Paul Schrodt

What'll happen when the new batch of episodes drops? Here's everything we know about Ballers Season 5.

<h1> When does Ballers Season 5 start? </h1>

The last season just finished with episode nine on October 7. Season five is <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/ballers/s05/" id="fb638e4a-c8cd-34d7-af92-0549b2f59fe2"> expected in 2019 </a> . In all likelihood, it'll start airing in the summer, like past seasons, but theres no guaranteed premiere date as of now.

Johnson is a busy, busy, busy man. In 2018, he was the <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a22219355/the-rock-dwayne-johnson-net-worth/" id="e69338e7-8cb3-3680-a828-f3bae80f26e8"> highest-paid actor </a> in the history of Forbes' Celebrity 100 list, and he already has <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0425005/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" id="f2ae98f2-fe0d-3ae9-a722-81b8691cbb27"> three movies </a> scheduled for 2019.

But The Rock took time from his busy schedule in June to post on Instagram that he had <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27721997/ballers-season-5-the-rock-instagram/" id="d6999b05-ef23-3aac-a2be-60018b052738"> returned to working on </a> <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27721997/ballers-season-5-the-rock-instagram/" id="e139c3df-af91-38b3-a84e-6d11c52f7ffa"> Ballers </a> after wrapping production for Disney's upcoming Jungle Cruise.

"This series has been a helluva learning curve to produce and star in - but what will always matter most is you guys making us HBO's #1 highest rated 30min show for years now," Johnson wrote.

In the post, Johnson also outlined the similarities between the character of Spencer and himself, realizing that they're "exactly one in the same."

"We look you directly in the eyes when we shake your hand. If we give our word to get something done - it gets done," Johnson wrote. "If you cross us, we rip your jugular out. And there's no problem that tequila (and maybe a few pills) can't help fix "

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByOYY3iljoV/" id="aa814f95-f78e-395f-adb6-03fb34314a56"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByOYY3iljoV/" id="2d4ee880-5fcc-353f-aac0-35f65e90329d"> Just wrapped JUNGLE CRUISE, for DISNEY and had to shift major gears and to start filming season 5 of BALLERS for HBO. This series has been a helluva learning curve to produce and star in - but what will always matter most is you guys making us HBOs #1 highest rated 30min show for years now. THANK YOU for rockin with us. I loved every minute of playing this character, Spencer Strasmore because were exactly one in the same. We look you directly in the eyes when we shake your hand. If we give our word to get something done - it gets done. If you cross us, we rip your jugular out. And theres no problem that tequila (and maybe a few pills) cant help fix #ballers #season5 #hbo #RoyceDa65 </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/therock/" id="203ba761-5c90-3d9b-aca5-f5564a248fa0"> therock </a> (@therock) on Jun 2, 2019 at 3:48pm PDT

In a separate post, The Rock shared a snippet of a heartfelt on-set goodbye speech to co-star John David Washington, whom he called "the highest quality human being."

"Usually this is reserved for our first AD to do something like this, but considering our past, considering our history, considering where we've come from, I wanted to be the one to do this and send this person home with a special goodbye," The Rock said in the IGTV post.

"When I think about our growth not only as actors, but as brothers, this guy for sure will make us all proud and bring an Oscar home one day."

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/ByQAaV7lW7s/" id="69d2283e-4715-3ce6-a84b-8cf357a8177a"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/ByQAaV7lW7s/" id="1d9ba942-1d1b-3de4-a41c-4729cdc2bdd4"> A post shared by therock (@therock) </a> on Jun 3, 2019 at 7:06am PDT

Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' &quot;Rampage&quot; - Red Carpet

<h1> Who's in the Ballers Season 5 cast? </h1>

Johnson will return as Spencer, of course, the former football star who now helps athletes cash in on their dreams as part of Anderson Financial Management. His right-hand man Joe (a delightfully scenery-chewing <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a22590906/rob-corddry-ballers-best-dad/" id="88d052da-9084-36ef-add9-91efa90b460a"> Rob Corddry </a> ) should also be back. Washington-Denzels son-will be coming off his major success leading this years Spike Lee movie BlacKkKlansman, and returning to his role as Ricky, a top-rated NFL athlete.

Fans can also look for more from main characters including Charles (Omar Miller), Vernon (Donovan W. Carter), and Reggie (London Brown). Probably no more Russell Brand though-his Lance was left in the dust.

HBO Ballers Season 2 Red Carpet Premiere and Reception in Miami

<h1> What's going to happen in the next season of Ballers? </h1>

The end of season four saw Spencer having an emotional moment at his brothers grave and facing a legal struggle with the NCAA. He sued the NCAA, and publicly blamed the organization for his brothers suicide. The PR fiasco led to Quincy (Eli Goree), whos under Spencers guidance, being eligible again to play for USC. So Spencer was able to do some good, but its not yet clear if his lawsuit is still in play and how he will (or wont) resolve his issues with the NCAA. Will he take the association to court, demanding pay for student-athletes, and get revenge for his brother? He did say f**k the NCAA to his dead brother so... possibly.

Joe scored a victory of his own by sealing a deal with Nike for skateboarders he represents. Hell no doubt continue trying to elevate the extreme sports agency SportsX that Anderson Financial acquired.

Meanwhile, Ricky is now on the West Coast and getting in shape since he ended his retirement, but also dealing with quite a bit of emotional and physical baggage. The season-four finale revealed that hes been using steroids. He comes clean to Joe, who says hell be cut from the team if he tests positive after the fifth game. So Rickys return to NFL glory is looking shaky, to say the least.

<h1> What are fans saying about Ballers Season 5? </h1>

HBO is keeping mum on plot for season five, but that hasnt stopped fans on Reddit. With his gambit taking on the NCAA, Spencer has stirred up drama-but also potentially brought in a lot of new clients. Viewers seem to think Ballers will take an even more head-on approach to college athletics in season five.

It seems pretty obvious that Spencer figured out a way to get everything he wanted, one <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Ballers/comments/9mbn3m/can_someone_explain_episode_9_to_me/" id="32873139-5de4-3b2d-a660-9d6ea931e383"> Reddit user </a> said of the season four finale. And moving forwards, if he's able to get college kids paid, he's the face of the movement and will be every major player's first choice to manage their money. This is good for writing in the show too because you get to bring in college football. I was honestly kinda giving up on the show, and now I'm pretty excited for the next season.

The fifth season is a do-or-die moment for many shows, so heres hoping Ballers know how to keep on thriving.

Ballers is going to keep on balling. Dwayne The Rock Johnsons HBO series has <a href="https://tvline.com/2018/09/06/insecure-renewed-season-4-hbo-ballers-season-5/" id="ddaecdde-7b06-3dc7-af00-82d5547aefea"> been greenlit </a> for a fifth season. Season four of the dramedy just wrapped up in October, with sports financial manager Spencer Strasmore (Johnson) facing a showdown with the NCAA.

When Is Ballers Coming Back? Here's Everything to Know About Season 5.

Suddenly, he has many reasons to do just that. While his time as a professional football player was short-lived and sometimes derided, and no one really expected to hear from him much again, he turned a post-NFL analyst gig on ESPN into surprisingly robust entertainment stardom-though that shouldnt really surprise anyone, given that hes naturally charming on camera. And hes any time soon. Hes hosting <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g26623340/million-dollar-mile-defenders-cast/" id="32c94876-f2df-3df9-a0b2-05928c05b1ce"> CBS splashy new athletic competition reality show </a> <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g26623340/million-dollar-mile-defenders-cast/" id="55984a35-69be-3cc1-ac1f-d7e0a2cbc9da"> Million Dollar Mile </a> (premiering Wednesday), produced by LeBron James through Springhill Entertainment, the NBA stars production company with Maverick Carter.

