Disneyland workers could be going on strike. On Tuesday, unions representing 14,000 cast members at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and Disney hotels announced that a strike authorization vote has been scheduled with results expected to be announced by July 20th. The members of the union represents employees ranging from custodians to merchandise clerks, to ride operators and more, according to Deadline.

Back in April, unions representing the cast members entered negotiations with Disney to ask for fair wages, safe parks for both cast members and guests, and a fair attendance policy among other things. Then, in May, cast members filed unfair labor practice charges against Disney for unlawful discipline, intimidation, and surveillance of union members at work. Those charges are currently being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board. According to a statement from the Disney Workers Rising Bargaining Committee, the move to vote for strike authorization comes after efforts to negotiate with Disney have proven unsuccessful.

"Our goal for negotiations has always been to reach an agreement with Disney -- one that provides cast members with wages they need to live in Southern California, the respect they deserve for the years they've dedicated to the company and an attendance policy that works for everyone while keeping park guests safe," the statement reads. "But instead of working with us toward a fair contract, Disney has engaged in multiple instances of conduct we allege are unfair labor practices, including unlawful discipline and intimidation and surveillance of union members exercising their right to wear union buttons at work. We know these actions are only an attempt to stop us from exercising our rights and saddle us with a contract that perpetuates the status quo at Disney."

Disney released their own statement indicating that they will meet with the group after the results of the strike authorization vote. That. meeting. is scheduled for July 22nd.

"With the next meeting scheduled for July 22, we remain committed to continuing discussions and to reaching an agreement with the Master Services Council that focuses on what matters most to our current cast members, helps us attract new cast, and positions Disneyland Resort for growth and the creation of more jobs," the Disney statement read.

This latest labor news involving Disneyland does not include cast members who are character actors. Those workers, along with the hosts, leads, and trainers who work with character performers and dancers, voted to unionize with Actors' Equity Association in May of this year.

The Magicians author Lev Grossman's latest novel is already headed to television. According to Deadline, Lionsgate Television and 3 Arts Entertainment have acquired the rights to The Bright Sword, Grossman's new novel set to be published on July 16th. The series will be produced by Grossman and Erwin Stoff. A showrunner and executive producer has not yet been found. The new novel is described as "the first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium steeped in tradition, full of duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings."

"My ambition with The Bright Sword was to completely reimagine the legend of King Arthur -- to make it fresh, relevant and diverse, while at the same time hanging onto all the classic elements that fans like me love," Grossman said. "I've worked with Erwin before so when he threw his hat in the ring, I knew he was exactly the right person to bring The Bright Sword to the screen. I've seen the incredible integrity, intelligence, and effectiveness he brings to his work -- he has that obsession with great storytelling and great characters that make a project like this sing."

According to the book's synopsis, The Bright Sword follows "a gifted young knight named Collum" who "arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find that he's too late. The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, leaving no heir, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table survive. They aren't the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They're the oddballs of the Round Table, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur's fool, who was knighted as a joke. They're joined by Nimue, who was Merlin's apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild a Camelot in a world that has lost its balance."

"We're thrilled to collaborate with Lev on this epic series," said Stoff, Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment. "He has a proven talent for crafting compelling, imaginative stories that captivate audiences. With The Bright Sword already receiving incredible early reviews, we're excited to bring this eagerly awaited novel to life on screen."

Grossman is best known for his Magicians trilogy -- The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician's Land. That series was adapted by SYFY into the television series The Magicians which ran for five seasons on the network, ending in 2020. That series followed a Quentin Coldwater, a student who enrolls at Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy to train as a magician only to discover that the magical world from his favorite childhood books, Fillory, is actually real -- and poses a threat to reality.

Decades worth of movies and television shows have made Kevin Bacon into a household name -- and it sounds like he just experimented with that in an unexpected way. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair promoting his new movies MaXXXine and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Bacon revealed that he commissioned a makeup artist to make him facial prosthetics that would render him unrecognizaable. He then spent the day in his prosthetics at The Grove mall in Los Angeles, and was surprised to learn that "nobody recognized" him.

"I'm not complaining, but I have a face that's pretty recognizable," Bacon explained. "Putting my hat and glasses on is only going to work to a certain extent."

"I went to a special effects makeup artist, had consultations, and asked him to make me a prosthetic disguise," Bacon says. "People were kind of pushing past me, not being nice. Nobody said, 'I love you.' I had to wait in line to, I don't know, buy a fucking coffee or whatever. I was like, 'This sucks. I want to go back to being famous.'"

What Is Kevin Bacon's New Movie?

MaXXXine follows Maxine (Mia Goth), after the events of X, as the sole survivor who continues her journey towards fame setting out to make it as an actress in 1980s Los Angeles. The film, which is a sequel to 2022's X and Pearl, also stars Elizabeth Debicki (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3), Moses Sumney (The Idol), Michelle Monaghan (Nanny), Bobby Cannavale (The Watcher), Lily Collins (Emily in Paris), Halsey (Americana), Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), and Kevin Bacon (City on a Hill).

MaXXXine is written and directed by Ti West, and is executive produced by Goth, Jacob Jaffke, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss.

Would Kevin Bacon Return to Footloose?

One of the roles that Bacon is best known for is Ren McCormack in 1984's Footloose. In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, Bacon confirmed that he has absolutely no plans to reprise the role, especially after 2011's Footloose reboot underperformed at the box office.

"[Ren is] not coming back. I mean, they did do another Footloose," Bacon explained. "I don't think a lot of people saw it, but they did do another Footloose. To me, I'm not that interested in... I don't know. I think that this one [Beverly Hills Cop] makes a lot more sense."

After a decades-long career in countless movies and television shows, Nicolas Cage has developed a unique outlook on the entertainment industry. As a new interview with the Longlegs actor reveals, he has some very staunch feelings about the use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry. In a recent interview with The New Yorker, Cage spoke about an upcoming digital "scan" he has scheduled for the forthcoming Spider-Man Noir series Noir, and how it worsened his worries about the future intersection of artificial intelligence and art. The news of generative AI being used in movies and television has already drawn controversy across multiple projects, including Marvel's Secret Invasion, Late Night With the Devil, and the recent Netflix documentary What Jennifer Did.

"They have to put me in a computer and match my eye color and change--I don't know," he said of the upcoming scan, before joking, "They're just going to steal my body and do whatever they want with it via digital AI."

"God, I hope not AI. I'm terrified of that," he said. "I've been very vocal about it. It makes me wonder, you know, where will the truth of the artists end up? Is it going to be replaced? Is it going to be transmogrified? Where's the heartbeat going to be? I mean, what are you going to do with my body and my face when I'm dead? I don't want you to do anything with it!"

How Did Nicolas Cage Cameo in The Flash?

Cage's comments come after he made a surprise appearance in last year's The Flash movie, playing a deaged version of Clark Kent / Superman from the unproduced 1990s movie Superman Lives. Cage's cameo was among several from mostly-deceased past DC actors, which drew criticism for being computer-generated. While Cage confirmed to Yahoo Movies that his sequence was not made with AI, the massive changes that were made to the scene definitely surprised him.

"When I went to the picture, it was me fighting a giant spider," Cage revealed. "I did not do that. That was not what I did. I don't think it was [created by] AI. I know Tim [Burton] is upset about AI, as I am. It was CGI, OK, so that they could de-age me, and I'm fighting a spider. I didn't do any of that, so I don't know what happened there."

Machete and Muppets Most Wanted star Danny Trejo says he was provoked into participating in a brawl on July 4th, claiming that he and a friend were targeted with water balloons and speculating that it was due to their ethnicity. According to Trejo, the balloons appeared to have some kind of chemical in them and not just water, and while video taken at the time shows the actor throwing the first punch, he said it was in self-defense, and that the men involved had roughed up his friend before he and other members of the crowd could break things up. The seemingly-unprovoked attack feels a bit like the bizarre attack on Rick Moranis in 2020. Something similar happened to Steve Buscemi earlier this year.

According to TMZ, who spoke with Trejo, law enforcement was contacted, but the fight had broken up and everyone had gone their separate ways before cops could be on the scene. There is no investigation happening as far as anyone knows. Trejo's claims that the balloons were filled with acid might change that, but it's hard to guess.

"It's pretty sad grown men would stoop low enough to attack an 80-year-old man," Trejo said in part.

The brawl took place during an outdoor event on July 4. Trejo and a friend were driving down the street, greeting fans, when they were first hit with the water balloons. After getting out of the car, a fight broke out, and about a dozen people eventually got involved.

Trejo's life story -- a former criminal who got clean and eventually became a famous and beloved actor -- is a big part of his public image, so seeing him getting into a fight in public came as a surprise to fans. The star is a fixture in his local community with his Trejo's Tacos restaurants and food trucks.

Earlier this year, A&E announced that Trejo will host The UnXplored with Danny Trejo, an eight-episode series that will be the third installment in A&E's strange and unusual programing slate. Trejo joins a slate that includes the William Shatner-hosted The UnXplained, which explores the world's most fascinating and inexplicable mysteries, and The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, which unlocks history's strangest-but-true stories.

"I've always been drawn to projects that tap into my own curiosity and sense of adventure," said Trejo. "I can't wait to take viewers on this wild ride to mystified, and often uncharted, territories as I seek answers to the mysteries that live right underneath us."

When it comes to snacks and treats, sweet is often what most people think of, not because treats always have to be sweet but because many simply are. But there are savory treat fans out there as well and now Kind Snacks is giving fans of both savory and sweet something they can both enjoy. Kind Snacks has announced the debut of six new bars made for people who love real food and a wide range of flavor profiles -- from savory to spicy to sweet and everything in between.

On Monday, Kind Snacks announced their new Savory Bars. The new lineup is described as being a unique mix of nuts and a smokey and spicy profile to offer bold taste in every bite. The bars are said to be "flavorful and aromatic" and have "palate provoking flavors". Included in the Savory Bars lineup are the new Paprika Nuts & Mesquite Smoked Sea Salt, Roasted Nuts & Jalapeno, and Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt. The Paprika Nuts & Mesquite Smoked Sea Salt flavor is described as being "inspired by smokey barbecue flavors". Featuring dried jalapeno, Roasted Nuts & Jalapeno is said to be "crafted with heat-lovers in mind" and Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt is described as being "bursting with herbs and spices".

For the sweet lovers -- or at least those looking for a more fruit-forward treat, there's also the three new flavors in the Seeds, Fruits & Nuts lineup. Those offerings are Strawberry Sunflower Seed, Orange Cranberry Pumpkin Seed, and Dark Chocolate Raspberry Pumpkin Seed. The Strawberry Sunflower Seed flavor features both strawberries and dried cranberries as well as a plant-based oat milk drizzle, while the Orange Cranberry Pumpkin Seed flavor features orange zest as well as tart red cranberries. As for the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Pumpkin Seed flavor, it's described as being a "perfect flavor" for those who love to pair fruit with chocolate. All six new flavors across both lineups are rolling out to retailers nationwide and are also available on Amazon with suggested retail prices between $7.99 and $8.99.

Kind Recently Added Banana Peanut Butter Granola

The six new bars from Kind Snacks are just their latest offering. Earlier this year, they debuted the new Healthy Grains Banana Peanut Butter Clusters with Dark Chocolate Chunks. The new granola is made with 100 percent whole-grain oats, dried bananas, creamy peanut butter and dark chocolate and also includes five different super grains: the aforementioned oats along with millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa. It also has 10 grams of protein and is gluten-free.

It's been almost ten years since fans of Pillsbury's Toaster Strudel could indulge in the sweetest version of the pastry possible, the much-loved MEGA Icing variety. Last (and only) available in 2015, the beloved pastry has been missed by consumers since its disappearance from store shelves but the longing for all that extra icing is over. Pillsbury is at long last bringing back the most fan-requested limited offer Toaster Strudel from the 2010s with the return of MEGA Icing.

According to Pillsbury, the MEGA Icing variety Toaster Strudel will be back for a limited time only in the brand's two most popular flavors, Strawberry and Strawberry Cream Cheese. They will be available at select retailers nationwide and will have a suggested retail price of $3.99. As for what makes the MEGA Icing variety so special, the variety features almost double the icing of the traditional Pillsbury Toaster Strudel. That makes for an extra sweet, extra delicious pastry -- or you can use that extra icing any way you see fit by having a little fun with it. Drizzle on fruit? Add to your coffee? The options are endless.

Of course, more is never enough and for fans who need even more of the icing, Pillsbury is going to make that happen as well -- for a lucky few. Pillsbury Toaster Strudel is releasing Mega-MEGA Icing pouches of just icing. Fans of the sweet stuff can look for these rare, exclusive, not-sold-in-store packs to be released through influencers on Instagram as well as follow #MegaExtraMornings for a chance to get their own.

In Other Food News

In other snack food related news, Hostess recently announced their team up with 7-Eleven for the launch of a limited-edition Hostess Twinkie with Cherry Slurpee-flavored filling. The new flavor is available at 7-Eleven now ahead of Slurpee Day on July 11th. According to Hostess, the new Cherry Slurpee Twinkie pairs the iconic Twinkie fluffy spongy cake with a lightly whipped Cherry Slurpee-flavored creme filling. The treats are available exclusively at 7-Eleven stores nationwide. They are available in a two-count single-serve package and will remain available (while supplies last) through mid-August making them a perfect summer treat -- not just on Slurpee Day!

Will you be checking out MEGA Icing Toaster Strudel? Let us know what new snack and food releases you're most interested in on social media!

Melissa Benoist played Supergirl for six seasons on The CW Arrowverse series and taking on the iconic role was one that didn't come without pressure. However, according to Benoist, her role on the hit series Glee helped her prepare for it. During an appearance on Collider's Ladies Night, Benoist said that the difficult workload she experienced working on Glee helped her develop the confidence that let her take on Supergirl.

"What I learned on Glee was that I was a really hard worker and that I could do really. hard things, because the schedule on that show was grueling because there were so many moving parts," Benoist said. "It was fun but tough. I'm sure if you've had anyone else from the show on here, they've said the same thing. You had to rehearse the dances, you had to prerecord the songs, then you had to film the songs, and filming the songs were a lot longer. They took hours and hours and hours. And then you also had the scene work. I knew that Supergirl was going to carry a lot of pressure, and the responsibilities were going to be immense, and I think my experience on Glee gave me the belief that I had the ability to carry Supergirl."

Benoist played Marley Rose for two seasons on Glee before going on to star in Supergirl which first debuted on CBS before making the jump to The CW where the rest of the Arrowverse shows -- Arrow and The Flash (and later Legends of Tomorrow and Black Lightning) aired. Supergirl ultimately ran for six total seasons and became the second Arrowverse series to end, concluding in 2021. During her time in the Arrowverse, the skills Benoist picked up on Glee came in handy beyond confidence, however. A crossover with The Flash saw her team up with another Glee alum, Grant Gustin in a musical episode.

