Lights! Camera! How-dee!
The city of Los Angeles is losing film and TV productions at an alarming rate. That opens up new opportunities for cities to prove that La La Land can hunker down just about anywhere.
Take Nashville, for instance. Other non-L.A. destinations have made their mark as production hubs — think Atlanta, Georgia, and Toronto. Now, it may be Nashville’s turn in the spotlight.
The Tennessee locale is known as a country music Mecca. More recently, it’s welcomed a growing group of filmmakers who clamor for its talented locals, rich cultural history and, yes, a lower price tag than the City of Angels.
Think “9-1-1: Nashville,” Showtime’s “George &amp; Tammy,” Nicole Kidman’s “Holland” and the upcoming “Scarpetta” (Prime Video), Netflix’s “Ruth &amp; Boaz,” and a film opening Feb. 20, “I Can Only Imagine 2.”
<div id="attachment_1047423" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047423" class="size-large wp-image-1047423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-864x576.jpg" alt="Ryan Murphy Television. User Error Productions. 20Th Television." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Nashville 911. Ryan Murphy Television. User Error Productions. 20th Television.</div>
The sequel to the sleeper 2018 hit revisits how MercyMe became a Christian music sensation, and the struggles lead singer Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) had following his breakthrough hit.
Co-Founder of Kingdom Story Co. and co-director of the film Andrew Erwin, a pioneer in the faith-based film space, tells The Daily Wire why he tackled the sequel.
“It’s the movie that you didn’t know you needed,” he says. The first film appeared to wrap Bart Millard’s story up, but the singer and his fellow musician Tim Timmons — played by Milo Ventimiglia in the film — suffered subsequent tragedies that made a follow-up film make sense.
<div id="attachment_1047439" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047439" class="size-large wp-image-1047439" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-865x576.jpg" alt="Photo by Jake Giles Netter/Lionsgate/Jake Giles Netter/Lionsgate - copyright 2026 Lionsgate" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Jake Giles Netter/copyright 2026 Lionsgate</div>
And Nashville has proven to be particularly welcoming to Christian artists. That wasn’t the case back in Los Angeles, Erwin said.
“There’s a group of us that started doing faith stories 15, 20 years ago, and we were all struggling to get our feet under us,” Erwin says. “We could literally end any dinner party in L.A. by saying we were faith film guys. They would instantly get a fake phone call and walk out of the meeting.”
Entertainment culture started to swing in their spiritual direction.
“Something has shifted in the past 10 years, particularly in the last five … there has been an appetite for hope. Stories of faith were considered cheesy. Now, they’re counter-culture, rebellious. It’s kind of punk rock.”
<div id="attachment_1047343" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047343" class="size-large wp-image-1047343" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261337233-384x576.jpg" alt="NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 12: Andrew Erwin attends the &quot;I Can Only Imagine 2&quot; Nashville Premiere at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on February 12, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261337233-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261337233-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261337233.jpg 683w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Jason Kempin/Getty Images</div>
What better place than Music City to sing from their storytelling hymnals?
“There’s been a real freedom here,” says Erwin, who even bumps into fellow filmmakers at church. “You don’t have to apologize for us being able to do things that we believe.”
“For whatever reason, a group of actors and writers and directors and producers are all finding (Nashville),” he continues. “I can’t give a reason why … we just feel like we’re supposed to be here.”
“I Can Only Imagine 2” filmed exclusively in Nashville, save a critical sequence shot at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater. The veteran filmmaker was initially hesitant to lean so heavily on Nashville, but the film’s team assuaged those fears.
“We had been worried if the crews were strong enough … it was the best crew I ever had … the most cheerful, the most team-oriented, the least amount of divas, blue collar, everything you aspire to,” he says.
He still wants the state to beef up its incentive programs to grow that crew base and keep it steadily employed.
Nashville has an Oscar-winning benefactor on its side: Kidman is eager to make movies closer to her <a href="https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/nicole-kidman-keith-urban-kids-divorce-custody-home/">Tennessee home</a>. 
<div id="attachment_1047431" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047431" class="size-large wp-image-1047431" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-1024x425.jpg" alt="Photo by Courtesy of Prime/Courtesy of Prime - copyright Amazon Content Services LLC" width="1024" height="425" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-1024x425.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-300x125.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-768x319.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-1536x638.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Courtesy of Prime/Courtesy of Prime &#8211; copyright Amazon Content Services LLC</div>
Plus, newer studio space is helping smooth this transition. <a href="https://www.nashvillescene.com/arts_culture/coverstory/nashville-film-industry/article_b76671a9-cee1-44e5-84cb-6f30cf4fa99a.html">Recent Nashville-area additions</a> include Vu Studios in West Nashville, Worldwide Stages in Spring Hill, and Skyway Studios.
Erick Goss, CEO of the Christian streaming platform Minno, says Nashville has a cultural advantage.
“People recognize there’s a real creative community here in Nashville [already] with Christian and country music, a real appreciation of the arts,” says Goss, who established his kid-focused company in the city seven years ago.
“It’s not like institutions have moved here, but talent has moved here,” Goss says. “It’s different than Seattle or L.A. There’s a real sense of pride and civic nature here … people love what Nashville stands for and want to be a part of it.”
Some pieces of the Hollywood-like puzzle are still missing, he says.
“There are really world-class storytellers here in Nashville. They don’t necessarily have access to capital in the way they need,” he says.
Goss brings a wealth of experience to Minno, including time spent at Amazon and in the U.S. Military. He praises Nashville as having the “highest caliber” of talent he’s seen. What’s missing? Major tech companies that can complement the city’s blossoming production.
<div id="attachment_1047341" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047341" class="size-large wp-image-1047341" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346-864x576.jpg" alt="NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 13: (L-R) Tim Timmons, Milo Ventimiglia, Bart Millard, John Michael Finley and Trace Adkins attend Lionsgate's &quot;I Can Only Imagine 2&quot; Night at The Grand Ole Opry on February 13, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Lionsgate)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Lionsgate</div>
“What company will aggregate and bring that talent together?” he asks. “We need more talented operators coming into the systems, creating companies that execute really well,” he says, noting that Erwin’s “I Can Only Imagine 2” arrives courtesy of his partnership with Lionsgate, an established film studio.
The key to creating the next L.A.-style production hub is simple, Goss says.
“Get the best projects, the best people, and the best money together. That’s happening. We’re beginning to see these things coalesce [in Nashville],” he says.
Erwin says it helps to believe in both the city and a Higher Power.
“There’s an emboldening that happens when you realize you’re not alone. I can really stay true to the stories I’ve felt called to tell and not have to apologize for it because there are a lot of others who believe what I believe,” Erwin says. “It’s been amazing to see people of faith just find Nashville.”
* * *
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.
This article has been updated for clarity.

