I’m probably dating myself here, but does anybody else remember when a three-hour movie coming out felt like a cultural event? James Cameron’s Titanic was so long, 3 hours and 14 minutes to be precise, that it was sold for home viewing on double VHS sets. It was a cultural phenomenon, costing $200 million to produce and earning over $2.2 billion at the box office. But it was also the exception, not the rule, when it came to cost and scale of storytelling.
These days, ever since the MCU became the cultural juggernaut that it is, movies have gotten longer and exponentially more expensive, which makes me wonder why studios stopped putting out 90-minute movies with budgets at or around $50 million. When you look at the box office returns for so many doomed projects, they tend to have two things in common: they’re too long, and they cost too much to make.
While I’m not totally averse to long movies, I’ve always been a strong advocate for the 90-minute runtime. It’s a simple three-act structure that lets filmmakers tell a complete story. They’re also cheaper to make, and you can have more movies in rotation at your local theater on any given day. A three-hour movie occupying multiple screens cuts into revenue potential because we’re putting all of our eggs in one basket.
2024’s The Flash cost $220 million to make and runs 144 minutes. It earned $271.4 million at the box office. That might seem like it at least broke even and secured a small profit, but it didn’t. Factor in marketing and distribution, and it’s a box office failure.
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Weapons (2025) earned back The Flash’s budget with just vibes, lighting, and $38 million
2025’s Weapons cost $38 million to produce, with a runtime of 128 minutes. Still a little long for my taste, but it earned $270 million, almost exactly the same as The Flash, for a fraction of the cost. That’s a financial success.
Of course, there are other variables at play. Superhero fatigue had fully set in by 2024, while a strong horror flick from a rising filmmaker is usually a reliable moneymaker. But the core takeaway still stands. The longer, more expensive movie performed worse than the shorter, cheaper one.
Warner Bros. executives looking at their expense report for Folie a Deux
2024’s Joker: Folie a Deux cost $200 million and runs 138 minutes. It earned $208 million, barely recouping its production budget. That’s a failure. Compare that to 2019’s Joker, which cost just $70 million, runs just over two hours, and earned over a billion dollars. The pattern is hard to ignore.
Let’s push it further. 2025’s Anaconda runs 99 minutes, cost $45 million, and brought in $135 million at the box office, earning three times its production budget. If you need more proof, just look up the financials for any movie to come out over the past decade, and tell me what you see.
The John Wick Method Works For Scaling An IP
John Wick smoking the competition
I’m going to lay out something I’m calling “The John Wick Method,” because it perfectly illustrates the point. I’m not against long films. I’m not against expensive films. But films that are both long and expensive need to earn their keep. Superhero movies learned this the hard way when Marvel and DC kept cranking out epics nobody asked for, forcing them to course correct, reconsider their release schedule, and how much money they’re dumping into projects that don’t necessarily guarantee a return on their investment.
The John Wick franchise, on the other hand, started small and scaled up. The first film topped out at $30 million and earned $86 million. It runs 101 minutes. The concept was proven, audiences wanted more, and the sequel followed with a $40 million budget, a 122-minute runtime, and $174 million in box office receipts. Chapter 3 runs nine minutes longer than Chapter 2, cost $75 million, and earned $327 million, and so on. People wanted John Wick to be bigger and badder, that’s exactly what they got, and the numbers prove that this is the way to properly scale towards a film like Chapter 4, which is nearly three hours long, but doesn’t feel like a total slog to get through. It’s exactly why it earned $447 million against its $100 million budget.
Joaquim Phoenix in the painfully long, egregiously expensive Napoleon (2023)
You know what didn’t perform well? 2023’s Napoleon, which had a $200 million budget, barely broke even at $222 million, and comes with a 205-minute director’s cut that hit streaming because the 157-minute version apparently wasn’t punishing enough. Think about how many Anaconda and Weapons-type films we could have cycled through theaters if Ridley Scott didn’t have such a hard-on for historical epics.
This isn’t an indictment of long, expensive movies. But when 2000’s Gladiator was released, it felt like an event, not standard practice. We wanted to see what $103 million looked like on the big screen. And because it was a great movie that fully justified its 155-minute runtime, it felt like a special occasion. That’s why it earned nearly half a billion dollars. It was spectacular, and people wanted to see it again.
