Rod Stewart sparked concern among fans after appearing to struggle through a recent concert, pausing mid-show to use an oxygen tank after telling the crowd he had nearly fainted. The 81-year-old singer was performing in Salt Lake City on Saturday when he appeared visibly distressed onstage and signaled for assistance.

Video obtained by TMZ showed staff bringing an oxygen tank to Stewart, who took several breaths before addressing the audience. “I nearly f-cking fainted,” Stewart told concertgoers.

Supportive fans could be heard encouraging the rock legend to take a break, but Stewart appeared determined to continue. “The show must go on,” he declared to loud applause.

The singer later asked the audience, “Would you mind if I sat down for this number?” before taking a seat on the stage steps and continuing the performance.

Stewart Recently Canceled A Show Due To Health Issues

The concerning moment comes just days after Stewart was forced to cancel a scheduled concert in Chula Vista, California. The singer’s team announced the cancellation shortly before showtime, explaining that Stewart had been diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection that had developed into laryngitis.

“He traveled to the venue and made every effort to perform, but on the advice of his doctors and following a diagnosis of an acute upper respiratory infection that has resulted in laryngitis, he is unable to take to the stage this evening,” the statement read.

Stewart later addressed fans directly on Instagram. “Well here I am in beautiful Chula Vista as the stage is being taken down around me,” he wrote. “Following treatment, I’m feeling much better, but my voice is not.”

The singer added that he “did everything I could to make the show happen tonight” and promised to “do my utmost to reschedule.”

Rod Stewart Visits FIFA World Cup Match Hours After Canceling Show

Less than 24 hours after the cancellation, Stewart shared footage of himself traveling by private jet to Boston alongside sons Alastair and Liam. The family attended a FIFA World Cup match between Scotland and Haiti, where Stewart was later spotted cheering from the stands.

“Here we are flying off to Boston to see Scotland in the World Cup,” Stewart said in a clip shared on social media. “It’s been 28 years so these kids, I’ve told them about it, but they’ve never been. I’ve been to seven World Cups.”

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Fans Questioned Stewart’s Decision To Attend Soccer Match

The outing quickly sparked criticism from some disappointed fans who had been turned away from the canceled California concert.

“I understand that shows sometimes have to be canceled, and if there was a legitimate reason, most fans would have accepted it,” one fan wrote. “What’s hard to accept is seeing you apparently celebrating on a plane with friends less than 24 hours after thousands of people were sent home disappointed in San Diego.”

Someone else chimed in with, “Hey Rod, lost a little respect for you canceling your concert the night before, disappointing a stadium full of people… Hard to believe you really had laryngitis! You sound like you have a voice to me! i used to really like you, but when I say I lost a little respect, I mean a LOT of respect!”

“This feels rather disingenuous, especially after your cancellation last night. Too ill to perform but okay to fly across the country for soccer?” another fan questioned.

“What an arrogant move!” someone else claimed. “People have traveled, some like me, a long distance to Red Rocks only to have the concert canceled an hour before the start. I guess when you’re 81 you don’t have to care about your fans.”

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Rod Stewart Is Currently On His Farewell Tour

Despite the recent health scare, Stewart has continued performing as part of his ongoing “One Last Time” farewell tour. The North American trek launched in 2024 and is expected to continue through the remainder of the year before additional U.K. dates in 2027.

“I’ve got 40-odd shows this year and that’s not really a lot,” Stewart recently said during an appearance on “TalkSport.” “And I’m touring the UK next year and doing the O2 and that will probably be it, I think.”

With TV shows now investing in love triangles with siblings, is Netflix’s I Will Find You joining the trend by having a character date his sister-in-law?

Harlan Coben‘s novel was adapted as a miniseries where David (Sam Worthington) gets help from his former-sister-in-law Rachel (Britt Lower) when searching for his son. Despite Rachel seemingly rekindling her romance with ex Hayden (Milo Ventimiglia), the show ended with both her and David single.

The final scene showed Rachel reaching out to hold David’s hand — but does that mean they will get together?

