Woke Hollywood is dead, or so we thought.
The new trailer for “Ladies First” is proof that La La Land won’t give up the woke ghost.
Sacha Baron Cohen, who traded his subversive “Borat” shtick for the <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-review/">anti-Trump Resistance</a>, stars as a chauvinist who suffers a blow to the head and wakes up in a new reality.
Forget the patriarchy. The matriarchy now runs things in this May 22 Netflix original. The laugh-free trailer is bad enough, but the sight of Borat leaning into feminist clichés is worse.
And it’s far from alone. That “woke mind virus” is on the comeback trail.
<div id="attachment_1080199" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1080199" class="size-large wp-image-1080199" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-864x576.jpg" alt="Rob Youngson/Netflix - copyright 2026 Netflix, Inc." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Rob Youngson/Netflix &#8211; copyright 2026 Netflix, Inc.</div>
The proof that woke was on the run felt substantial. Real. Refreshing. Comedians were suddenly able to speak their minds without fear of reprisal. Comedy roasts made a shocking comeback, and Netflix couldn’t wait to line up rebel comics like Tony Hinchcliffe, Tim Dillon, Ricky Gervais and Shane Gillis for new projects.
Disney, the unofficial woke standard bearer, dialed down the messaging machine. The Disney+ series “Win or Lose” ditched a trans character. Big-budget releases like “Moana 2” and “Inside Out 2” left the lectures on the cutting room floor — and scored huge box office numbers along the way.
More recently, Disney-owned Pixar chief Pete Docter said his company <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/pete-docter-pixar-lgbtq-storyline-elio-therapy-1236681692/">removed LGBTQ content</a> from 2025’s “Elio” because “We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy.”
Lesson learned. Or was it?
<div id="attachment_1080169" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1080169" class="size-large wp-image-1080169" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: (L-R) Jim Morris, President, Pixar and Pete Docter, CCO, Pixar attend the World Premiere of Disney and Pixar's &quot;Elio&quot; at El Capitan Theatre on June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney/Pixar)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney/Pixar</div>
That “Ladies First” trailer feels like it came from a 2020 time capsule. So does “Starfleet Academy.” The latest “Star Trek” TV show got roundly mocked on social media and by YouTube cutups like Nerdrotic and The Critical Drinker, who combined have millions of followers.
The show featured a charcuterie board full of woke, from the barefoot captain curling up in her chair like a Portland librarian to a gay, cross-dressing Klingon.
Mainstream critics, who lean aggressively to the Left, praised the show while audiences stayed away in droves. The show’s second season was set in motion immediately, but the <a href="https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/star-trek-starfleet-academy-canceled-season-2-1236696816/">cancellation news came nearly as fast.</a>
Hulu just dropped a new mini-season of “Malcolm in the Middle,” the early 2000s hit about a quirky, dysfunctional clan. The streamer knew it had a nostalgia-fueled hit on its hands, which may be why <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/malcolm-in-the-middle-reboot-hit-with-backlash-over-woke-changes">the creators gave</a> the clan Kelly, a “non-binary” child.
Just a coincidence? Hardly. Executive producer Tracy Katsy told Deadline.com the <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/04/malcolm-in-the-middle-creator-ep-wife-lgbtq-kids-1236786214/">reason for the inclusion angle</a>.
“Three out of four of our kids are queer, and without making it a thing and without making an issue, I think it’s really nice to have a character that, that’s just a facet of their personality as opposed to the entire story.”
<div id="attachment_1080171" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1080171" class="size-large wp-image-1080171" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: (L-R) Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield, Vaughan Murrae, Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Keeley Karsten, Kiana Madeira, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, Emy Coligado and Craig Lamar Traylor attend Hulu's &quot;Malcolm in The Middle: Life's Still Unfair&quot; New York Premiere at DGA Theater on April 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Theo Wargo/Getty Images</div>
The diversity measure came with the de facto lecture sequence, too, along with the Mary Sue-style characterization.
Kelly uses &#8220;they/them&#8221; and is depicted as academically gifted, level-headed, and notably the only sibling without a police record.
No flaws, please. That’s another woke byproduct, removing flaws from characters meant to promote diversity and inclusion.
The show also made Stevie (Craig Lamar Traylor), who displayed heterosexual characteristics in the original series, a gay man in an interracial relationship.
The new action comedy “Normal” also squeezes a “non-binary” character into the story, played by Jess McLeod. The character, dubbed Alex, is given little backstory or depth, but Alex still plays a sizable role in the film’s second half.
This year’s “Frankenstein” reinvention, dubbed “The Bride!” featured a cavalcade of woke talking points. The titular creature inspired a wave of rebellious women fighting back against early 20th century oppression, and Jessie Buckley’s Bride literally shouts, “Me too” … twice.
And, yes, “The Bride!” may be one of 2026’s biggest box office busts with <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt30851137/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">a pathetic $12 million domestic haul.</a>
Woke isn’t just about forced, clumsy inclusion. It coaxes screenwriters to lecture viewers from a hard-Left perspective. No nuance or balance, please. There’s a PowerPoint-style message to share. It’s why shows like “Matlock” and “The Pitt” have spent serious screen time pushing an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-keeps-pushing-this-narrative-but-ignores-what-follows">aggressive, anti-ICE narrative</a> in recent weeks.
“The Pitt” also promotes an unabashed, pro-abortion agenda. The HBO Max series featured an episode with a 17-year-old pregnant teen (Abby Ryder Fortson) seeking an abortion, but she didn’t have her parents’ consent.
<div id="attachment_1080173" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1080173" class="size-large wp-image-1080173" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-1024x568.jpg" alt="John Wells Productions. Max. R. Scott Gemmill Productions. Sky Studios. Warner Bros. Television. HBO Max." width="1024" height="568" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-1024x568.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-300x166.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-768x426.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-1536x851.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />John Wells Productions. Max. R. Scott Gemmill Productions. Sky Studios. Warner Bros. Television. HBO Max.</div>
The baby in question is more than 11 weeks along, just beyond Pennsylvania’s cutoff for a legal abortion. Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) stepped in, offering to fudge the facts to secure the abortion in question. The doctors agreed that the teen deserves to have a life, as they framed it, ignoring the positive impacts of motherhood or potentially giving up the innocent baby for adoption.
The creative team behind “The Pitt” is leaning into the show’s ratings success, weaponizing the saga to advance leftist talking points as needed. It’s another familiar woke pattern — Hollywood finds success with an apolitical show or film, and later leverages that appeal to insert woke talking points.
One glaring example? Even a far-Left site like <a href="https://www.themarysue.com/endgame-girl-power-did-it-work/">TheMarySue.com cringed</a> when the once-mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe included a clunky, “girl power” moment during the epic “Avengers: Endgame” battle.
The MCU saga went woke thereafter and has yet to recover, financially speaking.
Despite these stark examples, woke isn’t the cultural force in Hollywood that it was just a few short years ago. Some savvy studio types realized that its cultural tentacles remain a financial risk, to put it bluntly.
Others are like <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years">Hiroo Onoda</a>, the Japanese soldier who kept fighting World War II for nearly 29 years after hostilities ceased.
That means it could take a few more high-profile failures for Hollywood to finally learn its lesson.
* * *
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>.

