The Steam Deck’s brutal price hike is another crisis for the video game industry

Much like everything nowadays, video games have become an expensive hobby to keep. Prices for current generation games continue to rise, with regular editionstopping out at $70for certain games. The PlayStation 5 recently underwenta major price hikethat saw a $200 increase to its PS5 Pro model, which when released in November 2024 wasone of the most expensive consoles ever.

And now, Valve has jumped into the mix with its own massive price hike, as the company announced on Wednesday that the popular Steam Deck handheld will have its own $200-plus increase starting immediately.

"Steam Deck OLED is back in stock, with a price increase for both models due to rising memory and storage costs," Valve saidon the Steam store page."Steam Deck itself hasn't changed; these new prices reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole. We’ll keep you updated if anything changes."

The Steam Deck previously had three models, but the original LCD model released in 2022 wasdiscontinued in Decemberin favor of the two OLED editions. Both OLED editions have increased in price with this recent news.

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This price hike is yet another blow to gamers and the video game industry as a whole.Hardware prices have skyrocketedthanks to the AI boom, with the biggest pain points the increasing prices of storage (such as SSDs) and memory (RAM) alongside the lack of supply. In response, many companies have increased prices to compensate, but those price hikes have caused hardware sales toreach a 35-year lowas gamers tighten their belts thanks to the overall state of the economy.

No one is safe from these price increases it seems. Even the unflappable Nintendo hasslightly increasedthe price of the Switch 2 recently due to the "impact of various changes in market conditions".

It's a bad sign all around if you're a video game enjoyer and it doesn't seem like this crisis will be ending anytime soon.

This article originally appeared on For The Win:Valve's Steam Deck price increase is a brutal blow for gaming industry

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 27, 2026

The Steam Deck’s brutal price hike is another crisis for the video game industry

Much like everything nowadays, video games have become an expensive hobby to keep. Prices for current generation games continue to rise...

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NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. reads his final texts with Kyle Busch 1 day before driver's sudden death

NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed his final text exchange with Kyle Busch one day before the driver's sudden death at 41 last week.

Key Points

• Earnhardt admitted that he has a "hard time believing" that Busch is gone.

• Busch died after his severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in complications, his family said.

NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. has revealed his final conversation with Kyle Busch the day before the racing pro's unexpected death.

Earnhardt Jr. remembered his fellow driver,who died at 41on May 21, on the latest episode of his podcast,Dale Jr. Download, recalling their last text exchange and Busch's impact on him and the industry.

"I was texting with him the day before he passed away about getting together this Thursday to bring his seat for his late model over to my shop," Earnhardt Jr. began, explaining that they had agreed that Busch would drive the vehicle in the CARS Tour and that they were deciding which number they would run in the race, which spotlights late-model cars.

"He's texting me, and he's like, 'What scheme we going to run?' And I was like, 'You can run any scheme you want,'" Earnhardt Jr. said. "I was like, 'What number do you want to run?' He goes … he said it, literally, 'The Dale Jr. 8.' I was like, 'You got it.'" Earnhardt Jr. had driven the car from 1999 until 2007, making Busch's choice extra personal for him.

Busch responded to Earnhardt Jr.'s sign-off with the head-exploding emoji, Earnhardt Jr. said, referring to how race fans would react to seeing behind the wheel of the vehicle.

Earnhardt Jr. became emotional while discussing Busch's sudden death, saying he has a "hard time believing" that his friend and colleague is gone.

"What I've enjoyed, I guess, is learning more about Kyle the person," Earnhardt Jr. said, referring to recent conversations he has had with fellow drivers about Busch.

"We know who he is on the racetrack. We know how he is on the racetrack and in the media and so forth — what he was like at the track with the suit on and in that environment," he said. "I knew him on a personal level. But hearing how he interacted and how he was to others, the joke they may have shared in a text … I've really enjoyed learning who he was away from the track and how he interacted and engaged, or treated or talked to other people, and it's been good."

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"When he passed away this past weekend, we heard a lot of drivers say, 'He was my hero. I wanted to emulate him. I wanted to be like him,'" Earnhardt Jr. revealed, "and I know that that would have meant the world to him."

NASCAR, the Busch family, and the Richard Childress Racing team announced that the driver had died in a statement toEntertainment Weeklylast week.

"We are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch," the statement read. "Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken … A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled, and he cared deeply about the sport and fans."

