Rumors surrounding the DC Universe’s next Batman have exploded across social media, with multiple insiders claiming that Tom Brittney has been cast as the Dark Knight for DC Studios’ upcoming The Brave and the Bold.

While nothing has been officially confirmed by James Gunn, the speculation gained momentum after well-known scooper MyTimeToShineHello simply posted, “It’s true, it’s Tom,” leading fans to connect the dots to Brittney. Several entertainment outlets have since echoed the rumor, although none have been able to verify it through DC Studios.

For fans unfamiliar with Brittney, the English actor is best known for his starring role in Grantchester. He was also reportedly one of the finalists to play Superman before David Corenswet ultimately landed the role, making him someone already familiar to DC Studios during the casting process.

Interestingly, James Gunn previously praised Brittney’s acting ability after seeing fan artwork imagining him as Batman, calling him “a great actor.” While that comment fueled fan speculation, Gunn has repeatedly stated that DC Studios will not officially cast Batman until the script for The Brave and the Bold is where they want it to be.

At this point, it’s important to stress that this remains nothing more than a rumor. DC Studios has not announced its Batman, and neither Gunn nor co-head Peter Safran has confirmed Brittney’s involvement in the DCU.

Still, if the reports prove accurate, Brittney would become the first actor to portray the DCU’s version of Bruce Wayne, separate from Robert Pattinson’s Batman, who continues to headline Matt Reeves’ standalone Elseworlds franchise.

Until an official announcement arrives, fans should treat the reports with caution. However, the growing buzz has certainly made Tom Brittney one of the most talked-about names in the race to wear the cape and cowl.

By Michileen Martin
| Published 19 seconds ago

The third season of The X-Files is one of the show’s strongest, and it’s during this season that Ryan Reynolds made one of his earliest TV appearances. The future Deadpool & Wolverine star shows up in the cold open of “Syzygy,” and before the opening credits his corpse is hanging from a cliff. His killers lounge on the grass far above him, laughing and pulling petals from a flower.

The Death Of Boom

Fittingly, considering Reynolds would go on to portray the Merc with a Mouth, “Syzygy” is one of the more darkly humorous episodes of The X-Files. It opens with Reynolds, who plays the teenage jock nicknamed Boom, giving an awkward eulogy for his murdered friend, insisting he and his friends need to “kick some butt” just like his dead friend “is doin’ in Heaven right now.”

The real killers, teenage girls Terri and Margi, ask Boom for a ride home. Along the way they talk about how they heard a satanic cult is looking to sacrifice virgins. Without any subtlety, they suggest that if they weren’t virgins anymore, they wouldn’t have to worry.

Boom pulls his car off the road. Next we see, he’s “hanging out.”

The Real Killers

In spite of what everyone in the small New Hampshire town believe, neither Boom’s death nor any of the other strange events happening in the X-Files episode have anything to do with Satan. Instead, a rare planetary alignment is causing people to act weird, and in the case of Terri and Margi, who were both born on the same date and at the same time, it gives them telekinetic powers while filling them with homicidal yearnings.

But Boom’s death helps to feed the satanic panic, not only because of his demise, but because of his coffin inexplicably catching fire during his memorial service.

Lisa Robin Kelly

Ryan Reynolds isn’t the only actor in The X-Files‘ “Syzygy” who would later enjoy more celebrity with a signature role, but the other star would unfortunately meet a tragic end.

One of the two psychic murderers of “Syzygy,” Terri, is played by Lisa Robin Kelly. Two years after the X-Files episode aired, Kelly made her first appearance in the second episode of That ’70s Show as Laurie Forman, older sister to Topher Grace’s Eric.

Kelly struggled with substance abuse for most of her adult life, and was eventually replaced in That ’70s Show by Christina Moore.

In 2013, at the age of 43, Kelly overdosed from drugs and died in her sleep.

Mulder Vs. Scully

One of the funniest parts of “Syzygy” is a very different chemistry between The X-Files mainstays Mulder and Scully. The planetary alignment is affecting them along with everyone else, and at first this manifests nothing more than a little bit more impatience on Scully’s part, along with Mulder getting a lot more flirtatious than normal with the local detective.

Eventually it gets to the point where Mulder is getting drunk alone in his hotel room while Scully is chain-smoking in hers.

Things eventually get a lot less polite between the two. When an angry Scully complains that Mulder never lets her drive, Mulder answers, “I was just never sure your little feet could reach the pedals.”

The writers apparently used online complaints X-Files fans made about the show to write the barbs Mulder and Scully torture each other with in “Syzygy.” The “your little feet” joke came from one fan’s theory on why Scully never drove, and Gillian Anderson apparently found it particularly hilarious.

Cody Simpson’s long-awaited return to music has hit another unexpected hurdle. After spending years chasing his Olympic dream before stepping back into the recording studio, the Australian singer has now been sidelined by two painful health setbacks in quick succession. 

From vocal cord surgery to a serious knee injury that left him relying on crutches, Simpson says the universe has been testing him. 

Even so, the performer remains determined to push through and return stronger than ever.

Cody Simpson left fans concerned after revealing he is recovering from two major health issues that have temporarily brought his comeback plans to a halt.

The 29-year-old shared a photo of himself using crutches on Instagram, explaining that he recently underwent vocal cord surgery before suffering another painful injury.

“The universe is serving it to me this year,” Simpson captioned the post. The singer then explained his healing journey and the effects of the surgery, noting, “I’ve been on and off vocal rest for close to 3 months trying to heal a damaged vocal cord.”

He also shared, “I can’t walk or talk for some time now and no singing or dancing for months to come. I’ve been pushing my body and mind for years now non-stop and I’m taking time to reflect and understand this for what it is: forced rest.”

Simpson Pushes Through Music Video Injury

Cody Simpson’s inability to walk and dance stemmed from a knee injury he suffered while filming a new music video.

In the social media post, the former competitive swimmer added a clip showing him rehearsing a dance routine in a studio before suddenly collapsing to the ground mid-routine.

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The pain could be seen on Simpson’s face as he grabbed his knee and attempted to crawl on the floor before the video ended.

Despite the dislocated knee, Simpson managed to complete the shoot before beginning his recovery. 

Although the injuries have delayed several major plans, he reassured fans that he still had material to share while recovering.

“The album and live shows have to wait, but I’ve got some work to share while I’m down for the count,” he shared, adding, “You can’t hold me down! I’ll be back stronger.”

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Fans Shower Cody Simpson With Love And Care

Shortly after Simpson shared the update, fans trooped to the comments section to share their thoughts. 

Many offered words of encouragement and prayed for his speedy recovery.

“We have waited a long time for you to return to music, so we can wait a bit longer for you to be on your 100%. Get well soon,” one concerned fan wrote.

Another added, “Will be praying for you. Take care of yourself man. It will take time but you’ll turn out ok in the end. Rest n reset.”

A third fan also shared, “If anyone can power through these challenges Codes it’s you!!” while a fourth user commented, “Rest is important! We’ll be here when you get back.”

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Simpson’s Vocal Cord Injury Delayed His Comeback

The vocal cord surgery and knee injury come only weeks after Cody Simpson disclosed another serious medical issue that interrupted his return to music.

Back in May, the “All Day” singer revealed he had suffered a hemorrhage on one of his vocal cords while recording new songs.

The condition forced him to undergo surgery and cancel promotional appearances tied to his latest single. 

It also delayed work on his upcoming album as doctors advised him to focus on healing his voice before returning to the studio.

The unexpected health scare arrived during what was supposed to be an exciting new era for the performer, who had been steadily rebuilding his music career after spending several years focused on competitive swimming.

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Cody Simpson Continues Chasing His Music Dreams After Olympic Disappointment

Simpson’s latest health challenges follow one of the biggest disappointments of his athletic career.

The Australian entertainer famously stepped away from music to pursue competitive swimming full-time, representing Australia and winning two Commonwealth Games medals while chasing qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

His Olympic hopes ultimately came to an end after he failed to secure a place on Australia’s team, prompting him to return to the recording studio following a six-year break from music.