As for her post-Supergirl career, Benoist most recently appeared in Max's The Girls on the Bus. The series, which was based on Amy Chozick's 2018 memoir Chasing Hilary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling, was cancelled earlier this year after just one season by the network. In addition to Benoist as Sadie McCarthy, the series starred Carla Gugino as Grace, Natasha Benham as Lola, Christina Elmore as Kimberlyn, Scott Foley, Tala Ashe, Mark Consuelos, Brandon Scott, and Griffin Dunne. The series is written and executive produced by Julie Plec and Amy Chozick. Rina Mimoun serves as executive producer and showrunner. Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter executive produce via Berlanti Productions. Benoist also serves as a producer. Jesse Peretz directed the pilot.

7-Eleven's beloved Slurpee Day is coming up on July 11th and this year, there's a whole new way to celebrate the unofficial and tasty holiday. Hostess has teamed up with 7-Eleven for the launch of a new, limited-edition Hostess Twinkie with Cherry Slurpee-flavored filling. The new flavor is available at 7-Eleven now ahead of Slurpee Day on July 11th.

According to Hostess, the new Cherry Slurpee Twinkie pairs the iconic Twinkie fluffy spongy cake with a lightly whipped Cherry Slurpee-flavored creme filling. The treats are available exclusively at 7-Eleven stores nationwide. They are available in a two-count single-serve package and will remain available (while supplies last) through mid-August making them a perfect summer treat -- not just on Slurpee Day!

The new Twinkie with Slurpee-flavored filling is just the latest innovation from Hostess. Earlier this year, the brand launched their new Meltamors, a lava cake style treat that lets the melty center flow like lava after being warmed for just a few seconds in the microwave. This also isn't the first time that Hostess has innovated with the Twinkie specifically. Last year, the brand offered mashups of their iconic favorite treats, including a mashup of the beloved Twinkies and equally beloved Ding Dongs.

In Other Snack News

In other recent snack news, summer is a major time of year for delicious holidays -- including World Chocolate Day. This year, World Chocolate Day takes place on Sunday, July 7th and, to celebrate, Krispy Kreme is bringing back one of its most love and more rare doughnut offerings -- the Chocolate Glazed Doughnut. The beloved treat is coming back for Saturday, July 6th and Sunday, July 7th only and will be the only time this year that the Chocolate Glazed is offered.

"There's nothing like our Chocolate Glazed doughnut, it's a rare and special treat," Dave Skena, Global Brand Officer for Krispy Kreme said. "From watching the chocolate glaze waterfall to the aroma of chocolate taking over shops to the taste of our fresh doughnuts bathed in chocolate glaze -- there's no better way to celebrate World Chocolate Day."

Fans wanting to get the Chocolate Glazed just have to go to participating Krispy Kreme locations throughout the United States on Saturday and Sunday. The treat is available in-shop, as well as for pickup or delivery via Krispy Kreme's app and website. In addition to the brief return of the Chocolate Glazed doughnut, Krispy Kreme is also offering doughnut fans 50 percent off a dozen of the Chocolate Glazed doughnuts with the purchase of any dozen at the regular price.

iCarly fans were devastated when Paramount+ cancelled the revival of the iconic Nickelodeon series after just three seasons last year, but if series star Miranda Cosgrove -- who played the titular Carly in the series -- has any say, she'd still like to see the story wrap up. Speaking with ET, Cosgrove, who is currently starring in Netflix's Mother of the Bride, said that she would like to complete the iCarly story with a move to "wrap up the story in some way".

"I had a great experience getting to come back and do it for a few seasons, for sure," Cosgrove said. "But I'd love to still be able to wrap up the story in some way."

She added, "Maybe, hopefully, someday, we'll still do it. I feel like it would probably be more along the lines of maybe a movie, that would kind of wrap it all up or something like that. So, that's what I'm hoping for."

For fans, wrapping up storylines would be very much appreciated, especially considering that iCarly's third -- and final -- revival season ended on a cliffhanger with Carly and Freddie (Nathan Kress) considering getting married only for Carly's long-absent mother to arrive at the venue. The mystery about Carly's mother is one that Cosgrove herself wants to see solved.

"I want to know who Carly's mother is as much as [fans do]," she said. "It seems like a lot of people were hoping to see that."

iCarly originally debuted in 2007 and ran for six seasons and a total of 97 episodes, ending 2012 on Nickelodeon. The series followed Carly Shay (Cosgrove) who, along with her best friends Sam (Jennette McCurdy) and Freddie (Kress) hosts her own web show called "iCarly". When the show becomes a hit, Carly, her friends, and her brother Spencer (Jerry Trainor) finds themselves trying to balance their real lives with the craziness of their newfound fame.

In 2020, Paramount+ announced the revival series, which debuted in 2021. The series was set nine years after the finale of the first series and sees Carly return to Seattle where she decides to relaunch the "iCarly" show with the help of Spencer and Freddie -- who are in different places in their lives now -- as well as new friends. The revival series was cancelled in 2023.

"iCarly will not be returning for a fourth season on Paramount+," a spokesperson said in a statement at the time. "The series had a great three-season run and delivered on what fans really wanted to see with Carly and Freddie finally getting together. We want to thank the entire cast, the writers, directors and producers along with the whole crew for their dedication, creativity and talent."

One lucky Star Wars fans may soon be able to own Princess Leia's iconic bikini from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Heritage Auctions has posted a new listing for the "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (TCF, 1983), Carrie Fisher 'Princess Leia' Production Made Bikini Costume from Richard Miller." It is indeed one of the costumes used in the Return of the Jedi production, and the bidding is set to begin at $30,000.

Carrie Fisher cemented herself as both a movie star with her appearance as Leia in the first act of Return of the Jedi. The opening of the Star Wars original trilogy threequel saw Leia, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) come together to infiltrate the palace of notorious gangster Jabba the Hut and save his captive, Han Solo (Harrison Ford). The plan hits a serious snag early on when Leia (disguised as a bounty hunter) fails to intimidate Jabba into releasing Han. Instead, Leia is exposed and gets taken prisoner by Jabba, who immediately turns her into his personal pet, complete with a chain around her neck and the now-iconic bikini. Leia got the last laugh, of course: when the final showdown came, Leia used her chains to strangle fat slug Jabba to death.

Princess Leia's bikini remains one of the most iconic pieces of movie memorabilia around - so how much would you pay to own it? Find out details of the auction. below.

Per auction description, "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (TCF, 1983), Carrie Fisher 'Princess Leia' Production-Made Bikini Costume from Richard Miller. Without question, Carrie Fisher's 'Slave Leia' costume is among the most memorable in the Star Wars franchise. This iconic 7-piece costume ensemble includes (1) bikini brassiere, (2) bikini plates (front and back), (2) hip rings, (1) armlet, and (1) bracelet, created by ILM Chief Sculptor, Richard Miller. This costume is comprised of resin and urethane production pieces from the sculptor's collection."

"Based on designs by Nilo Rodis-Jamero, Miller created a wire armature on a mannequin created from Carrie Fisher's body cast, then sculpted the details using jewelers' techniques with wax. With the wax sculpts, he produced test castings in resin and finally in red-colored urethane. The bikini brassiere is the early version crafted of rigid resin and is production-used, as evidenced by eye hook on-set repair and glue residue on the interior surface from attempts to add material to make it more comfortable for Fisher. The textile elements, including brown faux-suede lining and skirt veils, are recreated for display, as well as the leather cording and wig. Miller can be seen discussing the creation of Leia's bikini in the documentary on YouTube entitled 'Behind the Scenes of Star Wars the Original Trilogy ILM Special Effects Makers' (timestamp approx. 49:55 - 52:04). Ensemble exhibits age and production wear with hardening of urethane on armlet and bracelet. Comes with a signed LOA from Lorne Peterson, ILM veteran of 33 years, who hired Richard Miller to create Leia's slave costume. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions."

Iron Fist star Finn Jones hasn't given up hope that he can still do a Marvel Heroes for Hire project with Luke Cage star Mike Colter.

Jones was doing an interview with The Nerd Shepherd at Heroes Dutch Comic-Con in the Netherlands. The interview got into the question of where Jones is in his career right now, and what he might do next as an actor. The former Iron Fist star made it clear that the industry is in a state of flux right now, and what could or could not happen is impossible to predict - including whether or not he could return to playing Marvel's Iron Fist:

"I have no expectations in this industry, especially right now," Finn Jones said. "It's really unprecedented - strikes, COVID. Things you think are going to happen don't happen; things that shouldn't happen do happen. So to be an actor in 2024 To have expectations in this industry is just impossible."

Iron Fist was part of the Marvel Netflix Universe of the 2010s, which helped lay much of the groundwork for the current Marvel Studios Disney+ series. The Marvel Netflix Daredevil TV series is officially continuing as Daredevil: Born Again, with actors Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Vincent D'Onofrio (Kingpin), Jon Bernthal (Punisher), and supporting cast members all coming over to the MCU. There have been rumors that Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones will pop up in Born Again, cementing her place in the MCU, as well.

Admittedly, actor Mike Colter has been less enthusiastic about continuing as Luke Cage, but Finn Jones made it clear he's open to continuing as Danny Rand, Marvel's Iron Fist:

"Now, my intention - I would like to see the character continue; I would like to continue playing that character. I think there's still a lot of room for growth and professionally I'm at a point where I would like to continue to grow with Iron Fist ."

One of the most famous partnerships in Marvel Comics was Luke Cage and Iron Fist's "Heroes for Hire" business. The two street-level heroes sold their services to those in need, often using their odd-coupled powers (Luke's unbreakable skin and strength, Danny's martial arts precision and power fist) in perfect unison. Finn and Colter got to play out a bit of the partnership onscreen, but never got the full-fledged Heroes for Hire spinoff a lot of fans wanted. Finn Jones acknowledged that he would enjoy a shot at doing Heroes for Hire in the MCU:

"That would be nice. I would love to see the chemistry between me and Mike again. It's always been great. I think they're interesting characters to bring together. I think there's a lot of great stories that can be told with those characters. And if If they brought me and Mike back to do a Heroes for Hire TV series, I think it would be the right way to go."

Iron Fist was looked at as being the weakest of the Marvel Netflix series - and yet, a lot of fans felt that seeing Jones and Colter together would've balanced out both characters and their respective series, creating a greater sum than the parts. When we spoke to Mike Colter, he was at least willing to say that if he got a project that was significant, he may be willing to put that Luke Cage hoodie back on:

"I mean, I would totally entertain a good script and idea that made sense," Colter said.

Heroes for Hire could be that project.

Until then, Iron Fist is streaming on Disney+.

Summer is a season of holidays and one of the most delicious is coming up on Sunday, July 7th -- World Chocolate Day. To celebrate the sweet occasion Krispy Kreme is bringing back one of its most loved and more rare doughnut offerings. The brand recently announced that, this Saturday and Sunday only, the Chocolate Glazed Doughnut is coming back to Krispy Kreme to celebrate World Chocolate Day. Per the brand, this will be the only time this year that the Chocolate Glazed is offered.

The Chocolate Glazed was first introduced by Krispy Kreme back in 2017 in celebration of the total solar eclipse that year and it quickly became popular. It was then offered on six continents in 2018 for World Chocolate Day, but it's rarely returned since then, making this weekend the time to get the treat for fans of the favorite.

"There's nothing like our Chocolate Glazed doughnut, it's a rare and special treat," Dave Skena, Global Brand Officer for Krispy Kreme said. "From watching the chocolate glaze waterfall to the aroma of chocolate taking over shops to the taste of our fresh doughnuts bathed in chocolate glaze -- there's no better way to celebrate World Chocolate Day."

Fans wanting to get the Chocolate Glazed just have to go to participating Krispy Kreme locations throughout the United States on Saturday and Sunday. The treat is available in-shop, as well as for pickup or delivery via Krispy Kreme's app and website. In addition to the brief return of the Chocolate Glazed doughnut, Krispy Kreme is also offering doughnut fans 50 percent off a dozen of the Chocolate Glazed doughnuts with the purchase of any dozen at the regular price.

The return of the Chocolate Glazed doughnut is just the latest special offering from Krispy Kreme. Earlier this year, the brand teamed up with Dolly Parton for a limited-edition doughnut collection, the Dolly Parton Southern Sweets Collection that featured four all-new doughnuts that had "a lil' something sweet for everyone". Krispy Kreme also previously teamed up with Pok?mon in South Korea for the adorable Krispy Kreme x Pok?mon collaboration which featured doughnuts that looked like beloved Pok?mon.

The Chocolate Glazed Doughnut will be available at participating Krispy Kreme locations on Saturday, July 6th and Sunday, July 7th only in the United States.

It's been 20 years since Shaun of the Dead opened in theaters with zombie film quickly becoming a fan favorite and remaining an enduring classic two decades later. In the years since the film's release, however, there are fans who have hoped there would be a direct sequel to the film -- Shaun of the Dead is itself part of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy and was followed by Hot Fuzz in 2007 and The World's End 2013, though neither films are true sequels. But while fans may want a Shaun of the Dead sequel, they shouldn't hold out for one. Pegg says there's "not a story to tell" for one.

"I don't think so. I'm a big fan of sequels. Some of my favorite films are sequels. Empire Strikes Back Aliens. I'm in a couple of film franchises which repeat and reboot, and it's not that I decry sequels in any way, but I think some stories end. Some stories have a beginning, a middle and an end," Pegg told The Hollywood Reporter. "If you were to see Shaun again, if the zombies came back, there's just not a story to tell it. We'd have to reset everything that we created in Shaun of the Dead, the journey that Shaun goes on and completes. He becomes a new person, but we'd have to then dismantle that in order to give him a new arc. Why? The best thing we can do with cinema is to challenge people and get them to see things they haven't seen before and experience new things. Entertainment is the most overrated function of art."

This isn't the first time Pegg has said a sequel to Shaun of the Dead simply isn't in the cards. Last year, Pegg told The Guardian that fans should "move on" from the idea of a sequel.

"If I ever do an Instagram Live or whatever, people are always like, 'I need Shaun of the Dead 2 in my life,'" Pegg recalled. "And I'm like, 'No, you don't f-cking need Shaun of the Dead 2! The last thing you need is Shaun of the Dead 2! It's done. Move on!'"

Could Shaun of the Dead Get a Reboot?

While Pegg isn't interested in making a sequel to the iconic film, in the era of projects getting reboots and revivals, Pegg was also asked if the film could get a reboot -- and while Pegg said it's technically possible, he and Wright would be "incensed".

"I mean, Universal [Pictures] owns it. If they choose to reboot it, then they can if they want, I guess. Although Edgar and I would be incensed," he said.

"Shaun of the Dead is incredibly personal. There's so much of us in that film. The whole joke of Ed and Shaun not being able to ever come out of The Winchester was real. That was about Nick and I, that was about our decision to just stay in a North London pub. Edgar was always in town. He was always in Soho, and he always wanted us to come into town and hang out at [London private members' club] The Groucho, and we never did. We always wanted to be in The Shepherds [pub]. My girlfriend, now wife, was the same. She was like, 'Are we going to The Shepherds again?' That inspired the whole storyline."

