of chess this week in the living room under Stefano’s portrait while talking about his will and inheritances.

This week, Theo and Chad are looking over the chess set together at Brady Pub. And a key falls out into Theo’s hand. And that key could be the first step into figuring out who this pawn is.

We’re wondering if there’s a chance that it’s Belle’s brother, John’s son, Brady Black, who may be some sort of unwitting pawn in Stefano’s twisted final game. He’s playing with the family of Marlena and John Black.

Days of Our Lives: The Phoenix and His Chess Obsession

We all know The Phoenix loved chess and he loved manipulation and the deliberately missing pawn is no accident. It’s a puzzle or some sort of secret message that was meant to be solved. If you recall when Marlena first refused the bequest, the pawn and the queen were there and they were standing out from the rest of the set. So, I’m thinking this missing pawn signals that an undiscovered player may have already been on the board and John and Marlena just never knew it or a new pawn is soon going to emerge.

But Stefano had no way to know John would suffer the untimely and tragic death that he did. So, there is a chance absolutely that there is another pawn out there. Maybe somebody that Dr. Wilhelm Rolf (Richard Wharton) may have brainwashed for Stefano, much like was done to John Black back in the day. And this mysterious pawn could be lurking around any corner in Salem. And they may not even know that they’re the pawn. They may be basically a sleeper cell that hasn’t been activated.

Days of Our Lives: Brady Black as the New Pawn

And this may all link back to the coin that was left at John’s grave site that Marlena found. If you remember. And the next clue, of course, is the key that Chad and Theo discover while playing around with the chess set this week. So, Brady Black, as John and Isabella Kiriakis Black’s son, has deep family ties to Stefano’s rival and enemy.

So, Brady seems a fairly likely candidate as the new pawn. Plus, his closeness to Marlena, his bonus mom, I think, would also appeal to the late Phoenix. And it’s something that Stefano knew about. So Brady could be positioned to become the new pawn.

He also has a connection to Stefano through Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) and their daughter Rachel Black (Lorelei Olivia Mote). However, if Days of Our Lives really wanted to twist things up, skipping a generation and Rachel being the pawn would be really wild. But assuming it’s an adult, Brady could very well be the next generation pawn if you think about it.

John was Stefano’s pawn. But he also did dirty work for Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston), who eventually became John Black’s father-in-law when he married Isabella. And of course, Stefano and Victor were sworn enemies. And they were pretty much cut from the same type of villainous cloth as we’ve seen.

Stephanie Targets Brady on Days?

Plus, Brady ran his dad’s company, Basic Black, before he teamed up with Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) at Black Patch. So, already Brady is following in his dad John’s footsteps. Plus Brady and Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) are soon investigating DiMera Enterprises Pharmaceuticals’ roles in the deaths of Destiny and her sister Clea. So this puts Brady at odds with Stefano’s heir wicked son EJ. But I don’t think Stefano’s heir apparent really knows anything about this new pawn game.

Days of Our Lives: Other Possible Pawns and Theories

However, Dr. Rolf probably is neck deep in with Stefano’s new pawn. And if it isn’t Brady, maybe it’s wicked little Rachel since she seemed so enamored of the Arabian Nights book. That’s of course one of Stefano’s tools when he played mind games with Marlena.

And of course there’s Tate Black (Leo Howard). He could always be an unsuspecting sleeper agent, especially with him getting all these hand-to-hand combat skills. Brady’s son with Theresa Donovan (Emily O’Brien). If you remember, was manipulated in the womb by Kristen and Dr. Rolf. If you recall, Tate was ripped out of Theresa’s womb and implanted in Kristen’s, who raised Tate as an infant.

Kristen even named Tate after herself, calling him Christopher with a K like Kristen. So, Tate could very very well be used as the new pawn in this story arc. But I feel like he’s a longer shot. Because the actors were fired and are leaving and they’re neck deep in another story line right now. However, it is supposed to be DiMera adjacent. So we’ll see.

Days of Our Lives: Stefano Had No Limits

And I will say Stefano wasn’t opposed to messing with his own family. So that leaves other options open. Including EJ, Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis), not so dead Peter Blake (Dan Gauthier), not so dead Stefan DiMera (Brandon Barash). Heck, even Theo could be the next pawn in whatever endgame Stefano is playing from the afterlife. But I tend to think that Stefano wouldn’t have done that to Theo.

