Latest news with #TheShield
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karrion Kross Hopes Multi-Time AEW Champion Returns To WWE One Day
Karrion Kross wants to see a multi-time AEW Champion make his way back to WWE. WWE superstar Karrion Kross recently appeared on Battleground Podcast to talk about his former gimmick and WrestleMania promo among other things. During the conversation, the hosts asked Kross about AEW World Champion Jon Moxley. Advertisement 'Jon's a former WWE champion,' he said. 'He's competed and performed with some of the best people in the world. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, The Shield. I didn't know him. I put out a promo attempting to pique intrigue to see if that's a match people wanted. They wanted it. He didn't know me. I didn't know him.' Karrion Kross reveals Jon Moxley complimented his work 'I really wanted to work with him as soon as I found out that he wasn't signed, and he showed up. We didn't know each other. We worked, and then as soon as we got backstage, it feels weird talking about somebody else giving you compliments about your work. It is. But he was very complimentary, and that's where that conversation began and not to stir the pot, but I just, I want Jon to be happy wherever he is. 'I do hope one day. I do hope one day that he does come back to WWE because I think it would be insane. I think it would be insane, and I would love to compete with him here. I would love to compete with him here so we can finish what we started. That's what I will say.' [H/T Fightful] Advertisement Though the pair didn't meet in a WWE ring, Karrion Kross and Jon Moxley did cross paths at FSW Natural Born Killers on July 5, 2019, a month after Moxley's AEW in-ring debut against Joey Janela at the promotion's inaugural Fyter Fest event. RELATED: Karrion Kross Has A Great Reason For Wearing A Goofy Disguise in Public The post Karrion Kross Hopes Multi-Time AEW Champion Returns To WWE One Day appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Beautiful, Brutal Action of ‘Predator: Killer of Killers'
For director Dan Trachtenberg, 'Prey' was only the beginning in time-jumping the 'Predator' franchise back to the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. With 'Predator: Killer of Killers,' Trachtenberg not only embraces animation for the first time but also expands the time-jumping motif in an anthology film that spans Scandinavia in 841, feudal Japan in 1609, and the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942. This means Predators fighting Vikings, samurai, and ninja, and World War II fighter pilots. The surviving humans then compete gladiator-style on the Predator planet, eventually going up against the titular 'Killer of Killers' Yautja. More from IndieWire Wayward Teens Find Solace in Horse Country During Sundance Award-Winning 'East of Wall' Trailer 'Inside' Review: Guy Pearce Delivers Another Incredible Supporting Performance in Australian Prison Drama That Cuts Through All the Bull 'It was really a pleasure to experiment and find crazy notions and ideas, and then let them literally just be that way,' Trachtenberg told IndieWire. ' It was pure indulgence. And, of course, marrying that with stories that are really emotional and intense, and characters that are facing conflicts before the Predator even shows up.' In 'The Shield,' Viking warrior Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy) leads her clan on an expedition to avenge the death of her father and faces off against the Predator Brute, equipped with a sonic charge from a wrist gauntlet. In 'The Shield,' two warring brothers, samurai Kenji and exiled ninja Kiyoshi (Louis Ozawa), take on the Predator Assassin, who wields, among other things, a spear that transforms. And in 'The Bullet,' aspiring pilot Torres (Rick Gonzalez) goes up against Pilot Predator and his high-tech spaceship in a dog fight. Trachtenberg, who made 'Killer of Killers' simultaneously with the upcoming live-action 'Predator: Badlands' (November 7), was eager to explore all three underdog stories in a painterly CG style of animation similar to Netflix's Emmy-winning 'Arcane.' Joining him as co-director was Josh Wassung, co-founder of acclaimed visualization studio The Third Floor, which has a long association with Marvel. Wassung has worked with Trachtenberg on many of his projects as well, and convinced him after some tests that his company was prepared to tackle an animated feature for the first time. 'The test results were very cool and they all had something to prove, which ignited things, and I'm thrilled that people are responding to the animation because a lot of people worked really hard,' Trachtenberg said. 'What's rewarding is that the animation medium allows for a lot of experimentation because it is so art forward that something can be both beautiful and brutal, which is an aesthetic that I'm always fascinated by and prefer to engage in.' This allowed more daring creature design, fight choreography, camera movement, and lighting. 