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For many fans, the question isn't whether it'll be good. It's gonna be good.

The problem is the person behind the source material: J.K. Rowling, whose comments on transgender people have genuinely tainted the franchise for a lot of fans. I'll be honest, I’m one of them. (She can say what she wants to say, but it’s the way she does it that doesn’t jive with me. Why be so mean? Pithy? It’s confusing.)  

This brings me to the oldest debate in art: can you separate the art from the artist? 

Andrew Garfield wrestled with this recently on the podcast My Life in Movies, admitting he'd only just watched the films and was caught off guard by how good they are. "We shouldn't be putting money in the pocket of inhumane legislation," he said, referencing Rowling's financial support for political efforts that target trans rights. But he couldn't deny the soul of the films either, or the kids in them. They’re just so good.  

This tension he described? I feel it too. 

Here's where I land: you can enjoy art without endorsing the beliefs of the person who made it. Yes, she gets a check. That's uncomfortable, but it's a reality we navigate constantly. I have no idea what evil thing Jeff Bezos potentially did this morning, but whatever I just ordered on Amazon is arriving tomorrow, and I'm not losing sleep over it. 

It's a worthwhile debate. But ultimately it comes down to personal freedom. You don't have to watch. That's valid. And so is watching. (I think I’m probably gonna watch. Please don’t hate me.) 

Riz Ahmed wants to make "category killers" — and Bait, his new Prime Video series, is exactly that.

The show follows a London actor faking a James Bond audition, but it's really a comedy, a family drama and a spy thriller all at once, held together by Ahmed's own life experience. The park where his character gets jumped as a kid? The park behind his parents' house. The panic attack on stage? Recreated at the exact venue where it happened. 

We talked about why being brown in the West can feel like living in a spy thriller, why comedy lets you say things no other genre will allow, and whether Bait is, as he put it, his not-so-subtle hint to the James Bond producers. He playfully said maybe. I'm taking that as a yes.

Read the full interview at Newsweek, and listen to our conversation on The Parting Shot. 

Survivor 50 had a big week, and so did we. Two players got their torches snuffed, and both sat down with me for exit interviews that did not disappoint. 

First, Angelina Keeley. She came back, she played differently, and she got voted out by a vote led Christian Hubicki. But don't feel too bad for her, because she had a lot to say. About the edit, about the lack of female stories this season, and about whether Paramount's new ownership under Skydance is already casting a shadow over the show. She went there. Fully. 

Then Charlie Davis, everyone's favorite, got blindsided in a move largely engineered by Rizzo Velovic. He broke down what went wrong, what he didn't know in the moment and why he still hasn't met Taylor Swift but remains hopeful. 

Both chats with Angelina and Charlie are up now at Newsweek. Go check them out. You're welcome. 

Taylor Swift became a fixture at Kansas City Chiefs games over the past three NFL seasons, supporting now-fiancé Travis Kelce through two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl championship.

On Thursday night, Kelce was by Swift’s side at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards — their first awards show together since they started dating in 2023.

Swift took home seven awards, including Artist of the Year. and Best Pop Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl.

"The album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ was really inspired by the energy that I felt looking into crowds and seeing you guys and connecting with you every single night [on The Eras Tour]," Swift said during her acceptance speech.

“This album probably also feels very happy and confident and free because that's the way that I get to feel every single day of my life because of my fiancé, who is here tonight. So, thanks for all the vibes!”

By Zak Wojnar

Olivier Paris stars in Scared to Death, the new horror comedy from writer/director Paul Boyd. Paris stars as Jasper, the long-suffering assistant to an acclaimed film director working on a scary movie, Death House.

In order to prepare for the shoot, the film's stars go to a supposed real-life haunted house for a seance, with Jasper hoping to make a behind-the-scenes documentary. He's in search of his big break, but gets more than he expected once the terror begins.

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