Now, we know from the big summer promo that somebody is sitting behind a computer watching them play this game. They are manipulating them, dropping hints, dropping little keys and clues. So, I think it could be pretty cool if that was Brady Black and he didn’t even know he was doing it. But since Rolf snuck in and gave Peter that shot to kill him, Stefano’s adopted son might have been kept in a person pod awaiting a role to play in this new game. So, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Jordyn Woods brought her “lucky bag” out one more time — and New York loved every second of it.

The fashion entrepreneur showed up to the Knicks championship parade on June 18 dressed head to toe in custom gear, with her now-iconic orange clutch firmly in hand. The internet could not get enough.

Jordyn Woods has become one of the most talked-about figures of the entire 2026 NBA season. Her bag, her outfits, and her unwavering courtside presence have made her a story all on their own.

Woods arrived at the Knicks victory parade rocking a full custom ensemble. She paired Towns’ No. 32 jersey with a Knicks hat and white jeans that read “Mrs. Towns” across the back.

The orange mini clutch from her brand, Woods by Jordyn, was once again strapped across her body. The bag, which had been courtside for every Knicks playoff game, had already sold out following the championship win.

Woods posted a celebratory photo of Towns holding the championship trophy on Instagram, with the lucky bag visible in the frame. The post quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of likes.

The Superstition Behind The ‘Lucky Bag’ That Helped Win New York A Championship

The orange clutch became the bag of legend after the Knicks lost Game 4 of the Finals, the one game Woods attended without the bag due to a strict no-bag policy at Madison Square Garden, as Page Six noted. Fans immediately connected the dots.

Woods revealed on the “TODAY” show that the superstition grew organically after that loss. “When you’re with someone, their dream becomes yours,” she said of supporting Towns through the playoff run.

Advertisement

The $125 accessory, now completely sold out, is only available for pre-order with a September ship date. Towns himself credited the bag publicly, saying on “Good Morning America” that New York had Woods and her clutch to thank.

Jordyn Woods Watched Her Brand Explode Overnight

The bag’s viral moment did not just deliver a championship — it delivered a business breakthrough. The Blast reported that Woods’ brand saw an overwhelming surge in orders immediately after the Knicks sealed their title.

TMZ reported that the mini clutch sold out entirely within hours of the final buzzer sounding. Woods’ manufacturing partners confirmed they were prepared for the growth and remained positioned to scale the brand accordingly.

The fashion designer said she was grateful for the response and hoped the momentum would push her brand beyond the basketball world. Woods by Jordyn also offers apparel and expanded into inclusive footwear in 2025.

Woods Was Not A Fan Of The Knicks Owner’s Unusual Championship Strategy

Woods made headlines during the playoff run for more than just her outfits. The Blast reported that Towns revealed his fiancée’s reaction to Knicks owner James Dolan’s surprising request that players abstain from sex to gain a competitive edge.

Appearing on “The Howard Stern Show,” Towns said he is a “happily engaged man” before admitting that Woods was less than thrilled when he broke the news. “When I came home, and I told my fiancée what he said, she didn’t like to hear that one,” he said.

Advertisement

Other Knicks players also weighed in publicly on Dolan’s unusual ask. The request quickly became one of the most talked-about storylines of the entire 2026 Finals run.

Karl-Anthony Towns Makes Clear Jordyn Woods Is More Than Just A Courtside Presence

Beyond the bag and the fashion, Towns made sure the world understood the depth of what Woods means to him. The Blast reported that during the post-game press conference, the NBA champion delivered an emotional tribute to his fiancée.

Towns revealed that Woods was the person he called before saying goodbye to his mother at the hospital when she passed from COVID-19 complications in 2020. “You always pray you’re going to pick the right woman for you, and I know I did for my fiancée,” he said.

A championship ring, a sold-out bag, and the public devotion of one of the NBA’s biggest stars. At this point, has Jordyn Woods not already earned the keys to New York City?

Advertisement

Y’all! Big Sean and Jhené Aiko are once again circling the rumor mill, and this time the timing feels especially noticeable. With Jhené Aiko’s name first in new whispers about a possible fresh relationship, fans have been quick to read between the lines—and naturally, that curiosity has drifted right back to Big Sean and how he might be feeling about it all.