Since making that decision, Simpson has released the singles “Baby Blue” and “When It Comes to Loving You” while working toward a full-length album.

Although injuries have now forced him to press pause once again, Simpson’s message to fans makes it clear that he has no intention of giving up.

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DreamWorks Animation’s Academy Award-nominated directing duo Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado returned to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this year after leaving the fest in awe with 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. This year, they debuted exclusive new footage of their ‘90s nostalgia throwback, Forgotten Island, and Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the pleasure of chatting with them afterward to get all the movie magic details about this epic animation feat.

Following in the footsteps of the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Crawford and Mercado steered the Puss in Boots franchise straight to the Academy Awards, earning a nomination for the Best Animated Feature Film for a movie that pushed beyond a familiar limitation within the medium. “Having these classic CG animated movies for so long,” Crawford explains, “you had a limited set of tools.” With Forgotten Island, this duo set out to surpass their own creativity, using a blend of animation styles to visually tell the story of BFFs Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), who are about to set out on different paths. On their last night together, the girls discover a portal that whisks them off to a whimsical island called Nakali, but to escape, they’ll have to give up every memory from their friendship. With the help of a hapless weredog, Raww (Dave Franco), and a few new pals, Jo and Raissa embark on a race to find a way off that island without sacrificing their memories.

Check out the full conversation below, where Crawford and Mercado discuss the different styles of animation and how each one serves the story, delivering audiences ‘90s nostalgia, and drawing inspiration from films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and even The Hangover. They explain the Filipino folklore that Forgotten Island is based on, with details about the two antagonists who rival even The Last Wish’s sinister Wolf (Wagner Moura), plus the music that captures the heart of Jo and Raissa’s bond, including a brand-new track from H.E.R. In addition, towards the end of the conversation, they reveal why they included a clip from Predator in the movie.

‘Forgotten Island’ Wouldn’t Exist Without ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’

The Shrek spin-off was critically acclaimed upon release.

COLLIDER: Annecy is fantastic. What is it like for you guys being here? Also, I think you did a signing today. What was that like? I would imagine there are a lot of students here who really want to do what you guys are doing.

JANUEL MERCADO: This is our community, right? Animation and people who are just so passionate and love the art form, and this diverse collection of storytelling and points of view.

JOEL CRAWFORD: We fell in love with this place and the festival in ‘22 with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. That was the first time we came here, and, man, did that get a great reception. It was amazing to be able to present the sneak-peek stuff this morning to this audience. You just feel the love and passion. From the stage, we couldn’t help but want to give it back.

MERCADO: They totally get what we do, which is we just want to tell stories that mean something, and we just want to keep pushing the medium of animation.

I want to go backwards. How did this movie happen? You’re telling an original story, and with studios, there’s that constant balance of original versus sequel and IP that they know.

CRAWFORD: It’s interesting. Going back to 2020, we had finished The Croods: A New Age, and Januel and I started actually kicking around the idea of Forgotten Island, going, “Let’s tell something based on Filipino mythology.” We then actually stepped away from Forgotten Island for a little bit when we took on Puss in Boots and directed that. I’m super grateful for that experience with the studio because Puss in Boots pushed some boundaries for animation, but for DreamWorks, in terms of not just the style, the look of it being more painterly, but also the introduction of we’re telling a story about life and celebrating it, and so we introduced a character in Wolf that is death incarnate and was pretty scary. One of the coolest things was the honesty to go, “If you’re going to tell a story that celebrates the light, you’ve got to go to the dark a little bit,” and how well received and how that character resonated with audiences.

Because of that trust we gained from that experience with Puss in Boots, it was great that we got to jump into Forgotten Island after that, because now we have this shorthand with them, where we go, “We’re creating a big adventure comedy.” But really, there were no challenges on, like, “We know this is going to be a nuanced ride. It’s not going to just be all levity.”

CRAWFORD: I think they knew that we could deliver the goods. I mean, it took some convincing still, because originals, right? It’s so hard to get started, and even completing a movie is a frickin miracle, right? Let alone a good one.

The Puss in Boots movie was fantastic, so I think there’s probably faith from the studio after you deliver something like that.

CRAWFORD: Forgotten Island exists because Puss in Boots existed. But for us as filmmakers and storytellers, we’re like, “Let’s go further. Let’s dig deeper emotionally. Let’s see where we can take this medium of animation.” And one of the coolest things was creating this story that takes place in the ‘90s, and then it’s centered around memories and nostalgia. We get to actually tap into a lot of things from our formative years, of even ‘90s anime.

The Movies That Inspired ‘Forgotten Island’

“You have more ways to articulate a more nuanced story.”

I really think that the Puss in Boots movie and Spider-Verse really opened the door in terms of pushing animation forward because it was taking more creative risks and doing things we hadn’t seen. Do you think that both Spider-Verse and Puss in Boots are opening the door, especially to executives, the people who are greenlighting, and showing them we can go further?

MERCADO: That is a great question, because you’re right. We’ll flat-out say confidently, especially with Spider-Verse, how inspiring that was and how groundbreaking it was. Again, we’re just such fans of animation and our peers. To see something that blows your mind, I’m like, “Hell yeah! I want more of that.” I want people to step up right and inspire each other, you know?

CRAWFORD: It definitely inspired us, and inspired so many other filmmakers to then elevate and do their own version of breaking the box of what animation is supposed to be. I think one of the coolest things, not just stylistically, is when you also just visually say animation doesn’t have to just look like this. It also opens the gates for stories that could be told and themes that can be addressed because you’re not just back to the expected.

In a weird way, it felt like having these classic CG animated movies for so long, you had a limited set of tools, and these are the tools that you can tell this story with. Then all of a sudden, when you go, “Wait, you can use anything?” You can have paint brushes, you can have an airbrush, and you can have the mix of these things. You have more ways to articulate a more nuanced story. And I think that’s been the gift that Spider-Verse brought, that came along with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with Wild Robot, KPop Demon Hunters.

That’s another one. Not only is the story so important, but the animation of that movie and the way the eyes and the reactions, all of that stuff, is bringing in a whole new audience who are seeing animation in a new way.

CRAWFORD: It’s kind of cool because there’s been so much of what’s been done in the West, independent of what anime has been doing for decades in storytelling, like you mentioned, pushing the chibi pushed expressions and how you’d have dramatic stories in anime, and all of a sudden they turn into cute little characters, and you can do these tonal shifts.

MERCADO: Blood shoots out of her nose and waterfall tears.

CRAWFORD: [Laughs] What’s so cool with the international audience now consuming all kinds of animation is that this is a vocabulary that’s not foreign to anybody. For us, when we started Forgotten Island, we’ve been consuming so much anime for so long that we were like, “We think the Western audience is ready to actually get these references and these influences,” and that really opened the doors for us in our storytelling, of our timing, of our sensibilities. Because when you can actually break the model of a character and change them from very grounded and realistic looking, and they look cartoony and simple, and they’re missing their nose, within 13 seconds, you’re able to hit emotions and expressions that if you were grounded would take so much longer and would not have the emotional impact.

MERCADO: It wouldn’t be as interesting, too.

CRAWFORD: Yeah. It’s exciting.

‘Dragon Ball Z’ and ‘The Hangover’ Were Major Influences on ‘Forgotten Island’

Anime overall plays a key role in the film.

Image via Toei Animation

I want to get specific for fans who are not here, who have not seen what I saw, which looks awesome. Tell people about the different styles of animation and the things that they can look forward to in this movie.

MERCADO: If you’re a fan of animation in general, and the breadth of styles and storytelling tones, you’re in for a treat, because Joel and I’s sensibility is that we’re kind of maximalists, and it’s coming from a place of, “I love this. I love that. Let’s put it all in our movie!”

When specifically talking about the styles of animation, we have this amazing display of traditional CG performances, as well — subtle acting that you’ve seen in DreamWorks’ filmography — and we also have these pushed anime moments that now can be rendered in the 3D world. We also have 2D elements and classic 2D, ‘90s anime, inspired by the anime that we grew up watching. And that’s, to your point, too, people who don’t know anime think it’s all the same, but there are so many different styles of anime, and we haven’t even scratched the surface in our movie. It’s just, like, three shows and Street Fighter video games in the ‘90s.

