For fantasy fans, the news that Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time was cancelled after just three seasons was a bitter blow — and now, a whole year later, that loss still stings. The series had only begun to scratch the surface of Robert Jordan’s sprawling saga, and its abrupt end left audiences without one of the genre’s rare large-scale TV adaptations. If you’re still looking to scratch that itch and fill that sweeping fantasy void, though, there’s an underrated series that might just surprise you. It’s bloody, trippy, and bold enough to stand apart from the crowd — and it also boasts a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

That show is Britannia. First debuting in 2018 on Sky Atlantic before later making its way to Prime Video, Britannia is unlike any other fantasy drama on television. It’s a sprawling epic that mixes brutal history with myth and mysticism, anchored by an ensemble of emotionally complex characters all searching for something — power, survival, faith, or redemption. The result is a series that feels both vast in scope and deeply personal, blending brutal battles with hallucinatory visions to create a fantasy world that’s as strange as it is compelling.

What Is ‘Britannia’ About?

On the surface, Britannia begins as a historical drama. Set in 43 A.D., it follows the Roman Empire’s invasion of the British Isles, but what could have been a straightforward war story quickly unravels into something stranger. The Celtic tribes, led by figures like Princess Kerra (Kelly Reilly), torn between family and survival, and Queen Antedia (Zoë Wanamaker), a ruthless rival with ambitions of her own, must decide whether to unite against the Romans. Across the battlefield looms General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey), a calculating commander whose obsession with conquest hints at motives beyond simple empire-building.

At the heart of the series is Cait (Eleanor Worthington-Cox), a young girl who survives a Roman raid and reluctantly falls under the guidance of the Druids. Through her, audiences witness both the brutality of occupation and the disorienting pull of prophecy. While the world around her is gruesome and otherworldly, Cait’s arc is a coming-of-age story at its core, giving the series an emotional anchor as she struggles toward an uncertain destiny.

The Druids are what give Britannia its wild reputation. Characters like Veran, played with a spectacularly eerie and unrecognizable intensity by Mackenzie Crook, make their rituals feel like fever dreams. Unlike the rule-bound magic systems of shows like The Wheel of Time, the Druids’ power is chaotic and deliberately terrifying. The show never fully explains the source of their power, which only heightens their mystique and the surrounding danger.

Similar to shows like The Wheel of Time and even Game of Thrones, the series juggles sprawling factions and competing agendas, but it handles that scope in a uniquely surreal way. Created by brothers Jez Butterworth and Tom Butterworth, Britannia thrives precisely because it doesn’t try to be the next Game of Thrones. Instead, it embraces the strange, blending raw history with pagan mysticism and psychedelic horror to create a fantasy epic that’s as unsettling as it is compelling. And while its world is strange and unpredictable, what keeps it grounded is the ensemble cast, whose performances ensure the chaos always feels human.

Like ‘The Wheel of Time’, ‘Britannia’ is Led By a Stellar Ensemble Cast

As trippy and surreal as Britannia often becomes, its cast keeps the story firmly grounded. David Morrissey brings gravitas to General Aulus Plautius, never playing him as a one-note villain. Instead, he’s a manipulative strategist whose hunger for power is complicated by his unsettling connection to the Druids, making him both terrifying and strangely charismatic. Mackenzie Crook is equally unforgettable, channeling the show’s eerie energy and eventually taking on dual roles as two of its most disturbing Druids. And Kelly Reilly, before she became a household name in Yellowstone, delivers a fiery, vulnerable turn as Princess Kerra, embodying both the fierce determination of a leader and the emotional depth of someone caught between protecting her people and obeying her family.

Later seasons deepen the ensemble further with the addition of the incredible Sophie Okonedo, who Wheel of Time fans know as the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche. In Britannia, she channels that same commanding presence into Hemple, a high priestess with a hypnotic aura and a chilling hunger for power. Okonedo layers authority with nuance, enriching the show’s expanding mythology and raising the stakes with every scene she’s in. If you’re captivated by Okonedo’s performance in The Wheel of Time, her turn in Britannia is another must-see showcase of her talent.

Together, this ensemble prevents Britannia from feeling like just a surreal experiment. For all its surrealism, the show never loses sight of the fact that fantasy is at its best when it’s grounded in people struggling to survive extraordinary circumstances. That balance is what makes Britannia stand out, and why it deserves to be remembered as one of the boldest, most unconventional shows in modern fantasy television. If you’re a fan of The Wheel of Time, Game of Thrones, or any fantasy series that mixes high-stakes drama with supernatural intrigue, the three seasons of Britannia should be at the top of your watch list.

Britannia is now available to stream on Prime Video.

It’s been over ten years since the sequel trilogy kicked off with 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” It was immediately followed by 2017’s controversial “The Last Jedi” and 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” the last “Star Wars” film released in theaters. That’s about to change when “The Mandalorian & Grogu” hits theaters on May 22, but it takes place years before the events of the sequel trilogy. In honor of May the 4th, or Star Wars Day, let’s take a look back at some of the major stars from the sequel trilogy and where they’re at now.