RELATED: Fans Are Wondering If Jhené Aiko & Larry June Are Dating After New Instagram Clues (PHOTOS)

In 2024, Big Sean Addressed Secret Wedding Rumors With Jhené Aiko

During a 2024 appearance on Charlamagne Tha God’s ‘Out of Context’ podcast, Big Sean addressed his long-running, on-and-off history with Jhené Aiko—and more specifically, why marriage still hasn’t happened despite years of connection, collaboration, and even a child together. When asked point-blank if the two had ever secretly tied the knot, Sean shut it down with a laugh. “No, no, there has not been a secret industry marriage,” he said, keeping things light but firm. Still, he didn’t completely dodge the deeper layer of the question, acknowledging that their relationship has never been simple or one-dimensional.

Instead, Sean leaned into reflection, describing their bond as something that’s required constant “navigation” rather than a straight path. He explained that while he sees marriage as the ideal expression of love, he also views the pressure around it through a more cautious lens, pointing to fear and high divorce rates as part of why people rush or hesitate. Even so, he didn’t close the door on the idea entirely—just made it clear that timing and personal work still matter. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” he told Charlamagne at one point.

He also added that he prefers not to overshare the private details of their relationship, signaling that what fans see publicly is only a fraction of what’s actually going on behind the scenes. And while Charlamagne Tha God pushed him to consider the realities of long-term commitment, Sean stuck to his stance that love requires ongoing effort rather than a fixed destination. With fresh rumors now orbiting Jhené’s dating life, fans connect dots, read moods, and wonder whether Sean’s words were just a reflection—or something more pointed.

RELATED: Aht! Aht! Jhené Aiko Addresses Comments About Her Ex-Marriage After Big Sean Reacts To Breakup Speculation

Beyond the Gates early weekly spoilers for June 22nd through the 26th thrill with Kat Richardson (Colby Muhammad) in a horrible dilemma because everybody is pressuring her to get tested and cough up a chunk of her liver to save her problematic sister, Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle).

We’ll get into all the action coming the week starting June 22nd when we may also see one marriage end and possibly two. And as we do on early edition day, we start with what’s coming the rest of this week and then we get into the action coming next week, which is when July sweeps kicks off.

Beyond the Gates: Kat’s Liver Donation Dilemma

So, let’s get into it. On Thursday, June 18th, we’ve got Carlton Fitzgerald (Robert Christopher Riley) showing up to alert Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnée Duplaix) to an urgent matter. So, her phone may be off. Obviously, Carlton’s going to find out that Eva is lying at death’s door and that Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) is distraught and that Nicole’s daughter, Kat, is refusing to even get tested. She doesn’t even want to see or know if she’s a match for her dying sister, Eva.

I’m very interested to see if Carlton shows up at Nicole’s door. Since Kial Rollins (Greg Vaughan) is warming her sheets right now, remember he came over to comfort Nicole. And while she has always told both Kial and Carlton that she is not looking for anything serious, I have to say that what happened between her and Kial was very emotionally intimate.

So, if Carlton shows up and sees Kyle rolling out of Nicole’s bed, I think that is definitely going to bother Carlton understandably. And of course, Nicole’s going to want to go check on Ted. But I think Kat is who really needs her mom right now. I know fans are deeply divided and they hate that Eva’s accident put Kat in this position.

Beyond the Gates: Andre Supports Izaiah

We also have Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) showing up to be there for Izaiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe). Already, Andre tried to get up off the couch and hobble to the hospital once he heard about Eva. But then Andre found out that because of the medications that he’s on for his own injury, he is not a viable liver donor. But I can see him having wanted to get tested because he’s related to Eva and he’s friends with her.

And in fact, everybody but Kat has been willing to get tested in the family, especially Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) is frustrated with her. They see her hatred of Eva as a sign that she’s willing to let her sister die. But I did think that Kat did well by clapping back about Eva helping cover up for Dana “Leslie” Thomas (Trisha Mann), who tried to kill Laura Peterson (Destiny Love) twice and who deliberately ripped their family apart with help from Eva.