'We have to figure out how to get a guy in his suit and it changes a little bit, and then we can only film it for it to hold up in live action,' added Trachtenberg. 'So the designs really become stylized and move in ways we always hoped they could move. And all of that was something that we could only make in this kind of movie.' Of all the creature designs, the Predator Brute proved the most challenging. ' Where do they go? How do they fit? How can we best use them? And when that leapt to the forefront of, 'Oh, my gosh, that's definitely the Viking era Predator,' we realized it was now going earlier even than 'Prey' was. It tasked us with figuring out it's gotta have tech, but it has to still feel pre from what 'Prey' had,' the director said. Trachtenberg was also proud of the 'Back Biter' creature featured on the Predator planet. ' I think that was Josh's idea to put the mouth on the back of the head,' he said. 'It became my favorite idea of the whole thing. What a cool design. I would love to do more movies with just that creature.' But linking the three stories to generational conflicts set in different periods is what most animated Trachtenberg. ' There's a line in 'Magnolia' that says, 'You may be done with the past, but the past ain't done with you.' And that is a theme that I think is the most important one for us to examine, period,' he said. 'And so whenever there's a chance to tell a story about generations dealing with things, characters trying to break cycles, and underdogs, that is what I find most compelling. So this movie really has all of those things.' 'Predator: Killer of Killers' is now streaming on Hulu. Best of IndieWire The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in June, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal' All 12 Wes Anderson Movies, Ranked, from 'Bottle Rocket' to 'The Phoenician Scheme' Nightmare Film Shoots: The 38 Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from 'Deliverance' to 'The Wages of Fear'
Economic Times
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
BMF Season 4: Starz crime show's release date, plot, cast and production team
BMF Season 4 is set to return on June 6, with new episodes airing weekly on Starz. The trailer teases fresh developments, including a new character played by Michael story follows Meech and Terry Flenory as they expand their music label in Atlanta during the 1990s. Their goal is to grow their influence beyond Detroit and into national markets. The brothers face multiple challenges. These include police pressure, rival enemies and issues within their partnership. The tension between them increases as they try to trust one another. Also Read: Nintendo Switch 2: Is new gaming console available in market? Details here Michael Chiklis will appear in a cameo role as DEA Agent Taylor. His character helps in the investigation against the Flenory brothers. This adds another hurdle for Meech and Terry. Chiklis is known for his roles in The Shield and Fantastic Four. His presence brings a new element to the storyline. Eric Kofi-Abrefa returns as Lamar, the Flenory brothers' longtime enemy. At the end of Season 2, Lamar was shown struggling with drug use. Donnell Rawlings also returns as Alvin, Lamar's cousin, who brings a lighter tone to the Read: Ginny & Georgia Season 3 Ending Explained: Here's what happened Season 4 will feature returning cast members like Russell Hornsby as Charles Flenory, Michole Briana White as Lucille Flenory, La La Anthony as Markisha, Steve Harris as Detective Bryant, and Myles Truitt as B-Mickie. The show is executive-produced by Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson and creator Randy Huggins. Heather Zuhlke serves as showrunner. Other executive producers include Anthony Wilson, Damione Macedon and Raphael Jackson, Jr. The series is produced through G-Unit Film and Television in collaboration with Lionsgate Television. Who does Michael Chiklis play in BMF Season 4? Michael Chiklis plays DEA Agent Taylor, who joins the investigation against the Flenory brothers and adds pressure to their criminal organization. When does BMF Season 4 start streaming? BMF Season 4 starts streaming on Friday, June 6, with new episodes released weekly on the Starz app.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Predator: Killer of Killers' movie review: Thrilling trinity of ultra-violence is a new Yautja best