CRAWFORD: We put all these things we love, but we make sure everything has a thematic and metaphorical reason to be in this story. One of the really fun things was going, “This is a story about memories and how we experience them and how we celebrate them and how they become part of our DNA.” We all will remember the same situation in different ways and be able to utilize the medium of animation to stylistically change it depending on who’s telling or retelling a moment, going from, yeah, we have the weredog, Raww, who’s retelling a moment, and his sensibility is he sees himself like Goku in Dragon Ball Z. He’s going Super Saiyan.

MERCADO: And he’s going Super Saiyan over a high five. It’s just his internal wish of, like, he wants to be a part of a group.

CRAWFORD: He wants a connection.

MERCADO: He wants a pack. He wants friends.

CRAWFORD: We love taking the fantastical and making it about the most relatable and nuanced thing, which is Raww wants connection. He wants a high five. When he tells a story, that high five is the biggest deal, but being able to put that into pushed anime.

There are other styles of a very narcissistic, handsome merman, who, if he retells a story, it might look like Sailor Moon. There’s going to be a lot of giant eyes with Vaseline on the lens and a lot of extra highlights in the eyes. Or there’s a giant demon baby, who is so naive and sweet, and we found a style that’s an anime called Crayon Shin-chan, which has rounded lines and a very soft, naive tone. So, being able to just find inspirations that tell your story has been so freeing.

Something that I don’t know if you guys realized, but I realized watching the footage today, is that there’s a little bit of the movie The Hangover. There’s a little bit of a plot similarity. They’re searching, and like, “What the hell did we do last night?” And these kids are searching, like, “What happened last night?” When did you guys come up with that story idea? By the way, I’m not trying to…

MERCADO: No, no, no. You’re on the money.

It’s a great plot device. When did you guys come up with that idea? It’s almost like teaching kids about a hangover — I’m joking around.

MERCADO: The great thing about that is the answer is always magic. [Laughs]

CRAWFORD: I’m excited for you to see the full movie. For us, we take this idea of being forgotten, like at the root of Jo and Raissa’s story is the fear that when you grow apart, the other friend will forget you. What we love is taking that theme, and really letting it ripple throughout the story in different tones. Like you mentioned, The Hangover is essentially a story of forgetting, but through a comedic lens. There are other inspirations we’ve taken, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

I saw a clip of that today where she’s trying to reach for the memory, but it’s disappearing.

CRAWFORD: Mhm. For us, it’s taking every angle of memories and exploring them through all of the tones of our film. So, I think it has the comedic lens, like you mentioned, but has so much more when people see the full movie.

‘Forgotten Island’s Villain Is Ripped Straight From Filipino Mythology

“When diving into this world of Filipino folklore, that was one of the creatures that really stood out to us.”

Image via Universal Pictures

One of the things that I learned today is that there are two villains in the movie, and one of them seems pretty badass.

MERCADO: The vampire demon that splits in half?

Yeah. Talk about this antagonist and powers and how this character ranks against classic villains and antagonists from animated films previously.

MERCADO: That’s an excellent question. So a Manananggal — the demon vampire — is from Filipino folklore. They have a variant of a woman demon vampire that is able to split in half, and that is called a Manananggal. When diving into this world of Filipino folklore, that was one of the creatures that really stood out to us, of “I’ve never seen a character like this!”

I’ve never seen a character like this in a major animated release from a studio.

MERCADO: To your point, that is so unique, this type of vampire, and that feels like a really badass villain to follow up our wolf. Also, on the other side of it, there are noticeable archetypes about this villain, too, of her looking like a villain, just her design, but how she ranks as a villain is that she seems like this most badass, just evil thing, but there is something deeper with this character that relates to the themes of this movie.

I’m sure this is not just a villain to be a villain. Antagonists can be badass, but they need to have a reason. You look at Hans Gruber in Die Hard. That’s one of the best antagonists in any movie, because he’s just doing it for money. He’s such a badass, but he wants the money. It’s just very simple anyway.

MERCADO: You are on the money.

But there are two villains, so who’s the other villain?

MERCADO: The other villain is Batiba. You have, on one spectrum, the vampire demon that looks evil and looks like the bad guy, and the other end of the spectrum is this character, Batiba, that looks like a giant Totoro. [Laughs] Like a cat, fluffy Totoro thing. So you have the vampire, and she’s essentially a witch that plays with magic and is obsessed with the power of memories.

CRAWFORD: Like you mentioned, you’ve never seen this in an animated form before. One of the coolest things is that just by not going to the same well of European folklore and mythology, and by just going into and celebrating a different culture’s mythology, you get these unique stories. Like Januel said, the Manananggal is one of the most popular and iconic ones, and we felt like, not just because it’s terrifying, but to represent Filipino culture, that has to be one of the ones that we showcase in this. Batiba was actually derived from a different mythological thing, which is what was called the Batibat, which is even more terrifying, but we took some liberties.

MERCADO: This creature, it is a big, heavyset creature, which our version is still this big heavyset animal. The original creature is one that, kind of like Freddy Krueger, preys on the victim’s nightmares. It preys on the nightmares, and because we’re developing this story around memories, we thought we could put our twist on this creature and make this one prey on memories.

‘Forgotten Island’ Directors on the Film’s Unique Music Choices

The directing duo also discuss how they got a clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Predator’ in the movie.

Image via Universal Pictures

There is a montage in the first act of the film where you’re seeing the girls growing up and what’s happening in their lives. It’s a really well-done montage. For a sequence like that, how long does something like that actually take to put together? I know that with that sequence, every bit you’re putting in these frames is designed to move the story along and not waste any frames, and it’s so well done, but that takes time.

MERCADO: 100%, yeah.

CRAWFORD: Aww. Thank you. That means a lot that you recognize that. Game recognize game. Even the song choice. Everything about that moment.

MERCADO: INXS.

CRAWFORD: When we started writing the story six years ago, we had written in INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart.” Thematically, it felt so right, and it’s interesting because that was a love song, but all of the lyrics and the vibe of it really represented the story of this friendship. So we carried that with us in the script until we started, years later, storyboarding it. We even had to convince story artists because it isn’t the conventional, what you might expect in the first act. It doesn’t have the pop kind of feel that you would expect in a montage of seeing them grow up together.

MERCADO: Very mundane, right? Two girls growing up and their friendship developing.

CRAWFORD: The goal was really to establish the bond that these two take on as they grew up together and what they do for each other, so that you see that they are kind of like two puzzle pieces that perfectly match each other, and neither one would be who they are in the present without that experience. So, there was a lot of reworking with our story artists, them pitching and redrawing and coming up with these moments. It’s one of those beautiful moments that, when you watch the full movie, that scene is such a setup for where the movie goes that we had to get it right.

MERCADO: To your point, too, Steven, you nailed it, where it was actually quite easy to write this because of the story we’re telling about friendship and the point of view of these two girls and the bond, but it was one of the hardest scenes to execute. We were spinning, like, “What happened? This works on paper, and this works for the movie, for sure. Why is it so frickin hard to board it and to cut it together?” That was the crazy thing. So when you asked that question, it was like that was the experience, right there. It was the hardest one to nail, to crack.

It’s just hard. Every single frame matters when you’re putting together a montage. One of the reasons why the movie works for the audience today, and I was so impressed with it, is that you’re telling a story that people can follow, but you’re breaking the conventional rules while you’re telling it. You’re not reinventing the wheel, but it’s the way you’re telling the story and the music you’re using.

CRAWFORD: Thank you.

What percentage are you done with the movie right now?

CRAWFORD: We’re pretty close. What’s going to be screened tomorrow is probably 90% finished. We actually just came from Skywalker Ranch right before. We were mixing the movie just a few days ago. For us as filmmakers, it’s so hard when we’re showing an unfinished movie, even though to everyone’s eyes, they’re probably like, “Oh, yeah, that looks mostly done.” There are some effects missing. There are some scenes where the lighting is not final. We haven’t color-finished anything.