Edgar Wright Also Doesn't Want a Remake

Wright has also previously said that he isn't interested in a remake or adaptation of the film, saying in 2023 that he and Pegg are protective of things.

"There have been some conversations about that, yes. We've been quite protective about that," Wright said on an episode of Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast. "A long time ago, an American company wanted to do a TV series of 'Shaun of the Dead,' based on the film. We were like, 'No!'. Sometimes when these things come up, we take them very seriously. And some things are things we are still talking about."

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has a brand-new champion. Patrick Bertoletti has reached the mountaintop after the contest concluded. He's 26 years old and has been thwarted by the legend of Joey Chestnut for most of his career. Bertoletti scarfed down 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes and claimed a personal best. In the weeks leading up to the contest, the status of Chestnut threatened to overshadow the entire Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. However, the competition absolutely had to go on with or without the face of the show. For the Chicagoan champion, this victory won't be any less satisfying.

Major League Eating handed down the ban on Chestnut after he signed a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods. Locking up an agreement with a competitor was a bridge too far and the governing body decided to act. They issued a statement explaining the decision and lamenting the fact that the face of their event wouldn't be able to go for #17.

"We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest," the statement read. "MLE and Nathan's went to great lengths to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival, unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day... For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different brand over our long-time relationship."

Why Wasn't Joey Chestnut There?

On social media, Chestnut decided to address these claims himself. He also sat down with Sports Illustrated to tell his side of the situation. The former champion already says that nothing was wrong until he signed the deal with Impossible Food. Then, he argues that communication went strange. Nevertheless, this year's contest is going to be a strange story to accompany the face of Major League Eating, even after he retires.

"I was gutted to learn from the media that after 19 years Im banned from the Nathan's July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest," Chestnut posted before clarifying, "I love competing in that event, I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have been training to defend my title."

"[George and Richard Shea, who run Major League Eating], both sent me a little message saying, pretty much, that they're sorry it got ugly. One of them said hopefully we can have beers in the future," he would tell the publication. "But they're not bad people, they're just them, and that's the way they are."

Were you surprised not to see the former champ out there? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Discovery Channel has spent several years finding notable figures to host their annual Shark Week celebration of the impressive fish, initially starting with Discovery icons like the MythBusters or Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe, while recent years have seen them bring in talent like Jason Momoa, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, or Shaquille O'Neal to serve as MCs. While John Cena might be this year's official host, you're more likely to tune into any number of specials on Discovery Channel and see Paul de Gelder on your TV, thanks not only to him leading five all-new specials for 2024, but also for his contributions from previous years being broadcast during the seven-day celebration. Even without fins or gills, de Gelder has become an integral and recognizable component of the event. Shark Week kicks off on the Discovery Channel on Sunday, July 7th.

While three of de Gelder's specials, Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood, Sydney Harbor Shark Invasion, and Shark Attack Island, focus on communities and inviduals who have specifically been injured or killed due to shark encounters, Deadliest Bite aims to determine which shark species has the most powerful jaws while The Real Sharkano explores whether a native community in a remote locale may have uncovered the secret to cohabitating in the region safely with sharks.

Having lost two limbs from a brutal encounter with a bull shark in 2009, de Gelder would have every right to stay as far away from the fish as possible, only for the incident to motivate him to educate the public about the creatures.

ComicBook caught up with de Gelder to talk his new specials, his significance among Shark Week audiences, and more.

ComicBook: In what might be the most difficult question for you to answer: what's your favorite kind of shark?

Paul de Gelder: Aww, why would you do that to me?

Everyone wants to know what you think, everyone's demanding you answer.

How are you supposed to answer that question? The enormity and fierceness and ferocity of the great white versus the beauty and calm and elegance of the tiger shark or the weird alien head of the hammerhead? How are you supposed to choose one of those? Like the whale shark, peaceful, covered in beautiful spots? There's no way. I'm not doing it. Next question.

You gave us a few different answers, so all your fans demanding online, they have a few things to choose from. Given your career of working with sharks and being associated with sharks, a two part question that might be the same answer for both parts, but what is the thing you get asked about the most and what is the thing you kind of wish you never had to be asked about again?

It's the same question: "Did it hurt?" In the early days when people asked me that, I thought, "That is the stupidest question I've ever heard. Go over there and kick that coffee table with your bare shin and then times it by a million and that's how much it hurt."

But then I got it after a while. I was like, "Okay, well, obviously adrenaline might've played a part or something like that, but I can honestly say it absolutely, devastatingly, painfully ... It took the fight out of me, that's how much it hurt, to the point where I had to accept the fact that I was going to die. Then when the shark removed my hand and removed my hamstring -- the attack was only eight seconds, and so that gave adrenaline time to enter my system. And while I was swimming back to the boat with one hand and one leg through a pool of my own blood, I didn't feel pain, but I felt fear.

It wasn't until I was on the wharf waiting for the paramedics to come that I actually felt real pain again. So I guess the body's this amazing mechanical thing that allowed me to not feel pain to survive, to swim my way back to the boat, but then once I was safe and relaxed, the pain came back. I'm just very grateful and lucky to be alive.

Now what you can do is you can put a link to this interview on a business card, so anytime anyone asks you that question you can just be like, "I'm just going to save everybody some time. Here you go."

Scan my QR code. I'll get t-shirts made up.

You're no stranger to Shark Week. This is not your first rodeo, if you will, which I think is an apt phrase given the bull shark of it all.

I often ride them.

From a bigger perspective, both before you personally got involved in Shark Week and now that you are such an integral component of it, what does Shark Week represent to you? What makes this week so special, so iconic?

Just to hear that, what you said, that I'm an integral part of Shark Week, is mind-blowing to me. I didn't have cable, as we call it in Australia, Foxtel, we didn't have that a lot of the time because we weren't rich enough to pay for TV, we just had our normal three channels. So whenever I had the chance to actually watch it, that was it. All I wanted to see was sharks.

I drew two things when I was a kid: sharks and dinosaurs. I loved them, I knew nothing about them, but Shark Week was just this big thing where you got to see these mythological creatures that I'd never seen. I think that's something that stays with you through your whole life, and there are very few things in life that will actually do that. Getting to tune in once a year for this whole week-long extravaganza of Shark Week with new science, with new action, with new characters, it's such a cool experience to be a part of.

I think for people to watch, as well, because most people will never see a shark in their life, like a real shark with their own eyeballs, and so this is an opportunity for them to tune in and see this somewhat mythological being. It's like almost watching a scary sci-fi movie where you're scared and you're feeling thrilled, but you're on the safety of your couch. It's the same as that, but we're actually doing it. This is actually real.

I think it's that special emotion and feeling that it brings to everyone. Then, obviously, just like us, you can work towards becoming involved in things like this. It is not outside the realm of possibility that viewers, many of whom now are on Shark Week, you could grow up to do this stuff. You could be a marine biologist, you could be a shark scientist, you could be a shark cinematographer, a shark conservationist. Anyone can do this, and that is amazing.

I feel like you and I are a bit of kindred spirits because when I grew up, I loved dinosaurs and I loved sharks. I went a route talking about Jurassic Park, talking about Jaws. I was a presentation person at an aquarium in Chicago to talk about sharks. It's so funny to hear you specifically say, "I love dinosaurs. I love sharks," because that's me.

I wonder if that's a boy thing. We just love the animals that can destroy things. And they're so much easier to draw than lions and tigers.

"How many teeth do they have? One million, roughly."

One line. And it's done. They don't have hair.

I only got to watch one of your specials this year, but I feel like every night of Shark Week people are going to get to see you on their TV. So of all the specials that you're participating in this year, which is your favorite? Or which was the one that brought you the most surprise?

Well, we're going back to the "What's your favorite shark" thing now. I love them all for different reasons. Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood, as sensational as the title is, you would've seen watching it that it's a very serious investigation, and it's very emotional and touching and compassionate. Then also, we're exploring avenues to try to help sharks and people. But then you go to Deadliest Bite, and I'm in the Bahamas in Florida literally hand-feeding a 13-foot tiger shark and hammerhead sharks. And then in The Real Sharkano I was free diving with sharks on breath hold 60 feet below the surface, 300 feet away from an active underwater volcano while it was erupting.

How do you choose? There's so many things that I got to do that were firsts for me this year. Then, obviously, all of my friends have got their own shows as well where they're doing new science, new adventures, new areas, new sharks. It's an extravaganza. Seriously, how am I supposed to choose from that? But I will say the volcano thing was very, very cool. I never thought I'd get to do something like that.

I mean, Paul, you're really putting a hat on a hat on a hat. Leave some stuff for the rest of the people. No, you've got to do the sharks with also the volcano on top of it. Leave some for the rest of the people.

"And for my next trick I'm going to parachute onto a snowboard and snowboard off a cliff and then free dive into the ocean with sharks."

Well lastly here, since you mentioned you never imagined getting to do some of the things that you've done this year, is there an elusive dream project that, whether it's timing, scheduling, the seasonal changes in sharks, is there still a dream project that you haven't gotten to do yet that you're still hoping you'll get to do for Shark Week 2025?

Yeah, there's so many sharks that -- they only send me to the dangerous ones that can kill me. I feel like half of my job is just "don't die."

They might be telling you something, Paul.

Yeah, I know. "We'll keep employing you as long as you're alive."

So one of the sharks that I would love to see is the Greenland shark. Under the ice sheets of the Arctic, freezing cold, they're so elusive. They've been found with whole reindeer inside their stomach. Totally blind, live for 500 years. That is one animal that I would love to see.

That's typically my go-to answer for my favorite kind of shark, because of everything you just mentioned.

Kindred spirits.

It's also, "Oh, I went to The Bahamas. I went to Florida ... but no, my dream project is to go to the icy depths to see things that don't move and just sit on the bottom."

Yeah, absolutely. That sounds amazing. I love to see things that normal people don't get to see. I would love to -- I don't know if you're familiar with, I'm going off script now if I'm talking about that, don't worry about it. Let's stick to Shark Week.

But just the adventure, the excitement. It's a realm that most people will never see. But, as I said before, you could have the opportunity, if you desire it enough. And anything that is worth doing obviously takes work, and I can honestly say for me and everyone that works on Shark Week, this is so much fun, it's so valuable. Just the beauty of the Internet and social media allows everyone to have a voice. People get in touch with us all and they tell us how much our stories have changed their lives, or how much now they want to be involved in ocean conservation. And that is the best part of it.

Well, Paul, I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me today, and make sure to hit me up if you need a co-host for your Greenland shark special. I'll make myself available.

Amazing.

Shark Week kicks off on the Discovery Channel on Sunday, July 7th. Sydney Harbor Shark Invasion premieres at 11 p.m. ET on July 7th, Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood premieres at 10 p.m. ET on July 8th, Deadliest Bite premieres at 8 p.m. ET on July 9th, and The Real Sharkano premieres at 8 p.m. ET and Shark Attack Island at 10 p.m. ET on July 12th.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter.

According to the latest box office projections, Deadpool & Wolverine is on track for a record-breaking opening weekend.

According to reports by NRG and other box office analysts, Deadpool & Wolverine is on track for an opening weekend box office of $160 million-$165 million. That would be the best opening weekend for any 2024 movie, and would be the biggest opening ever for an R-rated movie, replacing the original Deadpool movie, which opened to $132.4 million in 2016. Previous projections had Deadpool 3 possibly reaching as high as $200M in its opening weekend, and it's noted that figure is still within most analysts' range of projections.

Bottom line: Deadpool & Wolverine is going to be a win for Disney and Marvel Studios - the only question is how big of a hit it will be.

The truth is: that slashing and clawing its way to box office profits is only part of the challenge for Deadpool & Wolverine. The film has behind-the-scenes pressures: The Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise hasn't had the brand power it once enjoyed. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and Disney (now back under CEO Bob Iger) have been making big course-corrective moves with the MCU since Phase 4 seemed to stumble both on the theatrical and Television fronts.

Deadpool 3 is being looked at as the comeback kid that will once again make the MCU a premium brand, with fan confidence fully behind it. The creative team behind the film knows it, too, as Deadpool & Wolverine trailers have featured Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson joking that he's now "Marvel Jesus" who is poised to save the MCU franchise.

Deadpool & Wolverine Story, Cast & Crew Explained

In Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The film also stars Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox, and Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, with the return of Deadpool alums Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Rob Delaney as Peter, and Lewis Tan as Shatterstar. Aaron Stanford is returning as Pyro from the X-Men film series, with Jennifer Garner rumored to return as Elektra Natchios.

Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D'Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy. Deadpool & Wolverine will be released exclusively in theaters on July 26th.

Deadpool & Wolverine will be in theaters on July 26th.

Source: Deadline

While a majority of shark species are relatively small and might not even surpass the scale of other fish, part of what has captivated the excitement of so many Shark Week enthusiasts is the staggering size some shark species grow to be. The whale shark is undeniably the biggest fish in the ocean, but the great white shark not only comes in close behind the whale shark's size, while its reputation as being one of the most lethal hunters in the animal kingdom makes it all the more fascinating. In his latest Shark Week special, marine biologist Tom "Blowfish" Hird hopes to confirm the existence of such a massive great white. Discovery Channel's Shark Week kicks off on Sunday, July 7th and on Tuesday, July 9th, Hird hosts 6,000lb. Shark.

The new special is described, "Marine Biologists Tom 'Blowfish' Hird and Leigh de Necker go searching for the fattest Great White Sharks off the coast of New Zealand and attempt to obtain their poop to study what they are eating. Using cutting-edge science, they aim to weigh a great white accurately for the first time, revealing if they can reach a staggering 6,000 pounds."

ComicBook caught up with Hird to talk his new special, the questions he gets asked most often, and more.

ComicBook: When it comes to your career and your work with sharks, a two-part question, and it might actually be the same answer for both parts, but what is the question that you get asked the most and what is the question you just really wish you'd never had to answer again?

Tom "Blowfish" Hird: I suppose it probably is one and the same. From the non-shark community, the question that I certainly feel I get asked the most is about Megalodon. "Is Megalodon still around?" And no, just no. We've got tons of fossilized proof and evidence and we've got living proof that Megalodon isn't here, which is down to the fact that we have predatory toothed whales. So yeah, that's the question, it's like, "Oh, is Megalodon still..." It's like, "No, no, no, sunshine. Calm down." It's like, "Oh, well, I think..." It's like, "I don't care what you think, sunshine. You've read something online and you're passing it off? Now, who posted that online? Was it someone wearing a tinfoil hat? Was it someone who's never seen the light of day? Or is it the marine biologist with a fabulous beard telling you to sit down, hush up, and watch Shark Week?"

Honestly, I love that whatever crowds you are running with, that is the question that comes up, as opposed to, "Are sharks really that scary?" They're immediately going to, "Is this prehistoric shark actually still out there?"

