It’s May 1, 2026, and that means Showmax is officially dead. It’s the end of an era. Multichoice pulled the plug and lured loyal subscribers over to DStv Compact Stream, which now houses all the originals you loved (including Adulting, Mgidi Moms, and The Real City Makoti). If you’re enjoying the free trial DStv has offered subscribers until the end of May 2026, you would have noticed that The Stranger in My Home, a clever thriller starring Sophia Bush, Chris Carmack, and Amiah Miller, is quickly climbing the charts this week. And it’s definitely worth checking out.

It’s easy to see why the film is currently in DStv Stream’s top 10. The Stranger in My Home (read our full review here) feels like the type of psychological thrillers audiences loved in the ’90s. Just one look at the thumbnail and you pretty much know what you’re in for: a crazy premise, characters making questionable life choices, and, of course, a plot that escalates super fast. 

Based on the best-selling Adele Parks novel, Jeff Fisher’s The Stranger in My Home begins with a juicy premise. Married couple Ali (Sophia Bush) and Jeff Mitchell’s (Chris Johnson) life is turned upside down when Tom Truby (Chris Carmack) arrives at their door and claims to be their daughter Katie’s (Amiah Miller) real father (backed by a DNA test). He reveals that there was a huge mix-up at the hospital when she was born. So his daughter, Liv (Grace Aiello Antczak), is actually Ali and Jeff’s real daughter. As the families deal with the shocking news, Tom gets closer to Ali, while a mysterious stranger appears to be lurking somewhere in the background.

Writer Chris Sivertson loads the script with plenty of dark secrets, half-truths, and characters who seem one bad decision away from disaster at all times. And, yes, they keep making those bad decisions… over and over again… to the point that you might find yourself yelling at the screen.

But that’s the fun part, right? That’s what makes these sorts of thrillers entertaining.

Actress Sophia Bush was totally into it, too. “I absolutely loved it,” she said, pointing to the layers pulled from Parks’ novel. And it’s Bush’s performance that manages to save the story, especially when it threatens to collapse under its own madness.

But The Stranger in My Home also has something important to say about the dangers of social media. In Fortress of Solitude’s interview with Bush, she summed it up best by pointing out how people interpret what they see online through their own lens. That uncertainty creeps into the story, too, making everyone second-guess everything that’s happening.

By the time the final act of The Stranger in My Home arrives, viewers will be glued to the screen. It’s the over-the-top ending you’d want from this sort of film. And clearly Mzansi agrees. Why else would The Stranger in My Home sit comfortably near the top of DStv’s streaming pile?

A ’90s-Esque Adele Parks Adaptation Is Heating Up DStv Stream Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

focused, organized and, yes, a little bit intense at times. While Cameron might have stepped away from Hollywood years ago, Gold kept working and showing up in TV and film over the years.

Growing Pains was a great show that pulled in solid ratings for years. Heck, it even won an Emmy, too. And it’s easy to see why it pulled in so many families. The show followed a Long Island family led by psychiatrist dad Jason Seaver (played by Alan Thicke) and journalist mom, Joanna Kerns’ Maggie. Their family, which included 4 very different kids, were the focus.

But while the shows betrayed them as the perfect family everyone wanted to be a part of. Tracey Gold doesn’t have perfect memories of the show. In fact, behind the scenes, there was a lot happening.

As the show pushed for sharper humour in later seasons, the jokes changed and they felt personal. “Unfortunately, I think in that time it became at my expense,” Gold said on Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty. The writers began to work in more weight jokes, and for the first time, Carol wasn’t only punchline. Tracey was, too.

At the time, Gold didn’t push back, however. “You shut your mouth and you do your job,” she said about being a child actor on set. Meanwhile, the young actress kept it all in entirely, which, of course, didn’t work. After being told to lose weight, she lost 20 pounds in a single month. And, while every was complimenting her on the change, she struggled to keep up with the diet.

“And all of a sudden, everybody’s coming up to me… ‘Oh my God, you look so good,’” she recalled. “Was I that embarrassing before?”

By the early ’90s, Gold actually stepped away from Growing Pains to get treatment for anorexia. It was serious. In 2003, she published Room to Grow: An Appetite for Life. In her book, she opens up about everything she went through.

Of course, this didn’t set her back. She continued to work in the industry. In the ’90s, she showed up in TV thrillers like Lady Killer and Stolen Innocence. And, of course, All Hallow’s Eve in 2016. 

In 2022, she joined Worst Cooks of America and won. “I was proud of myself,” she said. “It was a victory for sure.”

Now 56, Tracey Gold shows up with silver hair, a relaxed smile, and none of the pressure she carried as a teen on network TV. Fans still recognise her instantly. There’s still a lot of Carol Seaver there.

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Remember Carol Seaver from Growing Pains? Here’s what Tracey Gold looks like 35 years later Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

Sharon Stone, born March 10, 1958, celebrated her 68th birthday last month. Which is incredibly hard to believe when you look at images from her Instagram account. The actress who starred in classics like Basic Instinct, Casino, and Total Recall still looks great… despite all the hardships and bumps in the road throughout her Hollywood journey.

Stone grew up in Pennsylvania and did really well at school with a reported IQ of 154. In fact, that led her to enrol at Edinboro State College at just 15 years old. But soon, a pageant judge at the 1976 Miss Pennsylvania competition pushed her toward modelling – a gig that would take her around the world.

Stone, who seems to be able to do just about anything she sets her mind to, then decided acting looked more interesting. “So I packed my bags, moved back to New York, and stood in line to be an extra in a Woody Allen movie,” Stone later said, discussing her small part in Stardust Memories (1980).

She must have made an impact, because next came a speaking part in Wes Craven’s Deadly Blessing (1981), and roles on TV shows like Magnum, P.I., Remington Steele, and Silver Spoons in the ’80s.

But her first major role came in 1990 when director Paul Verhoeven cast her opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall, a sci-fi classic.

Two years later, she took a role in Basic Instinct as Catherine Tramell and walked out as one of the decade’s most talked-about actresses. The thriller made about $352.9 million worldwide and earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers wrote, “Stone, a former model, is a knockout… [Basic Instinct] establishes Stone as a bombshell for the 1990s.”

Then Sharon Stone was everywhere. Her name was as popular as Coca-Cola in the 90s. Of course, she took full advantage of her “sex symbol” label and posed for Playboy in 1990. 

Speaking to Oprah Winfrey in 2014, she said, “It’s a pleasure for me now. I mean, I’m gonna be 56 years old. If people want to think I’m a sex symbol, it’s, like, yeah. Think it up. You know. I mean, like, good for me.”

While she was now well known, many would argue that her acting peak came with Martin Scorsese’s Casino (1995). Working opposite Robert De Niro pushed her hard. “There’s a scene in the movie where we’re sitting across a table arguing, and [Robert] says to me, ‘You’re a good actress, you know that?’ I remember thinking, ‘Oh, buddy. Not today, pal,” Stone recalled to Business Insider in August 2025.

That performance earned her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination.

But while she was at the peak of her career, behind-the-scenes life brought plenty of setbacks, including a stroke in 2001 that nearly killed her. It was also in that moment that she discovered that she was broke. “When I got back into my bank account, it was all gone. My refrigerator, my phone – everything was in other people’s names. I had zero money,” she told Vanity Fair.

But just like she had done before, Stone set out to rebuild her career again. Over the years, she’s gotten into modelling again, and she returned to TV with shows like Mosaic and Netflix’s Ratched in 2020. She’s also set to appear in season three of Euphoria.

She also raised three sons over the last few years. “When you decide to take on this big adventure of being a single parent, you don’t know what it’s going to be like,” she told People in 2018. “Your hair’s still going down the drain in the shower. It’s just a lot.”

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At 68, Sharon Stone has still got it. She’s still the coolest person in the room. She’s still more than just looks. She’s timeless. Just look at her Instagram account for proof.

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New Images Of Basic Instinct Star Sharon Stone, 68, Remind Fans Why She Ruled the ’90s Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

For most filmmakers across the world, winning an Oscar is the highest achievement in film – worldwide acknowledgement from the world’s finest, recognising your talent. Now, imagine actually winning that award and being told by TSA that you’re not allowed to take the golden statue on the plane because it could possibly be used as a weapon (no, really!). And then, worst of all, after the flight, you realize that the airline lost the Oscar along the way. That’s exactly what happened to Pavel Talankin, co-director of Mr. Nobody Against Putin, who won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.

