Entertainment
X-Men ‘97 Just Secretly Connected Itself To The Raunchiest Marvel Movies
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
As a longtime Marvel fan, one of my favorite things about X-Men ‘97 is how many fun Easter eggs are stuffed into every single episode. Sometimes, these are winking references to earlier episodes; more often than not, they are connections to the comics and to the larger Marvel universe. Of course, these references are often of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them variety. Because of this, you sometimes need to be as fast as Quicksilver on the remote control if you want to catch every wacky bit of trivia that pops up onscreen.
That was certainly the case with the recent episode “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.” This episode follows up on an earlier Animated Series episode (“Weapon X, Lies, and Video Tape”) and has Wolverine and a team of oddballs discovering major secrets about Weapon X. It’s an episode filled with some jaw-droppingly weird X-Men lore, including an appearance from everyone’s favorite xenomorph knock-offs, the Brood. However, that’s not the weirdest thing about this terrifying tale. The episode provides a list of characters attached to the Weapon X program, and if you pause at the right moment, you’ll see names from the raunchiest, bloodiest Marvel movies ever made: Deadpool and Logan!
The Ultimate In ’90s Media Technology
In Marvel Comics, it’s revealed that Weapon X wasn’t actually the name of the program. Instead, it was the Weapon Plus program, and Wolverine was referred to as “Weapon X” because he was the tenth experiment created by the program (X is the Roman numeral for 10). Incidentally, Weapon I was Captain America, who was turned into the world’s greatest soldier through an experimental super-serum. Later, the project switched to experimenting on mutants, with the goal of creating weaponized warriors who would be easy to control. There have been many characters experimented on or otherwise connected to the program, which is why so many names appear in “Weapon X, Lies, and DVD.”
The episode doesn’t get into the full tangled history of the program, which is consistently referred to as Weapon X. However, the characters do find test subject data on DVDs, all of which are helpfully labeled with the name of the person who was experimented on. One set of DVDs is very easy to view, and the other appears for only a brief moment. With the help of the pause button, though, you can identify some major names. This includes Bucky Barnes, better known to MCU fans as the Winter Soldier. It also includes characters who have only appeared in the comics, including the creepy villain, John Sublime.
The X-Men Get Raunchy
Unsurprisingly, Wolverine and his crew from this episode (including Maverick, Garrison Kane, Sabertooth, and Lady Deathstrike) all appear on the DVDs, as do other characters from Wolverine’s past, including Silver Fox. But for fans of the live-action movies, the most notable names that appear in the episode are Ajax and Deadpool (the villain and hero, respectively, of the first Deadpool movie) and X-23, who appeared in both Logan and Deadpool and Wolverine. Amusingly enough, this effectively connects the (mostly) family-friendly X-Men ‘97 with some of the raunchiest and most vulgar Marvel movies ever made!
Deadpool effectively paved the way for modern, R-rated superhero movies with a film that combined over-the-top ultraviolence and hilariously crass dialogue. It was also unapologetically raunchy, with a naughty Morena Baccarin sex scene that likely made the pre-cancerous Wade Wilson wish that his booty had a healing factor. Logan, meanwhile, was more serious but no less brutal, connecting X-23 (who was created for the kids’ show X-Men: Evolution) to a violent and heartbreaking film where we bid farewell to both Logan and Professor X. Now, that same character (who made a fan-favorite return in the wonderfully offensive Deadpool & Wolverine) is permanently tied to X-Men ‘97.
Does that mean we’re likely to see X-23 onscreen? Not really: even if X-Men ‘97 runs for several more seasons, there are so many ‘80s, ‘90s, and early ‘00s stories to adapt before the writers would ever get to her story. Deadpool might be likelier to appear: after all, he appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series via things like flashbacks and Morph transformations, and Morph continues to take on this appearance in X-Men ‘97. Is all of this leading up to a proper appearance from the Merc With a Mouth? Maybe. Somehow, though, I think Jean Grey will be too busy fighting Apocalypse to help Deadpool properly celebrate International Women’s Day!