After becoming a household name for her role as Rey, Daisy Ridley went on to star in “Cleaner,” “Young Woman and the Sea,” and the zombie movie “We Bury The Dead,” which was released earlier this year.

She’ll next appear in “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol” alongside Johnny Depp, who plays the titular Scrooge. The feature has a star-studded cast, including Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Ian McKellen, and Tramell Tillman.

Although there was supposed to be a Rey movie directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, there has been little news about the project since its initial announcement. Some fans believe that her standalone movie will now be folded into Simon Kinberg’s new trilogy. It might be a while before she returns to the screen with her lightsaber, but Ridley recently reassured her followers that her return to a galaxy far, far away will be “worth the wait.”

John Boyega’s Return As Finn Is Unclear

John Boyega starred as Finn, a Stormtrooper-turned-Resistance fighter. Since leaving the galaxy far, far away, he won a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Leroy Logan in Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology. He also appeared in 2022’s “The Woman King” and 2023’s “They Cloned Tyrone.”

Boyega has been vocal about his mixed feelings about the franchise, as his character was sidelined after 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” In 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” he spends most of the movie trying, and failing, to tell Rey that his character is Force-sensitive. The reveal never actually happens, leaving many fans disappointed.

In March 2026, during a panel at Megacon Orlando, a fan told him to “Get Dave [Filoni] on the phone.” Boyega replied, “I actually have, actually,” leading to speculation that he was working with Lucasfilm to reprise the character. However, some in the audience have since taken to social media to say that it sounded like he was joking, so it looks like fans will just have to wait and see.

Oscar Isaac Will ‘Maybe’ Return To ‘Star Wars’

Oscar Isaac is currently starring in season 2 of Netflix’s “Beef,” although the actor has been pretty busy since leaving the galaxy far, far away, where he played Resistance pilot-turned-general, Poe Dameron. He went on to join another Disney franchise, Marvel, where he played the titular “Moon Knight” on the Disney+ series. He also recently starred in Netflix’s “Frankenstein.”

In November 2025, he said that he would be “open” to returning to “Star Wars.” However, he admitted that he was “not so open to working with Disney” after Jimmy Kimmel was pulled from the air following a comment he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

In April 2026, he once again said that he was “maybe” interested in returning to “Star Wars” and revealed that the “Somehow, Palpatine returned,” line that has been widely mocked across social media was a “new addition” during reshoots.

Kelly Marie Tran Is Open To Returning As Rose Tico

Kelly Marie Tran is probably one of the most controversial characters added to the sequel trilogy. Her character, Resistance technician Rose Tico, didn’t appear in 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” and was subject to the divisive Canto Bight subplot in 2017’s “The Last Jedi.”

Regardless of her character’s live-action reception, she has continued to voice Rose Tico in 2020’s “The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” and 2022’s “LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation.” In addition to narrating “The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron” audiobook, she also voiced Darth Rose Tico in “LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy,” which premiered on Disney+ in 2024.

In April 2025, she told CBR that she had conversations about a possible return for Rose Tico, stating that she is still a “Star Wars” fan and that she still has “such a warm place in my heart, just that whole universe, and that entire experience.”

Adam Driver Wanted To Return To ‘Star Wars’ Before Disney Shut It Down

Since leaving a galaxy far, far away, Adam Driver has received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in 2018’s “BlacKkKlansman” and Best Actor in 2019’s “Marriage Story,” but he’s also gone on to star in 2021’s “The Last Duel,” 2021’s “House of Gucci,” 2023’s “Ferrari,” and 2024’s “Megalopolis,” to name a few.

He has also been tapped to star in a new Netflix series called “Rabbit, Rabbit,” an Apple TV art-world drama called “The Dealer,” and the military drama “Alone At Dawn,” which tells the true story of Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman’s fight to save his fellow soldiers and the investigation to prove his valor that earned him a Medal of Honor. 

Despite his busy schedule, the actor revealed in October 2025 that he and director Steven Soderbergh had been working on their own movie called “The Hunt For Ben Solo.” Although he played the villainous Kylo Ren for the first two films, he returned to his identity as Ben Solo and was seemingly redeemed at the end of “The Rise of Skywalker” while fighting Emperor Palpatine, and appeared to have died after he faded into the Force.

However, it seems that Driver felt that the character had unfinished business. He and Soderbergh spent a few years developing a script with Scott Z. Burns that received approval from Lucasfilm. However, Driver told AP News that the film was shot down by Bob Iger.

“We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it,” Driver explained. “We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”

Since then, there have been several fan campaigns attempting to revive the project, but Soderbergh has shut down any hope that the film will ever be made. That being said, it is clear that there is still interest in Ben Solo’s character, and it’s possible that he might make a return, even as a Force ghost, in Simon Kinberg’s new trilogy.

