Editor’s note: This week, we’re reprinting some of our best stories from the past year. This piece delves into the negative impact that feminism has had on a generation of women.
Country artist Kelsea Ballerini has struck a chord with “I Sit In Parks,” a song about yearning for motherhood after being told that chasing career success would deliver deep and lasting happiness.
“I Sit in Parks” feels less like a song and more like a mirror held up to an entire generation of women who were told they could have it all if they chased achievement first and dealt with the marriage and family stuff later. It gives voice to the quiet grief of realizing the consequences of that choice.
And while Ballerini hasn’t said the song was autobiographical, that’s how many fans are seeing it.
Her lyrics begin with the image that many women know well but rarely speak about:
“I sit in parks, it breaks my heart, ’cause I see / Just how far I am from the things that I want / Dad brought the picnic, Mom brought the sunscreen / Two kids are laughing and crying on red swings.”
These lyrics aren’t about envy of another woman’s designer clothes or corner office. They speak of a deep, vulnerable ache for motherhood and family life.
“We look about the same age / But we don&#8217;t have the same Saturdays,” the song goes on. “Did I miss it?/ By now, is it/ A lucid dream? Is it my fault/ For chasing things a body clock/ Doesn&#8217;t wait for? I did the damn tour/ It&#8217;s what I wanted, what I got/ I spun around and then I stopped/ And wonder if I missed the mark.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kelsea Ballerini - I Sit In Parks (Official Music Video)" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Ccgd5MT9s4?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>
Ballerini’s frank admissions have emboldened women to weigh in on social media.
“Wow. The picture painted by Kelsea Ballerini in this song is tragic. How many hearts has feminism broken with its lies?” one person <a href="https://x.com/biblicalbeauty/status/1986955863370715335?s=43">observed</a>.
“This is grim,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/IndieLauraSDG/status/1987218755211104468">said</a> of the song. “I feel so sad for the girls who got duped into putting off the most important things in life.”
“My gosh, this is one of the saddest things I’ve ever read. I’m 45 with a 15-month-old, so this almost became my reality. An entire generation of women has been sold a bill of goods under false pretenses,” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/Babelfish80/status/1987157480879604153">replied</a>.
“As a single girl in her thirties, I’ve never related to a song more,” a popular comment on the YouTube music video for the song says. 
“I wasn’t prepared for this. As a single girl at 39 this song hits so deep,” another person wrote.
Predictably, there were plenty who shot back, saying they were perfectly content in their choice not to have kids. But the marvel of Ballerini’s song isn’t just the message, but also that it’s coming from a mainstream artist.
It’s telling that at the same time this single started gaining traction, the radical pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights began circulating an <a href="https://x.com/ReproRights/status/1986939347250143385">old interview</a> with singer Stevie Nicks discussing how her abortion in the 1970s &#8220;allowed her to continue her career at the height of Fleetwood Mac.&#8221;
Nicks described her unexpected pregnancy as a “nightmare scenario” that would have “destroyed” the band. During that interview, she spent no time reflecting on how her life would have unfolded if she hadn’t decided to sacrifice her child on the altar of fame. It’s a much more common outlook that other celebrities have spoken of, while Ballerini’s wistful reflection on what could have been is almost never heard.
“So, I sit in parks, sunglasses dark, and I/ Hit the vape, hallucinate a nursery with Noah&#8217;s Ark/ They lay on a blanket, and God d*** it, he loves her/ I wonder if she wants my freedom, like I wanna be a mother/ But Rolling Stones says I&#8217;m on the right road/ So I refill my Lexapro, thinking…” she sings. 
Interestingly, Ballerini was married young and got divorced within five years because her husband, Morgan Evans, wanted to have children right away while she preferred to freeze her eggs and delay becoming a mom, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kelsea-ballerini-claims-her-marriage-ended-when-morgan-evans-wanted-kids-while-she-pursued-egg-freezing-route">reported</a>.
“That was something that we had talked about early on, and that was something that I was changing on,” the singer said during a 2023 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. &#8220;Cause he was ready. He was like, ‘I don’t want to be an old dad,’ is what he kept saying. And I was like, ‘I’m not there yet, and I can’t do that to save this and give you something that I’m not ready for.&#8217;”
Ballerini said she “wasn’t ready for kids” and decided to visit a doctor to discuss egg freezing, which she planned to do before turning 30. She didn’t discuss the appointment with Evans until later.
“It was not a good day,” Ballerini said of telling her husband about her plan. “And I think that was when I was like, there’s a fundamental difference here that has happened, that has shifted. And it’s no longer like, I don’t see this person, I miss this person, I’m alone, I’m lonely. It’s like, he wants something out of life … [and] I’m not there.”
The “Half of My Hometown” singer said she filed for divorce not long after that conversation in August 2022. 
There’s a chance Ballerini wrote the song to make money, knowing it would make headlines and she could capitalize on the buzz it would generate. There’s a chance she doesn’t regret her decision to chase a career rather than becoming a mom sooner.
But either way, based on the reactions and comments, there is a group of women who feel duped by the subtle yet relentless messaging to build their careers and identities first and worry about marriage and family later… or never.
In practice, biology never agreed to that timeline. These women were told that motherhood was a detour from fulfillment, not part of it, and that it was equally if not more noble to collect passport stamps. 
They were told motherhood was a cage. That freedom was the goal. Yet in this song, the woman with all the freedom and fame is also the one with a broken heart.

Best Of 2025: The Saddest Song Of The Year Exposes The Lie Of Modern Feminism

Country Music

Entertainment

Feminism

Music

U.S.

