The Mission: Impossible franchise is known for its ambitious stunts, and Tom Cruise has done a hell of a job over the last 30 years performing them. Simon Pegg has been lucky enough to be along for the ride, as he’s been playing technician Benji Dunn alongside Cruise’s Ethan Hunt for years now. Pegg has seen Cruise ride a motorcycle off of a cliff for Dead Reckoning and watched him scale the Burj Khalifa for Ghost Protocol. However, that tradition changed a bit for The Final Reckoning, much to Pegg’s delight.
Simon Pegg recently spoke to THR, opening up about his 20-year friendship with Cruise, as well as his enduring participation in the Mission: Impossible films. To some fans, it may seem cool that Pegg has been able witness many of the terrifying stunts Cruise has participated in over the years. But, for The Final Reckoning, the absolutely insane stunts were kept away from Pegg, which actually was probably for the best. He explained:
Thankfully, yes. It has always been a terrifying thing for me to be there, and I’ve been there for all the big stunts over the years. Weirdly, even if we had been able to be there when he was doing these stunts, we wouldn’t have been able to go up into the sky on the biplanes with him. Nor would we have been able to go underwater and see what he was doing. We saw the gimbal for the Sevastopol, which was the most incredible piece of film technology I’ve ever seen in my life.
underwater sequence in a sunken submarine and an aerial biplane sequence where Cruise climbs from one plane to another mid-air. Because these were essentially solo ventures for Cruise, the rest of the cast were kept at bay and unable to witness the heart-pounding, death defying stunt work for this particular film. However, to me, it’s pretty cool that everyone could still see the cinematic technology used for the submarine sequence, as the piece is truly remarkable and signifies an incredible piece of filmmaking.
he saw Cruise get nervous before strapping himself to the exterior of a commercial plane in Rogue Nation. While most of the time Cruise may seem calm, cool and collected, that doesn’t keep the stunts from being inherently scary for everyone else on set. Pegg told the trade:
But there was no nail biting and terror like there sometimes is on set when Tom is jumping off something or hanging onto something or generally putting his life at risk in the name of cinema.
Despite this anxiety, Pegg still found himself returning year after year for another Mission: Impossible adventure. I guess watching Cruise consistently risk his life comes with the territory when you sign up to be an integral character in the M:I films. Still, it’s good to know Pegg received a little bit of a reprieve for this (possibly?) final installment. Even if it was often hard for the Sean of the Dead alum to watch the spectacle up close, I think I speak for a lot of fans when I say the end results look fantastic on the big screen.
You can see Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and their co-stars in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is still playing in theaters nationwide. It’s a cinematic adventure of epic proportions, so make sure to check it out on the big screen while you still can. Fans can also revisit previous M:I films now, as the franchise is currently streamable with a Paramount+ subscription.
Much was said about Todd Chrisley’s prison stint after he and his wife, Julie, were convicted for bank fraud, tax evasion and more. Todd reported to Federal Prison Camp in Florida back in early 2023 and, subsequently, claims about his experiences began to surface. It was eventually reported that Chrisley landed a position within the penitentiary’s chapel, but it was said that he’d been fired. Now that he’s no longer behind bars, thanks to a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump, Todd is providing clarity regarding his former position.
Throughout Todd Chrisley’s incarceration, his legal team asserted that he was leaning on his religious faith while serving time, and that was apparently a big reason why he wanted to work in the chapel. During an interview on the Unlocked podcast, Todd – who was interviewed by daughter Savannah alongside Julie, talked about his time in prison. Todd asserted that while locked up, he did not give the prison any “labor,” leading Savannah to mention his work in the chapel, and her father answered flippantly:
I prayed for their demise. That’s the only work I did.
YouTube), Chrisley called out the person for making that allegation:
Today, at the time, that he was “disappointed and emotionally offended” by his removal. Chrisley, through his legal representation, claimed he’d been fired “without cause,” and FPC didn’t immediately respond to inquiries about the reason for his dismissal. At this point, at the very least, it seems that Chrisley does want the public to know that he did indeed serve out his duties as necessary.