But more importantly, the artists up at Skywalker Ranch, just to craft the sound, the original score that we have from Nathan Matthew David, the sound effects of some of these creatures and things that just bring everything to life, and sonically tell the story, for us, that’s not even represented yet. So, technically, by the middle or by the end of next month, we’ll be done with the movie. We’ve got so much to do.

It’s also a sign that the studio really believes in the film that they’re showing it at CinemaCon. They’re showing it at Annecy. They’re trying to tell people, “We have something here,” because they would not be screening this if they didn’t think they had something.

CRAWFORD: We’re so grateful for that, too, of that confidence, because we know how hard it is, also, with an original movie, to just get it to stand out, to get the audience to see it. So, on one hand, it’s terrifying for us to show an unfinished thing, but at the same time, I’m so grateful that DreamWorks and Universal were 100% behind, like, “Let’s show it.”

MERCADO: And to both of your points, it speaks to the power of storytelling. If the story is solid, if you could connect to the characters and what it’s about, then it matters at the end, but you could connect to a story at any stage, I think, if it’s a good, solid one.

CRAWFORD: We’ve actually screened our movie incredibly early, also for our cast, too. A lot of times, the cast sees the movie toward the end, when it’s mostly finished. Between H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, and Manny Jacinto, they’ve all seen the movie multiple times. They’ve been so engaged and locked in, invested in finding the best version of the characters. It’s been this great trust on both sides where they saw it when it was mostly storyboards so long ago, and Dave Franco’s texting thoughts and different things, and was just so invested.

Out of H.E.R. seeing the movie, emotionally, she was like, “I want to write a song.” For us, we want her for her acting performance. We would never ask her for a song. We would love one. But she was so emotionally moved watching the movie so early that we now have a song that she wrote, that also Liza Soberano’s singing on that just came organically. So, there’s been so much trust from everybody on this.

Is this song in the credits?

CRAWFORD: Yeah. It takes us out of the movie and into the credits.

There are going to be a lot of kids who watch this and are going to want to create friendship bracelets like the girls in the movie. Have you already thought about that in terms of creating something that’s movie-related that kids can get? There are going to be people who are like, “We should do that! We’re best friends.”

MERCADO: Oh yeah. The studio’s already on it.

CRAWFORD: Some of those scenes, too, that just came out of us trying to tell a story about objects, like they’re just objects until it’s a gift from somebody or means something. How do you visualize how powerful memory is? And story-wise, we came up with this bracelet that has all these charms from all these core memories. That’d be amazing to see kids celebrating, in a customized way, their own moments together.

Taylor Swift also opened the door with the bracelets. For me personally, the things that I wear are from specific things. They mean something to me.

MERCADO: We hope that Dreamworks is on the merch.

Studios seem to know how to do that. Sometimes it’s not as cool as you want it to be. That’s the issue. Sometimes, the people who are creating the merch don’t have that emotional connection, and I think for a movie like this, my best advice is to make sure that whoever is working on this watches the movie.

CRAWFORD: I think, also, it’s to understand the full scope of the audience. Because so many times, they do a great job servicing the traditional audience of younger kids, but especially as the industry evolves, as the audience is evolving, getting used to anime, 20-year-olds, young adults are wanting stuff to celebrate these movies that they’re enjoying just as much. For us, we were always saying we should have Sideshow Collectibles. We don’t have any of the Wolf from Puss in Boots.

I couldn’t believe that it’s an animated movie, but there’s a live-action clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie. How did you pull that off?

MERCADO: [Laughs] That iconic handshake.

Oh, so you did it for the handshake?

CRAWFORD: Did it for the handshake.

MERCADO: Well, we also did it for Predator. We love Predator.

CRAWFORD: It wasn’t easy to get through legal and everything. But we were always trying to make sure, like, how do we tell this story so it feels like everything in it has a purpose and means something? It was just us writing from our formative years.

MERCADO: What we love.

CRAWFORD: Yeah. We wanted an emotional symbol for the power of these girls’ friendships, and thought, wouldn’t that be cool if little Jo and Raissa were clasping hands with just as much machismo as Carl Weathers and Arnold Schwarzenegger because of the pact of their friendship? So we just wrote that into the script and then found out how hard it was to get through legal.

CRAWFORD: And that feeling, too, that I think a lot of us were probably too young to see Predator, but how formative movies like this are when you see them when you’re young. “That movie was not made for me, but I’m glad I saw it, and it’s totally shaped my sensibilities of the movies that I love.”

Forgotten Island opens in theaters on September 25.

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September 24, 2026

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Director

Januel Mercado, Joel Crawford

Writers

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Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado

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Many ‘Love Island USA’ viewers are still at odds as tensions remain high following Friday’s heated Casa Amor recoupling. The debate has largely centered around contestants Aniya Harvey and Kuman Chandler, better known as KC. KC and Aniya have been coupled together since the first episode. The pair seemed to genuinely like each other. However, things became more complicated as conversations about exploring other connections continued.

As Casa Amor began, both decided to explore other connections and test what they had built together. In the end, Aniya ended her connection with Casa Amor bombshell Karl and chose to remain loyal to KC.

Meanwhile, KC returned to the villa with a new connection, Tierra. His decision left Aniya emotional, single, and vulnerable, sparking mixed reactions from viewers. Many celebrities have also shared their thoughts on KC and Aniya’s connection. However, some of their comments drew criticism from viewers.

Now, Ciara Miller, Tefi Pessoa, and Marsai Martin are responding after viewers pushed back on their takes.

RELATED: Marsai Martin Has Social Media Goin’ OFF After Sharing Her Hot Take On ‘Love Island USA’ (WATCH)

Ciara Miller & Tefi Pessoa  Address Viewers Following Backlash Over The Latest Episode Of Aftersun

Ciara Miller and Tefi Pessoa are the new hosts of ‘Love Island USA Aftersun,’ where they recap the latest episodes every Saturday. During the latest episode, the pair discussed the connection between islanders Aniya and KC. They felt KC was open about wanting to explore other connections, while Aniya often struggled with those conversations.

The hosts also agreed that, at times, KC reassured Aniya more than she reassured him.

While they didn’t fault KC for exploring during Casa Amor, they admitted they were disappointed Aniya didn’t fully explore her connection with Karl. Their take quickly sparked debate online, with some viewers feeling Ciara and Tefi were being biased toward Aniya.

One viewer wrote, “Ciara’s take on Aniya is interesting coming from the same girl on Summer House whose drama always seemed to involve a man telling her one thing while telling someone else another, not being truthful about his intentions, and lowkey holding a grudge against her.”

Ciara quickly responded, “You think I don’t understand Aniya’s predicament?!?!? Be so fu****g for real. We film for 6 hours. There’s a lot of perspectives that get left on the cutting room floor. Spare me.”

In another response, she added, “You guys need to fu****ng relax. We film for 6 hours. Perspectives get left on the cutting room floor. I could psychoanalyze all of LI for hours and write a dissertation on Black people/colorism on reality TV. Don’t talk to me about how I ‘fail’ to see any person of color’s perspective or how I need more ‘empathy.’ I’ve quite literally lived it.”

Tefi also addressed the criticism, writing, “I’m not an executive producer on the show & while me and C can suggest ideas, we do not have access to footage or voting or anything like that. We filmed this last episode from 3:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Every episode we are called too biased and then too unbiased, that we support the women too much and then we are too hard on them. Then we are inundated with being male centered and then man haters. We cannot please everyone because we are human. Thank you for watching!”

Marsai Martin Addresses Backlash Over Posts Seemingly Defending KC

While Marsai Martin didn’t say much about the situation, she also found herself facing similar backlash online. On Saturday, she took to her Instagram Story, writing, “@loveislandusa y’all got me defending MEN. I’m annoyed.”