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We Want Movies, Not Events
To answer your question, Maximus: No, we are not entertained, but we’d like to be
When every single film is treated like an event, audiences have to be selective. The last time I went to a regular, non drive-in theater, four tickets, a large popcorn, and a large soda cost me $100. If it’s also going to cost me three hours of my time for a movie that isn’t even good enough to recoup its budget, then why aren’t studios cranking out shorter, cheaper films?
We’ve reached the point where it’s obvious you don’t need hundreds of millions of dollars to make something worth watching. And nobody wants to burn an entire afternoon or evening on something that’s just “meh.” It will deter them from making a night at the movies a regular family outing, especially when you consider how much it costs to go to the movies these days.
The John Wick franchise did it right. It proved demand with a tight runtime, and a relatively inexpensive concept, then scaled up once it was proven that audiences were invested. Unless studios can consistently capture lightning in a bottle like that, it’s time to cut runtimes, cut budgets, and make movies people actually want to sit through instead of self-indulgent endurance tests. Do that, and you’ll see more asses in seats. Suddenly, 10 screens can show 10 different movies. Suddenly, people care about going to the theater again.
Princess Kateand Prince Williamhave marked each of their children’s birthdays over the years with new portraits.
The sweet tradition began when their eldest son, Prince George, celebrated his first year in July 2014. The little one walked in the photo taken by John Stillwell, looking all grown up in Petit Bateau denim overalls, a navy polo shirt and matching leather shoes.
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“He was very lively, very confident and very sure of himself,” Stillwell told Us Weekly of the toddler at the time. “He’s a very determined young boy. And who does he look like? I’d have to say his dad, William.”
George became a big brother in May 2015 when Princess Charlotte arrived, followed by Prince Louis in April 2018. While the Prince and Princess of Wales’eldest has been snapped by many photographers for his birthday, from Mario Testino to Matt Porteous, George and his siblings have also been photographed by Kate herself.
Keep scrolling to see the royal kids’ birthday portraits from outdoor photo shoots to special sibling moments:
“[The] ‘Gucci’ movie? How great was she?” Streep tells EW of the “divine” Gaga’s “Devil Wears Prada 2” cameo, while Anne Hathaway says the pop star “cared so much” about her scenes.
Kathy Hilton is not going down that easily. According to a new report, the socialite and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star is fighting a woman named Kimberly Heffington in court. Legal documents state that Heffington suffered serious injuries while at Hilton’s home for a charity event. Hilton has responded in new documents, denying the allegations and demanding that Heffington be responsible for her own medical bills.
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New court documents obtained by TMZ state that Hilton has denied the allegations brought forth by Heffington, noting that the plaintiff sustained injuries by coming in contact with a “known danger.”
Hilton, known for her philanthropic work, added that she should not be held liable for Heffington’s injuries or medical bills.
For those unfamiliar, Heffington sued Hilton in March 2026, claiming that she was injured while attending a charity event at Hilton’s Bel-Air mansion in August 2024.
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Heffington alleged that her foot got stuck on the pavement at Hilton’s home, causing her to stumble, fall, and “land violently on the ground, causing her to suffer severe and permanent injuries, including but not limited to a complex medical meniscus tear to her right knee.”
Hilton was sued for negligence, as court documents stated that the reality star had no warning about potential safety hazards on the property.
Kathy Hilton’s Sisters Were Feuding Several Months Ago
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Adding to the drama, Hilton’s sisters, Kim and Kyle Richards, were involved in a dramatic dispute just months ago.
According to a previous report from The Blast, Kyle sued Kim, seeking to have her evicted from a Los Angeles property she was living in.
Kyle claimed in the legal documents that she had been asking Kim to leave her home for years; however, the “Escape to Witch Mountain” star wouldn’t budge.
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The court documents stated that Kyle not only asked for possession of her home but also wanted her sister, Kim, to be charged $140/day for each day she stayed after being asked to leave, beginning in November 2024.
While the drama between the two has been consistent since the first season of “RHOBH,” things escalated in late 2024 when Kim was taken into custody by police after reportedly acting belligerently in a Hilton hotel lobby.
Kathy Hilton Opens Up About Friendship With Former ‘RHOBH’ Cast Member Garcelle Beauvais
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In May 2025, Hilton opened up about her friend, Garcelle Beauvais, leaving “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” after five years.
“I love and adore her. I called her obviously right when I walked off the set from the reunion and talked to her,” Hilton said. “And then we ended up having dinner with a friend like two days later.”
She continued, “And I tried to not bring up too much because I just want her to know that she’s very loved and will be missed. And everybody was shocked.”