I got to know LeBron when I was a Bronco and he was supportive of me there, Tebow told Mens Health ahead of the shows premiere of the connection.

True to its name, Million Dollar Mile looks expensive and, to be fair, kind of ridiculous. With a seven-figure prize on the line, contestants run a mile through a neon-streaked obstacle course while being chased by elite athletes who attempt to dash their dreams of winning the jackpot. The obstacles include scaling a 15-story building, and the set (shot on blocked-off streets of Los Angeles entirely at night) more than faintly resembles Arnold Schwarzeneggers objectively awesome 1987 satirical sci-fi thriller .

Its crazy! Tebow says of his new enterprise in his high-pitched, raspy, Im-so-pumped lilt. The biggest fear I had was losing my voice because thats how much I was yelling and getting hyped for the competitors. Without giving anything away, there were so many amazing finishes. Its life-changing for some people to win. (And yes, because you dont get Tebow to host your reality show without throwing him in the fire, he confirms that you can expect to see him zip-lining down a 15-story building in one episode.)

The 31-year-old hasnt given up sports for his talking-head badge, however. After being traded from the Broncos to the Jets, released, and then released again from both the Patriots and the Eagles, he pursued a baseball career starting in 2016. And it turns out hes pretty damn good, delivering solid results for the New York Mets organization in the minor leagues. He recently just missed his chance at moving to its major-league team, instead getting reassigned to the Syracuse Mets. But the <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a25023239/tim-tebow-will-never-go-away/" id="796fbf69-8751-3085-a046-8c6ebfe3f8e9"> unapologetic Christian, who might just be the most positive person in pro sports </a> , is still on his passion for the game and moving up.

I think itll be a great opportunity. Its one step away from the show, he says of the goal. Im improving every day.

Tebow also has a few choice words of wisdom for anyone who admires how hes been able to make his circuitous journey to bonafide celebrity while still flexing his athletic skills, despite his past struggles. Regret, to no ones surprise, isnt part of the equation.

I would say risk failing, he offers, getting more animated than usual. Failing is not the worst thing. If you talk to a lot of great athletes, they failed over and over and over again, but thats why they succeed because they keep going, they keep trying, they keep giving all they have. Were so afraid of failure and so we dont even try. Youll never make the shot you dont shoot. Not that youre gonna make it or be in the Hall of Fame, but if you give everything you have, the regret you have will be so much less than the regret you would have if you never tired.

Tim Tebow sounds almost impossibly zen as says hes enjoying the journey of his career. The former NFL quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, and frequent media punching bag isnt just engaging in the typical PR-speak: He is a man audibly convinced that it is always better to look forward, rather than back.

Tim Tebow on His New Show, Million Dollar Mile, and How to Conquer Failure

"40 is just a number, but it looks damn good on you," Behati Prinsloo, a Victoria's Secret model, wrote alongside a photo of the couple getting hot and heavy on the beach. "I wake up every morning more in love with you....happy birthday to my WHOLE LIFE. Youre so cool youre so cool youre so cool."

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvUXzdxnbGz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="d5717b7d-7eb9-3938-adfa-34a102c28692"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvUXzdxnbGz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="033775ed-ab7c-3774-a095-22ecfaa800dd"> 40 is just a number, but it looks damn good on you . I wake up every morning more in love with you....happy birthday to my WHOLE LIFE. Youre so cool youre so cool youre so cool @adamlevine </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/behatiprinsloo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="e35698d1-3652-35c5-a8a9-73cc52ea5fc2"> Behati Prinsloo Levine </a> (@behatiprinsloo) on Mar 22, 2019 at 10:04am PDT

Even among the many, many tattoos that Levine sports, one sticks out in the photo with Prinsloo: the image of another woman on his back. The large tattoo right in the center of his chest depicts a mermaid holding, yes, a skull.

And it's not just any mermaid. As <a href="https://mashable.com/2016/02/23/adam-levine-back-tattoo/#S5GNxTzt5aqi" id="eaff88b1-6cfa-3be6-a002-d5767a256640"> Mashable </a> pointed out in its analysis of the tattoo-which Levine had finished in 2016-it's a winged mermaid dominating his back. Mermaids are often symbols of seduction, luring in sailors and the like, and it's fair to say that Maroon 5's frontman is consumed with seduction. Maybe the mermaid's skull is a souvenir she kept from a paramour?

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/-IauhqKjWA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_control" id="9ac4406a-b41b-3ff5-a896-d05a5560baaf"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/-IauhqKjWA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_control" id="3855621d-8445-31f9-a3d8-faa0be872ad4"> If you ever want a tattoo and you don't get it from @bryanrandolph ...you're nuts. He's the DUDE. </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adamlevine/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_control" id="95ed3488-d318-3a1e-ae05-8776471e23c4"> Adam Levine </a> (@adamlevine) on Nov 15, 2015 at 8:00pm PST

It appears that in getting the ink, Levine covered up his old "Frankie Girl" tattoo honoring his late dog. As he shared on Instagram, the singer spent six months to get the piece finished. It was done by tattoo artist Bryan Randolph who is, in Levine's words, "the DUDE."

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCG6hhUKjRI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="611b3c29-ac34-35a5-a7cc-a848d8bf1c68"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCG6hhUKjRI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="9cf5c5ac-c90e-3c79-a787-268359532408"> 6 months in the making. Thanks @bryanrandolph for absolutely blowing my mind with this one! Woooo hooooo!!!! </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adamlevine/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="5c75b449-961a-3448-a360-45c1f3ebf682"> Adam Levine </a> (@adamlevine) on Feb 22, 2016 at 4:05pm PST

What to Know About Adam Levine's Mermaid Tattoo

It's no secret that Adam Levine likes a tattoo. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDfiVrHTJNM" id="cea05f79-6f97-33ee-a969-2d2374c82758"> Maroon 5 </a> singer, who didn't fail to take his shirt off during a somewhat lackluster Super Bowl performance this year, has ink all over his torso and arms. For the musician's recent 40th birthday, his wife <a href="https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a26933660/adam-levine-behati-prinsloo-racy-photo-instagram/" id="0e9ea337-c80f-...

Here's What to Know About Adam Levine's Giant Mermaid Back Tattoo

As Entertainment Weekly writer Piya Sinha-Roy put it in a tweet from the event, the the show promises to be "a futuristic fantasy saga about a world in which people are blind and where sight is so long gone that it's questioned if it even existed. Will question how much of the world is visual."

Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard introduces See, a futuristic fantasy saga about a world in which people are blind and where sight is so long gone that it's questioned if it even existed. Will question how much of the world is visual. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AppleEvent?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="ff385f6a-a09a-3673-a3f3-04d7ad9a2271"> #AppleEvent </a> - Piya Sinha-Roy (@PiyaSRoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/PiyaSRoy/status/1110245196862611456?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="741e92a5-522e-3920-aa13-43a59f2fbb68"> March 25, 2019 </a>

So what's up with See and its creepy setup? The first thing to know is it comes with big names attached, and not just Momoa, who's riding the surprisingly large wave of Aquaman's box-office returns and is the lead in See, according to <a href="https://deadline.com/2018/07/jason-momoa-star-see-apple-series-steven-knight-francis-lawrence-1202423719/" id="310c3bee-f8e1-32e6-ac74-a91fc40415a1"> Deadline </a> .

