Baldur's Gate, The Legend of Zelda and Cocoon shine brightest in a stellar year for video games

Stellar year for video games

Photo: The Canadian Press

This video game image released by Sony Interactive Entertainment shows a scene from "Marvel's Spider-Man 2." (Sony Interactive Entertainment via AP)

It’s been a terrific year for video games. Developers hit their stride on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S consoles, unleashing massive adventures big enough to satisfy gamers for weeks. The Switch is at the end of its lifespan, but Nintendo debuted two spectacular games on its way out. And indie studios held up their end, delivering distinctive takes on classic genres.

Here are the top 10 games of 2023, as chosen by Associated Press writer Lou Kesten.

1. Baldur's Gate III

Role-playing games were particularly ambitious this year, and none was more rewarding than this epic from Belgium’s Larian Studios. The main plot — you have a deadly parasite in your brain, and you need to get it out — is compelling enough, but your trek through the Forgotten Realms introduces a lively cast of characters and a cornucopia of fascinating side missions. It’s as close to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game as you can get digitally, and it’s a blast.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Nearly 40 years in, Nintendo keeps finding new ways to present the heroic Link and his eternal battle against evil. His most powerful new skill this time is Ultrahand, which allows him to build a seemingly endless variety of outlandish vehicles to traverse the sprawling land of Hyrule. Add in the usual assortment of devilish dungeons and brain-busting puzzles, and you can spend 100-some hours just goofing around before tackling its emotionally moving climax.

3. Cocoon

Feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world? That’s literally the burden of the beetle at the center of this masterpiece from Annapurna Interactive. Thing is, each of those spheres gives you a special power (which I won’t spoil), and you can jump inside each world and explore. By the time you’re moving worlds within worlds, your mind’s fully blown. Designer Jeppe Carlsen is known for the bleak cult classics Inside and Limbo, and while he’s in a more forgiving mood here, Cocoon is just as thought-provoking.

4. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

The 2020 release of Cyberpunk was, frankly, a mess, but Poland’s CD Projekt Red has devoted an extraordinary amount of effort to turning it into the game fans had hoped for. This year’s expansion makes it all worthwhile. It begins as an “Escape from New York” riff — the president’s plane crashes in an urban hellhole — and evolves into a brutal take on technology, global politics and corporate voracity. Yes, Keanu Reeves is back — and you get to hang out with Idris Elba too!

5. Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Nintendo’s most iconic character returns to the 2D, side-scrolling, running-and-jumping antics that made him famous. Mario has some new powers: He can drill through the ground, trap enemies in bubbles and even turn into an elephant. But the real highlight of each level is the Wonder Flower, which can transform the whole environment in an entirely different challenge. SMBW feels like the designers took every wacky idea they’ve had over the decades and stuffed them all into one game, and it’s hilarious.

6. Chants of Sennaar

This puzzler from French indie Rundisc is built around a distinctive mechanic: translating foreign languages. Your mission is to explore an edifice inspired by the Tower of Babel, but you’re not going anywhere until you can make sense of the enigmatic signs and cryptic speech of each level’s inhabitants. It’s almost relaxing, but I felt thrilled every time I managed to crack a new code. And the overarching goal — trying to find common ground with people you don’t understand — is inspiring.

7. Sea of Stars

The 1990s are regarded as the golden age of role-playing games, and the folks at Canada’s Sabotage Studio are obviously fans. Their latest throwback is the tale of two young warriors who can harness the powers of the moon and sun as they fight monsters summoned by a wicked alchemist. The graphics and gameplay evoke 16-bit classics like Chrono Trigger and Xenogears, the characters are thoroughly charming, and the story takes some surprising twists. While it works as homage, SoS has enough original ideas to make an old formula fresh.

8. Marvel's Spider-Man 2

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be limping, but Sony and Insomniac Games apparently didn’t get the memo. Their latest comic-book romp soars, with two Spideys — Peter Parker and Miles Morales — web-slinging their way between the skyscrapers of Manhattan and beyond. It’s beautifully paced, alternating low-key personal episodes with high-octane brawls against flamboyant supervillains. It’s the ideal antidote to superhero fatigue.

9. Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

Afia, the swashbuckler at the center of this pirate caper from Germany’s Mimimi Games, has a problem: She’s dead, with a big old sword sticking right through her torso. But she’s not about to let that stop her from reassembling the crew of the ghost ship Red Marley and wreaking havoc on the high seas. Each of the sailors has a mystical power — Afia can teleport, for example, while the ship’s carpenter can drag people to hell. The result is an addictive series of tactical challenges with a bracing dose of black comedy.

10. Starfield

Bethesda Softworks tries to cram decades of science fiction — from “2001: A Space Odyssey” to “Blade Runner” to “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — into its newest RPG. It doesn’t always work: You can’t build an entire galaxy without some stops being a little dull. But Starfield’s sheer ambition is arresting, and there’s enough of Bethesda’s well-honed storytelling finesse to make the journey worthwhile. Given the studio’s history with The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, here’s hoping it becomes the foundation (another classic SF reference!) of another successful franchise.

Def Leppard launch massive US tour with Journey

Leppard, Journey tour

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

Def Leppard are heading out on a massive US tour with Journey.

The rockers are teaming up for the 'JOURNEY x DEF LEPPARD Summer Stadium Tour 2024' which will take them to 23 cities throughout the summer of 2024 with stops in Seattle, Atlanta, Detroit, Nashville and Pittsburgh and they will be bringing along Heart, Cheap Trick and the Steve Miller Band as support acts.

The tour was announced in a post on Instagram, which read: "JUST ANNOUNCED!!! Def Leppard and @journeyofficial are teaming up to rock 2024 with @stevemillerband, @heartofficial, and @cheaptrick! Rock Brigade Concert Club members get exclusive first access to pre-sale tickets and VIP Packages on Tuesday, December 12 (10am) at https://DefLeppardRockBrigade.com.

"General tickets will go on sale Friday, December 15 with a special fan pre-sale on Tuesday, December 12 (11am). Visit https://DefLeppardJourney2024.com for tour dates + ticketing information."

Def Leppard star Joe Elliott said: "Def Leppard and Journey will be reuniting and hitting the road together for the summer stadium tour with Steve Miller, Cheap Trick and Heart on select shows, which makes for an amazing night of music ! Having just completed a sensational 18-month run promoting our 'Diamond Star Halos' album, we shall hit the boards running with a brand-new stage show and set of songs that will celebrate specific parts of our history. We may even have a surprise or two up our sleeves … so, wanna join us !??! … See you in the summer!"

Journey added in a statement: "We are thrilled to be back on the road in 2024 with so many good friends as part of this tour. No matter which city you come to this will be an amazing night of music!"

The tour kicks off at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri on July 6 and stops include the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Wrigley Field in Chicago before concluding at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on September 8.

Def Leppard previously hit the road with Motley Crue for a co-headlining tour this year which wrapped up over the summer.

Charlie Sheen doesn't recognize 'alien version' of himself after six years sober

Sheen six years sober

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

Charlie Sheen doesn't recognize the "alien version" of himself at the height of his addiction issues after six years sober.

The former 'Two and a Half Men' star gave up drugs and booze back in 2017 and stepped away from the spotlight as he battled his substance abuse issues – but he's now revealed he will celebrate six years clean in January and he feels "proud" of the new "consistent" life he has built for himself.

He told PEOPLE: "Next month I'll be six years sober. I have a very consistent lifestyle now. It's all about single dad stuff, and raising my 14-year-old twin boys Max and Bob [with ex Brooke Mueller]."

Sheen - who is also dad to Sami, 19, and Lola, 18, with his ex-wife Denise Richards - admits he used to drink in the mornings and would even have scotch in his coffee, but he vowed to sober up after realizing he was too drunk to take one of his daughters to an early appointment.

He explained: "One morning I'd forgotten my daughter had an appointment I'd promised to drive her to, and I'd already had a couple of pops that day. So had to call my friend Tony to take us. We got her there on time, but it broke my heart because she was in the back seat and I could just tell she was thinking, 'Why isn't dad driving?' So I got home and sat with that for the rest of the day. And the next morning I just stopped."

Sheen went on to explain he decided to quit booze for a month, but kept going after realizing how much it improved his life: "There was just instant evidence that this was the side I needed to be on. I couldn't be in denial about it anymore."