“That is meant to indicate what I truly wanted to do — and this is a little different from the book,” creator Robert Hull exclusively told Us Weekly. “My goal was to make you want them to be together.”

Hull broke down the vision, adding, “Whether they are or not, I think is left open because I think there’s different definitions of soulmates and I think the journey that they’ve gone on, they’re so connected. If that turns romantic all the better, but I just wanted people rooting for it. After that, my job’s done.”

While reflecting on the moment, Hull recalled the challenges.

“We loved it. The challenge for us was with this type of story and this type of pace. We never wanted to cross the line and turn it into the expected,” he told Us. “Because we wanted to keep Rachel as a colead and have her own story.”

Hull continued: “But honestly, she saves David a lot more in the series than David saves her. So what I loved about Harlan’s idea — and what we wanted to do is by the end it’s Rachel’s story — is one of the coolest twists there to make it about somebody other than the person you thought it was about.”

Coben also weighed in on the shakeup, telling Us, “I want you the audience to think about it. I hope this is one of those stories where you’re wondering … I’d love to ask you where you think all these characters are in a year and see what you think. I’m optimistic. I’m an optimist. I think the story’s so deep and he goes through so much that I want the best for them. I hope you do too.”

I Will Find You, which is streaming now, follows David Burroughs (Worthington), who is wrongly imprisoned for the murder of his son then receives information that his son may still be alive. In addition to Worthington, Lower and Ventimiglia, the show stars Erin Richards, Jonathan Tucker and Madeleine Stowe. Clancy Brown, Logan Browning and Vas Saranga make up the rest of the cast.

Related: Best Love Triangles in TV and Movie History Over the Years

Who doesn’t love a good love story? Girl falls in love with boy, then falls in love with his best friend too, for example. The love triangle has been a frequent plot point in TV and film for years, but there is maybe no more iconic angsty trio than the one between Dawson (James Van […]

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“The biggest challenge for us was also our biggest asset,” Hull recalled to Us about the experience. “Which is that very early on Harlan and I wanted to really shoot in the real world. We didn’t build a lot of sets.”

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He added: “We were out on real streets, relocations, real stunts, real wirework, because even with visual effects, there’s nothing that can replace putting an incredible actor in a real location and just letting them bring it to life. Once you do that, your job’s kind of done.”

Hull spoke to Us about how the novel had to change for the screen, saying, “First and foremost, I’m a custodian of the novel and I was first and foremost a fan of Harlan’s and a fan of the novel. The DNA is there and the heart of the show is there if you read the book.”

I Will Find You is streaming on Netflix now.

We’re now just six months away from HBO’s long-awaited live-action Harry Potter series, and although the controversy surrounding franchise creator J.K. Rowling hasn’t gone quiet, neither has the hype for what feels like the perfect format to adapt all seven novels. Dominic McLaughlin will step into the shoes of the titular Chosen One, and if Daniel Radcliffe‘s career is anything to go by, he should expect to become a global superstar very soon.

But it isn’t just Radcliffe who made a name for himself as a star of Harry Potter, with almost every role praised for being perfectly cast. Alongside the likes of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, the iconic Ralph Fiennes stole almost every scene he was in as Lord Voldemort, delivering one of cinema’s most famous evil performances in the process. But it isn’t just the Harry Potter franchise that has received the best of Fiennes, with an impressive recent performance of his about to be available on Netflix.

In The Choral, directed by Nicholas Hytner, Fiennes stars as Dr. Guthrie, alongside a talented supporting cast that includes Roger Allam, Mark Addy, and Simon Russell Beale. This is Fiennes’ second performance as a Doctor in a row, although as Dr. Kelson in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, he goes through an altogether different journey of discovery. If you’ve yet to see this war drama gem, The Choral will be available to stream on Netflix on July 2.

What Is Ralph Fiennes Making Next?

Never a man to sit still, it seems like we’re never too far from a new scene-stealing performance from Fiennes. Following his recent work as the brilliant Dr. Guthrie, the man behind the Wizarding World’s ultimate villain is set to portray President Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest prequel to the beloved modern franchise, scheduled to release in theaters on November 20, 2026. Fiennes will star in the project alongside the likes of Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow, Maya Hawke as Wiress, and many more.

