MagazinAisle – Page 289

‘Silo’ Season 3 Finale: Rebecca Ferguson, Creator Graham Yost on That Twist and Why Juliette Is ‘S–t Scared!’ Going Into the Final Season

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from “Troy,” the Season 3 finale of “Silo,” now streaming on Apple TV.

In the Season 3 finale of Apple TV’s “Silo,” an amnesia-stricken Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) finally regains her memories just in time to declare war. But first, she confronts the disembodied voice behind The Algorithm, the malevolent force controlling the silos. With milliseconds to spare, her team of Silo 18 misfits and former leaders — herself included in both distinctions — managed to cap the safeguard, a pipe that would have flooded their silo with toxic gas and killed its nearly 10,000 residents for their insolence.

But viewers now know who is on the other end of that threat: Daniel Keene (Ashley Zukerman), the once-idealistic congressman who sought refuge in the newly opened silos when the bombs went off in the season’s penultimate episode last week. Now decades (centuries?) later, he is known as Troy, and he’s periodically awoken from a cryogenic slumber to make some cold-hearted decisions about what to do when silos go rogue and ask too many questions. He doesn’t recognize his own sister Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay), he commits genocide with a second thought and he doesn’t like being bested by Juliette.

But with the pipe capped, Daniel and Silo 18 are at a stand off. When Juliette, Shirley (Remmie Milner), Knox (Shane McRae), Camille (Alexandria Riley) and Deputy Murphy (Billy Postlethwaite) venture down to the sealed-off tunnel that connects all the silos, Daniel as the omni-present voice all but congratulates them on outsmarting The Algorithm. Knowing they are trapped inside, Daniel offers a truce to let them live in peace — until their rapidly dwindling resources run out, at least. Knowing that he almost certainly doesn’t mean it, Juliette accepts, and retreats her team to strategize. But one thing is clear: This is war.

Ferguson tells Variety that Juliette keeps her cool in that moment, “But I think she’s shit scared!” she says. “Sometimes it’s hard to come up with all the solutions because no one else is.”

How Juliette and company plan to fend off The Algorithm when they barely know anything about the purposes of the silos, the history of other failed rebellions or who they are even fighting will be the crux of the fourth and final season, which series creator Graham Yost confirms has already been shot and will pick up mere hours after the Season 3 finale. On Friday, Apple TV released a teaser of the show’s fourth and final season, and announced it will premiere on July 9, 2027.

Ahead of that final season, Ferguson and Yost break down the finale, the uncomfortable journey of Juliette the hero, whether viewers might see some of these other failed silo rebellions — and who might see the night sky by the end.

Rebecca, you spent two seasons with Juliette being this ascendant but reluctant leader. This season, she doesn’t have any memory of that. Reflecting on Season 3 as a whole, how was it clawing your way back to her sense of self?

Rebecca Ferguson: I think memory loss is an interesting one, because you’re not really aware of your being. So there is such a powerful underline of her character, this sort of fierce rebel constantly wanting to find out the truth, constantly aware of her surroundings, aware of everything. I sometimes feel she’s a bit like Jason Bourne — she clocks everything. It was fun playing it, because it’s challenging to do. But the fun moments were the moments where something happened, and we had to figure out, how important is this on a scale of one to 10? How much does it affect her, what is the memory storyline. We even had Shelley [Birse], one of the writers, break down just the memory bit, so it all made sense, because it’s difficult to hold everything.

But instinctively now, she gravitates toward being a leader. Even without her memories, she slowly assumes that position again by this finale.

Ferguson: Graham said it so well: She’s a leader with no power. She hasn’t chosen this, she never chooses to be the sheriff, she kind of accepts it because she’s looking for something. The ripple effects make her a leader, but I don’t think she would position herself as a leader even now. She is a truth finder.

Graham Yost: That’s all she cares about — finding out the truth and looking for, perhaps, freedom. One of the most fun things we came up with in the room were the fan girls [to show how people see Juliette as a leader]. We loved it because we knew it would make Rebecca uncomfortable.

Ferguson: Oh, I hated it!

Yost: It was just so cool to have the young women all dressed up like Juliette the leader. But another thing that just came to me is that in the writers’ room, we always talk about how Juliette has to learn something in every season. In Season 2, she has to learn how to work with someone because she has to rely on Solo [Steve Zahn], and then finds out that’s not even his name. She needs something, and she also needs to help him, and the fact that she steps up for him still makes me very emotional. But in Season 3, she has to find out who she is, and she has to rely on other people. That’s not easy for someone who’s a “I’m gonna pick up the wrench and fix it myself” kind of person. She has to rely on her friends to solve the big problem at the end of the season.

Ferguson: Without actually knowing who her friends are.

Yost: Exactly! But the successful capping of the safeguard at the end of the season, that was all done by other people and she had to rely on that.

How was it for you, Rebecca, to allow Juliette to let others step up for her?

Ferguson: I had difficulties. I sometimes merged into her on set. I would fight it. I’d be like, “But why wouldn’t she do that, Graham? Why would she let people do it? I wouldn’t just sit here waiting.” And then he’s like, “Well, what can you actually do here?” I don’t know but you write it because I can’t just sit around!

Even Juliette’s role this season is something she doesn’t really choose, but rather just goes along with when she is made mayor. She doesn’t quite know how to wear it, which is probably why she has completely shed it by the end of the season.

