Fans of “Euphoria” are calling for the cancellation of the show over the introduction of more provocative scenes.

The backlash is largely focused on Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, who in the new season takes on the lifestyle of an OnlyFans creator. Creator Sam Levinson has yet to address the criticism directly, but has previously defended his work, saying we live in a “sexualized world.”

Sydney Sweeney herself has also not responded, though she has previously shown that she has no issue playing the role.

Sydney Sweeney Appeared In More Provocative Scenes For Season 3

After waiting four years for the third season of “Euphoria,” fans of the show have expressed dissatisfaction with how creator Sam Levinson chose to portray Sydney Sweeney’s character,  Cassie Howard.

Some critics have accused the show of leaning into “disturbing” and “misogynistic” storylines, in relation to how Sweeney’s character is featured in even more provocative scenes than in previous seasons.

In one scene, the actress is dressed as an adult baby with her legs spread upwards in a seductive manner, while another shows her styled as a dog on a leash, wearing only lingerie to cover her body.

She is also featured in other revealing scenarios, including one where ice cream drips down her chest and another where she is wrapped in a soaking wet, see-through American flag.

In yet another scene, she is shown wearing only a nude thong for what appears to be a baseball-themed shoot.

See some of the scenes here.

Sydney Sweeney Was Criticized For Acting The Provocative Scenes

Beyond the criticism of Levinson writing such scenes into the script, most fans struggled to understand why Sweeney agreed to perform them despite their highly provocative nature.

A user asked, “How is Sydney even agreeing to do this season of Euphoria?” while another said, “Why would Sydney agree to doing allat… weird.”

One netizen, who, like many others, described the scenes as a “humiliation ritual,” also claimed they could no longer bear seeing Sweeney in such situations.

“Please god i cant keep seeing Cassie degrade herself in the most embarrassing ways imaginable,” the individual noted.

One other person called for the outright cancellation of the show, while questioning the essence of the new storyline.

Syndey Sweeney Was Excited About Her Character On The Show’s Third Season

On her part, Sweeney appeared to have no issues acting out the scenes, as she gushed about her character during the premiere of season three.

“I mean, Cassie’s a crazy character,” the actress told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “She will do anything and at all costs to be famous this season, and she makes a lot of very wild and interesting choices.”

She has also previously talked about her raunchy scenes, noting that she doesn’t have a problem playing such roles, while calling out a “stigma” against actresses who appear nude on screen.

The New Season Has Suffered Poor Reviews From Critics

Amid the backlash from fans, “Euphoria” season three has also been poorly received by movie critics.

The New York Post described the storyline as “lazy writing,” adding that it “sacrifices depth for absurdity.”

“For Zendaya, Elordi and Sweeney, ‘Euphoria’ launched them into stardom, and now it brought them back for material that doesn’t meet their talents,” read the outlet’s review.

Ben Travers of IndieWire described the show’s plot as “maddeningly inert” compared to previous seasons.

He added, “Most characters aren’t changing, nor are their motivations to change clear to them or novel to us. The result is a start to the supposedly final season that grows old instead of up, while evoking a once-unthinkable question: How could ‘Euphoria’ become boring?”

Meanwhile, season three of “Euphoria” is currently the lowest-rated season of the series on Rotten Tomatoes, sitting at 40%, which is approximately half the rating of seasons one and two.

‘Euphoria’ Creator Previously Defended The Explicit Nature Of His Work

Levinson has not directly responded to the criticism targeting his show, but he likely has no plans to change his style, given the defense of his work at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

At the time, he shared that his work reflects the reality of young teenagers today, particularly how they are often interested in exploring their sexuality through exposure to pornographic material.

“We live in a very sexualized world,” he said at the festival. “The influence of pornography is really strong in terms of the psyche of young people.”

For now, only two of the season’s eight episodes have been released, with the next expected to debut on April 26, followed by weekly releases until the finale.

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 17 seconds ago

As more material based in the world in which The Lord of the Rings takes place gets made, more entertainment pundits and fans are referring to Middle-earth and everything in it as a “franchise.” This is a travesty of entertainment that was even decried by Christopher Tolkien, son of the story’s creator, JRR. Middle-earth has been the inspiration for almost all modern fantasy, most notably the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, but calling The Lord of the Rings and its associated worldbuilding a franchise is a cynical attempt to pardon weak and uncreative attempts to add to it by modern filmmakers.

Tolkien’s son famously did not enjoy the original Peter Jackson trilogy’s telling of the quest to destroy the One Ring. In a 2012 interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, Christopher decried the films for a variety of reasons, including the commercialization of The Lord of the Rings for pop culture, which he felt betrayed the essence of his father’s work. “The chasm between the beauty and seriousness of the work, and what it has become, have overwhelmed me.”

How The Hobbit Stretched Tolkien

The younger Tolkien said this just in time for the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of the Lord of the Rings films to contain source material Tolkien didn’t write. Young Tolkien’s statements were about the original trilogy, which he felt overshadowed the books and thus subsumed them as the authoritative version of the story, but The Hobbit trilogy only made that worse. It expanded a single book into three movies that were as long as their predecessors, each covering one book apiece.