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Actor Ben Affleck’s net worth has taken a massive leap following the blockbuster sale of his stealth AI startup, InterPositive, to streaming giant Netflix. The recent regulatory filing revealing a $587 million purchase price has officially rewritten the actor-director’s financial trajectory, transforming him from an A-list movie star into a top-tier tech founder. Prior to the landmark March 2026 acquisition, industry trackers valued Affleck’s wealth around $150 million to $200 million. Now, liquidating his stake in one of Netflix’s largest acquisitions to date has comfortably catapulted his net worth past the $300 million mark, setting a new blueprint for celebrity wealth in the digital age.
Although he is best known for his movies, Affleck significantly increased his net worth after selling his AI startup, InterPositive, to Netflix. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actor’s net worth is estimated to be around $300 million. That’s a big jump compared to his frequent collaborator Matt Damon, whose net worth is only estimated to be around $170 million.
So where did that large number come from? Over the decades, the actor has earned hundreds of millions of dollars in film salaries and backend bonuses. In addition to his roles in front of the camera, he has earned millions as a director and producer. However, it’s the March 2026 sale of his stealth AI filmmaking company, InterPositive, to Netflix that has really boosted his net worth.
Inside The Sale To Netflix and How Much The Streamer Paid
On Friday, July 17, the streamer disclosed that it paid $587 million for InterPositive in cash. The disclosure was released in the company’s Form 10-Q. The filing states, “In March 2026, the Company completed an acquisition which was accounted for as a business combination for a total purchase price of approximately $587 million, consisting of cash consideration,” as published in The Hollywood Reporter.
Although the filing didn’t name InterPositive, Netflix announced the deal on March 5. Even though the sale is relatively recent, InterPositive is not a new company. It was created in 2022 and began exploring the AI space, with an emphasis on altering a production’s visual effects without inhibiting the creative aspects of filmmaking.
Ben Affleck Talks About His ‘Responsibility’ To ‘Human Creativity’
In a post at the time, Affleck explained that he had a “responsibility” to protect human creatives and discussed his “commitment” to the next stage of technology following his company’s sale to Netflix.
“I knew I had a responsibility to my peers and our industry, to protect the power of human creativity and the people behind it,” he said at the time. “In creating InterPositive, I sought to do just that.”
“From the invention of the moving image to the transition to digital, from motion capture to virtual production, technology has evolved alongside the artists who use it,” he continued. “Our shared commitment to continuing this legacy makes joining together a natural next step, in addition to Netflix’s decades of experience applying and scaling technology responsibly.”
Affleck went on to explain how the company’s first model was “trained to understand visual logic and editorial consistency, while preserving cinematic rules under real-world production challenges such as missing shots, background replacements or incorrect lighting.”
Netflix Co-CEO Explains How His Company Uses AI In Post-Production
On a company earnings call earlier this week, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos claimed that about 300 productions currently use AI. Of these 300 productions, most use artificial intelligence in post-production.
“Gen AI is scaling quickly across the entire creative process, from concept to pre-vis through post and delivery,” Sarandos said, per THR. “We’re making higher quality output more quickly and efficiently than we could have using traditional methods. So gen AI workflows now have been used in roughly 300 of our titles with the largest concentration right to date is on post-production. But we’re leveraging gen AI for really complicated shots and sequences.”
He went on to cite the doc “The American Experiment” as an example, claiming that it had 17 minutes of “AI-enhanced” footage. “It enabled us to expand the scope of the series in ways that just wouldn’t have been feasible before,” he said. “Those 17 minutes… they were produced twice as fast and at half the cost of previous options.”
Thomas Rhett and Niall Horan are delaying their co-headlining concert in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
“We’ve been, kind of, sat with our teams and the promoters and the meteorologists all morning,” Horan, 32, began an Instagram video shared Saturday, July 18. “It feels like there’s a lot of severe weather in the area and some bad weather conditions and thunderstorms threatening the show. So, we have been, kind of, forced into a corner and we will have to reschedule.”
Rhett, 36, and Horan were scheduled to perform at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday. Instead, and under advisement, the two musicians will take the stage on Sunday, July 19.
“[It’s] something we didn’t want to do, but we do want to stay in town and a show for you guys,” the One Direction alum stated on Saturday. “If you have a ticket, you can come tomorrow. If you can’t make the show tomorrow night, you will get a full refund for your ticket.”
He continued, “We’re obviously said to have to do this, but this is what we’re gonna have to do.”
Rhett, for his part, noted that the fans’ well-being is paramount.