Ralph Fiennes’ underrated war drama The Choral will be available to stream on Netflix on July 2. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the latest streaming stories.

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Release Date

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November 7, 2025

Runtime

113 minutes

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Director

Nicholas Hytner

Writers

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Alan Bennett, Stephen Beresford

Producers

Damian Jones, Kevin Loader, Nicholas Hytner

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• 
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  Roger Allam

  Alderman Bernard Duxbury

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There are beauty products you use occasionally, and then there are the ones that permanently earn a spot in your car, nightstand and every bag you own. A great lip balm falls firmly into the second category, and celebrities like Scarlett Johansson agree. Her favorite lip balm, The Outset Lip Oasis Hydrating Treatment (from her skincare brand), delivers serious moisture while leaving behind a healthy, glossy finish. And just like her, shoppers are obsessed.

Whether you’re battling summer sun, long flights or chronically dry lips, having a nourishing balm within arm’s reach can feel like finding an oasis in the middle of a desert. You don’t need a celebrity connection to try it yourself — it’s available on Amazon, making it easy to add a little Scarlett-approved hydration to your daily routine.

Get The Outset Lip Oasis Hydrating Treatment for $24 (originally $28) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

The Outset Lip Oasis Hydrating Treatment is clinically proven to boost hydration and help support a healthier lip barrier over time. Plus, the clean, vegan and fragrance-free formula makes it a great option for sensitive lips that don’t always play nicely with heavily fragranced products.

Related: Jennifer Aniston Takes This Lip Balm ‘Everywhere’ — On Amazon!

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Jennifer Aniston‘s beauty routine may be famously low-maintenance, but it’s clearly effective. Her lips always look naturally smooth and hydrated, no matter the occasion. According to the actress, it all comes down to a moisturizing lip balm she refuses to skip. In a “What’s Really in Her Beauty Bag” video with Harper’s Bazaar UK, the Friends […]

Beauty lovers are especially impressed with the performance. One reviewer with more than 15 years of beauty experience called the formula “a game-changer,” praising how it feels “intensely hydrating while feeling completely weightless.” They also noted that it offers “impressive longevity,” before adding perhaps the strongest endorsement of all: “I’m officially clearing space for every shade.” If a veteran beauty pro is making room in their collection, that’s definitely enough to get our attention.

In a sea of lip balms and glosses to choose from, The Outset Lip Oasis Hydrating Treatment stands out because it doesn’t force you to choose between hydration and shine. The cushiony formula glides on smoothly, leaving behind a glassy, healthy-looking shine while helping lips feel soft and comfortable throughout the day — it’s a summer must!

Get The Outset Lip Oasis Hydrating Treatment for $24 (originally $28) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more from The Outset here and more lip glosses here! Don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 6 seconds ago

Strange New Worlds is arguably the most successful NuTrek show. That’s largely because it manages to embrace the storytelling philosophy of The Original Series (episodic adventures centered around a charismatic and friendly crew) while still delivering what modern audiences want (like slick effects, romantic tension, and a few ongoing storylines). However, many feel that the series lost a few steps (or maybe even fell off entirely) with its third season. Why is this, exactly? One frequently cited issue is the sheer number of outright silly episodes and characters and episodes, making the show feel more like a goofy comedy than a sci-fi drama.

However, Season 3 may have been doomed by some big decisions happening behind the scenes. The producers were hoping to leverage the success of this show into a new series called Star Trek: Year One, which would give us entirely new episodes featuring the recast crew of The Original Series in their shiny new sets. Sadly, Paramount passed on this idea, and these iconic sets have already been dismantled. Unfortunately, that means that Strange New Worlds’ final seasons may be doomed by the same thing that doomed Season 3: the writers constantly setting up a spinoff that we now know is never going to happen.