netflix ladies night II

Woke Hollywood Rises From The Ashes — And The Agenda Didn’t Miss A Beat

Woke Hollywood Rises From The Ashes — And The Agenda Didn't Miss A Beat

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Entertainment

HBO Max

Hollywood

Movies

Netflix

Television

Woke Culture

Stop the fight!
The Legacy Media and the Left (but we repeat ourselves) declared war on “Harry Potter” author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jk-rowling">J.K. Rowling</a> in 2019 after she questioned elements of the trans agenda.
Rowling, a certified progressive on cultural and political matters, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-years-ago-j-k-rowling-took-a-stand-against-trans-activists-she-hasnt-backed-down">refused to rubber stamp every aspect of the movement</a>.
<blockquote>Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?</blockquote>
For that, she was canceled in every way possible, over and again.
<a href="https://thehill.com/video/jk-rowling-speaks-out-on-death-threats-from-pro-trans-activists-rape-murder-and-violence/10265832/">Some attempts proved literal.</a> She was the queen of the TERFS to the Left — Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists.
Now, nearly six years later, she’s emerged as a leading voice for sanity in the trans arena. She repeatedly speaks her mind on X, fights back against her legion of critics and is a key player behind one of the most anticipated streaming shows of our time.
HBO Max&#8217;s new <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/06/harry-potter-tv-series-max-release-date-cast-1235323284/">“Harry Potter” series,</a> due in either late 2026 or 2027, will retell the seven-book series captured in the epic eight-part film saga.
The battle rages on all the same, and she refuses to apologize. Still.
She’s blasted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jk-rowling-calls-out-trans-activist-creep-over-womens-bathroom-selfies">a “creepy” trans activist</a> for bathroom selfies, slammed attempts to conflate the Pope’s name with an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jk-rowling-says-shes-found-the-most-bat-s-gender-identity-argument-yet">absurd trans argument</a> and stated the obvious when it comes to casting the new “Potter” series.
She responded to a journalist’s provocative narrative suggesting she wouldn’t hire an actor who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jk-rowling-said-she-wouldnt-fire-actor-from-harry-potter-series-for-being-pro-trans">disagreed with her trans issues</a>.
<blockquote>I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did … I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.</blockquote>
That likely would have been a staunchly liberal stance 20 years ago. Those comments sound positively conservative in 2025, even though Rowling has never identified herself as conservative.
Either way, it’s refreshing to see an author embrace free speech.
<div id="attachment_503922" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-503922" class="size-large wp-image-503922" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 12: J.K. Rowling arrives at the 2019 RFK Ripple of Hope Awards at New York Hilton Midtown on December 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images</div>
Actors linked to the “Harry Potter” universe, either the existing films or the future TV show, are continually asked about Rowling’s views on trans issues. The media remains obsessed with Rowling’s willingness to speak her mind and share views considered mainstream by many.
Future “Harry Potter” star Nick Frost – he is tentatively set to play Hagrid in the TV series – blazed a <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/global/harry-potter-nick-frost-jk-rowling-trans-views-dont-align-1236423365/">mature path on the matter</a>.
<blockquote>She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form.</blockquote>
Translation: A gig’s a gig, most likely. Frost still suggested in the same interview we need to “educate ourselves” on trans issues. The sight of too many trans female athletes dominating biological females may be all the learning we need, Hagrid 2.0.
Tom Felton, who played the wicked Draco Malfoy in the original films, sidestepped a leading question on the red carpet while throwing his support behind Rowling. He’s co-starring in a Broadway adaption of Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
He didn’t share his stance on trans issues with the scribe. He simply praised an author who made his <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/06/09/tom-felton-jk-rowling-broadway-harry-potter/84111570007/">career shine impossibly brighter</a>.
<blockquote>The only thing I always remind myself is that I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world. Here I am in New York … and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter, and she’s responsible for that. So I’m incredibly grateful.</blockquote>
Compare that to the verbal brickbats thrown by the original Harry Potter and Hermione, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, at Rowling over her trans views.
<div id="attachment_934305" style="width: 897px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934305" class="size-large wp-image-934305" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523-887x576.jpg" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Actor Daniel Radcliffe, writer J.K. Rowling, actress Emma Watson and actor Rupert Grint attend the &quot;Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2&quot; world premiere at Trafalgar Square on July 7, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Jon Furniss/WireImage)" width="887" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523-887x576.jpg 887w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523-300x195.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523-768x499.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 887px) 100vw, 887px" />Jon Furniss/WireImage</div>
Here’s the former Harry Potter <a href="https://ew.com/daniel-radcliffe-j-k-rowlings-anti-trans-rhetoric-really-sad-8641559">taking her to task for her views</a>.
<blockquote>It makes me really sad, ultimately … I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.</blockquote>
HBO Max has had Rowling’s back for some time. The streamer also sees a shifting cultural landscape. The Warner Bros. Discovery platform might have chafed at joining forces with Rowling four or five years ago.
That was before Riley Gaines struck endless blows on behalf of biological women and Matt Walsh’s groundbreaking documentary “What Is a Woman?” had yet to be released.
Remember the tiny role Rowling played in the 2022 “Harry Potter” reunion special on HBO Max? Rowling said she <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/jk-rowling-harry-potter-anniversary-special-absence-explained-1235352807/">declined an invitation to appear</a>, but her archival footage proved brief and perfunctory.
Surely there’s countless footage of the author exploring the magical universe that transported countless children while teaching them to love reading?
Now, the streamer is desperate to stay in her good graces and wring every eyeball possible from the upcoming series. <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/hbo-makes-decision-on-relationship-with-j-k-rowling">HBO CEO Casey Bloys</a> made that obvious earlier this year.
<blockquote>It’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She’s entitled to them. ‘Harry Potter’ is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.</blockquote>
Rowling never wavered through it all. One could argue she has enough money to ignore Cancel Culture and the media, but others with very deep pockets bowed to the progressive mob in short order.
Take Stephen King. The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7936237/Stephen-King-apologizes-controversial-tweets-diversity-Oscars.html">horror maestro backpedaled</a> when progressives attacked him for suggesting merit matters more in the arts than diversity box checking. He even penned a mewling apology/essay in The Washington Post to keep the Cancel Culture mob at bay.
Scarlett Johansson, arguably the most popular actress in the country, similarly did the Hostage Apology routine after <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/scarlett-johansson-says-she-mishandled-transgender-casting-controversy-n1092131">she briefly accepted a gig playing a trans person</a>. That film, “Rub and Tug,” never got made sans the actress’ clout and star power.
Rowling has stayed true to her beliefs and has only grown bolder since the 2019 dustup. She trusted “Harry Potter” fans, or enough of them at least, would have her back.
She was right.
* * *
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.