The dumbest question I ever got asked, though, this was when I was very young and it was one of my first jobs, I was working as an aquarium assistant, so I was telling people about the animals. You get the idea, aquarium tour guide. And we're in the tunnel underneath the shark tank, and this one bloke pointed up at these sharks swimming around. And I won't do the accent, because it probably won't translate, but he pointed up at the sharks like, "Excuse me, mate, are they real?" I went, "Are you real? No, we've just paid a million pounds for a completely amazing animatronic shark, which is somehow electronically powered, swimming around in saltwater, which is obviously a terrible conductor for electricity. But don't worry about that, mate, we've covered all those areas of physics for you to pay your cash money to watch son of Johnny 5 with a fin, swimming around in a tank of water, when we could have gotten a shark for cheaper." But I didn't say that, I said, "Yes, sir, it is." And then chewed through my molars.

Well, as a former aquarium presenter myself, someone asked me, "How long do the penguins live?" And when I gave them an answer, they said, "And is that in penguin years?" I was like, "I know what you mean, but I don't want to honor that. Rotations around the sun, that's what we're talking about."

Oh, yeah. I mean, sometimes you'll get a question so dumb you'll be like, "Oh, I think you've just given me brain cancer." And yeah, you get a question that shortens your lifespan and you think, "Oh, I could just go and play in traffic instead of speaking to you."

Something that's interesting and, especially with sharks as compared to some other species out there, is it is an ever-growing base of knowledge. I literally got an email about an article I wrote last year for Shark Week, where I mentioned there's roughly 350 species of shark, people emailing me saying, "Actually, now there's 500." What is it like for you to work in a field where that knowledge base is always expanding and growing? Is it at all frustrating or is it just exciting that it's always changing?

Well, for me, I just love it. I'm always excited about it. I don't know if that's from my own career to the extent that I am, well, your friendly neighborhood marine biologist. There are many, many people out there who are far higher up the pecking order in terms of the research they've done, the papers they've done holding professorships, and all those kinds of stuff. And all I want to do is learn from those people, listen to them, hear what they've got to say. If I say something that isn't right and they say, "Oh no, actually, it's this," then that, for me, is a learning opportunity and that's great. So I'm not frustrated by that.

There might be some people who potentially think of themselves as the oracle on these things. And they go, "Oh no, actually, I think you'll find..." You're like, "Mate, it's a movable feast." But the fact that we're still digging into just everything about sharks, not just the biology, but the life history, the species, all that stuff, it just highlights how little we know, not just about them, but about our oceans.

Even here and now, you've got Elon Musk. When he is not trashing social media or building trucks that look like they wouldn't withstand a strong breeze, you've got him saying, "Let's go to Mars." Like, "No, no, no, mate, why don't you try and go to the bottom of the ocean first, then let's go to Mars."

"But please, do not design it yourself. Please let other people."

God, no. Yeah, oh dear. It would be like he'd have a plastic bottle with "Tesla" written on the side, probably not even spelled correctly, in black fountain pen. And he'd be like, "Look what I've made." Like, "Elon, go back in the sandpit buddy. Everyone likes you for looking like a really distressed Muppet that's been left out in the rain. Now, back of the line."

Getting back to Shark Week, your special is about the quest for a 6,000-pound shark. Other than finding out that a shark that big could really exist, could really get to be that size, what do you think are the ramifications of the discovery of such a creature, that you're not just doing it just to do it, but how would that then impact the scientific community in shark research?

Well, if we could get some really, really good, very solid evidence on the terms of those larger, established, veteran sharks around the world, then that gives us a better idea of their population structure. We've seen, it's been proven time and time again that sharks, in whatever ecosystem they inhabit, sharks are vitally important for the health of that ecosystem. So the more we know about their population structure, the more that can tell us of, "Well, if these sharks are here in this place, we know how their presence or their absence will affect this place." That has their knock-on effects, not just in terms of conservation, but we do have to think of things on a more industrial scale. You think, "Okay, well, we know that if there are sharks here, then the fishery industry is better here. Okay, we need to protect these sharks for this fishery industry."

Or we'll know, "Right, we've got some big sharks here. We need to protect this area for these months of the year for them to breed," or whatnot. So getting an idea, the range we're looking at isn't from here to here, but from here to here, that changes the game. You are like, "Oh, right, okay, we need to be thinking bigger, because a bigger animal has bigger impacts. It has bigger demands, bigger needs. It has bigger outputs in terms of not just carbon sequestration and its impacts on food webs, but also in terms of its reproductive abilities."

It's a big deal, literally a big deal, so if we can get together those bits and pieces and say, "Yes, we can say that this shark at this age, at this length will weigh..." That is something that can be used very, very strongly in terms of conservation policy, fisheries policy, and direct scientific research.

Last year you had Cocaine Sharks. This year you've got 6,000lb. Shark. Do you know what's on deck for 2025, the special you'd really like to explore?

Oh, there's so many I would like to do. There's so many. But there might be a new Zelda game out next year and you've got to have priorities for this thing.

But no, there are loads of specials I would like to do. There's loads of different things I'd like to check out, and so many different places we can go as well. The sweet shop or the candy store, as you guys will say, is wide open and it's a free-for-all, if you ask the Blowfish. I'm ready to tuck in and chow down.

Shark Week kicks off on the Discovery Channel on Sunday, July 7th. 6,000lb. Shark premieres on the Discovery Channel on Tuesday, July 9th at 9 p.m. ET.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's introduced a whole new take on the franchise and duels themselves, and now one cosplay is picking up speed by really summoning Yusei Fudo's Stardust Dragon! Although Yu-Gi-Oh! ended its original run with Kazuki Takahashi's manga series came to an end, the franchise continued with new anime that offered new generations of characters and stories outside of everything that happened to Yugi. The third of these new anime series then shook things up a great deal with new mechanics and a whole new way to showcase duels moving forward. Focusing on high speed, Yusei was a much different kind of main character than seen before.

Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's not only dramatically changed the trading card game forever, but also changed the scope of the stories seen throughout. While the previous two anime had their fair share of intense stories, Yusei had to deal with quite a lot more it seemed like. By his side was his trust Stardust Dragon (which actually tied into his actual ancient power), and now that's all come to life thanks to some awesome cosplay from artist avergih.cosplay on Instagram. They sport a duel disk with an awesome effect, and it really makes Yusei jump off the screen! Check it out:

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A post shared by Avner & Gih - Team Cosplay (@avnergih.cosplay)

How to Watch Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is one of the many franchise sequels that started out as an anime series before branching out into manga releases and more. Coming after Yu-Gi-Oh! GX in the overall timeline (which eventually led to a crossover movie between the first three series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time), you can now check out Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's with Crunchyroll, Hulu, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Prime Video and more. As for what to expect from this dramatically different entry in the anime, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is teased as such:

"Welcome to New Domino City! Once the playground to legendary duelist Yugi Muto, this sprawling metropolis has since been transformed into a futuristic society where dueling has kicked into overdrive. With recent technological advancements made by KaibaCorp, dueling has undergone a metamorphosis that has revolutionized the makeup and pace of the game! It's now a heart-pounding, adrenaline-filled and fuel injected competition where duelists ride supercharged hyper cycles called Duel Runners and battle it out in hi-octane contests called 'Turbo Duels.'"

Jujutsu Kaisen and McDonald's are teaming up on a special new sauce, and McDonald's has revealed just how many characters will get their own Special Grade Garlic Sauces! Jujutsu Kaisen is having quite the huge year as following the end of Season 2 of the anime last year, and has only gotten bigger ever since. Not only did Megan Thee Stallion recently bring it even more to the mainstream by sampling its interstitial theme music for her "Otaku Hot Girl" track, but now Jujutsu Kaisen is going to be taking over McDonald's with a special new exclusive sauce.

McDonald's has announced they are teaming up with Jujutsu Kaisen for a new Special Grade Garlic Sauce. This new sauce will be exclusively available on the McDonald's app on July 9th, and will feature character art with the likes of Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisaki, Satoru Gojo, Kento Nanami, Suguru Geto, Mahito, and of course, Sukuna. To give fans an idea of what kinds of sauce packages will be available for the Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration, McDonald's has shared a new look at them that you can check out below.

i alone am the honored one who gets to reveal to u all the character designs ? @Jujutsu_Kaisen_ pic.twitter.com/AErc8VkQO6

-- McDonald's (@McDonalds) July 2, 2024

What's Next for Jujutsu Kaisen?

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 has been announced to be in the works, but has yet to give an update on its potential release window or date as of the time of publication. If you wanted to catch up with it all in the meantime, you can find the first two seasons of the Jujutsu Kaisen TV anime and Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie now streaming with Crunchyroll. They tease what to expect from the anime on a whole as such:

"Yuji Itadori is a boy with tremendous physical strength, though he lives a completely ordinary high school life. One day, to save a classmate who has been attacked by curses, he eats the finger of Ryomen Sukuna, taking the curse into his own soul. From then on, he shares one body with Ryomen Sukuna. Guided by the most powerful of sorcerers, Satoru Gojo, Itadori is admitted to Tokyo Jujutsu High School, an organization that fights the curses... and thus begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a curse to exorcise a curse, a life from which he could never turn back."

You can also check out Jujutsu Kaisen's original manga release with either Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump library or Shueisha's MangaPlus service.

Deadpool & Wolverine is poised to be one of the biggest movies of Summer 2024, but if you can belive it, there was recently a time when franchise star Ryan Reynolds was ever sure that he'd play the character again.

For context: After Deadpool 2 was released in 2018, the Disney-Fox acquisition deal was finally completed in 2019. The deal put an end to all future plans for 20th Century Fox's X-Men Movie Universe - including the popular Deadpool film franchise. Reynolds had gambled on Deadpool films being R-rated romps through foul language, juvenile vulgarity, sexual depravity and ultra-violence - none of which seemed in line with Disney and Marvel's branding for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To Reynolds, it seemed as though the opportunity to play Deadpool had passed him by:

"I didn't know if I'd ever be playing Deadpool again," Reynolds admitted to EW in a new interview. "It's not something I would've said necessarily publicly, but I didn't know how a character like that would fit into that world [of the MCU]."

Luckily Reynolds hung in there because eventually Disney and Marvel Studios decided to go with a third Deadpool movie that will be part of the MCU, but also retain the franchise's hard-R edge.

Indeed, it seems like a fever dream, now, but for the first decade of the MCU's run, Marvel Studios couldn't play with Fox's X-Men and Fantastic Four characters, or Sony's Spider-Man characters and mythos. It was in the latter half of the 2010s that the partnership deal between Sony and Disney for sharing Spider-Man was established, as well as the Disney-Fox Deal that brought the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises under Marvel Studio's control.

Nobody knows what a crazy journey that's been better than Marvel Studios head, Kevin Feige. Feige had a major career start as an assistant to X-Men movies producer Lauren Schuler Donner, so he's been dreaming of seeing all the characters of Marvel come together onscreen for longer than most:

"The notion that, all these years later, we're in a world where [Jackman] is Wolverine, and Deadpool and all of those X-Men characters are together under the same roof, is a pretty amazing quarter-of-a-century experience," Feige said.

Deadpool & Wolverine has a theatrical release date of July 26th.

Here's a preview of what Marvel Studios will bring to SDCC 2024

Kaiju No. 8 was undoubtedly the biggest new anime of the Spring, and now one awesome cosplay has brought Kafka Hibino's monstrous transformation to life! Kaiju No. 8 wrapped up the debut season of the anime adaptation for Naoya Matsumoto's original manga series, and with it introduced fans to a new kind of lead character. Kafka was a down on his luck thirty something who was able to take one last shot at achieving his dream of joining the Japan Kaiju Defense Force and fighting alongside his childhood friend (who had since become a major hero fighting with this team already).

This also came with a twist as Kafka was possessed by a mysterious flying kaiju and gained the ability to transform into a kaiju himself. Becoming the titular Kaiju No. 8, Kafka was finally able to fight against these monsters and is now heading into an uncertain future with the defense force as the first season ended. Showing off Kafka's cool monster form in a whole new way, however, is an awesome Kaiju No. 8 cosplay from artist theprincedguzman on Instagram. Check it out in action below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Prince De Guzman (@theprincedeguzman)

How to Watch Kaiju No. 8 Anime

Kaiju No. 8 has wrapped up the Japanese broadcast of the anime's debut season this past week, but the English dub release for Kaiju No. 8 Episode 11 is currently scheduled to air on July 6th at 8AM PST (which is two weeks later from its originally scheduled drop on June 22nd), and Kaiju No. 8 Episode 12 will then air on July 13th at 8AM PST (which would have initially aired on June 29th) to bring the dub to an end.

Kaiju No. 8 has thankfully announced that a sequel to the anime is now in production, but has yet to confirm what shape this new project will take. The safe bet is to say it will be a full Season 2 of the TV anime, but there is also a chance that it could hit the big screens in the future with a new feature film or OVA project before its return to screens. But the anime has yet to announce a potential release date, staff, or cast for the future anime project as of the time of this publication.

You can currently find all available episodes of the Kaiju No. 8 anime now streaming with Crunchyroll in the meantime. If you wanted to jump ahead in the manga instead, you can now find the series with Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump library or Shueisha's MangaPlus service.

Mr. Six has another reason to dance. Six Flags and Cedar Fair announced that a merger valued at approximately $8 billion was completed on Monday, July 1st. The combined company, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, is North America's largest regional amusement-resort operator with 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties across 17 states in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, including Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott's Berry Farm in California and Cedar Point in Ohio.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation also stated that each park in the combined company's portfolio will "retain their legacy branding with no changes to park names currently being planned or contemplated." That includes the Buena Park-based Knott's, which has been in operation since 1920.

"Today marks a significant milestone for our company, shareholders, guests and associates, unlocking higher value and greater opportunities to deliver engaging entertainment experiences," said Richard Zimmerman, president and chief executive officer of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. "Our merger establishes a new Six Flags Entertainment Corporation with a highly diversified footprint and robust operating model, enhancing park offerings and performance though the complementary portfolio of attractive assets and intellectual property from each of Cedar Fair and the former Six Flags. The combination also enhances the financial profile of the company with strong cash flow generation to accelerate investments in our parks to delight our guests, driving increased levels of demand and in-park value and spending."

With the merger complete, the former Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN) and Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: SIX) will start trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol "FUN" beginning Tuesday, July 2nd. The merger agreement, which was first announced in November 2023, would see the two companies combine to form "a leading amusement park operator in the highly competitive leisure space with an expanded and diversified footprint, a more robust operating model and a strong revenue and cash flow generation profile."

"We believe that by combining the best ideas and most successful entertainment practices of both Six Flags and Cedar Fair, the new Six Flags can deliver a superior level of joy and excitement that has yet to be experienced by regional park guests," added Selim Bassoul, executive chairman of the board of directors of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. "We are excited to unite the Cedar Fair and Six Flags teams to capitalize on the tremendous growth opportunities and operational efficiencies of our more extensive entertainment portfolio."

According to a press release, the combined company will use its previously-acquired IPs to "develop engaging new attractions enabled by compelling characters, environments, and storytelling." Six Flags has long had the rights to Warner Bros. Discovery properties like Looney Tunes and DC Comics with themed areas and popular attractions inspired by such characters as Bugs Bunny and Batman, while Cedar Fair has utilized the Peanuts characters for its Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy lands.