Viewers quickly tried to figure out which islander she was referring to after finding a TikTok she had reposted. Many flooded her comments, accusing her of defending KC. Others called her “a bird” and criticized her for sharing her opinion.

Responding to the backlash, Marsai shared a clip of Michael Jackson lowering someone’s gun with the caption, “Me having an unpopular opinion.” She also added, “Y’all too serious for me. I thought we was all just watching TV

Social Media Reacts 

Folks gathered under The Shade Room Teens as they reacted to posts from Ciara Miller, Tefi Pessoa, and Marsai Martin. Some viewers felt the three didn’t hold KC accountable and were too hard on Aniya. Others felt people were doing too much, saying everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Some even called many viewers this season “bullies” and “crazy.”

Instagram user @freekdagemini wrote, “Now y’all sending death threats to the host because they don’t agree with y’all this s**t is getting out of control”

Instagram user @ohwowyoumad added, “The fans are sick this year yall have lost yall minds attacking people”

While Instagram user @thelibbyjackson wrote, “She said respectfully, f yall 😂”

Instagram user @xxyymm__ wrote, “Girl bye. You were played by wes multiple times and we gave you grace but not an ounce of grace for Aniya”

Instagram user @jadenworsttt added, “they received backlash for only coming at the female when the male was clearly in the wrong that’s the problem with this generation now”

While Instagram @kanteywest wrote,”okay well let’s just say that particular take from them was extremely trash”

Instagram user @alchemist_amineh wrote, “The fanbases are absolutely ridiculous! They are bullying people for having any opinion that’s opposite of theirs. It’s very toxic and it’s getting worse every season.”

Instagram user @janayfasho added, “i completely agree with her yall be so biased and follow the leader no wonder it struck some nerves”

While Instagram user @taeluxe.aesthetics wrote,”Yall have parasocial relationships go touch some damn grass!!”Instagram user @itsjust.liaa wrote, “Y’all gotta chill on marsai fr. That’s our girl.It’s just a different opinion. Y’all gotta respect people’s takes and just agree to disagree.”

RELATED: Girl’s Girl! Megan Thee Stallion Shows Love To ‘Love Island USA’ Contestant Trinity After Emotional Casa Amor Moment (WATCH)

Rumors surrounding the DC Universe’s next Batman have exploded across social media, with multiple insiders claiming that Tom Brittney has been cast as the Dark Knight for DC Studios’ upcoming The Brave and the Bold.

While nothing has been officially confirmed by James Gunn, the speculation gained momentum after well-known scooper MyTimeToShineHello simply posted, “It’s true, it’s Tom,” leading fans to connect the dots to Brittney. Several entertainment outlets have since echoed the rumor, although none have been able to verify it through DC Studios.

For fans unfamiliar with Brittney, the English actor is best known for his starring role in Grantchester. He was also reportedly one of the finalists to play Superman before David Corenswet ultimately landed the role, making him someone already familiar to DC Studios during the casting process.

Interestingly, James Gunn previously praised Brittney’s acting ability after seeing fan artwork imagining him as Batman, calling him “a great actor.” While that comment fueled fan speculation, Gunn has repeatedly stated that DC Studios will not officially cast Batman until the script for The Brave and the Bold is where they want it to be.

At this point, it’s important to stress that this remains nothing more than a rumor. DC Studios has not announced its Batman, and neither Gunn nor co-head Peter Safran has confirmed Brittney’s involvement in the DCU.

Still, if the reports prove accurate, Brittney would become the first actor to portray the DCU’s version of Bruce Wayne, separate from Robert Pattinson’s Batman, who continues to headline Matt Reeves’ standalone Elseworlds franchise.

Until an official announcement arrives, fans should treat the reports with caution. However, the growing buzz has certainly made Tom Brittney one of the most talked-about names in the race to wear the cape and cowl.

Here’s a look at what celebrities have been up to as of late!

Mariah Carey enjoyed dinner at Bad Roman in Bever Hills, California.

Camila Mendes was out and about in New York City wearing TWP’s Logan Stretch Leather Pant in Chocolate and carrying DeMellier’s The New York Shoulder in Mocha Suede & Mocha Smooth. The actress was spotted strolling again in New York City wearing the GUIZIO Eda Skirt and GUIZIO Ara Top while carrying the same bag. Mendes also attended Ariana Grande’s concert in Los Angeles, California wearing the AGOLDE Low Rise Loose in Vault.

Kylie Jenner biked in New York City wearing The Perfect Classic Tank by GUIZIO and Kenny sunglasses by OTRA Eyewear.

Emmy Rossum attended the New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in New York City carrying BaubleBar’s Custom Stripe tote.

Reese Witherspoon was outside ABC Studios in New York City carrying the VESTIRSI Vera Baguette Bag in Pale Pink.

Katie Holmes strolled in New York City carrying Cuyana’s System Tote in Dark Chestnut.

Ariana Madix appeared on Love Island USA wearing PatBO’s Camila gown.

Emily Blunt attended the Disclosure Day premiere in Paris, France wearing the Betsey Johnson Jenii Sequin Mesh shoes.

Taylor Swift filmed behind-the-scenes content for her song “I Knew It, I Knew You” while wearing the AGOLDE Leila Bodysuit in Framework. 

Doja Cat performed in Amsterdam, Netherlands wearing Honey Birdette’s Charlize Sculpted Plunge Bra in red. The singer also partnered with Ray-Ban Meta for her Tour Ma Vie world tour.

Jennifer Lawrence was out and about in New York City wearing ALO’s 7/8 High-Waist Airlift Legging in black.

Beyoncé stepped out in New York City wearing The Kelso Skirt by SIMKHAI.

Nina Dobrev was out and about in New York City wearing Ronny Kobo’s 1988 Blazer in light charcoal paired with the brand’s Alesis Vest and Soprano Pants in light charcoal.

Lili Reinhart attended Obsessed Fest in Los Angeles, California wearing a custom Cult Gaia dress.

Camille Kostek starred in the Brilliant Earth Seaside Charm Collection launch campaign featuring a coastal-inspired assortment of fine jewelry charms including sand dollars, seashells, crabs, and pearls.

Shanna Moakler launched her women’s wellness and lifestyle brand, Hello Foxi, including Hello Meno™, Hello Slim™, and Hello Meno™.

Lexi Minetree appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in New York City wearing a pair of Steve Madden’s Davina Heel in Pink Metallic. The actress also attended the Prime Video x Cosmopolitan dinner in New York City wearing ALDO’s Matelina. She also attended the premiere of Elle in New York City wearing a custom Betsey Johnson gown and the afterparty wearing Betsey Johnson heels.

Caitlin Clark wore the AGOLDE Laria Pieced Jean in Lemon Zest in her tunnel walk ahead of the Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky game in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Brooks Nader and her sisters celebrated the launch of their eyewear collaboration with QUAY, Made to Be Seen, at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Ella Bright attended Obsessed Fest in Los Angeles, California wearing the Steel Gia Drop Earrings, the Classic Duo Ring in gold, and a Blue Topaz pinky ring from Mejuri.

Melissa Barrera attended the Tony Awards in New York City in an archival Betsey Johnson look paired with jewelry by Logan Hollowell.

Katherine LaNasa attended the FYC event for The Pitt Season 2 in Los Angeles, California wearing the Armarium Mina Dress.

Stephanie Hsu attended the 79th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City wearing the Monique Lhuillier Spring 2026 Metallic Raffia Floral Embroidered Tulle Strapless Column Gown in Plumeria Multi.

Belmont Cameli made a surprise appearance at The Kid Laroi’s concert at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California while wearing Brilliant Earth jewelry and Reebok sneakers.

Natalie June Halcro posed on Instagram in The Cinched Lace Corset Maxi Set in yellow by Mars The Label.

Terry and Heather Dubrow celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary.

Danielle Savre attended the 65th Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monte Carlo, Monaco wearing the Emerald Satin Gown by Oksana Mukha, the Kim Stampato Bag by Teddy Blake, and the Crescent Moon Hoop Earrings in gold by Alex + Ani.