In addition to discussing his duties in the chapel, the 56-year-old real estate mogul hasn’t minced words when it comes to the conditions he faced while incarcerated. During the fall of 2023, Todd Chrisley spoke out about prison for the first time since reporting to the facility. Chrisley called FPC “disgustingly filthy” and criticized the quality of food that he and other inmates had access to. Chrisley also claimed that he was being photographed while he slept in his cell by individuals who allegedly tried to extort his family for his “protection.”
Both Todd and Julie Chrisley have discussed what they perceive to be positive aspects of their prison experiences, specifically the friends they made. The couple were apparently “welcomed with open arms” to prison. Still, Todd admitted to having been relieved when he learned about his pardon. While the pair’s comments indicate that aspects of their stints were difficult, friends, Todd’s chapel position and other elements added to their prison experiences in positive ways.
The horror genre is thriving right now, with its current renaissance thrilling fans like me. Some of the best horror movies have returned with new sequels, including the upcoming horror movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. While Brandy seemingly isn’t reprising her role as Julie’s’ roommate Karla, the singer/actress got real about how difficult it was to film the original 1998 sequel.
Brandy has been keeping busy lately, thanks to her thriving music career in acting gigs like Descendants: The Rise of Red (streaming with a Disney+ subscription). While I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is canon for the next slasher, Brandy isn’t expected to appear. In a chat with Monica for ET, the “Have You Ever?” singer got real about what it was like filming that ’90s slasher. In her words:
I didn’t have the experience with I Know What You Did Last Summer, because of the weather and all of that. It was very taxing.
Brandy confirmed she was in talks to return for the next IKWYDLS movie, it doesn’t look like they worked out. And I have to assume it would be much more comfortable fliming that sequel, as it was shot in Australia and Los Angeles. In her same conversation with Monica, Brandy spoke more about what it was like back in the ’90s, offering:
[We were] outside. We were in a space where it was just bugs and this and that. I’m like, ‘We could’ve filmed this somewhere else.’
Can you blame her? While I Still Know What You Did Last Summer looked authentic, the cast and crew suffered through weather and bugs. And since the “Sittin’ Up in My Room” singer was relatively new to movie sets at this point.
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer’s ending saw Karla survive The Fisherman’s harrowing attack, which is why fans like me were hoping to see Brandy reprise that role. The singer/actress revealed that not being killed off was in her contract at the time, saying:
That was in the contract. You know, Black people don’t last in horror films. I had to put that in the contract.
The history of Black people surviving horror movies is a checkered one, and there’s long been a trope of actors of color being brutally killed off. Brandy knew this, and was careful that Karla survived her harrowing affair. But her boyfriend Tyrell (played by Mekhi Pfifer) wasn’t quite as lucky.
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The new I Know What You Did Last Summer will hit theaters on July 18th as part of the 2025 movie release list. Hopefully the movie does well, and Brandy gets to come back in a future installment.
From what we know about Fantastic Four: First Steps, the plan is to stand out due to its fantastic new cast and being set in a ‘60s retro-future, but also for its emphasis on family. After all, a quartet can’t fight evil together without a strong bond. One of its leading stars, Pedro Pascal, delightfully explains about being “around such talented fuckers” and what makes his co-stars so great.
While previous Fantastic Four movies have shown the team of scientists on the path of coming together as a family, the upcoming Marvel movie will take place four years after they gained their powers and have already bonded as a family. While discussing his experience on set of the Marvel reboot, Pedro Pascal delightfully explained to Vanity Fair how much he looked up to the “talented fuckers” he worked with, along with some hilarious envy on the side:
I pride myself on being, I don’t know, the funny guy on set. And I have to tell you, if there was a competition of who’s funniest, who is smartest and who is the most talented, I’m number four, and I’m not even being modest here. I have never been around — how dare they! I’ve never been around such talented fuckers in my life.