Only Imagine

Hollywood Heads South: Music City’s Faith-Based Film Boom

Bible

Entertainment

Faith

Film

Hollywood

Movies

Nashville

Tennessee

Film critics <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/becoming_2020_2/reviews/top-critics">raved</a> over &#8220;Becoming,&#8221; the fawning 2020 documentary about former First Lady Michelle Obama, produced by Michelle Obama.
<blockquote>The Detroit News: It&#8217;s a warm latte, delivered to you in your favorite mug.
NPR: Even with its flaws, Becoming is a compelling documentary, offering a carefully revealing look at a whip smart, ferociously practical woman trying to understand how her historic time in the White House changed herself, her family and the nation. </blockquote>
Now, see if you can detect a <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/melania/reviews/top-critics">slight tonal shift</a> in reviews for “Melania,” the new documentary capturing First Lady Melania Trump, who also produced the film, as she moves back into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
<blockquote>Globe and Mail: Ratner has accidentally delivered the ultimate chronicle of 21st-century excess and greed, a world of casual yet immense cruelty covered in flop sweat and gold glitter.
Variety: A documentary that never comes to life. It’s a “portrait” of the First Lady of the United States, but it’s so orchestrated and airbrushed and stage-managed that it barely rises to the level of a shameless infomercial.</blockquote>
Several reviews compared the film to Nazi propaganda. One critic gave “Melania” a “rotten” score at Rotten Tomatoes while admitting <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/melania-reviews-critic-didnt-watch/">he never actually saw the film</a>. (That review was quickly removed from the critical aggregator site)
<div id="attachment_1040041" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1040041" class="size-large wp-image-1040041" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Melania-poster-384x576.jpg" alt="Amazon MGM Studios. Muse Films. New Element Media. RatPac Entertainment." width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Melania-poster-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Melania-poster-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Melania-poster-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Melania-poster.jpg 999w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Amazon MGM Studios.</div>
The Guardian’s review compared the movie to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/30/melania-review-trump-film-is-a-gilded-trash-remake-of-the-zone-of-interest">2024’s “The Zone of Interest.”</a> That well-received drama depicted a Nazi family living next door to a concentration camp.
The reviewer didn’t stop there, mocking FLOTUS’s face and voice, a no-no in critical circles. Review the film, not the physical attributes of the people on screen. When a Variety scribe suggested actress Carey Mulligan wasn’t pretty enough to play the femme fatale in 2020’s “Promising Young Woman,” the outlet <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/28/variety-apology-carey-mulligan-film-critics">uttered an apology</a> directly to the actress.
For some reason, that unwritten rule didn’t apply to “Melania.” Nor should FLOTUS expect an apology any time soon.
The chasm between movie critics and general audiences over “Melania” may be the new, startling benchmark. Rotten Tomatoes lists the film as having a 7% “Rotten” score from movie scribes and <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/melania">a 99 percent “fresh”</a> rating from the public at large.
Those blistering critiques, delivered by a film body that leans overwhelmingly to the Left, were just part of the media’s war on “Melania.”
The said war began before “Melania” hit American theaters on January 30. Outlet after outlet preened over reports of <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/movies/articles/melania-trump-promotes-film-amid-210206431.html">poor pre-release ticket sales</a>. So did <a href="https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/stephen-colbert-roasts-melania-documentary-144531012.html">Stephen Colbert of “The Late Show” fame.</a>
Empty theaters, reporters cried, suggested “Melania” would underperform even modest expectations. It did the opposite, earning north of $7 million in its opening frame. Recent documentaries made far, far less.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Mr. Nobody Against Putin” &#8211; $19K to date in U.S.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Orwell: 2+2=5” &#8211; $355K in U.S.</li>
</ul>
For context, most documentaries are lucky to earn $1 million in theaters. “Melania,” media voices argued, might not make it to the $3 million mark. And, with a gaudy $40 million price tag courtesy of Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, that’s a debacle.
Except “Melania” delivered the biggest <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/melania-opens-with-decade-best-documentary-debut/gm-8AE15378FA?gemSnapshotKey=8AE15378FA-snapshot-4&amp;ocid=AARDHP">documentary debut in a decade</a>. The film <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/02/05/nolte-exclusive-melania-gains-more-box-office-steam-with-wednesdays-1-25-million-haul/">has kept earning since then</a>. 
<div id="attachment_1040047" style="width: 632px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1040047" class="size-large wp-image-1040047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/The-Donald-and-Mel-622x576.jpg" alt="Amazon MGM Studios. Muse Films. New Element Media. RatPac Entertainment." width="622" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/The-Donald-and-Mel-622x576.jpg 622w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/The-Donald-and-Mel-300x278.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/The-Donald-and-Mel-768x712.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/The-Donald-and-Mel.jpg 1379w" sizes=" (max-width: 622px) 100vw, 622px" />Amazon MGM Studios.</div>
USA Today argued it’s <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/01/30/melania-movie-amazon-documentary-trump/88415378007/">“patriotic” to slam “Melania</a>.”
To be the subject of a documentary, one would think you’d have to accomplish something beyond being a complicit grifter in two of the most cruel, dishonest, and dangerous presidential terms in American history.
Indiewire said the film’s box office success <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/melania-box-office-documentary-filmmakers-worried-1235177403/">is terrible news for the documentary genre</a>.  Suddenly, a rising tide doesn’t lift all boats.
It’s a scary time for documentarians. Will they have to start working with the likes of Brett Ratner to make infomercials that please Donald Trump to pay the bills? The success of “Melania” suggests they might.
Meanwhile, a news media landscape that routinely decries review bombing – the practice of slagging a film or TV show sight unseen due to a variety of pre-release complaints, like overt wokeness – suddenly <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/melania-documentary-reviews-deleted-letterboxd/">cheered on review bombing of “Melania.”</a>
NPR needed something negative to share about the film. So it dug into the demographic breakdown of movie patrons and determined a large number of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/02/02/nx-s1-5693775/melania-documentary-box-office-audience">older white women</a> lined up to see “Melania.”
How often do media outlets report on the demographics of a given film? Hint: Not very often. NPR likely sought to portray the film’s fan base as overwhelmingly white (with a touch of supremacy?)
A few outlets have thrown all credibility to the wind to savage “Melania.” The far-Left Daily Beast took the crown here. The site has repeatedly called the film a “<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-desperately-tries-to-juice-melania-doc-after-box-office-flop/">flop,”</a> although it’s on pace to pass 2024’s “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/am-i-racist?elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Shows+and+Movies&amp;rowType=Portrait+Show+Carousel">Am I Racist?</a>” as the most successful documentary of the last decade.
<div id="attachment_819849" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/am-i-racist?elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Shows+and+Movies&amp;rowType=Portrait+Show+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-819849" class="size-large wp-image-819849" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/00_AIR_16x9_Streaming_V02-1024x576.jpg" alt="Am I Racist?" width="1024" height="576" /></a>DailyWire+</div>
“Melania” expands its release pattern in its second weekend, upping the theatrical count to 2,000 screens. Even if the film underperforms from here, the theatrical release has done its job.
Amazon likely viewed the film all along as a Prime Video draw, first and foremost. The documentary will draw attention and eyeballs to the streaming service, giving it a competitive title in a cutthroat streaming landscape. The film’s theatrical bow is an extended promotion for its final, digital destination.
Why all the unprofessional hate? The <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/melania-trump-brett-ratner-documentary-interview-1236489826/">First Lady may have said it best</a> at the premiere of her own movie.
“Superior storytelling drives culture and in turn moves markets.”
Legacy Media outlets fear a conservative encroachment on their turf most of all.
* * *
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.

Amazon MGM’s “Melania” World Premiere

The Left-Wing Media Is Losing Its Mind Over ‘Melania’

The Left-Wing Media Is Losing Its Mind Over 'Melania'

Amazon

Documentaries

Leftists

Legacy Media

Melania Trump

Michelle Obama

Rotten Tomatoes

Disney is preparing to fundamentally reshape the streaming landscape. After taking full ownership of Hulu in 2023, the company is now moving to shut the platform down and fold its entire library into Disney+ as part of a “one app experience.” That migration could occur imminently, and the scale of change is staggering.
When Disney launched Disney+ in 2019, the streaming marketplace was already crowded. Amazon Prime Video debuted in 2006, Netflix in 2007, and Hulu in 2008. With few external restrictions on content — no oversight from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and no advertisers, at that time, to hold content in check. As a result, these platforms broke boundaries that even premium cable channels like HBO and Cinemax would not have dared. offering more vulgarity, more graphic violence, more sex and nudity.
Disney+ promised to be different. 
From the beginning, Disney positioned its platform as a safe haven for families; a platform parents could trust implicitly. That promise worked. More than 10 million subscribers signed up within the first 24 hours, many of them parents desperate to escape the exhausting and never-ending task of shielding young eyes from suggestive poster art and racy titles like “Zac and Miri Make a Porno” or “Nymphomaniac” while they searched menus for the handful of child-appropriate titles that might be available. 
Market research confirmed this distinction. One industry analysis <a href="https://morningconsult.com/articles/disney-plus-streaming-market-brand-data">called</a> Disney+ “the category’s most intentionally chosen service.” Morning Consult found Disney+ scored +45 for “entertaining the kids,” while competitors posted negative scores across the board. “Disney+ is not interchangeable here,” the analysis concluded. “In household decision-making, this is Disney+’s moat.”
Disney executives publicly reinforced this family-first positioning. Months before launch, entertainment reporter Eric Vespe recalled asking a Disney representative whether R-rated content would appear on Disney+. The answer: Disney+ would remain PG-13 or softer, while more mature material would live on Hulu. Disney invested heavily in Hulu so adult-oriented material could remain off the Disney+ platform.
That intentional separation is now being completely dismantled. 
In the summer of 2025, executives signaled plans to shut down Hulu and migrate its entire library into Disney+.
Concerned Women for America (CWA) <a href="https://concernedwomen.org/2026-cwa-netflix-research/">looked at</a> the numbers and discovered that while Disney+ currently hosts fewer than 20 R-rated films, after the merger, that number will exceed 400 — a more than 2,200% increase. Mature-rated television series will escalate from 45 to nearly 400 — a more than 800% increase. Families who subscribed specifically for child-friendly programming will suddenly find their child’s favorite streaming platform flooded with volumes of adult material.
Parents have already seen glimpses of what this future looks like. Last year, families reported surprise and frustration when mature-themed series promotions appeared on Disney+ home screens, prompting uncomfortable questions from young children. Many parents believed Disney+ was designed to prevent exactly this scenario.
This shift represents more than a technical update. It represents a fundamental brand reversal.
Disney was once synonymous with wholesome family entertainment. Parents built household media habits around that identity. Children were given access to Disney+ because families trusted the brand.
That trust is now being put at risk.
Even more concerning is the creative direction Disney leadership appears eager to embrace. One of the most striking examples is the company’s reported interest in hiring producer Ryan Murphy as soon as his development deal with Netflix ends; Murphy’s career has largely focused on dark, adult-themed dramas. 
Murphy’s previous projects have centered on crime, horror, and provocative themes that were never intended for children. Yet Disney executives appear willing to fold this creative approach into a corporate ecosystem historically built around family audiences.
Walt Disney famously said, “Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.” That philosophy guided decades of storytelling built around imagination, optimism, and moral clarity.
Today’s leadership seems increasingly disconnected from that legacy.
And while Disney may point to parental controls as a solution, technology cannot solve a branding problem. The issue is not whether filters exist. The issue is whether adult content belongs on the same platform that parents deliberately chose for preschoolers and elementary-age children.
Mixing Mickey Mouse with mature television may make business sense on a spreadsheet. But it erodes the trust that made Disney+ successful in the first place.
The question now is simple: Will Disney honor the promise that built its streaming success — or abandon the families who made it possible?
The future of Disney+ may depend on how loudly parents answer that question.
* * *
Melissa Henson is the Senior Policy Advisor for Media and Culture for <a href="http://www.concernedwomen.org/">Concerned Women for America</a>, the nation’s public policy women’s organization, dedicated to promoting biblical values and constitutional principles in public policy. On X: @CWforA
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Rear View Of Two Boys Watching Movie Together, Lena, United States