It remains to be seen whether any of these characters will appear in “Star Wars: Starfighter,” the first movie set after the events of “The Rise of Skywalker.” The film, starring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled for a May 2027 theatrical release.

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet looked loved up while out and about in New York City ahead of the 2026 Met Gala.

In a video obtained by Us Weekly on Sunday, May 3, Chalamet, 30, was seen standing beside a car door as Jenner, 28, stepped out of the vehicle. The pair then grabbed each other’s hands before walking across the sidewalk.

Chalamet donned a blue Adidas zip-up jacket with gray pants and a black baseball cap, while Jenner stunned in black capri pants and a black shirt underneath her trenchcoat. The Kardashians star styled her hair in a sleek slick-back pony tail and topped off her look with a pair of black sunglasses.

Chalamet and Jenner stepped out to see a weekend performance of Broadway’s The Fear of 13, which her sister Kim Kardashian produces. Kardashian, 45, and mom Kris Jenner were also seen exiting vehicles to attend the show.

Days prior, Chalamet and Kylie were spotted inside Madison Square Garden while watching the New York Knicks compete against the Atlanta Hawks. During the Tuesday, April 28, outing, Kylie was seen clutching Chalamet’s arm as they cheered from their seats.

Chalamet and Kylie have been going strong for three years after they were first romantically linked in April 2023. While the pair have remained private about their relationship, Chalamet gave a sweet shout-out to Kylie on the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards stage in January after winning Best Actor.

“Thank you to my partner of three years,” he told Kylie while accepting the award for his role in Marty Supreme. “Thank you for our foundation. I love you. I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Chalamet, for his part, has also formed a bond with Kylie’s two kids. (Kylie and ex Travis Scott welcomed daughter Stormi and son Aire in 2018 and 2022, respectively. The on-again, off-again exes separated for good in 2023.)

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“Timothee has also become a part of her kids’ lives and is really great with them,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in March. “They think he’s super fun, and they love being around him.”

The insider shared that Kylie waited for the right moment to introduce Chalamet to her two kids.

“They kept that part of life separate for a while, but Kylie slowly let him in, and now he’s spent a good amount of time with them,” the source said, adding that Kylie and Chalamet have a “genuine bond.”

Television has always had an affinity for mystery shows, but that fascination has only escalated in the prestige era. Traditional procedurals may have dominated ratings for generations, but thanks to the rise of more ambitious dramas, there have been more expansive miniseries and multi-season shows that attempt to keep their audiences guessing the entire time. While it’s always entertaining to get wrapped up in a good case, shows don’t always take the time to fully flesh out the detectives who are themselves solving the mystery. HBO’s Bored to Death is a hilariously absurd look at the lives of private investigators, but it also says something deeper about the motivations that propel crime obsessives. It was a show that was ahead of its time, because the explosion of interest in true crime content in the streaming era has made Bored to Death feel more prophetic.

Created by novelist Jonathan Ames, Bored to Death examines the lives of three friends living in New York City who inadvertently become involved with a series of mysteries. Jason Schwartzman stars as a fictional version of Ames, who decides to become a private investigator after experiencing several setbacks in his career as a writer. Zach Galifianakis co-stars as Jonathan’s best friend, Ray Hueston, who is both intrigued and skeptical of his pal’s newfound obsession. Ted Danson also has a primary role as George Christopher, the editor of a prestigious New York magazine who reveals himself to be just as vulnerable and confused as Jonathan, whom he has always viewed as a surrogate son. Although Bored to Death has one of the funniest pilots in HBO history, it’s extraordinary how quickly the series escalates into a new level of absurdity.

‘Bored to Death’ Is a Perfect Satire of Mystery Fiction

Comedy shows live and die based on whether their leads have chemistry, and Bored to Death finds interesting ways to play to each of its actors’ strengths. Given that Schwartzman already had a reputation for playing smug, confident young people in the early films of Wes Anderson, it was a natural evolution for him to appear as a self-loathing man-child who has become depressed by his disappearing career opportunities. Although it is a breakup that initially inspires Jonathan to make a blind Craigslist post about being a private investigator, beginning to look into crimes actually ends up making him a better writer. Jonathan’s issues as a writer come from the fact that he has become so obsessed with literature that he doesn’t have any experience in the real world. It’s obviously a self-deprecating aspect of the character that was inserted by Ames, and not just because he shares a name with the protagonist; the various jokes that Bored to Death has about the pretensions of literary high society in New York could have only come from someone who had personal experience.

Bored to Death skillfully uses both Galifianakis and Danson by casting both actors slightly against type. Although Galifianakis was in the midst of becoming a movie star thanks to the blockbuster success of The Hangover, where he played the weirdest character in the group, Bored to Death cast him as an unusual guy, who is nonetheless far more reasonable and self-sufficient than any of his friends; even though Ray’s marriage unravels due to a series of infidelities, his career is far more stable than that of Jonathan, who seems to risk it all on every assignment. Danson is expertly cast as a character who appears to be an “elder statesman,” but in reality does not have much valuable wisdom to pass on to his acolytes. This became an essential aspect of his comedic persona going forward, leading to his resurgence on television in Fargo, The Good Place, and A Man on the Inside.