No. 1 challenge Fantastic Four: First Steps faced was casting. Director Matt Shakman wanted to ensure the chemistry was a four-way among everyone, and for each star to portray the best of each Marvel hero. It’s clear that Pedro Pascal was finding a family among everyone during filming, continuing to talk about his favorite qualities in each co-star:
Joe is astonishing to me. Ebon is one of the funniest [guys]. Ebon, to me, is a writer in the way that his mind work and the zingers that just come out in conversation. And Vanessa Kirby is a force of nature, and she was a leader for me in terms of getting me into material like this and making it and elevating it and making [Sue and Reed’s] relationship as real as it possibly could be.
There’s no surprise there that Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Vanessa Kirby would be a blast to work with. I’m sure they all know how to bring fun and love into the set.
You can tell that the Marvel co-stars have a strong friendship outside of filming. Examples include when Vanessa Kirby and Pedro Pascal supportively held hands at Comic-Con and when the cast supported Ebon Moss-Bachrach before his Emmy win. As they all plan to reunite for Avengers: Doomsday, I have a feeling the bond between everyone will continue to grow with each Marvel movie they do.
I’m really loving what Pedro Pascal said about Sue and Reed’s relationship. In First Steps, the two will be introduced as a married couple with a super intriguing aspect— they’re going to be parents! I’m curious if their new baby will eventually gain powers of their own to contribute to the superhero team. It raises the stakes of what it means to protect the future when your child will be a part of it.
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Pedro Pascal delightfully sending praises towards his Fantastic Four co-stars was incredibly heartwarming for him to do. A powerful bond with your cast is the perfect fuel for everyone to bring out their best performance and wow an audience. I can’t wait to see the familial chemistry the cast will have when the 2025 movie release of Fantastic Four: First Steps makes its way into theaters on July 25th.
While I’m a staunch defender of Jim Carrey’s 2000 remake of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, I’m still nervous about returning to its spiritual successor – Mike Myers’ The Cat in the Hat. I know we’re currently running through the 2025 movie schedule, but learning about another crack at the bat with Dr. Seuss’ classic book was enough to make me worry.
At least, that was until today – the day that the new Bill Hader-starring reboot dropped its first trailer. Now that I’ve watched it myself, out of what started as morbid curiosity, I’m surprised to say I’m now very hopeful about what could be on the horizon. Better still, I think even jaded adults will be getting some serious laughs out of this.
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
The New Cat In The Hat Is Visually Stunning
moments that suggest maybe The Cat in the Hat is “good, actually,” they weren’t indicative of The Cat I grew up with.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Kung Fu Panda 3, and Rivinoja’s work on South Park and Trolls.
Visually, that melting pot tracks; though when it comes to the humor, that subject is also a very promising prospect to discuss.
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
I’m Sensing A Strong Looney Tunes Influence In The Cat In The Hat’s Humor
I think the scene that best won me over to The Cat in the Hat’s side is the one where The Cat is about to do what he does best: ignore the rules. Pulling from the well of pure Looney Tunes insanity, we get a beautifully brief moment that mixes the innocence mentioned above with pure lunacy. It’s an old gag, but it’s playful and it works.
That same mindset is also rewarded when you realize that The Cat works at The Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC. Once again, we’ve got a modern skewing joke mixed with classic absurdity. Which leads to a rather interesting confrontation via a co-worker voiced by SNL star Bowen Yang.
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Playing a more serious green character, Yang warns this feline funster not to open a box that literally says “Do Not Open.” Cue a short gag, where several other warning signs are ignored, and we’re left to gleefully wonder what’s going to leap out. While I can’t make any educated guesses, I’ll let a moment from one of the best Bill Hader TV appearences guess for me!
Perhaps whatever, or whomever, is in the box will reveal the true nature of The Cat in the Hat’s Matt Berry performance. If that’s the case, then this scene just might be my favorite from this upcoming picture. Of course it’s way too early to tell, but the point is that this teaser has actually gotten me invested in seeing how Bill Hader and company reinvent the mascot of Dr. Seuss’ legacy.
With that, I must remind you all that The Cat in the Hat will once again leap from our imaginations and onto the big screen, on February 27th, 2026. So let’s not get too hyped up, as there’s bound to be plenty more tricks in that titular hat. Although you can check out what other 2026 movies we should be paying attention to. Maybe there’s more of this sort of magic awaiting in the next year, and we wouldn’t want to miss out, would we?
