Anti-woke voices share a social media saying when sanity returns to the culture, be it acknowledging that sex sells in ads or proof that Cancel Culture is on the run.
Nature is healing.
That rings true regarding the saga of Gina Carano. The MMA standout-turned-action heroine had it all – a burgeoning career, the adoration of fans and a plum gig on Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.”
Then Disney fired her for “problematic” social media posts.
Carano just settled her lawsuit against the Mouse House with the suggestion that the two sides might work together on future projects. She didn’t land a knockout legal blow but staring down arguably the biggest company in Hollywood proved a victory all the same.
You might call it a healing moment.
She wasn’t destined for movie stardom, at least not during her MMA days. As fate would have it, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh saw something in Carano while watching her on TV. He eventually crafted an action thriller around her beauty and brawn via 2011’s “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1506999/">Haywire</a>.”
<div id="attachment_958907" style="width: 991px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-958907" class="wp-image-958907 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-139034717-981x576.jpg" alt="BERLIN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 15: Actors Antonio Banderas and Gina Carano attend the &quot;Haywire&quot; Press Conference during day seven of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival at the Grand Hyatt on February 15, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)" width="981" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-139034717-981x576.jpg 981w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-139034717-300x176.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-139034717-768x451.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-139034717.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 981px) 100vw, 981px" />Sean Gallup/Getty Images</div>
The film <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1506999/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">wasn’t a smash</a>, but it proved she could act alongside established stars like Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum, and Michael Fassbender. The Hollywood door creaked open.
She kept working on screen, landing notable roles in “Deadpool,” “Fast &amp; Furious 6” and “Extraction.”
And then came “The Mandalorian.” Disney finally got the “Star Wars” magic right with the TV series starring Pedro Pascal as the title character. She joined the cast as Cara Dune, a loner seeking vengeance against the Empire for terminating her home planet of Alderaan. She quickly became a fan favorite, and buzz began to build that Disney+ would spin off her character into her own show.
Carano says “Mandalorian” director Jon Favreau of “Iron Man” fame told her, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/gina-carano-interview-madalorian-firing-elon-musk-disney-1235851597/">“your life is about to change.”</a>
<div id="attachment_958915" style="width: 862px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-958915" class="size-large wp-image-958915" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1187551494-852x576.jpg" alt="HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 13: (L-R) Ming-Na Wen, Pedro Pascal, Executive Producer Jon Favreau, Executive Producer/Director Dave Filoni, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Executive Producer Kathleen Kennedy and Werner Herzog arrive at the premiere of Lucasfilm's first-ever, live-action series, &quot;The Mandalorian,&quot; at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. on November 13, 2019. &quot;The Mandalorian&quot; streams exclusively on Disney+. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)" width="852" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1187551494-852x576.jpg 852w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1187551494-300x203.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1187551494-768x519.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1187551494.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px" />Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney</div>
She was this close to stardom, the kind young actors can only dream about. Except Carano didn’t follow Hollywood’s progressive playbook. She wasn’t openly conservative, but she began questioning COVID-19 protocols on social media, echoing the thoughts of many Americans but not the Legacy Media or the Left.
She pushed for election reform, noting how fellow Americans lacked trust in the current system. Once again, a fairly mainstream view was suddenly deemed out of bounds following President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over Donald Trump.
She considered putting up a black square following the death of George Floyd, but she didn’t want to follow the crowd with empty posturing.
Worst of all to the woke Left, she refused to put her pronouns in her social media bio, instead using a trio of silly words – Beep/Bop/Boop.
The Left went into a frenzy over that stunt, while she defended her actions as a stand against <a href="https://x.com/ginacarano/status/1305301756792860674">social media bullying</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Beep/bop/boop has zero to do with mocking trans people 🤍&amp; 💯 to do with exposing the bullying mentality of the mob that has taken over the voices of many genuine causes.
I want people to know you can take hate with a smile. So BOOP you for misunderstanding. 😊 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllLoveNoHate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllLoveNoHate</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qe48AiZyOL">pic.twitter.com/Qe48AiZyOL</a>
— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) <a href="https://twitter.com/ginacarano/status/1305301756792860674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @ginacarano/X
Carano later revealed that Team Disney stepped in, asking her to stop sharing her thoughts online. She added the company put her through media training and even wanted to set up a Zoom meeting between the starlet and <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/gina-carano-interview-madalorian-firing-elon-musk-disney-1235851597/">45 LGBTQ+ Disney employees</a>, all angry at her refusal to share her pronouns.
Carano declined the offer, instead suggesting she have dinner with a much smaller group to reach across the cultural aisle. They refused, she contends.
Disney seemingly craved an excuse to cut ties with Carano. The company got it when she shared a plea for tolerance that evoked Nazi Germany.
<blockquote>Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors … even by children … Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?</blockquote>
Disney used the post as a pretext for termination. Disney&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gina-carano-lucasfilm-which-fired-her-pushing-her-for-an-emmy">explanation for her dismissal</a> angered many fans.
<blockquote>Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.</blockquote>
One problem? The post did no such thing. Another problem? Fellow Disney stars said far worse on social media sans punishment. 
Many called out Pascal for a post comparing <a href="https://ewerickson.substack.com/p/meet-the-double-standard-in-cancel">Trump voters to Nazis.</a>
Left unsaid? Disney worked with Bette Midler on “Hocus Pocus 2” following Carano’s dismissal, but Midler’s social media posts can be <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/disney-cancel-bette-midler-hocus-pocus-2/">cruel and dehumanizing</a>.
Disney opted not to punish either star or put them through media training.
Carano stopped working in traditional Hollywood. She next starred in The Daily Wire’s original western “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/terror-on-the-prairie?row=0&amp;elementPosition=28&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel">Terror on the Prairie</a>” – a deal signed days after Disney’s dismissal. She also landed a small part in “My Son Hunter,” a Breitbart original film about Hunter Biden directed by Robert Davi.
<div id="attachment_395948" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-395948" class="wp-image-395948 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/D5B28657-62DD-4F0E-AA27-D4F70780BFC7-1024x576.jpeg" alt="Gina Carano in &quot;Terror on the Prairie.&quot; The Daily Wire/Bonfire Legend" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/D5B28657-62DD-4F0E-AA27-D4F70780BFC7-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/D5B28657-62DD-4F0E-AA27-D4F70780BFC7-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/D5B28657-62DD-4F0E-AA27-D4F70780BFC7-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/D5B28657-62DD-4F0E-AA27-D4F70780BFC7-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/06/D5B28657-62DD-4F0E-AA27-D4F70780BFC7-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Gina Carano in &#8220;Terror on the Prairie.&#8221; The Daily Wire/Bonfire Legend</div>
Her career appeared to be over, at least within official Hollywood corridors. Then Elon Musk caught wind of her story and offered to pay for Carano to sue Disney for wrongful termination.
That powerful backing made all the difference. <a href="https://people.com/gina-carano-settles-lawsuit-disney-mandalorian-firing-thanks-elon-musk-11787322">Disney’s official statement</a> following the settlement suggests she might return to the “Star Wars” galaxy at some point. A “Mandalorian” feature film is tentatively slated for a May 2026 release.
<blockquote>Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect… With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.</blockquote>
It’s unclear if Hollywood, still a relentlessly liberal enclave that discriminates against some conservatives, will hire Carano for new projects.
By standing firm and defending her right to speak freely, however, she can hold her head high no matter the direction her acting career takes from here.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