‘Bored to Death’ Was Cancelled Too Soon

Bored to Death splits the difference between two different aspects of crime thriller shows, as it embraces both procedural mysteries and ongoing storylines. Given that Jonathan is game to tackle any case that he finds interesting, it makes sense that each episode could introduce a new mystery, even if the show makes a joke out of how many of them end up either answered far too quickly or left unresolved. At the same time, the series also finds a way to tie in larger issues within the lives of the characters, including a third-season storyline that involves a rival organization.

Although Bored to Death is designed for resolute crime junkies, the show is layered with homages to classic cinema, and even has a title sequence that directly embodies the style of noir films of the ‘50s and ‘50s. The show’s cancellation wasn’t just a disappointment because of the unresolved storyline of Jonathan reconnecting with his biological father (Stacey Keach), but because the series had managed to change directions so frequently that it had significant potential going forward. Given that Ames went on to make Blunt Talk for Starz, and that the three leads have only continued to peak in success since the show was canceled, it’s safe to say that Bored to Death was at least considered an underground success by television insiders. However, it’s also a show that deserves to be revisited, since there’s an entire audience who either weren’t aware or around to watch Bored to Death when it was initially airing.

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Bored to Death

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Release Date

2009 – 2011-00-00

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Directors

Michael Lehmann, Adam Bernstein

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An interview featuring Olivia Wilde spread rapidly across social media after some online users compared the actress to a “corpse” and Gollum, the pale, emaciated creature from “The Lord of the Rings.” Rather than taking offense to the harsh remarks, Wilde appeared to respond with humor, sharing a laugh with her brother over the online reactions and showing that she was largely unfazed by the commentary.

On May 3, Olivia Wilde posted an Instagram Stories video sharing her reaction to online comments about her looks from an April 24 interview promoting her movie, “The Invite.” “Leave it to your little brother to give you the maximum amount of sh-t,” the 42-year-old actress wrote.

The actress, bundled up in a blanket and wearing a hoodie, is seen giggling as her brother asks, “Olivia Wilde, do you care to address recent rumors that you’re a ‘resurrected corpse’?” Still laughing, Wilde said the interviewer used a fisheye lens, admitting it didn’t give her the best look. Moreover, she stood too close to the camera. “It’s startling. It’s a startling image,” she added.

“That’s not the truth. Do you have any more questions?” she asked. Her brother then burst into laughter before Wilde added, “I’m not… I’m not dead,” before covering her face.

Inside The Actress’s Viral Interview

On April 24, Wilde attended the San Francisco International Film Festival to promote her comedy movie, “The Invite.” In a red carpet interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, the actress appeared bug-eyed and gaunt, prompting online users to make side-by-side comparisons showing what the actress looked like in the past.

As The Blast previously reported, some speculated that Wilde was taking Ozempic for weight loss. Many commented that she looked like a cadaver, while others simply added photos comparing her to other characters, such as Golem and the Crypt-Keeper from “Tales of the Crypt.” Another commented, “She can play the live-action Corpse Bride,” referring to the character in Tim Burton’s stop-motion animated movie.

Many Online Users Defended Olivia Wilde

While some comments about Wilde’s appearance were harsh, others came to the actress’s defense, arguing that she was simply aging. “She had always been thin; she’s just aging,” one commented.

Another commenter added, “This is the fault of the camera lens and lighting. She’s still gorgeous. Don’t believe everything you see.” One user replied with a photo of the actress from a couple of weeks before the interview, speculating that the viral clip just used “horrible filters.”

“People just age, bro. I know this may be news to you, but it is a thing. Collagen goes down over time,” another person added. “Wasn’t she already rail thin? Why are they ghoul maxxing?” said another.

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The Actress’s Viral Interview Sparked Ozempic Rumors

Some online users attributed Wilde’s appearance to Ozempic, saying that she might have succumbed to the pressures of Hollywood. Many pointed out that the actress doesn’t need the medication, as she’s always had a slim body type.

Others compared Wilde’s viral look to Kelly Osbourne, who has also faced criticism in recent years for her frail appearance. Osbourne, however, has denied using Ozempic, attributing her weight loss to a strict diet and gastric sleeve surgery.

One user said Wilde’s look is a combination of aging and veganism. Wilde has been a vegan since she was 12 years old and has switched between veganism and vegetarianism over the years.

Olivia Wilde On Facing Criticism

Being in the public eye comes with facing intense scrutiny, with celebrities frequently subjected to criticism about their appearance and personal lives. In January 2021, the actress made headlines when she started dating former One Direction member Harry Styles, who was 10 years her junior.

In a December 2021 interview with Vogue, Wilde said it was “tempting” to clarify misconceptions about her relationship. However, she refuses to let public judgment affect her. “I think what you realize is that when you’re really happy, it doesn’t matter what strangers think about you. All that matters to you is what’s real, and what you love, and who you love,” she said, adding that she was “happier” and “healthier” than she’d ever been.