J.K. Rowling At EE British Academy Film Awards

Expelliarmus! J.K. Rowling Disarms Her Critics Again And Again

Cancel Culture

Harry Potter

JK Rowling

Legacy Media

Opinion

Transgender

Twitter

Two years after a major rebrand, the streaming service “Max” will revert back to being called “HBO Max,” reflecting what many customers were still calling it informally.
This announcement comes less than two months after Max debuted a logo tweak with a black and white design similar to the classic HBO logo with that same color scheme, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/max-changes-name-hbo-max-1236397399/">Variety</a>.
Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced the name change in a press release, the outlet noted, saying they are “returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering. It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success.”
“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” WBD president and CEO David Zaslav told ad execs during a presentation on Wednesday. “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.”
The outlet noted that the Max/HBO branding was originally changed in an effort to reflect the large variety of content, which was meant to make the service comparable to Netflix. Another speaker assured the crowd that the diversity of options would remain even though the name is changing back.
“We will continue to focus on what makes us unique — not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families. It’s really not subjective, not even controversial — our programming just hits different,” said JB Perrette, president and CEO of streaming.
The Max social media account changed its X bio to say, “These rebrands are trying to murder me.” 
The person in charge of social media also posted multiple memes about the switch, including the classic image of multiple identical Superman characters encountering one another.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
V2 approved by legal. <a href="https://t.co/uUhH3RU4T6">pic.twitter.com/uUhH3RU4T6</a>
&mdash; Max (@StreamOnMax) <a href="https://twitter.com/StreamOnMax/status/1922665329332748347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
There was also a papal conclave joke showing an image of a chimney spewing white smoke.
“BREAKING: White smoke was seen coming from the Warner Bros. water tower. A new brand has been chosen,” the caption said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: White smoke was seen coming from the Warner Bros. water tower. A new brand has been chosen. <a href="https://t.co/DOC8LIWR4x">pic.twitter.com/DOC8LIWR4x</a>
&mdash; Max (@StreamOnMax) <a href="https://twitter.com/StreamOnMax/status/1922662280367333410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
One user summed up what most everyone was saying, posting a comment that <a href="https://x.com/Anna_Niezgodzka/status/1922713229534363973">said</a>, “Seriously, just make up your mind. We still call it HBO no matter what.”

