Nintendo will raise the price of its original Switch console in the U.S. beginning Sunday, the company said Friday in a statement posted to its website. Nintendo attributed the changes to “market conditions.”
The Switch OLED and Lite models will also see price changes, along with other products, including some Switch 2 accessories. Pricing for the new Switch 2 is unchanged.
The Switch 2 has been a huge hit. Nintendo sold over 6 million units during the console’s first seven weeks at retail, the company revealed with its earnings this week.
Still, the company has been wrestling with the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs. Nintendo increased the cost of Switch 2 accessories ahead of its launch in early June. That was the company’s immediate response after the U.S. began levying tariffs on trade partners including Japan, where Nintendo is headquartered, along with Vietnam and China, which handles the bulk of manufacturing for the video game company.
Other Nintendo products impacted by the price changes include the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo. The company didn’t specify what the new prices will be. The original Switch was priced at $299 and the Switch 2 at $449.
New Zealand captain Mitch Santner said a “great collective performance” enabled the Black Caps to beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets on the third day of the first Test at Queens Sports Club on Friday.
But while the bowlers had excelled, he said the batting could have been better.
Led by fast bowler Matt Henry, New Zealand bowled out Zimbabwe for 149 and 165 and needed only eight runs to win after taking a first innings lead of 158.
Henry was named player of the match, taking nine wickets for 90 runs across the two innings.
“There was more in it (the pitch) than we thought. We held our lengths and lines,” said Santner, who captained New Zealand for the first time in a Test in the absence of Tom Latham with a shoulder injury.
It was New Zealand’s first Test match of the year and Henry’s performance came immediately after a triangular Twenty20 series won by New Zealand in Harare, where Henry was player of the tournament.
“With the chop and change in formats, you’ve got to trust the work you’ve put in,” said Henry. “When you have assistance (from conditions), it was great we were able to exploit it.”
New Zealand were bowled out for 307 in their first innings, with the only major contributions coming from Devon Conway (88) and Daryl Mitchell (80).
“We could have batted a bit better,” said Santner. “We had good intent. We talked about getting partnerships together but didn’t have many significant ones.”
Santner said there was concern about the condition of seamer Nathan Smith, who took three for 20 in the first innings of just his third Test but could not take the field in the second innings because of an abdominal injury.
“I feel for him. He bowled so well in the first innings but it doesn’t look good for him,” said Santner.
Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine said his batsmen had shown more application than they did in two recent Tests against South Africa in Bulawayo.
“There was a fair bit in the wicket but the guys tried to grind it out,” he said.
Ervine said a key passage of play was on the first evening when Conway and Will Young put on 92 without loss for the first wicket despite Zimbabwe bowling well.
“I haven’t seen as much lateral movement as there was here for a while. We could have easily picked up two or three (wickets).”
IF one wants to understand how extreme and religiously fuelled nationalism can lead to damage and devastation, we need only look at the example of two leaders — India’s Narendra Modi and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Indian prime minister’s Hindu supremacist ideas, which he has pursued at least from his days of sponsoring pogroms when he was chief minister of Gujrat, have fostered a delusional Hindutva identity. His belief is pushed by every government institution. A purged media tows the ruling BJP’s party line.
In Israel, the genocidal PM Netanyahu has killed tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians in the process of claiming all of Gaza for his state and pursuing a belief that Jews are entitled to the land. He, too, has cracked down on media and purged government institutions of his opponents. Recently, the New York Times detailed how Netanyahu prolonged the Gaza war in order to extend his own time in power.
However, recent events suggest that the edifice of lies and bloodthirsty greed may finally be crumbling in the case of both leaders. Ironically, one indication of this lies in the words of another authoritarian leader. The mercurial US President Donald Trump recently went against Netanyahu by reiterating that the people of Gaza were experiencing starvation. He also denounced India’s “obnoxious tariff regime” and imposed 25 per cent duties on all Indian goods, essentially rolling his eyes at the bromance Modi had boasted about.
This week, the argument over whether India faces a foreign policy debacle began in the Lok Sabha which debated the topic of “India’s strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam”.
Despite the self-congratulatory name given to the debate, facts about Operation Sindoor were finally said out aloud. The truth-teller, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi underscored facts the rest of the world already knows.
India and Israel are starting to feel the effects of their wrongdoings.
He pointed out, for instance, that Pakistan had indeed taken down five Indian aircraft and that the government had pushed Pakistan and China into a close military relationship.
His speech also implied that Modi had used the military not as a tool of defence but as a means to prop up domestic support — most of the world already knew that the intention behind Operation Sindoor had a lot to do with Modi wanting to whet nationalist fervour and thus support for himself. Online polls taken after Gandhi’s speech showed that the opposition leader had been listened to by a significantly larger number of people than Modi’s speech.