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45 years since making his acting debut in the ill-fated pilot The Best of Times, Oscar winner Nicolas Cage hasn’t slowed down. After a 2024 filled with the psychological thriller Longlegs, the underrated indie horror Arcadian, and his surreal thriller The Surfer, he added two more films to his lengthy resume in 2025. Among them was The Carpenter‘s Son, a horror film steeped in controversy for how it portrays the younger years of Jesus Christ and the forces of evil that influence him. Neither critics nor audiences fell in love with the feature, but despite everything working against it, Lotfy Nathan‘s biblical terror wasn’t the worst-reviewed of the two titles.

Gunslingers marked Cage’s third Western since 2022, following his starring turns in Butcher’s Crossing that year and The Old Way in 2023. Compared to those grittier affairs, it was a decidedly more over-the-top film, unfolding in a small Kentucky town where everyone’s a criminal and the most wanted man in America has just resurfaced. Immediately, his violent past catches up with him as a vicious mob arms up, eager to collect on the eye-popping bounty on his head. Bullets fly, and brothers clash with brothers as the town gets torn apart in the fight to ring up the notorious gunslinger, but he and the rest of the denizens quickly make his enemies pay for their greed. For as gonzo and entertaining a premise as it offers, it earned a ghastly 5% score from critics and 18% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, along with a 5/10 from Collider’s Robert Brian Taylor.

Yet, icy reviews haven’t kept this fast-shooting feature down. On the HBO Max global charts, Gunslingers reached #2 this week, behind only the Gerard Butler-led Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Cage is always a draw, and the film showcases him at his goofiest, playing a hammed-up, hoarse-voiced reformed outlaw who acts as the town photographer and always carries a bible. Joining him are Blade star Stephen Dorff and Boogie Nights alum Heather Graham, alongside Mohamed Karim, Scarlet Rose Stallone, Tzi Ma, and more. Behind the camera is Brian Skiba, who also previously worked with Dorff on the thriller Clear Cut.

Nicolas Cage Is About to Swing Onto Television for the First Time This Month

As always, Cage is keeping his schedule packed with projects throughout the rest of the year. Chief among his new films is the David O. Russell-directed Madden, starring Cage as the legendary NFL coach and commentatorand Christian Bale as former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis​​​​​​. However, this month will see the star lead his first-ever television series with Spider-Noir, casting him in a role familiar to his Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse part, but set in an altogether different world. He’s playing Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator, haunted by profound tragedy, who has to balance his identity as New York’s only superhero in the 1930s. Soaked in noir tropes and packed with classic Spider-Man villains, it hails from Oren Uziel and premieres first on MGM+’s linear network in the U.S. on May 25 before all episodes arrive on Prime Video on May 27.

Gunslingers is now streaming on HBO Max internationally, but U.S. viewers can currently catch it on Prime Video. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on all the hottest streaming titles throughout the year.

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Release Date

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April 11, 2025

Director

Brian Skiba

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Producers

Randall Batinkoff, Jamie R. Thompson

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Country music’s biggest names are gearing up for the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards.

The 61st annual awards show is moving from Texas to Las Vegas for the Sunday, May 17, ceremony.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to return to MGM Grand for the 61st ACM Awards next May, a place that holds a lot of history and special memories for the Academy. It truly feels like a homecoming for us,” Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside said in a December 2025 statement. “There’s no better place to host an exciting, global Country Music celebration than fabulous Las Vegas!”

Jay Penske, the CEO of Dick Clark Productions, added in his own statement that 2026 will be “a special year for the ACMs.”

Related: ACM Awards 2025 Nominees and Winners: See the Complete List

The Academy of Country Music Awards is celebrating its 60th year with a star-studded ceremony hosted by country legend Reba McEntire. The Thursday, May 8, awards show will take place at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, and feature performances from artists including Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, Kelsea Ballerini, Clint Black, Miranda Lambert and more. […]

Keep scrolling for more details about the 2026 ACMs:

Who Is Performing at the 2026 ACMs?

The Academy of Country Music Awards will feature performances from the likes of Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Riley Green, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves. Blake Shelton, Carter Faith, Dan + Shay, Ella Langley, Jordan Davis, Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett, Zach Top, Avery Anna, Tucker Wetmore and The Red Clay Strays are also set to take the stage.

2026 ACM Nominations Revealed

Nominations for the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards were announced on April 9,, where Megan Moroney led with nine nominations. Miranda Lambert followed with eight nods, while Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson each earned seven.

“Nine seems to be a good number,” Moroney wrote via her Instagram Stories. “Thank yooouuuuuuu sm @acmawards.”

Moroney received nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (as artist and songwriter), Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year, Visual Media of the Year (as artist and director) and Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

Moroney is up for Entertainer of the Year alongside Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Wilson, who won the category during the 2025 ceremony.