‘Max’ Streaming Service Adds ‘HBO’ Back To Its Name 2 Years After Rebranding

'Max' Streaming Service Adds 'HBO' Back To Its Name 2 Years After Rebranding

“The White Lotus” creator Mike White responded to criticism he’s received from fans about the third season of the popular HBO series, which just aired its season finale last Sunday.
Fans and critics have been complaining that compared to the previous two seasons, this latest installment had a slower pace and was just “<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tv/article-14507879/White-Lotus-fire-fans-critics-alike-glacially-slow-season.html">boring</a>.” White, who serves as writer and director, said it was all very intentional.
“The pacing and the vibe … it definitely gets under their skin,” White said in response to the criticism on the official “White Lotus” podcast, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/mike-white-defends-white-lotus-season-3-slow-boring-1236362151/">Variety</a>.
“There was complaining about how there’s no plot. That part I find weird. It never did … part of me is just like bro, this is the vibe. I’m world-building. If you don’t want to go to bed with me then get out of my bed.”
“I’m edging you! Enjoy the edging. If you don’t want to be edged, then get out of my bed,” the showrunner continued, referencing slang for intentionally delaying gratification during sexual encounters.
“Do you know what I mean?” White continued. “Get the f*** out of my bed. Don’t come home with me.&#8221;
Despite the criticism for season 3, it earned some of the highest numbers yet for “The White Lotus,” with 6.2 million people watching the finale. This bested the previous record for viewers by 30%, the outlet noted.
During the same podcast interview, White revealed a deleted scene he wished there was time to include, which involved Piper Ratliff losing her virginity to Belinda’s son, Zion.
“She decides to lose her virginity in the script in the last episode,” White said of Sarah Catherine Hook’s character Piper.
“And she actually has sex with Zion,” he added. “There’s this whole scene where she’s like, ‘It’s true. Saxon is right about this one thing. I need to get this over with.’ And you know how after she leaves the monastery she’s just like, ‘I need to have sex.’ But in the end, it was one of these things where it was like, it’s already an hour and a half.”
White said, “It would have added 10 minutes to the thing. And it had a little bit of a rom-com vibe in the middle of trying to kill the family with the pong pong fruits. It just felt like I was trying to do too much narratively.”
Ultimately, the finale included the deaths of revenge-bent Rick Hatchett (Walter Goggins), his girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), and Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn), the hotel owner who Rick thought killed his father, but turned out to actually be his father.

Mike White

‘The White Lotus’ Creator Responds To Fans Complaining About Season 3 Pacing: ‘Get The F*** Out’

'The White Lotus' Creator Responds To Fans Complaining About Season 3 Pacing: 'Get The F*** Out'

U.S.

“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">True Detective</a>” creator Nic Pizzolatto created a place for fans and critics to vent about season 4 of the show, which has received mixed reviews.
“True Detective: Night Country” just wrapped on February 18. This season of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hbo-max">HBO</a> series starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis marked the first time that Pizzolatto did not write the episodes. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">showrunner</a> seemed to agree that this latest season, which has Issa López as showrunner, was subpar. He posted angry fan comments to social media and indicated that he agreed.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Pizzolatto called the season 4 connections to season 1 “so stupid.” He responded to one fan who expressed similar feelings, saying, “I certainly did not have any input on this story or anything else. Can’t blame me.”
He previously reposted fan reviews in his stories, which dubbed the newest season a “hot mess” with “lazy, nonsensical” plot resolutions, per <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/nic-pizzolatto-true-detective-rant-season-4-backlash-1235918264/">Variety</a>.
Pizzolatto got fed up with fans posting their feedback on his unrelated Instagram posts, so he decided to create a place dedicated to discussing the latest “True Detective” season.
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“TRUE DETECTIVE AGGREGATE POST – this here is the place for all your trolling/support/infighting around ‘True Detective’ and the absolute moral degeneracy and misogyny of anyone who did not think it was good,” the series creator wrote. “Let’s move these screeds off my posts about my wife, true love, and my father’s death, kay?”
“I’d say ‘stay civil’ but of course civility has no place when criticism of a television show indicates some form of Hitlerian evil that must be stamped out,” Pizzolatto added. “So roll on, tide. Satire is welcome, and do try to have a nice day.”
López responded to Pizzolatto’s critical posts during a conversation with <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2024/01/true-detective-night-country-nic-pizzolatto-issa-lopez.html">Vulture</a> in late January. 
“I believe that every storyteller has a very specific, peculiar and unique relation to the stories they create. Whatever his reactions are, he’s entitled to them. That’s his prerogative,” she said.
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“I wrote this with profound love for the work he made and love for the people that loved it,” the “Night Country” writer added. “And it is a reinvention, and it is different, and it’s done with the idea of sitting down around the fire, and [let’s] have some fun and have some feelings and have some thoughts. And anybody that wants to join is welcome.”
“Night Country” has a 92% critic’s rating and 59% audience score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/true_detective/s04">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. It is the most-watched season of “True Detective” with 12.7 million average viewers per episode. This season was also the first to premiere on the MAX streaming service, which likely helped boost those numbers.