Disney+ Is About To Be Flooded With Adult Content, And Parents Are Right To Be Alarmed

Children

Disney

Family Values

Hulu

kids

Parenting

sexual content

Television

Violence

The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1903-the-three-million-new-pages-of-epstein-files-explained?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>. 
* * *
Christopher Nolan is doing a movie about &#8220;The Odyssey,&#8221; Homer&#8217;s epic poem, and he has cast Lupita Nyong&#8217;o as Helen of Troy — the face that launched a thousand ships, the most beautiful woman in the Greek world.
Lupita Nyong&#8217;o is a very good actress. However, let&#8217;s just say she doesn&#8217;t look Greek.
She doesn&#8217;t have any of the features that are traditionally associated with Helen of Troy. Helen is portrayed as having very, very fair skin, sometimes slightly darker hair, sometimes blond hair. So it doesn&#8217;t quite match. Some people are making all sorts of nasty comments about Lupita Nyong&#8217;o, this perfectly nice-looking lady, who is certainly a very good actress.
This does not seem to serve the story, does it?
The purpose of casting is the same as acting, directing, editing, and producing — it&#8217;s to tell a story.
To cast Lupita Nyong&#8217;o in that role is to distract from the story. It undermines the story. She&#8217;s not fit for that part.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is probably the greatest actor of my lifetime. He’s just absolutely magnificent. It would be a little odd to cast Philip Seymour Hoffman as Malcolm X in “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” wouldn&#8217;t it? He&#8217;s a very good actor. But there are limits.
There are limits to what an actor can do. There are limits to this entire world.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1903-the-three-million-new-pages-of-epstein-files-explained?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
There was a famous debate within the theater, by the way, on so-called &#8220;colorblind casting,&#8221; which is never really colorblind. They call it colorblind casting when they cast Lupita as Helen of Troy, but they don&#8217;t call it colorblind casting if they were to cast Philip Seymour Hoffman as Malcolm X. That would be an outrage. It would never happen.
So it&#8217;s not exactly colorblind. It&#8217;s just casting black and Latino people in white roles, and not casting white people at all.
There was a famous debate on this between Robert Brustein, who ran the American Repertory Theater, and August Wilson, who was probably the most famous black American playwright, perhaps ever. He wrote “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” he wrote “Fences,” which was a movie with Denzel Washington some years ago — a good playwright as far as contemporary playwrights go.
And Brustein, the white liberal, argued for colorblind casting. Oh yeah, anybody of any race, any background can play any part. And August Wilson, the black guy — or half-black guy — said, no, they can&#8217;t. He didn&#8217;t want white people to play roles where they&#8217;re a garbage collector in the early 20th century in black neighborhoods with black families. It doesn&#8217;t read. It takes you out of the story. It isn&#8217;t true.
And there&#8217;s obviously some wiggle room here in certain roles because actors pretend. But it is beyond the capacity of certain actors — of all actors — to overcome their natural limits.
Christopher Nolan&#8217;s a good director, but one can object to the casting without being offensive and mean-spirited; it just doesn&#8217;t make a lot of sense.
Someone on X/Twitter rightly put it, “this is now the face that launched a thousand quips because people think it&#8217;s kind of funny.”

The Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit Presented by CHANEL

Why Lupita Nyong’o As Helen Of Troy Does Not Work

Why Lupita Nyong'o As Helen Of Troy Does Not Work

actors

Blacks

Cultural Appropriation

Race

Whites

The year in pop culture gave us reality stars smiting governors, a Coldplay concert going viral for nothing music-related, and a pop star’s career crashing upon re-entry.
And even though late-night TV had begun to fizzle out years ago, in 2025, Stephen Colbert and co. watched their gigs finally go up in smoke.
It’s impossible to look back on the last 12 months and not gawk at late-night propagandists getting their just desserts.
For Colbert of “The Late Show” fame, that meant getting a time-release pink slip. Someone finally crunched some serious numbers behind the scenes and realized Colbert’s DNC agenda is costing CBS a pretty penny … <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/go-f-yourself-colbert-unleashes-anti-trump-tirade-amid-report-his-show-loses-40m-annually">$40 million a year</a>, to be precise.
So Colbert was forced to read his professional obituary on-air. And the show won’t even go on without him. Come May, “The Late Show” heads to the dustbin of history alongside eight-track tapes and TiVo devices.
<div id="attachment_1021603" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1021603" class="size-large wp-image-1021603" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2238453774-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest Jimmy Kimmel during Tuesday's September 30, 2025 show. (Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2238453774-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2238453774-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2238453774-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2238453774.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images</div>
Fellow progressive Jimmy Kimmel was spared that fate, but not by much. The ABC host insinuated MAGA nation fired the bullet that killed conservative hero Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, setting off a series of events that led to Kimmel’s week-long suspension.
He got his job back and a tepid show of support via a one-year contract extension. The damage was done. Kimmel’s “Man Show” past and irreverent shtick is no more. Now, he’s more likely to cry on-camera than make us howl.
His only hope is that Colbert’s audience tunes in for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” come May, delaying his show’s inevitable cancellation.
On the film front, theaters once again struggled to reclaim their pre-pandemic mojo. The box office receipts looked awfully similar to 2024, hardly a golden age for theatrical attendance.
Films like “Superman,” “Thunderbolts” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” failed to duplicate that ol’ superhero magic, leaving it to video game adaptations like “A Minecraft Movie” to pick up the slack.
At least we weren’t subjected to <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/skibidi-toilet-michael-bay-movie-adam-goodman-1236077245/">“Skibidi Toilet: The Movie</a>.” Not yet, at least. 
Meanwhile, Hollywood’s far-Left agenda got a workout via “One Battle After Another.” The Paul Thomas Anderson screed so overtly progressive even some Antifa types might cry foul.
And, of course, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-the-best-picture-race-already-over">it’s bound for Oscar glory come March</a>.
Speaking of Oscars, 2025 saw an awards hopeful crash and burn in record time. The woke musical comedy “Emilia Pérez” seemed likely to dominate awards season until we learned some of the less-than-progressive comments made by its trans lead, Karla Sofia Gascón.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce finally made their courtship official, but the best news for football fans is that his Kansas City Chiefs missed the playoffs. That means no more obligatory “Taylor is crying/cheering/laughing” shots interrupting the NFL action.
<div id="attachment_1021607" style="width: 865px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1021607" class="size-large wp-image-1021607" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2250411061-855x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 06: U.S. President Donald Trump (L) presents actor Sylvester Stallone (R) a medal for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees during a medal presentation in the Oval Office of the White House on December 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. The 2025 Kennedy Center honorees are Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, the rock band KISS, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)" width="855" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2250411061-855x576.jpg 855w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2250411061-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2250411061-768x518.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2250411061.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px" />Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images</div>
Sylvester Stallone capped a remarkable career by picking up a Kennedy Center Honor at long last, courtesy of former reality show star and two-term president Donald Trump. The 79-year-old legend also defied Father Time by returning for the third season of Taylor Sheridan’s “Tulsa King.”
Of course, it would be impossible to recap entertainment in 2025 without a tip of the hat to Taylor Sheridan, television’s undisputed king of rugged episodic dramas. From “The Mayor of Kingstown” to the “Yellowstone” franchise, Sheridan’s shows keep attracting A-list talent and plenty of eyeballs. And he’s positioned to strike gold again in 2026 with the release of the next “Yellowstone” spinoff, “Y: Marshals,” starring Luke Grimes.
Sheridan made headlines once again in 2025 by signing a mega-deal with NBCUniversal and having his “Landman” series skewer the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taylor-sheridan-show-landman-mocks-the-view-bunch-of-ped-off-millionaires">“p***ed off millionaires” of “The View.”</a>
<div id="attachment_1021611" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1021611" class="size-large wp-image-1021611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1486674789-864x576.jpg" alt="INDIO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 30: Taylor Sheridan speaks onstage during Day 3 of the 2023 Stagecoach Festival on April 30, 2023 in Indio, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Stagecoach)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1486674789-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1486674789-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1486674789-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1486674789.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Stagecoach</div>
The devastating Palisades fires should have roasted Governor Gavin Newsom’s political fortunes for good. Not quite, but reality show alum Spencer Pratt made it his mission to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reality-star-spencer-pratt-slams-california-plan-to-build-low-income-housing-in-fire-ravaged-areas">shame both Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass</a> for their extreme incompetence.
“Having the people in charge of the town they just let burn down make any decisions in rebuilding it … seems crazy to me,” Pratt said in one of many well-earned rants. Podcaster Adam Carolla piled on, filing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8IKPIDVIoY">vlog posts</a> decrying the lack of progress on the home building front all year long.
HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” became the show everyone talked about at the cyber-water cooler – AKA Elon Musk’s X. This season’s ick factor likely played a part, thanks to guest star <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/sam-rockwell-white-lotus-monologue-acting-coach-1236175014/">Sam Rockwell’s disturbing revelations</a> to that <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/the-white-lotus-brothers-kiss-season-3-1236164899/">brotherly buss</a> with Ah-nold’s son getting too much attention.
And while the culture remains hopelessly divided on political grounds, Americans did unite to mock a Coldplay concert moment that went insanely viral. A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/viral-coldplay-kiss-cam-woman-speaks-out-is-furious-with-gwyneth-paltrow">Kiss Cam caught Kristin Cabot</a> canoodling with her boss, Andrew Byron, a moment that proved inescapable for anyone remotely online.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-969733 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Coldplay-concert-1022x576.png" alt="Coldplay concert" width="1022" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Coldplay-concert-1022x576.png 1022w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Coldplay-concert-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Coldplay-concert-768x433.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Coldplay-concert.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px" /></div>
Netflix remained atop the streaming heap, and its plans to swallow Warner Bros. will have sizable implications for Hollywood and beyond. The streamer’s signature show, a four-episode saga dubbed “Adolescence,” caught everyone by surprise. Each installment, shot in a single take, captured a young boy in the weeks following his arrest for a shocking murder. Must-see TV? Perhaps, but it left audiences feeling queasy for the next generation.
If that wasn’t enough, 2025 had us focus on the Sean Combs trial. Sure, we cracked wise about baby oil sales, but the particulars of P. Diddy’s life and alleged crimes made us wonder what else is happening behind the scenes in Hollywood that we won’t hear about for years to come?
<div id="attachment_1021623" style="width: 842px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1021623" class="size-large wp-image-1021623" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2229729015-832x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 11: Katy Perry performs onstage during Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour - New York at Madison Square Garden on August 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for KP)" width="832" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2229729015-832x576.jpg 832w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2229729015-300x208.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2229729015-768x532.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2229729015.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 832px) 100vw, 832px" />Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for KP</div>
And then there’s Katy Perry.
The “I Kissed a Girl” superstar headed into space, or at least a small part of it, via Jeff Bezos’ New Shepard rocket. The experiment became social media fodder, in part due to the “astronaut&#8217;s’” inflated sense of self.
Perry might have been better off staying in orbit. She <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/katy-perry-experiences-frightening-onstage-mishap-concert-san/story?id=123894140">experienced not one</a> but <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1420864/katy-perrys-bloody-knee-injury-photo">two</a> concert accidents, watched her choreography get roasted on social media, and capped 2025 by winning a legal victory over a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/28/entertainment/katy-perry-to-receive-1-8m-payout-from-dying-veteran-in-years-long-battle-over-montecito-mansion/">dying military veteran</a>.
She’ll be lucky to Dance with Any Stars come 2026.
* * *
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.