Zosia Mamet posed with Clare Vivier while celebrating the Clare V. and Left on Friday collaboration at the Mulholland Tennis Club in Los Angeles, California.

Jalen Brunson did a tunnel walk ahead of game 1 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio, Texas in the Ronaldo Popover Shirt & Kane Relaxed Trouser from Simkhai’s Spring ’25 collection. The athlete also did a tunnel walk ahead of game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York City wearing the Sean Shirt Jacket and Garrett Wide Leg Cargo Pants by Simkhai.

Chase Hudson posed on Instagram wearing the Diamond Choker in white gold by Kaimanna by Samara.

Sophie Saint shared how she is restoring her Ferrari F40 on social media.

Allie Eklund opened Triple E Mercantile in Cibolo, Texas, featuring Texas merchandise, home accessories, and her goat milk skincare line.

Vita Kari debuted This Is Not A Billboard, a large-scale installation in West Hollywood, California.

Melinda Melrose appeared on The Pre-Game podcast.

Miranda McKeon spoke at the World Woman Cannes Agenda 2026 in Cannes, France.

Amanda Frances hosted a dinner in New York as part of her quarterly Mama’s Mastermind series.

Jenna Dewan, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Ryan Weiss posed after appearing on iHeartMedia’s Waking Up with Ryan podcast.

WashWise founder Maria Cabral Menezes celebrated the launch of the brand’s Reset Spray at SoulCycle at The Barn in Bridgehampton, New York.

Spill Sesh attended the premiere of Calabasas Confidential at Wheelhouse L.A. in Los Angeles, California.

Kim Gravel celebrated QVC’S 40th anniversary during the brand’s TikTok Super Brand Day.

Asante Madrigal attended a screening for Toy Story 5 hosted by Pixar for TikTok Creators in Los Angeles, California.

Violet Witchel attended the premiere of Voicemails for Isabelle in San Francisco, California.

Brittny Button attended the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Susan Holmes McKagan appeared on iHeartMedia’s KFI AM 640 to talk about her book, The Velvet Rose.

Chase DeMoor secured a victory over Aleks Petrovic at the Fame Fighting vs. Misfits Boxing event in Leverkusen, Germany.

Inde Navarette appeared on stage wearing The Peek-A-Boo Maxi in Head Rush by MOTHER while appearing onstage during the final stop of Kid Cudi’s The Rebel Rager Tour in Los Angeles, California.

TJ Palma attended the U.S. Open Golf Championship in Southampton, New York.

Katie Austin walked the runway in Miami Swim Week in Miami, Florida, and it premiered on Hulu.

Gabby George of GGStudio launched her On The Go program featuring equpment-free fitness classes.

Aditi Shah participated in a panel discussion called The Future of Women’s Health, Media, and Influence: Rewriting the Narrative at the World Woman Agenda Summit in Cannes, France.

Kail Lowry kicked off her Fatherless Behavior podcast tour in Indianapolis, Indiana, Cincinnati, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Nashville Tennessee.

Carson Roney launched Scribe, a handcrafted custom leather journal line.

Caelynn Bell celebrated the launch of her jewelry collection, Bellboy, with an event at Boulevard Coffee in Venice, California.

Aimee Smale of Odd Muse participated in a discussion called The Creator Divide: How to Navigate a World of AI Slop on the AI & Tech Sandbox panel in Cannes, France.

Gia Giudice walked the runway as part of White Fox’s La Tropica presentation at The Setai Miami Beach in Miami, Florida during Miami Swim Week.

Cameron Rogers and Fran Mariano teamed up to film a podcast episode of Conversations with Cam.

Olivia Ponton attended the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between Brazil vs. Morocco at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Booked, Blonde & Busy podcast host also sat down with Candace Bushnell to talk about the stories that inspired Sex and the City.

Sanjiv Lal of Regen Therapy participated in a panel discussion in Beverly Hills, California at the Beverly Hills Living Magazine June cover reveal and Longevity Collective celebration.

Dripology provided B12 shots at the Roeme State of Mind event at Virgin Hotels in New York City.

Icon Skincare celebrated Marilyn Monroe’s 100th Birthday Spectacular at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, California.

ciele celebrated the launch of its new shade & PROTECT SPF 45+ Bronzing Powder at Bar Di Bello in Los Angeles, California, where guests enjoyed cocktails, music, and bronzed skin.

SEV Laser celebrated the opening of its newest location in Huntington Beach, California, where clients can experience premium laser hair removal and aesthetic treatments.

The Zoe Report and Sisley Paris hosted a Self-Care Soirée at Maison Sisley Brentwood in Brentwood, California.

Lucy Hale snapped a selfie wearing the OOFOS OOaah Plus sandals in black.

LBTY. Fragrances hosted a summer gathering at Virgina Robinson Gardens to celebrate fragrance, art, and the spirit of British creativity, where guests participated in guided watercolor sessions and enjoyed curated drinks and light bites.

The G&B Digital Management team attended the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France.

POV Beauty founders Mikayla Nogueira and Ani Hadjinian hosted an intimate dinner at Alba in West Hollywood, California to celebrate the launch of the brand’s bold lip shades and more.

KORRES collaborated with Go Greek to launch The Greek Glow bowl featuring a Plain Tart base, GG olive oil, Greek honey, sea salt, and Greek biscuit crumble, where customers received a free deluxe travel size of the KORRES Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser with purchase.

FLRT celebrated the launch of its functional, zero-sugar energy drink line at a L.A. Summer Social event at The Cara Hotel in Los Angeles, California, where guests enjoyed flash tattoos, tooth gems, custom embroidery, and more.

12th Tribe partnered with Newmark Models to host a runway show in Miami, Florida to unveil the brand’s Summer 2026 collection to their VIP community, where attendees had the opportunity to pre-reserve pieces before the public launch at a preview event.

OUAI celebrated its OUAI-CATION campaign by hosting an activation in Domino Park in New York City, where guests sipped on smoothies, enjoyed frozen yogurt from Go Greek, played volleyball, listened to music, received complimentary fragrance samples, and got the chance to win full-size products through spray and reveal tester cards.

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer teamed up with Fortunato Bros. bakery to launch a NY Knicks Rainbow Cookie Shake featuring a blue velvet cake shake base, cannoli frosted rim with orange and blue sprinkles, a Fortunato Bros. Knicks rainbow cookie, whipped cream, and a cherry. 

CARA attended the premiere of EXES in Los Angeles, California.

Levain launched the Raspberry Pistachio Cookie filled with Valrhona raspberry chips, pistachios, and white chocolate chips before bringing back the Rocky Road cookie and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter cookie later this summer.

Zenagen launched its Daily Thickening + Volumizing Performance Shampoo, Zenagen, to deliver instant body and support scalp health over time, for thicker and healthier hair with Microfoam Technology and botanical and amino acid blends.

Luna Bronze launched a jumbo size version of the Self Tanning Jelly featuring the brand’s streak free, lilac tinted gel formula.

RE/DONE launched its third collaboration with Disney featuring Disney’s vintage graphics, logos, and characters reimagined through RE/DONE’s nostalgic lens for pieces including the 60s Slim Ringer Tee The Mickey Mouse Club, Classic Crewneck Mickey Stud, Mickey Polo, Beau Jean, and Lace Strap Tank with Mouseketeer logo.

KSUBI launched an 8-piece capsule collection, Worldwide Game, featuring four jerseys in the national colors of Australia, USA, Mexico, and Argentina, two graphic tees in the KSUBI oversized Ekcess silhouette, and two caps in Australia and USA colorways.

ÉTERNE launched new styles including classic bikinis and simple one-pieces for ÉTERNE Swim.

Canopy launched a limited-edition garden-inspired aroma kit, From the Garden, featuring Fresh Tomato and Basil Neroli scents inspired by summer gardens, fresh herbs, and sun-ripened produce. The brand also launched the Canopy Sound Machine + Aroma with 15 curated sleep and wellness soundscapes, a dimmable night light, built-in aroma diffusion, and cordless portability.