Such an indictment of the Modi government’s foreign policy may have been forgotten had the Trump administration not slapped enhanced tariffs on India and even punished Indian companies found buying Iranian oil. To really get at India, the American president added that India now had a “dead economy”.
It is becoming increasingly clear that India has been kicked to the kerb not just by China but also by the US. While Modi’s virtually state-controlled media is unlikely to fully admit to the tremendous setback that this represents for India, it is likely that the economic interests of that country will begin to squirm in a way that they have not before. In brief, India has been left in a supplicant’s position before both the existing and ascendant superpower.
Netanyahu is also losing. France, Canada and the UK have or are about to recognise the State of Palestine. Second, the entire world is increasingly becoming united on the position that the Israeli state is committing genocide in Gaza and is busy in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Even Israel’s own human rights organisations have begun to acknowledge that Israel is carrying out genocide.
The New York Times piece mentioned earlier in this column also underscored how Netanyahu rejected a proposal in April through which the war could have ended (the Israeli state would then have been recognised by Saudi Arabia) simply because he needed to prolong the war so he would not have to face trial on account of the criminal charges against him.
The cases of both PMs reveal the limits of bloodthirsty religious nationalist leaders. If domestic politics were all there was to consider, feeding their publics delusions would continue to deliver. This is not the case; countries ultimately must deal with other countries and no one likes to associate with people who think they are somehow inherently chosen by a higher power to be superior and special.
In this case, the whole world is telling both India and Israel to withdraw and take their delusional self-importance, entitlement and sense of supremacy with them.
The writer is an attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.
WWE Champion John Cena declared Friday night on SmackDown that he’s over his B.S. and is now back to adhering to his principles of hustle, loyalty and respect.
The announcement was a rather shocking development as Cena is less than 48 hours away from defending his WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight at WWE SummerSlam. The Never Seen 17-Time World Champion gave credit to the American Nightmare giving him the ‘wake up call’ he needed when Rhodes assaulted him and forced him to sign the contract for SummerSlam.
Cena said that he lost his way months ago when he was talked into shocking the world and delivering great television. He sold out everything he held dear for one final shot at glory and was then abandoned by cohorts and forced to carry on the charade alone.
It was at Elimination Chamber back on March 1 that Cena turned his back on Cody Rhodes and the WWE Universe by taking part in a brutal beatdown of the American Nightmare, alongside The Rock and Travis Scott.
The Rock, Travis Scott, John Cena / WWE.com
No more Final Boss, no more Travis Scott. John Cena is fighting for himself once again and he will bring everything he has into this Street Fight on Sunday.
He did admit that he wants to retire with the WWE Championship, but not to ruin professional wrestling. Cena said he loves pro wrestling, but he wants to take the title with him so the fans don’t forget about him when he’s gone.
Upon hearing what Cena had to say, all Cody Rhodes could do was smile. He then called for a couple of beers from the timekeepers area, cracked them open and shared a drink with his old mentor as he welcomed him back to WWE.
It will now be the American Nightmare against the Greatest of All Time, and John Cena says he will be at his best. If Cody wants some, he better come get some.
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The proposal to boycott the Legends League final has been rejected. During the PCB Governing Board meeting, it was decided to uphold the policy of keeping politics out of sports.
According to details, an emergency virtual meeting of the PCB Governing Board was held yesterday, attended by all members. The only agenda item was the World Championship of Legends. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi presided over the meeting via video call from the USA.
Sources say that the participants unanimously decided that no one would be allowed to use the name “Pakistan” in future editions of the Legends League unless permitted by the board.
Some members suggested boycotting the final match of the event, pointing out that both owners and sponsors are Indian, and in response to facing setbacks on the battlefield and within the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), India has tried to politicise sports.
The team refused to play both matches against “Pakistan Champions.” After forfeiting the first match, they should not have been awarded any points, but the organisers gave them one point to help them reach the semi-finals. Since the name “Pakistan Champions” includes the country’s name, members argued that Pakistan should have the final say in such matters.
However, Zaheer Abbas and several other members advised against boycotting the final, saying that Pakistan has never politicised sports and should maintain that stance. All members gave Mohsin Naqvi the authority to make the final decision, expressing confidence in his leadership following the successful handling of the recent ACC meeting. Most members agreed that the team should play the final, but future decisions about this event will be made solely by the PCB Governing Board.
The board members also congratulated Naqvi on the successful hosting of the ACC meeting, to which he responded by crediting teamwork for the achievement.
Ahead of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season teams have been busy securing their squads. Here is a summary of the latest player signatures.
NSW Waratahs – INS/Resigned
NSW Waratahs have signed talented lock Angus Blyth from the Queensland Reds to add strength and depth to the second-row department. Blyth, who also has four Wallabies caps to his name, played fourteen times for the Queensland Reds in 2025 for seventy-five Queensland games in total. Angus Blyth said: “For me, this is a new chapter to look forward to in my rugby career. Going to the NSW Waratahs is a major change of scenery with new coaches and new players and it will definitely push me out of my comfort zone. I have been at the Reds for the past eight seasons; so, getting into something different in Sydney is exciting.”