Somewhere between New York and Frankfurt, Talankin’s gold Oscar completely vanished. And, naturally, he’s really angry about it.

Speaking to Deadline, TSA agents actually flagged the small statuette as a potential weapon at JFK Airport – which was incredibly strange since Talankin had already flown with it plenty of times before without a single issue. “It’s completely baffling how they consider an Oscar a weapon,” Talankin told Deadline.

Talankin offered TSA a number of solutions that were all rejected, including asking a Lufthansa agent to personally carry it to the gate. Then he asked them if they could store it safely in the plane’s cockpit. The TSA official said no again, not budging at all. So, Talankin reluctantly had to check his Oscar in as… luggage. 

Lufthansa gave him a cardboard box to put the Oscar in, and handed him a receipt. As an extra precaution, Talankin actually filmed the whole thing as the Oscar was wrapped and taken away. But when the plane landed in Frankfurt, it was gone. And, sadly, nobody even knows why.

The only positive right now is that Lufthansa says it’s investigating and treating the situation with urgency. 

Now, an Instagram post about the experience is blowing up. The film’s co-director, David Borenstein, has also pointed out that he couldn’t find another case like this. Nobody has ever been asked to check in their Oscar on a flight before. 

Pavel Talankin, a schoolteacher who documented Russia’s education system in his film Mr. Nobody Against Putin, is now without his award. But could this have been deliberate? Was this all planned by his enemies? Considering the film follows how classrooms changed after the invasion of Ukraine, and how it actually cost him his home country, it’s not too far-fetched, is it?

Somewhere out there is an 8.5-pound Oscar, probably sitting in a warehouse or maybe someone’s safe. Or maybe it’s just waiting for someone to realise it’s not actually a weapon.

RELATED: The Crow Director Calls the Oscars a “Fiasco”

Oscar-Winning Director Says TSA Lost His Award After Calling It a Weapon Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

We haven’t seen much of Netflix’s Narnia yet. We’ve heard about the cast and the filmmakers involved, but we haven’t seen a trailer or a teaser yet – just a few behind-the-scenes images. And that’s okay, because there’s still a lot of time before Thanksgiving (it’s IMAX release date) and Christmas Day (it’s Netflix release date). Now, Producer Mark Gordon has given a few more interesting details about the film.

Appearing on The Gary and Kenny Show, Gordon clarified a few details about Greta Gerwig’s film. Firstly, it’s not called The Chronicles of Narnia. While it’s based on the books, especially The Magician’s Nephew, they’re simply calling it Narnia. “We’re not calling it Chronicles, but yes, it’s based on the books, the Chronicles of Narnia. The first book, which is The Magician’s Nephew. Actually, the first chronologically, but not the first book that he wrote,” Gordon said, referring to author C. S. Lewis.

Secondly, Netflix’s Narnia isn’t going all Zack Snyder with the visuals or dissecting the story. The film is made to be enjoyed by families, especially kids. “It is a four-quadrant, uh, all audience movie that will be a delight for, you know, kids,” Gordon told the host. So, that means we can probably expect a PG rating and not higher. 

Thirdly, Gordon confirmed the names of the cast, including Meryl Streep, Daniel Craig, Emma Mackey and Carey Mulligan, alongside younger talents David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell. “They’re wonderful and they will, you know, delight and surprise the audience,” he said. Does this mean the rumors about Meryl Streep playing Aslan could be true?

Lastly, Gordon confirmed that the film is complete and that they are currently in post-production. “It’s really a beautiful film. You know, we’re still seriously into post-production. You know, we’ve got an enormous amount of visual effects shots in the movie,” he said, confirming that there’ll be plenty of CGI shots in the upcoming film.

Still, there’s nothing about the Christian aspects of the story. Will Gerwig’s Narnia drop all the religious undertones or actually lean into it and accept it as a core part of the story? We’ll have to wait and see.

What we do know is that Gerwig has taken some liberties. Leaked set photos suggest a shift to post-war 1950s settings instead of Victorian London.

We also know that Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt are working on the music, which probably means we’ll get some interesting modern musical pieces.

Everything will be answered when Netflix finally decides to release a trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Until then, all we can do is speculate and hope that they haven’t removed what made the books so magical – a connection to the Christian faith.

RELATED: If Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Ditches Christianity, It’s Missing the Whole Point

Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew Producer Confirms CGI-Heavy Netflix Movie Is Deep in Post-Production Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

Disney Channel in the early 2000s, Christy Carlson Romano will be a very familiar face. She played Ren Stevens alongside Shia LaBeouf in Disney’s Even Stevens, a popular family comedy series that ran for three seasons between 2000 and 2003. When the show eventually ended, Shia went off to Hollywood to create blockbusters like Transformers. But many fans always wondered what happened to Christy Carlson Romano. Well, the good news is that Ren is thriving.

Life After Even Stevens: Fame, Pressure, and Walking Away

Romano wonders what Ren would be up to in 2025. She’s been honest about it, sometimes painfully so. “I was told that leaving Hollywood right after Even Stevens would ruin my career,” she wrote for Teen Vogue. “In retrospect, it probably did. But in my heart, I was running away from the responsibility of fame and toward a glamorized fantasy of adolescence.” She was 18. Exhausted. Famous. And very lonely at the time.

A Child Star’s Early Hustle Before Disney Fame

What gets missed is how early Romano started in the business. She was just 6 when she first landed a role in Annie. And by 8, she was actually already touring the country with her mom as manager. “I used to stand up and sing at family reunions,” she told Connecticut Style, talking about her hardworking childhood.

Becoming Kim Possible: A Voice That Defined a Generation

After Even Stevens, Disney came calling again. This time, she would be the voice of Kim, a teenage crime-fighter, on Kim Possible in 2002. “I was very proud of it,” Romano said about her time on the show. “She was very empowered and she was a leader.”

Struggles Behind the Spotlight: Alcohol, Depression, and Identity

Then… just like that… everything slowed down. A lot. And not even college didn’t deliver the normal life she’d imagined. And that’s when alcohol stepped in. Soon, depression followed. “I became a bit harder-edged, binge-drank more at loud nightclubs,” she once wrote. “Imposter syndrome had stiff competition against my self-hatred.”

Reinventing Herself: Writing, YouTube, and Helping Others

Then Christy Carlson Romano tried to do something else with her life. She began writing a semi-autobiographical novel, Grace’s Turn, in 2006. She also started getting involved with the Actors Fund’s Looking Ahead program to help young performers adjust to real life. And in the midst of that, also creating her own YouTube space because, as she put it, “there’s no red tape to cut through.” In 2019, she launched Christy’s Kitchen Throwback, cooking with fellow ’90s and 2000s stars.

While she was doing all this, she also started a family. She met Brendan Rooney in a screenwriting class. They now have two daughters, Isabella and Sophia. Pregnancy changed how she saw her body after years of disordered eating and insecurity. “I had an appetite for the first time in my life,” she said.

Christy Carlson Romano in 2025: Controversy, Survival, and Comeback

Now in 2025, Romano is making headlines again. For many reasons. Firstly, for experimenting with AI-generated images on social media. She received a ton of backlash. She quickly pulled the posts. Then came something far more serious. In February 2024, she was accidentally shot in the face while clay pigeon shooting in Texas. She survived but was badly injured.

Romano is 40 now. She looks great, sure, but that’s not the story. The story is that she’s still here, still creating, still learning in public, as she’s always done. And if Disney ever does revive Even Stevens, she already knows where Ren would be. She’d be an older and wiser parent, probably still being harassed by the rest of the Stevens family.

Cadet Kelly Sequel Buzz: Hilary Duff and Romano Tease Fans

Recently, Hilary Duff joked about the “lesbian love story” hidden in Cadet Kelly. Romano also took to Instagram and asked Duff, “When we filming?” It seems like both actresses are on board with the idea. “I’ve always been down for THAT Cadet Kelly sequel,” Romano said in a reply.

The 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie starred both actresses – Duff as Kelly Collins and Romano as the rule-loving Jennifer Stone. Apparently, some fans felt this was a queer-coded story. On the Magical Rewind podcast, Romano called a sequel a “fun little thing,” praised Duff as a “gay icon”. So it could actually happen, right?

Her New Memoir Once Upon a Trainwreck

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Now, at 42, Christy Carlson Romano has announced her memoir, titled Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Rise and Fall of a Child Star, which will arrive later this year (on October 6). The book took her two long years to write and forced her to revisit her past. “It’s risky. It’s honest,” she admitted. But she’s dedicated this book to her daughters, and, of course, anyone who grew up watching her.