Ferguson: I had to put that bloody frock on, and I had little high-heeled shoes. I just remember being like, “This isn’t Juliette.” I started walking like me in high-heeled shoes, and I couldn’t do it. So, in some scenes, I would put my old boots on, so I could have the walk, because nothing in her body would change even if she lost her memories. But that juxtaposition is so great, having jewels in the frock.

War is declared by the end of the finale, but one soldier is gone. Bernard (Tim Robbins) was sent out to clean and dies moments later, for real this time. For longtime viewers, Tim’s exit is surreal. But what does the former embodiment of oppression’s death mean for those who came to like him?

Yost: He ends up being this inspiration to a number of people who just never believed he would be an inspiration. For us as writers, performers, it was important to see a character that we had really feared and hated, but now realize he was lied to as much as anyone. Initially he gave up, though. He was going to go out to clean, and when the pain got too much, he was going to kill himself, right? But as he says to Juliette, “You happened.” So now he’s had a reason to keep going, and then he gives his life to try and win. To let the good guys win.

What is the state of Silo 18 at the end of Season 3? You have Juliette and her faction, who, as she says at the end, need to take the battle to Silo 1. Is the rest of Silo 18 ready for a war?

Ferguson: Were we ever prepared?

That’s an incredibly vague tease for the future. But you’ve shot Season 4, correct?

Both: Yep!

More than previous seasons, this season felt like half the story. The first of a two-chapter ending, if you will. How much time will pass between Season 3 and Season 4?

Yost: Season 4 picks up, literally, three hours after the finale.

Moving forward, after their really beautiful walkie-talkie conversation, do you think Juliette is ready or even interested in acknowledging any feelings she has for Lukas (Avi Nash)?

I think there are so few people in her life that crack her, who can actually decode her. Walker [Harriet Walter] being No. 1. George was one, and Shirley kind of can, but is more a mate. But Lucas has a possibility of tapping into the vulnerability and seeing something. He’s the one who will push her further. He holds space for her, which is uncomfortable, but it’s also a safety net. It’s familiar, so someone she would lean to, and someone who’s very intelligent, who can help her solve big issues and problems throughout.

The moment when he finally goes outside and gets to look at the stars was a beautiful acknowledgment of their conversation before. It feels like Juliette would have done something similar had she been outside at night. If nothing else, they feel like kindred spirits in curiosity.

Ferguson: Hmm, can you imagine what a moment that would be? [Looks to Yost]

Yost: Wouldn’t that be great if Juliette went out to see the stars at night? Hmm…

Ferguson: Just pay attention. There’s a Season 4 coming.

So we can file that tease away for when Season 4 comes out. Throughout this season, Camille and her conversations with The Algorithm make mention of other rebellions. Graham, could we see those bits of history come into play in Season 4?

Yost: It would be interesting, wouldn’t it, Rebecca? [They both laugh.] Yeah, there’s stuff to come. There was a joke [in the writers’ room], about what was happening in the other silos, and the musical silos are 5678. Get it? We were really proud of that one! And there was a question of where all the plumbing goes. Of course, it is Silo 13. But to answer your question, yes, there is stuff coming about the other silos.

Ferguson: It will all make sense by the end of Season 4.

Yost: We hope. Unless we totally screwed the pooch.

Rebecca, you’ve already shot Season 4, so this might be a tough one. But coming out of Season 3 and looking to the end of this series, what did you want for Juliette as a character? What can fans hold onto that awaits her?

Ferguson: There’s something very lonely for Juliette in the beginning of Season 3 with the memory loss and not knowing people, to then gradually get to know them and understand that there are actually people out there who are trying to fight to bring her back. But there are also the powers that be who are gaining profit from her loss. It is a constant struggle for her, but here at the end, we get together. The group is together, she’s not lonely. There’s something about being united for her. But I think she’s shit scared. Sometimes it’s hard to come up with all the solutions because no one else is.

Yost: It was a huge Juliette moment for us that she’s talked to The Algorithm — they’ve gone down to the tunnel at the bottom of the silo and supposedly made a truce. But she says, they’re not going to stand by it, and we’re not. Basically, they now have the responsibility to not just to save themselves, but to save any other silos. If they can do this to any silo, we have that responsibility to stop them. [Looks at Ferguson] You’re the hero now.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

September 5, 2026

‘Adults’ Star Malik Elassal on the Scene That Took Him 40 Takes and That Surprise Finale Hookup

It’s hard to scroll social media at the moment without seeing Adults star Malik Elassal. The FX sitcom returned for its second season last week, and between some creative show marketing and meme-able scenes, Elassal and his costars are seemingly everywhere.

Season two of Adults is just as funny as the first, if not more, and apparently just as delightful to make. “Seeing these people again is exciting,” Elassal tells The Hollywood Reporter on a Zoom. It’s late on a Friday and the 30-year-old’s fresh from a mid-press cycle nap — more on that later, though. He adds, “It just feels like we’re doing a good thing.”

Throughout much of the season Elassal plays the dutiful friend to his core group — Lucy Freyer’s Billie, Owen Thiele’s Anton, Amita Rao’s Issa and Jack Innanen’s Paul Baker — and dutiful boyfriend to Rachel Marsh’s Carly. Well, except when he’s not, particularly in the season’s sixth episode “Pop Girlie.” Thanks to some bad advice from Anton, Marsh’s Carly decides to ditch dental school and focus on her real passion — becoming a K-pop star.