By all means, Predator: Killer of Killers had no business being as exhilarating as it is. On paper, the premise read like the (very real) sandbox fantasies of a twelve-year-old freshly chancing upon a dusty DVD with the cool, gun-toting muscle-man on the cover: What if the Predator fought a Viking? Or a samurai? Or a WWII pilot? In the deft hands of Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung, however, this page off an AskScienceFiction subreddit thread has instead shaped into a richly imagined R-rated animated spectacle that is ferociously stylish. Structured as a triptych of ultraviolent vignettes, Killer of Killers sidesteps the predictable bloat of franchise expansion. Clocking in at just over 80 minutes, each chapter feels like a beautifully illustrated poem of death, framed in a moody chiaroscuro. There's a sort of austere theatricality to its construction. A bit of Assassin's Creed meets Heavy Metal, with the gorgeous aesthetic sensibilities of Netflix's Blue Eye Samurai. Predator: Killer of Killers (Multilingual) Director: Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung Cast: Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn Run-time: 87 minutes Storyline: A Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a World War II pilot encounter the titular intergalactic hunter The three chapters — 'The Shield,' 'The Sword,' and 'The Bullet' — each pit a member of humanity's warrior class against one of the universe's most militant tourists: the Yautja, or what the less-unhinged fans commonly call 'Predators.' They are apex hobbyists, slicing their way across centuries in search of worthy opponents. 'The Shield' begins on the windy coasts of Scandinavia. Ursa, a shieldmaiden fueled by a Hamletian bloodthirst, storms an enemy stronghold in pursuit of revenge. Just as she triumphs, a cloaked interloper enters the stage, dispatching her comrades' heads from their bodies. The carnage is operatic, and choreographed with a balletic rhythm. Ursa's duel with this armour-less behemoth with a bionic sonic cannon is the stuff of legends. Rendered in Unreal Engine, the style blends 3D depth with hand-painted 2D textures, creating a look that hovers somewhere between graphic novel and moving fresco. The Viking sequence alone feels like Frank Frazetta's sketchpad sprung to life, full of fog-drenched fjords, flailing limbs, and the glint of bloodied steel. From there, we move east to feudal Japan. 'The Sword' follows twin brothers trained in the art of war, who find themselves entangled in a duel for succession. The Predator in this segment is stealthy and precise, cutting through shadows with a chain-sickle and cloaking tech that makes even a shinobi nervous. The storytelling is sparse and nearly silent, which lends it the air of a Noh play, though one in which the masks are eventually ripped off and the faces underneath are cleaved in two. The chapter comes to a beautiful, poetic bookend with the same haiku that opens it. Then, in 'The Bullet,' the film takes to the skies above the Pacific during the second World War. A chatty Navy mechanic-turned-pilot's cocky optimism is tested when his dogfight with Nazi planes is interrupted by something otherworldly. The Predator here is like a space pirate, complete with a cybernetic eyepatch and a ship that spits alien harpoons. Of the three stories, this one takes the longest to get airborne, weighed down slightly by its earnest backstory. But once it lifts off, it does so with a gory Top Gun-like panache. These segments are not connected by plot so much as by theme. Each hero is fighting their own war that's just as much against their interstellar enemies, as it is against the crushing weight of expectation, legacy, and self-worth. This makes Killer of Killers feel, unexpectedly (and unpretentiously), like a meditation on the cost of proving oneself. Even the Predators' motives are encoded in the title. They're hunting killers, to become better killers themselves, and that logic feels aptly circular. The final act brings these disparate warriors together for a last stand on Yautja Prime, and the tone pivots slightly toward the absurd. The physics get looser, the pacing accelerates, and the final battle is a delirious jamboree of swords, shields, and alien tech. But even here, the film never loses sight of its confidence. Perhaps the real shocker here is that Killer of Killers never once feels like a commercial for something else. Granted, there's a little nod to Trachtenberg's Prey, and a breadcrumb or two pointing toward his upcoming Predator: Badlands. But for once, the fan-service feels exciting, and that's only because Killer of Killers is a full-course meal under the guise of an animated amuse-bouche for bigger things to come. It knows exactly what kind of lean, mean and mercifully self-contained franchise extension it is, and like a perfectly executed decapitation, it's all the more satisfying for how clean the cut is. Predator: Killer of Killers is currently streaming on JioHotstar
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The MITB Effect: WWE Money In The Bank winners — who soared, who sputtered and who never recovered?