FAN EXPO Canada 2024

The Rebel Returns: The Vindication Of Gina Carano

Acting

Cancel Culture

Disney

Elon Musk

Gina Carano

Hollywood

Star Wars

The Mandalorian

Years after firing Gina Carano from the “Star Wars” spinoff “The Mandalorian” in 2021, Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company have settled their dispute.
“The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies,” a Lucasfilm spokesperson said in a statement, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/gina-carano-disney-settle-mandalorian-firing-1236481982/">Variety</a>. 
“Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect. With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future,” the statement continued.
Carano reacted to the settlement with a <a href="https://x.com/ginacarano/status/1953575719554232400">post</a> on X, thanking Elon Musk and her lawyers.  “I am humbled and grateful to God for His love and grace in this outcome,” she wrote. “I’d like to thank you all for your unrelenting support throughout my life and career, you’ve been the heartbeat that has kept my story alive. I hope to make you proud.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I have come to an agreement with Disney/Lucasfilm <a href="https://twitter.com/Disney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@disney</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Lucasfilm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lucasfilm</a> which I believe is the best outcome for all parties involved. I hope this brings some healing to the force.
I want to extend my deepest most heartfelt gratitude to Elon Musk, <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> a man I’ve never met,… <a href="https://t.co/qiAX7W1vgf">https://t.co/qiAX7W1vgf</a>
— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) <a href="https://twitter.com/ginacarano/status/1953575719554232400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me,” Carano concluded. “Yes, I’m smiling.”
The actress was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-rules-against-disneys-motion-to-dismiss-gina-caranos-wrongful-termination-suit?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Judge+Rules+Against+Disney%E2%80%99s+Motion+To+Dismiss+Gina+Carano%E2%80%99s+Wrongful+Termination+Suit">axed by Disney</a> in 2021 after she posted a screenshot of another social media post that warned of the political climate at the time resembling Nazi Germany. 
Her post said, “Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?”
Disney faced massive backlash for its actions against Carano, while some of the actress’s fellow castmates defended her.
Shortly after the high-profile termination, Carano partnered with The Daily Wire for a movie deal that resulted in the feature film “Terror on the Prairie,” which premiered in June 2022.

‘Yes, I’m Smiling’: Disney Settles Lawsuit With Gina Carano Over ‘Mandalorian’ Firing

Disney Settles Lawsuit With Gina Carano Over 'Mandalorian' Firing

Entertainment

Lawsuit

Disney-Pixar&#8217;s latest box office bomb &#8220;Elio&#8221; was supposed to be even worse, according to a <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/elio-pixar-america-ferrera-director-queer-2-1236301860/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Monday by The Hollywood Reporter — but a number of elements were cut after a screening of the film went nowhere with the audience.
The movie&#8217;s titular character was originally written as &#8220;queer-coded&#8221; — a nod to the film&#8217;s original openly-gay director Adrian Molina — with photos in Elio&#8217;s bedroom that suggested he was crushing on a boy, and a scene where he shows off the clothing he created from trash he found on the beach.
Vestiges of the latter scene remained in the finished product, as THR reported: &#8220;Hints at the trash fashion remain in the released film, with the boy wearing a cape decorated with discarded cutlery and soda can tabs, although without any explanation for the unusual attire.&#8221;
Some of the elements were whittled away throughout the production process, as leadership reportedly pressed for Elio to be more masculine.
But still, the writing was on the wall after a screening that took place in Arizona back in 2023. Not one person in the audience, despite several saying they enjoyed the film, said that they would pony up the cash to see it in a theater.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pixar massively changed ‘ELIO’ after the original cut was test screened &amp; not a single person raised their hand when asked if they’d pay to see the film in a movie theater
Elio was also initially a queer-coded character until leadership told them to make him more masculine… <a href="https://t.co/3VReaNSSQW">pic.twitter.com/3VReaNSSQW</a>
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1939809054638932454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Things did not go better for Molina when a cut of the film was viewed by Pixar boss Pete Docter, and he left the project. New directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi took over, and although a number of those associated with the project said good things about Sharafian and Shi, they complained about the fate of the film.
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&#8220;I was deeply saddened and aggrieved by the changes that were made,” former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, a member of the company’s internal LGBTQ group PixPRIDE, said. &#8220;The exodus of talent after that cut was really indicative of how unhappy a lot of people were that they had changed and destroyed this beautiful work.&#8221;
Another Pixar artist who asked to remain anonymous told THR, &#8220;It was pretty clear through the production of the first version of the film that [studio leaders] were constantly sanding down these moments in the film that alluded to Elio’s sexuality of being queer &#8230; Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and &#8216;Elio&#8217; just becomes about totally nothing. The &#8216;Elio&#8217; that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian’s best version of the original.&#8221;