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Beauvais abruptly left the “RHOBH” season 14 reunion just moments before it wrapped, telling the women she was “out.”
In her dressing room, cameras captured Beauvais being honest about her feelings toward the other women, namely Dorit Kemsley, Erika Jayne, Sutton Stracke, and Bozoma Saint John.
“I’m just so f-cking sick of it,” Beauvais said. “I can’t be friends with people like that. I don’t trust them.”
Hilton Fought With Lisa Rinna
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Hilton has also had her fair share of feuds on the long-running reality series. Most notably, the socialite and mother to Paris, bumped heads with the show’s biggest villain, Lisa Rinna, in 2022.
During a tense interaction, Hilton labeled Rinna “the biggest bully in Hollywood,” noting that the “Days of our Lives” alum had fought incessantly with other women on the show, including Yolanda Hadid, Lisa Vanderpump, and, of course, her sister Kim.
Rinna And Hilton Are In An OK Place These Days…
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Despite the headline-making showdown, Hilton and Rinna are in a good place these days. In a December 2022 interview, Rinna recalled running into Hilton at a press event and having a “lovely” conversation with the 67-year-old.
“All good… all good. All I need to say. We had a fun time last night. We all did. It was a fun night,” Rinna said, brushing off their past feud as TV drama.
“You know, I think, at the end of the day, we do a TV show. So I think that after eight years and all the things that we’ve been through, we’re grown women and we can pretty much get through anything at the end of the day,” she said.
Dannielynn Birkhead is stepping into the spotlight and doing it entirely on her own terms. The 19-year-old daughter of Anna Nicole Smith made a striking appearance during Kentucky Derby weekend, showing off a dramatic new style at the annual Barnstable Brown Derby Eve party. Accompanied by her father, Larry Birkhead, Dannielynn turned heads with a fresh pixie haircut featuring black tips and a gothic-inspired ensemble that marked a clear departure from her past looks.
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According to Larry, the moment was all about his daughter embracing her individuality. “People [are] always looking for her to wear something of her mom. And she’s done that a couple times, but this is kind of Dannielynn showing off her own sense of style, and she said it’s a goth rock theme,” he told PEOPLE.
The look featured a Punk Rave Gothic-inspired strapless corset gown paired with a flowing sheer skirt, a bold evolution from the brighter styles she’s worn to the event in previous years.
Dannielynn Birkhead Debuts Edgy Hair Makeover As Dad Admits He Was ‘A Little Worried’
Dannielynn’s edgy new hairstyle was also a major talking point. “She wanted something edgy and cool,” Larry shared, revealing that a hairstylist who had been a friend of her late mother helped bring the vision to life. “She chopped it all off and put some wild colors in it. I was kind of bracing myself at the hair salon,” he added with a laugh. “I guess she’s at the age to do what she wants to do.”
While the transformation surprised him at first, Larry admitted he ultimately supports his daughter’s decisions. He said he was “a little worried about it” initially, but acknowledged that she’s “obviously old enough” to make her own choices. “This year is a different style for Dannielynn, and this is kind of, I think, her coming into her own, doing her own thing and kind of exuding her own style and her choices that she made.”
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Dannielynn Birkhead Juggles Finals While Styling Dad For Derby Night ‘Fashion Upgrade’
The look didn’t come together without a little stress. Larry revealed that Dannielynn was juggling school finals while planning her outfit, forcing them to coordinate remotely. “Although it was tough because she was in school taking finals, so I had to help kind of send these pictures back and forth, and then she kind of eliminated one by one, and then I think she got to the end and said, ‘Quit bothering me. I’m in finals,’ ” he said.
The fashion moment didn’t stop with her own outfit. Dannielynn also helped upgrade her dad’s look for the night. “She said I needed to up my fashion game,” Larry joked. “That I had no sense of style. And so she was determined to pick my outfit out.”
He ended up wearing a black blazer adorned with rhinestones and lightning bolt detailing, calling the finished look “very wild” for him.
Dannielynn Birkhead Honors Anna Nicole Smith While Stepping Into Her Own Spotlight
Though this year’s look was all about carving her own identity, Dannielynn has often honored her late mother through fashion. After Anna Nicole Smith’s death in 2007, when Dannielynn was just 5 months old, the Kentucky Derby has become a meaningful tradition for the pair.
Over the years, she’s worn pieces that once belonged to her mother, keeping that connection alive while growing into her own spotlight. Now, with this latest appearance, it’s clear Dannielynn is balancing both, honoring the past while confidently stepping into her own future.