RELATED: Remember Gia From Full House? Here’s What Marla Sokoloff Looks Like Now

Remember Ren from Even Stevens? Here’s what Christy Carlson Romano looks like 26 years later Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

An iconic voice is turning 100 in a few weeks. The BBC is celebrating Sir David Attenborough with a special doccie on Friday, 8 May called David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth. But that’s only a small part of the celebration. They’ve also booked out the Royal Albert Hall, put together an orchestra, and pulled out decades of footage of the wildlife legend for the 90-minute special.

David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth will be hosted by the BBC’s Kirsty Young, who xx. “Sir David’s gift to the world has been a life spent exquisitely revealing Earth’s wonders to us all,” she said. “The very least he deserves is a big 100th birthday bash at the Royal Albert Hall! I’m very happy indeed, as the host, to be able to invite everyone to the party.”

On stage, familiar faces like Michael Palin, Liz Bonnin, Steve Backshall, and Chris Packham will share stories about working with Attenborough or being inspired by him. Which is basically everyone in wildlife TV at this point.

If that’s not enough, BBC Earth is rolling out a full schedule in May, including Wild London on 8 May and Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure on 15 May, plus classics like Blue Planet II and Seven Worlds, One Planet.

At 100 years old, David Attenborough has spent 70 of those years changing how we all see nature. According to the broadcaster, natural historian and writer, he’ll be spending the next few years taking it easy. But we just can’t imagine a wildlife documentary without him and his epic voice.

RELATED: The World Is A Worse Place Without Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

The BBC Will Celebrate David Attenborough’s Birthday With 100 Years on Planet Earth Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

Three movies in, Damian McCarthy continues his morbid fascination with setting up atmosphere-heavy horror movies that take place primarily in confined spaces within isolated settings. In Caveat, it’s a decaying remote house on a deserted island. In Oddity, it’s a countryside abode. And now, in his latest movie Hokum, he chooses the hotel setting in a secluded Irish location.

This time, the protagonist is Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), a bestselling author known for his book trilogy about a conquistador and a young boy. Earlier in the movie, McCarthy conjures a startling fright through a jump scare. His past two movies utilized jump scares sparingly, and they never felt like cheap tactics just for the sake of it. But in Hokum, he has somehow given in to repeating not once but a few more times later in the movie, particularly after Bauman checks into the hotel.

Apparently, his late parents used to go there on their honeymoon, and now, he wants to scatter their ashes after holding on to them for so long. McCarthy portrays Bauman as an arrogant jerk with the kind of big-city attitude when speaking to the local hotel staff. For instance, he barely cares whether the bellboy Alby (Will O’Connell) is a fan of his work. But despite coming across as an unlikable protagonist, he somewhat warms up to the hotel’s bartender, Fiona (Florence Ordesh), even though he gets off on the wrong foot when they first meet in the corridor.

Then, throughout his stay at the hotel, he learns that the honeymoon suite is strictly off-limits because it’s haunted, complete with a metal gate in front of the elevator leading upstairs that is locked. Soon, the story reaches a turning point: Fiona mysteriously disappears after a Halloween party, prompting Bauman to try to locate her. None of the staff, even the hotel’s manager Mal (Peter Coonan), has any idea where she is. From here, McCarthy begins piling up the scares by subsequently trapping Bauman in the hotel. The honeymoon suite, to be exact.

This is where the jump scares recur every now and then, highlighting nightmarish imagery from the eerie sight of a man in a rabbit suit to the ghostly woman figure lurking somewhere in the dark. The latter would occasionally pop up as if McCarthy feels the need to maximize the jump-scare quota. It was uncharacteristically McCarthy’s way of directing his horror feature, where he often favors slow-burning dread over traditional scares. Don’t get me wrong, they are scary and well-executed at first. But after a while, there is only so much a confined horror movie can do with jump scares.

The biggest disappointment comes from McCarthy’s screenplay itself. It’s like a hodgepodge of different ideas tossed against the wall to see if they stick. The story wants to delve into Bauman’s traumatic past and how it affects him emotionally and psychologically, which somehow ties to what’s going on in the hotel. Speaking of the hotel, there’s a spooky tale about the witch, and not to forget the mystery surrounding Fiona’s disappearance.

The movie also introduces a supporting character named Jerry (David Wilmot), an eccentric vagabond who made his own alcoholic concoction and a bottle of milk spiked with magic mushrooms. Beyond his odd personality, he seems to know something about the haunting of the honeymoon suite in the hotel.

While there’s nothing wrong with a director trying to weave multiple story threads in a single movie, McCarthy’s needlessly intricate yet patchy storytelling tends to make me frustrated about how everything would tie up at the end of the movie. So, instead of an intriguing payoff after watching the poor Bauman going through the ordeal, the movie culminates in a sadly underwhelming finale. That’s a pity, especially given the fact that this is the first time McCarthy collaborated with Neon, the highly acclaimed indie distributor and studio known for its elevated horrors and arthouse titles.

After showing a lot of promise in the much superior Caveat and Oddity, which in turn establishes McCarthy as one of the must-see horror filmmakers hailed from Ireland, I was expecting that he would strike a third winner in a row in Hokum. No doubt that McCarthy’s third directorial feature has a few effective frights and Adam Scott trying his best to play an emotionally troubled author grappling with his own personal demons, there aren’t enough to overcome most of the movie’s shortcomings.

RELATED: KillTrip Hits Digital This July With a Road Trip That Goes Very Wrong

Hokum Movie Review – Damian McCarthy’s Third Horror Has Scares but Lacks Impact Written by Casey Chong for Fortress of Solitude

The Michael Jackson movie has become a bigger hit than anyone expected, with some even declaring that the film could “save movie theaters”. The 2026 biopic has already made back its entire $200 million budget in just one weekend. Imagine how much it will make by the end of its run? It seems those billion-dollar predictions weren’t an exaggeration at all. With that success, the studio is already pushing to get working on Michael 2.

Although we heard plenty of reports about all the mini-disasters that happened during the production – like the film being reworked after legal threats from past Michael Jackson accusers and directing Antoine Fuqua quitting and returning – the good news is that at least 30% of Michael 2 has been filmed (which can be verified by all the leaked images online and also the unused footage that appeared in the film’s first trailer). 

Critics banked on Michael (the most expensive biopic ever made) being a complete failure, with plenty saying that the film doesn’t work and that a sequel was probably out of the question. Well, they were wrong, and it looks like everyone will be back on set to finish the second film soon. 

Except that Antoine Fuqua probably won’t be there. But it’s not because he has beef with the estate or the film studio. It’s because he is currently tied up with a Netflix project about Hannibal with Denzel Washington. That means the studio will need to find a new director and fast. But plenty of insiders believe they’ve already done that and that producer Graham King will step in to complete the vision for the next film.

King is the guy who actually managed to save Bohemian Rhapsody a few years ago and make it a global hit.

During a recent chat on The Town podcast with Matt Belloni, Lionsgate boss Adam Fogelson confirmed that producer Graham King is eager to shoot Michael 2 this year. When Belloni suggested that he would direct it, Fogelson didn’t shoot down the idea. 

But that’s not surprising. Jeff Sneider suggests that King actually took control of reshoots on Michael while Fuqua stayed in the background.

So, yes, Michael 2 is definitely happening. And why wouldn’t it? Given all the hype surrounding the film and his music being playlisted on radio stations again, it would be a sin not to do another one.

RELATED: 10 Secrets The 2026 Michael Jackson Movie Doesn’t Reveal About The Star

Michael Sequel Plans 2026 Shoot With A New Director Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

Warner Bros and NetherRealm Studios must be pretty angry right now. Aside from a leak or two, over the years, they’ve managed to keep the third Injustice game under wraps. Now, according to a report from MP1st, an anonymous Warner Bros Games artist has shared a list of projects they worked on. Their resume includes two standout titles: Hogwarts Legacy 2 and Injustice 3.

It’s been a terribly long wait for fans of the Injustice franchise. We haven’t had a new game since 2017’s Injustice 2. But given the shakeup at DC Studios, with James Gunn now being the head, it was expected, of course. That said, the Injustice story is far from finish.

If you’ve played the previous titles, you’ll know that this story exists in an alternate timeline where Superman rules over Earth (after Joker tricks him into killing his pregnant wife, Lois Lane), and Batman raises a small army of fighters to try and overthrow him. 