The actor concluded: "I'm proud of the choices that I've made and the changes I've made to live a life today that will never look like that mess. That was some alien version of myself."

Home Alone star pleads with fans for cash as he faces huge cancer op bills

Home Alone star cash plea

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

‘Home Alone’ actor Ken Hudson Campbell has started a GoFundMe asking fans for help with the huge bills he is facing for cancer surgery.

The 61-year-old star, who played Santa in the festive favourite alongside Macaulay Culkin, is pleading with people to give him help this Christmas with cash as he has to pay for a 10-hour surgery he is set to undergo on Thursday to remove a cancerous tumour.

The GoFundMe statement says: “Surgeons plan to reconstruct a new jaw for Ken from this leg bone, install it, and treat him with radiation.

“He will have a 6-month recovery period and Chemo may be needed afterwards as well.

“In January of 2022, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Ken lost the SAG-AFTRA health insurance that he had used for his whole career. Since then he has switched to Kaiser, and has great faith in his new team.

“Regardless, he’s looking at a week in the hospital, dealing with a feeding tube, skin grafts, and a Tracheotomy, and we are looking at further recovery possibilities like nursing homes.

“Even though physical therapy and speech therapy are covered, we are anticipating huge out-of-pocket costs for caregivers/skilled nursing, insurance premiums, medical equipment, transportation, dental implants, dentures and who knows what else.

“Ken Campbell is a family man. A loving father of two children with an admirable lust for life, and a passion for acting, writing, and sports.

“It is possible that this procedure will affect his ability to work as an actor in the future.

“We are asking for your help so that Kenny can use the time ahead to return to health, and spend more time with family and friends.

“Every prayer, positive thought, dollar, or gesture of support means the world to our family.”

So far, the actor has reached $62,000 of his $100,000 going towards his future health expenses and expected six-month-long recovery period.

Ken’s surgery involves the removal of a large portion of his jawbone removed in order to get to the cancerous tumour.

Along with starring in ‘Home Alone’, Ken has also acted in ‘Armageddon’, ‘Groundhog Day’ and ‘Down Periscope’.

Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper 'are genuinely happy'

Gigi and Bradley all smiles

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper have "similar personalities."

The 28-year-old model and Bradley, 48, have been romantically linked to each other over recent months, and an insider has now revealed that they are "genuinely happy" when they're together.

The source told 'Entertainment Tonight': "Gigi and Bradley get along well and have similar personalities. Underneath it all, they are both goofy, love to laugh, travel, and spend time with their family and friends. They are genuinely happy and taking things day by day.

"Fame doesn't phase either one of them and they admire that about each other."

Yolanda Hadid, Gigi's mom, and her sister Bella Hadid are both supportive of her new romance with the movie star.

The insider explained: "They have introduced each other to their immediate, close-knit circles. Yolanda and Bella could not be more supportive."

In October, a source claimed that Bradley felt "excited" about getting to know Gigi.

The Hollywood actor loves spending time with Gigi and she is "exactly his type."

The source told DailyMail.com: "Bradley is excited about getting to know Gigi.

"He hasn't felt this excitement about a woman in a very long time.

"They are taking it slow, but he's very into her. She is exactly his type."

Bradley and Gigi - who previously dated pop star Zayn Malik - were said to be "having fun" together, in spite of their 20-year age gap.

Reflecting on their burgeoning romance, a second source said at the time: "Bradley is eager to date again and be in a relationship.

"He loves all that comes with it and Gigi is beautiful and she gets it, she is really cool and knows her way around relationships like this with famous men, so they are both having fun."

Vanessa Hudgens says wedding was 'magical'

Hudgens' magical wedding

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

Vanessa Hudgens' wedding was a "magical" occasion.

The 34-year-old actress recently married baseball star Cole Tucker in Tulum, Mexico, and Vanessa has now revealed that it was a perfect weekend for the loved-up couple.

The brunette beauty - who made their romance Instagram official in 2021 - told Vogue magazine: "It was genuinely the most magical weekend of my life.

"I am so grateful that we got to have a private wedding, and it helped that I took everyone’s phones away.