Momoa will play "Baba Voss, a fearless warrior, leader and guardian." And he has a castmate in Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage, 12 Years a Slave, Captain America: Civil War), who joined him for the announcement. <a href="https://www.macworld.com/article/3245534/list-of-apple-tv-shows-and-series-news-actors-release-dates.html" id="600c8046-7d3d-3cdc-a10e-e3210d649321"> Variety </a> reported that she'll play Paris, an advisor and priestess.

Jason Momoa in SEE. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AppleEvent?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="ff385f6a-a09a-3673-a3f3-04d7ad9a2271"> #AppleEvent </a> <a href="https://t.co/hzJfSAE7SJ" id="67e5e2f7-252a-3dc6-a6e0-0f5782a18976"> pic.twitter.com/hzJfSAE7SJ </a> - DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1110249315015053312?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="d4c6085b-dc42-36fa-aa78-dbf95aac369e"> March 25, 2019 </a>

The other big names attached to See actually come from behind the scenes. Apple's original series comes from the not-so-shabby likes of the creator responsible for hit and critically adored British crime show Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight, as well as director Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay Parts 1 &amp; 2). Knight is set to direct, while Lawrence is reportedly directing.

Deadline reports that See is just as bonkers as it sounds, and it could come out of the gate as one of Apple's first original scripted releases. It's apparently an "epic, world-building drama set in the future." At an estimated 10 episodes, "See is set in a future when the human race has lost the sense of sight, and society has had to find new ways to interact, to build, to hunt, to survive," Deadline adds. "All of that is challenged when a set of twins with sight is born." Sandra Bullock, look out.

Jason Momoa, jacked former Game of Thrones star and current Aquaman, is more successful than ever. And he's not slowing down. He showed up at Monday's Apple event to tout the tech giant's upcoming scripted series See.

Jason Momoa Has a New Apple TV Show That Will Freak You Out

<a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26890988/jordan-peele-us-review/" id="e4493e39-0299-304a-a559-5613e56d86e7"> Jordan Peele doesnt shy away from his ambitions in </a> <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26890988/jordan-peele-us-review/" id="a07aeda5-5843-38c8-aa48-69d32a7611d4"> Us </a> , the writer-directors follow-up to the Oscar-winning Get Out. While it may not be as taught as that social thriller, this new American nightmare is packed to the brim with ideas, unexpected twists, and clever nods to the 80s pop culture with which Peele grew up. Its a sinuous, sly, sneaky beast of a movie. And its never more unsettling than in its bonkers twist ending-a final act that throws a powder keg at genre expectations and delivers haunting political commentary.

<h1> Warning: major spoilers about the ending of Us below. </h1>

To arrive at its ending, Us circles back to and reframes its killer setup. In the extended opening, which is a flashback-a device used throughout the film-we watch a young girl in 1986 with her two parents who tensely argue in the theme park of the Santa Cruz boardwalk. She wanders away from her dad, whos distracted playing Whack-a-Mole, and into a hall of funhouse mirrors, taking shelter from a rainstorm. There, she finds not just a distorted image, but another girl who looks just like her, who turns to face her with a sublimely creepy smile (the movies phenomenal music nicely highlights the most sinister moments). Gone for 15 minutes, Adelaide returns to her folks shaken and mute, and is later diagnosed with PTSD.

Fast-forward to the present day and that grown protagonist, Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyongo in a complex, mercurial performance), shows up with her family to their vacation house in the same beach area. Shes understandably nervous as they relax near the same boardwalk and her son briefly goes missing. Soon their home is invaded by what appear to be demonic versions of each family member, dressed in red jumpsuits and linked hand to hand.

Thats scary enough, but Us unfurls a much, much thornier premise over its two hours. Escaping and gradually killing their monster-clones-without the aid of police who never show up, a clear satirical reference to the way black people are treated by authorities-the family makes its way to their white friends (Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker) house. Instead of protection, theyre met by more monster-clones of the other family attempting to take their lives.

Luckily, the Wilsons turn out to be pretty good at bashing their croaking doppelgangers heads in, and they make it out on the road. At this point Us broadens its aims quite a bit: They find a huge mass of clones in red jumpsuits standing hand-in-hand, forming a snaking border around the beach town.

Peele throws more extended flashback at us (it gets a bit overdone) to explain the final brutal twist: We discover that on that rainy day in 1986, Adelaide did not manage to run away from her clone but was instead brought down to the subterranean tunnels where all the clones reside. (A title card at the beginning of Us informs us that there are thousands of miles of tunnels hidden under the United States, which is more or less !) In this underground reality, the government created duplicate humans known as Tethers in a botched experiment to control the above-ground population, but the Tethers must share a soul with their copies-never achieving full autonomy.

Until, at least, Adelaides duplicate Red imprisoned young Adelaide underground decades ago and replaced her in the larger world, thus not talking and the subsequent PTSD diagnosis. Here, Us becomes, well, confusing and confused. The Adelaide weve known is actually the Tether. During the climax, Red (whos actually the real Adelaide-but well continue to refer to them by the previous names for the sake of clarity) abducts Adelaides son Jason (got that straight?).

Adelaide then descends into the Tethered underworld via the very Stanley Kubrick-inspired escalator in the hall of mirrors. She faces a duel with Red, who spouts a monologue about how she was chosen to lead the Tethered revolution. Adelaide kills Red, and saves Jason, and the family drives off into freedom. Adelaide briefly flashes a menacing smile toward Jason in the car, and its suggested he knows the true origins of his mom (sequel alert?). (And what about Adelaide's husband Gabe? In a possible Easter egg, he says to his kids at one point, "Your mom knows what to do.") A wide shot reveals Tethers all over the country joining hands in their uprising, reflecting the 80s ad for Hands Across America we saw during the films early scenes.

What feels amiss about this ending is that Adelaide, whos been living a lie for most of her life, seems in most parts of the movie completely ignorant of whats actually going on. Her ambivalence could be read as her harboring the dark secret of her life, or maybe she just forgot who she really was? But if either of these things is true, why does the real Adelaide aka Red (who speaks in a bizarre groan despite the fact as a young girl of, say, eight before being chained she spoke perfectly normally) never confront her impostor Adelaide about being forced into the tunnels? Most people would be pretty pissed off about that and want some vengeance! Or, you know, at least a conversation.

In its rush of exposition during the finale, Us both gets bogged down in details of its universe and skips over gaping plot holes. Thats basically okay: While this is no masterpiece on the level of Get Out, its better for its zoomed-out thoughts, which far exceed its predecessors constrained racial satire. Peele clearly wants to send a message about the current fractious political climate in the U.S., in which increasingly sorted and communities contribute to polarization, and people are able to disregard how the other half lives (thought it wouldve been too on the nose, the title of the movie couldve easily been Us vs. Them). There's also a religious dimension to this turn of events: The Bible's Jeremiah 11:11, peeped on a sign on the boardwalk, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+11%3A11&amp;version=KJV" id="63ec1c32-9be6-3388-ad7f-da2a0e03a36e"> tells us </a> , "Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them."

Peele insists that we dismiss our supposed enemies-chained to us by nationality, personhood, and our democracys underlying belief in a commonwealth-to our detriment. Us hints at this with a powerful moment as the Wilson Tethers are asked by the invaded family, What are you? Red answers, Were Americans. What it means to be American-sometimes empowering, other times discouraging-and more importantly what it means to deny that title to out-of-sight compatriots is a rich theme for a horror movie. And its one Us drives home with disturbing force.

Still trying to piece together the twist ending of Us? Allow us to explain.

Still Thinking About That Us Twist Ending? Let Us Explain.