The game allows you to battle heroes and villains in a one-on-one fight. What makes Injustice unique is the large roster of characters, which includes alternate versions of DC’s best (who come in alternate costumes, too).

NetherRealm’s last major release, Mortal Kombat 1, was three years ago in 2023. So it makes sense that the studio is working on its next big title right now. Historically, NetherRealm alternates between Mortal Kombat and Injustice. If they follow that pattern, Injustice 3 should be next.

Also, remember when George Newbern, the voice behind Superman in the Injustice games, let something slip during a Comic Con interaction? He wasn’t lying.

Warner Bros hasn’t made anything official yet, but at this point, it feels less like a question of “if” and more like “when.” 

More Evidence Injustice 3 Is Next For NetherRealm

Mortal Kombat 1 (which has sold 5 million copies since September 2023) dropped its Definitive Edition in 2026, and if you’ve followed the NetherRealm Studios’ patterns over the years, that’s code for: “We’re done and moving onto the next game.” So, what’s next for the studio? Leaker “MultiverSusie” strongly believes it’s Injustice 3.

9 years. That’s how long it’s been since the last entry in NetherRealm Studios’ Injustice series. I know it might not look like it because the visuals hold up remarkably well after all these years, but fighting games fans have been waiting for another chapter in the DC brawler series for nearly a decade. In the meantime, NetherRealm has been busy, releasing not one but two flagship Mortal Kombat titles.

Now, it looks like it’s Injustice‘s turn again. That’s great news for DC fans, but not so great for MK fans who were hoping for more DLC content. In a tweet on their official social media account, Warner Bros. acknowledged the “disappointing news” about Mortal Kombat 1 but reassured players by saying, “our team at NetherRealm needs to shift focus to the next project in order to make it as great as we possibly can.”

Why Injustice 3 Took So Long To Develop

No, it’s not James Gunn‘s fault. One of the reasons why Mortal Kombat 1 took priority over Injustice 3 has to do with NetherRealm refreshing the graphics engine for their fighting games. Injustice 2 ran on Unreal Engine 3 – a graphics engine that’s beyond dated by this point. Later NetherRealm titles used a heavily modified version of Unreal Engine 4, but Injustice 3 might go beyond that.

The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t help with the studio’s development process. Remote work and the woes of the 2020 pandemic season delayed work on post-release content for MK11. That same delay also affected the schedule for Injustice 3, with MK1 taking precedence at the studio as a result.

Now that MK1 has been out for over a year, a series of suspicious job postings might confirm that the release of Injustice 3 is just around the corner.

NetherRealm Job Listings Hint At A New AAA Fighter

Last year, the Chicago-based studio behind the Mortal Kombat series published job postings claiming they’re looking for Associate Producers for their new project (first spotted on eXputer, a game forum website). Though the posting was purposefully vague on details, we know for a fact they’re working on a new AAA title.

Perhaps more interesting is that a second position listed as Senior Animator, Cinematics reveals a position is for a “high-quality cinematic animation for our story mode campaign.” That might sound familiar to fans of the Mortal Kombat and Injustice franchises. Lately, NetherRealm has been knocking it out of the park with their games’ Story Modes, and it’s safe to assume Injustice 3 will follow a similar blueprint.

Injustice 3 Story Predictions: Superman, Doomsday & The Phantom Zone

The next Injustice game might have to deal with evil Superman’s escape from the Phantom Zone. After all, Batman might be looking to use the powers of the mighty Kryptonian. Even if he’s been depowered, there’s no reason to believe that there’s no way for Superman to restore his powers – worse things have happened to him before.

Another storyline that Injustice 3 could revisit lies with Doomsday. The character’s fate is uncertain in the Injustice universe, as the last we saw of him was when he was sent to the Phantom Zone. Perhaps a duo of Doomsday and Superman could be strong enough to break free of the pocket dimension and establish a new version of the Regime.

So far, there has been precious little information about what the next Injustice game could be about, as even the comics haven’t provided any leads into what the series’ future might hold.

There was a while after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger that fans were worried that there wouldn’t be a new Injustice game. NetherRealm was worried they wouldn’t make it as part of the company, so working on something that didn’t use its IP made the most sense. Grubb (@JeffGrubb) on Twitter shared, “I hope Injustice 3 still happens. What I heard is that they wanted to focus on MK12 due to uncertainties about WB’s future.”

10 DC Characters We Want To See In Injustice 3

NetherRealm did a pretty solid job with the previous titles’ rosters by including a lot of fan favourites in the video games. For the next game, Injustice 3, we’d like to see a few more off-the-wall and crazier DC heroes and villains added to the mix.

Supposedly, leaks about the development of Injustice 3 have confirmed that Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, Robin, Etrigan, Nightwing, Poison Ivy, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Artemis, Metallo and Cyborg would all be part of the roster, giving us the chance to play as every member of the Teen Titans. If those rumours are true, then it’s very likely that we’ll also see the return of Deathstroke to the main roster.

But who else would we like to see return and debut?

10. Ra’s al Ghul

One of Batman’s most prominent villains, Ra’s al Ghul, appeared in some of Injustice’s complementary media but never in one of the games as a playable character. That could change with Injustice 3.

9. King Shark

The rise in popularity that the Suicide Squad has experienced in recent years can’t be ignored by future Injustice games. King Shark would be an obvious choice as a newcomer to the roster, seeing as he’s also appeared in the Rocksteady game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

8. Batman Beyond

Over the last two games, the Injustice world has featured 5 different members of the Bat Family. And while each one added a unique skill set and was fun to play with, we can’t help but think that Batman Beyond / Terry McGinnis would be a lot more fun than some of the other additions.

Not only is he great at hand-to-hand combat, but his use of tech during a fight would make him one of the more interesting characters to choose. He is the Dark Knight with even more advanced tech.

7. Kitana

Injustice 2’s Robin proved that sword-based fighters work and are fun. Adding a character who purely relies on her sword would be a great way to expand on that design. There’s a lot of possibility for Kitana (one of the best Mortal Kombat characters) to be added in Injustice 3, given that she’s said to be very much alive in the comics.

6. Plastic Man

The addition of Blue Beetle in Injustice 2 was a significant step in the right direction for incorporating a more lighthearted character into the dark world of Injustice. Plastic Man would not only make for a great counterpart to MvC3’s Deadpool but could also introduce an interesting long-ranged playstyle to the game.

5. Booster Gold

A jerk with a heart of gold, Booster Gold would make a great Injustice 3 counterpart to Mortal Kombat’s Johnny Cage. Even though he’s considered dead in the Injustice series universe, he could potentially be brought back to add a playstyle that combines Batman’s gadgets with The Flash’s super speed.

4. Beast Boy

Shapeshifter-type characters always make for interesting playstyles in fighting games, and Injustice has sorely been lacking a representative of them. Beast Boy’s ability to transform into any animal he wants could make for a cool stance-based design where he can vary up his move set and change his game plan on the fly.

3. Thomas Wayne

He may be donning the Dark Knight’s cowl, but Thomas Wayne has been a huge fan favourite since the Flashpoint event. He has a completely different set of skills from Bruce’s, and his more brutal nature could make for an interesting alternative to Batman in Injustice 3.

2. Killer Croc

Previous games are sorely lacking in the grappler department. Especially with the absence of Grundy in Injustice 2, developer Netherrealm Studios would be remiss not to add another one in Injustice 3. Killer Croc fits the bill for the throw-based archetype and could make for a more traditional one because of his more straightforward approach to combat in the DC universe.

1. The Riddler

This is as off-the-wall as it gets with fighters that we’d like to see in Injustice 3. The Riddler isn’t a fighter on his own but does rely on his wit and silly gadgets to conduct his villainy. In Injustice 3, The Riddler could be a trap-based archetype fighter who controls space by placing objects on the ground and in the air to deter foes from approaching. Having him be the first character to interact differently with stage hazards could also be possible.

Of course, we’d also like to see Constantine finally show up.

Could Neo From The Matrix Be Injustice 3’s Best DLC Character?

In recent years, Injustice has surprised us with unexpected characters such as Hellboy and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so it isn’t outside of the realm of possibility to expect The Matrix‘s Neo, who’s rumoured to be one of the major day-one DLC characters. It would be second time lucky as NetherRealms’ Ed Boon confirmed to Game Informer that the famous Chosen One almost appeared in Injustice 2.