The newly-named Trump-Kennedy Center is not letting a performer off the hook for bailing on a concert over politics.
In a letter, the president of the Trump-Kennedy Center, Ric Grenell, tells the jazz musician who pulled out of a Christmas concert at the last minute over the center&#8217;s &#8220;Trump&#8221; name-change that it will seek $1 million in damages for the abrupt cancellation.
&#8220;Your dismal ticket sales and lack of donor support, combined with your last-minute cancellation has cost us considerably,&#8221; Grenell said in a letter to musician Chuck Redd. &#8220;This is your official notice that we will seek $1 million in damages from you for this political stunt.&#8221;
&#8220;This institution remains dedicated to excellence and accessibility for generations to come, and we will not yield to the pressure tactics being directed at us from political performers on our stages,&#8221; Grenell said. &#8220;True artists perform for everyone regardless of the political affiliation of audience members.&#8221;
Redd was scheduled to host the “Christmas Eve Jazz Jam&#8221; on December 24 — a show he&#8217;s performed annually since 2006. He pulled out days before the performance, citing Trump&#8217;s name addition to the iconic center. He has admitted that he cancelled the concert because the center&#8217;s board voted to change the name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
&#8220;When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,&#8221; Redd <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kennedy-center-christmas-eve-jazz-concert-canceled-after-trump-name-added-to-building/">told</a> the Associated Press.
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Roma Daravi, the top spokeswoman for the center, slammed Redd for his &#8220;selfish&#8221; and &#8220;intolerant&#8221; decision to pull out of the performance.
&#8220;Any artist cancelling their show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled—they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people,&#8221; Daravi told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Art is a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude,&#8221; Daravi said. &#8220;The Trump-Kennedy Center is a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds—great art transcends politics, and America’s cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences.&#8221;
Grenell said in his letter to Redd that the renaming reflected Trump’s &#8220;extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Trump’s decisive intervention that rescued this historic building from almost certain destruction.&#8221; Notably, as highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kennedy-center-breaks-all-time-attendance-record-after-lib-meltdown-over-trump?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Kennedy+Center+Breaks+All-Time+Attendance+Record+After+Lib+Meltdown+Over+Trump">The Daily Wire</a>, the center broke the all-time attendance record soon after Trump took over the center, despite criticism from the Left. Its leadership also says it inherited a center in dire financial situation.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-kennedy-center-is-40-million-in-debt-will-make-major-cuts">EXCLUSIVE: Kennedy Center Is $40 Million In Debt, Will Make Major Cuts</a>
Grenell similarly said Redd&#8217;s abrupt cancelation &#8220;is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution.&#8221;
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&#8220;Regrettably, your action surrenders to the sad bullying tactics employed by certain elements on the left, who have sought to intimidate artists into boycotting performances at our national cultural center,&#8221; he added.
The president of the center also took a jab at Redd&#8217;s apparent declining attendance over the years.
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&#8220;[I]t is worth noting that attendance for your Jazz Jam had been lagging considerably behind our other Christmas and holiday offerings, which have drawn strong crowds and enthusiastic response,&#8221; he wrote.
&#8220;The contrast between the public&#8217;s lack of interest in your show with the success we are experiencing under our new chairman is drastic,&#8221; Grenell continued. &#8220;Our innovative KC Speakeasy—an intimate rooftop after-hours venue featuring live jazz—has consistently sold out, attracting diverse audiences and revitalizing the genre in exciting ways. The most avant-garde and well-regarded performers in your genre will still perform regularly, and unlike you, they’ll do it to sold out crowds regardless of their political leanings.&#8221;
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kennedy-center-breaks-all-time-attendance-record-after-lib-meltdown-over-trump?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Kennedy+Center+Breaks+All-Time+Attendance+Record+After+Lib+Meltdown+Over+Trump">Kennedy Center Breaks All-Time Attendance Record After Lib Meltdown Over Trump</a>

President Trump Toasts The 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees

Trump-Kennedy Center Hits Musician With $1M Lawsuit For Anti-Trump ‘Political Stunt’

Donald Trump

Kennedy Center

Politics

Ric Grenell

A viral story about former Nickelodeon child star Tylor Chase, who is now homeless, has taken a turn as his former co-star says he trashed a hotel room he was gifted.
Chase, now 36, captured the attention of the internet when a fan posted a video of him looking unkempt and seemingly living on the streets in Riverside, California. Chase was best known for his role as Martin Qwerly in the Nickelodeon series “Ned&#8217;s Declassified School Survival Guide” in the early 2000s. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Tylor Chase &amp; Cookie reunite. Long term treatment needed #nedsdeclassified #danielcurtislee #tylor" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WmPagJMhjxw?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>
His former co-star Daniel Curtis Lee <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSoC8cQgZBl/?hl=en">posted a video</a> of him reconnecting with Chase, buying him a meal, and getting him a hotel room. But then Lee posted an update saying Chase destroyed that room and fled.
“[The motel staff was] upset. The door&#8217;s left open. Why is there a microwave in the tub? The refrigerator&#8217;s turned over,&#8221; Lee <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@danielcurtislee/video/7587848053609090359?lang=en">shared</a> in a TikTok update. &#8220;I feel so devastated. I am at a loss.&#8221;
Lee went on to lament how there’s no way to get help for people who are addicted or mentally unwell despite there being “systems” in place.
When the original video of Chase started gaining traction, a fan started a GoFundMe campaign that was quickly shut down by the former child star’s mother, who said giving him cash would just make the situation worse, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/25/entertainment/neds-declassified-alum-tylor-chase-trashed-motel-room-paid-for-by-daniel-curtis-lee/">reported</a>.
Chase’s father was interviewed by the Daily Mail, which shed more light on the family’s effort to help him find treatment for mental health issues and drug addiction.
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“He’s a wonderful person when he’s Tylor,” Joseph Mendez Jr. <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15410309/tylor-chase-father-Nickelodeon-homeless-addiction-schizophrenia.html">told</a> the Mail. “For over a decade, the family has sought treatment options for Tylor, including support for substance use as well as mental health care,” he said.
He said Chase has been struggling with addiction since he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in 2015.
“He … chose to discontinue medication and resumed substance use,” Mendez said. “His family has been trying for many years to get him the support he needs, but ultimately, he must be willing to accept help,” Mendez said.
Social media commenters noted how the situation highlights the complexities of drug use, mental illness, and homelessness, saying it proves that giving homes to the homeless would not solve the issue in most cases.
“Because you can’t just stick someone homeless in a hotel room and BOOM they’re cured. He needs professional help,” one person <a href="https://x.com/Romanazswb/status/2004346821649613197">wrote</a>, echoing what many others were saying.
The latest update from influencer Jacob ‘Jake’ Harris was that Chase checked into a detox facility on Christmas Day. 
“We finally got Tylor the help he needed,” he <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DStWjRkEUre/">shared</a> in an Instagram update. “He’s currently receiving medical attention to get him healthy, to get him all better.”

Tylor Chase

Former Child Star Tries To Help Homeless Co-Star. It Does Not Go Well.