Elio

Pixar Bomb ‘Elio’ Was Supposed To Be Super Gay, Only Changed After Dismal Screening

LGBTQ

Media

Movies

Pixar

Politics

queer

After his five-year-old daughter fell overboard, a father dove off a Disney Dream cruise ship in a dramatic rescue, officials said.
The four-night cruise was returning to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday after making a trip to Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in the Bahamas. 
The father&#8217;s name has not been publicly released, but passenger Gar Frantz said he was on the fourth-floor deck when the incident occurred. He said he saw a child sitting on the railing of the cruise ship while a man took a picture, then the child fell overboard.
“We watched it, you could see two little things. &#8230; It was crazy, it was horrific,” Frantz said of seeing the tragedy unfold, per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/disney-dream-overboard-rescue-rcna215994">NBC News</a>.
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Another passenger, Gail Merrick, told the outlet that she saw and heard the commotion and noticed a yellow lifeboat in the water. 
“We came to find out that it was a child and then the father had gone in after the child, so we were watching with bated breath basically waiting for what would happen,” Merrick said.
A witness on the ship described the sound of the child hitting the water, per <a href="https://people.com/disney-cruise-passenger-describes-moment-dad-jumps-overboard-after-daughter-11764056">People</a>. “It sounded like hitting pavement, nothing like if you jump into a pool, it was so loud,” the woman, identified only as Chandler, told the outlet. “Then this awful scream from what I assume is the mother and then this massive splash.” 
She also uploaded <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeofchandler/video/7521737117475573047?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-8xe4AJfSHTT">footage</a> of the rescue to TikTok.
Disney confirmed that the cruise ship crew “swiftly rescued two guests from the water.”
“We commend our Crew Members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes,” a statement from the company said. “We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”

Disney Dream cruise ship

Hero Dad Leaps From Disney Cruise To Save Daughter In Daring Ocean Rescue

Father Jumps Off Disney Cruise Ship To Save Daughter Who Fell Overboard: Report

Atlantic Ocean

United States

Disney and Pixar&#8217;s latest offering is lagging well behind box office expectations — and the animation studio isn&#8217;t taking it sitting down.
“Elio” has earned just $35 million worldwide since its June 20 release, a record-low for Pixar. The film — which addresses themes like childhood and social isolation through the story of &#8220;Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession&#8221; — only brought in $21 million in ticket sales during its first three days in theaters.
In response to the disappointing numbers, Pixar shared a snarky post on its official Instagram account.
In the video, a woman addresses the reaction to &#8220;Elio,&#8221; which isn’t a remake or sequel, saying “Stop complaining that Disney doesn’t make original stories if you don’t show up to movie theaters and support them in the first place.”
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“Who… who said that?” a woman in her car says by way of reaction. “Oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one in my car. But anyway, there’s a new original story,” she continued, holding up a photo of the movie poster.
“Look at that, from Disney-Pixar, called Elio,” she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLaQFO-yad-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went on</a>. “You should go ahead and support it, it comes out this Friday so yeah, you should go to the movie theater, thank you.”
Commenters on the Instagram post noted the lack of marketing for the film, which they indicated may have contributed to the lackluster results.
“Maybe actually market the movie then???” one comment read.
“Some marketing would&#8217;ve helped… but yes it deserves way better; it&#8217;s such a good movie!!” another commenter echoed.
“I think what drove people away from this one was reusing that same animation style. So many people are wanting something different and we’ve now gotten it quite a few times with movies and shorts,” another person wrote.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond excited to see this new movie! I think it’s just time to switch up the animation again. Also there was barely any marketing for the movie,” a third said.
“Elio” is the latest in a long line of Disney flops, but there have also been several success stories, including the live action remake of “Lilo &amp; Stitch,” which earned over $945 million worldwide.

Pixar Blames Fans For ‘Elio’ Flopping, Says ‘Stop Complaining’ About Lack Of Original Content

Pixar Blames Fans For 'Elio' Flopping, Says 'Stop Complaining' About Lack Of Original Content

Animation

U.S.