Clarke has written an emotional new essay for <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/emilia-clarke-a-battle-for-my-life-brain-aneurysm-surgery-game-of-thrones/amp" id="0a4f21bc-d3b7-338d-a4fd-7dc5f13904cf"> The New Yorker </a> in which she reveals that she experienced two brain aneurysms that required immediate surgery for her to survive.

The first was discovered after Clarke had a crushing headache in the middle of a workout, followed by violent vomiting in the locker room bathroom. Describing what happened in the gym that day, Clarke writes: "I immediately felt as though an elastic band were squeezing my brain. I tried to ignore the pain and push through it, but I just couldn't. I told my trainer I had to take a break. Somehow, almost crawling, I made it to the locker room. I reached the toilet, sank to my knees, and proceeded to be violently, voluminously ill. Meanwhile, the pain-shooting, stabbing, constricting pain-was getting worse. At some level, I knew what was happening: my brain was damaged."

She was taken to Whittington Hospital, where an MRI revealed the source of Clarke's symptoms.

"The diagnosis was quick and ominous: a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a life-threatening type of stroke, caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain," Clarke writes of that first aneurysm. "Id had an aneurysm, an arterial rupture. As I later learned, about a third of SAH patients die immediately or soon thereafter. For the patients who do survive, urgent treatment is required to seal off the aneurysm, as there is a very high risk of a second, often fatal bleed. If I was to live and avoid terrible deficits, I would have to have urgent surgery. And, even then, there were no guarantees."

She recalls a period while in ICU when she experienced <a href="https://www.aphasia.org/aphasia-definitions/" id="a5090c92-edfb-327a-a6f9-7782e4f08bdd"> aphasia </a> , and couldn't form coherent sentences. She went back to shooting Game of Thrones season 2 shortly after, but writes that "every minute of every day I thought I was going to die."

Even after recovering, another smaller aneurysm grew. In 2013, doctors in New York-where Clarke was appearing on Broadway-found it during a brain scan. When they tried to deal with it via surgery, the operation failed. Clarke woke up "screaming in pain."

"I had a massive bleed and the doctors made it plain that my chances of surviving were precarious if they didnt operate again," she writes. "This time they needed to access my brain in the old-fashioned way-through my skull. And the operation had to happen immediately."

68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Press Room

Throughout the terrifying health ordeal, Clarke was doing press for GOT and trying to put up the front of bleached-blonde, alluring, and fearless Daenerys. While she has since fully recovered, the harrowing experience left with her the knowledge of how precarious life can really be.

"On the set, I didnt miss a beat, but I struggled. Season 2 would be my worst. I didnt know what Daenerys was doing," she writes. "If I am truly being honest, every minute of every day I thought I was going to die."

Emilia Clarke Opens Up About Surviving Aneurysms

Playing Daenerys Targaryen on HBO's hit fantasy show Game of Thrones, which returns for its eighth and final season April 14, actress Emilia Clarke often seems invincible. But that's very different from the reality she lived behind the scenes while working on the series.

Game of Thrones Star Emilia Clarke Opens Up About Surviving Two Brain Aneurysms in Powerful New Yorker Essay

So goes the wicked premise of Us. Jordan Peeles second feature film as a director is being touted as a follow-up to <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a19541870/jordan-peele-get-out-horror-movie/" id="79d021ee-59ca-35ff-abec-b9602425793c"> his Oscar-winning </a> <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a19541870/jordan-peele-get-out-horror-movie/" id="0aba3b28-2772-3b8e-af68-0dc380f77e9d"> Get Out </a> , which is both correct and cruelly unfair. That debut served as a taut, slick horror movie and a pungent social satire about white monsters cloaked as kind Obama supporters-a radical and original vision that somehow needed no explanation. The closest Us gets to that racial sendup is the fact that when the family in crisis, who happen to be black, call the local police for help, theyre told it will arrive in 15 minutes. Of course, it never does.

There are many, many ideas in Us-more than its two hours seem able to contain-but they are more diffuse, less immediate than even the abstract, two-letter title lets on.

Warning: Mild spoilers ahead for Us.

Those ideas require quite a bit more explanation (and, unfortunately, exposition in the third act) than their predecessor. But while the movie doesnt glide like Get Out, the biggest relief for Peele fans comes when you realize that he isnt even close to being done making fascinating movies that hold up mirrors to who we are, and almost certainly wish we werent.

That realization hits a few minutes into Us. In flashback (a device that extends throughout the film, in ways that waver from illuminating to overdone) parents clearly on the outs hang out on the Santa Cruz boardwalk in 1986 with their daughter wearing an oversized Michael Jackson Thriller t-shirt that her distracted dad has just won her in a theme park game. This young version of the main protagonist-played in the current day in a phenomenally wide-ranging and complex performance by Lupita Nyongo-wanders into a hall of funhouse mirrors where she finds something stranger and much more disturbing than an optical illusion: a human carbon copy of herself.

The event haunts her into adulthood as she returns to the area with her two kids and husband (Winston Duke in a delightfully comedic turn). While shes shaken by the slightest roving of her young son, dad is trying to one-up his obnoxious and obnoxiously wealthy white friends (Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker) with his new motorboat.

When the demon-clones arrive, moms fears are proven correct. But with an already knotty setup, Peele throws a veritable meat locker of signifiers at viewers: a period-specific Hands Across America TV ad, Jeremiah 11:11, rabbits of various shades in cages, PTSD, The Beach Boys, Black Flag, Fuck Tha Police, 5 on It, visual nods to Wes Craven and Stanley Kubrick. (And that just represents the surface. Peele himself <a href="https://uproxx.com/movies/jordan-peele-interview-us-corey-feldman/" id="8f789f1b-194c-3600-ae58-3ee5ee607c59"> pointed out </a> three sneaky references to Corey Feldman.)

Us is soaked in the pop culture of the era in which Peele grew up, but it all points to something more heady and subliminal. When asked What are you? the invader-mom answers, Were Americans. That turns out to be a key line in a movie that becomes a bold metaphorical answer to the current fractious U.S. political climate, in which more than ever we seem to stick to our own familiar communities and shut down questions about our responsibilities to the other side, whatever that side may be. It wouldve been way too on the nose, but the film couldve easily been called Us vs. Them.

The windy path it takes to get there is sometimes confused, but what a trip it is. Peele mercifully hasnt lost any of his sense of humor (see: the lengthy sequence in the rich white familys home), but he has possibly overloaded himself with topical material. The best moments here are the ones that ground it all, like the glimmer of a smile in a mom protecting her brood as she says, They cant hurt you, and the they suddenly seems very ill-defined and the sentence not at all comforting. Us isnt always as scary as it could be, but its sinister effects are hard to shake off, especially when you realize that theyre directly pointed at you.

Jordan Peele's 'Us' Is Flawed But Fascinating

Imagine that your tranquil family beach house is inundated with home invaders. Imagine that those invaders, a family, stand hand-in-hand on your driveway silent and motionless even when you call out to them. Imagine that they look just like your family, but in red jumpsuits. Then imagine the kids skittering into the bushes like spider-humans.

Jordan Peele's Us Is a Fascinating Horror Movie About Living in America Right Now

I have two daughters who are both young women of color, and I wanted them to see themselves reflected in this fairy tale where they often dont get to see themselves reflected, Whitley told Mens Health. And that sort of blew up into a larger thing over time thats still ongoing.

His latest accomplishment is bringing a nuanced understanding of mental health, and bipolar disorder in particular, to Marvels current Unstoppable Wasp series that hes writing. (Issue No. 5 recently came out, and Issue No. 6 will be released on April 10.)