Since Warner Bros. owns the distribution rights for The Matrix, the company can use its other owned stages to cross-promote its various properties. Marketing potential aside, a character like Neo would fit into Injustice 3 like a glove. His unique fighting style is highly visual and something that players would get a kick out of performing. His combos would be at the next level, and you can only imagine how his super move would be out of this world. Plus, wouldn’t it be incredible if Keanu Reeves also voiced the character in the game?

Injustice 3 Needs To Fix Superman’s Story Once And For All

NetherRealm Studios’ Injustice universe has been a fascinating cross-media synergy experiment – easily one of the most ambitious in recent video game history. Not only does it include characters from NetherRealm’s own Mortal Kombat series as well as DC Comics superheroes like Batman and Green Lantern, but it also takes place in a twisted universe where the moralities of some fan-favourite characters are warped beyond recognition.

This leads us to the star of the show: Superman. The Man of Steel is integral to the plot of the whole series, and his turn to the dark side might be what made the series so popular in the first place. However, as we reach the series’ third entry, some fans are arguing that Injustice 3 should reintroduce the good Superman to its alternate universe.

From a narrative point of view, this makes sense. While the novelty of evil Superman will probably never wear off, if Injustice 3 has a good Superman, it would mean a step forward for the mythos of the alternate universe of the series. After all, even the Injustice evil Superman has shown some of Supes’ trademark heroism from time to time, even if it’s in his own twisted way.

We also have to keep in mind that the ending of Injustice 2 could vary wildly depending on which side wins. For all intents and purposes, it would seem safe to say that Injustice 3 would go with the Absolute Justice ending, where Batman sends evil Supes to the Phantom Zone.

This would mean a clean slate for Injustice 3’s good Superman theory, as this version of the Man of Steel would have been stripped of his powers and sent to an interdimensional prison. If that isn’t enough to mend his ways, perhaps nothing will be. One thing is for sure: even the Injustice Universe version of Superman isn’t entirely evil, even if he’s nowhere near as good as the paragon of justice we’re used to seeing in the DC Universe.

Alternatively, there’s always the chance that the fabled good Superman in Injustice 3 ends up being the version of the character from the prime universe. It seems unlikely, but who knows? Perhaps the next iteration of Netherrealm Studios‘ franchise will introduce the good Superman to the Injustice verse. After all, the Injustice universe does need a good cleanup, and without their resident Man of Steel to take care of things, it might be up to good ol’ Supes to fix this universe.

The first Injustice game had versions of both universes in its roster, while Injustice 2 focused more on the civil war ravaging the Injustice verse. Perhaps the third entry in the series will have a little bit of both worlds – literally – by reintroducing characters from both continuities into the roster. This would be the perfect way to write off evil Superman as still being in the Phantom Zone, but having an Injustice 3 with a good Superman to sate the fans of the Man of Steel.

It’s been five years since the last Injustice game hit the shelves, so we might be long overdue for a sequel. Even if news about the third entry in the series remains scarce, fans are already creating their dream rosters for the game – a clear signal that the franchise is still as popular as ever. Whether or not we get an Injustice 3 with a good Superman remains to be seen, but, at the very least, we can say that that wouldn’t be the wildest thing to ever happen in the world of Injustice. Not by a long shot.

RELATED: Mortal Kombat vs DC Animated Movie: Here’s What We Missed Out On

Injustice 2
Following the end of Superman's totalitarian reign over the Earth, Batman and his allies attempt to piece the world back together only to be faced with a new threat that will cause them to do the unthinkable.

	Release Date: May 9, 2017
	Platforms: Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
	Developer: NetherRealm Studios
	Genre: Fighting

After Years of Silence, Injustice 3 News Leaks Thanks to Hogwarts Legacy 2 Dev Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

Appearing on the How Did This Get Made? podcast with Jason Mantzoukas, Paul Scheer and Nicole Byer, Jackass: Best and Last‘s Johnny Knoxville had a bizarre Steven Seagal to tell (as are all Steven Seagal stories, of course). 

Somewhere in an office at Paramount, most probably in the early ‘90s (during a time when slick ponytails and roundhouse kicks ruled Hollywood), the martial arts legend and action star sat behind a desk with a gun beside him. No, that’s not a scene from a movie. That’s real-life Seagal just casually working in an office in Tinseltown.

According to Knoxville, a producer walked in and found Seagal weeping. “The producer’s like, what’s going on? Are you okay?” Knoxville tells. Then, Seagal looked up and said he had just read the most beautiful script of his life. Naturally, the producer is taken aback and asks who wrote it.

“He goes, I did,” Knoxville finishes the story, with the room bursting into laughter.

The even funnier part is that this story isn’t too hard to believe. It’s the kind of Steven Seagal you’d expect to be completely true, especially given all the past stories we’ve heard over the years.

Of course, Jason Mantzouka piled on to the moment, calling the actor, “Russian citizen Steven Seagal”, with Paul Scheer correcting him, “I meant a blues artist, Steven Seagal.”

Nicole Byer, on the other hand, admits that she’s never actually seen a Seagal movie, which, according to the rest of the group, is a shame. 

Because here’s the thing. Seagal’s career is actually like two completely different movies edited together really badly. In the first act, he’s a legit action star and 7th-dan black belt and shihan in Aikikai aikido, who made films like Under Siege, a ’90s classic. But somewhere in the middle of his career, things spiralled in the wrong direction… very fast. By 2016, Seagal was releasing like six films a year – and none of them were any good. The cream of the crappy crop has to be Code of Honor, though. It’s a film so bad that audiences mostly watch it for laughs. Except it isn’t a comedy, in any way.

Over the years, even his aikido moves have gotten lazy and predictable. As Knoxville even joked on the podcast, later-era Seagal probably won’t even get up for fights. “When he gets older, he won’t even get out of his chair for a fight scene. He’ll just sit in his chair and kick,” he joked.

But even off-screen, Seagal, now a Russian citizen with ties to Vladimir Putin, is a controversial figure. Just recently, he made headlines again. This time, he is part of an ongoing Ukrainian investigation into alleged arms distribution networks.

And again, that isn’t a plot to an upcoming film, that’s Seagal’s real-life.

And yes, this is the same guy who once cried over his own script and called it the most beautiful thing he has ever read. And yes, the same guy who made a career out of whispering through action scenes, feuded with Van Damme for decades, then randomly patched things up in recent years.

Someone has got to turn Steven Seagal’s story into a feature film. This is the type of content you just can’t make up. Watch the clip:

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Johnny Knoxville Reveals The Only Script That Made Steven Seagal Cry Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

When Amazon/MGM first announced Denis Villeneuve would be directing Bond 26, most of us knew it was going to be a long wait before we even got to see anything. With Dune 3 arriving later this year, the director would have his hands full for a while still. But, now, according to a new report, it might be even longer than we thought. A new article by The Telegraph’s Tim Robey, titled ‘Amazon don’t know what to do with it’: What’s going on with James Bond?, suggests that the film is in trouble.

In the lengthy piece, the author suggests that James Bond, who hasn’t been seen on screen since 2021’s No Time to Die, is currently in limbo. It seems that more than a year after Amazon took creative control of the character, nobody seems entirely sure what the plan is. And by nobody, we mean not the public or anyone behind the scenes either.

In fact, the report by The Telegraph says an anonymous executive allegedly called Bond “a nightmare” and “a bore.”

The biggest issue at the moment isn’t who will be cast as the next James Bond (even though we’ve heard before that it could be Aaron Taylor-Johnson or Jacob Elordi), but rather that there is currently no script yet. Yes, Steven Knight is writing it, but it’s reportedly “nowhere near ready.” And, even if it was, we probably wouldn’t get a film until 2028 or 2029. That’s a long time to wait – and actually the longest pause between films in the billion-dollar franchise.

But it’s a tricky script to crack. How do the filmmakers approach the character? He died in the last film. Do they just continue the story with a younger Bond? Do they reboot it completely? Do they just pretend that he didn’t die? Nobody seems to know the way forward.

Film historian James Chapman put it bluntly: “They have bought this incredibly lucrative franchise… and I’m just getting the impression that they don’t know what to do with it.”

That’s the real story here. Bond will be back. But nobody really knows when or how. For now, except to see Bond 26 many years from now.

RELATED: 11 Actresses Fans Want To See As The Next Bond Girl

James Bond 26 Facing Major Delays — Script Still Not Ready, Future Unclear Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

If we’ve learned anything from horror films, it’s that road trips can go very, very wrong. KillTrip is another warning to all travellers: there are some scary towns out there. Quiver Distribution have secured the rights to the horror flick and plans to release it in the U.S. on July 17, 2026.