To stretch the single book The Hobbit into a trilogy, writers like Phillipa Boyens added plots that JRR Tolkien never intended. This included the infamous love triangle between Legolas, Kili, and Tauriel, the latter played by Evangeline Lilly, who only joined the cast on the condition she would not be inserted into a gratuitous love triangle. That she finished filming the trilogy despite this blatant betrayal is either a remarkable sign of Lilly’s patience or of the power of her movie contract.

Rings Of Power Took A Bad Idea And Ran With It

Rings of Power took the technique of adding extraneous and original characters and subplots into the established lore and ran with it faster than Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli ran to Rohan. The most blatant of these new additions is the constant attempts to give Galadriel a love interest despite lore linking her to Celeborn in a marriage lasting thousands of years and no established history of her being with anyone else. They even matched her in the second season of the show with a character who turned out to be Sauron.

Many of the new characters are also gratuitous, including an Orc protagonist, despite canon that is clear that Orcs are corrupted former elves (this is an oversimplified explanation about which Tolkien wrote entire books). Races that don’t have the variety of humans are given that variety anyway, especially if the character it is given to is in a position to lead or be a hero. These characters wouldn’t be an issue except that they were not the world Tolkien wrote; they are imposed upon Tolkien’s world by the lack of respect for his source material.

Tolkien Under Fire From Activists

Tolkien’s source material has been attacked by commentators before, including the 50^th anniversary edition of the game Dungeons & Dragons. In that book, the publishers at Wizards of the Coast denounced the creators of the game for misogyny, racism, and themes of colonialism and slavery.

Lord of the Rings had so much inspiration on Dungeons & Dragons that the game had to replace hobbits with Halflings to avoid a lawsuit for copyright infringement (and even then, the names of the different Halfling races are very similar to those of The Shire). This close adherence by D&D to Tolkien’s vision opened the author and his works to the same accusations, especially since the minions of Sauron include men who seem to be based on North African and Indian soldiers.

The Importance Of Skin Color In Middle-earth

These accusations are therefore “answered” by subverting all the racial elements of the show, both those that are real-world and those that are fantasy. Protagonist Orcs are not something Tolkien would have designed, especially in a prequel to the main series that takes place so long before it, when Orcs were new.

All Elves were fair, because those who were “dark” never saw the Light of the Two Trees of Valinor; this is in Tolkien’s Middle-earth history, The Silmarillion. With the wide variety of human skin tone variants present among Men, Dwarves, and Harfoots (the predecessors to hobbits), inserting real-world identity politics on the Orcs and Elves is more of a rebellion against Tolkien and his perceived transgressions than it is “inclusive.”

Upcoming Middle-earth Transgressions

Two new Lord of the Rings projects are expected in the next year or two: The Hunt for Gollum and Shadows of the Past. The Hunt for Gollum is about the period between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, as Aragorn tracks the doomed hobbit-creature in the search for the One Ring before anyone knows Bilbo has it. The problem with this script, directed by original Gollum actor Andy Serkis, is that Philippa Boyens and her co-writers are essentially making it up. This particular period in Middle-earth’s history isn’t detailed in any of the books; it’s only alluded to through secondhand information from Gandalf when he visits The Shire for the One Ring.

Shadows of the Past, written by Boyens, Stephen Colbert, and his son, Peter McKee, at least relies on source material to tell its story. There were a few chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring that were left out of the movie, particularly the adventures in the Barrow Downs and the party’s encounter with Bugs Bunny cartoon Tom Bombadil. However, unable to resist adding yet more of their own garnishes to Tolkien’s work, the trio have reportedly framed this story around Sam’s daughter, well after the trilogy takes place, who will be solving a mystery from the past.

How Calling Lord Of The Rings A Franchise Allows Hollywood To Ruin It

Calling Lord of the Rings a franchise is the backhanded technique that these writers think allows them to alter and add to Tolkien’s work. If a collection of stories is a franchise, it gives other creators permission to have their say about it, especially in film.

Most people haven’t read much more than The Hobbit or the trilogy, if they even got through all of that. The Silmarillion is a famously tough read, and Tolkien’s many other histories of his fantasy world are more like notes than prose. So most people wouldn’t recognize that these works have been altered, since, as Christopher observed, most people take the films as the definitive canon. In this way, The Lord of the Rings has been appropriated from its creator.

The fact is, until Peter Jackson got hold of it, The Lord of the Rings was the sole work of Tolkien. To write it, he leaned on his research of Icelandic sagas and Anglo-Saxon poetry, like Beowulf and Arthurian legend.

Tolkien wrote his novels and his histories of Middle-earth in the style of these sagas, complete with their triumphs, tragedies, wars, and romances. Tolkien modernized the concept of the saga, but he did so without turning the storytelling style into a franchise by creating his own original work.

Hollywood Is Rationalizing Theft

Those insisting that Lord of the Rings is a franchise are thus rationalizing the theft of Tolkien’s world from its author. The worst part is that this theft isn’t because of anything the author did wrong except not be a writer in the 2020s.