Nic Pizzolatto

‘True Detective’ Creator Invites Fans To Criticize New Season On His Instagram

'True Detective' Creator Invites Fans To Criticize New Season On His Instagram

Instagram

HBO and Max Chief Casey Bloys said he has no plans to use <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artificial intelligence</a> to create shows and simply doesn&#8217;t see it happening in our world following the resolution of the Writers Guild Of America&#8217;s strike.
Speaking at Vox Media&#8217;s Code Conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Bloys said that he knows it &#8220;sounds old-fashioned,&#8221; but added that he&#8217;s still &#8220;holding out hope for, especially in an artistic endeavor, the need for soul and human stories,&#8221; rather than those created by things like ChatGPT, according to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hbo-chief-ai-1235602540/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.
&#8220;I know that some people use it [AI] as a prompt to say, &#8216;Give me some ideas,'&#8221; Bloys said. &#8220;Again, if a writer wants to do that, fine, but I don&#8217;t see a world where a writer is out of that process and a bunch of executives are saying, &#8216;OK ChatGPT gives us a great &#8216;True Detective&#8217; season.'&#8221;
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As writers hit the picket lines during the 146-day WGA strike, they were absolutely barred from writing anything for the Hollywood studios and streamers. But there was no reason they couldn’t write their own scripts on spec. <a href="https://t.co/fd06brv5BO">https://t.co/fd06brv5BO</a>
&mdash; Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1707495350024454592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I don&#8217;t see it happening,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s not, that&#8217;s not a world I&#8217;m interested in working in. But, you know, who knows where technology goes, but for the foreseeable future, given how we work at HBO and Max and the kinds of shows we&#8217;re doing, I don&#8217;t see it overtaking the necessary artistic ability that&#8217;s needed.&#8221;
The head of the network/streamer said that with the writers strike ending — but the SAG-AFTRA strike still ongoing — &#8220;it&#8217;s an uncertain time&#8221; in the industry.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a scary time. There&#8217;s a lot changing, so it is not business as usual,&#8221; Bloys said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think any of any aspect of the business is business as usual. Labor issues included.&#8221;
In May, the WGA voted to go on strike over a variety of issues — and one of them included the use of artificial intelligence when it comes to the production of screenplays, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/wga-deal-studios-plan-pursue-copyrights-ai-generated-scripts-1235602466/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THR</a> noted. On Wednesday, the WGA agreed to a tentative a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that ended the 148-day strike. The agreement didn&#8217;t ban the use of AI, but did restrict how it can be credited and utilized, the outlet noted.
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&#8220;The Companies agree that because neither traditional AI nor GAI is a person, neither is a &#8216;writer&#8217; or &#8216;professional writer,'&#8221; states the Memorandum of Agreement. &#8220;Therefore, written material produced by traditional AI or GAI shall not be considered literary material.&#8221;
&#8220;A writer must obtain the Company&#8217;s consent before using GAI,&#8221; the agreement added. &#8220;The Company retains the right to reject the use of GAI, including the right to reject a use of GAI that could adversely affect the copyrightability or exploitation of the work.&#8221;
One of the things that led to the strike was writers&#8217; concerns that studios&#8217; use of things like ChatGPT — to write or rewrite scripts — will take away jobs from producers, writers, and more, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/studios-load-up-on-ai-specialists-as-actors-writers-remain-on-picket-line" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/writers-strike-could-be-ending-as-wga-reaches-tentative-deal-with-studios" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Writers Strike Could Be Ending As WGA Reaches Tentative Deal With Studios</a>

HBO Max-1

‘I Don’t See It Happening’: HBO/Max Chief Says He Won’t Use AI To Create Shows Following End Of Writer’s Strike

‘I Don’t See It Happening’: HBO/Max Chief Says He Won’t Use AI To Create Shows Following End Of Writer's Strike

Artificial Intelligence

&#8220;Euphoria&#8221; star Angus Cloud has died at the age of 25, just days after returning to the United States from Ireland — where he buried his father.
According to a <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/07/31/euphoria-star-angus-cloud-dead-dies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Tuesday by entertainment site TMZ, police and firefighters in Oakland, California, responded late Monday morning to a 911 call placed by Cloud&#8217;s mother. She informed authorities that she suspected an overdose, and told them that her son did not have a pulse.
He was later pronounced dead at the scene, and his family released a statement to TMZ.
&#8220;It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways. Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.&#8221;
&#8220;We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss,&#8221; the statement concluded.
Cloud, who was best known for his portrayal of Fezco on popular HBO Max series, also appeared in the films &#8220;North Hollywood” and “The Line.&#8221;
The official Twitter account for &#8220;Euphoria&#8221; responded to the loss, saying, &#8220;We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.&#8221;
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We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time. <a href="https://t.co/PLqkz5Rshc">pic.twitter.com/PLqkz5Rshc</a>
&mdash; euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) <a href="https://twitter.com/euphoriaHBO/status/1686137982003126273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
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No cause of death has yet been reported, but a source told TMZ that the actor had been battling suicidal thoughts since the recent loss of his father and had been staying with family while he attempted to navigate his grief.
&#8220;Conor Angus Cloud Hickey was an extremely talented actor and a very sweet young man. He told me he had a lot of family in Ireland. Offaly and Balbriggan I believe. He wanted to go back there,&#8221; actor and director Jason O&#8217;Mara <a href="https://twitter.com/jason_omara/status/1686146056822874112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;I am devastated to hear this news. Sending love to his family and friends.&#8221;
Cloud had <a href="https://www.etonline.com/angus-cloud-dead-at-25-how-he-got-cast-in-euphoria-without-acting-experience-208966" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no acting experience</a> when he landed the role on &#8220;Euphoria&#8221; — a casting rep. had literally approached him on the street in New York City, asking him to come in and read lines from what would eventually be the show&#8217;s first episode.
&#8220;I was confused and I didn&#8217;t want to give her my phone number,&#8221; Cloud said in GQ <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/angus-cloud-euphoria-spotlight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> in 2019. &#8220;I thought it was a scam &#8230; I had to change it a little bit to make it sound real, like how I would say it.&#8221;
He had previously attended the Oakland School for the Arts – but rather than acting, had spent his time there building sets and working behind the scenes. So when the time came for him to shoot the pilot episode, he opted not to change who he was to become more of what he thought an actor should be.
&#8220;I wasn&#8217;t trying to learn how to act on the plane over there,&#8221; he told GQ at the time. &#8220;Imma just show up and do what they want and then be done.&#8221;
If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at <a class="c-link" href="http://988lifeline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://988lifeline.org" data-sk="tooltip_parent">988lifeline.org</a>.