"It was amazing because at the dinner, I would look around and everyone was talking to each other - our family and friend groups coming together and creating real relationships that I know they’re going to invest real time into. Seeing that and bringing everyone together and celebrating us, it was just so magical."

Vanessa's wedding actually "exceeded" her own expectations.

The actress said: "Literally talking about it right now, I’m getting teary-eyed. I couldn’t have dreamt it to be any better. I knew it was going to be magical, but it exceeded my expectations."

Vanessa and Cole, 27, wrote their own wedding vows and the actress has encouraged other people to follow her example.

The movie star "loved" expressing her admiration and appreciation for Cole in front of their friends and family.

Vanessa - who previously dated Zac Efron, her former 'High School Musical' co-star, and actor Austin Butler - shared: "[Writing my own vows] was important to me.

"I would also say to everyone: Write your own vows and read them. It is the most beautiful thing ever in a relationship to be that open and vulnerable and raw in front of all of the people you love proclaiming your love. It’s just beautiful. I loved it."

Best movies of 2023: 'Oppenheimer,' 'Fallen Leaves,' 'May December'

Best movies of 2023

Photo: Focus Features

Dominic Sessa, Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph in a scene from "The Holdovers."

The Associated Press’ Film Writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle's picks for the best movies of 2023:

LINDSEY BAHR

1. “Oppenheimer"

Christopher Nolan has had so many major films in a relatively short time, that “ Oppenheimer ” might seem like a given, rather than the triumphant fusion of everything he’s passionate about: Large format film; the tension between humanity and science; the turmoil of a brilliant mind; and the wonder of an exceptional group coming together to make an impossible thing (in this case a nuclear weapon) but also on a meta level, the film.

2. “The Zone of Interest"

Like “Oppenheimer,” the horror in Jonathan Glazer’s “ The Zone of Interest ” is what is unseen. Depiction bubbled up as a hot topic this year, as though audiences aren’t intelligent enough to imagine the worst. In “The Zone of Interest,” it’s only a wall that separates one Nazi family from the gas chambers of Auschwitz. Glazer’s film is a masterclass in atmosphere: A chilling, artful representation of the not so grey areas of complicity.

3. “Priscilla"

Sofia Coppola’s “ Priscilla ” is so beautiful to look at, it’s easy not to notice its rigorous restraint and minimalism in storytelling. It provides a singular showcase for her very capable actors, Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, that’s about all the small things — the moments that might be imperceptible were it not for her quiet gaze. That the Elvis estate wasn’t on board just means she did her job as an independent artist.

4. “Asteroid City"

The play within a play conceit of Wes Anderson’s “ Asteroid City ” is perhaps his most self-conscious film, made in his signature style but also about his style and the artifice of it. It is immensely rewatchable, funny and quotable, with a career best performance from Scarlett Johansson and a brilliant Margot Robbie cameo.

5. “May December"

It takes a master like Todd Haynes to authentically blend high camp and melodrama with grounded emotion, but that’s what he’s managed to do with the sickly entertaining “ May December. ” It’s a satire about actors and the Lifetime-ing of human tragedies and a soulful portrait of a victim who doesn’t realize it.

6. “Fallen Leaves"

Aki Kaurismäki was, embarrassingly, a blind spot for me. But the Finnish filmmaker’s deadpan romance about the missed connections of two lonely souls in a cold, unglamorous, alcohol-soaked setting is a wonderful place to start. Like Holappa and Ansa come to learn, it’s never too late to grow.

7. “The Holdovers"

There were a few movies this year that were just so good and so watchable that it feels too easy to select them. Alexander Payne’s “ The Holdovers ” is the best of them: A well written, acted and composed film that makes you feel like you too are stuck in a New England boarding school over a holiday break and learning things about yourself and those in the trenches with you.

8. “Poor Things”

Yorgos Lanthimos crafts a deranged, provocative, unabashedly stylish and funny fairy tale that feels completely fresh. The themes aren’t exactly subtle, what with Emma Stone’s insatiable Bella Baxter calling her creator (Willem Dafoe) God, but it is one of those huge, ambitious swings that works.