The changes that Boyens and her compatriots have made to the series are all there to apply presentism to the saga by adapting the content to their own tastes rather than presenting Tolkien’s work as it stands. There are too many themes of the series they deem “offensive” for them to present the source material accurately, so what we have gotten since the original, Oscar-winning trilogy are several Tolkien fanfictions with Mary Sue self-insertions.

Controlling Lord Of The Rings Corrupts Everyone Who Uses It

Control of the Lord of the Rings saga is just like the One Ring, and as happens to everyone who touches the One Ring (except maybe Sam Gamgee), it has corrupted those in power with their own egos. They think they can do better than Tolkien, but they can’t, so they pardon this with the cynical label of “franchise.”

The slop eaters let them get away with it because slop eaters will eat anything the producers tell them to, even when it attacks and subverts a thoroughly established canon. It’s up to the rest of us to remind Hollywood that Middle-earth is not a franchise, lest it continue to grow into the commercial nightmare JRR’s son feared.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 7 seconds ago

Streaming has turned countless theatrical bombs into hits. Morbius and Madame Web had value as movies that were ”so bad they’re good,” but it’s likely even Angelina Jolie forgot she starred in Life or Something Like It. The 2002 romantic comedy drama was hated by critics, ignored by audiences, and managed to lose millions of dollars in theaters on its way to being forgotten, yet when it started streaming, it suddenly topped viewing charts on platforms like Netflix. 

Angelina Jolie Will Die In Seven Days

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Angelina Jolie made Life or Something Like It before she brought Lara Croft to the big screen in Tomb Raider, but the rom-com came in between the original and Cradle of Life, and only three years before Mr. and Mrs. Smith cemented her status as a major action star. The low-key rom-com has Jolie starring as Lanie Kerrigan, a local Seattle reporter filled with the type of ennui and emptiness about her life that marked so many early-2000s films, when she’s told by a street prophet (Tony Shalhoub) she’ll die in seven days.

The prophet is shown to be eerily correct throughout the film, predicting an earthquake at exactly 9:06 AM in San Francisco, and that an “Angel will fall from the sky,” which turns out to be a member of the Anaheim (now LA) Angels. The prediction is enough to get Lanie to try to turn her life around.

Though her hot baseball-playing boyfriend Cal (Angel’s Christian Kane) is useless, Pete (Edward Burns), the cameraman, is right there to share his philosophy of living each day to the fullest. Lanie finds herself falling in love with Pete’s weirdo charm and zest for life while pursuing her dream of becoming a national-level news anchor harder than ever. That’s the entire plot, and while Angelina Jolie tries to make Life or Something Like It into a hit through sheer willpower, the film, like Lanie, was doomed before opening day. 

The Worst Combination Since Pineapple And Pizza: Expensive And Boring

If you decide to watch the movie on streaming, keep in mind that this film had a budget of $40 million, and that was before the inescapable marketing campaign. With inflation, that would be close to $70 million today.

While Angelina Jolie was expensive to get for the film, Life or Something Like It cost $20 million more than the gorgeous Nosferatu remake and $30 million beyond Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, a film that managed to turn a profit, beloved by fans and critics, and was enough to secure a third film. There was no way Jolie’s film was going to turn a profit, even though it did beat The Ring and the “seven days until you die” plot to the punch by a few months. 

Angelina Jolie may be an A-list star with a string of blockbusters to her name, but like any performer, she has an equal number of flops in her filmography, and Life or Something Like It may be the most forgettable. That’s not to say the film is bad; Jolie does her absolute best to elevate it, but it’s completely forgettable, and today it would be a six-episode series on a streaming service. It’s a testament to her star power that has yet to dwindle after over 30 years in the spotlight that dropping one of her worst films on a streamer would turn it into a smash hit.

Life or Something Like It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The number one movie on Prime Video this week is Peter Farrelly’s new action comedy Balls Up. Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and starring Mark Wahlberg, Paul Walter Hauser, Sacha Baron Cohen, and more, the movie follows a pair of marketing executives who inadvertently cause a global scandal at the World Cup in Brazil, which makes them a target of angry fans, drug lords, and government officials. Though widely panned by critics, the movie has clearly found fans among Prime Video subscribers. But Balls Up is hardly the only thing you could watch on the streaming service. Here’s a look at three great movies that we think you should watch on Prime Video this week, including one of last year’s most acclaimed films.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Prime Video.

1

‘Weapons’ (2025)

One of the most celebrated horror movies of 2025, Weapons is a mystery horror film directed, written, produced, and co-scored by Zach Cregger. The movie revolves around the mysterious disappearance of 17 children in the small town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, which leaves the community in a state of anger, confusion, and paranoia, and leads their parents and teacher to investigate, discovering a sinister evil power in the process. The film boasts a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Toby Huss, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.

Following up on the success of his previous horror film Barbarian, Cregger delivers a twisted and terrifying horror story in Weapons that has further elevated his reputation as a new horror master. With a non-linear, anthology-esque narrative that ties together the stories of multiple different characters, it’s an intelligently crafted film with a genuinely scary villain, brought to life by Amy Madigan’s Academy Award-winning performance. Weapons is easily one of the most thrilling horror films of recent years, and it’s earned near-universal acclaim for its writing, direction, performances, and production values.