The ComicBook Nation crew reviews the A Quiet Place prequel Day One, and discuss The Acolyte's big reveal of "The Stranger," The Bear Season 3 and Suicide Squad Anime debuts, and some bloody new episodes of The Boys Season 4 and House of the Dragon Season 2.

PLUS: Geek news rundown includes the Batman: Caped Crusader trailer, Warner Bros. changing things up with HBO and Max, the Suicide Squad Isekai anime and what Marvel Studios needs to do in Hall H at SDCC to renew faith in the MCU!

A Quiet Place: Day One Review

Here's what ComicBook Nation Host Kofi Outlaw had to say in his 2.5 (out of 5) star review of A Quiet Place: Day One:

Even by the end, given the story premise and where we know the connective threads (like Djimon Hounsou's Henri) lead, there's little to feel good about or celebrate. It's a bad sign when concern for the animal protagonist is the driving force of a horror movie.

A Quiet Place: Day One would've been a compelling indie horror film about a doomed woman facing an apocalyptic situation, but after the heights the franchise has reached and all the promises that came with the prequel, the end result is a fine film that is comparatively the worst entry in an otherwise excellent horror franchise.

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U.S. track and field star Noah Lyles brought even more Yu-Gi-Oh to the Olympic Trials with a full duel disk spread! Lyles has been taking over the scene for the last few years as he's not only done very well in sprinting events around the world, but he's also brought his love of anime to the forefront as well. Showing off love for the likes of Dragon Ball Super, My Hero Academia and more in the past, this time around Lyles has been going all out with the heart of the cards as he brought Yu-Gi-Oh cards to the U.S. Olympic Trials ahead of the Paris 2024 events later this year.

Lyles got Yu-Gi-Oh fans' attention this year with his Olympic Trials as he not only sported a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card in his first event, but also took it to the next level with a piece of Exodia the Forbidden One later. Now officially qualifying for the United States team heading into the Paris 2024 Olympics, Lyles is going all out with a full duel disk filled with both Exodia and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Check it out:

Finally, Noah Lyles has completed the set and now possesses all five pieces of Exodia?

Credit: @LylesNoah#??? #YuGiOh #??? pic.twitter.com/oXN2wJBfeX

-- YuGiOh News (@YuGiOhNewsTCG) June 30, 2024

How to Read and Watch Yu-Gi-Oh

If you wanted to look into Kazuki Takahashi's original manga run of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise to catch up with how it all first got started for Yugi, Kaiba, Joey and all of the others all the way from the very beginning, you can now find all chapters of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga with Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump library. As for the Yu-Gi-Oh anime, you can find the original series and many of its sequels now streaming with Crunchyroll. They tease the first Yu-Gi-Oh series as such:

"Meet Yugi and his best buds Joey, Tristan and T?a. They share a love for the newest game that's sweeping the nation: Duel Monsters! Legend has it 5000 years ago, ancient Egyptian Pharaohs used to play a magical game very similar to Duel Monsters. This ancient game involved magical ceremonies, which were used to foresee the future and ultimately decide one's destiny. They called it the Shadow Games. Since the game used so many magical spells and ferocious creatures, it wasn't long before the game got out of hand and threatened to destroy the world."

The Fantastic Four is invading San Diego Comic-Con! As SDCC approaches, posters for Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four movie are already decorating downtown San Diego - as evidenced by photos posted to social media.

Rob Paladino is credited for being the first to spot and post something about the Fantastic Four posters, which you can check out below:

The posters are perfect echoes of The Fantastic Four marketing campaign thus far, showing silhouettes of each of the four heroes, set into pairs for each poster: Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The silhouette design of the posters is retro and kitschy (which is the expected tone for the 1960s-set period piece); they also do the job of preserving the mystery of the official costume and makeup designs for The Fantastic Four for a major reveal during Marvel's Hall H panel at SDCC.

Seeing the posters going up this early suggests that Fantastic Four will be a centerpiece of Kevin Feige's MCU presentation in Hall H - which makes perfect sense. F4 has been one of the most scrutinized MCU projects for years (decades?); the film is about to start production later this year, and no doubt production will also result in a lot of images and photos leaking onto the Internet. Marvel Studios could smartly reveal enough concept art of what they will be filming later to mitigate inevitable set photo leaks.

ComicBook.com's breakdown of what Marvel's Hall H Panel will be at SDCC 2024, we had the following speculation about how The Fantastic Four will be represented at the convention:

The saga of the MCU Fantastic Four is going to be worth a whole book when all is said and done. One of the first big comic book movies of the 2000s has been on a long, hard, road to winning fan approval and box office success.

Marvel Studios needs to turn all the bad stigma about the Fantastic Four around - and Hall H is the place to start doing it. F4 hasn't started filming yet, so no footage is expected; however, early concept art (See above) has gotten fans buzzing, so more reveals of Fantastic Four's 1960s period piece setting, characters, and story arc would be a big deal. More importantly: introducing the core cast of the film and having fans enjoy seeing them banter together onstage would be a big PR win for Marvel Studios.

The Fantastic Four has a theatrical release date of July 25, 2025.

Earlier this year, Coffee Mate shook up the creamer game when they teamed up with Dr. Pepper for the coconut lime Dirty Soda creamer that made it easier than ever to get the viral "dirty soda" experience at home. Now, they're shaking things up again with another innovative new creamer offering -- and the brand's first-ever summer seasonal flavor. On Monday, Coffee Mate announced the new, limited edition Coffee Mate Orange Cream Pop Flavored Duo Creamer, inspired by iconic (and popular) tastes of summer ice cream truck favorites.

According to the brand, the new Orange Cream Pop Flavored Duo Creamer features orange and creamy notes swirled together to create a velvety smoothness that makes the perfect "splash of fun" to your cup of coffee. It's the latest addition to Coffee Mate's Duos line, a line that also includes flavors like Cinnamon Vanilla Creme and Vanilla Caramel as well as last year's iconic Peanut Butter and Jelly Flavored Duo Creamer.

"When it comes to pushing boundaries and turning trending flavors into delicious and crave-worthy creamers, our fans know that only Coffee Mate can consistently deliver on taste innovations that elevate the everyday coffee experience, any time of year," Leonardo Aizpuru, Nestl? Vice President of Brand Marketing for the Beverage Division and Business Unit said. "This limited-edition creamer is inspired by childhood summers - with every sip, the sweet and citrusy flavor of our Orange Cream Pop Flavored Duo Creamer will evoke nostalgic memories of ice cream trucks and hot summer days."

Fans wanting to give this one a try will have to chances to get their hands on this innovative new creamer flavor. Coffee Mate is offering the limited-edition Orange Cream Pop Flavored Duo Creamer in two drops leading up to National Ice Cream Day July 21. The first drop is on July 12 while the second is on July 22, both taking place exclusively at 12 pm ET. The bottles go for $2.17 per 16 fl. oz (shipping included). They are limited to one bottle per order -- and they won't be offered in retail stores. This will be a limited drop available only while supplies last. Fans can check out full details at coffeemateshop.com/collections/limited-time-only.

Coffee Mate Isn't Alone With the Orange Dreamsicle Trend

Coffee Mate isn't along bringing orange cream flavors to the people this year. Earlier this year, Wendy's released a seasonal Orange Dreamsicle Frosty flavor for spring. It was available nationwide, replacing vanilla where possible during the spring season. Wendy's has since released a new summer flavor, Triple Berry.

"The Orange Dreamsicle Frosty is a unique spin on a familiar flavor, packing a spoonful of sweet orange notes combined with the classic smooth vanilla Frosty for a dreamy orange cream experience - the Wendy's way," the chain says of the flavor. "The eye-catching orange color of this delectable treat was inspired by the spring season, and it tastes just as good as it looks."

National Fried Chicken Day is coming up on Saturday, July 6th and to celebrate, KFC is teaming up with BoxLunch for an all-new collection inspired by the OG fried chicken brand. Launching today exclusively in BoxLunch stores and at BoxLunch.com is the KFC Collection, a new collab that features apparel, accessories and even jewelry celebrating KFC. According to KFC and BoxLunch, the collection includes, among other items, a Bucket Crossbody Bag, a Reversible Chicken Bucket Hat, and even a Fanny Pack.

"We take pride in collaborative partnerships, especially when we have the opportunity to have fun and reach fans through the original fried chicken brand, KFC," Rick Vargas, Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing at BoxLunch said in a statement. "The vibrant KFC collection brings the renowned brand to BoxLunch fans and introduces our unique styling to KFC lovers everywhere."

Additionally, as part of BoxLunch's philanthropic program, for every $10 spent across themed product offerings, the brand will provide a meal to a person in need through Feeding America. KFC also shares BoxLunch's commitment to hunger relief, with many of its restaurants participating in a Harvest food donation program, donating unsold food from its restaurants to. local nonprofits.

"This collaboration celebrates KFC brand fans with finger lickin' good fashion. We're honored to team up with BoxLunch, a brand that shares our commitment to feeding the communities we serve," Anna Faktorvich, VP of Brand Management at BoxLunch looks on their socials and enjoy KFC's hand-breaded fried chicken."

Fans can get the KFC Collection at BoxLunch and at BoxLunch.com. Customers can also enter to win the full BoxLunch x KFC assortment as well as other goodies by entering a giveaway here. And, because it is going to be National Fried Chicken Day, KFC is offering special deals this week as well:

o FREE DELIVERY on all orders made through KFC.com or the KFC app from July 4 to July 7. Save time stressing about meal pickups and spend more time with your loved ones this holiday weekend.

o New KFC Saucy Nuggets: For just $5.99*, snag a 10-piece of KFC's Saucy Nuggets at participating locations. Honey BBQ, a KFC fan-favorite and classic summer sauce, joins the Saucy Nugget line-up for the first time this summer (also including Korean BBQ and Honey Sriracha).

o $4.99 Meal for One: Table for one, this meal for under $5 has you covered! Grab two pieces of hot, juicy chicken (drum and thigh), creamy mashed potatoes & gravy and a buttery biscuit for just $4.99.

o $20 Family Meal: Be the dinnertime hero when you bring home six pieces of mouthwatering chicken on the bone (two drums, two thighs, one breast and one wing), four individual sides of your choice, and four buttery biscuits. Side choices include Secret Recipe Fries, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes (with or without gravy), coleslaw and sweet corn.

Will you be checking out the BoxLunch x KFC collection? Let us know on social media!

Arby's fans were devastated when Potato Cakes disappeared from the menu in 2021 but starting today, July 1st, that devastation can turn to rejoicing. On Monday, Arby's announced that they have heard fans' pleas and are bringing back the iconic Potato Cakes to menus nationwide for a limited time and, more than that, they're celebrating in a big way (after all, Arby's celebrates its 60th birthday this month, too) with actor Kyle MacLachlan -- who just so happens to be a huge Potato Cakes fan -- and the creation of a group where fans of the treat are welcome: The Order of Potato Cakes.

"As a Potato Cakes devotee myself, I'm proud to enlighten all Potato Cakes lovers about the return of our cherished menu item," MacLachlan said in a statement. "We've been waiting three long years, and our voices have finally been heard. Potato Cakes are back at Arby's thanks to The Powers that Beef!"

"Arby's has built a reputation on offering bold, delicious menu items - from our well-known classics like Roast Beef Sandwiches and Jamocha Shake to our limited time specials like the Bourbon BBQ Sandwiches - that fans ask for again and again," said Rita Patel, Arby's Brand President. "Now, we're bringing back Potato Cakes, one of our most requested and most beloved items, to celebrate the true love, passion and devotion our guests show for them day in and day out."

The celebration of Potato Cakes isn't limited to just The Order of Potato Cakes. Arby's also announced that they are offering a line of bespoke, limited-edition merch for The Order, all themed around Potato Cakes. The collection includes a Potato Cake Amber Necklace, Potato Cake Candle, an enamel pin, and even a t-shirt and hoodie. Members of The Order -- aka, Potato Cakes fans -- can get the merch at ArbysShop.com while supplies last.

As for the Potato Cakes themselves, they are back on menus nationwide starting today, Monday, July 1st but will only be back for a limited time. They start at $2.39 for a 3-piece order.

One Piece has introduced a powerful Boa Hancock clone to the franchise with S-Snake, and now an awesome cosplay has brought the Seraphim to life! Following the events of the Wano Country arc, Luffy and the Straw Hats are now starting to see how much has changed for the rest of the world. The World Government has become much more dangerous thanks to the development of a new line of Pacifistas known as the Seraphim. These weapons are not only modeled after the former Seven Warlords, but have been amped up with indestructible Lunarian genes and different Devil Fruit abilities.

One Piece: Egghead Arc has revealed just how powerful each of the Seraphim are, and they're much stronger than the former Warlords they're based off of. But it also seems like they have a bit of those Warlords' personalities as well as demonstrated by S-Snake in the most recent episode of the anime as she's acting more like Boa Hancock than ever. Now this powerful military weapon has been brought to life through some equally as powerful cosplay from artist fruitdu_d on Instagram that highlights the similarities between Hancock and S-Snake in full. Check it out below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Perona - Sama (@fruitdu_d)

How to Watch One Piece: Egghead Arc

If you wanted to catch up with One Piece: Egghead Arc, you can currently check out the newest episodes of Japanese language release of the anime now streaming with Crunchyroll and Netflix. The English dub for the arc will be making its world premiere during Anime Expo 2024 in July, but the new voice cast additions for the arc have yet to be announced as of the time of this publication. The Japanese cast added the likes of Yohei Tadano as Dr. Vegapunk, Shuhei Sakaguchi as Shaka, Aya Hirano as Lilith, Ryoko Shiraishi as Edison, Tokuyoshi Kawashima as Pythagoras, Kaede Hondo as Atlas Mutsumi Tamura as York.

You can also find the newest chapters of the One Piece manga (with the three most recent chapters being available for free) with either Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump library or Shueisha's MangaPlus service if you wanted to read ahead and see what's next instead. There's also the first season of the massively popular live-action One Piece series now streaming with Netflix, and it is currently in the midst of production on its second season for a release in the near future.

When it comes to flavors, buffalo sauce might just be one of the most popular. Not only are buffalo wings an iconic menu item at many restaurants and an at-home fan favorite, but the spicy sauce has found its way into other snacks as well -- think things like dips and even Cheetos, which launched a buffalo-flavored crisp earlier this year. Now, however, TRUFF is taking buffalo sauce to a new level. The brand recently announced their newest offering, TRUFF Buffalo Sauce.

According to the brand, the new TRUFF Buffalo Sauce is "a bright and flavorful fusion of the sophisticated elegance of black truffle, the tang of vinegar, the kick of cayenne, and the lush silkiness of olive oil." It is the latest addition to the brand's sauce lineup and will be available in 6-ounce bottles on both TRUFF.com and on Amazon.