Meet The New Trek, Same As The Old Trek

For a long time, Strange New Worlds has been slowly introducing familiar characters from Star Trek: The Original Series. Spock, Uhura, Chapel, and M’Benga have been there from the beginning. It didn’t take the show long to introduce Kirk, and Scotty has been added more recently. Now, we know that Punisher actor Thomas Jane will be introduced in Season 5 as Dr. McCoy. Early on in Strange New Worlds, these character additions were mostly nostalgia bait for Star Trek fans. More recently, however, more familiar characters and stories have been introduced to set up Star Trek: Year One, which would be a complete remake of The Original Series.

As an example, Season 3 introduced Roger Korby, Chapel’s love interest, who is doomed to die in The Original Series (to die twice, if you want to be technical about it). The introduction of Scotty is handled rather ham-fistedly, including a goofy scene where Kirk has to teach the engineer about how great Scotch is. Did we really need an origin story for a Scottish guy liking Scotch? Speaking of Kirk, he also does a mind-meld with Spock that is effectively intended to jumpstart their deep friendship. This ignores the fact that, when we first see the meld in The Original Series, Spock emphasizes that he has never used it on a human.

Captain Quirk, Ready To Beam Up

All of this is on top of other weird character retcons, including having Starfleet encounter the Gorn and Trelane way before they are supposed to. What’s going on with all of this? Simply put, this is here to set up Star Trek: Year One. If they want that spinoff to feature additional misadventures between Kirk and foes like the Gorn and Trelane, they need to basically re-introduce them for the younger fans who may not have watched The Original Series. Having weird origin stories for everything from Scotty’s love of booze to Kirk’s bromance with Spock similarly caters to fans who didn’t watch TOS but might watch Year One.

Sadly, all of this is for naught. Kirk actor Paul Wesley told fans at a convention this past week that he and Spock actor Ethan Peck are quite eager to star in such a Star Trek spinoff. Unfortunately, Paramount has already dismantled the same Strange New Worlds sets that would have been used to bring that spinoff to life. Plus, in the wake of the merger with Skydance and the upcoming merger with Warner Bros., the studio has decided to pivot Star Trek into a feature film franchise. It’s a terrible idea, one that puts the nail in the coffin for a possible Strange New Worlds spinoff.

A Bad Feeling About The Future

Given how much Season 3 of SNW spent trying to set up that spinoff, I’ve got (to borrow a phrase) a bad feeling about Season 4 and 5. They’ve already been shot, and I can’t help but wonder how much of the show’s dwindling episode count will be spent setting up Year One. Call me old-fashioned, but I feel like Strange New Worlds should focus on being a great show unto itself rather than a constant backdoor pilot to a spinoff that will never see the light of day. The first two seasons were excellent, but will the last two be filled with nothing but nostalgia bait and member berries?

We’ll find out together when the fourth season drops on July 23. If it’s as bad as the musical episode, then fans are going to make like Scotty and suddenly learn the value of a good, hard drink!

Collin County court officials have released body cam footage showing the moment officers arrested Karmelo Anthony after he fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf during a Texas high school track meet in April 2025. The videos come just weeks after Anthony was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

RELATED: Here’s Everything To Know About The Current Prison Where Karmelo Anthony Is Reportedly Being Held & The Appeal Process

Body Cam Footage Reveals Moments From Karmelo Anthony’s Arrest

The videos circulating online capture officers detaining Karmelo Anthony at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. As the video continues, Anthony can be heard crying as he says, “He put his hands on me. I told him not to. He put his hands on me.” An officer then checks his pockets before asking for his name, school, and grade while placing him into the back of a police vehicle. Along with the body cam footage, newly released case photos have also surfaced. One image shows the knife investigators recovered in connection with the stabbing, while another shows Austin Metcalf’s injury following the incident.

Audio Of 911 Call After The Incident Between Anthony & Metcalf Surfaces

Fox News also shared an audio from the 911 call following the incident between Karmelo and Metcalf. The caller submitted the call at 10:02 a.m. on April 2, 2025. The caller tells the dispatcher that someone stabbed an athlete and that an Army veteran was applying pressure to the wound. The person on the line also says that Metcalf was losing consciousness and stopped breathing, then later reports that Austin appeared to be breathing again. While the caller speaks with the 911 operator, a man shouts, “Stay with me, Austin!” As the call continues, the caller adds, “There’s a lot of blood. He’s not breathing.” The operator then walks the man through the steps to control Austin’s bleeding. Someone then shouts again, “Come on Austin. Fight through, Austin.”