2

‘The Voyeurs’ (2021)

Written and directed by Michael Mohan, The Voyeurs is an erotic thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Justice Smith. Set in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the movie follows a young couple, Pippa (Sweeney) and Thomas (Smith), who develop an obsession with the lives of their neighbors across the street and start spying on them, leading to unexpected and deadly consequences. Ben Hardy and Natasha Liu Bordizzo star as the neighbors, and the film also features Katharine King So, Cameo Adele, and Jean Yoon in supporting roles.

The Voyeurs had a pretty mixed critical reception when it was first released in 2021, but it was an undeniable success with Prime Video audiences, performing far beyond Amazon’s expectations. While its plot is quite uneven and borders on the unrealistic, the film is still an engaging, steamy, and wild thriller that takes a sexually-charged approach to its familiar premise. It’s no Rear Window, but The Voyeurs is still a lot of fun, largely thanks to the performances by Sweeney and Smith.

3

‘Transformers One’ (2024)

An animated sci-fi action movie inspired by the iconic toy line, Transformers One was directed by Josh Cooley and written by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari. Set on Cybertron in the years before it was torn apart by civil war, the film explores the origins of the Cybertronians who would go on to become the familiar Autobots and Decepticons of the franchise, primarily focusing on Orion Pax, the future Optimus Prime, and his best friend, D-16, the future Megatron. Chris Hemsworth voices Orion Pax and Brian Tyree Henry voices D-16, leading an ensemble voice cast that also includes Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.

A fresh reimagining of the Transformers franchise, Transformers One takes inspiration from the classic cartoons to create a fascinating new origin for the franchise’s heroes and villains, and it was widely acclaimed at the time of its release. Though it wasn’t a box office success, the movie is easily one of the best new Transformers films released in recent years, far better than some of the live-action films. Brought to life through striking animation by Industrial Light & Magic, Transformers One has earned praise from critics and fans alike for its visuals, story, performances, and action.

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Release Date

September 20, 2024

Runtime

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104 Minutes

Director

Josh Cooley

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Writers

Andrew Barrer, Steve Desmond, Gabriel Ferrari

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A simple comment about not being a Taylor Swift fan turned into something far uglier for Josh Hutcherson.

In a new interview, the actor is looking back on the intense online attacks he received after saying he was “definitely not a Swiftie.” This barrage included body-shaming remarks that hit at some of his long-standing insecurities.

Hutcherson has also reflected on how this extreme reaction reinforced his desire to stay away from internet fame.

Josh Hutcherson Described The Backlash From Swifties As Intense

In 2025, Hutcherson came under fire from Swift fans after telling his “I Love LA” castmate Jordan Firstman in an interview with i-D Magazine that he was “definitely not a Swiftie.”

Now, in a GQ cover story, the actor is revisiting the reaction with some surprise, recalling how quickly the backlash escalated into body-shaming once the comment started circulating online.

“All of a sudden, it garnered this, ‘F-ck him! He’s a monster! Destroy him! He’s short! He hates her because he’s short!’” Hutcherson told the outlet.

“The Hunger Games” star said the experience only reinforced his decision to keep his distance from internet culture, even as many celebrities lean into building highly visible online personas.

Hutcherson made clear, however, that he has no issue with Swift herself. He told the outlet he thinks “she’s great,” but said her music simply does not connect with him, despite attending one of her New Orleans concerts last year.

Hutcherson Doesn’t Want To Be Idolized By The Internet

Hutcherson has built a sizable following on Instagram, with more than two million followers on the platform. However, he also made it clear that being idolized online is not something he wants. As he said to GQ, he does not “need that energy.”

The actor confirmed his belief that too much public familiarity can actually get in the way of his work, especially when it comes to disappearing into the characters he plays onscreen.

“It’s counterintuitive to my job, because if people know you more, you can’t disappear into characters,” he said. “They see you as, ‘Oh, that’s Josh.’ So, if you’re a f-cking meme, people know you for the meme.”

Josh Hutcherson Recalls Constant Scrutiny As A Child Star

By age 9, Hutcherson was already building a name for himself in Hollywood with roles in family films like “Zathura” and “Bridge to Terabithia.” But growing up in the spotlight also meant getting used to a level of scrutiny that never really let up.

“You are always being watched, he said. “You’re potentially always being recorded and photographed, and those things directly impact your career and what roles you get.”

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That constant attention, he explained, also heightened his awareness of what he saw as his “weak points,” including his rosacea and shorter height. According to Hutcherson, those insecurities were often weaponized against him and “thrown” back in his face.

The Actor Says Therapy Has Helped Him Face His Insecurities

Over time, Hutcherson has come to understand the importance of confronting his insecurities and has begun doing so by undergoing therapy.

“I’ve started to really open up about it in therapy and talk about it more directly,” the “Hunger Games” star said, “as opposed to having fake confidence, but really you’re dying on the inside.“

Still, Hutcherson maintained that the process has not been easy. He said therapy often requires admitting things about yourself that do not feel “cool” to say out loud, which can be both uncomfortable and “scary.”