The story features the Unstoppable Wasp herself, Nadia Van Dyne-you mightve caught a different version of the superhero in the 2018 movie Ant-Man and the Wasp, played by Evangeline Lilly. A brainiac Avengers member who can change her size at will and launches a female-led scientific center called G.I.R.L. (Genius in Action Research Labs), shes also the daughter of Hank Pym, aka Ant-Man. As it turns out in the series, she shares his bipolar disorder.

If you're not familiar with <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955" id="3fcec673-ee24-315d-a3a9-63d6702ec979"> bipolar disorder </a> , the mental illness is associated with extreme mood swings between highs (known as "mania") and lows (known as "depression"). It's also associated with a .

Whitley got idea to tackle mental illness as his subject matter during conversations with his editor, Alanna Smith. Depiction of mental illness in comics goes back to the 70s. There was slightly less knowledge about bipolar disorder and how it affects people. We saw this opportunity to do a more modern story, a very different kind of story than what we felt like was out there, Whitley says.

That history in comics is checkered with some unfortunate images. We wanted to make sure that we didnt deal with [bipolar disorder] the way a lot of people are used to seeing from older comic book media, where somebody is innately bad or evil because they have some sort of mental disorder, Whitley says. Take Two-Face, the popular DC Comics supervillain (and foe of Batman) who, following a facial scarring, develops two personalities-one good, one wicked. While Two-Face is widely read as having bipolar disorder, that characterization is closer to a movie version of dissociative identity disorder, rather than scientific consensus on bipolar disorder, and it uses his illness as an explanation for his evilness. The same type of thinking also contributed to previous depictions of Hank Pym, who had another villainous personality in Yellowjacket.

I think theres been misunderstanding, Whitley says. Thats rough especially for people who really enjoy comics and love superhero stories but struggle with mental illness themselves, and who only really see themselves projected as villains.

A page from The Unstoppable Wasp Issue No. 5 appearing to show Nadia Van Dyne experiencing a manic episode.

Unstoppable Wasp decidedly shatters that misbegotten notion. Nadia is an upbeat, exciting, and young character readers can be happy to see themselves in, the writer notes. He was also intrigued by another possibility. Bipolar disorder jibes with being a superhero in a very interesting way, in that superheroes are often expected to push themselves beyond the healthy human limits to do things, to put themselves in that space of being physically and mentally exhausted and still come out on top. That is very much in line with what somebody experiencing a manic episode would be doing.

Awareness about bipolar disorder has seen an uptick as more public figures talk openly about their own suffering. Kanye West bipolar disorder my superpower aint no disability on his latest album Ye, and Mariah Carey her diagnosis last year. To avoid misrepresenting the disorder, Whitley consulted with several experts, including psychologists and psychiatrists and people who either suffer from bipolar disorder or know someone who does.

Just as importantly, Nadia is portrayed as someone who doesnt run away from her diagnosis but incorporates it into her life-and, even with her superpowers, looks to others for assistance in getting better. I need help. I think Im bipolar... and I dont think I can handle this alone, she says in a poignant moment in Issue No. 5.

Shes got to ask herself why shes doing what shes doing. Her family and friends have to keep an eye on her because if shes determined, if shes seeing this problem as fixable, she will stay up for weeks. She wont sleep until its taken care of. I feel like thats a very relatable thing as far as what we expect from superheroes and what people deal with in their real lives, Whitley adds, including his own life. I know myself and other creative folks often have to deal with having this drive to get things done and you have to figure out at what point your work is also your hobby, and maybe you should get out of the house and relate to other people.

Whitley hopes readers who deal with mental illness themselves feel emboldened rather than burdened by the story. Nadia is still a hero even at her worst, he says. I think its a very heroic thing to admit that youre overmatched and you need somebody who knows what theyre doing.

Marvel is no stranger to confronting provocative social topics from a progressive stance. The X-Men are frequently read as a metaphor for the Civil Rights Movement and LGBTQ rights. Unstoppable Wasp is yet another step forward. Thats a legacy that goes back to Stan lee and Jack Kirby, Whitley says. Im very proud to be whatever small part of that legacy I am.

How Marvel Seriously Addresses Bipolar Disorder

Jeremy Whitley has built his career on smashing taboos and opening up representation in popular culture. The comic book writer, whos worked for Marvel among other companies, started the award-winning series Princeless in 2011, depicting a young black princess who starts to question what it means to be a princess-and, instead of waiting for her prince charming to save her from imprisonment in a tower, trades her dress for armor and does something about the situation.

Marvel's New Comic Book Series, The Unstoppable Wasp, Stars a Superhero With Bipolar Disorder

Years ago, Rowling created a mini-scandal when she revealed that Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore is in fact gay. At the time, it seemed like a plausible but juicy tidbit about the character. But as Rowling has continued to expand on her universe with her writing for the Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts prequel movies, she's gone ahead and added way, way more detail to the story.

The movies have largely avoided the issue of a young Dumbledore's (Jude Law) supposed boyhood relationship with Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), leaving it mostly to longing glances rather than anything steamy.

But Rowling has <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jk-rowling-gives-unwelcome-update-on-dumbledores-sex-life-inspires-memes_n_5c8f9897e4b0db7da9f5ef70" id="28f2893b-afe6-3203-a22e-f39fa5ad7982"> noted </a> that there is indeed a sexual dimension to their romance in her commentary in a special feature on the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Blu-ray edition.

It was passionate, and it was a love relationship, the author reportedly said. But as happens in any relationship, gay or straight or whatever label we want to put on it, one never knows really what the other person is feeling. You cant know, you can believe you know.

There are more Fantastic Beasts films to be made, but those looking for Dumbledore erotica will likely be disappointed since the author said she's less interested in the sexual side" in her fictional renderings, instead choosing to explore the "sense of the emotions they felt for each other."

Rowling has however promised to "unpack" whatever went down between the characters down the road. You will see Dumbledore as a younger man and quite a troubled man-he wasnt always the sage, the author told <a href="http://ew.com/movies/2018/01/31/fantastic-beasts-dumbledore-gay/" id="6ba9ed3f-b256-3d9b-a48b-da8f761ba93e"> Entertainment Weekly </a> in 2018. Well see him at that formative period of his life. As far as his sexuality is concerned... watch this space.

Again, people were not exactly clamoring for this information, yet here we are. Luckily, fans have made Rowling's transparency about her characters' sexuality into an amusing Twitter meme you don't even need to be a Harry Potter fan to enjoy.