The Elevator Secret and Family Pressure on BTG

Even though she feels bad about it in hindsight, she was right there in the thick of it. It’s messy. But if Andre can’t donate a chunk of his liver, at least he can be there for Izaiah, who loves Eva and is totally distraught. We also have Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) confronting Bill. If you remember, after they did their elevator sex thing, Dani swore Bill to secrecy. And so far, it is still a secret. But it could be out by the end of this week or into next week when sweeps kicks off.

Eva’s time is rapidly running out. Everybody but Kat has pretty much been tested who’s a relative and who’s viable. And Leslie’s in a panic. But at least Eva is on the public donor registry. But in the end, I think we all know it is going to come down to Kat. And speaking of her, she runs to Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla), who listens as Kat explains herself.

Chelsea’s not a big fan of Kat’s hatred of Eva. And I tend to think that Chelsea will prod Kat in the direction of at least getting tested to find out, you know, because that seems to be a next step. Looks like she is getting tested by the end of the week because of other spoilers that I’m about to share with you.

Beyond the Gates: Family Comes Together and Marriage Troubles

On Friday, June 19th, Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) and Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit) find some common ground, which is surprising. And this may be sympathy for what Ted’s family is going through with Eva and the aftermath of the terrifying tornado. Or it could be about what’s going on with Dani and Bill because that bombshell is going to explode soon.

We’ve got Andre and Bill locking horns by the end of this week. And if Andre hears from Bill about the elevator cheating with Dani, I think Andre is going to be really hurt rather than if Danny told him herself. If she explained the life and death weirdness of it all as a one-off thing, I think that would be better.

Also, the Hawthornes come together for one of their own with Izaiah panicking over Eva’s ticking clock. I expect Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges), Elon Hawthorne (Malachi Malik), and even his mom, Darlene Hawthorne (Monique Mosee), to show up for Isaiah. Hopefully, Leslie will keep a civil tongue in her mouth if Darlene shows up at Garland Memorial.

Kat’s Huge News on BTG

Also, Kat’s life-changing news, and that could be that she’s a match, or it could be that Ted tells her that Eva will die in the next 24 hours without a transplant. There’s going to be some urgency. Ted may beg Kat again to please help her sister. Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) has advice for Kat.

I’m sure Anita is the voice of reason, asking Kat, “As much as you hate Eva and hate Leslie, could you live with yourself if Eva died when you might have been able to save her?” It’s not a fair situation at all for Kat to be in. But that is what makes it oh so soapy, as we know.

Leslie gets good news that’s then snatched away. So, they may find out there’s a donor available for Eva, maybe from the public registry. But then it turns out it’s not viable or there’s a complication. We all know it’s going to come down to Kat.

Beyond the Gates: July Sweeps and Marriage Implosions

The week of June 22nd through the 26th, we’ve got July sweeps kicking off on Thursday, June 25th. So, I think the transplant drama is going to drag out until then. This is clearly supposed to be a redemption story for Leslie when honestly she’s irredeemable. But something to break through her awful, devious nature. But I’m honestly not sure if Eva’s mom is capable of change. She is wicked to the bone. But right now, Leslie’s falling apart and vulnerable. And when faced with Eva’s inevitable death, Leslie’s going to break.

Meanwhile, with the clock running out, Kat’s definitely going to get tested. No doubt she’s going to be a match. But then there’s the step of will she let them cut her open and take a chunk out of her liver to save Eva. In terms of organ donation, you would think that donating part of an organ is better than a whole one, like a liver versus a kidney. But in terms of surgical risk and recovery and potential complications, donating part of your liver is actually more dangerous than giving up a whole kidney. Weird, right?

Beyond the Gates: Kat & Ava Bond as Sisters

So, Kat would literally be putting her own life on the line to save Eva. But in the end, I’m certain she’ll do it. And this is going to be a road to Kat and Eva bonding as sisters because she will literally owe Kat her life. I don’t expect an easy road. And I think Eva should do the heavy lifting. Also, Leslie may find some chill if Kat saves her precious Eva.

But there’s other family drama afoot in sweeps. I don’t think that Heather Armstrong (Ashley Jones) really left town. And I think she’s setting up shop again nearby, right under Joey Armstrong’s (Jon Lindstrom) nose. And Heather seems honestly even more ruthless than Joey and not the type to go away quietly. Plus, they cast somebody who’s a big name from Bold and the Beautiful. She’s been on a lot of other stuff. So, with them bringing in Ashley Jones, I don’t think it’s going to be a couple of episodes and she’s gone.