Josh Hutcherson ‘No Longer Sees’ His Insecurities As Flaws

These days, Hutcherson says he has a healthier relationship with the insecurities that once weighed heavily on him. Rather than viewing them as “negatives” or “beauty faults,” he now sees them as part of who he is.

The former child star said that shift has come through both therapy and the perspective that comes with getting older.

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“I feel like it has led to me being able to handle it in a much more healthy, sane way, and not spiral out and feel like a piece of sh-t,” Hutcherson said of his healing process.

Even with that progress, he insisted that the struggle has not disappeared entirely. Hutcherson acknowledged that those triggers still resurface at times, but said he works to keep them from taking over.

Will Trent killed off a main character — and now the actor is speaking out about their shocking exit.

During the Tuesday, April 14, episode of the show, Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn) died while secretly working with the FBI to find information to help Will’s (Ramón Rodríguez) case against Adelaide Trevens (Mallory Jansen).

Sohn’s exit received backlash, which she addressed in several social media posts. The actress, 61, took to Instagram on Saturday, April 18, to reflect on how “surprised by the response to Amanda’s death” she was.

“Once you get the pink slip, it’s just a job. I got a job like you got a job. It’s just a job,” she explained. “Actors are really low people on the totem pole when it comes down to the big structure. When you get a pink slip, you don’t ask about it. You just say goodbye.”

While reflecting on her departure, Sohn promised to share more insight on having to “say goodbye to” characters she played in the past.

“[In my upcoming memoir, I get to talk about] the ins and outs of that and what comes with the business and all that,” she shared. “It’s not always time to talk about the details because one of the things I was taught through this experience of being Amanda and of being in this situation is she’s a much more thoughtful, reserved character than I am. When I engage with characters, we give each other aspects of ourselves.”

Sohn noted she is going to be “a little more reserved in [her] expressions” for now. “The best years are yet to come,” she concluded. “Here’s to Will Trent. Here’s to Amanda. My god. What a character. What an honor and a privilege. So just hold tight. We’re gonna be alright. There’s plenty of Sonja Sohn coming up.”

Sohn captioned the post: “I cannot adequately express the overwhelming gratitude I feel for the @willtrentabc fans who have poured their hearts out on my page.”

She added: “I did my best to to [sic] respond to each one of you but the comments kept growing & I had some life on deck to live. Please know I am receiving & grateful for your precious attention and support. I promise to honor that by giving you something you can sink your teeth into & celebrate with me in the not so distant future.”

Co-showrunner Karine Rosenthal also addressed the decision to write off Amanda, who had been a main character on the show since season 1.

“Amanda has been the character who has protected Will for as long as she has known him,” Rosenthal told Variety in a statement. “So this gives us the opportunity for a completely new dynamic in the GBI, because her replacement will not have that same relationship with Will. Her death had the most impact on the most amount of characters. It really sets everybody reeling from this enormous loss. So it’s such a reset for our characters in a way that is painful but exciting for season 5.”

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Rosenthal told the outlet that Sohn was made aware that her arc was coming to an end early in season 4 and she handled the news with “grace.”

“Nobody gets to always exit their shows — even on the writing side — on their own terms all the time,” executive producer Daniel Thomsen added. “It’s hard to do that with grace. So it was just very impressive. She is a total pro.”

Will Trent airs on ABC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.

Plastic surgery rumors are not enough to steal Anne Hathaway‘s beauty crown.

The award-winning actress previously ignited rumors about going under the knife to enhance her looks via cosmetic procedures after attending the 2025 Met Gala ceremony in New York City. While she has denied the rumors, she has been quite vocal about struggling with insecurities as a woman in the entertainment industry,

Anne Hathaway shares some secrets to keeping her body in shape and her looks on point even after childbearing. She stresses the importance of staying active as one ages, giving up bad habits, and having a good skincare regimen.

Anne Hathaway Says Beauty And Ugliness Can Coexist

Hathaway marked a major achievement as she has been named the Most Beautiful Woman for People magazine with her appearance as the May cover star. The stunning actress had an interview where she talked about her career, family life with kids, and shared her perspective on beauty. 

When asked how she defines what is beautiful, the movie star gave an unconventional answer, quoting a statement she previously heard from a fellow member of the industry. “A  filmmaker once told me this: Beauty can contain within it ugliness as long as it contains truth.” She began, and then added, “So for me beauty always falls along those lines.” Hathaway’s answer echoed a simple message: true beauty must house no lies!.

Further in the conversation, the “Devil Wears Prada” actress gave a shoutout to her personal trainer while discussing how she stays in shape. “I love working out with Monique Eastwood. She’s a genius. She’s a former ballerina, so she’s put together ballet, HIIT, Pilates, yoga,” she gushed. Hathaway revealed that she had been working with her personal trainer for over four years, having private lessons, hinting that the results of the workouts are off the charts.

The Primetime Emmy Awardee Was Not Comfortable With Conversation About Her Weight

The Daily Mail reported that the iconic actress admitted during the interview that she did not like the attention that was drawn to her body after her hit role as Catwoman in “The Dark Knight Rises.” She played the sexy comic book character starring opposite Christian Bale in the 2012 Christopher Nolan film.