Variety’s 2022 Power Of Young Hollywood Celebration Presented By Facebook Gaming – Arrivals

‘Euphoria’ Star Angus Cloud Dead At 25, Just Days After Losing His Father

'Euphoria' Star Angus Cloud Dead At 25, Just Days After Losing His Father

Celebrities

World

HBO voiced its support for author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jk-rowling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.K. Rowling</a> being an executive producer on the upcoming &#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; TV series amid numerous attacks against her by trans activists.
During the Max streaming event, officials confirmed that a TV series based off the seven-book series from Rowling will move forward, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/harry-potter-tv-series-controversy-jk-rowling-1235372796/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
Officials said the long-form series will be rolled out over a 10-year period and be faithful to the book series, with Rowling as one of its producers.
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The series, featuring a new cast, promises to be &quot;authentic to the original books&quot;, which will see author JK Rowling serve as an executive producer <a href="https://t.co/Y9BME9BTyV">https://t.co/Y9BME9BTyV</a>
&mdash; Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1646498916702076928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;J.K. is an executive producer, and her insights will be helpful,&#8221; Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content said. &#8220;We are in the Harry Potter business.&#8221;
&#8220;The TV show is new and exciting, but we&#8217;ve been in the Harry Potter business for 20 years; this isn&#8217;t a new decision,&#8221; Bloys added. &#8220;We&#8217;re comfortable being in the Potter business. &#8221;
&#8220;J.K. is a very online conversation … It&#8217;s very nuanced and complicated and not something we&#8217;re going to get into,&#8221; the CEO continued. &#8220;Our priority is what&#8217;s onscreen. The Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive about love and acceptance, and that&#8217;s our priority, what&#8217;s on the screen.&#8221;
The &#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; author also released a statement that read, &#8220;Max&#8217;s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I&#8217;m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.&#8221;
Following confirmation of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/j-k-rowling-throws-her-support-behind-macy-gray-after-singer-faces-backlash-for-transphobic-comments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rowling&#8217;s</a> involvement, social media users reacted, with many blasting the move.
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Reporter Sean T. Collins <a href="https://twitter.com/theseantcollins/status/1646215299459317771">wrote</a>, &#8220;If you interview an actor or filmmaker or executive involved with the Harry Potter tv show and don&#8217;t lead with a question about JK Rowling leading a hate group you&#8217;re done, over, out of the art club.&#8221;
<a href="https://twitter.com/kvanaren/status/1646271283682844673">Vulture</a> critic Kathryn VanArendonk wrote, &#8220;This faithful adaptation of harry potter, announced with absolutely bulls*** craven disdain for Rowling&#8217;s political impact, is bad.&#8221;
Out Magazine <a href="https://twitter.com/outmagazine/status/1646268372785459200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>: &#8220;We don’t want any new Harry Potter content if noted transphobe J.K. Rowling is involved&#8230;&#8221;
Rowling has been the target of transgender activists because of her numerous comments in defense of biological women, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-deletes-trans-activist-video-with-j-k-rowling-death-threat-after-initially-saying-it-didnt-violate-safety-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harry-potter-to-get-series-reboot-and-trans-activists-are-already-planning-boycott">Harry Potter To Get Series Reboot — And Trans Activists Are Already Planning Boycott</a>

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” World Premiere – Arrivals

HBO Refuses To Cave To Woke Mob, Backs J.K. Rowling As Executive Producer On ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series

HBO Refuses To Cave To Woke Mob, Backs J.K. Rowling As Executive Producer On 'Harry Potter' TV Series

Wokeness

&#8220;The Last of Us&#8221; star Bella Ramsey said the lead character in the series, Joel, made the &#8220;right decision&#8221; in the finale of the first season when he was faced with saving a child or humanity in the zombie-apocalypse series.
During an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVa651YfWJw&amp;t=172s">Vanity Fair</a>, the 19-year-old actress — who plays Ellie — was asked her thoughts about the dilemma her co-star Pedro Pascal faced in the season finale of the HBO Max series. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-last-of-us-finale-draws-8-2-million-viewers-a-series-high-despite-oscars-competition">series</a> centered on Joel and Ellie, who are seeking a cure in a world overrun by zombies created by a fungal infection.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bella Ramsey Reacts to &#039;The Last of Us&#039; Fan Theories | Vanity Fair" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hVa651YfWJw?start=172&#038;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>
&#8220;I mean, I think he made the right decision,&#8221; Ramsey replied to a fan question. &#8220;I think most people agree from like the reaction to the series as well. I think more people are like, &#8216;he definitely made the right decision.'&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think it was even a choice,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think it was even a decision for him. There was no other option other than to save her. Because … he did save the world. But, like, his world. That&#8217;s so cringy but it&#8217;s kind of true.&#8221;
Later in the clip, Ramsey read another fan comment that laid out what they saw as Joel&#8217;s thought process in the end. (Warning: Spoilers)
&#8220;Joel thought that sacrificing Ellie wasn&#8217;t worth saving humanity, the same humanity that killed his daughter, the same people that kill each other every day,&#8221; Ramsey read. &#8220;I think the giraffes symbolize true innocence, the vanishing grace of childhood. When Joel looked back at the giraffes, and they were almost gone, he realized that innocence has left this world and the world needed innocence, people like Ellie. They didn&#8217;t need a &#8216;cure&#8217; because the [fungal infection] wasn&#8217;t the real disease. It is what people have become.&#8221;
The young actress agreed with the theory and said &#8220;Yeah, true. Truth.”
Following the series finale, reactions from fans on social media have been mixed with many supporting Joel&#8217;s actions but others saying what he did was selfish, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/mar/22/id-like-more-of-the-infected-your-verdicts-on-the-last-of-us">The Guardian</a> noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-last-of-us-presents-an-ethical-dilemma-kill-a-child-to-save-humanity">&#8216;The Last Of Us&#8217; Presents An Ethical Dilemma: Kill A Child To Save Humanity?</a>

Bella Ramsey-1

‘The Last Of Us’ Star Says Series’ Lead Character Made ‘Right Decision’ In Finale

'Last Of Us’ Star Says Lead Character In The Series Made 'Right Decision' In Finale

