Entertainment
Netflix Horror Action Epic Turns Iconic Villain Into A Superhero
By Jason Collins
| Published
Apart from Bram Stoker’s Dracula from 1992, which is a legendary movie starring Gary Oldman as the iconic villain, there have been numerous retellings of Dracula’s story throughout cinema and television. Some of these are rather mediocre, like Dracula 2000. Others were outright bad, like Dracula 3000. And some were outright fantastic, like 1922’s Nosferatu or Steven Moffat’s 2020 miniseries, aptly named Dracula. Now, a failed movie, Dracula Untold, has found new success on streaming, turning an iconic villain into a superhero.
Dracula As A Tragic Hero
For those who haven’t seen the movie, Dracula Untold was a critically panned reimagining of the origin of Dracula, which aims to portray the character as a tragic hero rather than a straightforward villain. The film’s narrative is set in the 15th century where Vlad III (Luke Evans), the prince of Wallachia and Transylvania, faces a threat from the Ottoman Empire, which demands 1,000 Wallachian boys (including his own son) as a tribute to the sultan’s army.
Having spent his youth among the Ottomans, Vlad now seeks to protect his son and his country from the enemy.
However, in desperation, he turns to the dark and ancient power hidden in the mountains, a mysterious vampire (portrayed by the Game of Thrones star Charles Dance), who grants him the powers to defend his family and his country but also curses him with the vampiric blood lust. We won’t go into the story any further. Instead, we’ll go on to say that the concept upon which the story was based is actually pretty good. However, the execution of said concept in Dracula Untold wasn’t.
Lights Out On The Dark Universe
Though the critics praised Luke Evans’ performance as the anti-hero, Dracula Untold was heavily criticized for its plot and the perceived lack of emotional depth. However, it did reasonably well at the box office, earning $217 million worldwide against a budget of $100 million. Unfortunately, its earnings weren’t enough to protect it from the apparent pull of the grave and any idea of a sequel unfortunately found a stake to the heart.
At one point, there were discussions and some attempts to retroactively include Dracula Untold into the now-failed Dark Universe born with the release of The Mummy in 2017. However, given the poor performance of that particular release, Universal abandoned every notion of the Dark Universe.
This is really unfortunate because later-revealed Dracula Untold scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor also showed the appearance of Baba Yaga. No, we’re not referring to John Wick, but the actual stuff of nightmares originating from Eastern folklore.
Despite the film’s poor reception, Dracula remains an enduring pop culture icon that transcends the shifting cinematic trends, which explains how Dracula Untold found its resurrection on Netflix.
Entertainment
Herschel just launched a Minecraft collab in time for back-to-school shopping. Heres how to buy.
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We have Mario, Zelda, and GTA as video games that will always be part of our lives. But we can’t forget Minecraft. The game that has infinite possibilities — there’s something for every age and experience level in the game. Minecraft will forever be a favorite, and now we have a new way of showing our love.
The best backpacks of 2026? We’re convinced.
Credit: Herschel
The limited-edition Herschel Minecraft collection is now live at herschel.com, and it’s packed with must-have items if you’re a fan of the game. But be warned, the collab is selling out quickly, so hop on anything you want before it vanishes.
Highlights of the Herschel Minecraft collab
The Herschel Supply x Minecraft collection is filled with backpacks, lunch boxes, pencil cases, and accessories. And unlike some collabs, the collection features way more than just Steve and swords. Snag a Creeper hat, an Enderman backpack, and a hip pack with a print that depicts The End.
Mashable Top Stories
Credit: Herschel
At the time of writing, the incredible Cube Little America Backpack is sold out in all colorways, but we have fingers crossed for a restock. However, there’s still plenty to choose from. Browse the selection of Creeper merch, Pink Sheep, and Enderman items. There are also options that reflect life in the Overworld, the Nether, and the End.
As an in-game treat, you can download the free Herschel Backpack Trials Add-On from the Minecraft Marketplace to get a massive inventory expansion so you can carry up to 442,368 items. You’ll need the Minecraft Bedrock Edition to add on this free expansion.
How to buy the Herschel Minecraft collab
The entire collection of Herschel Supply x Minecraft items is on sale now at Herschel’s website. Stock is dwindling on items, so shop today to get the best selection. Plus, that will ensure items arrive in time for the 2026-2027 school year. The collection has items for both kids and adults. Herschel offers free ground shipping on orders over $75.
Entertainment
T-Mobile and Umbro are dropping an exclusive soccer jersey just in time for the World Cup finals
Fashion collabs are taking over the world right now; I’ve seen some partnerships that I’d never thought would happen (Naomi Osaka’s Wimbledon dress sold out within hours). But with the World Cup ending on July 19, everyone’s trying to get a piece of that soccer advertising pie, including T-Mobile.