Homeless Former Child Star Trashes Hotel Room Gifted By Former Co-Star 

addiction

Celebrities

Homelessness

Mental Health

It’s common knowledge that late-night shows skew to the Left, but the extent of the issue is far worse than most people realize. 
A report <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/20/us-news/late-night-is-getting-more-radical-with-number-of-jokes-targeting-right-up-10-in-2025-to-92/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_social_post_id=628779175&amp;utm_social_handle_id=17469289&amp;utm_source=twitter">published</a> by The New York Post last week found that 92% of jokes over the past year have been targeted at conservatives, representing a 10% increase compared to last year. The report was based on an analysis from media watchdog NewsBusters, which sifted through 818 episodes put out by the major mainstream late-night hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers.
Those shows included 197 liberal guests and only two who were conservative, Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld and economist Oren Cass. 
NewsBusters found that Kimmel was the worst offender, making jokes targeting conservatives more than 3,000 times and focusing most of his ire on President Donald Trump. Of those jokes, 1,668 were about the sitting president. 
Other late-night hosts also mocked the commander-in-chief. Across the spectrum of hosts, there were more than 7,000 Trump jokes over the course of this year, representing a big uptick from last year. 
“The numbers don’t lie,” Media Research Center president David Bozell said, per the Post. “So-called late-night comedians are part of the entire elitist media complex that has fueled hatred of conservatives for years.”
It’s an interesting approach to take in the wake of Trump’s massive victory in the 2024 election. Late night is not doing well, and it shows. CBS announced in July that it was canceling “The Late Show” after the upcoming season, which inspired outsized reactions from the left. The network described the move as a “purely financial decision.” A report stated that the program was losing $40 million annually.
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Colbert went off on an expletive-laced tirade during his first monologue following the announcement, blasting President Donald Trump and CBS. Colbert mentioned how the network’s parent company, Paramount Global, paid Trump a $16 million settlement after being accused of election interference.
Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show saw a sharp spike in viewership after he returned from being taken off the air briefly in September. Kimmel was taken off the air for a short time after comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The saga began when Kimmel was accused of slandering conservatives when he suggested Kirk’s assassin was part of the “MAGA gang,” despite authorities saying otherwise. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said at the time.
Kimmel’s post-suspension return drew a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmels-ratings-spike-crashes-back-down-to-his-usual-terrible-numbers">record-breaking</a> 6.3 million viewers, more than triple his regular audience. A few days later, those numbers had dropped by 64%, leveling off at 2.3 million.

JIMMY KIMMEL

Late Night Hosts Targeted Conservatives 92% Of The Time, Made More Than 7,000 Trump Jokes In 2025

Late Night Hosts Targeted Conservatives 92% Of The Time, Made More Than 7,000 Trump Jokes: Report

Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Kimmel

Stephen Colbert

Television

Ivanka Trump shared a list of books this week that she said “shaped” her year, saying that each was important in a different way. Her roundup included a spectrum of genres, including novels, historical fiction, classics, meditations, and others.
Trump’s post included a photo of her reading, with the caption stating, &#8220;Here are some books that shaped my 2025: Each one shifted my perspective, some softly, others profoundly. Some I return to again and again, not just for insight, but for alignment.&#8221;
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📚 Here are some books that shaped my 2025: Each one shifted my perspective, some softly, others profoundly. Some I return to again and again, not just for insight, but for alignment. <a href="https://t.co/6wgzqYA2lB">pic.twitter.com/6wgzqYA2lB</a>
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/2003115765269250525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Her list was as follows: 
<ul>
<li>The Women by Kristin Hannah: “A powerful story of courage, resilience, and sisterhood set against war. It restores women to the center of history and reminds us that some of the bravest acts of service happen quietly.” </li>
<li>Homer’s The Odyssey: “Each year I reread the books my children are assigned in school. This year, I am journeying through The Odyssey again with Arabella. It honors the long arc of adventure and the resolve it takes to press on.”</li>
<li>The Creative Act by Rick Rubin: “A meditation on perceiving the world as art in motion and on discipline not as constraint, but as devotion.”</li>
<li>The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger: “Proof that even in darkness, freedom is an inner decision.”</li>
<li>Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach: “Flight as metaphor. A fable for those unwilling to live within borrowed limits.”</li>
<li>The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson: “Clarity on wealth, wisdom, and happiness. Modern stoicism, applied.”</li>
<li>The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant: “A distillation of human civilization and its enduring patterns. A reminder that perspective is the rarest form of wisdom.”</li>
<li>The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell: “An exploration of how our private lives echo timeless myths.”</li>
<li>A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell: “An intellectual pilgrimage through the architecture of human thought.”</li>
<li>The Pursuit of Happiness by Jeffrey Rosen: “Especially resonant as we approach America’s 250th anniversary, this book is a reminder that our Founders saw happiness as a pursuit rooted in virtue and discipline.”</li>
<li>Toward a Meaningful Life by Simon Jacobson: “Purpose is found not in ambition, but in faith and service.&#8221; </li>
</ul>
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Trump ended the thread by mentioning that she&#8217;s already putting together a reading list for next year and asked for recommendations from her followers. She also revealed some of the titles she keeps going back to. 
&#8220;Always on my nightstand: Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, Eckhart Tolle’s Stillness Speaks, A Poem for Every Night of the Year, and The Essential Rumi. As I begin my reading list for the year ahead, I’d love to hear your recommendations!&#8221; Trump concluded.