TOPSHOT-US-ENTERTAINMENT-CBS-LATE SHOW-COLBERT

The Year Pop Culture Finally Began To Eat Its Own

Democrats

Jimmy Kimmel

Katy Perry

Music

Stephen Colbert

Taylor Swift

Woke Culture

The horror genre and comedian Rodney Dangerfield have something in common. Neither gets much respect.
Sure, audiences flock to horror movies as much as any genre over the decades. We turn cinematic serial killers like Art the Clown, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees into pop culture icons.
The films rarely get a once-over when it’s time for awards season. This time it’s different. And it’s not just about golden statuettes. Horror kept this year’s box office afloat in 2025, a year that saw a shocking number of commercial duds litter movie houses.
Think Robert De Niro’s “The Alto Knights,” Disney’s “Snow White” and Robert Pattinson’s “Mickey 17” as prime offenders.
Multiple horror movies will be vying for the year’s biggest prize – the Best Picture Oscar. They may come up short to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-the-best-picture-race-already-over">“One Battle After Another,”</a> a prestige film that sends the exact message progressive Hollywood craves in President Donald Trump’s second term.
Stop ICE at all costs.
Still, these horror entries matter, and they may scoop up a golden trophy or two before the dust settles.
It starts with director Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” an unconventional vampire movie that doubled as an exposé of early 20th century racism. The film hit theaters in April, with forecasters wondering if its large budget <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ryan-coogler-sinners-box-office-opening-1236193272/">($90 million</a>) might preclude it from making a profit.
Most horror movies are made for a fraction of that amount.
<div id="attachment_1015643" style="width: 399px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1015643" class="size-large wp-image-1015643" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sinners-II-389x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Warner Bros. Domain Entertainment. Proximity Media. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="389" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sinners-II-389x576.jpg 389w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sinners-II-202x300.jpg 202w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sinners-II-768x1138.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sinners-II-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sinners-II.jpg 1382w" sizes=" (max-width: 389px) 100vw, 389px" />Credit: Warner Bros.</div>
The film opened big and expanded its audience week after week, wrapping its run with a gaudy $279 million stateside haul. Critics and crowds alike rallied behind it – witness the film’s <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sinners_2025">dueling Rotten Tomatoes’ scores</a> – 97% &#8220;fresh&#8221; from critics, 96% &#8220;fresh&#8221; from general audiences.
Now, it’s <a href="https://www.awardsdaily.com/2025/08/08/2026-oscar-predictions-what-makes-sinners-a-strong-contender/#:~:text=The%20big%20threats%20in%20the,Good%20luck%20attacking%20Sinners%20%E2%80%A6">front and center</a> in the current Oscar race, with experts predicting nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and maybe Best Actor for Michael B Jordan in a dual role.
Coming in a close second is director Craig Zegger’s “Weapons,” a deliriously original film about a town where an entire class of children disappeared overnight, save one.
What happened? Is the class’s teacher (Julia Garner) to blame? The film’s core mystery is told via multiple perspectives, adding layers to the eventual shocks. 
<div id="attachment_1015637" style="width: 471px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1015637" class="size-large wp-image-1015637" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/MV5BNTBhNWJjZWItYzY3NS00M2NkLThmOWYtYTlmNzBmN2UxZWFjXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-461x576.jpg" alt="Credit: New Line Cinema. Domain Entertainment. Subconscious. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="461" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/MV5BNTBhNWJjZWItYzY3NS00M2NkLThmOWYtYTlmNzBmN2UxZWFjXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-461x576.jpg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/MV5BNTBhNWJjZWItYzY3NS00M2NkLThmOWYtYTlmNzBmN2UxZWFjXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-240x300.jpg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/MV5BNTBhNWJjZWItYzY3NS00M2NkLThmOWYtYTlmNzBmN2UxZWFjXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-768x960.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/MV5BNTBhNWJjZWItYzY3NS00M2NkLThmOWYtYTlmNzBmN2UxZWFjXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/MV5BNTBhNWJjZWItYzY3NS00M2NkLThmOWYtYTlmNzBmN2UxZWFjXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_.jpg 1638w" sizes=" (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" />Credit: New Line Cinema.</div>
Once again, critics and customers hailed the film (<a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/weapons">Rotten Tomatoes – 93/85</a>) and the box office sales soared ($151 million). The price tag? <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/weapons-box-office-freakier-friday-opening-1236341131/">A modest $38 million</a>.
The film’s Best Picture chances are less secure than “Sinners,” but creepy co-star Amy Madigan is a lock for a Best Supporting Actress turn for her memorable turn as Aunt Gladys, and Best Screenplay honors are also likely.
And then there’s “Frankenstein.” Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro brought the classic monster story back from the grave via Netflix. His take on the property earned him a Best Picture nomination from the Golden Globes, and Oscar love may shortly follow.
Del Toro’s brand matters to Academy voters, and he treated the pulpy material with a keen idea for the humanity within the reconstructed monster.
Imagine not one or two but three horror films gracing this year’s Best Picture nomination list? The last time horror had such a prestigious close-up was when 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” swept that year’s Oscars ceremony, netting five statues (including Best Picture).
The year’s box office picture is another, murkier matter. Yes, the numbers are up from 2024, but that’s hardly something to crow about. This year’s domestic box office is <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/12/box-office-u-s-ticket-sales-2025-1236640883/">up 1%</a>, but the industry battle cry “<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/global-summer-box-office-overseas-2025-domestic-1236357631/">survive until 2025</a>” when more populist films were lining up for release didn’t quite transpire.
Don’t blame horror movies.
Not only did “Sinners” and “Weapons” pull their weight (“Frankenstein” barely played in theaters before jumping to Netflix), but other horror hits stunned Hollywood.
The fourth film in the “Conjuring” series, “Last Rites,” made $177 million and a total of $494 million globally. That made it the most profitable film in the saga.
“Final Destination: Bloodlines,” the first film in that lo-fi saga since 2011’s “Final Destination 5,” made $138 million in the U.S. alone and revived the franchise. That film also included an emotional farewell to horror favorite Tony Todd, who knew he was gravely ill when he shot his final scene for the series.
Recent horror hits include “Black Phone 2” (a respectable $77 million US to date), “28 Years Later” ($70 million US) and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” (a $64 million opening weekend).
<iframe loading="lazy" title="How Hollywood Can Bridge Its Disconnect With the American Public w/ Christian Toto" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yNIV7dmOYFI?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>
Why is horror having a moment? Start with a new crop of directors who know the genre well, from Coogler and Cregger to Osgood Perkins (“Keeper,” “The Monkey”) and Jordan Peele (“Get Out”).
Horror films don’t require starry casts and can be made on a shoestring budget. Plus, when they insert the obligatory left-leaning messages, it’s embedded in the scares, not force fed to us in lectures.
Audiences crave the unfettered escapism the genre offers. We’re living in a divided age, but political ideology mostly gets left behind when settling in for a horror film. Jump scares don’t ask audiences how they vote.
And while video games and social media keep cutting into the theatrical pull, there’s nothing like being scared silly in the dark with a group of like-minded strangers. It helps to savor some A-plus films that respect that reality.
* * *
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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MBJ Sinners poster