Pedro Pascal

There’s going to be another “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/game-of-thrones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game of Thrones</a>” spinoff coming to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television" target="_blank" rel="noopener">television</a>.
Warner Bros. Discovery made an announcement confirming the prequel during a media event on Wednesday. This prequel, currently called “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” is based on George R.R. Martin’s “Dunk and Egg” books.
The newly merged company also announced that the combined <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hbo-max" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HBO Max</a> and Discovery+ streaming service would be known as Max going forward, per <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/game-of-thrones-prequel-series-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-hbo-1235578466/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a>.
This newest spinoff will follow the story of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and a young Aegon V Targaryen (Egg), which takes place 90 years before the events of “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which is the series that provided the storyline for “Game of Thrones.” 
The official project logline says: “A century before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.”
The publication noted that Martin would serve as writer and executive producer. Ira Parker, who was a co-executive producer on Season 1 of “House of the Dragon,” is also part of the project.
“Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” alums Ryan Condal and Vince Gerardis will be executive producers on the new prequel series.
This is one of many “Game of Thrones” spinoffs currently in the works, but the only one besides “House of the Dragon” that’s been confirmed. &#8220;HOTD&#8221; launched in August 2022 and was renewed for a second season, which is currently in production.
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In 2021, HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys said future “Game of Thrones” spinoff shows would be decided based on which stories had the strongest content. 
“Obviously, we know George has this incredible world with all of this really rich and complicated history and all of these characters,” Bloys <a href="https://tvline.com/2021/01/21/game-of-thrones-dunk-and-egg-prequel-series-spinoff-hbo/">told</a> TVLine at the time. “So we’ve been trying to be thoughtful about what are the stories that are worth telling. What would be exciting? What would fans love?” he said. “Dunk and Egg is one of those, but not the only one.”
“We’ll let the creative dictate where we end up,” the network exec said.

George RR Martin

HBO Announces ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Series ‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight’

HBO Announces 'Game of Thrones' Prequel Series 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight'

Game of Thrones

A debate about the moral conundrum presented in “The Last of Us” is raging all over again now that TV fans were introduced to Joel’s impossible choice: save one child, or save humanity?
Only the question isn’t as simple as that, which is why video game players have been debating this exact issue for years before the HBO Max television adaptation brought the story to a wider audience. For those who don’t know, “The Last of Us” follows two people as they journey across a post-zombie apocalypse America.
Joel (Pedro Pascal) is a father who is bereft after losing his teenage daughter in the early days of the crisis. Fourteen-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is an orphan who never knew an uninfected world. But what makes Ellie special is her immunity to the cordyceps brain infection which turns people into flesh-eating zombies. 
The pair spends the entire season attempting to get to the Fireflies headquarters where one doctor is eager to use Ellie’s immunity to create a vaccine against the deadly cordyceps. Along the way, Joel becomes like a father to Ellie, bonding them in a strong parent-child bond. That’s why he reacts in a murderous rage when they finally reach the doctor who claims he can save the world, but only by killing Ellie to extract her brain and create a cure. 
Joel guns down everyone in his path on his way to rescue Ellie from the surgery. He escapes the hospital and in the final moments of season 1, lies to the teen about why they left before the vaccine could be created. Ellie didn’t know she was about to make the ultimate sacrifice, and Joel fears she would have wanted to.
Troy Baker, the person who voiced Joel’s character in the game, said his perspective on the events has changed since he became a father.
When asked if he would have made the same decision, the voice actor <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/troy-baker-joel-miller-the-last-of-us-ending-daredevil-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “When we were making part one, I was at a disadvantage to [game writer Neil Druckmann], because Neil was a father. I was acting. This was a very real possibility for him — what do I look like in the event that I lose my daughter?”
“And I have a son, and I don’t know what I would look like if I lost him,&#8221; Baker continued. &#8220;But I do know that if I had the opportunity to save him I would do anything. I would do anything to save him. So people have asked me, why would Joel do that when he could have saved the world, and my answer to them is always this — he did, he did save the world. It’s just that the world was that girl, and that’s it.”
While many arguments focus on whether it’s morally permissible to sacrifice one person’s life for the sake of many, they mostly fail to bring up one essential point: consent, or more accurately, the ability of minors to consent.
While there’s a good chance that Ellie would have agreed to the surgery even if she had been told it would kill her, that doesn’t make it acceptable for adults to allow her to make those decisions. It brings to mind many other timely debates over <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/morally-and-medically-appalling-gender-clinic-case-manager-blows-the-whistle-on-permanent-harm-done-to-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other life-altering choices</a> children should and shouldn’t be making. 
Adults are there to protect kids, not to let them decide it’s time to die. That’s why, for now at least, most Americans are still rightly horrified at the introduction of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canada-moves-toward-assisted-suicide-for-minors-critics-erupt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pediatric assisted suicide</a> being introduced in Canada.
Co-showrunner Craig Mazin also weighed in on Joel’s choice.
“When you love something unconditionally, logic goes out the window and you will do really horrible things to protect the ones you love,” Mazin said during an interview with <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-last-of-us-finale-interview-1235347161/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.
“And there’s a lot of examples worldwide of this happening all the time. So for us it was just like, ‘Here are all the different pieces that we have, the tools we have within this story. How can we, with each episode, thematically, touch on that in some way?’”
Ultimately, Mazin said he’s unclear on what the “right” choice is. “I’m confused about it morally,” he said. “I think it’s a difficult choice. I go back and forth. I think a lot of people will go back and forth on it.”
A New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/13/arts/television/the-last-of-us-season-finale.html?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reviewer</a> was sympathetic to Joel’s protective tendencies but still insisted that Ellie should have been able to make her own choices, even if that meant choosing death.
“[Joel] fails Ellie in the way that many parents fail their children: out of love and fear,” James Poniewozik wrote of the finale. He said Joel lied about the Fireflies not needing her anymore because he knew she would have been angry about what he did.
“Maybe he doesn’t want her to feel guilty,” the reviewer continued. “Maybe he doesn’t want her to hate him. Maybe he suspects that, if she had the choice, she would have agreed to save the world instead of herself.”
“We have already been told that Joel has done horrible things to survive the apocalypse,” Poniewozik writes. “But the unforgivable thing he does here is to make Ellie into a non-player character again, denying her the agency to be the protagonist of her own life.”
The season finale of “The Last of Us” brings to mind the classic trolley car morality question. This famous ethical thought exercise asks people how they would react if they could divert a train poised to kill five people onto a track where it would only kill one person.
The answer changes for most people depending on who, exactly, is standing on that track. What if the one person is your own child? That’s one way of looking at the choice Joel made.
Steven Gimbel, a professor of Philosophy at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, also weighed in on the question. “We are wired to respond more strongly to people we care about and to people we think are like us,” he <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/the-last-of-us-season-finale-joel-choice-explained-morality-rcna74698" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “If we&#8217;re talking about the wellbeing of all humanity, now that seems a different case. We can understand why Joel made the decision he did. Most people, including me, would&#8217;ve made that decision.”
But Gimbel said that ultimately Joel should have chosen to sacrifice Ellie’s life for the greater good. “It would&#8217;ve hurt, but sometimes the right thing is hard to do,” he concluded.
One major problem with this analogy when it comes to “The Last of Us” is that there was no guarantee that the doctor would have been able to create a vaccine to defeat the cordyceps despite his belief that he could. So letting the doctor take out Ellie’s brain to potentially create this miracle cure only offered the potential for saving humanity.
And even if it was guaranteed that the doctor could have saved the whole world, would that make it the right choice to kill a child without informing her? Would that answer change if the adults had told Ellie she’d have to die to save humanity and she agreed it was worth it?
Like most anything to come out of Hollywood these days, “The Last of Us” included multiple leftist-approved storylines ranging from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-last-of-us-creators-confirm-major-character-wont-be-recast-in-season-2-despite-time-jump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBTQ cheerleading</a> to portraying communism as utopia and, as always, portraying <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-office-actor-rainn-wilson-admits-theres-anti-christian-bias-in-hollywood-following-the-last-of-us-episode" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christians as the eternal villains</a>. But when it came to Joel stepping up and doing what it took to protect the young girl who had become a daughter to him, for once this series made a good decision.