Disney and Universal are teaming up to sue the AI image generation firm Midjourney for what they’re describing as copyright infringement.
Midjourney is a popular AI platform which utilizes user prompts to create original images in seconds. But the entertainment companies claim the model uses their copyrighted content to spit out images that are incredibly similar to the originals, representing a violation of copyright in their estimation.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in California described Midjourney as a “quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism” that’s responsible for “endless unauthorized copies of Disney’s and Universal’s copyrighted works,” per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/business/media/disney-universal-midjourney-ai.html">The New York Times</a>.
While this is not the first AI-based lawsuit, this represents the first time any major entertainment company has filed this type of complaint. In the case of other lawsuits, AI companies <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/11/disney-universal-sue-midjourney-ai-copyright/">claimed</a> that their tools are generating new creations and that the resulting output counts as “fair use” per copyright law.
The entertainment companies disagree.
“We are bullish on the promise of A.I. technology and optimistic about how it can be used responsibly as a tool to further human creativity,” Disney’s general counsel Horacio Gutierrez told NYT in an email. “But piracy is piracy, and the fact that it’s done by an A.I. company does not make it any less infringing.”
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Kim Harris, general counsel at Universal, expanded on this in a separate email statement, saying, “We are bringing this action today to protect the hard work of all the artists whose work entertains and inspires us and the significant investment we make in our content.”
Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin voiced support for the lawsuit, calling copyright protection “the backbone of [the entertainment] industry,” per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/11/tech/disney-universal-midjourney-ai-copyright-lawsuit">CNN</a>.
“A balanced approach to AI that both protects intellectual property and embraces responsible, human-centered innovation is critical for maintaining America’s global leadership in creative industries,” he added.
The lawsuit is demanding $150,000 per infringed work in addition to Midjourney ceasing copyright infringement in the future. If Disney and Universal win the case, the payout could total up to $20 million for 150 protected images they claim have been infringed upon.

‘Bottomless Pit Of Plagiarism’: Disney And Universal Sue AI Image Generator

'Bottomless Pit Of Plagiarism': Disney And Universal Sue AI Image Generator

Artificial Intelligence

California

copyright

Courts

Kids who came of age in the early aughts know that ohana means family. And family means nobody is left behind.
Disney’s 2002 animated film “Lilo &amp; Stitch” tells the story of a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo, who lives with her older sister, Nani, after their parents passed away. As Nani struggles to keep Lilo out of the foster system, they adopt what they think is a dog, but it is actually a mischievous, loving alien named Stitch. Together, they defy those trying to tear them apart, proving that &#8220;ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.&#8221;
The movie was a smash, which in Disney terms means it was a prime target for a live-action remake. And unlike Disney’s disastrous attempt to revive “Snow White,” the new “Lilo &amp; Stitch” has been a smash, raking in over $600 million to date.
But that doesn’t mean “Lilo &amp; Stitch” is free from drama. The remake has Nani giving Lilo up to a neighbor so she can chase a college scholarship in San Diego, radically rejecting traditional family values in favor of personal ambition. What was once a story about resilience, dedication, and familial loyalty becomes just another justification for the pursuit of self-fulfillment.
It’s an odd choice, particularly considering that no one seemed to have a problem with the original. And unlike “Snow White,” the “Lilo and Stitch” remake has garnered criticisms from both sides of the aisle: conservatives say the new ending is yet another instance of Disney trampling on family values, while <a href="https://x.com/CocoaFox023/status/1925888279271928310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leftists say</a> the film is “sanitizing the critique of American colonialism [through] organisations like CPS.”
So, why would Disney rejigger a classic in a way guaranteed to make everyone mad? One former Disney employee told The Daily Wire it likely has to do with a change in how the studio approaches moviemaking.
She said that when she began at the company, “the best business model at these big entertainment companies, especially with the children, teen, and family programming was to value the consumer and the majority of the time that means valuing their children and their families.”
But then, around 2020, she felt an “abrupt shift.”
“It didn&#8217;t really matter what the audience was telling us they wanted to see,” she explained. “It felt like the networks and producers were making agenda-driven decisions.”
The former Disney staffer added that while most of the audience consisted of “flyover state” moviegoers, the decision makers decided that they wanted to “educate” the audience and direct them on “the standard of how to act.”
“So I can see a creative meeting at Disney go something like: ‘How do we update ‘Lilo &amp; Stitch&#8217; to feel like it fits our world today?’ And the general sentiment would be that it&#8217;s not modern for a woman to forgo her dreams and stay home to take care of a loved one. In order to help her family, she needs to help herself.”
A quick glance at social media shows that this was a miscalculation.
“Remember in #LiloandStitch where Nani cared for Lilo very much and used every strength of her being to protect her and did anything keep her happy? Yeah in the live action remake she just leaves for college and the neighbors take Lilo in,” one commenter wrote.
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Remember in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiloandStitch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiloandStitch</a> where Nani cared for Lilo very much and used every strength of her being to protect her and did anything keep her happy? 
Yeah in the live action remake she just leaves for college and the neighbors take Lilo in <a href="https://t.co/J8ibGbgnLB">pic.twitter.com/J8ibGbgnLB</a>
&mdash; ChelseatheCartoonGal (@CartoonGal1) <a href="https://twitter.com/CartoonGal1/status/1925789653694636316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Another person agreed, <a href="https://x.com/HalfTangible/status/1926091179101127057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a>, “Read the synopsis of the live action Lilo &amp; Stitch movie and bruh at least on paper it’s like they took the theme of the original and went ‘ok but what if we did the opposite of that.’”
One viral X <a href="https://x.com/fawfulfan/status/1928057098887135314">comment</a> with 13 million views from Matthew Chapman, a reporter for Raw Story, called out Disney for making the change.
(Warning: spoilers ahead.)
Chapman railed about how Disney “mutilated” the original message of the movie in a series of X posts. “If you liked the original, the ending of this movie completely destroys it. I am doing a public service by spoiling it for you,” he wrote.
“So, if you remember, the original movie, without ever talking about this directly, dropped VERY clever, subtle visual hints about just how much of Nani&#8217;s life she had to throw away to take care of her sister after their parents died. All the surfing trophies in her room etc,” his post read.
“Well, the remake is much more explicit and sets up this B-plot about Nani wanting to go to U.C. San Diego and become a marine biologist. And at the end, she just&#8230;gives custody of Lilo to David&#8217;s grandma and goes to college.”
“What the hell was this whole movie about then? What was the point of the sisters desperately trying to get social services to let them stay together?” he rages. “There were retroactively no stakes in this movie. No conflict. Who cares?”
“I&#8217;ve touched on this before, but my LEAST favorite modern Disney trope is when they end the movie by letting a main character just ‘go off and be free,’ and then sweep under the rug how many people and responsibilities they are leaving behind by doing that.”
“The original movie is about a broken family trying to heal, and put their love and support for each other over anything else. Apparently not anymore, now it&#8217;s about Nani just lifting the burden of Lilo off her shoulders and finding a way to put herself first,” Chapman wrote.
It’s not just conservatives questioning the new ending. Even leftist publications like The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/lilo-stitch-fans-livid-over-live-action-movies-new-ending/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reacted</a> negatively to the change. The writer called the bond between the sisters the “emotional core” of the story and highlighted all the negative reactions to Nani’s abrupt departure.
For many viewers, this rewrite isn’t just disingenuous; it’s culturally corrosive. It’s not a matter of just trading one touching tale for another — it’s a surrendering of virtues such as self‑denial, responsibility, and the importance of family.