Ivanka Trump

2025 Reading List: Ivanka Trump Shares Which Books ‘Shaped’ Her Year

Ivanka Trump Shares Her 2025 Reading List

Books

The highly anticipated series “The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin” promises to deliver a version of Merlin unlike any seen before. Actor Tom Sharp, who takes on the iconic role in the adaptation of Stephen R. Lawhead’s bestselling series, says the character will surprise even longtime fans.
“Well, you know, it’s Merlin. So he’s an iconic character that’s probably known in most cultures around the world,” Sharp told The Daily Wire. 
Calling it his “biggest role to date and biggest production to date,” he emphasized that this Merlin is more than the mysterious, on the fringes secondary character that most Arthurian legend retellings make him out to be. 
“This is set before King Arthur, but instead of just a magical advisor … he’s also seen as a young warrior, which would be different for people to see. And it’s a grittier, more grounded tone … He’s hands on. He’s at the forefront,” Sharp explains.
The production draws heavily from Lawhead’s original story, which is a combination of Celtic mythology, Christian themes, and historical drama. The novels center on the rise of Britain from a land of chaos into a civilization awakened by faith. As previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dailywire-announces-release-date-for-the-pendragon-cycle?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DailyWire%2B+Announces+Release+Date+For+%E2%80%98The+Pendragon+Cycle%E2%80%99">reported</a>, this series aims to preserve those themes, honoring Lawhead’s vision while building an immersive, cinematic world.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9P9t-qTJPU4?si=hAlKkma9hqIkoYzo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Sharp confirmed that staying true to the original was a priority behind the scenes. “We stuck as closely as possible to the books and as faithfully to the source material as possible when making this show,” he assured longtime fans. 
One pivotal moment from the source material is considered a turning point in Merlin’s life and received special focus during production. Sharp described it as a “tentpole scene” that carries significant emotional weight. “If this scene falls down, the whole show falls down,” he said, noting that “fans of the books … they’ll know what I’m talking about.” He couldn’t reveal much else except to say that the scene appears in episode six.
Authenticity was also a major theme while filming “Pendragon,” the lead actor revealed. Rather than relying on CGI, the series was filmed in stunning locations across Hungary and Italy. Sharp explained how this made things easier for him and the rest of the cast. 
“Shooting on location beats CGI and green screen every day of the week,” he said. “It’s more immersive for the audience … For actors, it’s less acting required. You’re reacting off real things.”
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He continued, “If you see me running with a wolf or someone’s on fire or I’m charging into battle on a horse, swinging a sword, it’s all real.” Even the bulls in episode one, Sharp noted, were living, breathing animals.
While Merlin is often portrayed as a wise yet inaccessible mystical being, Sharp said he approached the character through the lens of humanity. “One of the challenges of playing him was how do I make him relatable because he’s so mysterious,” he said. “As an actor, I focused purely on his humanity and how the audience can connect to him.” 
Sharp also emphasized Merlin’s moral restraint. “He could easily rule in a tyrannical position, but he chooses not to… Someone with all that power, not wanting to be the ruler, is a great quality.”
The actor also mentioned the character’s other distinctly human qualities. “He’s also heavily, deeply flawed as well with a lot of tragedy and pain in his life from the beginning and throughout. And obviously, when you&#8217;re immortal, you&#8217;re quite a lonely person… [there is] a distance between him and other characters,” he said.
Sharp shared one lighthearted behind-the-scenes moment involving his first scene with actress Brett Cooper, who plays Ganieda. The pair met in full costume, with her clad in the gown of a regal princess and him presenting as a mud-covered Merlin as they both encountered a giant wild boar.
“This is not your traditional romantic setting,” he joked.
Ultimately, Sharp is excited for fans to see the series and called it a “dream come true” to play the character of Merlin. When asked about his favorite scene, he referenced the first season’s last episode. &#8220;The very final scene of the show in episode seven is my favorite personally,” Sharp said, noting that “the fans and any newcomers to the story will understand why.”
“That scene gave me a very surreal out of body experience. It was amazing and very euphoric on set. I kept talking about it for days afterwards … that memory will stay with me for life.”
“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-pendragon-cycle">The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin</a>,” premieres January 22, 2026, with early episodes releasing Christmas Day for DailyWire+ All Access members.

Merlin

Inside ‘The Pendragon Cycle’: Tom Sharp Delivers A Version Of The Merlin Never Seen Before

Inside ‘The Pendragon Cycle’: Tom Sharp Reveals The Merlin Fans Haven’t Seen

DailyWire+

The Daily Wire

The Pendragon Cycle

The ambitious fantasy series “The Pendragon Cycle” doesn’t just reimagine ancient Britain. It also reimagines its heroes. At the center of that transformation is Rose Reid, who plays Charis and also serves as a credited writer on the series. 
It’s a rare pairing in the genre, and Reid says stepping into the role required an entirely different kind of heroine than audiences are used to seeing.
“I think the thing that initially drew me to her was because she has such an interesting arc,” Reid said. “We meet Charis at a time that we don&#8217;t typically meet a lot of heroines in fantasy.”
Instead of introducing Charis before she completes an epic mission, like saving a kingdom or embarking on a journey, the series begins after the defining moment of her life. 
“We meet her after she&#8217;s already saved her people, and she&#8217;s essentially reconciling what happened and who she was then with who she was now,” she said. Charis is a character living with the consequences of past choices, and the show doesn’t shy away from letting viewers wonder about those decisions. Reid adds, “There are definitely several moments where you want the audience to ask the question, was that the right call?”
“I&#8217;ve always been a huge fantasy fan, so this was a dream project for so many reasons,” she said of scoring the role.
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Reid’s position as both writer and actress gave her a unique perspective on the character, though she emphasized that she wasn’t cast in the role until later on. 
“I actually didn&#8217;t know that I was going to play her until very, very late into the writer&#8217;s room,” she explained. “I&#8217;m really grateful that that wasn&#8217;t even a conversation… I wasn&#8217;t writing her thinking I was going to play her.” 
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That separation ultimately spurred more creativity. “We could have a little bit more freedom to write her the way she needed to be written and that she deserved to be written rather than writing her with a specific person or a specific actress in mind.”
Once filming began, Charis evolved even further. “Characters change as you work through things,” Reid said. She credits showrunner Jeremy Boreing for having “such a specific vision” for who Charis was in every scene. Acting opposite co-stars like Daniel Fathers also reshaped the character. 
“How they respond to your character does kind of change … the same thing that I prepped in my head might not work anymore, because Daniel Fathers took a different approach.” One scene during an episode with Fathers, who plays Charis’ father, King Avallach, quickly became her favorite. “It ended up being my favorite scene on screen that I was in anyway. So I&#8217;m really, really excited for fans to see that.”
Reid also shared one of the production’s most surprising challenges: the now-infamous bull sequence, which was “terrifying” yet “exciting” because it used living, breathing bulls. 
“That sequence took us two weeks to film,” she said. “We spent the entire time we were writing, the entire time we were shooting the rest of the season preparing for that scene, because it was going to be such a big ordeal.” 
She admits it left her “kind of an adrenaline junkie.”
Filming in Cinecittà Studios added another layer to the experience. “That set is incredible. It&#8217;s huge. You really felt like you were there … it was impossible to step onto that set without thinking that you really had stepped into Atlantis and stepped into another world.” 
But more than any single moment, what stayed with her was the cast bond. “This cast is so close,” she said. “We all kind of locked arms and we&#8217;ve all been really good friends since then.” Her on-screen sister, Morgan, played by Emree Franklin, became one of her closest real-life friends. “We just became more family than friends, which I think is really special considering that that doesn&#8217;t happen very often.”
Reid closed with appreciation for the entire crew that brought “The Pendragon Cycle” to life. 
“Audiences don&#8217;t fully appreciate how much this is a team effort from everyone from [costume designers Tóth András Dániel Godena-Juhász Attila] to our incredible special effects team to the grips and everybody,” she said. “If audiences like the show, it&#8217;s probably not because of something any one group of people did, it&#8217;s because of the collective. And that&#8217;s part of the reason film is the only career I could ever see myself in.”
“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-pendragon-cycle">The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin</a>,” premieres January 22, 2026, with early episodes releasing on Christmas Day for DailyWire+ All Access members.