The NSW Waratahs are thrilled to announce the signing of exciting New Zealand hooker Ioane Moananu from the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific championship winning Crusaders. Moananu, 24, will provide valuable strength to a key area in the NSW Waratahs line-up. Moananu, who has earned eighteen Super Rugby caps, played in twelve Super Rugby Pacific games for the Crusaders in 2025, scoring five tries.
Wallabies outside back Harry Potter has joined the NSW Waratahs from the Western Force for the next two years after re-committing with Rugby Australia until the end of 2027. In 2021, the versatile back, moved to his birth country, linking up with Leicester Tigers where he went on to become a key member of the 2022 Premiership winning side and finished with 67 appearances and 20 tries for the club over three seasons. He returned to Australia and made his Super Rugby Pacific debut for the Force in 2024 and went on to make his international debut, scoring against Scotland in Edinburgh. The 27-year-old had another standout year for his club in 2025 and started for the Wallabies on the wing in Sunday’s victory over Fiji.
The NSW Waratahs have bolstered their front row stocks as part of their rebuild by re-signing tighthead prop Siosifa Amone and hooker Ethan Dobbins. Amone played five games for 140 minutes in 2025; all as a replacement, including Round 1 against the Highlanders when he scored two tries. He joined from the Western Force where he earned thirteen Super Rugby caps. Dobbins returned to NSW from the Rebels with five Super Rugby caps. In his first season with the NSW Waratahs this year, he played five Super Rugby Pacific games, four in the first XV and one as a reserve for 233 minutes.
Former Wallaby and Brumby lock Matt Philip has signed for the NSW Waratahs. The experienced lock returns to Australian rugby after playing in Japan, armed with a two-year deal at the NSW Waratahs and a deep sense of gratitude. Philip last played for the Wallabies at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and is eager to earn his way back into the green and gold.
The NSW Waratahs have re-signed rising star Teddy Wilson for 2026. Wilson debuted for the NSW Waratahs against the Queensland Reds in 2022, has earned 23 Super Rugby caps with 20 points from four tries. In 2025, the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Club scrumhalf played twelve Super Rugby Pacific matches. Seven of those games were in the run-on side and five were off the bench for fifteen points from three tries in a total of 538 minutes.
The NSW Waratahs have re-signed centre Joey Walton for 2026. Walton has been one of the most consistent players for the NSW Waratahs, playing in thirteen of their fourteen 2025 Super Rugby Pacific games. Walton, whose NSW Waratahs debut was against the Queensland Reds in 2020 has forty-five caps, and played the full game in every one bar two in 2025.
Rugby Australia and the NSW Waratahs are happy to confirm Pete Samu will return home to Australian Rugby later this year. Currently contracted to Bordeaux in the French Top 14, the athletic back rower will link up with the NSW Waratahs at the conclusion of his commitments in France. Born in Melbourne, Samu was part of the ACT Brumbies Super Rugby AU title winning side in 2020 under current NSW coach Dan McKellar, and went on to become a regular Wallaby under Dave Rennie, having a particularly memorable 2022 Test season.
The NSW Waratahs and Rugby Australia are pleased to confirm Jake Gordon has re-signed for a further two years, making him the latest Wallaby to re-commit until at least the home Rugby World Cup in 2027. He made his Super Rugby debut in 2017 against the Lions in Johannesburg and was called into his first Wallabies squad a year later, making his debut in the starting nine jersey against Italy in Padova on the Spring Tour. The 31-year-old was named captain of his state in 2021 and has gone on to represent the NSW Waratahs on 106 occasions. At Wallabies level, he has pulled on the gold jersey 31 times with 2024 his most consistent season where he started in all nine Tests he was selected for.
The NSW Waratahs are firmly focused on the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season and with an eye on the future, they have announced the re-signing of three players. The NSW Waratahs squad has been buoyed by news of prop Daniel Botha, lock Ben Grant and centre Henry O’Donnell extending their contracts for another two years.
NSW Waratahs – OUT
One-test Wallabies flyhalf Tane Edmed has signed a two-year deal for the ACT Brumbies in a bid to revive his test career after five seasons with the New South Wales Waratahs. The 24-year-old made his test debut against Ireland last November but was overlooked for Joe Schmidt’s Australia squad for the British & Irish Lions series.
Queensland Reds – INS/Resigned
The Queensland Rugby Union is delighted to announce the re-signing of fullback Jock Campbell on the eve of a landmark honour for the Queensland Reds. Campbell, 30, captained the Reds against the British and Irish Lions at a packed Suncorp Stadium. It is the venue that the elusive fullback has called home for a fine 93-game career for the Reds that will now extend across 2026 with a new one-year contract.