“That was actually a tough one to play,” says Elassal. The comedian notes how unlikeable it is for a character to not support their girlfriend and try to manipulate her into finding her new endeavor, even if he’s right. The song “Hiccups (Body Go Crazy)” is a fan favorite online right now, so maybe he wasn’t completely right.

But the angst makes for good comedy. “It was just a very conflicting thing, which is the best thing for a sitcom. I think somehow, just because he thinks he’s a good person, that he thinks he can do no wrong. Even if the thing is messy, you see that he feels that way about himself a little bit,” Elassal says. He quickly adds, “I didn’t know that I felt that way until I just said that.”

“It just feels like we’re doing a good thing,” Elassal says of making ‘Adults.’

Courtesy

It’s strange to see himself acting out things he remembers shooting. It’s not his own life, but it does feel real at times. He and the cast will work tirelessly to get something just right, only for it to play for mere seconds onscreen, but that’s just the way it works. “It is really odd, but we just all really care about making this thing so much,” he says.

There’s never been a “phone it in” day for Adults, but there are plenty of days where it’s hard to not break on set. The show just released a blooper reel that proves just how much laughter is happening while the team is shooting. But no portion of season two made Elassal laugh harder than Julian Manjerico’s Zac Carlos.

“I cannot convey to you how hard every single person was laughing on that day and how hard it was to do that, to watch Julian Manjerico dance like that,” the comedian says. “I was specifically watching Jack try so hard not to laugh, that literally tears were stress falling from his eyes from trying not to ruin the take.”

Another highlight of season two was the introduction of Paul Baker’s “bro” friends, a gaggle of stereotypical, although well-meaning, dude bros. Those bros also happened to witness one of the hardest days on set for Elassal. In the show’s dramatic and jam packed finale, his character Samir and Marsh’s Carly call it quits before she moves to Seattle.

Elassal and the ‘Adults’ cast never phone it in, but they do struggle not to break during particularly funny moments: “I was specifically watching Jack try so hard not to laugh, that literally tears were stress falling from his eyes from trying not to ruin the take.”

Courtesy

Unfortunately, Samir was in the middle of trying to make a grand romantic gesture when the breakup happened, which included the bros, Julia Fox and a basketball. Elassal had to shoot the ball “like 40 times” on set. “All these bros have to watch him hit a basketball shot. I hit it once in rehearsal and thought, no worries,” he says.

“When it came time, I was just fucked. I had to do it 40 times and keep a tear in my eye. I didn’t have any thoughts in my head,” the actor continues, lamenting on how ridiculous it was to be wasting Fox’s time. “It was like being on mushrooms. There was no time or space. There’s a hundred crew members looking at me. There’s just money flying around my head.”

After that finale breakup comes another big plot moment for Samir — hooking up with Billie. It’s the first time Elassal’s talking about it with someone not involved in the show, and he’s not totally sure how he feels about it.

“I’m worried for Billie and Samir,” he says. “I’ve had that happen in a friend group before, where two people hooked up. They either got to get married or this is bad.”

The actor’s hopeful that it’ll be sweet and turn out well. But as the actor playing Samir, he’s a little nervous his character is going to “fuck this up.” He was also very surprised when he got that final script, even though he saw the breadcrumbs along the way. The team chose not to tell the actors beforehand, so they wouldn’t play towards that throughout the season.

Elassal as Samir and Freyer as Billie in the season two finale of ‘Adults.’

FX

“The fans already think we’re doing that all the time, and we’re really not. We’re just playing the scenes out,” he says. Elassal’s seen plenty TikTok edits of himself with long looks that he doesn’t even remember. “Where did you even get that footage? I didn’t even do that,” he jokes.

The comedian and actor is trying to find moments of rest amidst the busy promotion schedule for the season, which has been extensive. But he’s also found that he sometimes needs a little bit of structure. He was late for the scheduled start time of this interview, for instance: He was trying out being a “nap guy,” but it didn’t work out.

“Can you include this?” he asks. “He took his retainer out and locked in for the interview. This guy needs to be working at Walmart again. I’m too off leash.”

***

All episodes of Adults season two are streaming on Hulu. The show also airs weekly on FXX.

September 5, 2026

Jordan Firstman’s ‘Club Kid’ Hits Telluride, and Colleen Camp Could Be Its Secret Oscar Weapon

Jordan Firstman is hoping to join an exclusive club: the Oscars. And he might have someone on his team that can help him do it.

“Club Kid,” Firstman’s directorial debut, arrived in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and drew a six-minute standing ovation before A24 acquired it for a reported $17 million. Suddenly, one of the internet’s more recognizable comic personalities — currently a regular on Rachel Sennott’s comedy series “I Love L.A.” — had a movie, a major distributor and a fall festival trajectory far more serious than anyone might have expected. It bowed at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday night with much anticipation for those who weren’t on the Croisette, and the film is ready to make its big splash on the circuit.

That’s the first awards story. The second may belong to one of his co-stars, Colleen Camp.