“Well good mornin’ @acmawards, nice to see ya?” Wilson wrote via her Instagram Stories.

Wilson is also nominated for Song of the Year (as artist and songwriter), Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year, Visual Media of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. Moroney and Wilson are nominated for Female Artist of the Year against Kelsea Ballerini, Langley and Lambert. Riley Green, Zach Top, Combs, Johnson and Stapleton, meanwhile, are up for Male Artist of the Year.

Other ACM nominees include Reba McEntire, Shaboozey, 49 Winchester, Gavin Adcock, Avery Anna, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Mackenzie Carpenter, Kenny Chesney, Dan + Shay, Dasha, Carter Faith, Flatland Cavalry, Caroline Jones, Vincent Mason, Parker McCollum, Muscadine Bloodline, Old Dominion, Rascal Flatts, the Red Clay Strays, Emily Ann Roberts, Thelma & James, Hudson Westbrook, Tucker Wetmore and Stephen Wilson Jr.

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Who Is Hosting the 2026 ACMs?

Shania Twain will host the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards.

“I’m thrilled to be hosting the 61st ACM Awards in Las Vegas, a place that feels like home,” Twain said in an April 2026 statement. “It’s such an honor to be part of this incredible night celebrating Country Music’s biggest stars, especially with so many talented women leading nominations this year. I can’t wait to welcome all of the fans and artists out for this unforgettable night.”

How to Watch the 2026 ACMs

The 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards will air live from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand on Sunday, May 17, and will concurrently stream on Prime Video beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The show will also be streamed via Amazon Music’s Twitch channel and independent app.

Fantasy TV has delivered countless unforgettable characters, amazingly rich worlds, and tons of epic adventures, yet not every series gets a chance to take the spotlight, bask in it, and actually remain there for enough time that it stays with audiences forever. While some shows become defining works of fiction that never leave their viewers’ minds, others simply slip away, forgotten, despite their creative storytelling and captivating visuals.

Fantasy wonders like the charming TV gem Eastwick, which was unfortunately incredibly short-lived, and the magical adventure that is W.I.T.C.H., which blends magic-fueled battles with themes of responsibility and friendship, are two examples of the genre’s lost gems that have faded from mainstream conversation. Compiled on this list are fantasy shows that may have been genuinely engaging during their peaks but have consistently slipped from attention over time.

10

‘Legend of the Seeker’ (2008–2010)

Image via ABC

This forgotten fantasy offers audiences a sweeping narrative that delivers tons of traditional fantasy elements. Legend of the Seeker follows the prophesied Seeker, Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), who, once he learned of his destiny, joins the Confessor Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan) and the wizard Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander (Bruce Spence) in a quest to stop Darken Rahl (Craig Parker) and other tyrannical forces from unleashing ancient evil.

Legend of the Seeker is a fantasy standout in its own right. The fantasy series may have been largely forgotten, but some of those who have seen it remember the show quite fondly, remaining attached long after its official run. Legend of the Seeker commits wonderfully to its classic storytelling, which gives it a rather lasting appeal. With the show not as accessible today as it once was, Legend of the Seeker stands as a bout of nostalgia for some, but widely, a more forgotten memory for most.

9

‘The Outpost’ (2018–2021)

Image via The CW

The Outpost is a CW series that maintained its steady sense of intrigue during its run. The show centers around the apparent last Blackblood, Talon (Jessica Green), as she heads toward the frontier fortress known as the Outpost to avenge her murdered people, only to discover black-blood powers.

The Outpost’s blend of mystery and action kept a great many fantasy enthusiasts tuning in every week during its time on air. The series wields an evolving mythology that adds an intriguing amount of depth to it. The Oupost was one of those rare fantasy gems that lasted much longer than anyone thought it ever would. Though many cherished the series, despite its low budget, today, the series gets no attention at all. The Outpost lived in a unique time of CW’s summer niche, and with its modest look besides flashier fantasy hits, the series never became as memorable as other shows, leading it to fade into the background, going mostly unremembered.

8

‘The Shannara Chronicles’ (2016–2017)

Image via MTV

This YA fantasy epic is a bold adaptation of a beloved fantasy saga into a visually striking watch. The Shannara Chronicles focuses on a group of heroes—including Wil Ohmsford (Austin Butler), Amberle Elessedil (Poppy Drayton), and Eretria (Ivana Baquero)—as they band together in order to protect the magical Ellcrys tree, whose survival is significant to keeping dangerous demons from entering their world.

The Shannara Chronicles is a fantastically sincere watch, and during its run, audiences really appreciated that. It was a valid high-gloss attempt to make big fantasy legible to the late-MTV generation. Unfortunately, the series stood as too YA-coded for some and too lore-heavy for others. Still, there was a time when The Shannara Chronicles held viewers completely locked in with its immersive story, but sadly, that time has come and gone as the show was ultimately canceled and inevitably forgotten by even the most diehard fans of that brief era.

7

‘W.I.T.C.H.’ (2004–2006)

Image by Maggie Lovitt.