Queensland Reds captain Tate McDermott has confirmed he will stay at Ballymore until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, turning down any short-term offers from overseas. Wallaby scrum-half McDermott re-signed for four years at the start of 2023, although he had an option to head overseas as part of a sabbatical.
Dynamic Wallabies backrower Seru Uru has been re-signed by the Queensland Reds for 2026 in an upbeat move, the Queensland Rugby Union announced today. Uru’s direct, physical play, coupled with his versatile skills, have been a significant factor in the backrow or at lock in the Reds’ game style over the past two seasons. He is one of the top offloading forwards in Super Rugby Pacific which complements attributes as a ball-carrier, ever-present support player, lineout winner and other skills he has sharpened.
The Queensland Rugby Union is delighted to announce that halfback Kalani Thomas has re-signed with the Queensland Reds through 2027. The new two-year deal locks in one of Super Rugby’s game-changing halfbacks to continue his development at Ballymore. Thomas, 23, had offers overseas to consider but was ultimately swayed by his desire to remain a Red in his home city and challenge himself to go as far as possible in Australian rugby.
Super Rugby stalwart Aidan Ross is to link with the Queensland Reds on a multi-year deal from mid-2025 to the end of 2027. Ross, 29, has been a powerful fixture in the front-row at the Chiefs since 2017. The 118kg former All Black has been a regular in the best Chiefs teams of recent seasons having played in the final of Super Rugby Pacific in 2023 and 2024 plus the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa decider.
Hooker Richie Asiata’s strong season for the Queensland Reds has been rewarded with a new contract for 2026. Asiata, 29, enjoyed his most consistent and productive season in Super Rugby in 2025. He has was selected for his 13th game of the campaign in the Reds’ Qualifying Final against the Crusaders in Christchurch.
The Queensland Rugby Union is delighted to announce that Wallabies centre Josh Flook has agreed to extend his deal at the Queensland Reds to the end of 2026. The one-year extension locks in an essential backline figure who has been an impressive member of the Reds for 55 games since his debut at 18 in 2020. Flook’s strong performances in the maroon jersey in 2024 catapulted him to the next level with a Test debut for the Wallabies against Wales and four caps in all.
Classy teenage backs Taione Taka and Treyvon Pritchard have been signed to advance their development with the Queensland Reds. The pair have committed to two-year elite development squad deals after being identified and developed as part of Queensland’s exciting crop of pathway talent. Today’s announcement also emphasises the Queensland Rugby Union’s commitment to developing local players to nourish the Reds into the future. The Taka and Pritchard signings follow the upbeat multi-year deals for promising young forwards Kingsley Uys, Will Ross, Bennett Armistead and Levi Slater.
Queensland Reds – OUT
The Queensland Reds wish to farewell and thank locks Ryan Smith and Angus Blyth for their stalwart service, with the duo departing Ballymore following the conclusion of their contracts. The towering duo poured a combined 13 seasons of effort into the Reds jersey they wore proudly. Smith has signed for Welsh club, Ospreys, having played 76 games at the Reds. Blyth, 27, played 14 times for the Reds in 2025 to build his strong career to 75 games for Queensland.
Queensland Reds prop and Wallaby Matt Gibbon has announced his retirement from professional rugby following a serious knee injury sustained during pre-season that has ruled out any chance of a return to the field in 2025.
ACT Brumbies – INS/Resigned
Promising prop Tevita Alatini has signed a two-year contract extension with the Safeguard Global ACT Brumbies until the end of 2028. Alatini, 21, was unfortunately ruled out for last season with a knee injury, suffered in Australia U20s 35-11 win over Georgia in last year’s World Rugby U20s Championship in South Africa. He recently returned to action for his club side Gungahlin Eagles.
Exciting youngster Jarrah McLeod has signed a two-year deal with the ACT Brumbies. McLeod, 21, started at the Brumbies as part of the Indigenous Pathways Program (IPP) that provides opportunities for young Indigenous players from across Australia to pursue rugby careers. The proud Yuin man made a huge impact off the bench, at inside centre, for the inaugural First Nations & Pasifika XV in their 24-19 loss against the British & Irish Lions in July.
The ACT Brumbies have bolstered their ranks at fly half with the signing of Tane Edmed from NSW Waratahs. Edmed, 24, moves to Canberra on a two-year deal, having appeared 52 times for the Waratahs in Super Rugby Pacific, scoring 254 points. He had made his Waratahs debut in Super Rugby AU in 2020 and went on to have a breakout year at the club in 2022, guiding his team to a famous 24-21 victory over the Crusaders at Leichhardt Oval in April that year. The Sydney-born stand-off also made an enormous impression for North Harbour in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship in 2024, scoring 137 points in 10 games, including four tries.