Kentucky Derby 2026 Set To Bring High Stakes Racing And High Fashion
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As the spotlight shifts from red carpets to the racetrack, the Kentucky Derby is set to take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, with post time scheduled for 7:02 p.m. ET. This year’s race is already generating buzz, with contenders like Commandment, So Happy, Renegade, and Further Ado among the early favorites based on morning line odds. But beyond the competition, the Kentucky Derby remains just as much about fashion as it is about racing.
Often dubbed the “Run for the Roses,” the event is known for its over-the-top style moments, from bold, wide-brimmed hats and fascinators to vibrant dresses and tailored suits that rival any red carpet. With standout looks already turning heads during Derby weekend events, the main race is expected to deliver both thrilling finishes on the track and unforgettable fashion moments off it.
He might be nearing 90 years old, but nothing is going to slow Ridley Scott down. Later this year, Scott will try to put his disappointing pair of most recent movies — Napoleon and Gladiator II — out of mind with the release of his newest sci-fi venture. The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film that adapts Peter Heller‘s novel of the same name, hasn’t had the smoothest road to release, being pushed from its original March 27, 2026, release date to August 28, 2026. Although some believed this was due to a competitive spring market, it’s also been reported that test screenings proved so positive that August was deemed a better time to capitalize on the movie’s potential.
As can be expected from a Scott movie, the cast for The Dog Stars is stacked with talent, including Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce. Given the cast involved and Scott’s penchant for producing critically acclaimed sci-fi, it’s easy to assume the movie will be one of the best of the year. However, Scott certainly isn’t immune to disappointments, with one of his biggest failures released back in 2014. The film in question is Exodus: Gods and Kings, an ambitious biblical epic that awarded Scott a hefty $140 million budget and the freedom to produce an unforgettable cinematic experience.
Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
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🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
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01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
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02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
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03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
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04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
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05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
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06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
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07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
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08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
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09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
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10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
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Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
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Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
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Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
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John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
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Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Is Bouncing Back
Twelve years after it left a lot to be desired in its poor theatrical run, Exodus: Gods and Kings is bouncing back on streaming ahead of the release of The Dog Stars. At the time of writing, the movie is one of the ten most-streamed in the U.S. on free streamer Tubi, a feat made all the more impressive when considering the film’s tough competition, which includes Sean Connery’s The Rock, a pair of Predator movies, and Martin Scorsese‘s gangster masterpiece GoodFellas.
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Exodus: Gods and Kings was a streaming hit on Tubi, although sadly left the platform on April 30. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.
The landscape of daytime television is changing, with one of the most recent casualties being Sherri Shepherd‘s daytime talk show. Now, as the series nears its end, the beloved actress and comedian is opening up about her future in entertainment and revealing if she’ll consider bringing “Sherri” to social media.
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TMZ interviewed Shepherd in May 2026 as she was leaving an event. The conversation started with the reporter noting the rise of celebrities making content on social media. They then asked the comedian if she would consider a similar fate for “Sherri” as it’s set to end.
She responded, “I don’t know. It’s like 6 million podcasts out there, so I have to figure out what I can do that’s different from the 6 million podcasts out there.” From there, the 59-year-old revealed that she had considered bringing the show to social media.
However, she’s also an acclaimed actress who has worked in sitcoms and films, and Shepherd stated that she’s considering returning to acting full-time. When asked if she’s gotten any offers, the host said, “I’ve had meetings and everything.”
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The Host Teased New Projects
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Shepherd continued her interview with TMZ and was then asked whether she plans to take a break after “Sherri” ends. According to her, “As soon as I finish my tour, I gotta go to South Africa to film my movie, ‘Angel in the Rubbel.’”
She went on to reveal that she’s executive producing the film alongside Robin Roberts for Lifetime. Additionally, she has a Hallmark movie set to be released, as well as a romance novel. Shepherd said, “No breaks,” before teasing that she’ll be on “somebody’s TV.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the “Trial & Error” alum was asked about the most surprising phone call she’s received amid news that Debmar Mercury had canceled “Sherri.” She said, “I’ve gotten phone calls from a lot of celebrities. Cussing folks out. I’ve got ratched celebrities that love me.”
Shepherd added, “But everybody’s been so encouraging, and the love has just been absolutely amazing.”