Busch is survived by wife, Samantha, and their children, Brexton and Lennix.

Busch was hospitalized on May 21 for a "severe illness," for which he was "undergoing treatment," his family said.

They announced hiscause of deathtwo days later. "The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications," they said in a statement to theAssociated Press.

Watch Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s full podcast episode below.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 27, 2026

NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. reads his final texts with Kyle Busch 1 day before driver's sudden death

NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed his final text exchange with Kyle Busch one day before the driver's sudden death at 41 last...

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Bodybuilding Influencer Gabriel Ganley's Death Certificate Indicates Possible Cause of Sudden Death at 22

Bodybuilder Gabriel Ganley's death at age 22 was related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition caused by the thickening of the heart muscle, per reporting by Brazilian outlet G1 Globo

NEED TO KNOW

• The influencer's death on May 23 was confirmed with an Instagram post shared by his sponsor, supplement brand Integralmedica

• Ganley had over 2 million Instagram followers, over 1 million on TikTok and 403,000 subscribers on YouTube

Brazilian bodybuilderGabriel Ganley's death at age 22was reportedly related to a heart condition.

Days after his death on Saturday, May 23,G1 Globocited the late influencer's death certificate, which states that he died suddenly due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. PerMayo Clinic, the disease involves the thickening of the heart muscle, which makes it harder for the heart to pump blood.

G1 stated that local authorities are still investigating what happened to Ganley, and his official cause of death has yet to be determined. Per the outlet, the local SSP (Public Security Secretariat) stated that police are currently awaiting the results of forensic reports from the IML (Institute of Legal Medicine) to determine an official cause of death.

Over the weekend,CNN Brasilreported that a friend found Ganley dead in the kitchen of his apartment in São Paulo, and no "apparent signs of violence" were present at the scene. According to G1, which cited a police report, the athlete's body was discovered after his family and friends were unable to contact him for about two days.

The news was alsoconfirmed in a postshared byIntegralmedica, a Brazilian supplement brand that sponsored the late athlete.

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The company shared a photo of Ganley flexing his arms while surrounded by an audience of smiling fans posing in the same manner in the post on May 23.

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"Today we lost [...] far more than a talented and dedicated athlete with a bright future ahead. We lost a sports influencer who inspired thousands of young people daily with his energy, discipline and authenticity," read the caption of Integralmedica's post. "Ganley left his mark wherever he went. His charisma, his presence, and his passion for life will live on in the memories of all who had the privilege of knowing him and walking alongside him."

The Brazilian influencer boasted 2.3 million followers onInstagram, where he regularly posted photos and videos of himself in the gym. He had another 1.3 million fans onTikTokand 403,000 subscribers onYouTube.

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 26, 2026

Bodybuilding Influencer Gabriel Ganley's Death Certificate Indicates Possible Cause of Sudden Death at 22

Bodybuilder Gabriel Ganley's death at age 22 was related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition caused by the thickening of th...

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Johnny Carson Bid an Emotional Farewell on His Final “Tonight Show” Broadcast, 34 Years Ago

Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years before deciding to end his late-night reign

NEED TO KNOW

• Carson's final show aired May 22, 1992, and had over 50 million viewers

• Carson was openly emotional about what the journey meant to him while also making viewers at home laugh with him one final time

Johnny Carson's farewell toThe Tonight Showwas an emotional moment that still sticks with viewers, over three decades later.

The moment was a year in the making, with Carson announcing his departure with time to give fans time to digest it. The talk show host's 30-year run ended on May 22, 1992, with a look back at three decades of discussing the evolving pop culture landscape that late-night came up in.

In his self-written monologue, Carson explained how the show would play out, the night after an explosive farewell that featured appearances by Bette Midler and Robin Williams.

"The show tonight is our farewell show; it's going to be a little bit quieter," he said at the time. "It's not going to be a performance show. One of the questions people have been asking me, especially this last month, is, 'What's it like doingThe Tonight Show,' and what does it mean to me?"

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"Well, let me try to explain it. If I could magically, somehow, that tape you just saw, make it run backwards. I would like to do the whole thing over again. It's been a hell of a lot of fun," he continued.

Carson added, "As an entertainer, it has been the great experience of my life, and I cannot imagine finding something in television after I leave tonight that would give me as much joy and pleasure, and such a sense of exhilaration, as this show has given me. It's just hard to explain."