The Latest Update On Karmelo Anthony

As The Shade Room previously reported, Karmelo Anthony began serving his 35-year prison sentence at Wallace Pack Unit after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder on June 9. Although he is now in custody, his legal team filed a notice of appeal on June 10. The filing will allow the defense to challenge his conviction. Legal experts believe the appeal may question whether the court properly conducted the trial. However, Newsweek reports that the appellate process could take months or even longer.

RELATED: Austin Metcalf’s Father Reacts To Karmelo Anthony’s Prison Sentence & Potential Parole (VIDEOS) 

The $6 million Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter wore to the Met Gala is still causing online raves.

Some internet users questioned the staggering price, while others argued it should not be an issue for the Roc Nation founder, given his billionaire status.

Money may not be able to buy time, but for Jay-Z, it can seemingly buy one of the most complex and expensive ways to track it.

The “Young Forever” rapper, who attended the 2026 Met Gala alongside his wife Beyoncé and their daughter, Blue Ivy, went viral for the stunning Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime watch strapped to his wrist.

The timepiece reportedly cost upwards of $6 million, showing how the music mogul is not afraid to break the bank for his style. According to GQ, the watch is Patek’s “most complicated,” even though it has a rather understated appearance.

Fans Are Still Discussing The Watch

Despite it being weeks since Jay-Z walked the red carpet at the fashion convergence wearing the hyper-expensive watch, fans seemingly still can’t fathom how dazzling and expensive it is.

“A 6m wrist watch better pause time and start it whenever I want,” one user wrote on X, with another one adding, “That better be working in another dimension.”

In the same thread, another fan argued there could only be sinister motives behind such an expensive accessory.

“Money laundering. System built for the rich to stay rich and [in] power,” the fan wrote.

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The sentiment was not too dissimilar on Reddit.

“A watch that costs that much should come with someone to wear it and follow you around so he/she can tell you what time it is when you want to know,” one user argued.

Someone else penned, “It isn’t worth $6.5M. It cost $6.5M. There’s a difference.”

Inside Jay-Z’s Luxury Watch Collection

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Jay-Z first debuted the stunning masterpiece at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ 50th birthday bash in 2019 and wore it again at the 65th Grammys in 2023.

The watch was crafted in 2014 to mark Patek Philippe’s 175th anniversary, with reports suggesting it took eight years to make. Its technical detail also leaves one marveling in awe, as it is built from 1,366 individual parts, 214 components, and 20 complications.

The “Drunk In Love” collaborator boasts an enviable watch collection, including a $5 million Hublot Big Bang, a one-of-a-kind Vintage Rolex considered priceless, a $3 million Richard Mille RM 56-01 Tourbillon Sapphire, and a $2.5 million Richard Mille 56-01 Custom “Blueprint.”

The Rapper Says Blue Ivy Once Doubted His Cool Factor

Jay-Z’s style has definitely evolved over the years, but he remains a fashion icon in Hollywood, often making loud statements with his appearances and accessories.

However, one person who used to doubt how cool he was is Blue Ivy, whose debut at the Met Gala at just age 14 caused a stir online.

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In a previous interview, the rapper said she now asks him for fashion advice after previously questioning his coolness, per CBS News.

“She used to be frontin’ on me a little bit,” he said when asked if she thinks he’s cool. “But 1782062832 I catch her. I catch her in the corner, you know? Now she asks me, you know, if this is cool, if her sneakers [are cool].”

King then clarified, “She wants your advice?” to which he responded, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Blue Ivy Now Proudly Steps Out With Her Parents

The “Holy Grail” rapper also gave a peek into one occasion when she wasn’t so impressed with him.

“There was a time when she was like, ‘Daaaaad,’” he teased, doing an impression of Blue covering her face in embarrassment.

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“I’m cool. I don’t know what you sayin’,” Jay-Z recalled explaining to her. “I’m cool! You got cool parents! At your house, your parents [are] cool.”