Moviegoers attend showings of “Mission: Impossible” and “Lilo & Stitch” this Memorial Day weekend’s biggest films at AMC Century City

Disney Remade ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Without ‘Ohana.’ Here’s Why Everyone’s Mad.

Family Values

Foster Care

Hawaii

According to a Reuters <a href="https://archive.is/lUgfe">report</a>, Disney is preparing to conduct mass layoffs that will affect hundreds of employees across various departments, including film and TV, publicity, casting, development, and corporate finance.
Reps for the entertainment company have declined to comment, and no exact numbers have been released yet.
This is just the latest in a series of layoffs over recent years. Disney laid off nearly 200 television and ABC News operations employees earlier this year after cutting ABC News and local station staff in October. In September 2024, an additional 300 people were let go, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/disney-mass-layoffs-tv-film-finance-departments-1236415786/">Variety</a>.
Disney cut 7,000 jobs in 2023 alone as it tried to save $5.5 billion in costs, Reuters reported.
During layoffs in 2023, company CEO Bob Iger said, “There will no doubt be challenges ahead as we continue building the structures and functions that will enable us to be successful moving forward.”
“In tough moments, we must always do what is required to ensure Disney can continue delivering exceptional entertainment to audiences and guests around the world, now, and long into the future,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-will-begin-mass-layoffs-this-week-ceo-announces">continued</a>.
Critics are quick to point out that Disney has had several big-budget flops recently, including the latest disaster, “Snow White.” The live-action remake is estimated to have cost the company approximately $115 million, based on a $410 million budget, including marketing, but it only earned a worldwide box office gross of $194.7 million. 
The film had multiple controversies, including a total change to the storyline and controversial statements made by Rachel Zegler, the actress playing the titular role. 
Many fans blame Disney’s downfall on increasingly leftist messaging, which Iger addressed during a shareholder meeting last April. When asked about Disney&#8217;s &#8220;wokeness,&#8221; the exec <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/disney-bob-iger-slams-ron-desantis-disney-florida-1235571743/">replied</a>, &#8220;I&#8217;m sensitive to that.&#8221;
&#8220;Our primary mission needs to be to entertain and then through our entertainment to continue to have a positive impact on the world. And I&#8217;m very serious about that. It should not be agenda-driven,&#8221; Iger added.

Disney Layoffs Will Affect Hundreds Of Employees In TV, Film, Corporate Finance: Report