Firstman writes, directs and stars as Peter, a washed-up New York party promoter whose life on the dance floor screeches to a halt when the 10-year-old son (played by the exquisite British newcomer Reggie Absolom) he never knew existed turns up on his doorstep. The premise invites the easy shorthand — a gay “Big Daddy” — but Firstman uses it as a way into something more complete. It’s a study of responsibility, loneliness and the possibility that adulthood might begin long after you’ve stopped expecting it. The film works on three fronts with a touching script, naturalistic direction and a genuinely endearing lead turn.

A24’s fall strategy only heightens the opportunity. The company is running “Club Kid” through Telluride before heading to Toronto and New York ahead of a November release, which is the classic runway for a movie built to play as a crowd-pleaser rather than a critics’ curiosity.

This is where Camp comes in — the veteran embedded in the ensemble whom many still aren’t clocking as the film’s secret weapon.

At 73, Camp is a character actress-turned-social connector whose close friends include half the A-listers in town. By many estimates, she’s a significant reason Andrea Riseborough landed that shocking best actress nomination for “To Leslie.” Da’Vine Joy Randolph even thanked her by name from the Oscar stage while winning for “The Holdovers.” In recent years, Camp has become an influential operator on the circuit, with high-powered parties, star-studded dinners and taste-making events that have redirected more Oscar campaigns than anyone will admit on the record. Think Countess Luann from “The Real Housewives of New York,” but with real sway over the people at her table. She’s part of the reason a healthy share of today’s Oscar nominees and winners got there at all, which is exactly why it would be foolish to discount her now.

But long before she was hosting the parties, Camp was working the sets. A Hollywood lifer whose credits run from “Apocalypse Now” to “Clue,” she has spent five decades inhabiting roles that make movies richer without turning into awards contenders. In fact, she has only two award nominations on her IMDb page — from the Razzie Awards — “The Seduction” (1982) and “Sliver” (1993). Wouldn’t it be heartwarming to see that rectified in a meaningful way?

In addition, she turns up twice in A24’s awards corridor, also appearing in Chris Rock’s “Misty Green,” which is just more visibility.

That could make “Club Kid” a particularly appealing vehicle, and one that awards pundits shouldn’t underestimate. The best comeback narratives aren’t manufactured. They tend to emerge when an actor with a real body of work lands a part that reminds everyone why they loved watching them in the first place. Camp’s turn here as a kooky neighbor who stumbles into an unexpected romance is exactly the kind of role that gets a room talking (and laughing).

The challenge here is scale, because she doesn’t have a ton of screen time. Not to mention, a scene stealer isn’t automatically an Oscar performance, especially in a supporting actress field expected to be overly crowded. A24 would have to convert the affection for Camp, and the film, into a sustained argument about the work, not merely leaning on nostalgia.

But nostalgia isn’t nothing. Voters love a rediscovery story, especially when it’s attached to a movie they actually enjoyed. “Club Kid” may offer the rare double with two generations of Hollywood recognition at once; Firstman is the new face arriving from the internet, and Camp, the veteran whose face the establishment already knows.

September 5, 2026

From Bitcoin to oil, perpetual contracts are breaking into American financial markets

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) asked a federal court on Sept. 2 to dismiss CME’s challenge to Kalshi’s Bitcoin perpetual contract.

The lawsuit turns on whether a contract without a fixed expiration belongs in the US futures regime. Before the court reaches that question, the regulator says CME must first show an injury the court can fix.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission says CME is free to list a comparable digital commodity product, so the exchange cannot blame the regulator for competitive harm caused by its choice to stay out.

That threshold argument turns a dispute over one Bitcoin contract into a test of how perpetual-style futures can spread through regulated US markets.

Bloomberg reported discussions about Coinbase seeking a regulated route to selected contracts linked to prices on Hyperliquid. Kalshi is reportedly preparing to seek approval for a West Texas Intermediate crude-oil version.

Together, the examples trace a contract structure popularized in offshore crypto markets as it enters the American regulatory perimeter one venue and asset class at a time.

CryptoQuant data shows that global crypto perpetual-futures volume reached about $61.7 trillion in 2025, up 29% from the previous year, while spot trading totaled $18.6 trillion over the same period.

The CME case could shape how much of that activity US exchanges can pursue through the CFTC’s futures framework.

The CFTC says CME can compete in Bitcoin perpetuals

CME sued the CFTC on June 18, seeking to overturn the agency’s May 29 approval of KalshiEX’s Bitcoin perpetual contracts and the accompanying policy statement. CME argued that a contract without a fixed expiration is a swap rather than a future under the Commodity Exchange Act.

The CFTC’s motion said the relief CME seeks would fail to remedy the exchange’s claimed competitive injury.

The agency added that CME may list similarly structured digital commodity perpetuals, characterizing any disadvantage from CME declining that opportunity as self-inflicted.

A judicial decision treating Kalshi’s product as a swap would not necessarily remove competing exposure from the market because another venue might offer it under that classification. In the agency’s view, a win for CME on that point would still fail to redress the alleged injury.

The current schedule gives CME until Oct. 2 to oppose the dismissal motion. A ruling on standing could leave the deeper line between futures and swaps unresolved.

The May 29 CFTC policy defined designated contract markets as those that could list similarly structured perpetuals tied to Bitcoin and digital commodities with deep, active, and continuous spot markets. Products outside that group were directed toward case-by-case review under Regulation 40.3.