While Hollywood’s Big Bets Fail, Horror Just Keeps Delivering

Horror Movies

Michael B Jordan

We’ve never had a pop culture force in the White House quite like President Donald Trump.
Yes, even the Gipper himself, President Ronald Reagan, didn’t grasp star power the same as Trump. Granted, Reagan’s Hollywood days gave him a unique take on culture and the arts and earned him the moniker, “<a href="https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/permanent-exhibits/evolution-great-communicator">The Great Communicator</a>.”
President Trump understands that realm, too, along with our new social media age.
Now, Trump is using his leverage to make movies great again. Or, at least, one franchise in particular.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-pushes-for-rush-hour-comeback-and-hollywood-delivers-report">Reports say</a> Trump had a hand in the “Rush Hour” franchise revival at Paramount. The saga’s director, Brett Ratner — canceled during the MeToo movement for unproven sexual assault allegations — is also directing the upcoming Melania Trump documentary, &#8220;Melania&#8221; (January, 2026).
Those ties likely helped make a fourth “Rush Hour” film happen.
<div id="attachment_1008703" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1008703" class="size-large wp-image-1008703" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248407527-864x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 25: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the 78th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation in the Rose Garden of the White House on November 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump will pardon Gobble and alternate turkey Waddle, who were both raised in North Carolina and will live out the rest of their lives under the care of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248407527-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248407527-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248407527-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248407527.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Heather Diehl/Getty Images</div>
In an era when Hollywood studios cast a wary glance at right-leaning audiences, President Trump is using his bully pulpit to shape pop culture.
That gives him a golden opportunity to do more than revive a stalled franchise.
So, which other film projects are deserving of a presidential nudge?
It’s cinematically sacrilegious to remake “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” but what about a sequel starring a middle-aged Ferris? The sequel could find Matthew Broderick’s character saddled with a mortgage, two ungrateful kids, and a marriage to Sloan that has long lost its spark.
Yet, for one glorious day, the older Ferris finds his inner teen, goes on a grand adventure, and realizes the beauty lurking within adulthood. The only issue could be if the John Hughes estate would allow it – the late Hughes wrote and directed the 1986 classic. It’s still worth a try, if merely for the Reagan-era nostalgia.
<div id="attachment_1008711" style="width: 383px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1008711" class="size-large wp-image-1008711" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Ferris-Bueller-poster-373x576.jpg" alt="Paramount Pictures. 1986. " width="373" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Ferris-Bueller-poster-373x576.jpg 373w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Ferris-Bueller-poster-194x300.jpg 194w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Ferris-Bueller-poster.jpg 520w" sizes=" (max-width: 373px) 100vw, 373px" />Paramount Pictures. 1986.</div>
The 1994 comedy “PCU” was both ahead of its time and, sadly, a box office misfire with <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0110759/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">under $5 million</a> from stateside theaters. The comedy skewered the growing “politically correct” movement in American universities, one that presaged a full-blown woke revolution 20 years later.
The comedy still landed some stingers, especially given the academia targets on display. Why not remake the film from today’s college prism? Could the material cover everything from absurd college courses on “<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/01/02/taylor-swift-101-college-classes-about-singer/71976599007/">Swiftology</a>” to darker riffs on college antisemitism?
If a direct remake doesn’t make sense, what about a sequel to “Old School?” That frat-style comedy found grown men starting their own Greek-style fraternity. Maybe an “Old School” spin where characters try the same shtick today but run into a furious woke mob rebuffing their efforts to party like it’s 1999?
Comedy has struggled since woke took over Hollywood. Even Variety magazine <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/variety-accidentally-confirms-woke-killed-movie-comedies/">inadvertently admitted as much</a>. Signs suggest its stranglehold on the culture is waning. That gives Team Trump a chance to bring back bawdy, R-rated comedies to a film landscape in dire need of a laugh.
And while blockbuster films often struggle to make a profit due to their gargantuan budgets, screen comedies are infinitely cheaper to produce.
Trump is reviving Ratner’s career with the “Rush Hour” project. He also could reach out to “The Hangover” director Todd Phillips while he’s at it. Phillips famously said he stopped making comedies (he also directed “Old School” and “Road Trip”) <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/10/joaquin-phoenix-cover-story">due to woke’s censorious nature.</a>
Coax Phillips back into the comedy business and see what happens next.
We may not need-need a fourth “Rush Hour” film, but its existence is a thumb in the eye to the woke mind virus sufferers. The saga’s willingness to poke fun at cultural stereotypes typified a better time.
<div id="attachment_1006399" style="width: 997px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1006399" class="size-large wp-image-1006399" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Rush-Hour-987x576.jpg" alt="Rush Hour" width="987" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Rush-Hour-987x576.jpg 987w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Rush-Hour-300x175.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Rush-Hour-768x448.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Rush-Hour.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 987px) 100vw, 987px" />Hulton Archive via Getty Images</div>
If wisecracks about Asians and black people truly were offensive, stars Chan and Tucker might have said something mid-production, no? Earlier this year, USA Network got offended on behalf of those communities. The cable channel <a href="https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/7/4/rush-hour-trigger-warning">inserted a trigger warning</a> before the first “Rush Hour” feature:
<blockquote>We all love our buddy comedies, but this movie was created in a different time. FYI certain depictions, language and humor may seem outdated and at times offensive. </blockquote>
Do you understand <a href="https://tenor.com/search/do-you-understand-the-words-coming-out-of-my-mouth-gifs">the words</a> coming out of our mouths?
Which brings us to Phillips’ “Hangover” saga. Once again, the third installment showed the formula was wearing thin. Some franchises should call it a day, no matter how profitable they may be. That third “Hangover,” the weakest of the trilogy, made $362 million globally.
<div id="attachment_1009127" style="width: 399px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1009127" class="size-large wp-image-1009127" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Hangover-the-389x576.jpg" alt="Warner Bros. Legendary Pictures. Green Hat Films." width="389" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Hangover-the-389x576.jpg 389w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Hangover-the-202x300.jpg 202w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Hangover-the-768x1138.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Hangover-the-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Hangover-the.jpg 1382w" sizes=" (max-width: 389px) 100vw, 389px" />Warner Bros. Legendary Pictures. Green Hat Films.</div>
A revival would do more than give its studio a boost. It would signal the woke era’s official collapse. After all, the film followed four straight white males who drank too much, ogled women, found themselves in deep trouble on multiple fronts, but ended up living happily ever after.
No lectures. No Girl Boss characters dressing them down. No forced diversity measures – co-star Ken Jeong stole scenes on his own, thank you. Just R-rated high jinks, the kind that used to power endless dumb but hilarious comedies.
And, yes, the usual media suspects would tsk-tsk these projects, telling us how problematic they are and why no one should laugh at them. And most Americans would give those articles a shrug, at best.
Some might even laugh out loud while reading them.
No one person can lift Hollywood out of its current, sorry state. At the very least, President Trump could Make Hollywood Funny Again.
* * *
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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Trump movies

‘Rush Hour 4’ Is A Go. What Else Can President Trump Greenlight?