Business

Economy

layoffs

President Donald Trump fires back at Vladimir Putin following Russia’s aerial attacks on Ukraine, the Treasury Department reveals a new approach to combating drug cartels, and Hollywood enjoys a record-breaking box office over Memorial Day weekend. 
It’s Tuesday, May 27, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump REBUKES Putin &amp; Cracks Down on the Cartels" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h-cs4WQyzlc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Russia Strikes Ukraine</h2>
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Topline: President Trump rails against Russian President Vladimir Putin after he launches another aerial attack on Ukraine.
Over the weekend, Russia launched a series of air assaults on Ukrainian cities, deploying hundreds of attack drones and dozens of missiles. Those strikes killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more — many civilians — in what Ukraine <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russian-drone-fragments-set-kyiv-apartment-building-ablaze-official-says-2025-05-24/">called</a> the most extensive aerial bombardment of the three-year war. 
In recent months, there had been hopes that a peace deal was within reach, but Putin appears to be making clear that he’s pushing ahead, despite increased threats of sanctions from the West. Ukrainian intelligence <a href="https://ca.news.yahoo.com/russias-casualties-war-against-ukraine-095937828.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAM3atsZc41kCSRMKSfurjA_lU-16DhBVMjma8L5udzrwkvFa0KgXegrcgN4PLiL5kMS7G5o-tI97OUCDDVv0q_D28ERp7U8aWOO1ONbadwbiQg0sOb-32woFiDBFhUNANBcGjAoYOUBI1FcOyeD46QfZpkI09tXrEb_Zwy9CY8KJ">reportedly</a> shows that Moscow is gathering forces near the front line in preparation for a summer offensive. 
In response to those attacks, President Trump offered his <a href="https://x.com/yashar/status/1926775198956572815">strongest condemnation</a> of Putin to date. “I don&#8217;t know what the hell happened to Putin. I&#8217;ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he&#8217;s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don&#8217;t like it at all. Okay, we&#8217;re in the middle of talking and he&#8217;s shooting rockets into Kiev and other cities.“ Later, on social media, the president appeared to make a veiled threat against Putin, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114571369956761390">writing,</a> “I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right. But if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” 
However, this new anti-Putin rhetoric hasn’t exactly led to friendlier relations with Ukraine. Trump also said over the weekend that “Zelensky is doing his country no favors by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems.” 
Meanwhile, on Friday, Trump accused the Europeans of being “difficult to deal with” during trade negotiations, saying “discussions are going nowhere.”  The president threatened a 50% tariff that would kick in on June 1. That seemingly got their attention, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the White House over the weekend to say “Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively.” As a result of that new willingness to make a deal, Trump agreed to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-delays-50-tariffs-eu-leader-blinks?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Delays+50%25+Tariffs+On+EU+After+Its+Leader+Blinks">pause</a> his tariff hike until July 9 so an agreement could be reached. 
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<h2>Freezing Cartel Funds</h2>
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Topline:  Trump enlists the Treasury Department in his sweeping crackdown on drug cartels.
President Trump promised a “whole of government” approach to combating drug cartels. While the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Border Patrol have obvious roles to play, the Treasury Department is taking steps to crack down on money laundering.
“One of the most important things that the president did upon coming into office was to declare a number of the narco groups terrorist organizations,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender told The Daily Wire. “[That] unleashes additional authorities at Treasury for us to better target some of the financial activities that these cartels are engaging in. It&#8217;s one thing to have our partners at DHS work on stopping the flow of people and drugs, but we can also use our financial tools to go after the money – because if the money is not flowing back south, then there&#8217;s less of an incentive to bring the drugs and the guns and some of the illicit activity up to the north.”
Among other things, Faulkender explained why Brinks Global was fined $37 million. “There is a statute called the Bank Secrecy Act that requires that if you&#8217;re going to facilitate transfers of monetary sums, that you need to know who the party is that is receiving this money, that is engaging in this transaction. And so what we did is our Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which is called FinCEN, they launched an investigation into how this money was flowing south of the border – and found that Brinks had facilitated some of these money transfers without knowing who the parties were that were participating in this transaction.”
For the full interview, check out the Morning Wire podcast.
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<h2>Box Office Bonanza</h2>
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Topline: The box office for the holiday weekend blew away expectations. Disney’s live-action &#8220;Lilo &amp; Stitch&#8221; and Paramount’s &#8220;Mission: Impossible 8&#8221; set records to kick off the summer blockbuster season.
&#8220;Lilo &amp; Stitch&#8221; and &#8220;Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning&#8221; provide a much-needed shot in the arm for theaters nationwide. According to studio estimates, &#8220;Lilo &amp; Stitch&#8221; grossed a staggering $183 million domestically. That’s an all-time Disney record for this time frame. Its global haul was $342 million. Meanwhile, &#8220;Mission: Impossible&#8221; brought in a franchise-best $77 million domestically and $190 million worldwide. Taken together, Hollywood hopes this is a game-changer for an industry that’s been fighting to regain that pre-pandemic momentum.
Social media buzz for &#8220;Lilo &amp; Stitch,&#8221; especially from younger women and parents, has been off the charts with an “A” CinemaScore signaling strong word-of-mouth. Posts on X captured the excitement, with fans showing up in Stitch merch and plushies, turning screenings into events. This kind of cultural resonance is exactly what Disney banks on with its IP-driven strategy – sometimes successfully, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/snow-white-bombs-with-one-of-disneys-lowest-opening-weekends-for-a-remake">sometimes not</a>.
While it didn’t reach the heights of &#8220;Lilo &amp; Stitch,&#8221; &#8220;Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning&#8221; is unquestionably a triumph for Tom Cruise. The film’s opening beat the previous franchise record set by &#8220;Mission: Impossible – Fallout&#8221; in 2018 by $14 million, not adjusted for inflation.
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Morning Brief: Trump Blasts Putin, Cartel Crackdowns & Box Office Bonanza

Cartels

Donald Trump

Drug Cartels

Mission Impossible

Morning Wire

Paramount

Russia

Tom Cruise

Treasury Department

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

A few years ago, the Walt Disney Company threw a tantrum over Florida&#8217;s inaccurately nicknamed &#8220;Don&#8217;t Say Gay&#8221; law that bolstered parental rights in education.
Now, the entertainment behemoth is building its first new theme park in 15 years in — wait for it — Abu Dhabi, a city where homosexuality is illegal.
Turns out the bottom line matters!
Disney&#8217;s theme parks are performing well — the company <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/disneys-stock-jumps-after-big-earnings-beat-raised-outlook-3329fd61#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> they brought in $8.9 billion in the second quarter, but Disney shares have traded down 17.2% so far this year.
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, where sexual activity between two men or two women is <a href="https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/united-arab-emirates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">punishable</a> by up to 14 years in prison.
Also, trans-identifying people or a &#8220;male disguising as a female&#8221; can be criminally prosecuted and face up to a year in prison and fines.
The country&#8217;s laws reportedly originate with Sharia law.
&#8220;The Walt Disney Company and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, announced an agreement to create a landmark Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,&#8221; Disney <a href="https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-announces-abu-dhabi-theme-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an announcement Wednesday.
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This new theme park resort in Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati &#8211; combing Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture. ✨ <a href="https://t.co/M1GHeYgr4H">https://t.co/M1GHeYgr4H</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YasIsland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YasIsland</a>… <a href="https://t.co/IyjODlj9ar">pic.twitter.com/IyjODlj9ar</a>
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) <a href="https://twitter.com/DisneyParks/status/1920094616356892673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;This seventh Disney theme park resort will combine Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture,&#8221; Disney said.
Disney CEO Robert Iger called it a &#8220;thrilling moment for our company.&#8221;
Abu Dhabi&#8217;s &#8220;culture is rich with an appreciation of the arts and creativity,&#8221; Iger said, and &#8220;Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati.&#8221;
Disney also included a statement from Abu Dhabi&#8217;s chairman of its Department of Culture and Tourism, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, who said the city is a place &#8220;where we preserve our past while designing the future.&#8221;
Back in 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the state&#8217;s parental rights bill prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
In response, Disney came out swinging against the law.
Disney&#8217;s CEO at the time, Bob Chapek, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/08/1085130633/disney-response-florida-bill-dont-say-gay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> DeSantis &#8220;to express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender kids and families.&#8221;
Disney&#8217;s unusual decision to publicly oppose the law kicked off a years-long fight with Florida officials.
DeSantis went after Disney&#8217;s special tax district in Florida, which had allowed Disney to govern semi-independently since 1967.
Meanwhile, Disney has come under fire from parents in recent years for inserting LGBT themes in children&#8217;s movies, such as a gay kiss in the 2022 “Lightyear” film, which flopped at the box office.

