“Roofman” doesn’t look or sound like a faith-based movie.
The film follows a prison escapee named Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum) who hides out in a toy store while wooing a naïve divorcee (Kirsten Dunst). Paramount Pictures isn’t known for producing religious fare, and director Derek Cianfrance made his name with gritty tales like “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines.”
Plus, it’s based on a true story. Look closer.
The October release focuses on the divorcee’s tight-knit Christian community. The church welcomes Jeffrey, provides him with support, and is portrayed in a uniformly positive light.
As a result, the real-life figures in the Manchester saga, including the woman played by Dunst, have forgiven Manchester for his transgressions. It helps that the character and the real-life criminal aren’t cruel by nature.
He was a kinder, gentler crook, and the film leans into that dichotomy along with some powerful, redemptive arcs. Tatum’s character spends much of his time clowning around inside a Toys &#8220;R&#8221; Us store, chomping candy, and entertaining himself long after the last customer had left the store.
<div id="attachment_985765" style="width: 816px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-985765" class="wp-image-985765 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Roofman.-Tatum.-Parmount-806x576.jpg" alt="Photo Credit: Davi Russo/Davi Russo. Copyright 2025 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED." width="806" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Roofman.-Tatum.-Parmount-806x576.jpg 806w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Roofman.-Tatum.-Parmount-300x214.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Roofman.-Tatum.-Parmount-768x549.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Roofman.-Tatum.-Parmount-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Roofman.-Tatum.-Parmount.jpg 2000w" sizes=" (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px" />Photo Credit: Davi Russo/Davi Russo. Copyright 2025 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</div>
That tone and approach to the spiritual themes was by design, according to Cianfrance.
The director tells The Daily Wire he spent roughly 400 hours talking to the real Jeffrey Manchester, a former California U.S. military sergeant, from prison over a span of four years. 
“I wouldn’t have made the movie if I hadn’t been able to talk to him,” Cianfrance said. The Hollywood veteran learned about not just Manchester but the community that took him in during a curious time in his life.
“The pastor had created this ideologized little society. It was diverse. Old people. Young people. Rich people. Poor people. All different races,” said Cianfrance, who grew up Catholic. “They welcomed everyone.”
The director made sure that spirit infused the film, and he acknowledges that Hollywood doesn’t always capture faith in a positive way. That’s being generous.
<div id="attachment_985797" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-985797" class="size-large wp-image-985797" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2238204363-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: (L-R) Peter Dinklage, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Alissa Marie Pearson, Channing Tatum, Esmé McSherry, Kirsten Dunst, Derek Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn attend the Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount Pictures' &quot;Roofman&quot; at Paramount Theatre on September 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2238204363-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2238204363-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2238204363-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2238204363.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Monica Schipper/Getty Images</div>
“In Hollywood movies, they present Christianity or the church, any kind of church, in a very negative light. It’s almost like a punchline, something to satirize … I don’t have that perspective in my heart,” he said.
Manchester’s stint outside of jail allowed him to find a welcoming community, a positive sign in a rather twisted story. “We’re so divided as a society … this movie was a chance for me to shine a light on them.”
He still wasn’t entirely sold on the project at first. On paper, the saga of Jeffrey Manchester seemed too surreal even for a feature film.
The real Manchester robbed his fair share of fast-food joints, but he also extended kindness to the startled employees along the way. An early scene in “Roofman” finds Tatum’s character giving his jacket to a worker who he steered into the restaurant’s cooler so he would stay warm until the authorities arrived to free him.
<div id="attachment_985775" style="width: 816px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-985775" class="wp-image-985775 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Tatum.-Roofman.-Paramount-II-806x576.jpg" alt="Photo Credit: Davi Russo/Davi Russo. Copyright 2025 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED." width="806" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Tatum.-Roofman.-Paramount-II-806x576.jpg 806w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Tatum.-Roofman.-Paramount-II-300x214.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Tatum.-Roofman.-Paramount-II-768x549.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Tatum.-Roofman.-Paramount-II-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Tatum.-Roofman.-Paramount-II.jpg 2000w" sizes=" (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px" />Photo Credit: Davi Russo/Davi Russo. Copyright 2025 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</div>
He also had a path to freedom at one point in his journey, according to Cianfrance, but he chose to reunite with someone he met during his prison break instead.
“His humanity made him a less effective criminal,” the director said, and that triggered his creative Spidey Senses. “I asked myself, ‘Is this for real?” That led him to chat with Manchester for hour upon hour, but he still wasn’t convinced.
He had to speak to the people in his life, the members of Crossroads Church whom he bamboozled.
“They validated all of his stories, even the crazier ones,” said the director, implying he left some material out of his script to keep the film credible. He expected the church’s pastor, Ron Smith, and Leigh Wainscott to be furious with Manchester’s deceptions. Their memories of him proved much more complicated and empathetic.
“They were the ones who redeemed him,” Cianfrance said.
Manchester has accepted his fate as an inmate at Central Prison in Raleigh, N.C. He knows he repeatedly broke the law and only disagrees with the length of his sentence, according to Cianfrance. His <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/roofman-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-rcna236165">release date</a> is December 2036.
Manchester eventually gave “Roofman” and Cianfrance his blessing via their string of phone calls.
“Derek, this is my story, but it’s your movie &#8230; I want you to make your movie,” he recalled.
<div id="attachment_985789" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-985789" class="size-large wp-image-985789" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239586469-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 06: Channing Tatum and Derek Cianfrance visit the SiriusXM Studios on October 06, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239586469-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239586469-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239586469-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239586469.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Cindy Ord/Getty Images</div>
The director’s film came in with a <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-jared-leto-tron-ares-1236397724/">$19 million budget</a>, a small sum for an industry struggling to share original stories untethered to established IPs. That made its modest $8 million opening frame acceptable by industry standards.
What Cianfrance finds unacceptable is the sudden, shocking threat AI poses to his industry.
“Writing is hard &#8230; staring at a screen and not knowing [what to write]. It’s the struggle where you find the journey, the process of writing that I love,” he said. “It’s not about getting it right or finding the solution.”
“I embrace the mistakes not the perfection,” he continued. “I think what makes us all unique is not how perfect we are, it’s our flaws. The human flaws can’t be replicated by AI.”
* * *
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.