No one: J.K. Rowling: Voldemort has a 12-inch penis - Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1107282387145101313?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="c32dcdb5-1eec-3f40-a0de-0430c7cb37c3"> March 17, 2019 </a>

nobody: jk rowling: lol Dumbledore &amp; Grindewald were totally doin the sex people: oh ok will you put it in a book or movie jk rowling: no people: ugh nobody: nobody: nobody: jk rowling: SO MUCH SEX THEY WERE DOIN SO MUCH SEX I SWEAR - Elle Gato (@ellle_em) <a href="https://twitter.com/ellle_em/status/1107287525800828929?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="4cb2ce80-d3fa-349e-a7ad-dbd51c940622"> March 17, 2019 </a>

Nobody: J.K. Rowling: Dumbledores patronus is the Grindr logo - carter (@carterhambley) <a href="https://twitter.com/carterhambley/status/1107322308321001473?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="613b2f1c-f163-3f40-aa69-bc132a120f03"> March 17, 2019 </a>

No One: J. K. Rowling: a quaffle is also a magic sex position - Alan Henry (@AlanHenry) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlanHenry/status/1107089884844560385?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="b7be43e4-e597-3aef-a95f-0aa9652e3952"> March 17, 2019 </a>

You sit down on a couch in JK Rowlings house and shes like, Careful, Dumbledore got railed there. - Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) <a href="https://twitter.com/louisvirtel/status/1107089186853576705?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="e5fe5939-7605-3396-ad1d-8c7adc0dba95"> March 17, 2019 </a>

Nobody: J.K. Rowling: Dumbledore ate the peach from Call Me By Your Name - jon (@prasejeebus) <a href="https://twitter.com/prasejeebus/status/1107096951244423168?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="894a79e2-3417-3f2c-ac5e-b85f1db29863"> March 17, 2019 </a>

No one: J.K. Rowling: Dobby is so fucking hung - John PAX East (@mistermegative) <a href="https://twitter.com/mistermegative/status/1107164052755746817?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="2b544121-e8f4-3f55-a7b5-074f6cc556be"> March 17, 2019 </a>

reporter: hello jk rowling: there was actually a fifth hogwarts house that no one knew about. it was called sex house and it was where the horniest wizards were sorted into. they spent their days fucking and sucking and not learning much magic at all - Bob Vulfov (@bobvulfov) <a href="https://twitter.com/bobvulfov/status/1107090381576040449?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="844a6a96-73fa-3691-aa37-3e35c29d9847"> March 17, 2019 </a>

me: jk rowling: me: jk rowling: me: i - jk rowling: arthur weasley likes to watch - David Mack (@davidmackau) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidmackau/status/1107461286017880065?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="df2a1d92-7daf-31fb-abb8-c22ae8cdf991"> March 18, 2019 </a>

interviewer: here we have the jk rowling, critically acclaimed author of the harry pott- jk rowling: hagrid fucked the sorting hat - Ash (@CloudsOfAsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/CloudsOfAsh/status/1107405163759833089?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="8e133c3c-1bb1-37e3-a63c-cf0cc98f9466"> March 17, 2019 </a>

J.K. Rowling Inspired a NSFW Harry Potter Meme

J.K. Rowling is not shy about sharing her thoughts. The author of the Harry Potter novels and <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling?lang=en" id="3c7efecd-5574-3c00-a283-b86041f67bea"> Twitter-friendly </a> personality may have published her last book in that series years ago, but she's still divulging way more than anyone asked her to about the characters in her beloved universe, including their sex lives. And now fans have responded in kind by making that the subject of a hilarious meme.

J.K. Rowling's Comments About Dumbledore and Grindelwald Spurred a Magically NSFW Harry Potter Meme

Those looking to luxuriate in all the twists and turns (and surely at least one beheading) of Game of Thrones' eighth and final season premiering April 14 and finishing May 19 will be rewarded. HBO has confirmed the lengths of various season-eight episode, and they're beasts. The finale in the six-episode run, which will finally (hopefully) settle all questions about how to defeat the Night King and who's going to take the Iron Throne, won't even be the longest in Game of Thrones history at one hour and 20 minutes long.

That title goes to episode 3, which is two hours and two minutes long. We'd bet good money that it will focus on the giant, cinematic battle to keep Westeros out of the White Walkers' icy, undead control. But with this show, anything's possible, including an extended incestuous sex sequence with Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.

<h1> Here's the full list of Game of Thrones Season 8 runtimes, according to a release from HBO: </h1>

<ul><li> Season 8, episode 1: 0:54 </li><li> Season 8, episode 2: 0:58 </li><li> Season 8, episode 3: 1:22 </li><li> Season 8, episode 4: 1:18 </li><li> Season 8, episode 5: 1:20 </li><li> Season 8, episode 6: 1:20 </li></ul>

For those keeping score, the longest Game of Thrones episode so far has been the season-seven capper The Dragon and the Wolf, which clocks in at 79 minutes, 43 seconds. Now that the show's episodes are about matching Die Hard with a Vengeance for length, expect at least as many explosions and narrative curveballs.

The 'Game of Thrones' Finale Is 2 Hours Long

No one would ever accuse Game of Thrones of being too brief. As the HBO fantasy series based on George R.R. Martin's novels has continued, and the story has gotten thornier by the minute and battles have received the kind of production values reserved for blockbuster movies, the running times of episodes have expanded.

The Game of Thrones Finale Is 2 Hours Long

Justin Bieber is being open about his emotional problems, and he's asking his legion of fans for help in the process of getting better.

The pop superstar, who has kept a low-profile since the massively successful 2015 release of his last studio album Purpose, took to Instagram to send a message to his followers about how he's doing. His state of mind is "disconnected and weird at the moment," he says, and he asks others to "pray" for him.

"Just wanted to keep you guys updated a little bit hopefully what I'm going through will resonate with you guys," he wrote in the caption of the post over the weekend, displaying a photo of him in a Tupac Shakur t-shirt. "Been struggling a lot. Just feeling super disconnected and weird. I always bounce back so I'm not worried just wanted to reach out and ask for your guys to pray for me. God is faithful and ur prayers really work thanks .. the most human season I've ever been in facing my stuff head on."

The news doesn't come as a shock to those who have been following Bieber's public life. He got remarkably candid in a recent Vogue cover story about his mental health. I got really depressed on tour, Bieber <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26237649/justin-bieber-vogue-celibacy-sex-addiction/" id="4b36f38e-f88c-38f6-afbf-6a9c125f5c25"> revealed </a> . I havent talked about this, and Im still processing so much stuff that I havent talked about. I was lonely. I needed some time.

Bieber also discussed a dark period in which he abused Xanax and had what he called a "legitimate problem with sex," adding that he used the drug "because I was so ashamed" of his promiscuity. "My mom always said to treat women with respect. For me that was always in my head while I was doing it, so I could never enjoy it. Drugs put a screen between me and what I was doing. It got pretty dark. I think there were times when my security was coming in late at night to check my pulse and see if I was still breathing."

The singer married model and actress Hailey Baldwin last September, after undergoing an informal detox in 2014. He and his wife opened up about seeing a marriage counselor.

"Just thinking about music stresses me out," Bieber told Vogue. "Ive been successful since I was 13, so I didnt really have a chance to find who I was apart from what I did. I just needed some time to evaluate myself: who I am, what I want out of my life, my relationships, who I want to be-stuff that when youre so immersed in the music business you kind of lose sight of."

Justin Bieber Asks Fans to 'Pray' as He Struggles

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu0VXDpHSxf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="374cea3c-e94f-35fc-a1fe-86d265e1e1a0"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu0VXDpHSxf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="5fe435c0-a99b-3d8d-a019-2de229cb81fe"> Just wanted to keep you guys updated a little bit hopefully what Im going through will resonate with you guys. Been struggling a lot. Just feeling super disconnected and weird.. I always b...

Justin Bieber Asks Fans to 'Pray' While He's Emotionally 'Struggling'

The deleted scene in question, which is included on the recently released Blu-ray edition of Creed II, shows Stallone's Balboa delivering a eulogy at a nearly empty memorial service for his old foe-turned-friend Spider Rico (Pedro Lovell). If you've forgotten your Rocky history, Spider was Rocky's first opponent, seen in the early scenes of the 1976 classic. The character had an encore in 2006's underrated Rocky Balboa, working in Rocky's restaurant Adrian's.