Beyond the Gates: Dani May Lose Andre

We also have the impending implosion of Dani and Andre’s marriage which could trigger Bill and Haley’s marriage to fall apart. So, Andre may walk out on Dani over this Bill thing and run back to his bachelor pad. And the timing on that could be problematic because Ashley is single and grieving and Andre may turn to Ashley for comfort.

The Duprees will rally around Kat for her heroic donation. And I actually hope that she demands some concessions from Leslie before she agrees to donate. Like she’s got to stop the chow crap. Stop stalking Ted. Stop being horrible to Nicole. Basically, a chunk of liver donated if Leslie agrees to stop being Leslie. We’ll see how it goes.

While there will always be attempts by filmmakers to make striking and compelling works of original art, at the end of the day, filmmaking is still a business with the goal of making financial profit, with one of the most concise and effective ways of making box office profits is through franchises and sequels. There have been many notable sequels released over the years, with some of the most prominent and very best sequels crossing over into the lucrative $1 billion club.

Even as recently as films like Zootopia 2 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, sequels are continuously finding their way into the $1 billion club as the built-in audience of these beloved movies already sets these films up for success. However, simply having a built-in audience isn’t enough for great success, as the films themselves have to be appealing and well-made to the general audience for them to have such a lasting impact and make a prominent financial success.

8

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

More than just the third film in the Avengers franchise, Avengers: Infinity War in a way acts as a sequel to the entire MCU up to that point, bringing together characters from across the cinematic universe into a glorious love letter with massive stakes and pure passion. It has a lot of the inherent strengths of previous Avengers films, only with an even bigger scale, even more MCU movies to pull from, and one of the most legendary endings in superhero movie history.

The film still stands as one of the absolute highlights of the entire MCU, with great action sequences, a seamless blending of all sorts of memorable characters, and easily the extended universe’s best villain in Josh Brolin‘s Thanos. It stands at the apex of when the MCU was at its most popular, fully realizing the strengths and impact of the franchise in a glorious blend of iconic characters, stellar visuals, and distinct self-aware humor. Even if the MCU never reaches this height again, Infinity War will forever hold a special place in the hearts of the audiences that helped make it one of the few films to gross $2 million at the worldwide box office.

7

‘Skyfall’ (2012)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

The highest grossing film in the James Bond franchise to date, Skyfall exemplifies the greatest strengths of the Daniel Craig era with its mixture of style, high-octane action, and effective symbolic theming. It builds upon the most impactful aspects of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace to create the quintessential modern Bond experience. Even over a decade after its release, the film still has a choke hold over the legacy of modern Bond and continually influences the films, spinoffs, and everything with the 007 name attached to it.

The film acts as this perfect balance between the distinguished strengths inherent to the legacy of James Bond as well as being a massively approachable and widely compelling action thriller. It’s the best of both worlds that resulted in untold amounts of success and cemented Craig’s legacy as one of the greatest to ever take up the mantle of Bond. With a new era of Bond on the horizon, it will be interesting to see just how much this new era will be inspired by films like Skyfall and how it will be able to distinguish from the standard that it set for modern Bond.

6

‘Ne Zha II’ (2025)

Image via Chengdu Coco Cartoon

Both the highest-grossing non-Hollywood film and the highest-grossing animated film of all time, Ne Zha II‘s mixture of exhilarating action sequences and loving tribute to Chinese mythology made it an absolute phenomenon for Chinese audiences. It achieved levels of overwhelming success in a single market that is simply unprecedented, as it’s the only film to have grossed over $1 billion in a single market, as well as managing to gross $2 billion in a single market.

While many American audiences simply passed on the film due to a cultural disconnect, the top-notch action and compelling storytelling makes this an absolute blast to watch and arguably greater than many of the animated films coming out of Hollywood in recent memory. Especially considering this level of animated action is so rarely explored at the cinematic scale, Ne Zha II is highly engaging from start to finish and deserves all the praise and success that it has received.