While Carson's tone met the moment, he didn't take it too seriously either, concluding the monologue with "This is not really a performance show. This is kind of a look-back retrospective. We are going to show you some moments in time. Some images of the many people, and there have been some 23,000 people. We are going to show you a little excerpt of how the show is put together, so go get some more cheese dip and we'll be back in just a moment."

Further, the audience consisted only of family, friends, and loved ones of the crew members as Carson led the intimate goodbye, which was watched at home by over 50 million viewers.

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Carson's last words to his audience struck a balance between emotional and jovial as he shared gratitude one final time.

"And so it has come to this: I am one of the lucky people in the world. I found something I always wanted to do, and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. I want to thank the people who’ve shared this stage with me for 30 years. Mr. Ed McMahon, Mr. Doc Severinsen and you people watching," he said.

Carson continued, "I can only tell you that it has been an honor and a privilege to come into your homes all these years and entertain you. And I hope when I find something that I want to do — and I think you would like — and come back, that you’ll be as gracious in inviting me into your home as you have been. I bid you a very heartfelt good night."

On the same night, 34 years later,Byron Allenis stepping into what wasStephen Colbert's former CBS time slot, the night afterThe Late Show with Stephen Colbertended.

In an interview withTheWrap, Allen shared that his takeover being on the anniversary of Carson's farewell was by design. He explained that while the show could have premiered in the time slot in September, he encouraged the May 22 start date.

Allen himself made his wider comedy debut onThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carsonin 1979, at just 18. He was the youngest comedian to ever perform during Carson's late-night reign.

"Normally, you would premiere in September, but I said ‘No, no, no, no. That’s when Johnny stepped down. That’s when I’m stepping up,' " he told the outlet.

Comics Unleashedtakes over the time slot on Friday, May 22.

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 26, 2026

Johnny Carson Bid an Emotional Farewell on His Final “Tonight Show” Broadcast, 34 Years Ago

Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years before deciding to end his late-night reign NEED TO KNOW Carson...

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Yes, that was Martin Scorsese you heard in 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

The release ofThe Mandalorian and Groguthis holiday weekend marked the return ofStar Warsto the theaters for the first time since 2019'sStar Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. While the movie hasn't gotten rave reviews from critics --it sits at 63% on Rotten Tomatoes-- the audiences are loving it to the tune of 89%.

Moviegoers may have been in for a surprise when they sat through the opening credits in theaters this weekend as a very familiar, yet unexpected, name popped up on screen. Martin Scorsese, the iconic director of movies such asGoodfellas,Taxi DriverandKillers of the Flower Moon, got high billing inThe Mandalorian and Grogu.

So, who did he play? That would be Hugo Durant, the very helpful informant and sandwich maker on the remote planet of Shakari.

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It's not the first time Scorsese has lent his voice talents to a movie -- he voiced Sykes inShark Talein 2004 among others -- but it might be the first time he has four arms.

The Mandalorian and Groguis in theaters now.

This article originally appeared on For The Win:Yes, that was Martin Scorsese you heard in 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 25, 2026

Yes, that was Martin Scorsese you heard in 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

The release ofThe Mandalorian and Groguthis holiday weekend marked the return ofStar Warsto the theaters for the first time since 2019...

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“Wuthering Heights ”Director Says She Regrets Cutting Margot Robbie's 'Extremely Hairy Armpits' from the Film

Emerald Fennell said she regrets cutting a Wuthering Heights scene showing Margot Robbie's character with unshaven armpits

NEED TO KNOW

• The director said she'd been bothered by how period dramas often showed women as smooth-skinned, despite razors not being available at the time

• "They're all kind of hairless like eels," Fennell recalled of women in other period dramas, set around the time of Wuthering Heights

Emerald Fennellis looking back on aWuthering Heightsstyle decision that was cut from the film.

On Friday, May 22, the director spoke at Hay Festival in Wales and opened up about her adaptation of Emily Brontë's novel, which was released in theaters in February 2026.

In hindsight, she admitted, Fennell wished she'd kept a scene with Cathy (played byMargot Robbie) in which her unshaven armpits were visible, because it would have been more accurate to the time period.

Fennell said she was often bothered by the hairless skin of women in period dramas, because it applied modern beauty standards to a time when they weren't physically attainable.

"Where are the razors that these women are using?" she recalled asking while watching Jane Austen film adaptations. "They're all kind of hairless like eels. I'm like: ‘What's going on? It's completely mad.'”