9. “A Thousand and One"

Writer-director A.V. Rockwell made the year’s best debut feature in this vibrant portrait of a mother and son in New York City in the 1990s. The city as character may be a tired trope, but here you feel their home changing and gentrifying as their own relationship takes unexpected turns. This grand opening statement is both intimate and epic, with a pulsating soundtrack.

10. “Bottoms"

It’s kind of hard to believe that “ Bottoms ” was a real movie that was really released by a major studio, MGM. Director Emma Seligman and her co-writer/muse/star Rachel Sennott created one of the wildest, funniest, weirdest high school movies that Gen Z still needs to discover and claim. It’s ok, there’s time.

Also: “ 20 Days in Mariupol,” “ Theater Camp,” “ Blue Jean,” “All of Us Strangers,” “ Eileen,” “ Showing Up,” “ You Hurt My Feelings,” “ Killers of the Flower Moon,” “ The Eight Mountains,” “ Anatomy of a Fall,” “ The Pigeon Tunnel.”

JAKE COYLE

1. “Fallen Leaves”

Loneliness and lousy bosses are everywhere in the cold world of Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki’s latest. But there are stirring signs of life beneath the deadpan surface of “Fallen Leaves,” a minimalist fable about a maybe-romance between two working-class loners (Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen). Kaurismäki doesn’t need much — a trip to the movies, a few good songs, a dog named Chaplin — to say a lot. An 82-minute balm for a bleak world.

2. “The Holdovers”

Alexander Payne’s latest, with its cozy, Christmas New England environs, has sometimes been compared to a warm blanket. But there’s a strong anti-authoritarian streak running through “The Holdovers,” much like the ’70s films it models itself on. The cast, including Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa, is flawless. There's plenty of warmth here, but there's rage, too — including a lament for a lost spirit of American filmmaking.

3. “The Eight Mountains”

Seasons sweep through Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s gentle tale of friendship set in the Italian Alps. The film, vast and intimate at once, tracks two childhood friends (Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi) over the course of years, enveloping them in a breathtaking high-mountain backdrop and the radiant folk songs of Daniel Norgren.

4. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

The year’s giddiest and most spectacular film. As good as “Into the Spider-Verse” was, the second chapter pushes dazzlingly against both superhero convention and the limits of animation.

5. “Perfect Days”

The great Japanese actor Koji Yakusho stars as a solitary, soft-spoken public toilet cleaner in Tokyo in Wim Wenders' profoundly lovely ode to the everyday. Though plot and backstory make hesitant inroads, “Perfect Days” is mostly about the day-to-day rhythms of Hirayam, who reads Faulkner at night, takes pictures of trees on his lunch break and listens to cassette tapes (yes, including Lou Reed) while he drives.

6. “Origin”

Ava DuVernay’s stirring adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste” isn’t exactly an adaptation. DuVernay dramatizes Wilkerson’s writing of the celebrated nonfiction book, mixing in historical accounts of caste systems with the intimate dramas of Wilkerson’s own life. The combination movingly fuses social with personal.

7. “Barbie”

Here’s one thing that’s not been said enough about Greta Gerwig’s runaway sensation: It's the funniest movie of the year. With apologies to Cord Jefferson’s blistering debut, “American Fiction,” and Nicole Holofcener’s white-lie opus, “You Hurt My Feelings,” nothing was as clever as Gerwig’s I’ll-have-my-cake-and-eat-it-too balancing act of brand marketing and gender satire.

8. “La Chimera”

The past in everywhere in Alice Rohrwacher’s enchanting 1980-set folk tale, underfoot and in the melancholy eyes of its Englishman protagonist (Josh O’Connor), the gifted but haunted leader of a ramshackle band of tombaroli who raid ancient Etruscan burial sites in Tuscany. This is a magical but earthy movie.

9. “All of Us Strangers”

The latest by Andrew Haigh, the British filmmaker of “Weekend” and “45 Years,” is an aching, unshakeable ghost story. In a dreamy metaphysical daze, the film toggles between the unfolding relationship of two gay men, Adam (Andrew Scott) and Harry (Paul Mescal), and Harry’s visitations to his frozen-in-time childhood home where he finds his long-dead parents (Claire Foy, Jamie Bell). It’s about family, loss, fiction, romance, coming out, growing older, and it will absolutely level you.