The actress explained that it bothered her that there was a loud conversation about her weight and not her strength. Hathaway disclosed that before filming, Nolan had a deep conversation with her, stressing that he did not care about her losing weight, all her wanted was that she would be able to do all her stunts. The 43-year-old actress added that with a lot of practice, she did indeed learn her stunts, including flipping backward out of a window.

“I didn’t like that the way into the question was, ‘How much weight did you have to lose?’ And not, ‘How strong did you have to get to play that part?’” She remarked  Hathaway’s interview did not end without her praising her husband, Adam Shulman, for his constant support and holding down the fort with their two sons while she works.

Anne Hathaway Headlines With Plastic Surgery Rumors Last Year

The actress’s jaw-dropping look at last year’s Met Gala set tongues wagging once again The whispers began after she stepped out for the Ralph Lauren fall 2025 runway presentation held at the Jack Shainman Gallery in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood last April For the Met Gala last May, she wore a crisp white dress shirt by Wes Gordon, which she paired with a beaded maxi skirt in a black and silver striped pattern. She sealed the look with sky-high black heels and statement jewelry.

“The Princess Diaries” star looked breathtaking as she walked the red carpet posing for pictures, which ignited speculations when they hit the media Many fans commented on her youthful glow, raising questions about whether or not she had undergone a cosmetic procedure The Blast reports that a plastic surgeon, Gary Motykie, analyzed the Hollywood icon’s looks, saying he had “no doubt [she] had surgery on her nose.”

Hathaway, on the other hand, claimed in 2008 that she had never gone under the knife but desired to have her nose worked on because she needed the face for her job. “When I was growing up, I wanted a nose job, because I didn’t think my nose was good,” she told news outlets at the time.

The ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Star Responded To The Plastic Surgery Speculations

The internet buzz around the actress’s looks got to her ears, and she decided to clear the air. As shared by The Blast in a previous release, the 43-year-old star clarified that she was not down for entertaining rumors. She stated that despite the ongoing rumors about her potential look-altering procedures, she was not going to publicly “discuss medical information.”  

Hathaway, however, previously claimed that her looks are due to her skincare routine, workout sessions, and changes in her lifestyle choices, like saying goodbye to alcohol. At this year’s Oscars, she disclosed one of her beauty tips. 

The award-winning actress noted that she achieves a more “awake” appearance, with a simple, subtle braided hairstyle designed to create a lifted, snatched effect. Hathaway has also shared over time that she had to tailor her mindset to tilt in a different direction concerning looks after she clocked forty.

Anne Hathaway’s Take On Self-Confidence

Beauty comes from within, and it takes confidence to keep a head held high as a female star in the entertainment industry because often, looks are prone to judgment. Hathaway admitted that she had phases where she struggled with her self-confidence right from her younger days.

She also noted that she struggled to find her voice as a child because she often felt out of place. “When I was a kid, I found talking really difficult, so I had a bit of stress and anxiety around just, like, communicating,” she previously revealed. The Blast also reports that the mom of two shared that there are days when she looks in the mirror and feels different about her looks in an interview.

She cited a moment when she did not feel like she looked her best but had to put on what she described as he “aspirational swimsuit.” Ultimately, Hathaway decided to embrace that growth and the changes her body goes through with age with a positive mindset. With this, she feels free, comfortable, and confident in a way she hasn’t felt before.

On first watch, Exit 8 is a terrifying experience. An adaptation of the 2023 viral video game, The Exit 8, it thrives in uncertainty. Unbeknownst to a viewer with no previous knowledge of the subject, there is no guarantee of survival. The only assurance is the apprehension and fear that come from the unexpected at every turn. Failure could mean a fate worse than death. Much like Stanley Kubrick‘s The Shining, Genki Kawamura‘s work reflects upon themes dissecting fatherhood, global ignorance, and male ego-driven violence, making this new release a perfect choice for a creepy movie night.

The premise is straightforward, but what unfolds is a psychological game of peeling back layers of past trauma to heal present issues in order to truly move forward. The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, gaining an award for best poster design and an appropriately poetic eight-minute standing ovation. Symbolized by the number eight, Exit 8 explores the nature of cycles, be them physical, mental, or emotional. At the core of the story, the narrative holds a magnifying glass to these men, questioning whether redemption should be on the table to begin with.

The Acclaimed Horror Movie ‘Exit 8’ Encourages Viewers To Have Empathy

The film follows The Lost Man (Kazunari Ninomiya) as he navigates an endless subway tunnel. Soon realizing there are rules he must follow that will allow him to leave, he begins to truly pay attention to his surroundings. If he notices an anomaly, he must turn back. If he doesn’t notice anything different, he must move forward. Due to expert camerawork, the film starts off with a first-person POV, transporting the viewer into the position of a player, engaging with the game. As The Lost Man receives a call from a former partner, she shares that she is pregnant and hasn’t decided how to best proceed. Distraught, he wanders into the hallway that will test his wit and resilience.