“We love y’all, and y’all’s safety is first and foremost our biggest concern,” the “Life Changes” singer added in the Saturday upload. “We want to give y’all the show that we have prepared. We just couldn’t guarantee that for tonight.”
Rhett added, “So, it’s a miracle that the venue’s available tomorrow, that me and Niall are both here tomorrow and so we’ll see you guys tomorrow night, ready to freaking rock. We love y’all so much.”
The two singers co-headlined a show in Nashville earlier this month.
From nostalgic reunions to buzzy new headliners and possible farewells, this summer’s concert calendar is stacked with what are sure to be must-see tours. Below, Us Weekly rounds up 10 superstar acts — including pop princess Ariana Grande, global heartthrob Harry Styles and generation-defying party starter Bruno Mars — who are hitting the road with […]
“What in the world. Nashville, I had the time of my life with y’all!” Rhett wrote via Instagram on July 10. “Should we do it again @niallhoran?”
During the show, Rhett and Horan each performed their biggest hits before teaming up for a rendition of their “Old Tricks” duet. In addition, the country singer honored his growing family of seven during the gig with a sweet “Life Changes” lyric swap. (Rhett and wife Lauren Akins are parents of five.)
“I remember the day I told my Daddy and Mama, ‘You’re gonna have a grandkid, yep/ from Uganda, that’s right, we’re adopting / And she is the cutest little girl that you ever seen,’” he sang. “Well, I was wrapping my head around being a dad / A big wrench got thrown in the plans we thought we had / Now there’s Willa and sweet Ada James, and there’s Lennon and there’s Lillie / And baby boy Brave.”
Parents of four daughters, Rhett’s wife gave birth to their first son in February.
Justin Bieber made a surprise appearance at Fanatics Fest 2026 — and didn’t need a shirt for the special occasion.
The singer, 32, took the stage inside the Javits Center in New York City on Saturday, July 18, performing for those attending the sports fan festival that aims to bring together the biggest athletes, leagues, collectors, brands and fans for a multi-day celebration of both sports and culture.
Bieber ditched his shirt during the performance, showing off his massive tattoo collection. To complete his ensemble, he wore a pair of white checkered shorts, a yellow baseball hat and a pair of sunglasses.
After performing “Yukon” for fans, the singer hit the basketball court to show off his hooping skills before hitting around a hockey puck and playing some golf.
Justin Bieber is recovering from a “gnarly” injury involving a Onewheel electric skateboard. “My rib hurts so f**king bad, bro,” Bieber, 31, said during a four hour Thursday, November 13, livestream on Twitch. “That s**t bro is hurting me bad, bro. I’m trying to play it cool, bro. This s**t is f**king with me.” He […]
Bieber has been making more public appearances as of late in the wake of his 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival performances and the release of his latest album — SWAG LIFE FROM COACHELLA (WEEKEND2).
Justin Bieber attends the Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 Getty Images
Last month, the singer also made a surprise appearance at the 2026 NHL Draft, held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, to help announce the first overall pick. (For the uninitiated, Bieber is an avid hockey fan and lifelong supporter of the Toronto Maple Leaves, who had the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.)
As expected, Justin announced that Toronto had selected Penn State alum Gavin McKenna.
“What an incredible night,” Bieber said from the draft floor. “The child in me is ecstatic right now. I’ve been a Leafs fan since I was just a little boy. These nights are so special. I’m so grateful to be here.”
As promised, Fanatics Fest 2026 has been one for the record books — and isn’t without controversy. After now-viral footage showed NFL legend Tom Brady hitting social media influencer and WWE star Logan Paul across the face during a joining appearance at the NYC convention, Paul, 31, took to social media to issue a warning of sorts to the former quarterback.
“I’m suing @tombrady,” Paul claimed via Instagram on Friday, July 17, alongside footage of the alleged altercation.
During their joining appearance, Paul chastised the NFL commentator, 48, telling him that as the “goat” he “should be doing dope s***.”
“You weren’t,” he added. “I’m a Youtuber … so what?”
A former Toronto Maple Leafs player criticized the appearance of the team’s most famous fan — Justin Bieber — at Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Carlo Colaiacovo, who played six seasons for the Leafs between 2002 and 2009, reacted to Bieber’s presence behind the Toronto bench during their showdown with the Florida Panthers […]
The WWE star then threatened to “hurt” Brady if he returned to the convention next year, prompting the NFL icon to fire back with an open-handed slap.