This animated series may remind most of a lighter, more colorful group of magical girls, but its grittier take on friendship, responsibility, and the burden of protecting multiple worlds gives it a depth that quite a few viewers really appreciated. W.I.T.C.H. follows five middle-school girls, Will Vandom (Kelly Stables), Irma Lair (Candi Milo), Taranee Cook (kittie KaBoom), Cornelia Hale (Christel Khalil), and Hay Lin (Liza del Mundo), whose elemental powers mark them as the Guardians of the Veil.

W.I.T.C.H. came to audiences during a time of durable Western magical-girl hybrids. The series’ themes of growth and responsibility hold up rather well and are still able to resonate with lingering audiences of the animation. Sadly, with the series no longer widely streaming in the U.S., its once devoted fanbase has grown up, and it now exists more in memory rather than in circulation. W.I.T.C.H. has quietly slipped away in the dark abyss of the majorly unknown, growing into a truly forgotten fantasy gem that is frequently overlooked.

6

‘The Fades’ (2011)

BBC Three

The Fades is a British supernatural fantasy series that builds a truly tense and mysterious story. The series centers around the teenager Paul (Iain De Caestecker), who is haunted by apocalyptic visions and the ability to see the dead, while his friend Mac (Daniel Kaluuya) and a network of allies are drawn into an escalating war.

The Fades is actually one of the finest “great but gone” entries on this list of forgotten fantasies. Audiences received the show pretty well during its time on screen, yet it somehow remains a single-season dead-end in most contemporary viewers’ memories. While The Fades does get rediscovered once in a while, and viewers find themselves shaken with surprise at the fact that something so good left so little a trace, the series remains a quietly overlooked watch that slipped past wider audiences despite its captivating supernatural premise, strong performances, and quality eerie atmosphere.

5

‘Galavant’ (2015–2016)

image via IMDB

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This fantasy musical is a quirky bout of music and comedy rather than the more traditional features in the genre’s storytelling. Galavant centers on a seemingly perfect fairy-tale hero, Galavant (Joshua Sasse), who is quickly reduced to a lovesick wreck after Madalena (Mallory Jansen) chooses King Richard (Timothy Omundson) over him.

Galavant is one of those rare fantasy-musical series that wields enough creativity to actually work. Unfortunately, it never got the reach it deserved, failing to find its mainstream audience. Quite a few fans of the show consistently discuss how it would have done well in the streaming era, and the rare few who find the show today still believe so. Galavant is simply too niche—a network TV series that most considered too formally odd, too cheerful, and too ratings-vulnerable, leading it to grow into a cult favorite that is very much forgotten in plain sight.

4

‘Dead Like Me’ (2003–2004)

Image via Showtime

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Dead Like Me is a strong mesh of a unique take on the afterlife and bleak humor. The series follows Georgia “George” Lass (Ellen Muth), who dies absurdly young, only to be recruited by Rube Sofer (Mandy Patinkin) into a team of grim reapers, learning rather quickly that death is no way out of life.

Dead Like Me wields an unconventional premise that should make it much more memorable than it actually is. The series’ tone alone gives it a lasting identity. Thankfully, a very small crowd did seem to enjoy the show’s unusual narrative, of building an intriguing fantasy story out of mundane guilt, labor, grief, and adolescence. While largely forgotten and often not even recognized, those who have stumbled across Dead Like Me tend to still respond with intrigue once taken a chance upon.

3

‘Eastwick’ (2009–2010)

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Not to be confused with the 2013 supernatural fantasy Witches of East End, or the more iconic 1987 film adaptation of the 1984 novel, the TV series Eastwick is a loose reimagining of a classic story of magic and empowerment. The 2009 fantasy series centers around three very different women, Roxie (Rebecca Romijn), Kat (Jaime Ray Newman), and Joanna (Lindsay Price), who are drawn together after a strange encounter.

Eastwick combines small-town witch fiction with primetime soap musculature, and ultimately stands as a forgotten fantasy because it tried to turn a known literary adaptation into ensemble television rather than a simple remake. The series wasn’t necessarily a bad idea; instead, it was more of a mistimed one. Eastwick never found its mainstream audience, being much too glossy to be truly niche, and too unstable tonally to settle into broad comfort viewing, marking it as an unfortunate addition to this list of shows that quietly slipped from attention.

2

‘The Secret Circle’ (2011–2012)

Image via The CW

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The Secret Circle is a one-season momentary wonder that explores witchcraft through a teen drama lens. The series focuses on Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson), who moves to Chance Harbor after her mother’s death and discovers that she is a hereditary witch as she begins to develop powerful magical abilities.

The Secret Circle held a ton of potential for expansion, but cancellation brought all of that to a quick end. It’s a series that skillfully builds tension while dealing out drama, as with any good teen series. The Secret Circle, being a CW series that was quickly brought to an end, is probably why it stands as a forgotten old favorite today. It’s an entry that deserved another chance and never got one, leading it to fail the test of time against flashier contemporary hits.