Tiffany Stratton made the most of her WWE Money In The Bank win. But who wasn't so lucky? (WWE/Getty Images) Assuming you aren't a new convert to WWE after the big Netflix move, you'll be familiar with the deal when it comes to Money in the Bank — the longstanding Premium Live Event (PLE) which returns for its 16th annual outing this Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Out of all the big gimmicks in the WWE arsenal, Money in the Bank is the most geared toward propelling rising stars into the main title scene. Its premise is simple: Become the first wrestler to retrieve the famous MITB briefcase — via a multi-wrestler ladder match — and you win the right to challenge a WWE champion at the time of your choosing. Advertisement In theory, then, MITB should be a turning point for the winner — both in terms of kayfabe and real life. But how well does that happen in practice? We revisited the past 10 years of MITB winners to see how much of a difference it made for them. 2015 MITB winner: Sheamus Unlike most of the later winners, WWE's favorite Dubliner was already highly-credentialed at the time of his MITB victory, having already won the Royal Rumble and become WWE champ. But after fate (or more accurately Bray Wyatt) intervened to stop the ascendant Roman Reigns winning MITB in 2015, it was Sheamus who climbed the ladder to scoop the prize. The Irish lad ultimately executed a successful surprise cash-in that November, launching an ambush attack on then-champion Roman Reigns. Within a few weeks, though, the apparent injustice was righted, with Reigns defeating Sheamus on 'WWE Raw' to reclaim the title, despite the efforts of Triple H and the corporate hierarchy. Advertisement How has Sheamus fared since then? Ten years later, 'The Celtic Warrior' remains a much-loved part of the WWE roster, with a track record for scene-stealing matches. MITB may not have been crucial to his career, but it certainly didn't hurt him either. MITB boost rating: 3/5 2016 MITB winner: Dean Ambrose One year after the combustion of The Shield, Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley in AEW) was the only member of the trio to not have held the top prize in WWE. That all changed at the 2016 MITB match in Las Vegas, when 'The Lunatic Fringe' was able to get his mitts on the briefcase, setting up an instant showdown with WWE champion — and former Shield man — Seth Rollins, which Ambrose won. Advertisement In Ambrose's case, winning MITB was probably less influential on his career than being picked for The Shield in the first place — something that effectively marked him out as a future champion. Even so, his MITB run set in place one of his best turns in WWE, as he went on to feud with AJ Styles for the WWE championship. MITB boost rating: 3/5 2017 MITB winners: Baron Corbin, Carmella The long-running Baron Corbin saga has to go down as one of the greatest examples of wasted potential in modern WWE history. In his near decade on the main roster, the two-time Golden Gloves winner never quite reached the heights many expected based on his superb run in the developmental territory. Advertisement As much as we might blame the creatives, Corbin's failed MITB cash-in stands out as one of the bigger disappointments during that time. Not winning the title was bad enough, but to lose to an opportunistic roll-up from Jinder Mahal on a random episode of 'WWE SmackDown'? That's not the way you treat someone of Corbin's talents. The 2017 event also debuted the first women's MITB match, with Carmella picking up the win with a 'comedy' finish involving James Ellsworth. As cringe as it might have been, it didn't stop her from becoming champion afterward, as the 'Princess of Staten Island' scored a big win over 'The Queen' Charlotte Flair. MITB boost rating: Corbin 1/5, Carmella 2/5 2018 MITB winners: Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss By the time he got his hands on the fateful briefcase, Braun Strowman was already in the middle of a massive run. Sure, we may cringe at the moments like The Greatest Royal Rumble (where Strowman eliminated a record 12 competitors) and the Braun and Nicholas tag match, but they both carry the hallmarks of a major Vince McMahon push. Advertisement For all his apparent invincibility, 'The Monster Among Men' eventually failed his cash-in — though not without a fight — falling victim to Roman Reigns and the reunited Shield. The defeat did little to dent Strowman's image: Six months later he was still being booked strong as hell, including taking multiple F5s in a showdown with Brock Lesnar. The women's match was also won by a well-established talent, with Alexa Bliss emerging from a stacked lineup also featuring Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair. Wasting zero time, the pint-sized superstar cashed in her contract on the very same night, taking the title from her longstanding rival Nia Jax. MITB boost rating: Strowman 2/5, Bliss 4/5 2019 MITB winners: Brock Lesnar, Bayley The 2019 men's match saw one of the more controversial MITB decisions. Rather than use the match to elevate the likes of Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor or Mustafa Ali, WWE chose to hand the briefcase (almost literally) to a returning Brock Lesnar, who hardly broke a sweat after being revealed as a late entrant into the big match. Advertisement Was there a method to the madness? Not really, given that Lesnar had ruled the roost in WWE for much of the past decade and would've been a solid contender for a Universal Championship shot on any day of the week. Why not just have him come back and stare down the champion at another time? Luckily, things went much better on the women's side of things, with the former champ Bayley getting another shot at the big prize after a crowd-pleasing MITB win. The resulting cash-in made Bayley the first ever woman to become a Grand Slam