“Mad bc I smoked him in,” Paul wrote over footage of the incident via his Instagram Stories later on Friday. “Blocked [with] a torn tricep.”
Leigh Soriano (@oldfashionedhussle) is at Fanatics Fest 2026 and she did not miss a thing. Every celebrity, every athlete, every moment — follow along on @usweekly on TikTok and Instagram. Here For It.
90 Day Fiancé alum Armando Niedermeier-Rubio has successfully secured a visa and since reunited with his 13-year-old daughter, Hannah, amid her hospitalization in Arizona.
Armando, 37, arrived in the United States from Mexico on Friday, July 17, where he was seen greeting husband Kenny Niedermeier outside the medical facility, per footage obtained by TMZ. The outlet also reported that Armando surprised Hannah later that day.
Kenny, 63, told TMZ that his stepdaughter, whom Armando shared with his late wife, had no idea that her dad would eventually make it to her bedside.
“In the video she was in shock after seeing her father and she kept asking if it was real,” Kenny said of the father-daughter pair’s reunion. “She seems to even be improving more since his arrival.”
90 Day Fiancé has been captivating audiences since its premiere in 2014 — and has more success stories than viewers might think. The TLC reality series follows hopeful couples who have applied for or received their K-1 visas and must get married within 90 days in order to stay in the United States. Thank You! […]
Armando revealed via Instagram on Tuesday, July 14, that his daughter’s condition rapidly deteriorated after she unexpectedly suffered a brain bleed. The teenager was subsequently transported from their small town in Mexico to Arizona for treatment.
Armando, however, was not able to accompany his daughter due to lingering visa issues. (Kenny had been present at Hannah’s bedside after traveling from Ohio, where he attended a funeral earlier this month.)
“I went to the border. The hospital directly sensed the gravity of the situation, how Hannah was being airlifted to Phoenix ICU,” Armando said in a Thursday, July 16, social media update. “They sent all the necessary documents to the border. When I arrived at the border, I arrived with my documents as well. Never was the letter from the hospital reviewed and never were any of my documents asked of me — nothing was checked. I was just told, ‘Nope, we do not do this here. … There’s no option for you,’ and on my way I went.”
Armando’s mom and sister, meanwhile, were able to travel to the United States with Hannah because they are “legal residents” of the country.
As Armando worked with an immigration attorney to secure an emergency visa, he also opened up to fans about the harrowing medical situation.
“I don’t want to lose her,” he tearfully said in a follow-up Instagram video shared on Thursday. “Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, guys. Thank you all that supported [us] … All the love that’s coming our way. I can’t thank any of you enough. You guys all have been angels through this. You made it a little easier even though I can’t be with her. Love you all, guys!”
Armando and Kenny’s romance began on 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way season 2, when Kenny relocated to Mexico from Florida. The pair tied the knot in 2021.
Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham admitted that she feels guilty “all the time” when she has to temporarily leave her 12-year-old daughter for acting jobs.
“I’m about to go away to do press for the next season of Ted [Lasso], and the mummy guilt descends,” Waddingham, 51, told The Guardian in an interview published on Saturday, July 18. “But I have to try and combat it.”
Waddingham welcomed daughter Kitty with Italian hotel manager Gianluca Cugnetto in 2014, though the former couple split in 2022.
The Emmy winner revealed that she was “eight months pregnant” with Kitty when she was offered her international breakthrough role on Game of Thrones as the vengeful Septa Unella. While the actress considered turning down the job, she realized that it would be a mistake to pass up a “juggernaut” like Game of Thrones.
Hannah Waddingham didn’t hold back when addressing rumors of a feud between her and Ted Lasso costar Jason Sudeikis. “For the first time ever I am finding it necessary to silence the utter bollocks being written about a ‘rift’ between me and my beloved, long-standing friend and acting partner Jason Sudeikis,” Waddingham, 51, wrote in […]
Still, Waddingham recalled feeling intense guilt about being away from newborn Kitty when it came time to film her role on the HBO series.
“[One part of me] just thought, ‘Oh my God, what am I doing?’” she said. “The other part was going, I’ve got terrible separation anxiety. So when I watch it back, I just see a woman who doesn’t know whether she’s coming or going.”