Stop me if you’ve heard this plot before… A group of friends head out to a music festival in Texas, and somewhere between excitement and bad directions, their car gives in… in the middle of nowhere. They manage to hitch a ride with a strange van driver and end up in a strange town that feels frozen in time. When nighttime arrives, people go missing, and things get weird.

But director Kristian McKay promises that he isn’t just chasing the usual boring jump scares here, though. This isn’t another one of those. Instead, he describes KillTrip as “a slow descent—beautiful, hypnotic, with classical terrors,” and that it is “less about what you see and more about what you start to feel.” That makes it sound a little more promising and not just another one of those cheap road trip horror films.

Filmed in Bastrop, Texas, the cast here has a few familiar faces. Samaire Armstrong, Corin Nemec, Stelio Savante, and Todd Jenkins form part of the cast.

KillTrip is McKay’s first American feature, but he’s not exactly new to horror or thrillers. Ventaja, one of his earlier works, a thriller, actually did well at cinemas back in 2019, and there were even talks about Ecuador’s Oscar submission. His next project, Do Not Open, is already preparing to shoot in Texas this summer.

If you’re planning a road trip anytime soon, maybe double-check your route. KillTrip is your warning.

RELATED: A24 Built An Impressive 30K-Square-Feet Set For The Backrooms Movie

KillTrip Hits Digital This July With a Road Trip That Goes Very Wrong Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

Few films are as powerfully iconic as Risky Business. The movie featured the directorial debut of Paul Brickman, who would later go on to direct films like Men Don’t Leave and True Crime, and also introduced the world to a very young (and undeniably cool) Tom Cruise. Risky Business was also the launchpad for Rebecca De Mornay: a young actress with only one acting credit under her name by 1983. Co-starring in what some critics call the best high school film of all time is an amazing way to start your career, the kind of role that follows you forever. Now, four decades after Risky Business, Rebecca de Mornay is still the blonde knockout who captivated Joel Goodson to the point of performing Old Time Rock and Roll in his underwear.

In Risky Business, De Mornay plays Lana, an escort who becomes involved with Joel after an unforgettable night and a stolen glass egg. De Mornay gave Lana a unique edge that blends “experience” with innocence, turning her character into a beloved icon nearly a decade before Pretty Woman.

Immediately, audiences became enamored by De Mornay’s charm. She was that girl-next-door type Hollywood desperately needed. Her undeniable chemistry with Tom Cruise was also one of the reasons why Risky Business became such a hit; it’s no surprise to hear that the co-stars were secretly dating behind the scenes!

De Mornay remained busy in the 90s. While her Risky Business co-star was starring in Jerry Maguire and Mission: Impossible, De Mornay appeared in several high-profile thrillers and action films of the era. From Ron Howard’s Backdraft to Thick as Thieves and including The Three Musketeers, De Mornay quickly became an international star.

Starring in 1992’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle was seen as her turn into a more mature, “serious” actress. But beyond that, it proved that her good looks were there to stay.

When De Mornay co-starred in The Shining miniseries back in the 90s, critics were quick to notice how well she performed on the small screen. This led to De Mornay appearing on shows like ER, Law & Order, and Lucifer.

Marvel fans will surely remember De Mornay as Dorothy Walker in Netflix’s Jessica Jones. Though her character isn’t likely to return to the MCU (even if stranger things have already happened), this role introduced De Mornay’s charm to a new generation – and proved she still looked amazing in her fifties.

De Mornay has kept herself busy in her acting career. This April, she will return to acting in theaters with The Pushover, a new play by John Patrick Shanley. Movies like Saint Claire and Off the Record prove that she’s still deeply embedded in Hollywood’s DNA.

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One look at photos of her with the Pushover cast shows that she has aged as gracefully as Cruise himself. There was definitely something in the water on the set of Risky Business that kept its lead looking absolutely stunning four decades later.

RELATED: Remember Vicki From Small Wonder? Here’s What Tiffany Brissette (51) Looks Like 41 Years Later

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Remember Lana from Risky Business? Here’s what Rebecca De Mornay looks like 43 years later Written by Tito Pernalete for Fortress of Solitude

We live in a world obsessed with loud culture. From cynical blockbusters to fast-paced social media reels, we’ve mostly forgotten the simple pleasures of deliberate silence in media. No other show captured that balance between empathetic and genuinely educational as Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – and that’s precisely the kind of show we need today.

A show that remains wholly unmatched in its feel-good vibes and unshakable moral fiber, Mister Rogers taught entire generations how to be the very best neighbors they could be. Then, in 2001, the show came to an end, after 33 years of wholesome history. Let’s take a look at the many reasons why Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood isn’t the show we deserve, but the one we need.

When the Neighborhood first hit the airwaves in the late 60s, society was in a wildly turbulent state. The Civil Rights movement was about to change America’s way of life for good, and neighborhoods were becoming increasingly vital as the backbone of humanity itself.

Fred Rogers’ show gave kids a safe space to navigate their changing society. His historic testimony before the United States Senate essentially established educational television itself, and it all started with Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Rogers’ show came out in a society that was learning how to reconcile its differences as best it could. To prepare children for adult life, Rogers came up with a brilliant idea: his show would need to teach kids about emotional literacy. The concept of being “in touch” with one’s feelings might sound like some “New Wave” idea, but the reality is that Mister Rogers was already working with it since the sixties.

The “Neighborhood” itself was a metaphor for the ideal, civil society – a dream that seemed increasingly achievable as America entered the seventies. Mistakes were allowed and fixed, not just chastised. That’s the kind of positive growth society needs: a way to foster a sense of unity and forgiveness that diminishes polarization – and just five seconds on X would tell you that the world desperately needs some common ground right now.

It would be safe to say that we live in a paradoxical society, one where we are “alone together.” Loneliness itself has become epidemic, with our digital neighborhoods becoming battlefields instead. Shows like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood proved that there could be ways to achieve an understanding, even when things looked grim.

One of the show’s most important lessons became a motto for fans: “Look for helpers.” Rogers invited people to trust in those members of society who “helped” build a better community, and to model ourselves after them. That sincere desire to genuinely be better condenses the series’ entire philosophy – one that seems almost forbidden for modern media, as it seems increasingly consumed by cynicism.

Not only do we need more shows like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, but we also need to rediscover the courage to be the “helpers” ourselves, constructing a better tomorrow one neighborly brick at a time.

RELATED: It’s a Beautiful Day… on YouTube! Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Gets A 2026 Comeback

The World Is A Worse Place Without Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Written by Tito Pernalete for Fortress of Solitude

Hair can be one of the most defining characteristics of any celebrity. It’s the reason why so many try to hide any signs of baldness or keep resisting white hairs like their lives depend on it. Sure, rhinoplasties are common in Hollywood, but bad haircuts are the bane of anyone in the entertainment industry. To prove how vital a recognizable hairline can be, here are 10 actors who look completely unrecognizable without their iconic hair ‘dos.

10. Guy Fieri

We’re cheating a bit with this one since Fieri technically isn’t an actor, but, since he has appeared in The Interview, Happy Gilmore 2, and other comedies, we might as well consider him one. Early this year, Fieri shared an unsettling, partially AI-generated video of him without his characteristic frosted tips. Calling himself a “New Guy,” fans were quick to notice how unnatural Fieri looked without his flamboyant hairstyle.

Thankfully, Flavortown’s mayor was simply playing a prank on his fans. The new look was part of a Super Bowl ad. As soon as he appeared, Justaguy Fieri was gone.

9. Jared Leto

Leto usually sports a style that could only be described as “messianic.” His long locks and bushy beard go with every character he plays, whether it’s Tron: Ares, Morbius, or even Blade Runner 2049. Trying to imagine Leto without his long hair would be almost impossible. Now, picture him with short hair and blonde – which is the look he rocked while he was filming Suicide Squad.

Needless to say, the new look didn’t stick around for long. After he was done with the Joker, he was back to his usual mane. Even when the time came to reprise his role in the Snyder Cut, he played the Joker with his characteristic long hair instead.

8. Jason Momoa

Momoa’s powerful Hawaiian genes have blessed him with one of Hollywood’s most impressive (and wildest) manes. Those unruly waves redefined Aquaman’s look for an entire generation – and for good reason. The long hair plus beard combo just looks natural on a man of Momoa’s stature, and he knew that people associated him with his impressive head of hair, which is why he partially sacrificed it for a good cause.