Comedy

Donald Trump

White House

As families gather this holiday season, finding entertainment that is both edifying and enjoyable shouldn’t require a culture-war battle. For years, it has. Here’s the good news: Americans are winning.
As a religious-freedom advocate and mother of a large family, I live that struggle from both angles. In my work defending conscience rights, I see how culture shapes values. At home, I face the daily challenge of ensuring my children know their Christian faith and develop well-formed consciences in a world often working against them.
For families like mine — with kids at home in countless afterschool activities and others in college — Thanksgiving weekend offers rare time together. But finding wholesome entertainment that captivates everyone? That&#8217;s been the real challenge. Movie nights should be simple, not exercises in scrolling through endless streaming menus filled with questionable content.
Fortunately, the tide is turning. A new generation of filmmakers is proving that you can beat Hollywood at its own game by offering quality entertainment with uplifting messages. 
Two summers ago, in July of 2023, Angel Studios released “<a href="https://www.angel.com/press/sound-of-freedom">Sound of Freedom</a>,” earning over $250 million even though the Hollywood establishment tried to bury it. The film exposed international child sex trafficking while becoming a cultural phenomenon that rattled the entertainment elite. Then there are the <a href="https://kendrickbrothers.com/">Kendrick Brothers</a>, longtime producers of Christian films that inspire audiences by addressing marriage, online pornography addiction, and community rebuilding.
New on the scene is the <a href="https://www.thewonderproject.com/">Wonder Project</a>, a revolutionary enterprise producing its own original content for theaters as well as a subscription-based channel on the Prime streaming service offering over a hundred “value-driven” titles with classics like “The Sound of Music” and “Lincoln” alongside original productions like the “House of David” series. The platform also provides edited versions of popular films, making true co-viewing possible without scrambling for the fast-forward button.
I recently watched one of the Wonder Project&#8217;s original productions, “<a href="https://sarahsoilfilminspires.com/">Sarah&#8217;s Oil</a>,” at a nearby movie theater with my four youngest children, all close in age to the film&#8217;s 11-year-old protagonist. We witnessed something rare: a movie that held their complete attention while teaching profound lessons about courage and faith. The true story follows Sarah Rector, an African American girl in early-1900s Oklahoma, who believes oil lies beneath her barren land. She is proven right — becoming one of America’s first female African American millionaires at eleven.
What makes “Sarah&#8217;s Oil” exceptional is what it proves possible. A film tackling racial injustice and economic exploitation while remaining appropriate for children. No lectures about systemic racism. No victim narrative. Just an inspiring American story of perseverance, faith, and determination. It illuminates the good, the true, and the beautiful — something Hollywood has largely forgotten how to do.
In an age where every family member often retreats to their own screen and algorithm-curated bubble, shared cultural experiences have become almost revolutionary. Grandparents, parents, and children gathering around the same story. Laughing together, being moved together, is how values are shared across generations. It&#8217;s how family bonds are strengthened. When a film can captivate both an 80-year-old grandmother and a 9-year-old grandchild, it creates common ground for the kind of conversations that matter. These shared moments are the antidote to the isolation afflicting both young and old. Hollywood once understood this.
Counter-culture media initiatives like the Wonder Project have made smart business decisions by listening to families and giving them what they want: Content that unites, stories that inspire, heroes worth emulating.
Every family that chooses wholesome entertainment over progressive-left propaganda sends a market signal Hollywood can&#8217;t ignore. Every packed theater for a faith-based film is a referendum on the entertainment establishment. Every streaming subscription to values-driven content proves what Americans actually want.
This Thanksgiving weekend, make a statement. Choose entertainment that edifies and entertains. Be part of a movement for change that is winning. American families are taking back the culture, one movie or series at a time. Hollywood thought we wouldn&#8217;t care.
The market is proving them wrong. And we are just getting started.
* * *
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is director of the<a href="https://conscience-project.org/"> Conscience Project</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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This Thanksgiving, Choose Movies That Will Bring Your Family Together

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Before director James Cameron became <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/james-cameron-reflects-king-of-the-world-titanic-oscars-speech-2023-3">&#8220;king of the world&#8221;</a> he sat on the hottest of hot seats.
Cameron’s 1997 film “Titanic” arrived with enough bad buzz to sink a battleship. Time magazine ran a cover story on the bloated, $200 million affair with the words, <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/titanic-trailer-james-cameron-bad-buzz-blockbuster-1236552019/">“Glub, Glub, Glub” as the tag line.</a>
All signs suggested the headstrong director behind “Terminator” and “True Lies” had bitten off far more than he could chew, and Hollywood was ready to rub his nose in an epic failure.
What happened next? “Titanic” became the biggest blockbuster of all time, at least up until he dethroned himself (twice) with 2009’s “Avatar” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022).
One man is responsible for three of the most popular American films in U.S. history. This Cameron fella knows what he’s doing and, more importantly, what moviegoers crave. He better, since Hollywood is banking on his latest film to give theaters one last jolt before 2025 wraps.
And, up until now, it hasn’t been a blockbuster year for movies. Can Cameron save Hollywood with “Avatar: Fire and Ash?”
The December 19 release is the third film in the enviro-friendly franchise. Once again, Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang bring the world of Pandora to life, along with endless zeroes and ones. The CGI-heavy franchise slathers recognizable stars with endless digital effects.
<div id="attachment_1000779" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1000779" class="size-large wp-image-1000779" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-9-1024x425.jpg" alt="“Avatar: Fire and Ash.” 2025. Sam Worthington. Photo by 20th Century Studios/20TH CENTURY STUDIOS - Copyright 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="1024" height="425" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-9-1024x425.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-9-300x125.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-9-768x319.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-9-1536x638.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-9.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />“Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Photo by 20th Century Studios/20TH CENTURY STUDIOS &#8211; Copyright 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
The latest “Avatar” installment finds the Sully clan dealing with a new threat along with a familiar foe. A violent Na’vi faction dubbed the Ash People has aligned with the evil Colonel Quaritch (Lang), setting up more action-packed sequences in the bustling saga.
That’s roughly all we know about the film. Team Cameron knows less is more when it comes to movie marketing.
Plenty is riding on the film, including the saga’s future. Cameron has said if “Fire and Ash” underperforms, <a href="https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/10/3/james-cameron-says-avatar-3-has-to-make-a-lot-of-money-for-the-franchise-to-continue">parts 4 and 5 could be in jeopardy</a>. He’s betting “Fire and Ash” will come close to replicate his past successes, partially based on early box office predictions. The film is expected to rake in <a href="https://boxofficetheory.com/6-week-box-office-tracking-wicked-for-good-and-zootopia-2-check-ins-plus-other-updates/">at least $110 million</a> in its opening frame.
He’s not alone in wishing for the best.
The box office isn’t the same as it once was, not even when “The Way of Water” helped theaters bounce back from the pandemic shutdowns three years ago. For every “A Minecraft Movie” or “Sinners,” there are many 2025 films that either flopped or dramatically underperformed in 2025.
“Christy.” “The Alto Knights.” “Good Fortune.” “Snow White.” “Elio.” “Tron: Ares.” Even some hits have been misses. “One Battle After Another” is approaching $70 million at the U.S. box office, but the film’s price tag (a reported $130 million) means it’ll lose plenty for Warner Bros.
One report suggests <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/one-battle-after-another-lose-100-million-dollars-theaters-1236552914/">that figure could be $100 million.</a>
Variety reports that this year is <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/october-box-office-record-low-ticket-sales-smashing-machine-tron-ares-flop-1236567987/">currently 2.9 percent ahead</a> of 2024, hardly a boastful account. Stateside revenues are still more than 22 percent behind 2019. That’s the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered movie houses and sent patrons scrambling to streaming services.
That, plus the continued rise of social media, video games, and streaming platforms, leaves cinema uniquely vulnerable as 2026 approaches.
<div id="attachment_1000763" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1000763" class="size-large wp-image-1000763" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar-imdb-1024x424.jpg" alt="“Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Photo by 20th Century Studios/20TH CENTURY STUDIOS - Copyright 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="1024" height="424" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar-imdb-1024x424.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar-imdb-300x124.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar-imdb-768x318.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar-imdb-1536x636.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar-imdb.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />“Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Photo by 20th Century Studios/20TH CENTURY STUDIOS &#8211; Copyright 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
There’s something else about Cameron’s “Avatar” franchise that isn’t discussed enough. Do people actually care about the saga and its heroic figures? How many Halloween costumes have been inspired by the series? Does “Avatar” merchandise sales spike when a new film hits theaters?
Comic-Con Nation genuflects to “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” the MCU, and other geek-friendly IPs. Does “Avatar” hold sway over that demographic in a similar fashion? Are names like Neytiri, Jake Sully, and Miles Quaritch as recognizable as Han, Luke, and Leia? What about Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy?
Hardly.
Cameron has spent much of his career defying the odds, and his “Avatar” films do so in another remarkable way. The phrase, “get woke go broke” finally pierced the Hollywood bubble in recent years. The industry has dialed back on its progressive messaging, realizing audiences would rather be entertained than lectured.
Yet the “Avatar” saga is unabashedly pro-environment and, on more than a few occasions, anti-human. We’re meant to root for the Na’vi, not Colonel Quaritch and his human foot soldiers.
<div id="attachment_1000753" style="width: 792px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1000753" class="size-large wp-image-1000753" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar.-Cameron-co-782x576.jpg" alt="“Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, James Cameron. Photo by 20th Century Studios/20TH CENTURY STUDIOS - Copyright 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="782" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar.-Cameron-co-782x576.jpg 782w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar.-Cameron-co-300x221.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar.-Cameron-co-768x566.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar.-Cameron-co-1536x1131.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Avatar.-Cameron-co.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px" />Photo by 20th Century Studios/20TH CENTURY STUDIOS &#8211; Copyright 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
The director’s green activism infects every frame of his “Avatar” films, and he makes no apologies about it. That hasn’t impacted the franchise’s box office receipts, though. Not yet, at least.
Cameron’s undeniable skills can take eco-lectures and dress them up in clear-eyed action sequences and relatable themes. The pro-family sentiment of “The Way of Water,” for example, was impossible to miss.
Look past the director’s progressive streak and you’ll find a populist lurking in plain sight.
And while most filmmakers have wisely left 3D technology behind, Cameron clings to the format while pushing cinema technology forward. Each new “Avatar” film represents a leap in what’s possible on the big screen.
Who knows what “Fire and Ash” will deliver come December.
Boy, could the industry use another Cameron miracle to christen the New Year’s box office dreams and, in theory, prove the “rising tide lifts all boats” axiom anew. It wouldn’t be the first time Cameron defied the odds, but they haven’t been stacked so tall in ages.
* * *
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.