champion, securing her place in wrestling history. MITB boost rating: Lesnar 1/5, Bayley 4/5 2020 MITB winners: Otis, Asuka Five years after Covid-19 reared its ugly head, much of the pandemic-era WWE feels like a fever dream — and the infamous "Corporate Ladder" match at the 2020 MITB stands out as one of the maddest moments in the whole thing. Advertisement Having the briefcase literally fall into the hands of Otis was always going to divide opinion. But the real shocker came a few months later, when the 330-pound superstar put his title shot on the line in a one-on-one match with The Miz — and lost it. Since when was it possible to use the MITB briefcase as a stipulation to be traded like a futures contract? Half a decade on we've still never really had the answer to that question. Although the fact that it hasn't happened since suggests that WWE learned its lesson on that front. Elsewhere at Titan Towers, it was Asuka who emerged as the women's MITB winner, fending off the ever-dominant Nia Jax and a promising Shayna Baszler. Rather than cashing in, 'The Empress of Tomorrow' was literally handed the Women's Championship 24 hours later, due to champion Becky Lynch going on family leave. Despite the happy circumstances, it was an underwhelming payoff for Asuka. Thankfully, it did nothing to damage the rise of the former Kabuki Warrior, who consistently proved herself as one of the breakthrough talents of the era in the years to come. Advertisement MITB boost rating: Otis 0/5, Asuka 3/5 2021 MITB winners: Big E, Nikki ASH As the first PLE to have a live crowd in almost 18 months, the 2021 MITB event had a euphoric atmosphere from the kickoff. But the feel-good factor picked up even further when the ever-positive Big E scored a major babyface triumph in the MITB ladder match. The good vibes surged again two months later, when the New Day member pulled off a successful cash-in on 'WWE Raw' to become World Champion for the first time in his career. After two years of MITB disappointments on the men's side of things, it was a welcome return to how things are supposed to work. Advertisement In the end, though, Big E's run on top was undone by two unfortunate events out of his control. Firstly, the sidelining of Roman Reigns with Covid-19 (which led to Brock Lesnar winning the World Championship in a hastily reshuffled main card at WrestleMania Day 1), and secondly, the heartbreaking neck injury that Big E suffered two months later. He remains out of action more than four years later. As for the women's match, it was former tag-team champ Nikki ASH who proved the victor in a strong field. While the Scottish star maintained the women's 100% cash-in rate by becoming champion, her star lost some luster in the post-Vince years. MITB boost rating: Big E 4/5, Nikki ASH 2/5 2022 MITB winners: Austin Theory, Liv Morgan When the 24-year-old Austin Theory was announced as a last-minute entrant in the MITB match in 2022, it looked like the next step in a monster push for the promising rookie, who clearly had the backing of Vince McMahon. As expected, the cocky upstart soon left Las Vegas as a MITB winner. Advertisement Who could have predicted at the time that it'd all fizzle out for Theory, who ended up wasting his briefcase on a failed attempt to win the U.S. Championship (a prize he'd already held until recently) in a move that somehow managed to be both unexpected and massively underwhelming? Things couldn't have been more different on the women's side, with the rising star Liv Morgan using her breakthrough MITB victory to score an instant win over the fearsome Ronda Rousey. The sheer roar from the live crowd as the title changed hands showed how positively the fans felt about Morgan's elevation. MITB boost rating: Theory 1/5, Morgan 5/5 2023 MITB winners: Damian Priest, Iyo Sky After an unexpected victory in London in 2023, Damian Priest waited almost a whole year before cashing in his briefcase, eventually using it to dethrone a humiliated Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. Advertisement Not only was it a memorable cash-in, it also helped Priest launch himself as a credible world champion and push his WWE career to the next level — in other words, exactly what MITB is meant to be for. Two years after the big cash-in, he remains a solid upper mid-carder with the respect of the fan base behind him. Priest's fellow winner, Iyo Sky, pursued a similarly impressive path, executing a successful cash-in at SummerSlam and embarking on a stellar run as WWE Women's Champion. Two years later, she has regained the gold — and sits firmly at the top of our latest pro-wrestling power rankings. MITB boost rating: Priest 3.5/5, Sky 4/5 2024 MITB winners: Drew McIntyre, Tiffany Stratton If we're taking a big-picture view, then Drew McIntyre's victory at last year's MITB is a tricky one to judge. On one hand it added another chapter to his superb psychodrama rivalry with CM Punk; on the other hand, it basically wasted the whole MITB concept to achieve something that could've been done in other ways. Advertisement He may be one of the more compelling talents on the WWE roster, but can you honestly argue that winning MITB made any significant contribution to McIntyre's status in the long run? As for Tiffany Stratton, the former cheerleader had been clearly marked for big things from the moment she received the call-up to WWE's main roster, so it was no surprise to see her walking out of the Scotiabank Arena gripping that briefcase (which she later refashioned in a dashing pink). From there, Tiffy defeated her former friend Nia Jax in one of the biggest 'WWE SmackDown' moments of 2024, before going on to secure a massive WrestleMania 41 win over Charlotte Flair. In truth, you suspect Stratton would've reached stardom with or without MITB — but there's no denying she made the most of it. MITB boost rating: McIntyre 1/5, Stratton 4/5