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Waxing and hair removal creams existed for many centuries prior to the events ofWuthering Heights, though it was only truly accessible to wealthy nobility.

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PerGillette UK, English women began removing hair from their face and body with safety razors in the early 1900s, after the First World War — several centuries after Brontë's novel was published in 1847.

For that reason, it was "so important" to Fennell to show Cathy's body hair as historically accurate, the director said. "Unfortunately, the scene that we see them [in] didn't make it in there," she added.

Fennell's adaptation ofWuthering Heightsdrew some criticism for its lack of historical accuracy — from Cathy's ostentatious attire, to the race of Heathcliff (played byJacob Elordi), to the plot of the film itself, which deviated significantly from Brontë's gothic novel.

However, Fennell previously explained the disparities by noting her rendition was meant to embody the version she "remembered reading" as a 14-year-old, in which she "wanted stuff to happen that never happened."

"So it isWuthering Heights,but it isn't," Fennell said of her adaptation in aninterview with Fandango, published in January. "The thing for me is you can't adapt a book as dense and complicated and difficult as this book— I can't say I'm makingWuthering Heights. It's not possible. What I can say is I'm making a version of it."

Wuthering Heightsis now streaming on HBO Max.

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 25, 2026

“Wuthering Heights ”Director Says She Regrets Cutting Margot Robbie's 'Extremely Hairy Armpits' from the Film

Emerald Fennell said she regrets cutting a Wuthering Heights scene showing Margot Robbie's character with unshaven armpits NE...

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“Grey’s Anatomy” star Sarah Drew reveals how her dad's advice helped her overcome panic attacks during pregnancy

Grey's Anatomy star Sarah Drew says she overcame panic attacks thanks to advice from her dad.

Key Points

• The actress said his method of "aggressive gratitude" has become "the greatest combatant of fear in my life."

• Drew previously recounted experiencing panic attacks in the wake of filming a harrowing Grey's finale.

Grey's Anatomyalum Sarah Drew is opening up about the life-changing advice that she once received from her dad.

Drew, who spent over a decade portraying the insecure yet highly-capable surgeon Dr. April Kepner, recently recounted her struggle to overcome panic attacks while pregnant with her first child.

"One of the biggest, scariest risks that I leaped into was choosing to become a mom," the actress toldFox Newsin an interview published Saturday. "I took the risk, and I was pregnant. I was probably about six months pregnant, and I had been having panic attacks."

She explained, "I’d been so caught up with anxiety about all of it— I was worried I was going to screw up. I was worried for my kids that I wasn’t going to have the necessary selflessness that’s required. I was worried that I was too self-absorbed to do this well. [I was worried that] I would resent the fact that [my kids] were … demanding things from me."

Drew said she was walking into motherhood with "so many big fears" that the panic attacks kept recurring. Eventually, she turned to her father — a pastor — for guidance.

"I remember writing to my dad and just saying, 'Do you have any advice or any wisdom or any Scripture that you can point me toward that could help combat this fear? Because it’s really overwhelming,'" she recalled.

Drew said her father indeed sent over some Bible verses, but noted that even more helpful was a brief piece of advice he gave her. He told her that the best way to combat all the fear she was experiencing was to embrace "aggressive gratitude."

"I was like, 'Tell me more,'" she recalled. "He calls it 'aggressive' because it’s not always easy when you first start practicing gratitude because sometimes you’re just in a mind spiral, and all you can see is the scary and the dark."

Drew explained, "You’re replacing the scary and the dark with, 'I’m grateful that there is oxygen in my lungs. I am grateful that I have a roof over my head. Look, I have this beautiful meal. I’m so grateful for this. Thank you for this. Thank you for that.’ All of a sudden, your brain chemistry starts to shift."

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She added that it has proven to be "the greatest combatant of fear in my life."

Drew, who is now mother to son Micah Emmanuel (born in 2012) and daughter Hannah Mali Rose (born in 2014), likened aggressive gratitude to rewiring her brain, saying that the approach taught her to immediately look towards good things rather than focusing on all the potential negatives. Now, it has become part of her every day life

"Whenever I’m feeling really scared about something, I go straight to gratitude," Drew shared. "And that generally turns the corner for me. As soon as I start being grateful for things, I start noticing more things to be grateful for, and it transforms."