1

‘Wonderfalls’ (2004)

Image via Fox

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This forgotten fantasy gem is rather short-lived but does deliver an interesting story that wields quirky, character-driven storytelling. Wonderfalls follows a Brown philosophy graduate, named Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas), who’s working a dead-end Niagara Falls gift-shop job when inanimate objects begin speaking to her in cryptic commands, nudging her into other people’s spaces while destabilizing her own.

No matter how brief or forgotten Wonderfalls is, the series remains a great one-of-a-kind show that deserves far more credit for its unique tale. With a blend of magical realism and genuine oddity that makes it charming, the fantasy series wields a cult status that is well deserved. Wonderfalls made the mistake of only showcasing four episodes on network TV and left the full life of the series to DVD, leaving it as a forgotten gem that structurally prevented it from entering the mainstream memory stream.

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Wonderfalls

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Release Date

2004 – 2004-00-00

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Network

FOX

Directors

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Todd Holland, Craig Zisk, Jamie Babbit, Marita Grabiak, Allan Kroeker, Jeremy Podeswa, Michael Lehmann, Peter Lauer

Writers

Krista Vernoff, Dan E. Fesman, Liz W. Garcia

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The Yellowstone franchise is returning in a major way with Marshalls airing on CBS and Dutton Ranch set to hit Paramount+, you may be searching for some other great neo-Westerns to sink into. Perhaps it’s time to move just south of the border with a 2005 feature film that you probably had no idea even existed. A few years before he would star in No Country for Old Men (another great neo-Western you’ve got to see), actor Tommy Lee Jones took center stage in the powerful and moving picture, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Sometimes just called Three Burials, the film follows a rancher named Pete Perkins (Jones) as he seeks justice for the death of his friend, whom he hopes to bury in his Mexican hometown. If you loved all the time the latest season of Yellowstone spent down in Texas, then Three Burials is an easy next step.

‘The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada’ Is a Powerful Neo-Western Classic

WhileYellowstone spent a lot of time focusing on land development plots and grand political drama,Three Burialsis a more personal tale, one that involves murder and a Don Quixote-like journey through the United States-Mexico desert wilderness. Just asKevin Costner‘s John Duttontook his promises quite literally, so too does Pete Perkins. After his friend, Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cedillo), is murdered and buried with no official investigation (his illegal status being a barrier for local law enforcement), Pete takes it into his own hands to see that he’s buried properly in the Mexican homeland he came from. Of course, this means that Melquiades isn’t just buried once or even twice, but three times in the film, hence the name.

One thing that makes Three Burials stand out are the almost Rashomon-like flashbacks used throughout. The film is littered with them, and if you’re not careful, the timeline could easily get confusing. Yet, each dive back into the past is vital to our understanding of the full context of Pete’s mission, and his reasons for kidnapping U.S. Boarder Patrol operative Mike Norton (Barry Pepper, who played “Lucky” Ned Pepper in the 2010 True Grit remake). It turns out, Mike is the man responsible for Melquiades’ unwarranted death, and it’s a weight that has stuck with him ever since. As Pete forces Mike through the desert waste of West Texas, the pair begin to change as a result of their bizarre journey, which includes rattlesnake encounters, television soap operas, and a twist that Pete didn’t see coming.

We won’t spoil the ending of The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada for you, but it’s that final scene between Pete and Mike that’s the most powerful. Even in the face of death, sadness, and pure brokenness of body, mind, and soul, there is beauty in the way these two are able to finally move past the thing that bonded them together in the first place. For a movie that loves to meditate on death and decay in all its forms (both physically and emotionally), Three Burials is a modern horse opera you can’t ignore.

Tommy Lee Jones Offers a Harsh But Forgiving Portrayal of the Modern West

Of course, a lot of that is because of Tommy Lee Jones, who is at his best here not just as an actor, but as a filmmaker as well. That’s right, Three Burials was indeed directed by Jones himself, who offers a distinct vision for this neo-Western tale. As a director, he effortlessly pulls from the great Westerns of old while making a distinct splash with a bizarre plot and complicated characters who embody the restlessness of West Texas’ Permian Basin (yes, the same place that the Taylor Sheridan drama Landman is set). While Yellowstone is a show that often lets its characters ride into the sunset (and scot-free of the consequences of their actions), Three Burials puts both rancher and border agent through the ringer as they are confronted by the horrors of their actions. As a result, their lives will never be the same.

If you’ve been on the prowl for a new neo-Western drama, one that’s been utterly forgotten by time itself, then The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is the feature to sink your teeth into. It’s thoughtful, violent, and very specific, but an interesting tale nonetheless. While Taylor Sheridan may offer a more bleak look at the modern American west as the world continues to change, Tommy Lee Jones gives us the perfect cowboy quest that offers just a little bit more. The film doesn’t just prove that Jones is capable as a director (in only his second feature), but it gives the audience hope that, perhaps, even the worst aren’t beyond redemption.