Now, Waddingham tries to keep something from her daughter close when she’s away working — including bringing a cardboard purse designed by Kitty to the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards (now known as The Actor Awards).
“I picked it up and went, ‘It’s actually got more space in it than a normal, designer, ridiculous handbag, so I’m going to take it up the red carpet,’” she said. “I did it on purpose, to show her that she’s never far away from me.”
With her daughter entering her teenage years, Waddingham has contemplated taking an extended role on the stage. (The British actress has been nominated three times at the Laurence Olivier Awards but she hasn’t worked on the stage since a 2015 London production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying due to the rigorous demands of theater.)
Ted Lasso is coming back for season 4 after seemingly coming to an end — but will every original star return to the show? The hit Apple TV series, which premiered in 2020, follows an American football coach who moves across the pond to take over a scrappy British soccer team. Fans previously questioned whether […]
“I don’t think my daughter is ready,” she admitted, adding, “I need to find the time to be able to go, ‘I’m taking this coat off for now and I’m putting my theatre coat back on.’”
For now, Waddingham is reprising her role as soccer team owner Rebecca Welton in the long-awaited fourth season of Ted Lasso, which premieres on Apple TV+ in August.
She also has two major movies in the works — an animated adaptation of Paul McCartney, Geoff Dunbar and Philip Ardagh’s novel High in the Clouds and the surreal action-comedy Jason Statham Stole My Bike.
Matty Healy is a married man as he and his fiancée, Gabbriette Bechtel, have reportedly tied the knot.
JustJared and Extra published photos on Saturday, July 18, of Healy, 37, exchanging rings with Bechtel, 28, at Madonna‘s former Hollywood Hills mansion Castillo del Lago, which was immortalized in the classic 1963 horror movie House of the Damned. (Madonna owned the historic home from 1993 to 1997.)
The musician looked sharp in a black tuxedo while Bechtel opted for a traditional white gown and long veil. Photos showed Healy dipping Bechtel for a romantic kiss after they exchanged vows.
Per JustJared, the celebrity guest list included Charli XCX and her husband, Healy’s The 1975 bandmate George Daniel, influencers Anastasia Karanikolaou and Devon Lee Carlson, and model Quenlin Blackwell.
Getty Images (2) Matty Healy and Gabbriette Bechtel’s romance has been years in the making. According to Bechtel’s 2024 profile in HommeGirls magazine, she and Healy tried to meet for four years before they actually did. “He came to L.A., and we’ve been in love ever since,” Bechtel gushed to the magazine in their spring/summer […]
Us Weekly has reached out to Bechtel’s spokesperson for comment.
The reported nuptials followed just two weeks after Healy’s ex, Taylor Swift, tied the knot with NFL star Travis Kelce in a star-studded ceremony at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on July 3. (Another of Healy’s ex-girlfriends, Gabriella Brooks, attended Swift and Kelce’s wedding with fiancé Liam Hemsworth.)
The 1975 frontman and the model went public with their relationship in September 2023. At the time, the couple were spotted kissing while out in New York City.
In May 2024, Bechtel shared a rare glimpse into her romance with Healy, explaining the roots of their connection.
“I think that we just both enjoy good food, honestly,” she told E! News at the time. “He’s taught me a lot about food.”
Bechtel added that the pair “have the same taste in music” and offered some insight into their typical date night.
“The last thing I did was a really good kale salad with pine nuts,” she said of a meal she had recently cooked for Healy. “Parmesan, sexy little skirt steak and I did potato gratin.”
The following month, Bechtel and Healy sparked engagement rumors when she posted a series of Instagram Story photos showing off a large black diamond ring on her left hand.
“MARRYING THE 1975 IS VERY BRAT,” Bechtel captioned one of the pictures, referencing Charli XCX’s Brat album. (Charli got engaged to The 1975’s drummer, Daniel, in November 2023, and Bechtel’s photos appeared to be taken during Charli’s Brooklyn concert.)
The 1975’s Matty Healy has dated several A-listers over the years. Healy reconnected with Taylor Swift following her April 2023 split from Joe Alwyn, nine years after the singers were initially linked in 2014. “They’re looking to give things a second chance,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2023 of Healy and Swift. […]
Although Healy did not comment on the speculation at the time, he reposted Bechtel’s Instagram Story.