Drew has previously talked about struggling with panic attacks while filmingGrey's Anatomy— particularly when it came to the mass shooting storyline at the center of the season 6 two-part finale.

"I had nightmares and panic attacks while we were shooting that, even for several days after we finished," Drew said in Lynette Rice's 2021 bookHow to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy,perBusiness Insider.

Drew added, "It was very intense and scary and hard to go to those places and then leave them at the door and then come home and be like, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine. Nobody’s trying to kill me. I didn’t just watch my best friend die. I didn’t just get covered in her blood.'"

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

In the two-part episode, a grieving widower named Gary Clark (Michael O'Neill) comes into the hospital with a loaded gun, seeking revenge on a group of doctors that he blames for his wife's death. It proves to be a particularly traumatizing ordeal for April, who is on the team that Clark targets. At one point, she slips on blood and finds her friend Reed (Nora Zehetner) dead in a medical supply closet. Later, she pleads for her life at gunpoint.

Drew said that filming such a frightening situation "does something to your body because your body doesn’t know that it’s not [really] happening."

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 24, 2026

“Grey’s Anatomy” star Sarah Drew reveals how her dad's advice helped her overcome panic attacks during pregnancy

Grey's Anatomy star Sarah Drew says she overcame panic attacks thanks to advice from her dad. Key Points The ...

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'The Mandalorian and Grogu' box office revealed – How did it do?

It's been a long time, but moviegoers are finally returning to a galaxy far, far away.

"The Mandalorian and Grogu," the first new "Star Wars" movie since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker," grossed $82 million in its three-day opening weekend at the domestic box office, according to estimates from Comscore released on Sunday, May 24.

That would be the lowest-grossing opening weekend for a "Star Wars" movie released by Disney, though only by a hair. In 2018, the Han Solo prequel "Solo: A Star Wars Story" opened similarly with $84 million over three days and $103 million through Memorial Day.

With "Solo," those numbers were considered hugely disappointing, and the movie was ultimately a box office failure. But "The Mandalorian and Grogu" should have an easier path to profitability because its budget is reportedly much lower.

According toVarietyandThe Hollywood Reporter, "Mandalorian" cost $165 million to make. That would make it cheaper than other recent "Star Wars" movies, so it carries with it a different set of box office expectations and doesn't need to reach the enormous heights of the franchise's past films to be a success. "Solo," for comparison,reportedly had a budgetof $250 million or more, and its price tag was inflated due to significant reshoots after the original directors were fired during production.

Still, the "Mandalorian" launch is certainly a comedown from "Star Wars" at the peak of its box office powers. In 2015, "The Force Awakens" opened to a staggering $247 million domestically, and it is still the highest-grossing film of all time in the United States, not adjusted for inflation. Its sequels, 2017's "The Last Jedi" and 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker," opened with $220 million and $177 million, respectively, and the spinoff "Rogue One" also had a strong opening of $155 million in 2016.

Lucasfilm always planned for "Star Wars" to take a break from movie theaters after 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker." But that break turned out to be much longer than expected, as in the years since the divisive trilogy capper, the studio seemed to struggle to find the best way to relaunch "Star Wars" on the big screen. Several "Star Wars" movies were announced from 2019 onwards that were bound for theaters, including a fighter pilot movie called "Rogue Squadron" that was at one point scheduled for 2023.

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But none of these projects came to fruition, leading more and more years to pass with no new "Star Wars" film in sight. All the while, the series lived on the small screen with numerous Disney+ shows.

By 2024, Lucasfilm seemed to seek a safe, reliable bet for a "Star Wars" movie that wouldn't be difficult to get off the ground, so they turned to the most popular of their Disney+ shows: "The Mandalorian," which made "Baby Yoda" a pop culture phenomenon in 2019. "The Mandalorian and Grogu" continues the story of the show, withPedro Pascalreturning as bounty hunter Din Djarin, but with a plot intended to be approachable for newcomers who haven't watched the series.

Reviews for "The Mandalorian and Grogu" were mixed, and the movie's 62% critics' approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes is one of the lowest of the franchise.

But audiences seem to be liking "Mandalorian" well enough that it should have solid legs in theaters as the summer continues. Moviegoers polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A-. That's the same average rating as "Solo" and an improvement on "The Rise of Skywalker," which received a B+. But it's a step down from "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi," which each earned A grades. "Rogue One" also received an A.