That all seems to be in the past now, however, as Blue has been seen smiling proudly in public when she is with her famous parents.

She has not only followed in their fashion footsteps with her appearance at the Met Gala but has also taken a liking to performing, joining Beyoncé to dance and perform on her 2023 “Renaissance World Tour.”

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Bad Bunny has reached a major new milestone in his music career.

The singer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has become the first Latin artist to gross $1 billion in career touring revenue.

The achievement is especially notable because the singer reached the mark without touring in the United States, further highlighting the global appeal he has built over the years.

The total was accumulated across multiple tours, with the latest contribution coming from his ongoing Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, which has already grossed $360 million and continues to add to its tally.

If there was ever any doubt about Bad Bunny’s status as one of the defining Latin music stars of the 21st century, his latest achievement has only strengthened that argument.

Amid his ongoing Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, the Puerto Rican superstar has surpassed $1 billion in career touring revenue, becoming the first Latin artist to reach the milestone, per Billboard.

The accomplishment caps off a remarkable run that stretches from his early tours between 2017 and 2019 to his current global trek, which continues to draw massive crowds. Even more impressive is that he achieved the feat while performing primarily in Spanish.

Only a small group of artists in music history has ever crossed the billion-dollar threshold in touring earnings, placing Bad Bunny in exceptionally rare company that includes Taylor Swift, Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, and Beyoncé.

Bad Bunny’s Current Tour Fueled The Milestone

Reaching the milestone at this point would not have been possible without Bad Bunny’s latest tour.

The Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour began in December last year and is scheduled to conclude in July.

During that span, it has grossed $360 million and sold 2.4 million tickets across its first 41 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Interestingly, none of those concerts were held in the United States, making it the highest-grossing and best-selling tour in Boxscore history without a single U.S. date.

Meanwhile, the tour has also become the highest-grossing and best-selling European run ever by a Latin artist, despite being only 14 shows into its scheduled 29-date European leg.

Bad Bunny’s $1B Total Could Climb Even Higher

At present, Bad Bunny’s career touring total stands at $1.08 billion from 6.4 million tickets sold across 260 reported shows.

With another 15 dates still to be reported before the tour concludes on July 22, his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour is on track to finish with gross earnings of around $450 million, if not more.

His next stops will take him across several parts of Europe, beginning at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The artist will also perform in Arnhem, Netherlands; London, United Kingdom; Marseille, France; Stockholm, Sweden; Warsaw, Poland; and Milan, Italy. The tour will then conclude in Brussels, Belgium, with a final show at King Baudouin Stadium.

The Singer Called Out ICE During Grammys Speech

Earlier in the year, the album that inspired Bad Bunny’s current tour won Best Música Urbana Album at the 2026 Grammy Awards.

While the victory did not come as a surprise, given the album’s strong performance since its release, the Puerto Rican superstar’s decision to use his acceptance speech to call out U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement caught many off guard and drew a standing ovation from the star-studded crowd.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we were Americans,” Bad Bunny said, per USA TODAY. “Also, I will say to people, I know it’s tough to know not to hate these days. So please, we need to be different if we fight, we have to do it with love.”

Why Bad Bunny Skipped The US On His Tour

Bad Bunny’s reference to ICE comes amid the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on immigration enforcement across the United States.

The agency’s actions are also the main reason why the “DtMF” crooner chose not to include the United States on his ongoing tour.

“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times,” Bad Bunny told i-D Magazine in September. “But there was the issue of—like, f–king ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

Godzilla movies are fun, except for when they’re not. The fun times are when he’s fighting other monsters and destroying buildings and causing explosions. But the bad times are when we’re supposed to focus on the human characters who are always within viewing distance of said destruction…or, that one time when Godzilla was a T. rex (and yes, that is the correct abbreviation) in New York. The biggest drag of any Godzilla movie—or, any Kaiju movie in general—is that the star of the movie is the giant monster on the poster and you can’t make a feature-length movie of monsters fighting or causing mayhem the entire time. That would get excessive and boring after a while, so there has to be a human element that the audience can identify with to give the film a structured narrative to follow.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard the writers or the actors try, that’s always the weakest part of the movie. The first Godzilla film in years to make its human characters genuinely interesting was Godzilla: Minus One, blending a family dynamic with post-war drama in a monster movie, and surprisingly…it worked great. But before that, Toho released 2016’s Shin Godzilla, which made the innovative and seemingly obvious choice of just dropping the human drama aspect altogether and make it about the monster.

Directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, the film follows a mysterious creature that emerges out of Tokyo Bay and begins to evolve and grow, threatening to destroy Tokyo. It’s then up to the Japanese government to stop it before it can wreak total havoc…and that’s it. That’s literally the entire plot synopsis of a two-hour-long movie described in two sentences.

How Would a Government Deal with Godzilla?

Brevity is the key term here, because the movie starts with a weird occurrence and a giant monster coming out of said occurrence, and then painstakingly goes into the minutiae of how the government will deal with it. This isn’t the government depicted in a ’90s Michael Bay movie where characters are yelling, everyone’s sweaty with their ties undone, people are haphazardly running from rooms with jumbles of paper, and Stanley Anderson is the President. No, this is people sitting in taupe-colored rooms (which is allegedly very soothing), and dryly going over what information they have on the anomaly and what options they have to resolve the problem.

Does that sound fantastically boring? Because by all accounts, it absolutely should be, but the dry, methodical process demonstrates what would have to be done with a fantasy monster appearing, almost like a natural disaster, actually adds to the tension and hysteria. The characters even acknowledge the amount of bureaucracy that goes into making simple decisions: “So much red tape. Every action requires a meeting.” That’s like the thesis of the entire movie!

Attack helicopters can’t just be brought into a highly populated area to attack the monster, and a military presence can’t just be called to assist. The proper legal channels have to be gone through, and the necessary officials have to sign off on it. This should be so crushingly dull and tedious, but it surprisingly adds to the anxiety of the predicament by cross-cutting with the destruction that Godzilla is causing. Knowing that the longer the process takes, the higher the risk of more people dying in the delay really shows how dire the situation is. The procedural nature of the government scenes also makes Godzilla even scarier, since they don’t try to make him a realistic monster. They make him over-the-top scary by making him as overpowered as possible, and contrasting that with the realistic world that the people inhabit makes the threat feel appropriately overwhelming.

Ditch the Human Element

Image via Toho

That’s where the lack of a human element makes the film feel so much more streamlined. The story takes an omniscient perspective and consistently cuts to wherever the information is that’s vital to the audience. Godzilla isn’t a hidden monster, and we don’t see everything from the point of view of one person. The movie follows wherever the action is, where world-building is necessary, and where vital information is learned. The story has a protagonist named Haguchi (Hiroki Hasegawa), but he’s very deliberately left underwritten, and is more a focal point, so the audience can keep up with the flood of details and information that’s always flowing in.

His motivation isn’t saving a pregnant wife, or to protect his family—if he even has one, since he never mentions any loved ones, or at least none that come to mind—his entire motivation is the same as everyone else’s: Save Tokyo, and potentially, the world. We don’t need him to have kids that he’s estranged from, that he can hug when they survive, or a love interest to kiss at the very end. The desire not to die and also to prevent the deaths of potentially millions of others (or more) is a clear motivation that anybody can get behind.

From a Hollywood perspective, Shin Godzilla defies what Western audiences would expect in a kaiju movie. There are no themes of family or character arcs—there’s barely a main character—all it is, really, is a large group of people realistically going about their business and doing their jobs in a time of unrest. It just so happens that that time of unrest is because of a giant monster that popped out of the ocean, but it’s the most procedural version of that premise that could be done, and that’s what makes it unique and so compelling.

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Release Date

July 29, 2016

Runtime

120 minutes

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Director

Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi

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Writers

Hideaki Anno

Producers

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Kazutoshi Wadakura, Taichi Ueda, Masaya Shibusawa, Yoshihiro Sato

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• 

  Hiroki Hasegawa

  Rando Yaguchi : Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary

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• 

  Yutaka Takenouchi

  Hideki Akasaka : Special Advisor to the Prime Minister

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