Kubrick’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name isn’t a game in the literal sense. However, it unfolds like one. The hotel presents various opportunities for the family to pack up and leave — plaguing Danny Torrance (Danny Lloyd) with visions — yet they stay, forcing the unfortunate as they must face the demons they’ve ignored. In Jack Torrance’s (Jack Nicholson) case, his ignorance of his family is for the sake of his craft. His ego drives him and ultimately makes him susceptible to the evil that consumes him in the end. For The Lost Man (Ninomiya), the hallway forces him to face and challenge his own ego. The hallway becomes more than a physical space. It stands as a main character, a monster, and a lesson all rolled into one.

‘Exit 8’ Is a Brilliant Vessel for Genki Kawamura’s Take on Fatherhood

During a post-screening talk back with director Kawamura in New York City, he admitted to having taken inspiration from works such as David Lynch‘s Eraserhead, Kenji Mizoguchi‘s Ugetsu, and, of course, Kubrick’s The Shining. His admiration went as far as to name two of the hallway sets as Kubrick and Hitchcock, after famed filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. What these films have in common is their reflection upon parental roles and how they shift from decade to decade, generation to generation. In The Shining, Jack fancies himself a wordsmith, working on a novel. He is in desperate need of space to express himself creatively, which is the catalyst for him accepting the position as the winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel. He types away while weary of the sinister forces at play until it’s too late. In the meantime, Wendy works long and hard around the hotel, duties that better suit Jack, considering his responsibilities brought them there in the first place.

In Exit 8, The Lost Man’s circumstances are due to his debilitating reaction at the news of him possibly becoming a father. Since the dawn of time, fatherhood has molded the greatest fears of man. In Jack Torrance’s case, it is the hindrance of greatness. For The Lost Man, it’s the uncertainty of being able to step up to the challenge. In both cases, Danny (Lloyd) and The Boy (Naru Asanuma) see things more clearly, yet are ignored by the adult males in their surroundings. That is, until someone comes along and takes the time to consider their input and way of seeing the situation.

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For Danny, it’s his visions and ability to see beyond what’s right in front of them. For The Boy, he’s more in tune with the changes in front of him in the hallway that the likes of The Walking Man and The Lost Man may overlook. It digs deeper into children’s ability to turn the volume down on the noise of the world such as natural disasters, stock market crashes, and online trends that plague most adults. For Jack Torrance, the noise swallows him whole. He becomes the absent father trope driven by vices, be it his career motivation, alcoholism, or carnal pleasures. For The Lost Man, it’s simpler. He overcomes his debilitating fear, and towards the end, he’s able to stand up to the noise, calling out verbal abuse on a packed train.

Through its repetitive nature, Exit 8 begs the user, protagonist, and the viewer to examine the anomalies of day-to-day life and make a conscious decision — in the film and game’s circumstances to actively turn back — instead of moving forward, forcefully ignorant. Especially within today’s social climate, the paradox of fatherhood takes a new face when outside circumstances influence internal emotional complications. Kawamura’s adaptation of the popular video game will resonate with fans of Kubrick’s The Shining for its outstanding ability to present basic human emotion and instinct as both flaw and virtue. To actively make a choice, to have empathy, and to be present are the ultimate tools for survival.

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Release Date

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April 10, 2026

Runtime

95 Minutes

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Director

Genki Kawamura

Writers

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Genki Kawamura, Kentaro Hirase

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  Kazunari Ninomiya

  The Lost Man

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  Yamato Kochi

  The Walking Man

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Meghan Markle has a knack for making even the most casual footwear feel like it belongs on a magazine cover. During a visit to Melbourne, Australia, with Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex was spotted rocking Freda Salvador’s Eda D’orsay sneakers, a pair that’s been part of her rotation since early 2025. The cool mom shoe checks every box in our book — clean, minimal and effortlessly polished, while still prioritizing comfort. The one downside? Markle’s pick comes with a $238 price tag that many of Us would have to sleep on (and then sleep on again).

Still, the style icon may be onto something, especially since the D’orsay silhouette is having a real moment right now. The cutout-sided design feels wonderfully nostalgic (2016 fashion really is trending again!) and is poised for a full comeback. Even Shailene Woodley was spotted rocking a pair of D’orsay flats on the set of Count My Lies, which tells you this isn’t just a one-off royal whim. It’s a genuine trend with staying power, and thankfully, it’s easier than ever to nail with Lucky Brand’s Dansbey sneaker.

The lace-up, cutout kicks capture the same sleek aesthetic Markle wore, and ring up at just $66. That’s a royal-approved look for under $100, which feels like a small victory worth celebrating.

Get the Lucky Brand Dansbey Sneaker for $66 (was $79) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

What makes this shoe actually worth your money (beyond looking like something from Markle’s closet) is that it’s made from real leather, setting it apart from the flood of synthetic lookalikes you’ll find in this price range. The cutout sides give it that signature D’orsay profile, keeping things airy and stylish without sacrificing structure. While it features a lace-up design, the shoe also functions as a slip-on, so you still get that polished feel without the hassle of constantly double-knotting. If you’re someone who values an easy morning routine, that detail alone is a selling point.