La Bonne Brosse partnered with Call It By Your Name to launch a limited-edition summer collection featuring the Micro Brush, a new on the go format by La Bonne Brosse and customizable handmade bandana charms by Call It By Your Name.

Emi Jay launched the Aura Hair + Body Mist Bundle in three scents, which includes three full-size Aura Hair + Body Mists, bundled together at 22% off and designed for carry-ons, work bags, and weekends away. The brand hosted the Emi Jay Spritz Stop in Los Angeles, California, where attendees received a free Aura Hair + Body Mist of their choice.

Round Lab launched The Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Serum which combines SPF 50 with a 77% concentrated hydrating essence to maintain moisture balance and leave skin soft without greasiness.

Melissa launched a collaboration with Diesel featuring footwear silhouettes in new colorways and the debut of the Quantum Dome Bag.

Tatcha launched the Matcha Foam Cleans, a gel to foam cleanser with four mild amino acid-based surfactants, Japanese ceremonial-grade matcha, green clay, and prebiotic inulin.

Sand + Fog launched a line of laundry detergents made to deliver a powerful clean with signature scents including Marshmallow Skies, Bloom, Vanilla Musk, and California Beach House.

Papa Johns launched the Papa Pairings inspired by Love Island USA, including The Day Ones, which includes a medium 1-topping pizza and garlic Knots, The Bombshells, which includes buffalo wings and a double chocolate brownie, and The Unexpected Duo, which includes cheesesticks and boneless wings, all for $6.99 each.

Nécessaire launched The Body Wipe to cleanse, nourish, and refresh the skin and The Eucalyptus Water to cool, calm, and nourish the skin with lightweight hydration.

Typology launched the Skin Texture Refiner T30, a non-pigmented skin-perfecting treatment designed to blur and refine skin texture with 5% Niacinamide and 5% PHA.

MCM launched its Autumn/Winter 2026 collection filled with ready-to-wear, footwear, and accessories.

Taco Bell teamed up with Ian Charms to launch a charm necklace in celebration of the Fajita Street Chapulas, made with peppers, onions, chili, garlic, cheese, marinated steak or slow-roasted chicken, creamy jalapeño sauce, and an onion-cilantro blend, and Chicken Fajita Nacho Fries, topped with slow-roasted chicken, peppers, onions, creamy jalapeño sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, and a blend of cheeses. Taco Bell also hosted a Loss Or Celebration Outcome Support (L.O.C.O.S.) truck activation in Inglewood, California.​​​​​

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Editor’s note: The below interview contains major spoilers for the From Season 4 finale.

From Season 4 has finally come to an end, but MGM+’s horror series didn’t resolve its penultimate chapter without some heartbreaking losses along the way. While the beginning of the season saw the aftermath of Jim’s (Eion Bailey) fateful meeting with the Man in the Yellow Suit (Douglas E. Hughes), the conclusion confirmed that his Sophia (Julia Doyle) guise is just as willing to get rid of anyone who could thwart his plans, even if it means murder. Meanwhile, Jade (David Alpay) and Tabitha’s (Catalina Sandino Moreno) mission to unearth the bones of the town’s sacrificed children, pulling up the bottle tree in the process, seems to incite the creatures all over again, culminating in a second heartbreaking loss.

Ahead of the premiere of the finale, “If a Tree Falls in the Forest…,” Collider spoke with actors Kaelen Ohm, who plays Marielle, and Nathan D. Simmons, who plays Elgin, about their characters’ shocking fates. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, the two discuss when they learned that Marielle and Elgin wouldn’t be surviving the finale, why Elgin chooses to stand up to Sophia instead of agreeing to serve her, the significance of Marielle’s final request from Kristi (Chloe Van Landschoot), how they’d like to potentially be resurrected for From‘s final season, and more.

COLLIDER: When did both of you find out about what would be happening to your characters this season? Did you get a phone call as a heads-up before having to read it in the script? How did John [Griffin] break the news?

NATHAN D. SIMMONS: For me, how the event went was that I was out somewhere, and I got a call from John’s assistant. They were like, “John wants to meet you for coffee,” and I was like, “Okay, cool, cool. I’ll see if I can do this evening.” Then time went by, and I was like, “So I can’t do this evening. I’ll do it tomorrow.” Then I was like, “Actually, can we do tomorrow evening?” Then he was like, “No, John really wants to see you,” and then I was like, “Okay, cool.” Then I get to this one café, and it’s not clueing in. We sat outside, and it’s still not clueing in. And then I was like, “Oh, I see what it is now.”

KAELEN OHM: I was actually with Chloe [Van Landschoot] when John’s assistant called me, and I know what this meeting means because it has happened to people before, so some of us at least knew the template. So I answer my phone, and he’s like, “Hey, Kaelen, John would like to meet you for coffee.” We were just about to go into the climbing gym together, and she’s like, “What?” I got off the phone, and I was like, “I’m meeting John at the café tomorrow.” And so we processed the information together in a way. She was more upset than I was at first, I think. But yeah, it’s part of it. Someone’s gotta go every few episodes, and definitely by the finale.

‘From’s Kaelen Ohm and Nathan D. Simmons Didn’t Have Much Time Before Filming Their Death Scenes

“… everyone will be going back to Season 5 very, very soon, and we aren’t, are we?”

Image via MGM+

Both of you have probably had more time to go through the process of mourning these characters, but did you know from the beginning how it was going to happen, or did you end up finding out the specifics later?

OHM: I think he told me that generally I was going to be protecting Fatima and going out that way, and then he told me it was Smiley, and I was like, “Oh, that sounds cool.” So, I got a sense before we read the script, but we also had that meeting, maybe a week, but it could have been a few days before we got the script. It was not too much time in advance. It’s a process to go through because you hear about it, you read it, you shoot it, and now it’s coming out, and everyone will be going back to Season 5 very, very soon, and we aren’t, are we?

SIMMONS: Yeah. I think it was like what Kaelen was saying, like a week or a couple of weeks? I don’t remember exactly. But yeah, he pretty much told me everything about the prayer and the deal and everything, and it being Sophia. I remember it was before I read the scene where Clara joined Sophia’s side, so that was all surprising to me. I was kind of excited at that point, though, because the season before, I thought he was dead, and I had to process all that. Then this season, I felt like he went off on a really good note.

In the moment, Elgin has a choice to make. He can either do what Clara did and agree to work for Sophia, or he can stand up to her and go out resisting her. Why do you feel like he ultimately decides to stand up to her, even with the unspoken implication that he probably is going to die for it?

SIMMONS: For Elgin, it’s a thing of having to maintain what your morals are, who you are. I think that was, I guess you can say, the fatal flaw, more so than even saying, “Hey, is this you in the photo, Sophia?” I think his flaw was that he has this very pure view of what’s good and what’s wrong, and I think at the end, that kind of overrides his will to survive and even go home.

Kaelen, what was the preparation process like for you in terms of not just preparing to film the initial scene with Pegah [Ghafoori] and Jamie [McGuire], but also the scene with Chloe when Kristi has to go into the room and essentially see Marielle lying there?

OHM: Death scenes are interesting because I’ve never died before, obviously, so I don’t have a personal experience to reference. So, there is a technical aspect where you’ve got to make sure that it’s going to work and be believable on that level. But I think the process of dying, because that is most of the scene, she does get to have a struggle, which I loved, that it’s just really remembering what’s important.

I’m really fascinated with near-death experiences and have watched documentaries on them and things like that, and I think it was about dropping in that type of psychology, things I’ve heard about near-death experiences, things I’ve heard about what you can focus on when you’re leaving, but then trying to keep a line into reality, if you’re going to fight, because there is supposedly this decision point when you’re headed out. My grandmother actually has told me about this. She almost died a couple of times when she was younger.

There’s so many layers of it, and you prepare as much as you can, but then on the day, you just kind of surrender to what’s there. There’s a lot of technical stuff to execute. You’re trying to stay true and grounded in your own performance and still play off what other people are bringing, which, in that case, Chloe just brought such an incredible performance. Having Pegah and Jamie there, too, it’s all par for being able to have an authentic experience in acting, which is such a blessing, especially on television when everything’s moving so quickly.