The result is a faster path for qualifying digital commodity products and a separate review track for other assets. That distinction will matter as venues look from crypto toward energy and other established futures markets.

The timeline shows Kalshi, CME, and CFTC milestones for US crypto perpetuals, alongside Coinbase’s operating market and pending Bitnomial, Hyperliquid, and Kalshi products.

Coinbase’s derivatives market page markets US perpetual-style futures with 24/7 trading and contract families tied to Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana.

The name “perpetual” covers different contract mechanics in the emerging US market. Coinbase’s official help material describes the covered contracts as having five-year expirations, so they offer long-dated, continuously traded exposure, while a literal expiry-free contract requires different terms.

A June CFTC staff letter granted conditional relief for requests from Coinbase Derivatives and Bitnomial to remove expiration dates from existing digital commodity perpetual-style contracts that expired on June 30.

Regulated US perpetual-style crypto futures have moved from policy concept to operating category, even as the exact expiration mechanics vary by contract. CME’s suit challenges the agency approach behind that change as rival venues adapt one of crypto’s largest trading formats.

Hyperliquid would test an on-chain bridge

Hyperliquid and Payward are reportedly discussing a structure for registered US users. Payward subsidiary Bitnomial, a regulated derivatives venue, would offer selected contracts tied to token prices on Hyperliquid.

Payward completed its acquisition of Bitnomial in August, adding its US derivatives exchange and clearing infrastructure.

President Donald Trump supplied a political signal on Aug. 19, saying that his administration was working on a US route for Hyperliquid during a White House technology event.

A signed-off structure would test a bridge between a registered domestic venue and token prices formed in an on-chain market. Surveillance, market integrity, and the precise relationship between the venues would turn on the approved design.

Polymarket’s international site shows live leveraged crypto perpetual markets, while Polymarket US is a separate platform. The international product demonstrates how quickly crypto-native venues are expanding the format, supplying global context.

Oil brings the model into traditional futures

In June, the CFTC requested public comment on 24/7 futures trading and perpetual contracts for storable, physically delivered energy commodities, including crude oil. That consultation placed the structure under active review in a longstanding futures market.

Kalshi is reportedly preparing a CFTC filing for a perpetual contract tied to WTI crude oil, potentially as soon as the following week.

A WTI proposal would follow the CFTC’s case-by-case route. Its review would also confront the practical differences between a cash-referenced crypto contract and a market built around a physical commodity with established delivery infrastructure.

Perpetuals are being considered for a traditional commodity market where CME is an incumbent, placing the new structure closer to the core of established derivatives competition.

A quick CFTC victory on standing would preserve the agency’s framework without a ruling on the futures-versus-swaps question. Other exchanges could read that result as support for proposing similar contracts, subject to the applicable listing or review process.

Continued litigation on the merits would put the statutory classification question before the court. A decision on whether a no-expiry contract can qualify as a future would create a clearer legal boundary, while the period before a ruling could complicate product planning.

Regulatory sign-off for selected Bitnomial contracts linked to Hyperliquid prices would test the on-chain bridge. Acceptance of a WTI perpetual would show the structure crossing into a traditional commodity.

The CFTC is now defending its approach in court while exchanges probe its limits, with perpetual-style products entering the regulated US market.

The next phase will depend on whether CME has standing, how a court classifies the Kalshi contract, which venues can meet the CFTC’s conditions, and whether regulators allow the model to extend from digital commodities to on-chain prices and physical markets.

September 5, 2026

Halloween Horror Nights Opens at Universal Studios Hollywood With ‘Sinners,’ ‘Stranger Things 5’ and a Blood-Soaked Nikki From ‘Obsession’

Halloween has officially arrived at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Halloween Horror Nights opened Thursday at the theme park where screams of excitement turned to screams of fright. Guests rushed into the park to face this year’s collection of haunted houses, which included the Upside Down from Netflix’s “Stranger Things 5” and the vampire-infested Club Juke from “Sinners.”

Within just 30 minutes of opening, the wait for “Sinners”” had already reached 60 minutes. “Hellraiser,” which made its Halloween Horror Nights debut, had a 50-minute wait, while “Killer Klowns From Outer Space,” “Evil Dead Burn” and “Killceañera: Music by Slash” were each at 30-minutes. “Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness” reached 35-minutes, and “Stranger Things 5” and “Dead, Deader, Deadest” sat at 25 minutes.

The scares extended beyond the haunted houses, with characters from this year’s lineup of horror roaming the park. Among them was a crazed, blood-soaked Nikki, from “Obsession.” She emerged from the crowds with the same unnerving affection she carried throughout the film, telling guests she loved them “so, so much” before slipping back into the masses in search of her next victim. Nikki doesn’t have a designated meeting location, instead roaming the park at random. Fans of the film will have to seek her out, or perhaps, Nikki will see vistors out!

The most crowded area could be found in the Lower Lot, where Universal paid homage to music legend Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy’s Bar drew in an approximately hourlong wait by the end of the night, serving themed cocktails such as the Blizzard of Ozz-arita and the Ultimate Sin-ammon, as well as meals including a naan taco named Bark at the Naan.