As a largely standalone story without many unresolved threads, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" doesn't provide much indication of where "Star Wars" will go from here, and the fact that it's based on a TV show may have limited its audience or led some moviegoers to simply wait to watch it on Disney+.

But the bigger test of the franchise's health will come next summer with "Star Wars: Starfighter," an all-new adventure starringRyan Goslingthat will take the series' timeline beyond the ending of "The Rise of Skywalker" for the first time. The pressure is high for that movie to establish a new era for "Star Wars" movies and prove that the Force is still strong with the brand.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How did 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' perform at the box office?

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 24, 2026

'The Mandalorian and Grogu' box office revealed – How did it do?

It's been a long time, but moviegoers are finally returning to a galaxy far, far away. "The Mandalorian and Grogu," ...

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How Brendan Wayne channeled his grandfather, John Wayne, in his “Mandalorian” performance

The Mandalorian and Grogu actor Brendan Wayne is sharing how he brought a bit of his grandfather, John Wayne, to his portrayal of the bounty hunter.

Key Points

• The actor, who shares the role with Pedro Pascal and Lateef Crowder, tells Entertainment Weekly that he wanted to make sure every one of Mando's movements counted.

• "The more I became like my grandfather, the more I became like the samurai that he studied," he said.

The Mandalorian and Grogustar Brendan Wayne is sharing how his grandfather,John Wayne,influenced his performance as the titular stoic bounty hunter.

The actor, who physically embodies Mando alongsidePedro Pascal(who voices the character and plays him without the helmet) and Lateef Crowder (who handles the stuntwork), tellsEntertainment Weeklythat he had to learn to be present in a scene to play the heavily armored character on the Emmy-winningStar Warsseries.

"I had to really learn stillness, and it's really been one of the greatest things I've learned as an actor," Wane says. "For me, that journey, I always fought that because my grandfather was exceptional at being present and radiating whatever [was happening around him].John Fordloved to say to him, 'The less I give you, Duke, the better the movie is going to be.' It sounds like a slight, but it was more about if you just be there, it's as powerful as anything."

He found himself bringing a bit of his grandfather's serenity to the character when working with directors Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Deborah Chow, and Rick Famuyiwa on the first three seasons ofThe Mandalorian.

"When they were directing me, the more still I became, the more I became like my grandfather, the more I became like the samurai that he studied," Wayne says. "Every movement had a meaning; you don't waste them. And with samurai, every movement is a kill movement."

Which is exactly how Mando operates, too. "That's Mando. Those are the precepts that he works upon," he notes, "and so to have that trust in yourself that whatever you're living in that moment — if I'm working with Katee [Sackhoff] as Bo-Katan or Emily Swallow — as long as you're present, that's 90 percent of the work."

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It was also important to Wayne that Mando always appear calm and collected — even when the cameras weren't rolling.

"I would get to set two and a half, three hours early, I'd do my workout, and then I'd go spend an hour at least walking the set, because I never wanted Mando to fall down in front of the crew," he says. "I wanted him to be as smooth as my grandfather, Clint Eastwood, or Yul Brynner inWestworld. I wanted him as smooth as could be so that every movement did matter."

As fate would have it, he's not the only member of the Wayne family who's part of theStar Warsuniverse. He toldPEOPLEthat he was completely unaware, when singing on to play Mando, that his grandfather's voice had been used for the Galactic Empire spy Garindan ezz Zavor inA New Hope.

"Back in the day, when we used film, they found the soundtrack on the ground in the editing room," he said. "And they knew it was fromTrue Grit. They took his voice [from stock audio], and they did whatever they do, their magic."

But don't worry, Wayne is completely fine with "riding the coattails of my grandfather" when it comes to playing a role in a galaxy far, far away. "I had hoped I might have been able to be the first in this," he teased, "but no, sadly, I was still second.'"

The Mandalorian and Groguis in theaters now.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 23, 2026

How Brendan Wayne channeled his grandfather, John Wayne, in his “Mandalorian” performance

The Mandalorian and Grogu  actor Brendan Wayne is sharing how he brought a bit of his grandfather, John Wayne, to his portrayal of the ...