Today, T-Mobile announced that it’s teaming up with Umbro (an iconic sportswear brand) to create limited-edition jerseys exclusively for T-Mobile members. And from the photos, they don’t look half bad (most collabs are kitschy and just short-lived fads). I could definitely see someone wearing one of these jerseys while running errands or going about their day.
Credit: Atiba Jefferson
The drop won’t happen until Tuesday, July 7, and as I mentioned above, you have to be a T-Mobile member to get one. They’ll be available exclusively through the T-Life app for $60 on a first-come, first-served basis. Once they sell out, they’re gone.
Mashable Light Speed
T-Mobile is framing the surprise collab as a way to celebrate a “record-breaking Member Month” (apparently, nearly 14 million members engaged during the first week alone).
Even if you miss out on the jersey, the other perks it’s throwing at qualifying members right now are pretty great. Along with bringing back a free year of DoorDash DashPass, T-Mobile’s basically paying for its members’ streaming subscriptions with free Netflix, Hulu, and MLB.TV. It even added Apple TV+ for $3 per month, plus free texting and high-speed data in more than 215 countries if you happen to be traveling this summer.
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Entertainment
The Greatest TV Show Just Sold Out, And It May Ruin Everything
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
We’re still living in the Golden Age of Television, with new must-see shows popping up all the time. However, there’s one that has yet to be dethroned as arguably the greatest series ever made: Breaking Bad. Courtesy of showrunner Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad captivated the entire world with its tale of a cancer-ridden science teacher (Walter White) forced to sell meth in order to afford medical care. It soon went beyond this provocative premise with a tale about power, corruption, and redemption. Breaking Bad even became a cross-generational hit, appealing to Zoomers as much as it does to Millennials.
The Breaking Bad franchise continued with a movie focusing on Jesse Pinkman (El Camino) and a spinoff show about Walter’s hilariously shady lawyer (Better Call Saul). All were well-received, and the entire franchise is regarded as the standard of modern storytelling. Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite dramatic franchise just sold out. IMG Licensing and Sony Pictures Television have teamed up in order to develop an entire global licensing program dedicated to the Breaking Bad Universe.
He Is The One Who Snacks
According to The Hollywood Reporter, IMG and Sony are developing a Breaking Bad licensing program as part of a “multi-year collaboration” that “will deliver consumer products, brand partnerships and immersive fan experiences worldwide.” In conjunction with franchise creator Vince Gilligan, they hope to “identify strategic partners across key categories including premium apparel, collectibles, food and beverage, home decor, travel, publishing, and experiential activations.” The goal is simple: to appeal to existing Breaking Bad fans while bringing some new ones into the fold. What makes all of this notable is that this is “the first time Sony has appointed an external licensing agency to develop a global licensing program for the franchise.”
When I first heard this news, my heart sank a little bit. I’ve never had a problem with basic Breaking Bad merchandise; after all, as one of the most popular shows ever made, it was inevitable that the show would get its predictable bevy of t-shirts, action figures, and even blue rock candy made to look like Walter White’s signature brand of meth. However, I absolutely despised the 2023 Super Bowl commercial that brought Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul back together to sell Popcorners. It badly recreated memorable Breaking Bad scenes and ended with Cranston uttering the cringiest line of all: “I am the one who snacks.”
Breaking Bad: The Search For More Money
Maybe I’m just old and cranky, but I hated that commercial because it cheapened the entire Breaking Bad brand, all to sell some freakin’ potato chip alternative that nobody ever has or ever will actually care about. Now, that was the kind of weird stuff that was happening before executives started working with a global licensing program. Things have the potential to get a lot worse, like Star Wars-style Happy Meals, AI-powered parody commercials, reality shows, etc. Trust me: no matter how bad you think it will be, this is ultimately going to get much, much worse.
For example, I’ve got a bad feeling about those aforementioned “immersive experiences.” Are we going to get pop-up stands where you can lie down on a huge stack of fake money for a photo opportunity? Competitions where we see how well you can land an oversized pizza frisbee on top of a house? Maybe there will be an interactive game where you can attempt to save Hank from certain death. Could some of this be fun and memorable? Maybe. But all of it would serve to further dilute the IP, making Breaking Bad more like Star Wars. That is, nothing more than an excuse to sell as much merchandise as humanly possible.
As always, I could be wrong. Maybe we’ll get plenty of tasteful merch and genuinely awesome experiences, especially since Vince Gilligan is involved. But if this licensing program produces mostly crap, it will be the worst of both worlds, keeping Gilligan from meaningfully working on anything new while lowering our general opinion about his integrity as a creator. With that said, though, we can agree on one thing: all will be forgiven if they introduce Los Pollos Hermanos as a global brand selling fried chicken. Be sure to get a side order of blue meth for the most immersive experience of them all!
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