His haunted house, “Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness,” featured different variants of the musician jumping out to scare visitors, ranging from mad-scientist Ozzy to a demon-esque bat carrying what seemed to be Ozzy’s head. The house also had a room dedicated to “Crazy Train,” where dead bodies sat along a train car while his famous song played in the background.

Also in the Lower Lot was the “Stranger Things 5” haunted house, where guests traveled past Castle Byers and into the Upside Down. Vecna frequently lunged out from hidden corners and windows while a Demogorgon nearby battled Karen Wheeler in her blood-soaked kitchen.

“Sinners,” meanwhile, transports guests into the world of Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning film in the Upper Lot. Opening with a performance by Sammie, the haunted house recreates Club Juke, where characters including Mary, Annie and Pearline run rampant.

Also on the Upper Lot was an area dedicated to Fortnite, which drew significant crowds along the walkway as guests stopped to take in the scares and pose in front of the game’s signature Battle Bus.

Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights until Nov. 1.

September 5, 2026

Japan’s 4% bond yield spike threatens the low-cost borrowing strategy behind corporate Bitcoin buying

Japan’s 30-year government-bond auction cleared at a 4.079% average yield on Sept. 3, underscoring a tougher backdrop for future capital raised by Metaplanet to buy Bitcoin. The long bond is a market signal; the nearer test for the company is the price of shorter-tenor debt and refinancing.

The average yield rose 14.2 basis points from 3.937% at the previous 30-year auction on Aug. 6. Japan’s Sept. 1 10-year auction averaged 2.995%, placing the 4% threshold at the long end rather than across the entire curve. The Bank of Japan, meanwhile, maintains an operating guideline of around 1% for the uncollateralized overnight call rate.

Metaplanet’s existing fixed obligations retain their contractual cash flows. Its ¥8 billion 20th-series ordinary bond is zero-coupon and matures on April 23, 2027, while its inaugural BitBonds carry fixed coupons. The shift in Japanese yields instead raises the benchmark for future issuance and refinancing.

That leaves a narrower version of Metaplanet’s funding advantage intact. The bilateral zero-coupon bond protects near-term cash flow, but repeating such favorable terms at the scale required for sustained Bitcoin purchases remains uncertain.

Metaplanet BitBonds face a shorter-tenor funding test

Metaplanet’s inaugural 21st through 24th-series BitBonds total ¥200 million, pay fixed coupons ranging from roughly 4.0% to 4.3%, and mature in about three years. Recent government auctions cleared at average yields of 1.708% for two-year debt and 2.163% for five-year debt.

A straight-line interpolation between those official results produces an estimated three-year sovereign benchmark of 1.8597%. The estimate is an analytical tenor comparison rather than a traded three-year quote or a cash-flow duration calculation.

Against it, the inaugural BitBonds pay an estimated premium of about 214 to 244 basis points. Future coupons would rise if the sovereign benchmark increased while Metaplanet’s credit spread stayed constant. A wider credit spread would add further pressure.

The bond terms explain why investors may require that premium. The BitBonds are unrated, unsecured and unguaranteed senior obligations. They carry transfer restrictions, and secondary-market liquidity is unassured. Metaplanet has said later series may differ in maturity and interest rate according to market conditions and investor demand.

Existing instruments face a different equation. Higher rates can affect their market value, while the stated coupon and principal cash flows remain fixed. The company’s 20th-series ordinary bond funded Bitcoin purchases before all expected cash arrived from its 27th-series stock acquisition rights. Part of the warrant proceeds was designated to repay the bond, allowing Metaplanet to bring forward funding without an annual coupon bill.

Metaplanet’s funding channels carry different costs

Metaplanet was already drawing on several channels at midyear. At June 30, it reported 43,000 $BTC, $414 million drawn from a $500 million Bitcoin-collateralized credit facility, ¥67.486 billion of short-term borrowings, ¥8 billion of bonds due within one year and ¥1.805 billion of first-half interest expense.

Second-quarter Bitcoin purchases used proceeds from the 20th-series bond, the credit facility, the 27th-series rights and Bitcoin-income revenue. This mix kept purchases moving while mNAV remained below 1.0x for most of the half and the company made no discretionary common-share allotments during the quarter. The funding inventory therefore separates into two parts: fixed structures protect current economics, while each new round of capital faces prevailing market terms.

Scale turns a coupon into a constraint

The inaugural BitBond issue is too small to transform Metaplanet’s economics. At 4.15%, the midpoint of its coupon range, annual interest on ¥200 million is about ¥8.3 million, equivalent to roughly 0.07% of the company’s ¥11.4 billion full-year operating-profit forecast.

The same rate applied to larger illustrative programs produces a different result:

The ¥10 billion and ¥100 billion rows are sensitivities rather than issuance forecasts. They show why the ability to expand the program at acceptable rates matters more than the first tranche’s small coupon bill.

A one-percentage-point increase on an illustrative ¥100 billion program would add ¥1 billion to annual interest. At an assumed Bitcoin purchase price of ¥12.5 million, that amount equals 80 $BTC a year when the additional interest comes entirely from cash otherwise available for accumulation.

Metaplanet could instead meet the expense through operating cash flow or another financing source. The 80 $BTC figure applies only to the stated price and cash-use assumptions. Its purpose is to translate a rate move into the company’s capacity to add Bitcoin for each share outstanding.