Charis

Inside ‘The Pendragon Cycle’: Rose Reid On Bringing Life To Charis, A Heroine For Our Time

“The Pendragon Cycle” is filled with strong, mythical characters, with one of the most quietly powerful figures being Taliesin. The bard who wields words as gracefully as a sword is played by James Arden, who gives life to the otherworldly yet undoubtedly human character in the epic tale. 
Arden told The Daily Wire that he was drawn to the character’s complexity and depth. “The fact that he&#8217;s a bard and a storyteller in a very kind of turbulent, violent world makes him already very unique,” he said.
Taliesin’s origin story sets the stage for that mystery. Viewers encounter him in a unique way early in the season. 
“He has no origin, you know, he&#8217;s just found on a riverbed, in a salmon weir,” Arden explained. He was raised like any other person but also had visions which became stories. “When he meets the Atlanteans, he can tell a story that I guess the rest of his people wouldn&#8217;t be able to do,” Arden said. “And by doing that … he has this kind of legendary, everyone-knows-who-he-is status.”
Arden was impressed by how the series creators were able to distill so much of Stephen R. Lawhead’s novel into a compelling, abridged story. 
“I&#8217;m amazed that they managed to turn it into a first season at all,” he said, noting that the first book alone could have filled multiple seasons. “They&#8217;ve done an amazing job of introducing Taliesin as a character without sacrificing the essence of who he is.”
Like some other “Pendragon” actors, Arden also mentioned the amazing sets as helping inspire his craft. The commitment to authenticity helped bring the legend to life, particularly the decision to shoot on location. “If you&#8217;re shooting in a forest, being able to feel the cold and feel the weather … it feels more organic and authentic,” he said. “You can just exist, and that&#8217;s a real gift.”
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When asked about moments fans will remember long after the season ends, Arden pointed to a scene involving Taliesin and Charis being introduced as the Lady of the Lake. Filmed at night on a still, moonlit lake framed by hanging willows, the scene left a lasting impression. “If you like fantasy and you like the whimsy of a story, it&#8217;s everything that you could want in that moment,” he said. “It was just so magical.” 
Taliesin’s role as a spiritual archetype sets him apart from many of the show’s other characters. Arden describes him as “a towering figure of faith” whose purpose is rooted in compassion. 
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“His whole purpose in life is to be compassionate and warm and loving and kind,” he said. That clarity of virtue made the role surprisingly accessible. “Playing a good man who is fundamentally a good man in all of his values and virtues is quite easy,” Arden said. “You can just clear your mind.”
Though Taliesin is offered power, Arden says what defines him is restraint in the face of that choice. “He&#8217;s offered power and still decides not to,” he said. 
Off-screen, Arden describes a special camaraderie. The cast spent their first weeks together in Hungary training, riding horses, and learning to fight. “There was no ego,” he said. “It was just lovely actors wanting to create something really cool and sink into this beautiful fantasy world.” 
Not every memory was glamorous, however. Arden revealed several mishaps including a learning curve with riding horses, freezing shoots in the lake, and a misfortune involving a stirrup and “an area that I wouldn&#8217;t want a stirrup to swing towards.” 
Still, he wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. “Even though you might think, ‘Oh God, what a difficult day,’” Arden said, “It was just amazing because you&#8217;re surrounded by people who are lovely and warm and who care about the story.”
For Arden, Taliesin represents something rare in modern fantasy: a hero who shows his strength through gentleness and restraint. “His only motive is to create a world of peace and love … I think that&#8217;s pretty cool.”
“The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin,” premieres January 22, 2026, with early episodes releasing on Christmas Day for DailyWire+ All Access members.

Taliesin-Vignette-Thumbnail-Poster-VersionThumbnail-16×9

Inside ‘The Pendragon Cycle’: James Arden On Bringing The Legendary Bard, Taliesin, To Life

Actor Chevy Chase said he felt “hurt” after being &#8220;left aside&#8221; during “SNL50: The Anniversary Special,” which aired in February. 
“Well, it was kind of upsetting actually,” Chase said in an upcoming documentary, “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not,” per <a href="https://people.com/chevy-chase-hurt-being-left-out-of-snl-50th-celebration-11875499">People</a>. 
He went on, “This is probably the first time I’m saying it. But I expected that I would’ve been on the stage too with all the other actors. When Garrett [Morris] and Laraine [Newman] went on the stage there, I was curious as to why I didn’t. No one asked me to. Why was I left aside?”
“Why was Bill Murray there and why was I not? I don’t have an answer for that,” Chase said.
The 82-year-old comedian was part of the “SNL” cast from the very beginning, and launched a successful movie career after becoming a breakout star on the show. He earned two Emmy Awards out of four nominations for both acting and writing on the show.
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Chase exited halfway through season two to launch his film career, but returned frequently for guest appearances.
“I did bring it up once in a text to [“SNL” creator Lorne Michaels] and then took it back,” Chase continued. “I said, ‘Okay, I take it back, silly.’ But it’s not that silly. Somebody’s made a bad mistake there. I don’t know who it was, but somebody made a mistake. They should’ve had me on that stage. It hurt.”
Chase was present at the “SNL50” special but was not featured. In the upcoming documentary, his wife Jayni Chase said the organizers &#8220;told Chevy up until that day that there were two bits, they were going back and forth.&#8221;
&#8220;And then, all of the sudden, &#8216;No, there&#8217;s no bit,'&#8221; she said.
“There were a couple versions of [the ‘Weekend Update’ segment] and we went back and forth on that,” Michaels said in the documentary. “There was also a caution from somebody that I don’t want to name that Chevy, you know, wasn’t as focused.”

Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase Was ‘Hurt’ After Being ‘Left Aside’ During SNL Anniversary Special

Saturday Night Live

Editor’s Note: This article was previously published on December 20, 2023. Since &#8220;It&#8217;s A Wonderful Life&#8221; remains a holiday classic, we’re bringing it back.
* * *
Months after his return from combat, actor James &#8220;Jimmy&#8221; Stewart was still adrift — unmoored in the Hollywood he had previously called home, living with fellow veteran Henry Fonda, and waiting for film offers that just weren&#8217;t coming in.
After a couple of months had gone by, director Frank Capra — who had worked with Stewart before in 1936&#8217;s &#8220;You Can&#8217;t Take It With You&#8221; — first pitched &#8220;It&#8217;s a Wonderful Life.&#8221; A meeting was set, and <a href="https://guideposts.org/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/guideposts-classics-james-stewart-on-its-a-wonderful-life/">Capra described the story</a> to Stewart and his agent Lew Wasserman.
Stewart, who had been adamant about doing a comedy upon his return to Hollywood, was reportedly taken aback at first. &#8220;You want me to do what?&#8221; he asked, and according to Capra&#8217;s notes walked out of his initial pitch meeting. But Capra believed in the strength of the story — and he was equally adamant that Stewart was not just the right person to play George Bailey, he was the only person who could do it.
Stewart eventually sat down to listen to Capra&#8217;s pitch in full, and he recalled the director&#8217;s awkward description of the story in a <a href="https://guideposts.org/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/guideposts-classics-james-stewart-on-its-a-wonderful-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1987 interview</a> for Guideposts.
&#8220;&#8216;Now, listen,&#8217; Frank began hesitantly. He seemed a little embarrassed. &#8216;The story starts in heaven, and it’s sort of the Lord telling somebody to go down to earth because there’s a fellow who’s in trouble, and this heavenly being goes to a small town, and … Well, what it boils down to is, this fella who thinks he’s a failure in life jumps off a bridge. The Lord sends down an angel named Clarence, who hasn’t earned his wings yet, and Clarence jumps into the water to save the guy. But the angel can’t swim, so the guy has to save him, and then … This doesn’t tell very well, does it?'&#8221;
The actor said his response was simple: &#8220;Frank, if you want to do a picture about a guy who jumps off a bridge and an angel named Clarence who hasn’t won his wings yet coming down to save him, well, I’m your man!&#8221;
<div id="attachment_478827" style="width: 777px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-478827" class="size-large wp-image-478827" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707423-767x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 20: The movie &quot;It's a Wonderful Life&quot;, produced and directed by Frank Capra. Seen here from left, Henry Travers as Clarence and James Stewart as George Bailey. Premiered December 20, 1946; theatrical wide release January 7, 1947. Screen capture. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)" width="767" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707423-767x576.jpg 767w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707423-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707423-768x577.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707423.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px" />&#8220;It&#8217;s a Wonderful Life&#8221;, produced and directed by Frank Capra. Seen here from left, Henry Travers as Clarence and James Stewart as George Bailey. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)</div>
For Capra and Stewart both, the film was a do or die project. For Stewart, it was his chance to prove that he still had something to give to fans. And Capra — who had also been away from Hollywood making movies for the War Department — believed so much in the story that he put everything on the line, even forming a new independent studio (Liberty Films) to produce it. But making the film was not without its difficulties. As actress Donna Reed — who played Mary Bailey to Stewart&#8217;s George Bailey — put it, &#8220;This was not a happy set.&#8221;
At one point, an agitated Stewart complained about the superficiality of Hollywood and acting in general, prompting veteran actor Lionel Barrymore — who plays the movie&#8217;s villain Mr. Henry F. Potter — to scold him: &#8220;So, are you saying it&#8217;s more worthwhile to drop bombs on people than to entertain them?&#8221;
<div id="attachment_478823" style="width: 777px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-478823" class="size-large wp-image-478823" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707402-767x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 20: The movie &quot;It's a Wonderful Life&quot;, produced and directed by Frank Capra. Seen here from left, Lionel Barrymore as Henry F. Potter, Frank Hagney (in background) as Potter's Bodyguard and James Stewart as George Bailey. Premiered December 20, 1946; theatrical wide release January 7, 1947. Screen capture. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)" width="767" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707402-767x576.jpg 767w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707402-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707402-768x577.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707402.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px" />&#8220;It&#8217;s a Wonderful Life&#8221;, produced and directed by Frank Capra. Seen here from left, Lionel Barrymore as Henry F. Potter, Frank Hagney (in background) as Potter&#8217;s Bodyguard and James Stewart as George Bailey. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)</div>