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Related: Meghan Markle’s Luxe Loafers Are Replacing Sandals This Spring

If there’s anyone who can make us rethink our entire spring shoe rotation, it’s Meghan Markle. The royal style icon was recently spotted out and about in Montecito wearing a pair of ultra-polished loafers — and suddenly, our go-to sandals are feeling a little…underdressed. Her exact pair? The luxe Dot Sole Walk Loafers from Loro […]

The flexible sole and lightweight construction also mean these sneakers won’t punish your feet on a long day. Comfort matters, especially when you’re trying to channel the energy of someone who walks red carpets and then immediately pivots to chasing children around a garden. The Dansbey handles both speeds — even with styling.

Pair them with cropped trousers and a blazer for a lunch meeting, or throw them on with your favorite jeans and a white tee for weekend errands. The clean, minimal silhouette works the same way as Markle’s original pair, elevating whatever you wear it with. That’s the magic of the D’orsay cut. It reads as intentional and put together, even when the rest of your ensemble was assembled in four minutes flat.

Amazon shoppers are big fans of the Lucky Brand shoe, with many calling the style “super comfortable.”

“I bought these for a trip to Europe, where we walked between 4 to 7 miles through cobblestone streets every day,” one person wrote. “They were the perfect walking shoe! I got them in sage and loved them so much that I ordered the pink, too.”

Another customer even pointed out the similarities to Markle’s sneakers, calling them “just as cute and trendy as the ones Meghan has, which cost about four times as much.”

Markle has built her style around pieces that feel both accessible and elegant, gravitating toward clean lines, neutral palettes and shoes that actually let her move through her day. The Dansbey alternative fits squarely into that philosophy, giving you the comfort and casual energy of sneakers with the refined shape of something dressier — and they also look far more expensive than their price tag suggests. Add them to your cart, ASAP. Your feet (and your bank account) will thank you.

Get the Lucky Brand Dansbey Sneaker for $66 (was $79) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more D’orsay cutout flats here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Related: Mary Jane Sneakers Are the Cool-Girl Shoe Trend Taking Over Spring 2026

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If you love the stability and comfort of a sneaker but love the dainty, lightweight feel of a ballet flat, we have good news. Mary Jane-style sneakers are quickly taking over spring 2026’s footwear trends, and we’re so here for it. Also known as ballerina sneakers, this easy shoe style combines the traction of a […]

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 7 seconds ago

When Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted its third season, the main cast members had snazzy new uniforms. They looked great, but they came at a very high cost. Each of these new uniforms cost about $3,000 at the time, which is why only main cast members got the upgrade; background actors continued to wear the older style uniforms because Paramount didn’t want to shell out too much cash. In a wild twist, however, they almost had to pay an exorbitant sum of money to some thieves who stole $82,000 worth of uniforms and attempted to ransom them for KITT, the tricked-out car from Knight Rider!

This story comes to us from Dropping Names With Brent and Jonny, a podcast hosted by TNG alumni Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes. That podcast has become a goldmine of cool trivia because, as you might imagine, these Trek icons have quite a few crazy stories to tell. But none have been quite as crazy as Frakes’ recent tale of some very specialized thieves. According to the former Riker actor, these criminals infiltrated the Paramount lot and walked off with $82,000 worth of Star Trek uniforms.

The ’80s Coolest Car

Their heist was a success, but it left the thieves with something of a problem: who was going to buy the stuff? Sure, these uniforms were worth a lot of money, but only to Paramount, which would be using them for future Star Trek productions. The average fan wasn’t going to shell out thousands for these uniforms, and trying to sell them to just anyone would be a great way to get caught. Accordingly, the thieves decided to contact Paramount with their demands, but this is where things get weird. Instead of asking for cash, the thieves wanted KITT, the car from Knight Rider.

If you’re too young to remember, Knight Rider was an iconic ‘80s show featuring David Hasselhoff. While the future Baywatch star made for a compelling lead, audiences cared more about his ride. Hasselhoff’s character drove KITT, a Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. It looked great, but this car was more than a design classic: it was also a sentient car that could talk and deploy any number of weapons and gadgets worthy of 007. It had some stiff competition from Michael Keaton’s Batmobile and Marty McFly’s DeLorean, but many fans consider this the coolest car of the ‘80s.

Game On, Thieves!

The thieves apparently agreed with this assessment, which is why they tried to use the uniforms as ransom. They wanted to give them back to Paramount in exchange for KITT, and they set up a time and place to make the exchange. However, TNG producer Merri D. Howard had already contacted the FBI about the matter. When the thieves met with him in the desert to make a swap, they didn’t get KITT. Instead, they got swarmed by federal agents who promptly arrested the criminals and returned the stolen uniforms to Paramount.

While this was seemingly the craziest incident of theft, Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner made it clear that security on the Paramount lot was really bad. Apparently, it was a regular occurrence for people to steal the captain’s chair that had been ergonomically designed for Patrick Stewart. Fortunately, Paramount managed to get back the $82,000 of stolen uniforms and arrest the culprits, and Frakes and Spiner were left with the story of a lifetime.

KITT, sadly, was unavailable for comment.