"Our take on buffalo isn't just about reimagining a staple sauce; it's a reflection of our commitment to enhancing the everyday dining experience," Nick Guillen, co-founder and co-CEO at TRUFF said in a statement. "We thoughtfully combined luxury with tradition by incorporating the unmistakable, bold flavor of TRUFF with the timeless flavor of buffalo sauce. The result is a culinary masterpiece we like to call TRUFFALO."

TRUFF Buffalo Sauce is just the latest new sauce offering from the brand. Earlier this year, the brand launched a new TRUFF Jalape?o Lime Hot Sauce. That new sauce features a blend of fiery green jalape?o peppers and refreshing lime to the mix with TRUFF's black winter truffle.

"Our goal with TRUFF has always been to create products so unique that they offer a flavor experience like no other," Nick Ajluni, co-founder and co-CEO at TRUFF said in a statement when that sauce was released. "This time, we are taking inspiration from the rich, vibrant, and colorful of Latin cuisine to create a flavor profile that has yet to be explored."

"We dove deep into Latin cuisine, indulging in endless tacos, ceviches, aguachiles and chilaquiles. We noticed that two ingredients -- green jalape?o and lime -- were commonly used to complement and enhance dishes," Guillen said. "We pursued these bold flavors and the result is a sauce that is both elevated and celebratory in nature. Whether drizzled over dishes from your local taco truck or added to a Michelin-starred culinary creation, the TRUFF Jalape?o Lime Hot Sauce is designed to elevate any meal."

The 2024 Summer Olympics are set to begin in Paris in less than a month, and sports fans are eager to watch the world's best athletes compete for the gold. We've seen athletes preparing for the big event, but they're not the only ones gearing up for the games. There will be plenty of exciting commentators along the way, including Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost. According to NBC Sports, the Weekend Update host will be covering the surfing competition in Tahiti as part of NBCUniversal's game coverage.

During the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Jost will cover the surfing competition from Teahupo'o, Tahiti, which is part of French Polynesia. This marks the second time there will be surfing at the Olympics with the sport debuting during the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021. While most athletes will be competing in Paris, the surfers will be showing off their skills nearly 10,000 miles away.

Jost won't be the only one covering the surfing in Tahiti. NBC will also have "traditional surfing coverage" with Joe Turpel tackling play-by-play and Michael Parsons serving as analyst.

"Colin Jost hit the NBC Sports jackpot with an epic assignment covering surfing in Tahiti for the Paris Olympics," Molly Solomon, Executive Producer and President, Production, NBC Olympics, said in a statement. "Although the setting is a little different than the Weekend Update desk in Studio 8H, Colin, an avid surfer, is going to bring his unique flair to reporting on the competition, athletes, and beautiful surroundings in one of the most breathtaking Olympic venues ever. Tune in to see if he catches a wave for America."

"I'm honored to get to watch the best surfers in the world compete on one of the heaviest waves imaginable, and to help showcase the rich history of surfing in Tahiti," Jost added. "And my Writer's Guild Health Insurance is excited to see what the coral reef does to my back."

When Are the Paris Olympics?

The 2024 Summer Olympics are kicking off in Paris on July 27th while the surfing competition is set to take place over four days within a 10-day window between July 27th and August 5th. The extra days are to make room for potential weather delays, which are common for surfing.

"The competition will feature both a men's and women's shortboard event, with 24 surfers from each gender competing for the three coveted Olympic podium spots. The United States' Carissa Moore, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and five-time World Surf League Women's World Tour Champion, aims to defend her Olympic title," NBC Sports explains.

Stay tuned for more updates about the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Maggie Grace still isn't over her character's fate on LOST. Speaking with The Independent Grace, who played Shannon Rutherford on the hit series, said that her character being killed off during the sixth episode of the second season remains "the worst heartbreak" of her career and that she was "devastated" when the character was killed off, even though she understood the reasoning behind her character's fate.

"I thought they were going to take her a little further," Grace said, before explaining she didn't want to leave the series. "It's still the worst heartbreak of my career. I was devastated!"

When asked if she understood why her character was killed off, she said "Well, I mean, I do. [She] was a sort of caricature of white privilege before that was a phrase, you know? And maybe I was just too good at my assigned job of being incredibly annoying. I thought maybe she would do something surprising or have another color [to her personality]. Maybe she'd, at the last moment, redeem herself and be incredibly self-sacrificial in some way. I guess there were flashes of it, but not in the way I hoped in terms of an arc."

Grace ultimately returned for the LOST series finale along with other series stars who had departed the series. Following her departure from LOST, Grace went on to star in Taken with Liam Neeson as well as its two sequels as well as went on to appear in another iconic television series: Fear the Walking Dead.

LOST is Coming to Netflix in July

LOST originally ran for six seasons between 2004 and 2010 on ABC. The series was created by Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof and followed the survivors of an airplane crash on a mysterious, deserted tropical island where they must learn to work together in order to survive. The series was popular during its run and received numerous award nominations, including numerous Emmy Award nominations -- the series won 11 over its run. In addition to Grace, starred Naveen Andrews, Emile de Ravin, Matthew Fox, Jorge Garcia, Josh Hollow, Malcolm David Kelley, Yunjin Kim, Terry O'Quinn, Harold Perrineau, Ken Leung, Ian Somerhalder, Evangeline Lilly, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. All six seasons of the series are set to arrive on Netflix on July 1st. The series is currently streaming on Hulu.

AI has become a huge topic of concern in Hollywood ever since last year's WGA and SAG strikes put focus on the issue. In the last year or so, we have seen many famous actors calling out AI ranging from Marvel star Clark Gregg, who testified in front of Congress last year as they considered the No Fakes Act, to Tom Hanks, who warned fans when his likeness was used without his permission in a commercial. Now, Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman is calling out AI due to his familiar voice being a frequent choice for AI-generated voice imitations. It appears Freeman has become aware of a TikToker named @JustinesCameraRoll who went viral for pretending to be the actor's niece by using AI to imitate his voice. Freeman took to Twitter this week to address the issue.

"Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me. Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful. #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection," Freeman posted. You can view the post below:

Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me. Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful. #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection

-- Morgan Freeman (@morgan_freeman) June 28, 2024

Fran Drescher Warns Against AI in SAG Awards Speech:

During the SAG Awards in February, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher gave a speech and spoke more about the dangers of AI.

"This was a seminal moment in our union's history that has set the trajectory for many generations to come. Not afraid but brave, not weak but empowered, not peons but partners," Drescher said during the speech. "During the fight for a better TV theatrical contract, global ideas emerged. AI will entrap us in a matrix where none of us know what's real. If an inventor lacks empathy and spirituality, perhaps that's not the invention we need. Dystopia stories can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy. We should tell stories that spark the human spirit, connect us to the natural world, and awaken our capacity to love unconditionally."

"What does female leadership look like to women and girls?" she continued. "We don't have to emulate male energy, but rather lead with intellect, compassion, wisdom - and still rock a red lip. Sometimes it's hard to see the frame when you're in the picture. But a renaissance can happen. We each can work to develop empathy within ourselves. Collectively, the paradigm will shift toward peace and harmony. All of us hold in our hearts, the gentle whisper of true love. I am honored to be your president, as we now enter our golden age."

Stay tuned for more updates about AI in Hollywood.

Breakfast this summer is about to get a lot sweeter. Post Consumer Brands just announced the launch of a new addition to their summer cereal lineup, this one inspired by the latest cookie launch from OREO. Rolling out to store shelves now is the new OREO O's Mint Chip cereal. The cereal is set to be available at stores nationwide this summer for a limited time.

According to Post, the new OREO O's Mint Chip is inspired by the new Mint Chip OREO cookies and features chocolatey, crunchy O-shaped bites made with the well-loved OREO cookie taste just with the addition of a cool, mint flavor. The combination also gives cereal fans a bowlful of cookie milk that "tastes so good you'll finish it off with a smile."

The release of the new OREO O's Mint Chip comes on the heels of the return of the fan favorite MEGA STUF OREO O's cereal earlier this year. Post brought back that cereal after a 4-year hiatus for a limited time -- the product is still listed on the Post website so check your local stores. The new OREO O's Mint Chip is also just the latest addition to Post's summer cereal lineup. In May, Post rolled out three new cereal offerings: Fruity Pebbles Waffles Cereal, Summer Fruity Pebbles Cereal, and Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal. These cereals are also available for a limited time.

The Fruity Pebbles Waffles Cereal is described as a delicious mashup of two fan-favorite breakfasts, Fruity Pebbles and Waffle Crisp. The "fruity blasted" waffle pieces have notes of both maple syrup and the iconic Fruity Pebbles flavor. Summer Fruity Pebbles is the latest seasonal take on the beloved classic, this time featuring the iconic flavor just in festive red and blue hued flakes for summer (and, of course, the box is festive with summer fun in Bedrock, too!). As for the Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal, bring dessert to breakfast without the mess of baking. The cereal is described as being made with real chocolate chips and featuring eight delightfully crunchy, chocolatey layers. All three flavors are available now at retailers nationwide.

These new releases are just the latest from Post. Earlier this year, they also released a Spring Fruity Pebbles. That version of the cereal featured flakes inspired by the colors of flowers and spring: springtime pink, green, yellow, and blue. The packaging for Spring Fruity Pebbles also featured fun springtime activities for Pebbles and Fred as well.

Delicious in Dungeon had tons of memorable moments for Marcille, but one cosplay has gone viral for tapping into her most explosive scene in the anime yet! Delicious in Dungeon had challenged Marcille in many ways through its episodes, and one of the toughest came with the Cockatrice, a monster made out of different types of beasts. It was a tough challenge for the party, and Marcille was running out of ideas as to how to deal with it like Laios would. That was until she decided to do it her own way. Celebrating her status as the first female genius in her school, Marcille sets off a massive explosion.

This explosion (with a killer pose to really hammer it home) was Marcille being brave in the face of such a monster, and opened it up enough for an attack from Senshi to take it down. It was Marcille at her most glorious, and now that moment's been brought to life with a real life explosion (as part of that awesome Iwafune Explosion Tour in Japan) as artist @saya_paca on X was really cooking with their Marcille cosplay for this scene. Going viral with fans pretty much immediately, check it out in action below.

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-- ????? (@saya_paca) June 29, 2024

Where to Watch Delicious in Dungeon

Delicious in Dungeon Season 2 has been announced to be in the works following the end of the first season, but it has yet to be revealed when the new episodes will actually release. The first season adapted around half of Ryoko Kui's original manga run, so there is a good chance we will get to see the rest of the story adapted in Season 2 over a half-year run. You can find the physical volumes of the Delicious in Dungeon manga now on shelves as licensed by Yen Press in North America. As for the anime, you can now find the entire first season of the Delicious in Dungeon anime now streaming with Netflix to get ready for the next season.

They tease the anime as such, "Delicious in Dungeon. That is, 'to eat', or 'to be eaten' --- Within the depths of the dungeon, his younger sister was eaten by a Red Dragon - and adventurer Laios barely made it back to the surface with his life. He attempts the dungeon again, but money and food are deep within its bowels... Faced with the critical situation where his sister may be digested at any moment, Laios decides: 'Food shall be self-providing from within the dungeon!' Slimes, basilisks, mimics and even dragons! While eating those that attack you, aim to traverse the dungeons, adventurer!"

For fans of Grey's Anatomy, Eric Dane's departure as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, on the ABC medical drama was a sad one with the beloved character dying at the beginning of Season 9 having sustained injuries in a devastating plane crash during the Season 8 finale. Now, Dane is opening up about the reason for his departure, revealing that he was "let go" because he "wasn't the same guy they had hired".

"I think I was let go," Dane explained, talking about his struggles with addiction at the time, on a recent episode of Dax Shepard's Armchair Podcast (via The Hollywood Reporter). "They didn't let me go because of that, although it definitely didn't help. I was starting to become, as most of these actors who have spent significant time on a show, you start to become very expensive for the network. And the network knows that the show is going to do what it's going to do irrespective of who they keep on it. As long as they have their Grey, they're fine."

He added, "I wasn't the same guy they had hired. So, I had understood when I was let go. And Shonda [Rhimes] was really great. She protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly. She protected us privately ... But I was probably fired. It wasn't ceremoniously like, 'You're fired.' it was just like, 'You're not coming back.'"

Dane has since returned to Grey's Anatomy, albeit briefly. During Season 17, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is in a COVID-induced coma and spends time on a sort of "afterlife" beach where she's visited by various loved ones -- including Sloan. These days, Dane currently stars in HBO's Euphoria where he plays Cal Jacobs, the father of Jacob Elordi's Nate Jacobs. He also played McGrath in Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Euphoria Season 3 Will Have a Time Jump

It was confirmed earlier this year that while Euphoria is coming back for a third season, fans will have a bit of a wait for the series to return and, when it does, there will be a time jump.

"Sam is working on it," CEO of HBO and Max content Casey Bloys said about Season 3 of Euphoria. "There's been a lot of back and forth ... One of the issues I think that Sam is thinking about is that he doesn't want to have it in high school anymore. That's where it was set and what made sense then. So, when you take it out of that, there's a lot of back and forth about where to set it and how far in the future to set it and all that stuff. But I think he's got a take that he's excited about, and he's busy writing."

Grey's Anatomy is Coming Back for Season 21

Earlier this year, Grey's Anatomy was renewed for Season 21 on ABC, continuing the medical drama's run as the longest running primetime medical drama in television history as well as the longest running primetime series in ABC history.

"The loyalty and love of 'Grey's Anatomy' fans has propelled us into a historic 21st season, and I could not be more grateful," series creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes said. "Meg Marinis' storytelling is a gift that continues to keep the show vibrant, compelling and alive, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for next season."

Yesterday, the sad news broke that legendary comedic actor Martin Mull had passed away at age 80. The news of the actor's passing was announced on Instagram by his daughter, Family Guy co-executive producer Maggie Mull. According to the post, Mull died on Thursday, June 27th after "a valiant fight against a long illness." Mull was known for many roles, including playing Mr. Kraft on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Throughout the fan-favorite sitcom, the uppity principal was always getting on Sabrina's (Melissa Joan Hart) nerves, but Mull and Hart seemed to have a nice relationship behind-the-scenes. In fact, Hart took to Instagram yesterday to pay tribute to her former co-star.

"Rest in Peace my friend," Hard wrote. "The incredible #MartinMull (Principal Kraft) has left us for his eternal rest. I have such fond memories of working with him and being in awe of his huge body of work which before #SabrinaTheTeemageWitch included #Roseanne and #MrMom as the projects I knew him from. And after our Sabrina days, his body of work multiplied with guest star and recurring roles on huge shows as well as features and animation."

"He once told me that he takes every job he's offered just in case the train comes to an end, which in this business tends to halt quickly," she continued. "But he was an artist who liked to paint and build things with his hands, a musician and a wonderful man who i am better for knowing. He will be missed but this world has benefited from his being here. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends. I will continue to cherish the Martin Mull art work hanging in my home!" You can view the post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melissa Joan Hart (@melissajoanhart)

In addition to Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Mull was also known for Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Clue, Roseanne, Arrested Development, and much more. He was also a musician and a painter.