10. “Tótem”

Mexican writer-director Lila Aviles’ film is likewise about family and grief, and it, too, has the power to devastate. Aviles’ follow-up to her 2018 debut “The Chambermaid” is largely seen through the perspective of young Sol (Naima Senties) on a day when her multigenerational family is preparing a birthday party for her dying father (Mateo García Elizondo). The teeming, distracted lives of her relatives nearly obscure the hard truth at hand for Sol.

Also: “R.M.N.,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Oppenheimer,” “You Hurt My Feelings,” “A Thousand and One,” “Tori and Lokita,” “Youth (Spring),” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “The Delinquents,” “Orlando: My Political Documentary,” “Past Lives,” “American Fiction,” “Ferrari,” “The Boy and the Heron,” “Asteroid City"

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour the first tour to gross over $1 billion, Pollstar says

Swift tour tops $1 billion

Photo: The Canadian Press

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is the first tour to cross the billion-dollar mark, according to Pollstar's 2023 year-end charts.

Not only was Swift's landmark Eras Tour the No. 1 tour both worldwide and in North America, but she also brought in a whopping $1.04 billion with 4.35 million tickets sold across 60 tour dates, the concert trade publication found.

Pollstar data is pulled from box office reports, venue capacity estimates, historical Pollstar venue ticket sales data, and other undefined research, collected from Nov. 17, 2022 to Nov. 15, 2023.

Representatives for the publication did not immediately clarify if they adjusted past tour data to match 2023 inflation in naming Swift the first to break the billion-dollar threshold.

Pollstar also found that Swift brought in approximately $200 million in merch sales and her blockbuster film adaptation of the tour, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” has reportedly earned approximately $250 million in sales, making it the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

According to their estimates, Pollstar predicts a big 2024 for Swift as well. The magazine projects the Eras Tour will once again reach $1 billion within their eligibility window, meaning Swift is likely to bring in over $2 billion over the span of the tour.

Worldwide, Swift's tour was followed by Beyoncé in second, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band in third, Coldplay in fourth, Harry Styles in fifth, and Morgan Wallen, Ed Sheeran, Pink, The Weeknd and Drake.

In North America, there was a similar top 10: Swift, followed by Beyoncé, Morgan Wallen, Drake, P!nk, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Ed Sheeran, George Strait, Karol G, and RBD.

Beyond the Swift of it all, 2023 was a landmark year for concert sales: worldwide, the top 100 tours of the year saw a 46% jump from last year, bringing in $9.17 billion compared to 2022's $6.28 billion.

In North America, that number jumped from $4.77 billion last year to $6.63 billion.

Earlier this week, Swift was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Last month, Apple Music named her its artist of the year; Spotify revealed she was 2023’s most-streamed artist globally, raking in more than 26.1 billion streams since Jan. 1 and beating Bad Bunny's three-year record.

Consider 2023 a year of incredible pop music dominance — (Taylor's Version.)

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly 'are working through their issues'

'Working through issues'

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are "trying to work through their issues."

The 37-year-old actress and the 33-year-old music star - whose real name is Colson Baker - are both "fiery personalities" and their high-profile romance has already been through plenty of ups and downs.

A source told Us Weekly: "Megan and Colson have had a very up and down relationship. They are great one day and then fighting with each other the next."

Despite this, the celebrity duo remain determined to overcome their issues and move forward with their romance.

The insider shared: "They love each other and have passion in droves, but that passion goes both ways.

"They are still trying to work through their issues and work on how they communicate, but both of them have such fiery personalities it’s been a struggle."

In June, Megan and the music star were said to be doing "much better" following their relationship struggles.

The duo - who announced their engagement in early 2022 - were working towards creating a "happy, honest, loving, passionate relationship" at the time.

A source explained to 'Entertainment Tonight': "There was obviously quite a bit of drama between them for a second, but they have been working on having very healthy and fluid communication. They have also been seeking therapy, which has helped save their relationship.

"They have learned that communication is key, and honesty and trust are the key pillars to any relationship.

"Their engagement status and wedding planning is a work in progress at this time, but they are both confident that they will be together forever.

"Their goal is to have a happy, honest, loving, passionate relationship that they are both committed to."