The two-and-a-half-minute scene may have been considered not quite swift or action-based enough for the final edit of Creed II, but for die-hard Rocky fans, it's a blessing. It relies exclusively on the acting abilities of Stallone, who is (as always) at his finest embodying his boxer alter-ego. Balboa's words here not only reflect on Spider's journey, but also on his own embattled life inside and outside of the ring. Stallone gives them just the right amount of touching wistfulness.

"I remember you saying that you had this daughter, but you couldn't remember where she lived because of all the shots you'd taken. I get that," Balboa says standing by his buddy's casket. "So me and the cooks, we become like your family. You know, in the ring, you got rules. Outside in the street, you got nothing. And life hits you with all these cheap shots, a lot of low blows, and you take 'em and move on... I'm sad you're gone, cause you're like my last friend from the old days. But I'm glad too, 'cause I know wherever you're going it's gotta be better than where you've been."

If these are indeed Rocky's final words on the screen, they're a fitting goodbye.

Sylvester Stallone more or less <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a25349523/sylvester-stallone-says-goodbye-to-rocky-for-good/" id="74540033-2558-316c-a4d0-10ee6920814e"> announced </a> with a very, very heavy heart that Creed II would be his last foray in the Rocky Balboa franchise that he started with the 1976 original movie and has kept up for more than four decades. If it is his swan song, it's an effective one indeed, passing the torch to Michael B. Jordan's Adonis "Donn...

Sylvester Stallone Nails a Touching Deleted Scene in Creed II

So it's perhaps no surprise that, despite the fact that Bohemian Rhapsody ends (real-life spoiler here) with Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26463053/how-did-freddie-mercury-die/" id="b6021f81-69f0-32bf-aefc-ab46f52b3d48"> dying </a> from HIV/AIDS-related complications, the filmmakers may want to cash in on a sequel that further explores the larger-than-life British band's history.

Page Six <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a26795721/bohemian-rhapsody-sequel-spoilers-rumors-news-date-cast/" id="7110785f-2a14-3312-a70c-4b4e92e816ae"> reports </a> that Rudi Dolezal, the director of multiple Queen videos, says the band's manager Jim Beach, who was also a producer on Bohemian Rhapsody, is keen about the idea of making a follow-up movie. "Im sure he plans a sequel that starts with Live Aid, Dolezal said in the interview, adding that a second film is currently "being heavily discussed in the Queen family." (In the fuzzy timeline of Bohemian Rhapsody, things wrap up with Queen's epic Live Aid performance, though that actually happened in 1985, well before Mercury's death in 1991. Queen has also continued to perform without their late frontman, which could provide further material for another movie.)

As if anyone needed more proof that Queen is timeless, the popularity of Bohemian Rhapsody seems to point to a resurgence in products related to the group. Dolezal himself is writing a book titled My Friend, Freddie, and will release his personal interviews with Mercury in a film called Freddie Mercury: In His Own Words. And Queen guitarist Brian May has also alluded to a potential sequel, saying last year, "I think Live Aid is a good point to leave it. Who knows, there might be a sequel."

There's no confirmation of the sequel, but don't be surprised if you're rocking along to "We Are the Champions" at the movie theater again. Also note to potential producers: Please find a way to include <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoDh_gHDvkk" id="52303956-e595-3c86-a4c6-45b536251ab8"> "Under Pressure" </a> this time, too.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' Might Be Getting a Sequel

Bohemian Rhapsody, the often silly but also hugely entertaining Queen biopic, may not have walked away with Best Picture at the 2o19 Oscars, but it scored star Rami Malek (also of the TV show Mr. Robot) his first Academy Award. It also made a truckload of money. The movie did well in the U.S., <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bohemianrhapsody.htm" id="7bc3123c-b5df-3c3c-a8cf-0f5848df6823"> earning </a> about $215 million at the box office on an estimated $52 million budget, ...

Queen Biopic Bohemian Rhapsody Might Be Getting a Sequel

But between the moments of utter shock, viewers find time to hit their keyboards and social media to deliver some genuinely hilarious and heartfelt memes that propel themselves around the cyber-world. Here are the most delightful Game of Thrones memes to prepare you for more meme-able shenanigans in season 8.

I think Arya Stark wrote "Look What You Made Me Do" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/listofnames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="7e79d935-156b-31d0-ae16-3958a786eff0"> #listofnames </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tswift?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="5ccb5b9c-1f2a-37f9-a055-538defbd0e60"> #tswift </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/arya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="bd4fab5b-6351-3a2c-a017-4b925e9eae08"> #arya </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/agirlhasnoname?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="b8b35f78-be82-3db1-a0c0-f62c810d1e8f"> #agirlhasnoname </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Maisie_Williams?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="e40856f5-b4b5-3825-a097-2371ab7cf9dc"> @Maisie_Williams </a> <a href="https://t.co/2HYBUO7eHX" id="a7885b70-eb7e-3086-ae04-65d5033632ab"> pic.twitter.com/2HYBUO7eHX </a> - Alexea Candreva (@alexeacandreva) <a href="https://twitter.com/alexeacandreva/status/908322944966811648?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="3b3d9a96-96b6-341c-a0b6-cbcb89c4081a"> September 14, 2017 </a>

They might not bear a physical resemblance, but it's fair to say that Arya Stark is at least as single-minded in her drive to vengeance as Reputation-era Taylor Swift.

<a href="https://t.co/UjsbOGXfpS" id="2deed0d9-5640-3f7c-a0e5-05273227adeb"> pic.twitter.com/UjsbOGXfpS </a> - Tony Stark (@wakandathanos) <a href="https://twitter.com/wakandathanos/status/892061917765812224?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="7d974809-85fd-392b-a3be-d4df82667a55"> July 31, 2017 </a>

<h1> 7. The Unstoppable Savagery of Olenna Tyrell </h1>

In a show literally about savagery, none delivered the goods with quiet aplomb quite like Olenna Tyrell. RIP.

I'm not saying all men must die... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ValarMorghulis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="bd3e8c9a-551a-378b-acaf-5ed55ed2cb19"> #ValarMorghulis </a> <a href="http://t.co/UICHaXCqQp" id="eaf796cd-cf35-302b-a55f-e10c318ff944"> pic.twitter.com/UICHaXCqQp </a> - George RR Martin (@GeorgeRRMartin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeRRMartin_/status/420364930361982976?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="4d6947d5-5a05-365b-a161-7e0763a6d2fd"> January 7, 2014 </a>

<h1> 6. George R.R. Martin Is the Ultimate Killer </h1>

The author of the original Game of Thrones novels, George R.R. Martin is no stranger to internet culture. He gets his proper tribute as the one truly calling the shots in Westeros here. (But seriously, Martin, just finish the damn books already.)

If only Jorah Mormont could hit the undo button.

Attaboy! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameofThrones?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="5f95cadf-8ed4-3725-a040-332e31e9340a"> #GameofThrones </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="0a63fe72-00ab-3c34-aa42-851e141f9bc0"> #GoT </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOTs7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="e3e240f5-febd-37ab-a014-f9dc169add78"> #GOTs7 </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thronesyall?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="2c05b156-418f-3cba-ac2c-91a8c6af6081"> #thronesyall </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HBO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="3964f2a2-703e-306b-abd4-a6a9d1fd3427"> #HBO </a> <a href="https://t.co/enA3KwaMkh" id="764a13e2-cc58-3791-a7d2-e43d87c9bfbc"> pic.twitter.com/enA3KwaMkh </a> - Game Of Thrones (@watcherotwall) <a href="https://twitter.com/watcherotwall/status/944097276858851328?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="9f45cf86-1a6c-3413-ac7c-c8bb17dc5fed"> December 22, 2017 </a>

Somehow Game of Thrones incest jokes never get old.