Walt Disney World

Disney Threw A Fit Over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ In Florida. It’s Building A Park Where Being Gay Is Illegal.

Disney Threw A Fit Over 'Don't Say Gay' In Florida. Now It's Building A Park In Abu Dhabi

Disney World

Florida

LGBT

Comedian Nate Bargatze recently mentioned some of the failures of people currently running Disney.
The 46-year-old standup artist, who has become popular in recent years for telling clean jokes that are also hilarious, said that Walt Disney is one of his biggest influences, emphasizing that the entrepreneur cared about his audience (other names on the list included Jerry Seinfeld, Judd Apatow, and Adam Sandler). But he said CEO Bob Iger isn’t doing the best job of carrying on Disney’s legacy.
“Now Disney is run by a guy that’s just a businessman,” he told <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a64621068/nate-bargatze-interview-2025/">Esquire</a> in a new cover interview, seemingly referring to Iger. “Well, that guy doesn’t care about the audience.”
He then referenced his own fans and how much he owes them, saying, “None of this happens without them.”
The article goes into detail about how Bargatze is currently the most successful comedian in the world, outselling Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, and Sebastian Maniscalco combined last year. What makes his story even more incredible is that his comedy doesn’t include swearing, sex, drugs, or politics. 
Bargatze talked about some of his fellow comedians who garnered attention for saying controversial things and how he attempted to avoid that path. 
“They would skip a bunch of steps,” he said of his contemporaries. “Now they’re mentioned everywhere because they said something crazy. Now Netflix called them and they got a special.” 
“The hardest thing to do is to stay that path because it’s not as flashy,” Bargatze told the outlet. “You got to just sit in it. You got to slowly keep going. Then you get to the point where I’m at now. I’m frustrated by an entire system that’s like, ‘Y’all were just grabbing headlines,’ when I felt like, ‘Why did y’all not look at me more?’”
The comedian also hinted at plans for ending his standup career and working on entertainment projects with broad appeal, plus opening a theme park in Tennessee called Nateland. “I don’t think anybody’s even trying to make stuff for everybody,” he said.
Meanwhile, Disney has not been doing well lately with several high-profile flops in recent years, including the latest disaster, “Snow White.” The film is expected to lose up to $100 million after being plagued by controversies with both the lead stars and the content of the movie itself. 
Iger was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-ceo-bob-iger-promises-to-reduce-output-of-marvel-movies-tv-spinoffs-after-multiple-flops?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Disney+CEO+Bob+Iger+Promises+To+%E2%80%98Reduce+Output%E2%80%99+Of+Marvel+Movies%2C+TV+Spinoffs+After+Multiple+Flops">formerly</a> the CEO of Disney from 2005 until 2020. He was replaced by Bob Chapek and then reinstated to his position in November 2022 when Chapek was fired. In November 2023, Iger said the studio was too focused on sequels.
Last May, the Disney exec promised the company would pivot from focusing on quantity to quality, reducing the studio&#8217;s output of sequels and television spinoffs overall.

Nate Bargatze

Comedian Nate Bargatze Says The ‘Businessman’ Running Disney ‘Doesn’t Care About The Audience’

Comedian Nate Bargatze Said The Person Running Disney 'Doesn't Care About The Audience'