The ACT Brumbies second row Cadeyrn Neville has extended his contract with the club until the end of 2026. Veteran lock Neville, 36, moved to the nation’s capital in 2020 after three seasons in Japan with Toyota Industries Shuttles alongside club legend Christian Lealifano. He has gone on to play 62 times for the Brumbies, with nine of those caps coming last season.
ACT Brumbies and Wallabies fullback Tom Wright has re-signed with Australian Rugby. In a big boost, Wright has turned down offers from overseas to stay in Australia beyond the home Rugby World Cup and until the end of the 2028 season. The 27-year-old has become one of the staples of the Wallabies under Joe Schmidt. Wright played in 12 Tests in 2024, cementing himself as the first choice fullback for Australia in the British & Irish Lions series tis year.
ACT Brumbies and Wallabies hooker Billy Pollard has re-signed with Australian Rugby until the end of 2027. The hooker has started 11 games for the ACT-based club in 2025, helping them to a home qualifying final this weekend against the Hurricanes. Pollard debuted for the Wallabies in 2022 after a late call-up to face Argentina but 2024 was his breakthrough season in the gold jersey. The hooker played five Tests in 2024 and gained several more against the British & Irish Lions in July.
ACT Brumbies prop James Slipper has re-signed with the club on a one-year deal, putting him on track to become the most-capped Super Rugby player in the competition’s history in 2026. The 35-year-old currently has 195 Super Rugby caps to his name, leaving him seven appearances shy of fellow prop Wyatt Crockett, who played for the Crusaders from 2006-2018.
Lightning quick wing Corey Toole has signed a one-year contract extension with the ACT Brumbies until the end of 2026. Toole, 25, is the joint second-highest try scorer in this season’s Super Rugby Pacific, crossing the line nine times, including seven in his last seven appearances. While he has also registered the most line breaks in the competition with 21.
ACT Brumbies – OUT
Versatile forward Tom Hooper is set to leave the ACT Brumbies at the end of this season. A product of the Brumbies Pathway program, Hooper, 23, will sign for the 2019/20 English Premiership and European Champions Exeter Chiefs. The 23-year-old joined the Brumbies in 2021 and made his debut against the Crusaders later that year. He has gone on to make 38 appearances thus far for the Brumbies, including 14 last term. Hooper, who can play at lock or any position across the backrow, has 12 Wallabies caps to his name, including starting all four of their matches at the 2023 World Cup in France.
ACT Brumbies fly half Jack Debreczeni and wing Ben O’Donnell depart ed the club after the game against the British & Irish Lions. Head coach Stephen Larkham thanked the players for their efforts at the club during their stint in the nation’s capital.
Western Force – INS/Resigned
The Western Force are thrilled to confirm the addition of Argentina international lock Franco Molina on a two-year contract to bolster the side’s tight-five stocks. The 27-year-old will join the Force after spending the 2024-25 season with English Premiership Rugby outfit Exeter Chiefs. Molina has 12 Argentina caps to his name – after debuting for his country in July last year against France – including facing the Wallabies twice in last year’s Rugby Championship. He was also in the starting Pumas line-up for last month’s 28-24 win over the British and Irish Lions in the 1888 Cup in Dublin.
The Western Force have announced the contract extension of homegrown front-rower Marley Pearce for a further three years. The 21-year-old Perth-born loosehead prop has been a revelation since breaking into the Force’s Super Rugby side in the 2023 season, where he won the Club’s Rising Star award. The former Australia U20s international has clocked up 27 Super Rugby appearances for the Force since his 2023 debut.
The Western Force are delighted to announce the acquisition of Perth-born-and-raised scrum-half Nathan Hastie on a two-year deal, keeping him in WA until 2027. The 24-year-old half-back joins the Club after three years with the Highlanders, where he made his Super Rugby Pacific debut in 2023 in Round 9 against the Force in Perth.
The Western Force have confirmed Australian qualified fly-half Alex Harford has committed to the Club on a two-year contract. Harford, 26, joined the Force on an injury cover contract midway through the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season, debuting in Round 14 away to the Fijian Drua and started at fly-half in the game against the British and Irish Lions. The New Zealand-born playmaker is Australian qualified through his grandparents and has family in Perth.
The Western Force have announced the re-signing of 2024 Nathan Sharpe medal runner-up Bayley Kuenzle for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season. The 26-year-old utility back has re-committed to the Force after returning from a long-term LCL and MCL injuries in 2025 to start the final six games of the Super Rugby season, scoring two tries.
The Western Force have confirmed the re-signing of Tom Robertson for a further two seasons taking him through until 2027. The 30-year-old prop had an outstanding 2025 Super Rugby Pacific campaign capped by winning the Club’s top individual award, the Nathan Sharpe medal. The front-rower didn’t miss a game this campaign bringing up 100 Super Rugby caps in Round 5 against the Crusaders. He was recalled to the Wallabies squad for the British & Irish Lions series.