Variety Cover Party Presented By RBC At RBC House, Toronto International Film Festival 2025

Director Derek Cianfrance On ‘Roofman’: A True Story Of Faith Hollywood Rarely Tells

Director Derek Cianfrance On 'Roofman': A True Story Of Faith Hollywood Rarely Tells

Channing Tatum

Entertainment

Film

Hollywood

Movies

Paramount

Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton has passed away at the age of 79.
A cause of death was not immediately made known, and her family have asked the public for privacy, according to <a href="https://people.com/diane-keaton-dead-oscar-winning-actress-dies-at-79-exclusive-8603118">People</a>.
Keaton had a long career on film and television &#8212; though her earliest roles were on stage. In 1968, she was cast as an understudy in the Broadway musical “Hair,” and after that, was cast in Woody Allen’s “Play It Again, Sam” in 1969.
It was the 1970s when Keaton began her rise to stardom with roles in “The Godfather” and “Annie Hall,” another collaboration with Woody Allen, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Of working on &#8220;The Godfather,&#8221; Keaton told <a href="https://people.com/movies/diane-keaton-never-read-the-godfather-before-auditioning-exclusive/">People</a>: &#8220;I think the kindest thing that someone&#8217;s ever done for me &#8230; is that I got cast to be in The Godfather and I didn&#8217;t even read it. I didn&#8217;t know a single thing. &#8230; I just was going around auditioning. I think that was amazing for me. And then I had to kind of read the book.&#8221;
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Keaton’s famous filmography included roles in “Crimes of the Heart,” “Father of the Bride,” “The First Wives Club,” and “Something’s Gotta Give,” among many others. She also worked in television, with roles in “Mannix,” and more recently “The Young Pope,” and “Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight,” for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Keaton also starred in Justin Bieber&#8217;s music video for &#8220;Ghost,&#8221; which was the only music video she ever participated in.
Though Keaton never married, she leaves behind her adopted children Dexter and Duke.

Diane Keaton

Academy Award-Winning Actress Diane Keaton Dead At 79

Celebrities

Death

U.S.