As Matzen explained in a <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-jimmy-stewart-book-mov-1202-20161201-column.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016 interview</a> with The Chicago Tribune, Stewart appeared to funnel all the bottled up rage, anxiety, anger, fear, and frustration into the role — making his portrayal of a man on the brink truly blur the line between fiction and reality.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a scene in the movie where he questions his sanity and he&#8217;s got this wild look about him. That&#8217;s one scene that really struck me, watching it on the big screen. And the other scene that always made me uncomfortable, but now means so much more to me, is when he&#8217;s in his living room and he&#8217;s throwing things and screaming at his kids — and his wife and children look at him like, &#8216;Who is this man? Who is this monster?'&#8221; Matzen explained. &#8220;And that is so reflective of what millions of families faced, looking at these strangers who came back from the war with this rage. Stewart played it beautifully. He just lets it out.&#8221;
Stewart recalled a similar moment in the <a href="https://guideposts.org/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/guideposts-classics-james-stewart-on-its-a-wonderful-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guideposts interview</a>, when George Bailey turned to God in desperation — completely unaware that his entire town was also praying for him in the same moment.
&#8220;In agony I raise my eyes and, following the script, plead, &#8216;God … God … dear Father in heaven, I’m not a praying man, but if you’re up there and you can hear me, show me the way. I’m at the end of my rope. Show me the way, God …'&#8221; Stewart said, adding, &#8220;As I said those words, I felt the loneliness, the hopelessness of people who had nowhere to turn, and my eyes filled with tears. I broke down sobbing. This was not planned at all, but the power of that prayer, the realization that our Father in heaven is there to help the hopeless, had reduced me to tears.&#8221;
Capra, who loved spontaneity in his films, kept the powerful moment in the final cut — he even sacrificed some of the film quality to turn a wide shot into a close-up so that the audience could better see &#8220;George Bailey&#8217;s&#8221; pain.
The film was a resounding flop when it was released in 1947 — bringing in less than half of the expected box office haul — but still managed to impress the Academy. In addition to two technical nominations, Stewart received another Best Actor nod, Capra was nominated for directing, and the film was nominated for Best Picture. All five lost — and Capra&#8217;s newly-formed studio <a href="https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,793760,00.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liberty Films quickly went under</a>.
<div id="attachment_478828" style="width: 775px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-478828" class="size-large wp-image-478828" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707436-765x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 20: The movie &quot;It's a Wonderful Life&quot;, produced and directed by Frank Capra. Seen here from left, Donna Reed as Mary Hatch Bailey, James Stewart as George Bailey and Karolyn Grimes as Zuzu. Premiered December 20, 1946; theatrical wide release January 7, 1947. Screen capture. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)" width="765" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707436-765x576.jpg 765w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707436-300x226.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707436-768x578.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-1187707436.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px" />&#8220;It&#8217;s a Wonderful Life&#8221;, produced and directed by Frank Capra. Seen here from left, Donna Reed as Mary Hatch Bailey, James Stewart as George Bailey and Karolyn Grimes as Zuzu. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;By the end of 1947 the film was quietly put on the shelf,&#8221; Stewart <a href="https://guideposts.org/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/guideposts-classics-james-stewart-on-its-a-wonderful-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recalled</a>, adding, &#8220;But a curious thing happened. The movie refused to stay on the shelf. Those who loved it loved it a lot, and they told others. They wouldn’t let it die any more than the angel Clarence would let George Bailey die. When it began to be shown on TV, a whole new audience fell in love with it.&#8221;
The fact that the movie appeared on television was actually the result of a probable <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2TYK2NfhJ6pmDqW8rfT4LCf/its-a-wonderful-life-from-festive-flop-to-christmas-classic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clerical error</a> that resulted in Republic Pictures — who owned the rights after Liberty Films collapsed — failing to apply for a copyright renewal in 1974. Because it was public domain, television studios quickly added it to their holiday line-ups. A Supreme Court decision nearly two decades later determined that the owner of the short story it was based on — &#8220;The Greatest Gift&#8221; — actually owned the copyright, and to this day, NBC is the only network licensed to show the movie on television.
But those twenty years meant that millions of people saw that film — and many of them came to love it and come back to it every year.
Stewart explained that he believed the thing that had truly resonated with the audience was the thing that had resonated with him all those years ago — revealing that of the 80-or-so films he had made in his career, &#8220;It&#8217;s a Wonderful Life&#8221; remained his favorite.
&#8220;Today, after some 40 years, I’ve heard the film called an American cultural phenomenon,'&#8221; Stewart told Guideposts. &#8220;Well, maybe so, but it seems to me there is nothing phenomenal about the movie itself. It’s simply about an ordinary man who discovers that living each ordinary day honorably, with faith in God and a selfless concern for others, can make for a truly wonderful life.&#8221;
* * *
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-stewart-a-world-at-war-and-why-its-a-wonderful-life-was-almost-less-wonderful-part-i">Jimmy Stewart, A World At War, And Why &#8216;It&#8217;s A Wonderful Life&#8217; Was Almost Less Wonderful: Part I</a>