5

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Top Gun: Maverick is a complete anomaly as far as legacy sequels are concerned, as it’s not only one of the very few truly great legacy sequels that lives up to the original, but it’s arguably the only legacy sequel that actually exceeds the quality of the original film. Utilizing exceptional action sequences with real fighter jet action and Tom Cruise at the absolute peak of his modern career, Top Gun: Maverick understood what made the original film such an 80s classic, amplifying and evolving these strengths for the modern era.

These strengths helped make Top Gun: Maverick one of the most successful summer blockbusters of all time, having complete dominance and persistent appeal that lasted throughout the entire summer. Famously the film even managed to retake #1 at the domestic box office on Labor Day weekend in September despite releasing back on Memorial Day weekend in May. Now the film stands as one of the best action movies of the 2020s and one of the faces of 2020s action blockbusters.

4

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ (2022)

Image via 20th Century Studios

It would be difficult for any film to act as a sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time, let alone a sequel that is releasing a decade after the previous film made cinematic history in its success. However, Avatar: The Way of Water proved to be entirely worth the wait with its prominent upgrade to visual flair, striking motion capture technology, and a compelling evolution of the Avatar characters and world of Pandora. While 3D filmmaking had largely fallen out of favor by the 2020s, The Way of Water still pushes the technology forward as if its at the forefront of culture.

The film’s various underwater sequences are a glorious sight to behold, feeling masterfully crafted in its execution and finding an effective balance between familiarity and striking new ground with the Avatar franchise. It easily lives up to the quality of the original film, and may just be the highlight of the entire trilogy with its effective emotional moments and great evolutions of classic characters.

3

‘Toy Story 3’ (2010)

Image via Pixar Animation Studios

The first animated film to make $1 billion as well as considered to be one of the greatest animated sequels of all time, Toy Story 3 evolves and grows these beloved children’s characters, telling a story not just for children of the next generation, but for those who grew up with the previous films. Considered by some to be the best of the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 3‘s hard-hitting emotional moments and substantial animation quality upgrade have given it an effective legacy as Pixar’s greatest sequel to date.

It feels fresh and largely distinct from the previous films in its scope, with the entire cast coming together for a compelling prison break plot while dealing with the ramifications and pain of being left behind and forgotten by a child who has all grown up. While the franchise has continued on with subsequent sequels, many people still consider this to be the true finale of the series, acting as a perfect sendoff for these beloved characters that had millions in tears across the world.

2

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)

Image via New Line Cinema

Advertisement

Considering all the excitement and praise that the initial two Lord of the Rings films had received, it would only make sense that the finale of the trilogy would be the biggest box-office success as well as the most widely-acclaimed of the trilogy. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King delivers on all the build-up and excitement of the previous films, with the perfect mixture of masterful visuals, compelling action sequences, and powerful emotional through lines.

It caps off the classic film trilogy in the absolute best way possible, delivering a true cinematic epic experience on all fronts that simply demands to be seen on the big screen to witness the glory in all its finality. Its success would cement its legacy as the second film to ever cross the $1 billion mark at the box-office as well as the first film of the 21st century to achieve the feat. However, box-office success is not where its accolades would end, as it would also completely sweep the Academy Awards with its 11 Academy Award nominations and winning every award it was nominated for.

1

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Advertisement

Batman Begins was certainly well-received as far as Batman film adaptations go, but The Dark Knight stands in a league of its own as not just the greatest Batman film, but one of the absolute greatest achievements in superhero filmmaking history. It’s a masterfully concocted action thriller that elevated the genre to new heights and massively influenced blockbuster filmmaking in the wake of its success. Featuring amazing central performances and pitch-perfect pacing, Christopher Nolan‘s superhero masterpiece quickly became a cultural phenomenon and one of the defining cinematic experiences of the 2000s as a whole.

The film delivers everything that one would want out of a sequel, as it ups the ante, takes the beloved characters and delves deeper into their character and psyche, as well introducing a whole new slew of compelling characters that add new, exciting dynamics. Its an action movie that has been analyzed and meticulously picked apart as a masterpiece of the genre ever since its release, as every amazing thing that can be said about the film has been said. Both Batman and superhero movies would never be the same, as The Dark Knight still continues to have an impact on the approach to blockbuster thriller filmmaking.