Healy’s mother, Denise Welch, ultimately confirmed the engagement during a June 2024 episode of ITV’s Loose Women.
“I woke up this morning to the fact that they put it on Instagram,” she said. “Instagram official! He’s got engaged to Gabriella Bechtel, Gabbriette she’s known as.”
Welch noted that Healy procured a custom-made “black diamond” ring for Bechtel.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” she continued. “She’s from Los Angeles, she’s absolutely gorgeous. She does have a [pet] rat. … Anyway, we couldn’t be happier. She is everything that I would want in a daughter-in-law, and so I’m thrilled.”
In July 2024, Bechtel hinted at her plans to start a family with Healy in the future.
“When I have kids, it’s going to be: dinner every night — no phones — to celebrate the smaller things and recognize people’s happiness,” she told British Vogue at the time.
Bechtel also gushed over Healy after receiving a phone call from him during her interview.
“I love being in love,” she raved. “When I thought that I was in love before it was just me being a person of service to somebody else.”
Prior to his relationship with Bechtel, Healy made headlines for his whirlwind romance with Swift in 2023. He was also previously linked to Halsey in 2015, Brooks from 2015 to 2019 and FKA Twigs from 2020 to 2022.
In the last few years, Apple TV has become the premiere home for sci-fi TV around the world. This is mostly due to shows like Severance and Pluribus — the former was the most-watched Apple TV sci-fi show in history until the latter came along and broke all of its records. Apple TV has ventured into the crime thriller genre this year for some of its biggest new releases, and what might be the most anticipated of the bunch just dropped its first few episodes. The series in question is Lucky, which also features the return of Anya Taylor-Joy to Apple TV after she headlined one of the platform’s biggest movies in history, The Gorge. Lucky has wasted no time this week becoming the most-watched show in the world on Apple TV.
However, to reach the top spot on Apple TV, Lucky had to climb past another popular show that’s been in the top 10 for weeks now. Back at the start of June, Apple dropped the first two episodes of Cape Fear, the new crime series starring Javier Bardem opposite Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson. The show is also a remake of the popular Robert De Niro crime thriller of the same name that was originally released in 1991. After the eighth episode of Cape Fear was released just this Friday, there’s now only two episodes remaining in the first season, and the fate of the show beyond Season 1 has yet to be decided. When it comes time to make this decision, it will certainly help that it’s been a consistent performer in the Apple TV top three throughout the duration of its first season.
Who Wrote Apple TV’s ‘Cape Fear’?
Cape Fear was written and created for TV by Nick Antosca, who also serves as the lead showrunner on the series. Amy Adams and Javier Bardem also produce the show and are said to be involved in the creative direction. Cape Fear is Antosca’s first TV project in four years — he last worked with Peacock as the lead writer and creator on A Friend of the Family, the true crime thriller show starring Anna Paquin. He’s also known for his work writing all four seasons of Channel Zero, the monster horror series streaming on AMC+.
Check out new episodes of Cape Fear every Friday on Apple TV, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the series.
- Release Date
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June 4, 2026
- Network
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Apple TV
- Showrunner
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Nick Antosca
- Directors
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Amanda Marsalis, Morten Tyldum, Stephen Williams, Jon S. Baird, Jonathan van Tulleken, Reed Morano, S.J. Clarkson, Trey Edward Shults
- Writers
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Peter Blake, Alan Page Arriaga, Tara Shivkumar, Maria Jacquemetton, Diana Pawell
Adaptations are proving more popular than ever, with many of the biggest streaming sites in the world dominated by screen interpretations of literature. On Netflix, the new Western series Little House on the Prairie has made a wonderful start to streaming life, even if there are claims that the show is being review bombed. The series, which is based on the children’s novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, earned 6.4 million views in just four days, according to a new report, cementing Netflix’s quick decision to renew the show for a second season.
Little House on the Prairie isn’t just a hit in viewership terms; it has also proved successful with critics, including Collider’s Maggie Lovitt, who called it a “masterpiece” in her review, adding that, “Little House on the Prairie is sure to be an instant hit for Netflix, and with any luck, it will live on for many more seasons, just as the original series did.” In the U.S., the show is unsurprisingly the most-streamed on Netflix. However, on the global stage, it has been unable to overtake its biggest rival.