Western Force – OUT
Western Force and Wallabies scrum-half Nic White has announced he’ll retire from international rugby after the Third Test of the British & Irish Lions Series and finish up at the Force later this year. White, 35, will hang up the boots at the Force following the Super Rugby AUS competition which kicks off in September, bringing to a close a remarkable rugby career.
The Western Force has announced that Wallaby wing Harry Potter will leave the Club after two seasons in the west to join the NSW Waratahs.
The Western Force advises fan favourite and Club 50-gamer Issak Fines-Leleiwasa will depart the Club following Super Rugby AUS later this year. The popular scrum-half will leave having joined an exclusive club earlier this year, when he reached 50 Force caps in Round 5 away to the Crusaders. He was the 24th player to achieve the feat.
FUBAR has been canceled after two seasons, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
News of the show’s cancellation arrived Friday night after its streaming ratings notably declined between season premieres. After debuting on Netflix at No.1 on Nielsen’s streaming charts during its premiere week two years ago in May 22-28 with 1.53 billion minutes of viewing, season two accumulated 412 million viewing minutes this year during the week of June 9-15.
In total, FUBAR’s minutes of viewing declined by 73 percent from season one to two. During its premiere week, the series landed at No. 8 among Netflix’s original shows for its second season.
The action comedy starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Oscar nominee Monica Barbaro, who portray a father-daughter spy duo. Season two saw the addition of Carrie-Anne Moss, who plays a former fling of Schwarzenegger’s Luke Brunner. The cast also included Milan Carter, Fortune Feimster, Travis Van Winkle, Fabiana Udenio, Aparna Brielle, Guy Burnet, Andy Buckley, Jay Baruchel, Barbara Eve Harris and Scott Thompson.
The official logline for season two reads, “Luke Brunner (Schwarzenegger) is a veteran CIA operative who, up until recently, was on the verge of retirement. After his last mission in saving another operative — who just so happened to be his daughter (Barbaro) — he’s back and face to face with new villains. This one is an old flame from Luke’s past (Moss) who threatens to destroy the world … if she doesn’t destroy his life first.”
Of joining FUBAR during season two, Moss told THR that “getting to work with Arnold was epic for me.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever had more fun on a job working with Arnold and doing the dance stuff and the fight stuff and then all the acting, and then the sitting between takes and talking about all kinds of things,” she added. “I loved every minute of it.”
Like Only Murders in the Building and A Man on the Inside, Netflix’s new murder mystery series (adapted from the bestselling Richard Osman novel) belongs to a suite of storylines involving ageing folk investigating crimes – at their own ambling speed, with some afternoon tea of course, maybe a nap or two. Set inside a retirement village where a group of residents meet every Thursday to investigate cold cases, the plot swings into gear when an actual murder occurs, putting their novice sleuthing to the test.
The director is Hollywood veteran Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs Doubtfire, the first two Harry Potter movies) and the cast is pretty stacked – including Helen Mirren as a former spy, Ben Kingsley as a former psychiatrist and Pierce Brosnan as a former union man.
The Brutalist
Film, 2024, US – out 30 August (also on Binge)
There are many reasons not to miss Brady Corbet’s epic 40s and 50s-set period drama about a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor (Adrien Brody’s László Tóth) who emigrates to the so-called land of the free to start again. When Tóth arrives, Corbet deploys the film’s centrepiece image: the State of Liberty upside down, suggesting his journey might not be a carefree lark.
The film has a peculiar and enigmatic energy; it moves and shifts in strange ways. All the cast are great, including Brody (who won an Oscar for the role) and Guy Pearce, who plays a rich industrialist who recognises Tóth’s brilliance.
Long Story Short
TV, US, 2025 – out 22 August
I love Netflix’s animated adult series BoJack Horseman, one time even voting it the second-best TV show of the century. So a new series from its creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg was always going to be a must-watch for me. Long Story Short uses a time-jumping narrative to follow a Jewish family from northern California: in the first episode, for instance, we meet several characters as kids, and in the next they’re much older, with children of their own. Bob-Waksberg has described it as “visually more grounded than BoJack”, with a “comic strip” sensibility.
Honourable mentions: Wednesday season 2 part 1 (TV, 6 August), The Iron Claw (film, 10 August), Fixed (film, 13 August), Night Always Comes (film, 15 August), The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea’s Tragedies (TV, 15 August), Hostage (TV, 21 August), The Beekeeper (film, 23 August).
Stan
In Vitro
Film, Australia, 2024 – out 24 August
Strange things are afoot on an Australian cattle farm in this suspenseful, atmospherically on-edge film that’s part relationship drama, part sci-fi, set in a not-too-distant future where the climate crisis has had a horrible impact on the agricultural industry. Married couple Layla (Talia Zucker) and Jack (Ashley Zukerman) are sheep farmers; one of them is hiding a dramatic secret. In Vitro maintains, as I wrote in my review, a “spare approach, building anticipation for an interestingly peculiar final act”.