One of the Final Scenes from Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life

Jimmy Stewart, A World At War, And Why ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ Was Almost Less Wonderful: Part II

Jimmy Stewart, A World At War, And Why 'It's A Wonderful Life' Was Almost Less Wonderful: Part II

Hollywood

Military

PTSD

World War II

Want to break Grok, ChatGPT or your preferred A.I. bot? Ask it how many versions of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” have been produced since the tale’s 1843 debut.
Over the decades, the irascible Ebenezer Scrooge has been portrayed by everyone from George C. Scott to Mr. Magoo. That doesn’t include endless literary updates (Faith Moore’s “Christmas Karol” being a recent highlight), high school productions and other takes on the classic yarn.
<div id="attachment_1019405" style="width: 452px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1019405" class="size-large wp-image-1019405" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-52974182-442x576.jpg" alt="English actor Edward Woodward (left) as Christmas Present and American actor George C. Scott (1927 - 1999) as Ebenezer Scrooge in a television adaptation of the 1843 Charles Dickens short story 'A Christmas Carol,' 1984. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)" width="442" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-52974182-442x576.jpg 442w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-52974182-230x300.jpg 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-52974182-768x1002.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-52974182.jpg 785w" sizes=" (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px" />CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images</div>
And the remakes just keep coming. 
Indie filmmaker Ti West (“The Innkeepers,” “Pearl”) is working on a new version dubbed “<a href="https://deadline.com/2025/12/rupert-grint-daisy-ridley-ebenezer-johnny-depp-1236648800/">Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol</a>” to star Johnny Depp alongside Daisy Ridley, Ian McKellen, Sam Claflin, and Rupert Grint of “Harry Potter” fame.
“Nosferatu” director Robert Eggers has his own “Carol” plans to include Willem Dafoe in a role Scrooge McDuck made even more famous. That could be the creepiest “Carol” to date, given Eggers’ film resume.
But why? Sure, it’s easy to say Hollywood hearts beloved IPs for brand recognition alone. Plus, consumers will gobble up just about any Yuletide-themed flick. Netflix this season alone gave us fresh features like “Jingle Bell Heist,” “My Secret Santa,” and “A Merry Little Ex-Mas.”
The Hallmark Channel alone is a St. Nick movie factory come December, though none present an existential threat to holiday classics like “Elf” and “Home Alone.”
Those are partial explanations. The other reasons are more complicated and embedded in our cultural DNA.
Humans love redemption stories, period. It doesn’t matter what race or creed one may be, nor how a person voted in a given election. We flock to stories where a flawed soul finds something meaningful at long last.
<div id="attachment_1019469" style="width: 839px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1019469" class="size-large wp-image-1019469" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/PS-Christmas-Carol-829x576.jpg" alt="Credit: TNT/Hallmark" width="829" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/PS-Christmas-Carol-829x576.jpg 829w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/PS-Christmas-Carol-300x208.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/PS-Christmas-Carol-768x534.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/PS-Christmas-Carol-1536x1067.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/PS-Christmas-Carol.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 829px) 100vw, 829px" />Credit: TNT/Hallmark</div>
“A Christmas Carol” offers redemption on steroids. Imagine Tony Soprano joining the Witness Protection program and starting a nonprofit for vulnerable mothers. Ebenezer’s makeover is that extreme.
That kind of arc always draws a crowd. Sometimes, said crowd can be massive. A certain pilot defied age, conventional wisdom, and his own ego to make “Top Gun: Maverick” the 2022 movie that Steven Spielberg claimed “saved Hollywood.” It’s just one of endless examples, but few characters are given the kind of emotional comeback Scrooge enjoys in the Dickens’ yarn.
Americans in particular crave tales of second chances and attempts to wipe a personal slate clean. “A Christmas Carol” excels on both fronts, letting Scrooge amend his selfish ways before he becomes a diaphanous ghost himself.
That also explains why we keep getting fresh takes on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The “Carol” overlaps are obvious, down to the green ghoul’s heart expanding three times in the final passages.
Dickens never shared that kind of a literary X-ray with readers, but it’s hard to doubt Scrooge’s ticker didn’t undergo a change of sorts by story’s end.
Ebenezer Scrooge offers one of the meatiest roles possible for an actor. It explains why so many legends have given life to the curmudgeon, including Patrick Stewart, Derek Jacobi, Michael Caine, Sir Ralph Richardson, and Albert Finney.
<div id="attachment_1019421" style="width: 567px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1019421" class="size-large wp-image-1019421" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-99046661-557x576.jpg" alt="Albert Finney, actor, pictured as Ebenezer Scrooge in the film musical 'Scrooge', adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens, 16 January 1970. (Photo by Keystone Colour/Getty Images)" width="557" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-99046661-557x576.jpg 557w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-99046661-290x300.jpg 290w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-99046661-768x794.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-99046661.jpg 990w" sizes=" (max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px" />Keystone Colour/Getty Images</div>
It’s the ultimate acting challenge, asking stars to embody a wicked character careening from rage and regret to rebirth.
The original tale may be set in the mid-1800s, but the story’s timeless approach remains storytelling catnip. Class envy. Greed. Family ties. Lost loves. It’s hard to name an essential emotion left out of the narrative.
And, of course, the story’s spiritual implications can’t be overlooked. Even a sinful soul like Ebenezer can confess his transgressions with the hope he’ll be embraced by his Creator. His nightmarish journey finds ghostly visions exposing the error of his ways, an afterlife close-up meant to trigger his weak, but still worthy spirit.
<div id="attachment_1019477" style="width: 768px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1019477" class="size-large wp-image-1019477" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Christmas-Carol-musical-758x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Hallmark Entertainment/Mid Atlantic Films" width="758" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Christmas-Carol-musical-758x576.jpg 758w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Christmas-Carol-musical-300x228.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Christmas-Carol-musical-768x584.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Christmas-Carol-musical.jpg 997w" sizes=" (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px" />Credit: Hallmark Entertainment/Mid Atlantic Films</div>
His spiritual reboot won’t come easily, even with those ghostly visions taunting him at every step. Does it ever? But when he wakes up on Christmas morning, his heart is alight with good cheer. Even better? He can’t wait to share it, along with his wealth, with others.
Dickens considered himself a Christian, though he had <a href="https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/faith-behind-the-famous-charles-dickens">complicated views on religious dogma</a>. Scrooge’s generosity in the final act reflects his creator’s vision of Christian charity.
The story offers marvelous flexibility, inviting endless spins still tethered to its main themes. We’ve seen more than a few musical variations on “A Christmas Carol” from the aforementioned Mr. Magoo “Carol” to “Spirited,” the Apple TV+ original where Will Ferrell embodies a very 21st-century Scrooge.
<div id="attachment_1019409" style="width: 815px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1019409" class="size-large wp-image-1019409" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1439874905-805x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 07: Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell attend Apple Original Film's &quot;Spirited&quot; New York Premiere at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on November 07, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images,)" width="805" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1439874905-805x576.jpg 805w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1439874905-300x215.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1439874905-768x550.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1439874905.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 805px) 100vw, 805px" />Cindy Ord/Getty Images</div>
It can even be viewed as a horror yarn with very little effort. Ghosts and morbid visions of the afterlife flash before Scrooge’s eyes, visuals that could easily transform into genre chills.
That may have attracted both West and Eggers, auteurs who relish ways to make audiences squirm. Just the tinkle-tinkle sound of a ghost’s chains bumping along a wooden floor alone is enough to rally goosebumps.
We even endured pre-woke gender swaps on the saga, including 1995’s “Ebbie” (with Susan Lucci) and 1997’s “Ms. Scrooge” with Cicely Tyson. And the less said about the rom-com spin on “Carol,” the forgettable 2009 film “The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” with Matthew McConaughey, the better.
Chances are the West and Eggers projects won’t be the last Hollywood takes on “A Christmas Carol.” As long as we crave hope in a sometimes dark and dreary world, we’ll hunger to revisit Dickens’ yarn anew.
* * *
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.
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Legendary recording artist Barry Manilow revealed that he’s been diagnosed with lung cancer and will need to reschedule some of his upcoming concerts.
The 82-year-old “Copacabana” singer gave an update to fans with a statement posted to Instagram.
&#8220;The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed,&#8221; Manilow wrote in the statement.
&#8220;It&#8217;s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early,&#8221; he went on. &#8220;The doctors do not believe it has spread, and I&#8217;m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis.&#8221;
The singer said he is &#8220;going into surgery to have the spot removed,&#8221; which means he’ll have to reschedule the January shows on his “Christmas: A Gift of Love” series. He promised to return to the stage on Valentine’s Day weekend in 2026.
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Manilow apologized for the inconvenience, telling fans, &#8220;We were all looking forward to the January shows and hate having to move everything around.” He also urged his followers to stay vigilant when it comes to their health.
“I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. And remember, if you have even the slightest symptom, get tested!&#8221; the statement concluded.
Manilow, a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer, rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of pop hits like “Mandy,” “Copacabana,” and “Can’t Smile Without You.” Before becoming a superstar, he built a career writing jingles and arranging music for major artists such as Bette Midler. Manilow’s career spans five decades, during which he has sold millions of records and acquired a devoted fan base who call themselves “Fanilows.”

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