At the time of writing, Little House on the Prairie is the third-most-watched show on Netflix in the world, with the charts topped by Harlan Coben‘s new Netflix crime thriller, I Will Find You. Based on a bestselling novel by Coben, I Will Find You is the latest in a prolific working relationship between the acclaimed author and Netflix, which has previously included the likes of Missing You and Fool Me Once. Avatar‘s Sam Worthington and Severance fan-favorite Britt Lower star in the hit series, which accumulated 85 million views in a month of release.
Is ‘I Will Find You’ a Critical Hit?
Little House on the Prairie might be trailing I Will Find You on the global streaming charts, but has it at least been better received by critics? The short answer is yes, with the former earning a 78% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the latter’s 61%. Called “a solid way to pass the time” by Collider’s Taylor Gates, adding that it “will satisfy those who love to binge Coben’s shows the day they premiere.”
Both Little House on the Prairie and I Will Find You are streaming now on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more.
- Release Date
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July 9, 2026
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Kat Candler, Julie Anne Robinson, Sydney Freeland, Sarah Adina Smith, Erica Tremblay
- Writers
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Adam Starks, Eleanor Burgess, Adam Starks, Tom Hanada, Francesca Butler
Actor Adam Driver, best known for playing Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, will reportedly be in attendance when “Paper Tiger” opens the New York Film Festival later this year. The film, directed by James Gray, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received rave reviews. The film also stars Driver’s “Marriage Story” costar Scarlett Johansson and “Top Gun: Maverick” star Miles Teller.
“Paper Tiger,” the crime drama directed by James Gray, will open the 64th New York Film Festival on September 25. This is Gray’s fourth film to appear at the film festival, following 2013’s “The Immigrant” and 2022’s “Armageddon Time,” which were both official main selections. 2016’s “The Lost City of Z” was the closing night film.
The film, which premiered at Cannes and received a seven-minute standing ovation, features two brothers: Irwin Pearl (Teller) and Gary Pearl (Driver). Irwin gets entangled with the Russian mafia after Gary, a former cop, drags him into a get-rich-quick scheme that quickly goes sideways and puts Irwin’s two sons and his wife (Johansson) in danger.
Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller Expected To Attend NYFF
“James Gray has been a fixture at the New York Film Festival for many years, and we are thrilled to welcome him back as our Opening Night filmmaker with a career-best achievement,” NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim said in a statement to Variety.
Director James Gray added, “I’m immensely grateful to be welcomed back to this remarkable festival. This deeply personal film is rooted in New York City; from my upbringing to life-changing family experiences. To be here, at the heart of art and cinema, with our cast and crew — many of whom are New Yorkers — is a privilege.”
Gray, along with members of the cast and crew – including Driver, Johannson, and Teller – is expected to attend the premiere. NYFF64 single tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, September 15, at noon Eastern Time. Presale access for FLC members and pass holders will be available before then.
Miles Teller Talks Working With Adam Driver On ‘Paper Tiger’
As The Blast previously reported, “Eternity” actor Miles Teller talked to IndieWire about working with Adam Driver on the set of the crime drama. He described one scene in which he is acting opposite Driver, and he is so angry that his face quivers with rage.
“At least in my own life, your family can get to you in a way that nobody else can,” Teller explained. “Those feelings are so deeply rooted and established from childhood, so I guess in that moment, and neither one is fully aware of the ramifications of the Russians, this deal going bad, and how it’s affecting that person in their life.”
“In that particular scene, you’re letting out. It’s not just about what they’re talking about right there,” he continued. “It’s an entire lifetime of misgivings — he’s going to let him have it.”
Scarlett Johansson Wanted More Scenes With Adam Driver
Scarlett Johansson played Driver’s estranged wife in 2019’s “Marriage Story.” In “Paper Tiger,” she plays Teller’s wife. That being said, she wished that she got to film more scenes with the “Star Wars” alum.
She told The Hollywood Reporter, “I would’ve loved to have had even more scenework with him,” adding, “I love working with him.”
In 2025, she told PEOPLE magazine that she had a “great” experience working with Driver on the set of the 2019 divorce drama. “I love Adam as a person, and he is an absolutely extraordinary actor,” she said at the time. “If I could make every movie with Adam Driver, I would.”