“L’Art De James Cameron – The Art Of James Cameron” Exhibition At La Cinematheque

Can James Cameron Save Hollywood Again?

Box Office

James Cameron

The stars are aligning against artificial intelligence.
It’s hard to blame them. One look at Tilly Norwood, the A.I. actress, as pretty as she is, forever young, and it’s clear why actors would be threatened by her digital existence.
That explains why so many are raging against A.I. in interview after interview. Except there’s a flaw in their arguments, one few stars are willing to admit. Nor will major studios, for that matter.
Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson excoriated the rise of A.I. during an appearance on the soon-to-be-extinct “Late Show” on CBS. 
She shared her “<a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/emma-thompson-ai-annoying-irritation-1236563757/">intense irritation</a>” with the technological movement.
<blockquote>“… when I’ve written something, I will put it into a Word document. And recently, the Word document is constantly saying, ‘Would you like me to rewrite that for you?’ And so I end up just saying, ’I don’t need you to rewrite what I’ve just written, will you f*** off?! Just f*** off!”</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_994579" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-994579" class="size-large wp-image-994579" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Colbert-ET-1024x517.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube.com" width="1024" height="517" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Colbert-ET-1024x517.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Colbert-ET-300x151.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Colbert-ET-768x388.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Colbert-ET.jpg 1157w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube.com</div>
“Parks &amp; Recreation” alum Nick Offerman sang from a <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/the-view-nick-offerman-slams-ai/">similar hymnal</a> during a recent “View” appearance.
<blockquote>“In this day and age where companies are taking over the curation of our lives, like, they want AI to think for us…I love my clumsy, stupid farmer voice, I would never want a robot to write my song for me, because my song is stupid in a wonderful, delicious way that’s all about my voice! I don’t want to give over my agency.”</blockquote>
One of Offerman’s compositions <a href="https://www.billboard.com/culture/politics/nick-offerman-slams-donald-trump-pro-kamala-song-parody-1235762250/">mocked President Donald Trump</a> during the 2024 campaign.
<blockquote>“I’m proud to be a Kamala man, who’s quit the GOP/ I just can’t stick with the man convicted of 34 felonies.”</blockquote>
It’s hard to imagine A.I. could belt out a tune quite that insightful.
Some artists are doing more than talking about artificial intelligence. Author George R.R. Martin is <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/george-rr-martin-openai-court-legal-1236413461/">suing OpenAI</a> for copyright infringement. And he may have plenty of company, especially since said suit, albeit slowly, is moving forward.
The collective fear is palpable, and not without reason. If a savvy 21-year-old can use A.I. to create a visually stunning film at the same price point as a studio’s catering budget, Hollywood could be on borrowed time.
There’s another reason for the industry to give A.I. a long, hard look. The computer revolution excels at absorbing content and spitting out new material based on that data. How different is it from Hollywood in 2025?
Yes, too many film and TV scripts feel like A.I. helped write them from start to finish. Hackneyed plots. Predictable story arcs. Canned dialogue lacking in wit and imagination. Here’s betting A.I. could create an annoying GirlBoss character as well as any woke scribe.
Or almost as well.
That’s part of the problem. What about the content itself? Hollywood recycling has reached a fever pitch, and it shows no signs of stopping.
Recent examples include a deal to turn the ‘80s cop show “Miami Vice” into a feature film, one potentially starring Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler. The original saga captured the Reagan era to a “T,” from its pastel-flavored suits to its synth-heavy soundtrack.
Except we’ve already seen a “Miami Vice” movie directed by a key player behind the original series, auteur Michael Mann. That 2006 film featuring Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell made only a modest dent at the box office. Now, it’s time to try again? Why not feed the show’s original episodes into Grok and see what it churns out?
<div id="attachment_994551" style="width: 943px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-994551" class="size-large wp-image-994551" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242151643-933x576.jpg" alt="ELIZABETH, NJ - OCTOBER 21: Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone is seen filming on the set of &quot;I Play Rocky&quot; on October 21, 2025 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)" width="933" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242151643-933x576.jpg 933w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242151643-300x185.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242151643-768x474.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242151643.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 933px) 100vw, 933px" />Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images</div>
Another upcoming project essentially reboots Sylvester Stallone’s early years. “I Play Rocky” recalls the actor’s battle to play the main character in his original, in-demand screenplay. Studio executives had little appetite for Stallone, then an unknown actor. They craved an established star to play the blue-collar boxer who dreams of greatness.
The film cast young actors who resemble both Stallone and “Rocky” favorite Carl Weathers, respectively, although A.I. could have de-aged both for a fraction of the price.
The problem isn’t relegated to the big screen. A new “Karate Kid” musical retells that now tired tale, one that inspired three sequels, a Jackie Chan-led reboot, a spinoff TV series (“Cobra Kai”), and last summer’s tepid “Karate Kid: Legends.”
Here’s betting A.I. could write a few wisecracks about Hollywood’s recycling obsession. Actually, here’s one from Grok:
<blockquote>Hollywood is so obsessed with sequels, prequels, and remakes that the next big blockbuster will be Spider-Man: The Origin of the Origin Story.</blockquote>
Hardly a howler, but it’s not as awful as your average Stephen Colbert monologue.
Now, imagine if today’s Hollywood threw off the shackles of its IP obsession and reclaimed the spirit of, say, ‘70s-era filmmaking. That decade delivered rich, complicated stories that brought out the best in Hollywood at all levels. Think “Three Days of the Condor,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Network,” “Taxi Driver,” and “Chinatown.” Those are just a few of the iconic films that defined the ‘70s.
<div id="attachment_994583" style="width: 741px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-994583" class="size-large wp-image-994583" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-133286967-731x576.jpg" alt="Penny Allen (3rd from left) and others are held up by Al Pacino in a scene from the film 'Dog Day Afternoon', 1975. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)" width="731" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-133286967-731x576.jpg 731w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-133286967-300x236.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-133286967-768x605.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-133286967.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px" />Photo by Warner Bros./Getty Images</div>
No A.I. bot could replicate those stories. Tilly Norwood would look foolish among the likes of Diane Keaton, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro.
Maybe Hollywood should view A.I. not as an existential threat but the ultimate challenge.
Hollywood delivered some of the best stories of the modern era thanks to the intense competition fostered by the rise of cable and streaming outlets in the 21st century. “The Sopranos.” “Breaking Bad.” “Game of Thrones.” “Mad Men.”
The industry should view the threat of A.I. as a chance to show those dumb robots what great storytelling is all about.
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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.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Stars Rage Against AI, But Hollywood’s Been Acting Like A Machine For Years