The Assassin
TV, UK/Germany/Australia, 2025 – out now
“The Assassin” is one of those terribly generic titles that suggest an utter lack of imagination. They really couldn’t think of anything better? Thankfully, the early buzz around this new series from creators Harry and Jack Williams (who helmed the explosively entertaining The Tourist) is very good. Keeley Hawes leads the cast as the titular assassin, who’s living on a Greek island when she’s asked to do One More Job – just as her estranged son (Freddie Highmore) comes to visit. In her review, the Guardian’s Lucy Mangan said “a menopausal assassin has been a long time coming”, and called the show “perfectly crafted preposterousness” that’s “stylish, witty, [and] tightly written”.
Cosmopolis
Film, Canada/France, 2012 – out 3 August
Most of David Cronenberg’s intoxicatingly surreal head trip is based in and around the limousine of 28-year-old billionaire Eric Packer (Pattinson), which he uses as a penthouse and travelling office. From the safety of this vehicular cocoon, which slowly moves through congested New York streets, Packer is informed about threats to the president, threats to himself and the economy, the movements of protesters and other things that imply a volatile world outside. Cronenberg (adapting Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name) makes circumspect commentary on wealth disparity and the grotesqueries of late-stage capitalism.
Honourable mentions: Bran Nue Dae (film, out 5 August), A Silence (film, 5 August), Let Me In (film, 6 August), Outlander: Blood of My Blood (TV, 9 August), The Iron Claw (film, 10 August), I Know What You Did Last Summer (film, 15 August), I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (film, 16 August), The Rainmaker season 1 (TV, 16 August), The Beekeeper (film, 23 August), The Daughter (film, 27 August), The Rover (film, 31 August).
SBS on Demand
The Eight Mountains
Film, Italy/Belgium/France, 2022 – out 1 August
Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s very handsomely staged drama contemplates big themes – fatherhood and lifelong friendships – via the story of thirtysomething men and former childhood pals Pietro (Luca Marinelli) and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi), who reunite after many years apart. It certainly has a grand setting: the Italian Alps, where amazing mountains loom in the background in an almost spiritual way, as if the characters are being watched by ancient forces. Despite a big, heavy heart, it’s an accessible and crowd-pleasing film, told with a gentle ebb and flow.
The Prestige
Film, UK/US, 2006 – out 15 August
I love how Christopher Nolan’s great movie about feuding magicians is itself a bit of a magic trick, with lots of spectacle and some cunning narrative sleight of hand – including a ripping twist associated with Christian Bale’s character. He plays Alfred Borden, arch nemesis of Robert “The Great Danton” Angier (Hugh Jackman), who cannot work out how Borden performs his signature trick, the “Transported Man”. Angier’s desperation leads him to consult Nikola Tesla (David Bowie), who provides him with a mysterious contraption that sends him, and the narrative, into another stratosphere.
Honourable mentions: Unforgiven (film, 1 August), Death in Brunswick (film, 1 August), Midnight Special (film, 4 August), Body Melt (film, 4 August), Alphaville (film, 4 August), The Man Who Fell to Earth (film, 4 August), Absolute Power (film, 6 August), Syriana (film, 8 August), Marcella seasons 1-3 (TV, 9 August), Leonardo da Vinci (TV, 9 August), Little Fires Everywhere (TV, 16 August), Safe Harbor (TV, 21 August), Aguirre: The Wrath of God (film, 22 August), Fatal Crossing (TV, 28 August).
ABC iView
The Family Next Door
TV, Australia, 2025 – out 10 August
This new series from director Emma Freeman is the first ever mystery-drama to be set in an Australian coastal community. Boom-tish! The opposite of course is true: it feels as though we get new additions to this genre every other week. Not all star the excellent Teresa Palmer, however (though one recently did). She plays Isabelle, an “enigmatic stranger” – to quote the official synopsis – who’s central to “a mystery that disrupts the seemingly harmonious beachside community of Pleasant Court”. Yeah, we’ve been here before, but I’ll watch anything from Freeman, whose oeuvre includes Stateless, Love Me, Fake and The Newsreader.
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Honourable mentions: Professor T season 1 (TV, 15 August), Stories From Magic Beach (TV, 15 August), In the Heights (film, 22 August), I, Jack Wright (TV, 24 August), Killer Whale: Australia’s Megapod (TV, 26 August).
Amazon Prime Video
Conclave
Film, UK/US, 2024 – out 9 August
Edward Berger’s film about the highly secretive process of electing a new pope was exactly what I was hoping for: a tight, taut, thriller-ish production with a cloak-and-dagger feel. Ralph Fiennes headlines as Cardinal Lawrence, who’s in charge of the electoral process, which involves a large number of cardinals choosing a successor from among various factions and ideological persuasions, from progressive and reformist to staunchly conservative. It’s loaded with juicy twists and turns.