"He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials," Maggie Mull wrote on Instagram. "He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and -- the sign of a truly exceptional person -- by many, many dogs. I loved him tremendously."

Our thoughts are with Mull's family and friends at this difficult time.

For sauce lovers, the current food trend environment is a good one with so many different sauces and condiments on store shelves covering everything from the classics like mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard through to aioli's and more. But now Heinz has launched what might be the holy grail of sauces -- but it's only available in the UK. Heinz recently revealed their new Heinz Every Sauce, a new sauce offering that combines almost every one of Heinz's sauces -- 14 in all.

The new Every Sauce includes a blend of the following Heinz Sauces: Burger Sauce, Garlic Sauce, Aioli Sauce, Smokey Baconnaise, Sweet Chilli, Chip Sauce, Saucy Sauce, Mayoracha, Mayomust, Truffle Mayo, Garlic & Caramelized Onion Mayo, Curry Ketchup, Pickle Ketchup and Smokey Bacon Ketchup.

"A delicious combination of not one, not two, but fourteen tasty sauces, from our rich and herby Burger Sauce to our creamy and indulgent Truffle Mayo (it tastes better than it sounds, trust us). This one is for the truly obsauced," said Heinz.

While the Everything Sauce may sound like a sauce fan's dream come true, there are a few catches. First up is that it is only available in the UK so sauce fans in the US and elsewhere are out of luck. But even for those who are UK residents, there is still a catch. There are only 100 bottles of Every Sauce so instead of selling them, Heinz is giving them away. Fans just have to go here and enter to win. The winners will be chosen at random on June 28th.

Of course, sauce fans in the US aren't entirely left out of new sauces. Heinz recently launched two new, limited-edition sauces, Black Garlic Ranch and Harissa Aioli. Black Garlic Ranch is described as a unique and intense experience combining the mellow, deep flavor of black garlic with the smoothness of ranch while Harissa Aioli is described as a smoky roasted red pepper blend with flavorful heat and a North African/Middle Eastern flair. Both are available at Walmart and Target stores nationwide for a limited time. The brand also recently announced a fashion collab with kate spade new york. The collection will feature accessories that take their inspiration from Heinz's iconic ketchup red color and features an assortment of items including totes, pouches, small leather goods, t-shirts, shoes, keychains, phone cases and more. The new collection, which will be available online at katespade.com and at select kate spade new york stores and department stores, will range in price from $45 to $398.

Summer is in full swing which, for many, means it's the perfect time of year for hanging out at the beach. It also makes it the perfect time for the return of a Baskin-Robbins fan favorite flavor even if you can't get to the beach yourself. On Thursday, Baskin-Robbins announced that, due to popular demand, the fan favorite Beach Day ice cream flavor is making a comeback at shops nationwide as the July Flavor of the Month. However, Beach Day is not coming back alone. The Flavor of the Month joined by a new Beach Day Shake and Beach Day Sunday as well as a pre-packed quart to round out the Beach Day Menu. The brand has also partnered with model Hunter McGrady to celebrate the flavor's return.

"With Beach Day fans requesting the return of their favorite ice cream year-round, we wanted to bring the flavor back in a big way," Jerid Grandinetti, Vice President of Marketing and Culinary at Baskin-Robbins said. "In addition to introducing new ways for guests to enjoy Beach Day ice cream, we couldn't be happier to mark the start of summer with a partner who authentically represents the Beach Day Baddie energy, Hunter McGrady."

Beach Day is described as a "tidal wave of flavor" featuring salted vanilla flavored ice cream swimming with milk chocolate-flavored caramel-filled sea turtles, frosting flecks and swirls of graham cracker sand. The Beach Day Shake is described as being "a sip of summer" that features a caramel praline drizzle and graham cracker sand topping. The Beach Day Sundae pairs two scoops of the flavor with caramel praline topping, graham cracker sand and a waffle cone chip. For fans who want to bring the ice cream home to enjoy, pre packed quarts of Beach Day are also available.

Outside of the sweet treats themselves, Baskin-Robbins is also dropping a Beach Day Collection. The exclusive merch celebrating the flavor includes canvas tote bags, tumblers, crewnecks, coolers, pin sets, and more. The merch will be available beginning July 1st at ShopBaskinRobbins.com while supplies last.

Beach Day ice cream and the Beach Day menu line up will be available at Baskin-Robbins locations nationwide beginning July 1st. Customers can also order the Beach Day lineup online or by using the BR App, also beginning July 1st. The flavor and menu will be available for a limited time.

Ghostbusters fans were given an entirely fresh adventure earlier this year with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, an experience that not only honored all the things that fans of the franchise love, but also introduced thrilling new elements into the series, which is exactly why that sequel will be honored at this year's Halloween Horror Nights. Coming to both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, fans will be able to immerse themselves in the world of the franchise in intense new ways, as the haunted houses will honor both the spooky and the silly elements of the sequel that fans loved. Halloween Horror Nights kicks off at Universal Orlando Resort starting August 30th and at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 5th.

Per press release, "The all-new Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire haunted houses at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort bring the latest installment of the global Ghostbusters franchise to life as well as iconic ghosts, creatures, and characters from the beloved classic series in authentic haunted houses that capture the horror and humor for which the films are known. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will transport fans of the film franchise to New York City where the Spengler family teams up with the original Ghostbusters who are now at the helm of a top-secret research lab for their ghost-busting enterprise. With the daunting discovery of an old relic that has set free the vengeful spirit of Garraka, who threatens to freeze everyone to death, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their city and save the world from a second Ice Age."

"As guests venture through the haunted houses, they will find themselves in the sinister world of the supernatural, from Ray's Occult Books shop to the Ghostbusters' new high-tech lab and containment facility to the dank New York City sewer system. Fans will embark on this petrifying journey alongside the Ghostbusters, encountering iconic ghosts who slime and nefarious villains who are out for revenge -- all while trying to escape an army of ghastly creatures bent on cracking bones and turning their veins into rivers of ice. As they navigate their way through freezing and frightening conditions, the Ghostbusters will need their wit and humor to defend the city they love from a terror too chilling to believe.

"Select tickets and special vacation packages for Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights are on sale now, including single-night tickets, Express Passes, the R.I.P Tour, which provides Priority V.I.P. entry to the haunted houses, and the Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour that offers a glimpse into how the scares are brought to life via a daytime, lights-on journey through select haunted house. Tickets for Universal Orlando's first-ever Premium Scream Night on Thursday, August 29th -- an unprecedented, limited-capacity event that gives fans access to everything they love about Halloween Horror Nights before the event officially opens -- are also now available. More information about all Universal Orlando's current Halloween Horror Nights offers and entitlements can be found at www.universalorlando.com/halloween.

"A variety of Halloween Horror Nights ticket options for Universal Studios Hollywood are now available, including General Admission, Universal Express, After 2 p.m. Day/Night, the Early Access Ticket, which provides access to select haunted houses beginning at 5:30 p.m. (subject to change), in advance of the scheduled 7 p.m. event opening time, the premium R.I.P. Tour and popular passes, Frequent Fear Pass and Ultimate Fear Pass, which enable guests to experience the scares again and again.

"For fans interested in digging deeper into the terror at Halloween Horror Nights, check out the Discover Universal Blog, which unearths more details about the two original haunted houses -- 'Monstruos 2: The Nightmare of Latin America' and 'Dead Exposure: Death Valley' -- at Universal Studios Hollywood. New updates will be posted regularly for the events at both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

"Fans can get their Halloween Horror Nights gear now with an all-new merchandise collection available for purchase at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as online at http://shop.universalorlando.com. New items include a t-shirt and hat for the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire haunted house.

"Additional details, including new haunted houses coming to both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, will be revealed soon. For more information and to purchase tickets for Universal Studios Hollywood's event, visit www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com/Halloween. For more information and to purchase tickets for Universal Orlando's event, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com/Halloween."

Halloween Horror Nights kicks off at Universal Orlando Resort on August 30th and at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 5th.

Are you excited for the new haunted house? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Ketchup is getting fashionable this summer. On Wednesday, Heinz announced that they're teaming up with kate spade new york for a new, limited edition accessory collection just in time for summer. The new, one-of-a-kind capsule collection features accessories that take their inspiration from Heinz's iconic ketchup red color and features an assortment of items including totes, pouches, small leather goods, t-shirts, shoes, keychains, phone cases and more.

"With this new line of 'condiment couture,' we're excited to partner with the iconic kate spade new york brand to pay homage to the beloved HEINZ brand," says Megan Lang, Head of Global HEINZ Brand Communications and Creativity. "kate spade new york shares many values with HEINZ - from creating products of the highest quality that are expertly crafted by masters and leave no detail untouched, to exhibiting true devotion to our fans. In return, both brands have incredibly loyal fanbases that transcend generations. At HEINZ, we love to celebrate the unique and unconventional ways our fans show their love for us, and this collection is the perfect opportunity to do so."

The new collection, which will be available online at katespade.com and at select kate spade new york stores and department stores, will range in price from $45 to $398.

"At kate spade new york, we believe in exploring the journey of self-expression through style in fun, unexpected ways," says Jennifer Lyu, SVP and Head of Design at kate spade new york. "It's the thoughtful details that bring this collection with HEINZ to life - from the embellishments on the tee and the way our 3D ketchup bag looks just like that classic red and white packet. The playful designs are perfect for all of summer's special moments, capturing the spirit of the season. I'm excited for customers across generations to experience a little piece of the magic we created with HEINZ."

Heinz Also Recently Launched Two Limited Edition Sauces

Fashion isn't the only thing Heinz is getting into this summer. Earlier this month, the brand launched two new, limited-edition sauces: Black Garlic Ranch and Harissa Aioli. Black Garlic Ranch is described as a unique and intense experience combining the mellow, deep flavor of black garlic with the smoothness of ranch while Harissa Aioli is described as a smoky roasted red pepper blend with flavorful heat and a North African/Middle Eastern flair. Both are available at Walmart and Target stores nationwide for a limited time.

Suicide Squad Isekai will be kicking off the Summer season with a bang, and to celebrate the anime is collaborating with an artist for an official Harley Quinn cosplay! Suicide Squad Isekai will be introducing fans to a whole new take on the classic DC Comics villain group as not only will they be making their anime debut, but they'll also be thrown into a whole new fantasy world you would see in any Isekai anime. It's made this series the most anticipated new anime release of the Summer 2024 anime schedule overall, and now it's finally here!

Suicide Squad Isekai is finally going to premiere around the world on June 27th, and to celebrate they'll be collaborating with Weekly Young Magazine on a special new spread. To help on this matter they have enlisted artist Nashiko Momotsuki on an official cosplay for Harley Quinn. Sporting the imprisoned look for Harley that was revealed in the anime's promotional materials ahead of its launch, check out the special Harley Quinn cosplay for Suicide Squad Isekai below.

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-- DC?? (@dc_jp) June 24, 2024

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-- ????? (@nashiko_cos) June 26, 2024

Suicide Squad Isekai Release Date

Releasing with Max and Hulu in the United States on June 27th with its first three episodes, Suicide Squad Isekai will be running for ten episodes in total through August 15th. Suicide Squad Isekai will feature Eri Osada directing Suicide Squad Isekai for WIT Studio with Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara writing the scripts. A potential English language dub cast has yet to be announced as of this publication, but the Japanese voice cast includes Anna Nagase as Harley Quinn, Yuichiro Umehara as The Joker, Reigo Yamaguchi as Deadshot, Takehito Koyasu as Peacemaker, Jun Fukuyama as Clayface, Subaru Kimura as King Shark, Taku Yashiro as Rick Flag, Kujira as Amanda Waller, Chika Anzai as Katana, Reina Ueda as Fione, Mamiko Noto as Aldora, Jun Fukushima as Cecil, Yoji Ueda as Ratcatcher, Hochu Ohtsuka as Thinker, Shizuka Ito as Enchantress, and Taro Kiuchi as Killer Croc.

Suicide Squad Isekai is teased as such, "Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These DC Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that's connected to this world through a gate. It's a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies-an "ISEKAI!" Harley Quinn and the others go berserk after arriving in the ISEKAI but are captured by the Kingdom's soldiers and sent to prison. They only have 72 hours before the bombs implanted in their necks explode. The clock is ticking.

After negotiations with Queen Aldora, their liberation is contingent upon the conquest of her enemies, the hostile Imperial army. The Squad members have no choice but to throw themselves head-first into the battle's frontline. If they run, they die. If they lose, they die. With their lives on the line, can Harley Quinn and the Suicide Squad survive in the ISEKAI? Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the "Suicide Squad" as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure! Let the party begin!"

The sad news broke today that legendary character actor, Bill Cobbs, has passed away at age 90. Cobbs' publicist, Chick I. Jones, informed The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died of natural causes at his home in Riverside. Cobbs lived quite a life before he moved to New York to become an actor when he was 36. Born in Cleaveland, Ohio, Cobbs served in the U.S. Air Force as a radar technician for eight years, worked at IBM, and sold cars before pursuing his creative career. While trying to make it in New York, he worked multiple jobs, including driving a cab and selling toys until he made his feature film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in 1974.

"Once I realized I could walk on the stage with people like that, I thought, 'Maybe I can be an actor,'" Cobbs shared in 2015. "I came back home to see my mom and dad, and all our friends and neighbors went to see [The Taking of Pelham One Two Three], and everyone was waiting for my appearance," he shared in another interview in 2013. "I walk up to a policeman in the subway and say, 'Hey, man. What's goin' on?'"

Once Cobbs' acting career kicked off, he spent the rest of his life building a massive filmography. At the time of his death, he had 195 onscreen acting credits to his name. His film credits included Greased Lightning (1977), The Hitter (1978), Trading Places (1983), Silkwood (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), The Color of Money (1986), New Jack City (1991), The Hard Way (1991), The People Under the Stairs (1991), The Bodyguard (1992), Demolition Man (1993), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Air Bud (1997), I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), A Mighty Wind (2003), Night at the Museum (2006), The Muppets (2011), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and more.

Cobb's television credits included episodes of Good Times (1976), The Equalizer (1985), One Life To Live (1986), Sesame Street (1985 & 1986), L.A. Law (1988), Designing Women (1990), Coach (1993), Northern Exposure (1994), ER (1996), Walker, Texas Ranger (1997), The Wayans Bros. (1997), The Sopranos (2000), Six Feet Under (2001), The West Wing (2002), NYPD Blue (1996 & 2003), JAG (2001-2003), The Drew Carey Show (2002-2004), Star Trek: Enterprise (2005), One Tree Hill (2008), Greenleaf (2016 & 2017), Agents of SHIELD (2020), and more. He also starred in the short-lived sitcom Homeroom in 1989.

Cobbs also had a history with theatre, joining the Negro Ensemble Company when he lived in New York. He also appeared off-Broadway in Ride a Black Horse in 1971 and then in Black Visions at the Joseph Papp Public Theater. He was also an understudy in Black Picture Show and The First Breeze of Summer on Broadway in 1975.

Our thoughts are will Bill Cobbs' friends and family at this difficult time.