Fans Know Sherri Shepherd Will Bounce Back
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Shepherd has made it no secret that hosting a daytime talk show was one of her career ambitions. Because of this, the news of her show’s cancellation is even harder for fans of the series, as well as for those who were fans of Shepherd years before the series. Now, many of them are reacting to her potentially bringing the show to social media and her upcoming projects
One person wrote on X, “It seems like she finally accepted that her talk show is canceled and it’s time to move on.” Someone else said, “If Sherri Shepherd smiles any harder her teeth may fall out. Masking that anger…”
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After that, a different social media user stated, “Excited to see what’s next for Sherri Shepherd, she’s just getting started. She’s too talented to slow down. Whatever comes next will be big.” Another person said, “DUHH, go back to acting! What do you even mean?”
Lastly, someone else used a Wendy Williams GIF, writing, “Bring back Wendy!”
Gayle King Surprised Sherri For Her Final Live Show
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There are still several more airdates for “Sherri.” However, on April 30, the series’ final live show aired, with journalist Gayle King surprising the host by wearing the same outfit as her for a special appearance.
King said on Instagram alongside a video of the appearance, “I love a good surprise! @sherrieshepherd’s team invited me to her last live show today and asked that I wear the same @bruceglen dress.”
She continued, “It’s a thing with me and Sherri! I can’t imagine daytime TV without Sherri. There’s nobody like her on the air, and here’s hoping she’s back on TV with a new show sooner rather than later. In the meantime, lucky us we can keep watching @sherrishowtv until [the] end of May!”
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There Will Be Several More Guests On ‘Sherri’
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Though the final live episode of “Sherri” has aired, several more are still scheduled for broadcast. Per the show’s official website, the week of May 4 through 8 will feature celebrities such as Carson Kresley, Matt Friend, and Taraji P. Henson.
According to Block Topickz on X, the final week of shows has also been set. According to the report, Niecy Nash-Betts will be the show’s final guest. It will air on May 21. Though May 21 will be the final new episode of the series, reruns will continue airing into the fall.
Sean Connery with a cut down his face in ‘The Rock’Buena Vista Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
Following Daniel Craig‘s ushering of the franchise into a modern era, the future of the James Bond franchise is in the hands of a global powerhouse after Amazon acquired the rights to the iconic spy series for an eye-watering $1 billion. Director Denis Villeneuve has been confirmed for the director’s chair for the next Bond movie, although his work on the Dune franchise will keep Bond away until 2028, according to reports. Villeneuve will be joined in a dream partnership by Peaky Blinderscreator Steven Knight as the man behind the script for the 26th Bond movie. Although we’re still some time away, Knight has already promised a “stronger and bolder” story than Bond fans have seen before.
So we know who the big names are behind the scenes, but who will be starring in front of the camera? Thus far, we’re not much closer to finding out the identity of the new 007, although Eternity star Callum Turner remains a favorite as Amazon apparently searches for a younger actor to take on the role. Whatever the outcome, the budding young hopeful taking over the role will indeed have to walk in the shoes of several Hollywood icons. Of all the many names to have played 007, it’s impossible to look past the first as one of the best.
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Sean Connery‘s Bond movies are the stuff of legend, although the actor also appeared in several other iconic action movies, one of which is currently a streaming hit 30 years after its release. The movie in question is 1996’s The Rock(not to be confused with Dwayne Johnson), directed by Michael Baybefore he tackled some of the biggest Hollywood franchises. At the time of writing,The Rock is one of the ten most-streamed movies on Tubi in the U.S., a list currently topped by a pair of Predator movies.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
Advertisement
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
Advertisement
01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
Advertisement
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
Advertisement
03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
Advertisement
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
Advertisement
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
Advertisement
06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
Advertisement
07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
Advertisement
08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
Advertisement
09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
Advertisement
10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
Advertisement
Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Advertisement
Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
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James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
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Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
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Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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Who Else Starred in ‘The Rock’?
It wasn’t just the burgeoning talent of Bay and the veteran instincts of Connery that helped The Rock become a quintessential ’90s action classic; the movie also featured a selection of other famous names. The star-studded ensemble also includes Nicolas Cage as Stanley Goodspeed, Ed Harris as General Hummel, David Morse as Major Baxter, Michael Biehn as Commander Anderson, and William Forsythe as Special Agent Paxton.
The Rock is a streaming hit on Tubi. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.
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Release Date
June 7, 1996
Runtime
137 minutes
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Writers
David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook, Jonathan Hensleigh, Mark Rosner
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