The balance-sheet effect grows faster than the headline drama. A 4.079% 30-year sovereign yield changes little about a ¥200 million BitBond issue. A large future debt program near the current coupon range would consume a meaningful portion of forecast operating profit before any additional rise in the benchmark or credit spread.

Equity access depends on Metaplanet’s valuation

The 27th-series rights generally may be exercised only when company-notified mNAV is at least 1.01x. No rights were exercised in August. At Aug. 31, 947,300 rights representing 94.73 million potential shares remained, equal to about 7.0% of the company’s 1.345 billion issued shares.

That leaves a material but conditional dilution overhang. If the mNAV threshold prevents exercise, warrant-funded Bitcoin purchases may stall and the proceeds intended partly for repaying the zero-coupon bond arrive more slowly. If the threshold is satisfied and exercises resume, Metaplanet gains funding while existing holders absorb more shares.

The company also held authority to repurchase as many as 150 million shares for up to ¥75 billion through Oct. 28. It bought zero shares in August and zero cumulatively under that authorization through Aug. 31, leaving buybacks absent from the period’s offset to potential dilution.

For the first half, Metaplanet’s issuer-defined measure of Bitcoin holdings per 1,000 fully diluted shares increased 9.6% to 0.0263554 $BTC. The reported funding mix was accretive over that period. Future accretion becomes harder as debt principal expands, coupons rise or more rights convert into shares.

Japan’s Sept. 3 auction therefore tests Metaplanet’s funding advantage at the margin. The zero-coupon bridge preserves the clearest benefit on existing terms, and the BitBond program demonstrates access to fixed-rate yen debt at a meaningful premium over a comparable sovereign tenor. The next funding round’s price and scale will determine how much of that advantage continues to reach Bitcoin per share.

September 5, 2026

MemeToro Presale News: Three Audits Approve Its Contracts As Open-Source AI Validation Support Its Stage 7 Progress

From time to time, a crypto project needs to address contract security and transparency.

MemeToro’s Stage 7 progress has been supported by three independent smart contract audits, while MemeToro has presented its AI agent architecture as open source.

These details matter because buyers need to know how a crypto project handles its code, launch rules, and token distribution before focusing only on price.

MemeToro Presale News: What Three Audits Tell Buyers

MemeToro presale news highlights three independent smart contract audits as an important technical milestone. A smart contract is code that runs rules on a blockchain. An audit checks that code for security problems, unexpected behavior, and other weaknesses before users depend on it.

Three audits do not make a project risk-free, but they give users more information than an unaudited contract. For a presale project, this can be especially useful because buyers are sending funds to blockchain contracts and need to understand how those contracts are designed.

The key points are during Stage 7, after launch, and as the platform gains users and trading activity.

Three independent audits have approved MemeToro’s deployment frameworks.

The project operates on BNB Chain. Public smart contracts are intended to enforce launch rules. The audit work supports, but does not guarantee, future security.

For people following MemeToro Presale News, the main value of the audits is greater visibility into the technical side of the project. A recent project update also identifies Coinsult, BlockSAFU, and SolidProof as part of its reported three-audit security stack.

How Open-Source AI Supports the Stage 7 Story

Another major part of MemeToro Presale News is the project’s open-source AI agent. MemeToro describes an AI agent that monitors social media, online communities, and global news for emerging trends. It can then generate a memecoin concept, visuals, branding, marketing content, and token details before a launch.

The open-source approach matters because users can inspect the architecture and understand more about how the system is intended to work. MemeToro also says its launch process removes private allocation tiers and insider advantages. Instead, public smart contracts enforce the published rules for launches.

The AI proposes a launch, while smart contracts enforce the conditions. That separation can make the process easier to understand than a system where important launch decisions remain hidden.

That distinction is useful for everyday buyers. Security reviews mainly answer technical questions, while an open-source AI model answers questions about visibility and process.

Neither one answers the larger market question of whether users will adopt the platform or whether $MT will gain lasting demand after launch. Those outcomes depend on delivery, liquidity, trading activity, and wider crypto conditions.

What the Audits and AI Validation Do Not Prove

MemeToro Presale News does not mean audits or open-source code remove investment risk. An audit is a review at a specific point in time. New code, integrations, market conditions, or user behavior can create different risks later.

Open-source architecture can improve visibility, but it cannot guarantee that AI-generated memecoins will perform well. Meme markets are highly volatile, and technical quality cannot predict demand.

Users evaluating Stage 7 should therefore look at several areas together:

Audit findings and whether identified issues were addressed.
Public contract behavior and launch rules.
AI agent documentation and actual product delivery.
Tokenomics and distribution.
Liquidity and exchange plans after launch.

MemeToro’s tokenomics list 1.2 billion total $MT, with 71% for the public sale and 10% for CEX reserves. It also describes up to 35% APR staking and a 24-month vesting period for marketing and partnership allocations.

These details add useful context, but they should be assessed alongside security and market risks.

More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

Website: https://memetoro.com/

X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt

Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY0jgWy_DtA

September 5, 2026

US regulator opens safety investigation as Tesla launches driverless taxis

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened up an investigation into whether Tesla’s new self-driving Cybercab meets federal safety standards. The company launched the service in Austin, Texas on Thursday.