Ozzy Osbourne open to using AI to make music with late Randy Rhoads

An AI Ozzy-Randy reunion?

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

Ozzy Osbourne is "open" to making new music with late guitarist and co-writer Randy Rhoads using AI.

Although the former Black Sabbath star, 75, has nothing left of Randy's to work with, his son Jack Osbourne, 38, explained how they could put material he already worked on through AI software to produce something new.

Speaking on 'The Osbournes' podcast, Ozzy said of The Beatles' 'Now And Then', which utilised AI to make late frontman John Lennon's vocals clearer: “I haven’t considered it yet, but as far as me doing something like what the remaining Beatles did with the John Lennon thing… that was a partial song and they cleaned the track up.”

When his son explained another way it can be used, Ozzy replied: “Well, you know what? I’m open for anything, if it was good quality.”

However, the 'Dreamer' hitmaker insisted AI can never replace what he contributes to his music.

He warned: "The cat’s out of the bag. You can’t undo it. The danger is people will misuse it. Because I’ll get like a formula for a song and I’ll put that formula in and I’ll keep on doing that.”

Legendary Randy - who contributed to Ozzy's first two solo albums, 1980's 'Blizzard of Ozz' and the following year's 'Diary of a Madman' - sadly lost his life in a horrific plane crash in 1982 aged just 25.

And the 'War Pigs' singer has never gotten over the "shock" of losing Randy.

In 2018, Ozzy told Rolling Stone: "To this day, as I'm talking to you now, I'm back in that field looking at this plane wreck and a house on fire.

"You never get over something like that. You're in shock."

Ryan Reynolds wants to 'preserve the magic' of Deadpool 3

Ryan: 'preserve the magic'

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

Ryan Reynolds is determined to preserve the "magic" of 'Deadpool 3'.

The 47-year-old actor - who has enjoyed huge success with the 'Deadpool' film franchise - has taken to social media after some behind-the-scenes photos from the set recently leaked online.

Responding to the photo leak, Ryan wrote on Instagram: "Surprises are part of the magic of theatrical movies. It’s important for us to shoot the new DEADPOOL film in real, natural environments, using practical effects as opposed to making the movie indoors and digitally. Telephoto lenses continue to spoil surprises and create a difficult situation for everyone.

"Here’s hoping some of the websites and social channels hold back showing images before they’re ready. The film is built for audience joy - and our highest hope is to preserve as much of that magic as possible for the finished film and the big screen. Part of the reason people post spoilers is because they’re excited. I realize these aren’t real world issues and it’s firmly in the ‘good problems’ bucket.

"I love making this movie."

Ryan stars alongside Hugh Jackman in 'Deadpool 3', and he previously admitted that he's relished working with his showbiz pal.

Ryan told 'ET Canada': "It’s been fun. He and I are both really excited. We’ve wanted to do this for a decade. So, to have this opportunity now is, I think actually weirdly, the perfect time."

Ryan also admitted to "pestering" Hugh about joining the franchise.

He said: "I never stopped. I was just pestering him like a gnat over the last many years. I actually just think … I believe in timing … and I think he was ready."

Taylor Swift dated Travis Kelce in secret for months before going public

Dated secretly for months

Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

Taylor Swift started dating football star Travis Kelce in secret months before she was first spotted at one of his games.

The 33-year-old pop star was first linked to the sportsman in September when she was seen attending one of his matches for the Kansas City Chiefs but she has now admitted they were already a couple by the time the world found out about their romance.

She told Time magazine: "This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell.

"We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other.

"By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date."

Taylor - who has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2023 - was first spotted at one of Travis' games on September 24 when she was seen cheering him on as the Kansas City Chiefs played the Chicago Bears at the Arrowhead Stadium.

The 'Blank Space' star went on to add that she's happy to be seen at the games because being in a relationship means they support each other.

She added: "When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care.

"The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other."

Taylor also insisted she has no idea how so many people find out where she is at the games, adding: "I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in. There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the-camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once.

"I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and [annoying] a few dads, Brads and Chads ... "

Taylor concluded by confessing she has learned to love football despite not really being a fan of the sport before she started dating Travis. She admitted: "Football is awesome, it turns out. I’ve been missing out my whole life."