Incest is a ladder <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameofThrones?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="5f95cadf-8ed4-3725-a040-332e31e9340a"> #GameofThrones </a> <a href="https://t.co/UmPVogSBRe" id="7eafafc2-0f0b-3ff2-ab8b-f5e9248bcad9"> pic.twitter.com/UmPVogSBRe </a> - Game of Thrones Facts (@thronesfacts) <a href="https://twitter.com/thronesfacts/status/903700175192956928?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="d473c643-b975-3793-a1f3-9df3a53d584e"> September 1, 2017 </a>

There is perhaps nothing more unintentionally (or is it?) funny on Game of Thrones than its <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g26315485/game-of-thrones-incest/" id="d8a738ab-862b-3d3a-a67d-e3c1be613c9a"> penchant for incest </a> . We somehow feel like George R.R. Martin himself would be delighted by this meme that takes this habit very seriously by mapping how exactly creepy Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryens sexual relationship is with the help of Ancestry.com-like receipts.

My life in one meme. Game of thrones and avocados on everything. <a href="http://t.co/Vyu7dQZ0QL" id="1c4627a9-e7f7-3549-af41-9191fd860219"> pic.twitter.com/Vyu7dQZ0QL </a> - Shelby Calderwood (@shelbcalderwood) <a href="https://twitter.com/shelbcalderwood/status/622188150958325760?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="d9d95655-ea81-3faa-a96f-049c2a0e0697"> July 17, 2015 </a>

<h1> 2. The Coveted Just-Ripe-Enough Avocado </h1>

The most relatable of all Game of Thrones memes.

<a href="https://t.co/Z6kPyskOx7" id="9df987d9-0a3d-3c5a-aa34-f52bfde0eb57"> pic.twitter.com/Z6kPyskOx7 </a> - Game of Thrones Memes (@Thrones_Memes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Thrones_Memes/status/999059178282012672?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="073a648d-6ad5-39d8-a9d7-c1dfba617237"> May 22, 2018 </a>

This is less about humor than it is about honoring the most recent emotionally weighty moment on the show, which then immediately spurred a sea of worthy memes. Hodor, you are a true Westeros hero, and thankfully the internet knows it.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoNervLgpxK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="89d6d494-25b7-34e4-a737-faec7bc27bd7"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoNervLgpxK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="aab005b2-3bc2-31c4-a458-d6fbd7d639e0"> Do you miss Hodor? - - - #hodor #holdthedoor #gameofthronesmemes #gotmemes #gameofthrones #got #hbo #emotional #sad #restinpeace #asongoficeandfire #worldoficeandfire #branstark #childrenoftheforest #nightking #armyofthedead #gameofthronesseason7 #gots7 #gotseason7 </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gameofthronesfunny_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="8d8d3223-8f56-382a-ab53-eb162055f326"> Game of Thrones Funny </a> (@gameofthronesfunny_) on Sep 26, 2018 at 6:10pm PDT

The 8 Best 'Game of Thrones' Memes, Ranked

Game of Thrones isnt the most-watched scripted series on television-that semi-dubious distinction <a href="https://ew.com/tv/2018/05/31/top-50-most-watched-shows-2017-18-season/" id="0e3c1e2c-c500-3a69-a633-2c27f1ee3b59"> belongs </a> to The Big Bang Theory-but it is without a doubt the most talked about. For good reason: Things get wilder than words can describe on the HBO fantasy series, entering its <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26342579/game-of-thrones-season-8-relea...

The 8 Best Game of Thrones Memes, Ranked

Now Doom is getting another shot at the movie treatment with Doom: Annihilation. Based on its new "We Call It Hell" trailer, though, fans of the game franchise shouldn't hold their breath for something better this time around. Promoted as "coming soon," Annihilation will be a straight-t0-video (or these days, straight-to-digital) release from Universal, and it seems to have the production values you would expect from such a project. Which is to say, it looks pretty crummy. The teases of the monsters, which appear to be actors in suits in a visual-effects throwback, won't do much to send a jolt through your spine. The dialogue is equally unpromising ("Die, die, die!" one character says).

Then again, Doom: Annihilation doesn't necessarily look any worse than 2005's Doom, and at least it might be a bit of fun. Doom: Annihilation follows a group of space marines as they respond to a distress call from a base on a Martian moon, only to discover its been overrun by demonic creatures who threaten to create Hell on Earth," according to the <a href="https://comicbook.com/gaming/2019/03/11/doom-annihilation-movie-first-trailer-universal/" id="0bb1e199-b9bc-3d92-a999-023aa15c45e2"> official </a> story synopsis. If that's your kind of thing, it might be worth streaming when you don't feel like moving from the couch.

'Doom' Gets the Junk Straight-to-Video Treatment

In the pantheon of classic video games, perhaps none has been as poorly served by the movies as Doom. Listen, adapting games into movies isn't easy (ask the filmmakers behind Battleship), and only Resident Evil pulled it off as a concept for an extended film series. But the 2005 much-hyped movie version of Doom starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in one of his more forgettable performances basically drained the game of any of its <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=doom+video+game&amp;rlz...

Doom Is Getting Another Crummy Movie Adaptation

We Ranked the 15 Most Shocking Game of Thrones Deaths so Far

To drive home the point that he does his own thing, the Tesla and SpaceX chief recently posted a meme on his Twitter showing his face superimposed onto Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's bulging body. Showing good humor, he offered the caption, "Yeah, I lift a little..."

Yeah, I lift a little <a href="https://t.co/UAJdv8qSw1" id="e797098c-ef37-320c-ad1a-008c808316bb"> pic.twitter.com/UAJdv8qSw1 </a> - Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1103221573127827456?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="96377752-0241-3d6a-adf3-9bf468dd4fc2"> March 6, 2019 </a>

This all comes after Musk <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-pewdiepie-meme-review-2019-2" id="f58c3a64-bff1-3918-a3af-c83aa773417f"> co-hosted </a> the popular YouTube star PewDiePie's Meme Review, giving his take on various memes in a video. One of Musk's favorite memes involved his likeness being swapped with the rapper Post Malone, resulting in the Tesla CEO having face tattoos.

What makes the Elon Musk/The Rock photos especially eerie is how effective they are-glance quickly and you may think you're just looking at normal images of the Fast &amp; Furious star. Look again and you may think Musk has been taking his training regimen a little too seriously. (In fact, while he's not exactly swole, Musk <a href="https://www.inc.com/business-insider/what-12-top-tech-executives-do-to-stay-in-shape.html" id="85bd8fa2-64d5-34fc-a8e8-b982dd9c539c"> does fit </a> in time for cardio exercise on the treadmill and lifting weights about twice a week.)

Musk seems to be taking his newfound status as a <a href="https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/elon-musk-memelord/" id="eb4b8d99-b72f-30c2-afa5-fb29e74483af"> memelord </a> quite seriously. In honor 0f this role, we took the liberty of going a few steps further and superimposing his face on other fitness idols. Enjoy and/or stare in bafflement.

<h1> Elon Musk as Arnold Schwarzenegger: </h1>

Try to Unsee These Photos of Elon Musk as The Rock

Billionaire CEOs of tech companies don't generally engage with memes on social media, but Elon Musk is very far from y0ur typical tech CEO. This is, after all, the man who wrote on Twitter that he planned to take Tesla private, sending markets <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/business/elon-musk-interview-tesla.html" id="22e3136b-cd99-323d-ae09-68d007244f4d"> into shock </a> , and had a bizarre <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tech/2018/8/23/17773166/elon-musk-azealia-banks-grime...