Los Angeles Premiere Of HBO’s “The Last Of Us” – Arrivals

‘The Last Of Us’ Presents An Ethical Dilemma: Kill A Child To Save Humanity?

'The Last Of Us' Presents An Ethical Dilemma: Kill A Child To Save Humanity? 

Readers Pass

Bella Ramsey will not be recast as Ellie on the popular <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hbo-max">HBO Max</a> series “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">The Last of Us</a>,” creators have confirmed.
Fans were wondering if the 19-year-old star would reprise the role for season 2. While Ramsey plays a 14-year-old girl in the first season, which is based on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/video-games">video game</a> of the same name, the second part jumps forward five years. This led to speculation that Ellie’s role could be recast to better reflect the character’s age.
Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann addressed the rumors during a virtual press conference ahead of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">season finale</a> on Sunday. &#8220;Let&#8217;s put this thing to rest,&#8221; Druckmann said of the rampant rumors.
&#8220;One of the things about the casting process that&#8217;s tough is that we invite people to join us on this process, and we know everything [about the secrets of the production] and nobody else knows anything except what they know, which is the game,&#8221; Mazin said, per <a href="https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-season-2-bella-ramsey-time-jump/">Entertainment Weekly</a>. 
He continued, &#8220;We know what we&#8217;re gonna do in terms of costume and makeup and hair, but more importantly, we also know the spirit and soul of the actor.&#8221;
Mazin went on to discuss how “The Last of Us” fans were initially upset that Ramsey had a different look compared to Ellie in gameplay. The series co-creator talked about how that controversy was eventually resolved.
&#8220;I&#8217;m like, &#8216;It doesn&#8217;t matter. Watch! Just watch what happens.&#8217; And now they know,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think there is still this constant drumbeat of anxiety. All I can say to people is, I have so much anxiety myself about doing a good job on this. Just know I am also very anxious. If you&#8217;re anxious about something, I&#8217;m probably anxious about it, which means we&#8217;re talking about it and thinking about it.&#8221;
The series has been both praised and criticized for deviating from the game’s storylines. While most of “The Last of Us” follows the original content closely, including many shot-for-shot copies, certain elements were changed or embellished. 
The love story between Frank and Bill in episode 3, “Long, Long, Time,” is one example of the showrunners adding to the existing story to flesh out characters. Many game fans accused it of being unnecessary filler, while others said it gave the series depth.
Mazin said during the press conference that “The Last of Us” season 2 would also be different than Part II of the game. 
&#8220;It will be different just as this season was different [from the first game],&#8221; he noted. &#8220;Sometimes it will be different radically, and sometimes it will be [barely] different at all. But it&#8217;s going to be different and it will be its own thing. It won&#8217;t be exactly like the game. It will be the show that Neil and I want to make. But we are making it with Bella.&#8221;
&#8220;The only way we would ever, ever consider re-casting Bella is if she said, &#8216;I don&#8217;t want to work with you guys anymore,'&#8221; Druckmann agreed. &#8220;And even then, we&#8217;re not sure we would grant her that. We might still force her to come back to season 2.&#8221;

‘The Last Of Us’ Creators Confirm Major Character Won’t Be Recast In Season 2 Despite Time Jump

'The Last Of Us' Creators Confirm Major Character Won't Be Recast In Season 2 Despite Time Jump

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