Adam Driver Answered A Question About Lena Dunham’s Memoir Claims At Cannes
In her 2026 memoir “Famesick,” Lena Dunham alleged that Driver could become aggressive while they were filming the hit HBO comedy “Girls.” In one passage, she detailed how he “hurled a chair at the wall” and screamed obscenities after she forgot her lines.
“I remember doing a fight scene with Adam and how scary it was to meet someone so totally present with such absence,” Dunham wrote in her tell-all book. “Late one night, as we practiced lines in my trailer, I found that mine were suddenly gone. I knew I’d written them. I’d known them only minutes before. But when I opened my mouth, all that came out was a stammer — until finally, Adam screamed, ‘F-CKING SAY SOMETHING’ and hurled a chair at the wall next to me. ‘WAKE THE F-CK UP,’ he told me. ‘I’M SICK OF WATCHING YOU JUST STARE.’”
At the Cannes press conference following the “Paper Tiger” premiere, Driver was asked about the allegations. “I have no comment on any of that,” he said, as per Deadline. “I’m saving it all for my book.”
Jodie Sweetin credited Full House costar John Stamos with supporting her sobriety over the years.
“John and I really, really connected in a lot of ways over [sobriety],” Sweetin, 44, shared during a Wednesday, July 15, appearance on the “Dory Jackson Interview” podcast.
The pair’s friendship started out when Stamos, 62, played Sweetin’s Full House character Stephanie Tanner’s uncle Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom from 1987 to 1995.
Sweetin has spoken candidly about battling addiction in her adolescence while Stamos wrote in his 2023 memoir, If You Would Have Told Me, that he got sober after entering rehab in 2015. (Stamos sought treatment following a misdemeanor DUI arrest in Beverly Hills at the time. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor of driving under the influence and was sentenced to three years probation.)
“We have been there to celebrate each other’s big successes and milestones, and I am so glad that I got to be an example of attraction rather than promotion, which is a big principle in recovery,” Sweetin said in her latest interview.
She added. “[The principle is] don’t beat people over the head. Just be the result of all of your work, and chances are, people that are looking will find you.”
Sweetin told Us Weekly in 2009 that she’d recently decided to get sober following an incident that threatened her child custody. (Sweetin shares daughter Zoie, 18, with her second ex-husband, Cody Herpin, and daughter Beatrix, 15, with third ex-husband, Morty Coyle.)
John Stamos and Jodie Sweetin on “Fuller House.” Saeed Adyani/Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
“I got sober for good on December 7, 2008. I was flying to L.A. and I ended up taking a bunch of Nyquil and drinking a s***load,” she recalled. “When I got home, I got a call that there was an emergency custody investigation because of my drinking. From that day forward, I threw myself into going to [Alcoholics Anonymous] and avoided people who do blow off their coffee tables. … Life is good. I’m happier than I can remember.”
She revealed in a 2016 Dancing With the Stars episode that getting sober caused “a huge shift in my life.”
“Everything I had known from the time I was 5 years old suddenly ended [after Full House] and it was like saying goodbye to a family I had loved very, very much,” she noted. “At such a young age it really was a huge loss for me, I didn’t know how to grieve. Drugs and alcohol just sort of numbed everything.”
Sweetin continued: “I was doing cocaine and ecstasy and alcohol and all of that. The darkest moments for me weren’t necessarily winding up in the hospital or anything like that. It was those quiet moments alone when I just hated the person I had become.”
During her latest podcast interview, Sweetin clarified that she had her “last drink” in 2011.
“It’s been such a journey — the work I did in 12-step programs, the work I did in outside programs and therapy and also just kind of growing up and, and perspective, all of those things,” she said. “You get the opportunity to become a different person and once you start actually liking that person, it becomes really hard to go back and continue destructive behavior. You kind of go, ‘Oh, wait, hold on, I want to take care of this little person inside here and see what they’re capable of.’ And I’ve been really fortunate to be able to do that. I’ve definitely fallen flat along the way and learned hard lessons.”
The actress concluded, “For so long, I think people like me use drugs and alcohol to not at all be attached to who they are, and so to be like, ‘No, no, no, I like me, I don’t need anything, I’m good,’ is very freeing.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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