In 2022, the actor buzzed part of his hair to promote environmentalism. Don’t worry, reader: he immediately covered the shave with a traditional Hawaiian tattoo. Now that’s a power move.

7. Emma Stone

Beyond her stunning eyes, Emma Stone is well-known for her stylish bobs. Whether she’s rocking a Parisian bob or a mid-length one, Emma effortlessly manages to look both young and stylish with her hairdos. For her role in Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, however, the actress went almost completely bald. That would explain why she sported a very short pixie cut in 2025. The latest Oscars, in which she was nominated for her part in Bugonia, revealed her hair is finally back to normal.

6. Demi Moore

Those watching the 2022 Oscars might remember a movie called G.I. Jane – and the slap heard around the world that succeeded its name. For her role in the action film directed by Ridley Scott, Moore had to sport a military buzzcut. Fans who were used to her look in Ghost or Striptease were shocked to see her in a film that completely redefined her as an actress.

5. Alexander Skarsgård

The eldest of Stellan Skarsgård’s sons has always been quite the looker. His short, blonde hair gives Alexander that “golden age” Hollywood look. Throughout the years, he’s kept it short, with a few exceptions like The Legend of Tarzan and The Northman requiring him to let it grow wild.

That said, in late October 2017, Alexander shocked everyone when he looked more like George Costanza than his usual, rugged self. The actor had shaved the top of his head in a “cul-de-sac” style for the film The Hummingbird Project.

4. Millie Bobby Brown

Most fans first met Millie Bobby Brown when she had a buzzcut for her role as Eleven in the first season of Stranger Things. Since then, the actress has modeled a variety of hairstyles, from pixie cuts to long, luscious locks. She managed to keep things very brunette, however. Recently, Brown changed her soft brunette look for a more “classic Hollywood” golden blonde style. The look fits the rapidly maturing celebrity, who recently became a mom (through adoption) with her husband, Jake Bongiovi.

3. Margot Robbie

Quick question: what’s Margot Robbie’s hair color? Most people would immediately answer that Robbie is well-known as one of Hollywood’s most popular blondes. She is Barbie, after all. However, Robbie aficionados would be quick to point out that Robbie is actually brunette. The actress confessed that she had to dye her hair blonde for so many roles that she eventually decided to embrace the color once and for all, becoming the knockout blonde she is today.

2. Tom Hanks

To this day, Cast Away remains one of the most demanding productions in Tom Hanks’ entire filmography. In order to make his character’s physical transformation much more believable, production was paused for an entire year so Hanks had the time to lose weight and let his natural beard grow free.

While that was great for Cast Away, it caused quite a stir among Hank’s fans when he showed up at the 73rd Academy Awards rocking a beard that would make every member of ZZ Top insanely jealous. For an actor who spent an entire lifetime working on his “clean” persona, seeing him with a massive beard and noticeably skinnier was disorienting, to say the least.

The above image is from when he appeared on The Graham Norton Show with a very strange hairstyle he had to play Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

1. John Travolta

It’s no secret that John Travolta had to wear extensions to achieve his signature look as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. Still, everyone knew that Travolta had a killer mane since his Carrie days. That jet black hair was certainly iconic – but for those with a keen eye, Travolta’s widow’s peak was starting to become increasingly noticeable.

Some might have expected him to gradually embrace the power of baldness, but he left everyone speechless when he shaved all of his hair off in 2019. There’s a silver lining to this story, however: he definitely rocks the bald head look. However, for those who were used to seeing him in Saturday Night Fever (or Battlefield Earth), the new hairless Travolta looked like an entirely different person.

RELATED: 15 Celebrities Who Are Super Rich But Don’t Like Spending Money

10 Hollywood Actors Who Look Totally Different Without Their Signature Hair Written by Tito Pernalete for Fortress of Solitude

For most people, fame and fortune equals a life of luxury and extravagance. We’ve all seen the big houses, private jets, and crazy shopping sprees. But, surprisingly, not every rich celebrity behaves this way. Many choose to live simple lives and don’t get caught up in spending loads of money. Here is a list of super rich celebrities who live frugal lives and don’t spend tons of money.

15. Tyra Banks

You’d think that someone who’s been both a supermodel and a TV star would be all about the glamorous lifestyle, but Tyra Banks has a rep for being extremely careful about how she spends her money. She’s described herself as “frugal to a fault” in many interviews and has even revealed that she has saved hotel toiletries when she can. That’s pretty frugal for a star.

14. Mark Zuckerberg

While Zuckerberg might be the founder of Facebook, and one of the richest people in the world, have you ever seen him flaunting his lifestyle to the public? No? That’s because he just doesn’t roll that way. Instead, you’ll often see him in plain gray T-shirts or hoodies and comfortable shoes or sneakers. He isn’t flashing designer brands or flaunting his money. He keeps his life simple. Well, as simple as it can be being one of the world’s richest men. 

And besides, all that, he’s also promised to donate most of his earnings to his charity someday. 

13. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leo might be earning awards and huge paychecks for his work in some of the world’s biggest films, but off-screen, he keeps his life super simple. Yes, he likes vacations on private islands, but he is also a guy known to drive a Toyota Prius. There are a ton of pictures of him online, dressed down at a gas station filling up his car. Leo isn’t about that bling bling life.

12. Kristen Bell

Known for her roles in TV shows and films like Disney’s Frozen, Kristen Bell has a very successful career in Hollywood. You have to wonder why she is known for using coupons and discounts then. But Bell has often commented on her use of coupons while shopping. She loves a good discount. 

She believes her (and her husband, actor Dax Shepard) approach to money reflects a life of gratitude.

11. Adam Sandler

We’ve all seen the countless images of Adam Sandler strolling around New York and enjoying a game of basketball with strangers. While he might be known for his comedies, and his serious roles too these days, Sandler isn’t about that celebrity life. He keeps things down to Earth. Sure, he might be super rich, but he isn’t going around flaunting it. Despite all the money, he’s one of us.

10. Halle Berry

Raised on a tight budget, Berry found it hard to leave her frugal ways behind. And so, she had remained a very conscious spender throughout her career. In fact, she has said that she avoids the usual extravagant purchases that have become synonymous with Hollywood royalty. Good for her.

9. Jennifer Lawrence

Even though her name has been in lights for years now, Lawrence still lived in the same modest LA apartment for years, even after her career took off. She also still drives the same Chevy Volt she’s always had, instead of the obligatory celebrity Lambo.

8. Cillian Murphy

It’s probably not the biggest surprise that one of the most modest actors of all time prefers to live a normal life with his family away from the Hollywood noise. Murphy has a distaste for all the glamor and instead spends his quiet time in Dublin. You’ll never see him showing off in public. He’s not built that way.

7. Sarah Jessica Parker

Even after all these years as a celeb, the Sex and the City actress still hunts for bargains today. Some things never change. It’s even believed that she went as far as to dress her son in hand-me-downs to save some cash.

6. Mila Kunis

Mr and Mrs Frugal, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher choose to live a very simple and quiet lifestyle. There’s even a story that the couple bought their wedding rings on Etsy to avoid paying a small fortune on jewelry.

5. Dave Grohl

At age 12, Grohl witnessed his mother suffer a stroke while filing taxes, a moment that left a lasting impression. From then on, the Foo Fighters frontman vowed never to let money become a source of stress.

4. George R.R. Martin

Despite the massive success of Game of Thrones, Martin still lives in a modest house and writes on a DOS-based retro computer – which might explain why The Winds of Winter still isn’t finished.

3. Ingvar Kamprad

The man who founded IKEA and was worth around $58 BILLION at the time of his death in 2018, but Ingvar Kamprad chose to live a modest life in every sense of the word. He wore used clothes and drove unpretentious cars. Also, unlike most billionaires, he almost always flew in economy class, encouraging other IKEA executives to do the same.

2. Warren Buffett

One of the richest men alive, Buffett has lived in the same modest Omaha house for decades. He drives a no-frills Cadillac, eats breakfast at McDonald’s using coupons, and famously avoids unnecessary luxuries. It makes perfect sense, however: you don’t make the world’s biggest fortune by needlessly spending money.

1. Keanu Reeves

You’d never expect to find a world-renowned celebrity like Keanu Reeves on the subway – and yet, that’s one of Keanu’s favorite modes of transport. He’s also famous for having donated over $75 million of his earnings to film crews.