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Idris Elba Says He’s Never Truly Been ‘in the Race’ to Play James Bond Despite Years-Long Rumors (Exclusive)

Idris Elba exclusively told PEOPLE he was never actually “in the race” to play James Bond despite years of fan speculation

NEED TO KNOW

• The actor previously admitted he was honored by the Bond rumors, but he said the conversation became “disgusting and off-putting” once it became centered on race

• Elba also opened up about starring in Masters of the Universe, revealing he’s a longtime fan of the franchise 

Idris Elbaclaims he has never been in seriouscontention to play James Bonddespite years of speculation from the Hollywood rumor mill.

Elba, 53, caught up with PEOPLE exclusively at the premiere of his new movie,Masters of the Universe,in Los Angeles on Monday, May 18. During the conversation, PEOPLE asked the actor how he felt about his name being “thrown out” as a potential star of theupcoming 007 reboot.

“My name's not getting thrown out, no way,” Elba replied. “They're going younger. And I wish them all the luck of the world. I can't wait — it's going to be amazing.”

“I'm honestly not in the race ever. I wasn't in the race in the first place,” he added.

TheLutherstar previously opened up about the topic in 2023 while appearing on theSmartlesspodcast, hosted byWill Arnett,Jason Bateman, andSean Hayes.

At the time, Elba admitted he was "super complimented" over the rumors that he could stepinto Bond's shoes, but he also said he was put off by the experience when the conversation became about race.

“We’re all actors and we understand that that role is one of those sort of coveted types. It’s like being namedSexiest Man [Alive]," he said, referring to the PEOPLE title, which he wasawarded in 2018.

"But being asked to be James Bond was like, 'Okay, you've sort of reached the pinnacle,' " Elba continued.

"Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world — except for some corners, which we will not talk about — were really happy aboutthe idea that I could be considered," he added. "Those that weren't happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting, because it became about race. It became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it."

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Bond was last played byDaniel Craigin 2021'sNo Time To Die.Others whohave played 007includeSean Connery, David Niven,George Lazenby,Roger Moore,Timothy DaltonandPierce Brosnan.

Elba's name entered the mix long before Craig's final bow as Bond, when Sony Pictures executive Amy Pascal revealed in a leaked 2014 email that shefelt "Idris should be the next Bond."

Bond aside, Elba is currently busy promoting his latest project,Masters of the Universe, a fantasy-action franchise centered around the hero He-Man.

While speaking to PEOPLE at the L.A. premiere, Elba — who plays Duncan, one of He-Man’s closest allies, in the film — revealed that he has been a lifelong fan of the franchise.

“Masters of the Universewas my thing,” he said. “It was something that I watched a lot as a kid.”

“To get to play Duncan and change him —  make him to look like me — was a real treat. I got to be a bit comedic and big, so I went for it,” Elba added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I've done quite a few action films over the last three years,” he continued. “Some a little bit more cerebral action, likeHijack, but this has been a lot of fighting. I have to stay in shape so I can run and punch.”

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 23, 2026

Idris Elba Says He’s Never Truly Been ‘in the Race’ to Play James Bond Despite Years-Long Rumors (Exclusive)

Idris Elba exclusively told PEOPLE he was never actually “in the race” to play James Bond despite years of fan speculation NEED T...

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Police Say an Unusual Piece of Evidence Was Instrumental in Finding 22-Year-Old Influencer Beauty Couch’s Alleged Killer

Police revealed that an unusual piece of evidence was key to tracking down the alleged killer of influencer Beauty Couch

NEED TO KNOW

• In August 2023, the 22-year-old content creator was found near her burning car in Austell, Ga.; her boyfriend, Eugene Tobi Louis Jacques, was arrested two days later

• Jacques, who faces murder charges in connection with Couch's death, is now on trial

Police have revealed that an unusual piece of evidence was key to tracking down the alleged killer of influencer Beauty Couch.

In August 2023, the 22-year-old content creator was found near her burning car in Austell, Ga., in the Atlanta area; her boyfriend, Eugene Tobi Louis Jacques, was arrested two days later. He faces six charges, including murder, arson and aggravated assault, in connection with Couch's death, perWALB News 10.

According to the outlet, his lawyer claimed in court that there is no evidence linking Jacques to the killing, when his trial first began on Tuesday, May 19.

On Thursday, May 21, an investigator with the Cobb County Police Department testified that police found a traffic ticket at the scene of the crime, mere feet away from Couch's dead body, which belonged to Jacques and included the license plate number for his vehicle,Atlanta News Firstreported.

Police then tracked Jacques's vehicle to a parish in Louisiana, where he was pulled over and arrested two days later, the outlet reported.