Artificial Intelligence

A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization. Most Americans know Antifa, if they&#8217;re lucky, from news coverage of the chaos it causes driving riots in big cities across the country. 
Ryan Millsap isn&#8217;t one of those Americans. Out of no fault of his own, Ryan found himself neighbors with the terrorist group. 
What started out as an opportunity to make cool movies in a state-of-the-art facility in Georgia turned into a protracted, ad hoc battle with random radicals living in tree houses. 
It’s stories like Ryan’s that expose the very real damage groups like Antifa can do. We&#8217;re proud to have him tell it himself in The Daily Wire. — The Daily Wire
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The past four years of my life have been a relentless storm of attacks, lies, and betrayal — much of it orchestrated by radical activists who would rather burn down progress than see it thrive.
I never expected to end up in the crosshairs of Antifa, and that&#8217;s an understatement.
As a movie studio owner and real estate developer, I built Blackhall Studios into a cornerstone of Georgia’s film industry, creating jobs and opportunities.
When I entered into a land swap deal with DeKalb County, however, I drew the wrath of Antifa. This was all happening next door to the development of a new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, that became known to the world as “Cop City.” When Antifa caught wind of the deal, chaos ensued.
This is my story. A story about a battle for a piece of land and for the truth in a world quick to crucify conservatives.
<h3>The Beginning: Building A Legacy</h3>
I wasn’t born into wealth. I made it the American way, with hard work and intelligent risk-taking. Growing up in California, I became a real estate developer and investor.
Following the financial crisis of 2008, I saw a new opportunity to acquire real estate across the Southeast and ended up purchasing over 8,000 apartments. In 2016, I seized on Georgia’s film industry boom, founding Blackhall Studios — an 850,000-square-foot powerhouse facility that helped produce hits like “Jungle Cruise,” “Jumanji,” “Venom,” and “Lovecraft Country.”
My team and I built a reputation of working cross-culturally with the community, hand-in-hand with Black leaders and Jewish colleagues. Through Advance DeKalb, I poured resources into the community, even offering to donate space to healthcare workers during the pandemic.
In 2018, I decided to expand Blackhall. Around the same time, the Atlanta Police Foundation planned a state-of-the-art public safety training facility to make Atlanta safer. The “Cop City” idea — next door to our planned expansion — was meant to train police and first responders to protect communities like DeKalb’s. To make it happen, I struck a land swap deal with DeKalb County: 55 acres of my studio’s land for 40 acres of Intrenchment Creek Park.
At the time, county officials and local leaders enthusiastically backed the deal. The county treated me as a partner, excited for the economic boost.
Then, in early 2021, Antifa showed up.
<div id="attachment_989641" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989641" class="size-large wp-image-989641" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1024x576.jpeg" alt="Credit: Ryan Millsap" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy.jpeg 1658w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Ryan Millsap</div>
<h3>The Turn: Antifa’s War On Progress</h3>
Hiding behind the “Defend the Atlanta Forest” banner, these “squatters” occupied the property, calling it “Weelaunee People’s Park.” To me, they didn’t appear to be peaceful environmentalists, but anarchists, funded and fueled by Antifa’s network, bent on sabotaging both our development and Cop City.
Their treehouses and protests were just the beginning of the chaos they would unleash. The “squatters’” antics turned violent fast. Rocks and full beer cans were thrown at workers on the site.
Then came the relentless legal battles. In 2020, the South River Watershed Alliance (SRWA) <a href="https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ga-court-of-appeals/116643343.html">sued me and DeKalb County</a>, alleging the land swap was illegal. Of course, it was not illegal, but abusive litigation is a hallmark of modern leftist terrorists. I filed an affidavit defending the deal, but the county’s response was indirect and they began to backpedal. I believe Antifa’s pressure campaign, with their deep pockets and activist networks, caused officials to abandon me.
Still, I had to fight back. So, I hired contractors and off-duty DeKalb police officers to secure the property. In a heated confrontation in July of 2022, protesters hurled objects at my team. Antifa lit my truck and trailer on fire and turned it into a bonfire of effigy. Then, in October of 2022, activists successfully <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/anonymous-activist-claims-responsibility-for-blaze-at-dekalb-film-studio-may-this-be-a-warning-to-them">torched</a> Shadowbox Studios (formerly Blackhall).
<div id="attachment_989639" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989639" class="size-large wp-image-989639" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-768x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Ryan Millsap" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Credit: Ryan Millsap</div>
Meanwhile, I faced an onslaught of media attacks and online smears. A former attorney filed a public lawsuit that became fodder for hit pieces in local and national outlets. Social media campaigns — many from self-identified Antifa supporters — accused me of everything from greed to corruption.
I worked hard to protect my family from all the chaos, but my wife bore the brunt of the stress, living under the shadow of Antifa’s harassment and online threats.
<h3>Where I Stand Today: Fighting For Truth</h3>
More than four years later, the 40 acres I still own remain undeveloped, stalled by the prolonged protests, various lawsuits, and political shenanigans.
I sold Blackhall in 2021 to Commonwealth Group, now Shadowbox Studios, and shifted my focus to other endeavors.
Meanwhile, Cop City finally opened, a victory for law and order despite Antifa’s relentless opposition. President Trump himself highlighted the facility at a roundtable with independent journalists, calling out Antifa’s role in the violence against projects like mine. Their funding, likely from shadowy leftist groups, has fueled the chaos, from car burnings to media smear campaigns, all to stop progress.
<div id="attachment_989643" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989643" class="wp-image-989643 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-865x576.jpg" alt="The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, referred to as 'Cop City' by opponents, under construction in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Alexander Cox Taylor runs the family conglomerate, Cox Enterprises Inc., while supporting civic causes in his hometown of Atlanta, including a new $110 million facility to train police and other safety officials. His first cousin, James Cox Chambers Jr., is using his own piece of the fortune to try to shut that very project down. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, referred to as &#8216;Cop City&#8217; by opponents, under construction on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Through it all, my family has been my rock. My wife, kids, and I have faced these attacks together, though the strain of Antifa’s threats and character assassination nonsense has tested us. I have lost many friendships throughout the city and the world because of this manufactured toxicity. But my faith keeps me grounded, and I’m fighting to protect my legacy for my family and community.
This story isn’t just mine — it’s happening in other pockets of America.
Look at the Dakota Access Pipeline, where <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/briefs/north-dakota-us-working-to-settle-in-dispute-over-dakota-access-pipeline-protest-costs/">protests</a> against a $3.8 billion oil project in 2016 led to blockades, sabotage, and over 700 arrests, delaying completion and costing developers millions, all fueled by environmental and indigenous activism that echoed Antifa’s tactics.
Consider Tim Pool, the conservative podcaster who bought a derelict lot in West Virginia in 2023 to <a href="https://x.com/Timcast/status/1900216701108564402">build a skatepark</a> for local youth. His dream of a safe space for skaters to hang out was derailed by over two years of vandalism, gang tags, and anonymous threats, driven by opposition to his right-wing politics. Pool was forced to shut it down in 2025, a loss for the community he aimed to serve.
That’s not activism. That’s sabotage.
<h3>A Call For Courage</h3>
These cases and many others show how Antifa and their allies use funded protests, media hit jobs, digital attacks, and endless lawsuits to grind progress to a halt, targeting conservatives with anything they can manufacture to destroy them.
In sharing my experience, I hope to help expose Antifa’s playbook — using chaos and lies to silence those who dare build or challenge their agenda. It’s a call to stand up to their intimidation and defend the America that values hard work and entrepreneurial life.
The past four years have been brutal. Publicly, I’ve been vilified, my name dragged through the mud by Antifa’s allies in the media. But I won’t let terrorists define me. I’m still here, building, fighting, and believing in a country that rewards grit, intelligence, and an indefatigable spirit. They can burn my cars and spread lies, but they won’t break me, this country, or the truth.
To say that I’m excited that President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-designates-antifa-a-major-terrorist-organization">designated Antifa</a> a terrorist group on October 7, 2025 after Charlie Kirk&#8217;s death is an understatement. I’ve known this truth for many years. These people hate America, hate Americanism, and want to see every hard-working, red-blooded American subjugated to their chaos. We must not let that happen.
* * *
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Ryan Millsap is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Atlanta-based Blackhall Studios, the powerhouse production facility behind films like &#8220;Venom,&#8221; &#8220;Jumanji,&#8221; and &#8220;Jungle Cruise.&#8221; A lifelong builder and unapologetic American capitalist, Millsap has spent his career revitalizing communities through real estate, film, and philanthropy. He is also the host of The Blackhall Podcast where he interviews leaders shaping business, culture, and faith. Millsap continues to champion free enterprise, individual liberty, and the unbreakable American spirit from his home in Georgia.
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Activists In NYC Demonstrate Against Atlanta’s Planned “Cop City” Police Training Center

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