RELATED: 30 Hollywood Actors Who Hate Social Media (No Instagram, No X)

15 Celebrities Who Are Super Rich But Don’t Like Spending Money Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

After 20 years since the last rodeo, it’s time for Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt to strike a pose again. They return for the stylish The Devil Wears Prada 2, which reunites them with the same director (David Frankel) and writer (Aline Brosh McKenna) to recapture the original’s spirit. However, this sequel isn’t a rehash, updating the setting to a modern era and focusing on current-day industry problems.

The story begins with Andy Sachs (Hathaway) getting laid off from her journalism job just as she accepts an award. However, her onstage rant about the power of journalism lands in front of Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman), the head cheese of the Elias-Clarke Group. Ravitz is in the midst of his own mini crisis as Runway deals with a scandal, so he offers Andy a job as a features editor to see if she can steer the ship and improve dwindling viewership numbers. After much deliberation, Andy accepts, thinking that her former boss Miranda Priestly (Streep) approved it. But here’s the catch: Miranda only finds out when Andy walks in that morning.

Like before, the hook in The Devil Wears Prada 2 is the dynamic between Miranda and Andy. While Miranda has changed – somewhat out of a fear of an HR lawsuit – she possesses the same forked tongue everybody remembers. Don’t expect a pat on the back from her at any point! Andy, though, is more confident. Even so, she can’t shake the desire to impress her demanding boss. 

What’s interesting about their relationship in this movie is how they’re actually more similar in their thinking than people give them credit for. Miranda struggles to navigate the new world of publishing where fashion has been reduced to simply scrollable content, while Andy desires to produce stories (and art) that move readers. There’s an “aha” moment when they finally click and their relationship improves, but there’s another spanner in the works waiting for them.

Tucci’s Nigel Kipling still serves as Miranda’s right-hand man and proves to be Andy’s venting outlet. As before, Tucci knows how to calmly steal the show and become the go-to between characters. Blunt’s Emily Charlton isn’t at the magazine anymore, though. She’s now an executive at Dior; however, she gets pulled into the story almost as soon as Andy rejoins Runway. Both play pivotal roles in the story, even if Blunt isn’t as prominently featured as in the original movie.

While there are new characters introduced, such as Simone Ashley’s Amari Mari, Patrick Brammall’s Peter, Justin Theroux as Benji Barnes, and Kenneth Branagh’s Stuart, none of them make as much of a splash as the main cast. They have their moments, yes, but there’s no debate about who carries the story here. In some instances, they could have been removed entirely and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

Whereas the first film’s theme is about the high demands of luxury editorial, the sequel modernizes the message. It looks at the changing media landscape, especially in terms of how newsrooms have been decimated, corporate greed has run rampant, and the impact of AI on creative jobs. The movie pulls no punches, addressing the harrowing, deteriorating state of the industry, but it also champions the arts and suggests to the audience that they should do the same. Is anybody listening, or are we merely trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted?

The Devil Wears Prada 2 isn’t without its flaws, though. There are pacing issues throughout, as certain scenes could have been trimmed or cut altogether while others needed more time to breathe. Andy’s romance subplot is a notable example. It’s shoehorned into the story and doesn’t fit at all, yet it still forces its way in, adding absolutely nothing to either character’s development. Then there’s the case of Emily. While she has an important role in the main plot, she’s still underutilized. In the original film, Miranda, Andy, Nigel, and Emily are the heart and soul of the story. They’re all here, but it’s Emily who gets the short end of the stick in terms of screentime.

Those gripes aside, The Devil Wears Prada 2 turns out to be a sharp and endearing sequel. It isn’t a retread; instead, it showcases characters you will still recognize while making it clear they’ve grown over the past two decades. More importantly, it’s an unabashed celebration of art, being unafraid to speak up about the corporatization of the fashion and editorial world. In a time in which suits are gutting every publication for a quick profit and falling for every get-rich AI scam, this is a timely reminder that nothing sings to the soul quite like human creativity – and nothing will ever change that.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 Movie Review – Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep Don’t Play Devil’s Advocate for the Changing Media Landscape Written by Sergio Pereira for Fortress of Solitude

Aside from delivering a magnificent performance as Wolverine in Logan, Hugh Jackman has also shown his range in films such as Prisoners, Les Misérables, Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, and The Greatest Showman. Yet somehow his best-reviewed film is now The Sheep Detectives, a mystery comedy where a flock of sheep set off to solve the mystery of who murdered him (yes, he dies early on in the film). Isn’t life strange?

The Sheep Detectives, filmed in June to July 2024 already, has had an interesting journey to the big screen. Aside from its release date being shifted around three times, the film has also been renamed (from Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie). It arrives in theaters on May 8 – yes, the same day as Mortal Kombat II. But while everyone seemed to have written it off, it’s 96% Rotten Tomatoes score says it’s definitely worth checking out. And, for the record, that score is higher than Jackman’s Logan, which had 93%, and 2019’s Bad Education, which has 94%. In fact, with that score, it’s one of the highest-rated films of the year so far.

In The Sheep Detectives, Jackman plays George Hardy, a quiet shepherd with a habit of reading detective novels aloud to his sheep. So, when George dies, the sheep step in to take a crack at the case.

If you’re scratching your head, you’re not alone. Still, as weird as the plot sounds, it seemed to have worked.

Directed by Kyle Balda, who worked on Minions: The Rise of Gru and Despicable Me 3, critics are calling the film Paddington and Babe meets Knives Out. It probably also helps that The Sheep Detectives has an incredible cast line-up that includes big names like Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, and Brett Goldstein. 

Unless Hugh Jackman finds a way to deliver a film with a higher score, The Sheep Detectives will forever be at the top of the list of his best-reviewed movies… of his entire career.

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The Sheep Detectives Just Became Hugh Jackman’s Best-Reviewed Movie Ever Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude

Desert Warrior just broke a new record, but not in a good way. At one point, the Anthony Mackie film, which was originally announced way back in 2021, felt like one of those big-budget mirages that audiences would never actually get to see. And given its reported $150 million price tag, that was a disaster. The Saudi-backed historical epic was actually stuck in development quicksand for five years (and that was after rewrites and walkouts and heated arguments behind the scenes), until it finally got a 2026 release. But the writing was on the wall for Desert Warrior way before it was released.

The film face-planted at the box office this week when it managed to pull in $472,000 during its opening across more than 1,000 U.S. screens. And for a film directed by Rupert Wyatt starring big stars like Anthony Mackie, Ben Kingsley, and Sharlto Copley, you’ve got to say that’s pretty awful.

But critics weren’t exactly kind to the historical action film either. Desert Warrior has a very low 1.9/10 IMDb score and a sad 27% Rotten Tomatoes rating – that’s actually even lower than Cats.

It’s abysmal opening weekend numbers now place it among the worst wide-release openings ever, landing around 12th place. In the “over 1,000 screens” category, it’s in 7th place, just behind The D Train with Jack Black.

Set in 7th-century Arabia during a time of tribal conflict and Sassanid expansion, at the center of the film stands Princess Hind, played by Aiysha Hart, who refuses to become a concubine to Emperor Kisra, portrayed by Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley. Hind escapes into the desert with her father, King Numan, played by Ghassan Massoud, only to be hunted by Kisra’s mercenary Jalabzeen, played by Sharlto Copley. Mackie plays a mysterious bandit, who helps spark a rebellion that builds toward the historic Battle of Ze Qar, a clash said to have reshaped the Arabian Peninsula.

The production once compared the film’s final battle to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. That’s something they probably want to backtrack on.

Desert Warrior is directed by Rupert Wyatt, the filmmaker behind successful blockbusters like Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Escapist, who briefly exited the film due to creative differences, but later returned to finish editing.

Wyatt later told Deadline, “Desert Warrior is that rare beast of a film that combines a very human story with epic scope and ambition. Shot in the most extraordinary desert landscapes, with a cast and crew of thousands who all reached for the stars, I am privileged to have played my part in perhaps one of the last in-camera on location action epics. So it’s fitting and fortunate to have Vertical bring our film to cinema audiences and the big screen. Long live cinema!”

Desert Warrior was meant to be Saudi Arabia’s first major Hollywood blockbuster. Now it’s become one of its biggest disasters. Only streaming can save it now.

Anthony Mackie’s Desert Warrior Crashes Into the Top 10 Worst Openings of All Time Written by Jarrod Saunders for Fortress of Solitude