Published On 4 Sep 2026

September 5, 2026

What a Way to Make a Legacy: Cities Declare 9/25 Dolly Parton Day

Given that late country icon Dolly Parton was one of the most beloved people in the world — no, she really was — it’s a no-brainer that cities across the nation are making Sept. 25 Dolly Parton Appreciation Day.

The date that’s chosen isn’t the date of her birth (Jan. 19, 1946) or her death at age 80 on Aug. 25, after a brief battle with cancer, but a date that will forever remind fans old and new of one of the legendary songwriter’s hands-down classic songs and her role in the beloved 1980 comedy film. In case you haven’t grasped it yet, 9/25 is kind of like “9 to 5.”

On Friday in New York, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal was the latest local leader to officially proclaim Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Appreciation Day. The day will honor the country superstar’s enormous contributions to music, entertainment and philanthropy.

The borough of Manhattan joins several cities that have decided, with little to no debate, to honor Parton with a day of her own. New Orleans city officials also designated Sept. 25 as Dolly Day on Friday; the upcoming celebration includes a city-supported parade and a slew of musical events hosted by the Krewe of Dolly.

Lexington, Kentucky, has also established official community events on Sept. 25 to recognize and celebrate her legacy and philanthropy benefiting local literacy programs.

In her home region of East Tennessee, multiple counties have made local proclamations for Dolly Parton Day, with the most recent designation in Cocke County on Sept. 25. Parton and her legacy already have broader state-level recognitions in Tennessee tied to her birthday on Jan. 19.

While it’s not on Sept. 25, Nashville has also celebrated Parton with her official day for seven years. In 2019, former Mayor David Briley signed an official proclamation declaring Aug. 5 Dolly Parton Day to recognize her legendary career and her major philanthropic efforts during her lifetime.

September 4, 2026

The Best Labor Day Weekend Tech Deals on Headphones, Laptops, Tablets, TVs, and More

You know summer’s nearing its end when the pool parties slow down and the students start trickling back into their classrooms. But if back-to-school shopping didn’t scratch the savings itch the way you hoped, we have great news: Labor Day weekend is finally here, and we’ve picked out some of the best deals on big-name tech that are making us drool.

As one of the last three-day weekends of 2026, you should be focusing on how you’re going to celebrate the unofficial end of summer—not sifting through sales pages for the best savings on headphones, laptops, tablets, SSDs, wearables, and more. Don’t! That’s our job here at PCMag, and we’ve already kicked off the search so you don’t have to.

We’ll be adding all the best Labor Day weekend tech deals we find across the web, so make sure to check back here as the updates roll in!

Best Labor Day Laptop Deals

Asus Zenbook S14 Laptop Deal

Asus Zenbook S14

14-inch OLED 3K touch-screen, Intel Core Ultra 9 (2026), 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD

$1,499.99
at Best Buy

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Blog

Rebecca, you spent two seasons with Juliette being this ascendant but reluctant leader. This season, she doesn’t have any memory of that. Reflecting on Season 3 as a whole, how was it clawing your way back to her sense of self?

But instinctively now, she gravitates toward being a leader. Even without her memories, she slowly assumes that position again by this finale.

How was it for you, Rebecca, to allow Juliette to let others step up for her?

Even Juliette’s role this season is something she doesn’t really choose, but rather just goes along with when she is made mayor. She doesn’t quite know how to wear it, which is probably why she has completely shed it by the end of the season.

War is declared by the end of the finale, but one soldier is gone. Bernard (Tim Robbins) was sent out to clean and dies moments later, for real this time. For longtime viewers, Tim’s exit is surreal. But what does the former embodiment of oppression’s death mean for those who came to like him?

What is the state of Silo 18 at the end of Season 3? You have Juliette and her faction, who, as she says at the end, need to take the battle to Silo 1. Is the rest of Silo 18 ready for a war?

That’s an incredibly vague tease for the future. But you’ve shot Season 4, correct?

More than previous seasons, this season felt like half the story. The first of a two-chapter ending, if you will. How much time will pass between Season 3 and Season 4?

Moving forward, after their really beautiful walkie-talkie conversation, do you think Juliette is ready or even interested in acknowledging any feelings she has for Lukas (Avi Nash)?

The moment when he finally goes outside and gets to look at the stars was a beautiful acknowledgment of their conversation before. It feels like Juliette would have done something similar had she been outside at night. If nothing else, they feel like kindred spirits in curiosity.

So we can file that tease away for when Season 4 comes out. Throughout this season, Camille and her conversations with The Algorithm make mention of other rebellions. Graham, could we see those bits of history come into play in Season 4?

Rebecca, you’ve already shot Season 4, so this might be a tough one. But coming out of Season 3 and looking to the end of this series, what did you want for Juliette as a character? What can fans hold onto that awaits her?

The CFTC says CME can compete in Bitcoin perpetuals

Hyperliquid would test an on-chain bridge

Oil brings the model into traditional futures

Metaplanet BitBonds face a shorter-tenor funding test

Metaplanet’s funding channels carry different costs

Scale turns a coupon into a constraint

Equity access depends on Metaplanet’s valuation

MemeToro Presale News: What Three Audits Tell Buyers

How Open-Source AI Supports the Stage 7 Story

What the Audits and AI Validation Do Not Prove

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Asus Zenbook S14 Laptop Deal

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