Top End Wedding
Film, Australia, 2019 – out 11 August
The screenplay of Wayne Blair’s romantic comedy is a bit of a dog’s breakfast, awkwardly balancing comedy and drama – though there’s still lots to appreciate, including laugh-out-loud jokes and Miranda Tapsell’s charming lead performance. She plays Lauren, a lawyer who searches for her missing mother in the lead-up to her wedding. As I wrote in my review: “The Tiwi Islands provide a wonderful location and stories involving Indigenous Australians marrying non-Indigenous people have won little consideration in Australian cinema’s 120-odd-year existence.” A TV sequel to the film, Top End Bub, arrives on Prime Video next month.
Honourable mentions: Lord of the Flies (film, 1 August), Licorice Pizza (film, 1 August), The Wolf of Wall Street (film, 4 August), The Pickup (film, 6 August), Butterfly (TV, 13 August), John Wick (film, 20 August), The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (TV, 27 August).
Max
Final Destination: Bloodlines
Film, US, 2025 – out now
I’m a big fan of the Final Destination franchise. The writing can be a bit shonky and the performances not exactly Oscar-worthy, but the core premise – that people who escape their fates are tracked down and killed by Death himself – leads to some unique and perversely creative set-pieces, in which characters are killed off by a combination of elements around them. Bloodlines – the sixth Final Destination movie, and the first in 14 years – takes a playful approach, increasing the stakes and giving its protagonist Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) an ability to “see him coming”. Him being Death.
Honourable mentions: I’m Alan Partridge season 1 and 2 (TV, 1 August), The Hobbit 1-3 (film, 2 August), The Yoghurt Shop Murders (TV, 4 August), Dead Hot (TV, 18 August), Peacemaker season 2 (TV, 22 August), Alma’s Not Normal seasons 1-2 (TV, 25 August).
Binge
Wolf Man
Film, US, 2025 – out 9 August
Leigh Whannell’s remake of 1941’s excellent monster movie The Wolf Man didn’t get a good rap from critics, but I reckon it’s hugely underrated: a sad and deeply contemplative film about the fear of being a bad parent, and the horror of realising you’re part of the problem. These emotions are experienced by Blake (Christopher Abbott), who returns to his childhood home in rural Oregon with his daughter (Matilda Firth) and wife (Julia Garner) after learning that his father has died. He gets bitten by a werewolf and slowly transforms into one, while trying to protect his little girl from another ravenous beast stomping around outside.
Honourable mentions: The Good Doctor seasons 1-7 (TV, 1 August), Emmanuelle (film, 2 August), The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer (TV, 4 August), Gladiator 2 (film, 8 August), The Lord of the Rings 1-3 (film, 9 August), The Brutalist (film, 30 August), The Lost Tiger (film, 30 August).
Disney+
King of the Hill season 14
TV, US, 2025 – out 4 August
The previous season of Mike Judge’s classic animated sitcom aired 15 years ago, and I think it’s fair to say a few things in the world have happened since then. Texan protagonist Hank Hill (Judge) would almost certainly vote Trump; ditto for his redneck pals, maybe even his wife, Peggy, (Kathy Najimy). One of the great things about the show is how genuine, how real the characters feel, and how much you care for them despite their many inadequacies and prejudices.
The 14th season jumps forward in time, ageing the characters by about eight years, though certain things remain the same: Hank of course still sells propane and propane accessories. How will he respond to an ever-changing world, contemplating contemporary initiatives such as all-gendered bathrooms? Not well, I’m guessing.
Honourable mentions: Eyes of Wakanda (TV, 1 August), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (film, 1 August), Leap of Faith (film, 1 August), Reservation Dogs seasons 1-3 (TV, 6 August), Alien: Earth (TV, 13 August), The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox (TV, 20 August), Eenie Meanie (film, 22 August).
Apple TV+
Chief of War
TV, US, 2025 – out now
Jason Momoa’s hands are all over this epic period drama set in 18th and 19th century Hawaii. In addition to starring in the lead role as real-life warrior chief Kaʻiana, he co-created the series, executive produced it and directed the season finale. According to the official synopsis, the story begins “when the four major kingdoms of the Hawaiian Islands were in a state of war” and follows the protagonist as he “joins a bloody campaign” then “rebels against the unification of Hawaiʻi that took place from 1782 to 1810”.
The Guardian’s Phil Harrison described it as a show that’s “steeped in Polynesian cultural practices” but also “full of universal, action-adventure staples”.
Honourable mentions: Stillwater season 4 (TV, 1 August), Platonic season 2 (TV, 6 August), Invasion season 3 (TV, 22 August).