The kiss between them feels like Marielle accepting that she’s going, and wanting that last pure, perfect moment of happiness with Kristi. Did the two of you want to approach that in any specific way?

OHM: No. There was so much to shoot that day and so much of the technical aspect of working with Jamie and the prosthetics on my body that when we got to that, we didn’t actually have too much time. So it was really raw. I think Chloe got two takes on that. We kind of got two takes together on the ground. I’m trying to stay in my suffering body so it doesn’t look like I’m suddenly asking for something with a normal level of energy.

I suppose she’d have to speak to this, but Kristi’s also having this moment of not wanting to say goodbye, but I think Mari understands that she’s about to leave, so I just asked, and she gave it to me. Then that’s when I was supposed to take my last breath. So, there was some spontaneity, I guess, is what I could say. That would be the answer, is that there was some spontaneity, and we found what we did on the day, and that’s what it ended up being.

‘From’s Kaelen Ohm and Nathan D. Simmons Reflect on Their Last Scenes of Season 4 and How They’d Want To Be Resurrected

“I think it’d be cool at the very end, seeing everyone together…”

Image via MGM+

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I know that you sometimes film things out of order, and there are sometimes multiple episodes being filmed at once. What was the moment when they called wrap for your last scene of this season?

SIMMONS: Lucky enough for me, it was my death scene. It was a very good feeling. It felt like I gave up, gave up the ghost. I got to say my final goodbyes there. It was good. Usually, like last year, for the hammer, passing-out scene, we shot a bunch of other stuff, so the big moment was over with, and then we did a bunch of small moments, but the emotional climax already happened. So, I was happy that this time I released it all as I released Elgin, which was really good.

OHM: They kept me, actually, unexpectedly. We shot the death scene, and that was supposed to be my wrap, and then they’re like, “Oh, we want to shoot you. When Boyd comes in, we want you to be there,” and that was some days later. So, that ended up being the last moment for me, but it was still the death scene. Then I got to have my good cry at the end, walking back to my trailer. One of our PA’s is a really close family friend, so that was nice, to do that with her.

As much as it feels like the two of you have said goodbye to these characters, I feel like it’s worth mentioning that we’ve seen characters who we’ve thought were dead come back in some form. Father Khatri has obviously been a presence. Jim has popped up here and there. There’s still one more season to go. There’s a possibility, maybe right at the end, that we could see some friendly faces. If you could choose, how would the two of you want to come back for one last hurrah in From‘s final season?

OHM: Marielle did have this vision in Season 4, when she was in the chamber, experiencing all the people who have died, and that people never get to actually leave things like that. So I guess to see her on that other side and what that means would be really cool. And I’ve had this vision of all of us, the regulars on the show who have died, somehow being together there. I don’t know. What do you think, Nathan? What’s your wish?

SIMMONS: I kind of have this vision of seeing Elgin 10 years later, or something, coming back with, like, a flamethrower and burning all the monsters and the Man in Yellow. Then Boyd comes up, and he…

OHM: [Laughs] Something very Rambo.

SIMMONS: I’m playing. That would be cool, though! But no, I think it’d be cool at the very end, seeing everyone together or seeing where Elgin is, or if he’s alive somewhere. Something like that.

All four seasons of From are now available to stream on MGM+.

Nearly two decades after it first wowed millions, the greatest dark fantasy film of all time — it would be fair to describe it as a masterpiece — is returning to the big screen. The movie, which famously received a 22-minute standing ovation at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival (yes, that remains a record to this day), also went on to receive six Oscar nods and took home three statuettes. Intrigued? Then head to the multiplexes when the fall hits.

Cineverse and Fathom Entertainment have released the first trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth 20th Anniversary, which brings the film back to the big screen on October 9. The new release has been overseen by del Toro himself and will be presented in 4K, with a version available in 3D and HDR for the first time, alongside a 2D HDR presentation. Del Toro has also recorded a new voiceover, so he’s taken it seriously, that’s for sure. This looks like the most immersive way so far to check out one of the finest fantasy films ever made.

The film is set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, in 1944, and follows the young Ofelia after she and her pregnant mother move to the countryside with her horrendous stepfather, Captain Vidal. While Vidal is busy hunting the remaining rebels hiding in the nearby forest, Ofelia discovers a hidden labyrinth and meets an ageless Faun, who tells her she is a princess from an enchanted world. Just the kind of thing you hope happens to you when you go for a quiet stroll in the country, right?

Who Stars in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’?

The film stars Ivana Baquero (The Shannara Chronicles) as Ofelia, Maribel Verdú (Y Tu Mamá También) as Mercedes, Doug Jones (The Shape of Water) as the Faun and the Pale Man, and Sergi López (Dirty Pretty Things) as Captain Vidal.

Written and directed by del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth was nominated for six Academy Awards and won three, including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Makeup. It also remains one of the most acclaimed fantasy films ever made, with its mix of historical horror, creature work, and heartbreak still feeling completely untouchable two decades later. Del Toro explained the reason for the re-release in a statement.

“Pan’s Labyrinth turns 20 years old, and in Cineverse we have found the perfect partner to make it live again on the big screen and in new and improved home presentations. Cineverse is committed and bold, and their track record for reaching a maximum audience is magnificent. Together we will reconnect the generations that have shared the film through the years and long to experience it theatrically again.”

Tickets for Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth 20th Anniversary go on sale September 9 ahead of its October 9 theatrical release.

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Release Date

January 19, 2007

Runtime

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118 minutes

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We’re now past the halfway point of 2026, and as with every year, there have been some major box office surprises. The year opened with a few sci-fi bombs in Mercy (starring Rebecca Ferguson) and Greenland 2: Migration (starring Gerard Butler), which collectively lost millions for both Amazon and Warner Bros. The first big sci-fi box office smash hit of the year didn’t come until the premiere of Project Hail Mary (starring Ryan Gosling), which grossed over $600 million at the box office before also becoming a streaming success on MGM+. It’s also been a wildly successful year for low-budget horror movies, including Backrooms, which hails from 21-year-old director Kane Parsons. After earning $330 million against a $10 million budget to become the most successful A24 film ever, the studio is putting Backrooms back in theaters this weekend with 15 minutes of never-before-seen footage.

However, as wildly successful as Backrooms has been, it doesn’t even come close to the profitability of the biggest horror sensation of 2026, Obsession. Written and directed by up-and-coming prodigy Curry Barker, Obsession was produced on a shoe-string budget reported to be around $750,000, and the film turned out to be profitable in less than one day. After releasing in theaters on May 15, Obsession has racked up over $370 million in total box office earnings, meaning the film has grossed nearly 500x its budget — this is enough to not only be the most profitable movie of the year, but one of the most profitable films ever made. After its tremendous box office success, Obsession is ready to enter a different stage of its life cycle, where the film is now available to stream at home via VOD platforms such as Prime Video and Apple TV.

What Is ‘Obsession’ About?

Obsession follows a guy who breaks a mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart. While he does ultimately get what he asks for, he realizes that this newfound desire comes at a dark and sinister price. The horror film stars breakouts Inde Navarette, Michael Johnston, Cooper Tomlinson, and Megan Lawless, who are all certain to get more offers going forward. Obsession holds equally strong scores of 94% from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the highest-rated films of 2026. Disclosure Day director Steven Spielberg has also publicly shared his love for Obsession, further driving it home as one of the biggest movies of the year. His full quote about the film reads as follows: “I’m so happy for them. I think it’s so fantastic, and I think it’s great that they had basically, very little money. Especially Obsession, had under $1 million, and the other film [Backrooms], had maybe nine or 10, and they’re both doing so well, and I just applaud them. I haven’t seen Backrooms, I am going to see it when all this is over. But, I have seen Obsession, and I loved it.“

Check out Obsession at home on VOD platforms and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of all the biggest movies of the year.

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Release Date

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May 15, 2026

Runtime

108 minutes

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Director

Curry Barker

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