Celebrities

comedian

Comedy

Matt Walsh is a man of many talents — a popular podcaster, a notable documentarian, a feared fisherman, and a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyrDtgjAgII" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surprisingly good</a> &#8220;Mortal Kombat&#8221; player. There is one persistent trait, however, that must be addressed: his passionate hatred of &#8220;Star Wars.&#8221;
I discovered Walsh’s animosity for &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; in May of 2023 while listening to his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1156-princeton-professor-tries-to-debunk-biology-fails-hilariously?elementPosition=155&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">show</a>. After hearing I played a recently released &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; game, he looked dead into the camera and said he was “repulsed by (me) completely.” And then continued to call me a “complete and utter disgrace.” Harsh. 
Last Thursday, theaters nationwide <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIbYlxVpJnc/">launched</a> a week-long re-release of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” to celebrate the film&#8217;s 20th anniversary. The film stands out not only for its stunning cinematography, one of a kind soundtrack, and compelling life-lessons, but also as the final “Star Wars” entry before progressive-infused Disney’s acquisition.
Walsh, apparently, did not recognize the exceptional film for what it is. After taking his children to see it in theaters, he <a href="https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1917266257956724823" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> to X and attacked the movie.
I will now address his unfounded criticisms.
His first issue is with the film’s dialogue. Walsh claims “Revenge of the Sith” has “the worst dialogue he’s ever heard in a mainstream Hollywood film.” To support his claim, he quotes a romantic scene between Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala: 
<blockquote>Anakin: You’re so beautiful 
Padme: It’s only because I’m so in love
Anakin: No it’s because I’m so in love with you 
Walsh leaves out the second half of the scene, which reveals the lines are not poorly written, but instead an intentional foreshadowing of what is to come later in the film. The scene continues;
Padme: So love has blinded you?
Anakin: Well, that&#8217;s not exactly what I meant. 
Padme: But it’s probably true.</blockquote>
At this point in the film, Anakin believes his wife is going to die in childbirth because of a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLb_k4Pz3CM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vision </a>he has in his sleep. As the primary antagonist, Emperor Palpatine (not Ovaltine) tells him that committing to the Dark Side is the only way to save her. This, and his blinding love for Padme, leads him to commit the atrocities he does later in the film. Pure genius from George Lucas, who Walsh claims should be arrested.
<div id="attachment_914885" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914885" class="size-large wp-image-914885" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-35-PM-7863-1024x576.jpg" alt="Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman. Lucasfilm, Ltd. All rights reserved." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-35-PM-7863-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-35-PM-7863-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-35-PM-7863-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-35-PM-7863-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-35-PM-7863-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Lucasfilm, Ltd. All rights reserved.</div>
Walsh’s next criticism of the film is that it has “abysmal action choreography.” To me, this attack is the most absurd. 
The final <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3OtoO5zjjU&amp;t=358s">fight</a> between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi, master versus apprentice, is one of the most iconic fight scenes in cinema history. Numerous outlets such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VpsG7JA-jc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WatchMojo</a>, <a href="https://screenrant.com/best-movie-sword-fights-ranked/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ScreenRant</a>, and <a href="https://movieweb.com/best-one-on-one-sword-fights-in-movies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MovieWeb</a> all rank the battle as one of the greatest sword fights in movie history. The fight was choreographed by legendary stuntman Nick Gillard, and is not sped up at all. Both actors trained relentlessly to master each move shown on camera.
<div id="attachment_914883" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914883" class="size-large wp-image-914883" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-30-PM-8822-1024x576.jpg" alt="Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor. Lucasfilm, Ltd. All rights reserved. " width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-30-PM-8822-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-30-PM-8822-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-30-PM-8822-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-30-PM-8822-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/MixCollage-01-May-2025-04-30-PM-8822-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Lucasfilm, Ltd. All rights reserved.</div>
Walsh specifically attacks the final move of the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin, saying the following;
<blockquote>Anakin jumps and flips through the air like Spider-Man but then at the end he loses because the other guy is standing on a small hill and has the higher ground. This was for some reason an insurmountable strategic advantage, even though Anakin had just seconds earlier leaped like 20 feet in the air while doing flips like an Olympic gymnast. So then Anakin decides to jump directly over top the other guy, close enough that he can just casually reach up and cut his legs off. He could have jumped anywhere else on the hill, or just a little higher, and avoided this issue.</blockquote>
Like many things Walsh has criticized in the film, the seemingly risky move Anakin used was intentional. Young Anakin Skywalker was fascinated by his master Obi-Wan’s triumph over Darth Maul in “Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” To defeat Maul, Obi-Wan <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsAEdblcqU4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flipped over him</a> and cut him in half upon landing.
When Anakin fights Obi-Wan, his pride and ego is at an all time high. He wants to prove to his once-master that he is now his superior. This is why moments before the final move, Anakin tells Obi-Wan, “You underestimate my power!”
Obi-Wan can sense Anakin is going to try his own move against him, so he offers one final warning, “Don’t try it.” Anakin did not listen, and ended up getting his legs cut off.
Walsh also criticized where the battle takes place, on a lava planet “for some reason.” He clearly suffers from a lack of knowledge in &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; lore. It’s the same reason he doesn’t understand why Anakin jumped over Obi-Wan.
The planet they fought on, Mustafar, is <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Mustafar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> by Wookiepedia as “powerful in the Dark Side of The Force.” Palpatine sent Anakin there so he could tap into the Dark Side more intensely as he slaughtered the separatists who were awaiting him. In the 2017 comic Darth Vader 5, Palpatine <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Darth_Vader_(2017)_5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instructs</a> Vader to return to Mustafar because it “is not like other planets. It is unique. Deep beneath its surface rests a locus for the Dark Side of The Force.&#8221;
Vader was so drawn to the planet’s Dark Side power that seven years after “Revenge of the Sith,” he built his <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Fortress_Vader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">castle</a>, Fortress Vader, there. 
Walsh’s final objection to the film was that it “took itself too seriously.” He expands on this by claiming “You can’t be campy and fun and also have mass child slaughter in the same film.”
Most of Walsh&#8217;s criticisms come from a lack of looking beneath the surface, taking everything at face value. “Revenge of the Sith” was always meant to be lighthearted in the beginning, and tragic in the end. After nearly three decades of fans left without a backstory, the purpose of the movie was to show how Hollywood’s most iconic villain, Darth Vader, transformed from a cunning warrior for good, to the embodiment of evil.
Following the classic hero&#8217;s journey literary archetype, we witness Anakin’s lighthearted upbringing in Episodes 1 and 2, his tragic fall in the second half of Episode 3, and his eventual redemption in Episode 6. A story that George Lucas brilliantly wrote and produced over 3 decades.
Walsh’s tweet thread ends on a lighter note, expressing that despite all of his concerns, his kids liked it. To me and countless other fans who believe “Revenge of the Sith” is one of the greatest films ever made, we can only hope Matt Walsh will read this piece and watch it again with an open mind.
* * *
Jacob Falach is an associate producer at The Daily Wire. You can find him on Instagram at: @jacobfalach.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated Ray Park was the fight and stunt coordinator for the film. The actual fight and stunt coordinator for &#8220;Revenge of the Sith&#8221; was Nick Gillard.

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