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During the trial, police also played previously unseen body camera footage of Jacques's arrest. In the clip, he can be heard allegedly giving authorities a fake name, Mykael Waters, per Atlanta News First. Detectives also testified that they found a Boost Mobile phone receipt and a completed job application for a Louisiana golf course, both under the alias, in his car.

Per WALB News 10, Jacques's attorney, Bryan Lumpkin, argued in court that there was no DNA evidence linking him to his late girlfriend's death. “Do they actually have evidence of Eugene at the location where that body was found?” Lumpkin said. “He's in the area. He's in Austell. No doubt. He was there a lot because he went over to see Beauty all the time.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Couch, who used the name Beauty Katera onInstagram, maintained a following of over 150,000, describing herself in her profile as a dancer. She often shared roller skating videos and advertised her first dance class less than a month before her death.

“She was a friend to everybody," Kimberly Couch, the internet personality's mother, said in an August 2023 interview withWSB-TV. "She loved going skating. She loved going to work. She loved her clothes. She loved wearing her hair so pretty.”

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 22, 2026

Police Say an Unusual Piece of Evidence Was Instrumental in Finding 22-Year-Old Influencer Beauty Couch’s Alleged Killer

Police revealed that an unusual piece of evidence was key to tracking down the alleged killer of influencer Beauty Couch NEED TO ...

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Social Media Star Laura Clery Says Her ‘Worst Nightmare’ Came True After She Was ‘Almost Killed’ by Falling 600-Lb. Fridge

Laura Clery is reflecting on the scary moment her kitchen fridge unexpectedly fell on top of her

NEED TO KNOW

• In a social media post, she revealed that her son was attempting to climb on the appliance, pulling it out accidentally as he did so

• "When I tried to push it back, it fell on me and was fully crushing me," Clery shared online

Laura Cleryis calling the moment her 600-lb. fridge fell on her the "most terrifying night of my life as a single mom."In a series of posts across her social media platforms and her Patreon, the social media star and comedian, 39, revealed that her 7-year-old son, Alfie, was attempting to climb on her fridge when she noticed it "shift slightly" in a way that made her "stomach drop." After running to push it back in place, the appliance suddenly came crashing down on her."The full weight of it slammed me backward into the kitchen island, pinning my lower back and hips," she wrote on herPatreon. "I couldn't move. I tried to push it off and it didn't even slightly budge. It felt like pushing against a building."Clery said she quickly realized that the situation was worse than she expected. "Like, not 'This will be a funny story later' bad. This is 'I might genuinely be in danger right now' bad," she described, adding that her breathing started to "go."

"I could feel it getting harder to inhale, like my body was just slowly deciding to shut down," she said, sharing that her younger daughter Poppy, 5, started to cry.

In a post to herFacebookaccount, Clery shared a photo of herself wearing a neck brace in the ambulance while receiving oxygen. "I want to f#%king sue the contractors who installed this fridge," she wrote to her 14 million followers.

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"This is a nearly 600 pound stainless steel French door fridge that was NOT properly mounted into the wall. Because of that, my 7 year old was able to pull it forward, and when I tried to push it back, it fell on me and was fully crushing me. It nearly killed me. And it could have absolutely killed my child. This should never have been possible. This was negligence," she shared.In another post on Instagram, Clery shared a video of herself being wheeled into an ambulance as she spoke with paramedics. She called the incident the "most terrifying night of my life as a single mom."

"My kids were in the house. I genuinely didn't know if I was getting out of that alive," she wrote. "Thank God my phone was in my pocket and I was able to call 911. Thank god it didn't fall on my kids. It took three firefighters to lift it off me. I'm still shaking."Stephen Hilton, Clery's ex-husband also weighed in on the scary moment, writing on his Facebook account about the incident, "She literally thought she was dying. Still feeling devastated . Go straight to JAIL, whoever is responsible for this …."

Across social media, Clery boasts nearly 25 million followers. She gained prominence through her comedic sketches and characters on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, and documents her life as a single mom. She also talks openly about Alfie's autism diagnosis, and how she has learned to manage it as a single parent.

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 22, 2026

Social Media Star Laura Clery Says Her ‘Worst Nightmare’ Came True After She Was ‘Almost Killed’ by Falling 600-Lb. Fridge

Laura Clery is reflecting on the scary moment her kitchen fridge unexpectedly fell on top of her NEED TO KNOW In a...

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