Deadpool & Wolverine is officially one month away from hitting theaters, and there have been some fun promotions for the film ranging from Ryan Reynolds' special Marvel-themed Aviation Gin bottles to an "intentionally crude" popcorn bucket. If there's one thing fans know about Deadpool, it's that he loves chimichangas, so Marvel has teamed up with Jack in the Box for limited edition Mini Chimi Bang Bangs. The special treat is coming to all Jack in the Box stores for a limited time starting next month, but it's not the only thing to look forward to from this collaboration.

You can read Jack in the Box's description of the Mini Chimi Bang Bangs here: "The delicious Mini Chimi Bang Bangs - packing a punch with the flavor with Southwest Chicken - will come in unique, limited edition Deadpool packaging and be available in two variations to satisfy all cravings at an incredible value: Classic ($3.50) - 3pc Southwest Chicken Mini Chimichangas. The classic Mini Chimichangas are also available for order in a $10 Fan Favs Box - and the first 100 customers will also receive a Deadpool x Jack in the Box antenna ball! Sauced & Loaded ($4.50) - 3pc Southwest Chicken Mini Chimichangas with shredded cheddar, cheese sauce, shredded lettuce & taco sauce."

"Mini Chimis Join the Tiny Club: these new indulgent mini snacks join Jack in the Box's beloved menu of small yet mighty foods - Tiny Tacos and Mini Churros - that pack a punch without breaking the bank. The Mini Chimi Bang Bangs will be available at Jack locations nationwide, on Jackinthebox.com and on the Jack app from July 15 to September 15. Jack Pack members can get early access on the Jack app starting July 8!"

More From Jack in the Box and Deadpool:

You can read about the other collaborations happening between Deadpool & Wolverine and Jack in the Box below:

"Fandango x Jack in the Box: Moviegoers who are also Jack Pack members will receive a $5 Fandango credit when they order $20 or more on the Jack app or jackinthebox.com," the press release explains.

"San Diego Comic-Con: During San Diego Comic-Con, one Jack in the Box San Diego location will offer limited-edition Collectible Deadpool and Wolverine Big AL Packs while supplies last.

Limited-Edition Packaging: For a limited time customers can also get the Spicy Chicken Strips (2pc) and Waffle Sticks (3pc) in special Deadpool packaging

Limited-Edition Antenna Balls: The classic Mini Chimichangas are also available for order in a $10 Fan Favs Box - and the first 100 customers will also receive a Deadpool x Jack in the Box antenna ball!"

What Is Deadpool 3 About?

In Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The film also stars Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox, and Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, with the return of Deadpool alums Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Rob Delaney as Peter, and Lewis Tan as Shatterstar. Aaron Stanford is returning as Pyro from the X-Men film series, with Jennifer Garner rumored to return as Elektra Natchios.

Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D'Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy.

Deadpool & Wolverine will be released exclusively in theaters on July 26th.

There are few flavors that evoke the feeling of summer quite like marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker all coming together to make s'mores, with Dunkin' tapping into this beloved blend to help ring in their summer lineup. In addition to embracing these flavors for drinks and a signature donut, they are also embracing the tropical sensation of the season with their SPARKD' Energy Drink. While many Dunkin' fans might be attempting to spend the summer beating the heat, Dunkin' is also finding new ways to embrace that spicy kick with new menu items that incorporate hot honey. Check out all of the new items coming to Dunkin' this summer below.

"As summer heats up, we're excited to introduce these innovative flavors to our guests," Beth Turenne, Vice President of Category Management at Dunkin', shared in a statement. "Whether you're cooling down with S'mores Cold Brew, turning up the heat with our Hot Honey Breakfast Sandwich, or fueling up with a $3 Tornado Twist SPARKD' Energy, we're delivering the beloved tastes of summer that our customers crave."

Per press release, "As the temperature rises, Dunkin' stokes the fires of flavor with an exciting array of new menu offerings that capture the essence of summer. Starting today, Dunkin' invites guests to enjoy summer with the revitalizing Tornado Twist SPARKD' Energy Drink -- $3 in the Dunkin' mobile app starting July 1st -- as well as nostalgic s'mores-inspired treats, including S'mores Cold Brew, Bonfire S'mores Frozen Coffee, and S'mores Donut. Also, there's a sizzling new lineup in partnership with Mike's Hot Honey, featuring the Hot Honey Bacon Sandwich and more, available nationwide for a limited time. These additions join the obsession-worthy standouts from last month, including the Kiwi Watermelon Dunkin' Refresher and Green Goddess Wrap."

"Dunkin' guests can gather 'round the campfire as s'mores flavors arrive this summer. The new Bonfire S'mores Frozen Coffee offers a smooth and creamy blend of s'mores and vanilla flavors, topped with whipped cream, mocha drizzle, and graham crumbles. For those who prefer a bold sip, the S'mores Cold Brew combines Dunkin's ultra-smooth Cold Brew with s'mores flavors. It's finished with a new creamy vanilla-flavored Marshmallow Cold Foam and graham crumble topping -- a true campfire delight in every sip. Also joining this lineup is the return of the crowd-favorite S'mores Donut, featuring marshmallow-flavored filling and topped with chocolate icing and graham crumble -- a perfect match for the s'mores-inspired beverages.

"This summer, Dunkin' kicks it up a notch with Mike's Hot Honey, combining two beloved brands for a match made in flavor heaven. Perfect for breakfast or satisfying hunger throughout the day, the Hot Honey Bacon Sandwich features hot honey bacon, egg, and melted white cheddar cheese on a buttery brioche bun, drizzled with Mike's Hot Honey for an unforgettable sweet and spicy experience. Also debuting are the Hot Honey Bacon Wake-Up Wrap and Hot Honey Snackin' Bacon, marking Dunkin's first new seasoned bacon flavor since 2019.

"In tune with stormy summer blockbusters, Dunkin' debuted the Tornado Twist SPARKD' Energy drink, a thrilling taste that's worth chasing. This new way to enjoy SPARKD' Energy blends Berry Burst with Peach Sunshine flavors, delivering a refreshing burst of raspberry, strawberry, peach, and lychee flavors for a kick of caffeine and vitamins. Country music fans may have caught a glimpse of the new Tornado Twist in the recent music video, 'Ain't No Love in Oklahoma' (From Twisters: The Album), performed by Luke Combs. Starting July 1st, to stay fueled for summer adventures, guests can enjoy the new SPARKD' Energy drink, or the original flavors, for $3 for a medium size exclusively in the Dunkin' app throughout July!"

Every Tuesday this summer, Dunkin' Rewards members can dive into the below weekly deal drops exclusively in the Dunkin' app --each one sweeter than the last:

• June 25th - July 1st: Grab a $5 Medium Hot/Iced Coffee + Classic Breakfast Sandwich when ordered ahead on the app
• July 2nd - July 8th: Enjoy a $3 Hot Honey Bacon Sandwich
• July 9th - July 15th: Cool off with a $3 Medium Frozen Coffee
• July 16th - July 22nd: Savor a $2 Classic Avocado Toast
• July 23rd - July 29th: Satisfy hunger with a $3 Dunkin' Wrap
• July 30th - August 5th: Double the delight with 2 for $5 Medium Cold Brews

Guests who are not yet Dunkin' Rewards members can easily join by creating a free account on the Dunkin' app or visiting dunkinrewards.com. Starting July 1st, new members will receive one free medium beverage with a purchase every day for two weeks.

Which items are you most excited to check out? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Megan Thee Stallion debuted a new cosplay inspired by Hatsune Miku in a special new music video for Amazon Prime! It's going to be quite the Summer for the award winning musician and artist as not only is she in the midst of a major tour, but is also preparing to drop her next major album. Anime fans especially have loved to see her success thus far as not only has she openly shown her love for the many anime she keeps track of (even teasing an anime sample for cede new album), but also goes the extra mile to showcase each of her favorites through her art or looks.

Megan Thee Stallion has shown off all kinds of cosplay makeovers over the last few years for the likes of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen and more, and now she's taken on another famous pop star. Vocaloid Hatsune Miku is one of the biggest musical acts in the world, and now the two have fused into what's likely going to be an even bigger act through some awesome cosplay. You can check out Megan Thee Stallion's Hatsune Miku look below.

Good morning to all thee hottiesss ? Have you seen my new @amazon commercial ? @amazonmusic pic.twitter.com/YhGXZe4pRT

-- TINA SNOW (@theestallion) June 25, 2024

Who Is Hatsune Miku?

First developed by Crypton Future Media back 2007, Hatsune Miku is a special mascot for the company that uses Vocaloid technology to synthesize a singing voice. The mascot has been such a hit with fans that Miku has essentially exploded in worldwide popularity. There have been all sorts of collaborations (with most recently seeing the virtual idol get a real set of Magic: The Gathering trading cards), and the real world concerts have sold out across Japan when they go down.

Miku's been such an icon that people have even married the character in the past. It's such a level of popularity for the character that she's become a pop icon in her own right, and will likely to continue to do so in the future despite how many years pass. There are no signs of Miku slowing down any time soon (with the virtual idol even performing at Coachella), and it's the same for Megan Thee Stallion as her star continues to rise with each new single or album she drops.

It's clear that both acts are only going to get bigger from here on out, but maybe there's a proper collaboration between them in the future as they could cross paths in a more official way.

Disney Parks is putting Genie+ back in the lamp. On Tuesday, Disney's theme parks division announced that changes to its Genie+ service -- the app-based virtual attraction reservation system that replaced FastPass+ in 2021 -- will go into effect at Walt Disney World on July 24th. Disney Genie+ will become the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and individual Lightning Lane will become Lightning Lane Single Pass.

"Lightning Lane passes will blend features from our current services and the previously offered FastPass+ service, giving guests the choice to plan ahead and removing the hassle of planning during their vacation," Disney World announced. One such feature of the old FastPass+ that will be returning is the ability to make advance Lightning Lane selections before arriving at the theme parks.

With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, guests will be able to make up to three advance Lightning Lane selections in a theme park. The just-renamed Single Pass remains the "? la carte" option to reserve a Lightning Lane entry arrival window with an expedited wait time for up to two selections per day, but will now be offered in advance so that park-goers can "secure some of their must-do rides and experiences" like EPCOT's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Magic Kingdom's TRON Lightcycle/Run, according to Disney.

The Genie+ Lightning Lane service could be purchased in advance, but day-of Genie+ sales had limited availability (depending on daily demand) and required the user to enter a theme park before making their first reservation for the day. However, under the new system, guests staying at any Disney Resort hotel or other select hotels will able to plan Lightning Lane passes up to seven days in advance, for multiple days (up to 14 days); all other guests can plan up to three days in advance.

Disney also said that the My Disney Experience app will be updated to "make it quicker and easier to purchase and plan, with fewer steps and a new option to purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass in one transaction." The optional add-ons can be purchased together or separately on the free app, which will continue the complimentary features of the Disney Genie service. That includes planning features, the "My Day" personalized itinerary creator to map out and plan your visit, tailored attraction and dining recommendations, mobile ordering, and access to estimated wait times.

The app is also where guests can request to join a virtual queue for select attractions that replace a traditional standby queue with a virtual line. This includes Disney World's new Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride, which will have a virtual queue in place when it opens June 28th at the Orlando-based resort.

Every Halloween, horror fans head to Six Flags locations to not only get their blood pumping with a number of thrilling rides, but also to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of All Hallows Eve. In previous years, fans have been delighted to see a variety of iconic elements from the spooky season, though this year will see things being taken to an entirely new level, as this year's attractions will include opportunities to be immersed in properties like Stranger Things, Trick 'r Treat, The Conjuring, and DCeased. Fright Fest Extreme will kick off on September 7th at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, while a mix of the announced haunted houses will be appearing at Six Flags locations across the country.

"For over 30 years, Fright Fest has been haunting the thrills-and-chills season like no other, and this year we are turning things upside down with a huge array of amazing horror franchises," Edithann Ramey, "Chief Fright Officer" of Six Flags, shared in a statement. "We take pride in offering the best experiences and are committed to innovating our parks each and every year to provide the most frightful memories for our guests. Our themed-haunted experiences, scare zones, and harrowing creatures lurking around every corner are sure to deliver extreme frights and unexpected surprises."

"We are excited to elevate and expand our relationship with Six Flags for another season of Fright Fest. As their exclusive partner for spine-chilling moments, RWS Global will leverage our unique expertise in delivering premium, best-in-class spooky Halloween experiences for guests at Six Flags parks across the country," Ryan Stana, Chairman & CEO, RWS Global, added.

Per press release, "Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the world's largest regional theme park company and largest operator of water parks in North America, unveils Fright Fest Extreme -- presented by SNICKERS, featuring an expansive lineup of terrifying horror franchises ahead of the brand's highly anticipated annual event. Beginning September 7th, thrill-seekers and horror enthusiasts are invited to immerse themselves in the pulse-pounding excitement and terror that only Fright Fest can deliver with Six Flags' largest investment and expansion yet."

"This year, Fright Fest returns with a vengeance and goes EXTREME. Visitors to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles will step into a world where nightmarish creatures inspired by legendary horror brands come to life with Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures' SAW franchise, Netflix's Stranger Things and Army of the Dead, Warner Bros. Discovery's The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Nun, and Legendary Entertainment's Trick 'r Treat. Guests at Six Flags Great Adventure will also be treated to a new experience from Netflix and Legendary Entertainment's Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) while visitors to Six Flags Mexico will have access to a special exclusive maze based on Dceased, the bestselling comic series from DC Comics."

The announced attractions are as follows:

• The SAW Franchise - Celebrate the 20th anniversary of SAW with an all-new experience honoring the franchise's legacy of terror by plunging guests into the depths of Jigsaw's twisted mind. Guests will endure torturous trials and come face to face with some of John Kramer's most diabolical contraptions before time runs out.
• The Conjuring Universe - Strap in for a tour of the Warrens' most hair-raising and gruesome cases including those that inspired The Conjuring, Annabelle, and The Nun. In each realm, encounters with cursed artifacts make you the target of the conjuring.
• Stranger Things - Guests will be able to step into the popular Netflix series through this new immersive maze...stay tuned for more details.
• Army of the Dead - The City of Las Vegas is under lockdown following a recent viral outbreak and survivors must look for an escape while battling the undead.
• Trick 'r Treat - Enter a dark and twisted candy trail nightmare on a jack-o-lantern-lit path of supernatural encounters which tap into your deepest fears. With Sam, the infamous Spirit of Halloween, as your guide, learn the rules of the spooky holiday before entering a world where tricks dominate treats.
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)- Guests are "cast" as visitors to Harlow on the heels of the influencers set on revitalizing the town -- but their arrival leads to a stunning and deadly secret being revealed.
• DCeased - Based on the #1 best-selling comic series, fans enter through the Hall of Justice to find that the DC Universe has succumbed to Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation! See the Justice League like never before, as they fight to save the Earth or end it themselves. Will you be one of the few to survive these new scares of the DC Universe?
  

You can head to the official Six Flags website for more details.

Are you looking forward to this year's event? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!