At just nine years old, John O’Leary laid in a hospital bed covered in bandages, burned on every inch of his body. His parents prepared for the worst as doctors gave him a one percent chance to live. But O’Leary didn’t die — and decades later, the boy who was never expected to live grew up to teach millions how to appreciate the lives and circumstances they were given.
O’Leary’s extraordinary story is hitting the big screen this week as Sony’s “Soul on Fire” heads to theaters. The emotional film tells the true story of how he survived a catastrophic house fire and went on to become a bestselling author and speaker.
Directed by Sean McNamara (“Reagan,” “Soul Surfer”), the movie is based on O’Leary’s memoir “On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life” and was filmed in St. Louis at the real-life locations where his story unfolded.
O’Leary said during an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire that, in his opinion, the most impactful aspect of the film was its authenticity. 
“The entire thing was shot on location where it happened,” he said. “When you see the home where little John was burned or eventually comes home to, that’s my mom and dad’s house.” And while that dramatic scene is likely to impact audiences, it’s not the one O’Leary points to as the most emotional to watch for him.
The most powerful scene for O’Leary was a recreation of his real wedding day. “That’s the church where John and Beth married,” he said. “In the second row behind John Corbett and Stephanie Szostak are seated my actual mom and dad.”
His father, who had Parkinson’s Disease for decades, hadn’t been able to stand for years. “But in that scene, when Sean yelled action, this warrior pulls himself up,” O’Leary said. “He is immortalized in film, upright, smiling, and stoically celebrating his son’s life.”
O’Leary’s story began when he survived that devastating house fire that left him with burns on 100% of his body. He made a remarkable recovery thanks to the steadfast support of his family, community, and faith, including an unlikely friendship with Baseball Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck. 
That experience shaped his lifelong mission to help others find purpose and possibility in the face of hardship. It’s a mix of realism and grace that defines both O’Leary’s story and the movie that seeks to capture it. 
When asked what he hopes people will understand about the reality of suffering, he answered bluntly: “You can’t run from it. I think you embrace it instead.” 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Soul On Fire - Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CslVGLETWps?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>
The author and public speaker credits his mother, who “seemed to almost rejoice in pain and suffering,” for shaping that outlook. She forced him to confront life’s hardest questions directly. “Do you want to die? Do you want to return to life?” she asked him early on. “It wasn’t about the piano,” he said of her teaching him to play again. “It was about living. It’s about agency. It’s about potential. And I would have chosen none of that on my own, but my incredible mother instilled it in me and still does.”
That inner strength became the foundation for everything that followed. “We were going to live,” he said. “We didn’t know how long it would take, but we knew the outcome.”
When asked if he wishes the accident had never happened, O’Leary said, “You would not want to go through this again for a million reasons,” he said. “You don’t want to go through five months in the hospital… and you don’t want to go through a lifetime with scars.” 
But time, faith, and perspective have changed how he sees the painful struggles of his past. 
“I’m married to a stunningly beautiful woman in no small part because of this story. I’m animated and active in my faith because of this story,” he said. “Ease will never bring you courage. It’s only in the struggle we discover our bravery.”
He distilled the message of the movie into one word: “Love.” But not the sentimental kind. 
“It’s a verb that puts you into motion to serve someone bigger than yourself,” he said. “The only non-hero in the entire film is John O’Leary. Every single other person steps up, models love, and in doing so changes this person’s life.”
One line that O’Leary’s father repeats throughout the film is, “I love you. There’s nothing you can do about it.” 
“It’s the greatest quote because right now we live the exact opposite,” he said. “I love you if… is the way most of us go through life. My dad went through life the exact opposite. I love you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
That kind of clarity about love, faith, suffering, and eternal gratitude is what “Soul on Fire” exemplifies. It doesn’t do so in a sentimental way, but rather in a gritty, real-world example of how beauty can blossom even from the most difficult circumstances. It takes the countercultural stance that a hard life can be a great life, and that even when it’s very difficult, life is always worth living.
“Soul on Fire” hits theaters nationwide today.

Soul on Fire

New Film Challenges A Culture That Fears Suffering, Finds Beauty Through Pain

'Soul on Fire' Challenges A Culture That Fears Suffering, Finds Beauty Through Pain

Mainstream critics have been falling all over themselves to praise the political action thriller “One Battle After Another,” but their fawning hasn’t been enough to help the film break even at the box office.
Many conservatives balked at the storyline, especially as instances of real-life violence against federal immigration agents continue.
“One Battle After Another” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a former far-left revolutionary living off-grid in a state of stoned paranoia, but he is forced to return to his old lifestyle when his daughter disappears. Bob teams up with his old crew of comrades to save his daughter and the world from a cabal of right-wing antagonists portrayed as racists. The leftists resort to violence in their mission, raising questions about whether their actions reflect genuine heroism or simply serve as a vehicle for political messaging.
The film is loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, per <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-15175073/leonardo-dicaprio-one-battle-woke-flop.html">The Daily Mail</a>.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson, an 11-time Oscar nominee, went all in with the budget, spending a whopping $175 million to bring the story to life. But so far it’s only earned back $100 million and came in second place last weekend behind Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl: The Official Release Party.”
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“This movie has a chance of getting to profitability if it lasts long enough in theaters and/or overperforms abroad,” David A. Gross, head of box office intelligence firm Franchise Entertainment Research, <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/box-office-one-battle-after-another-opening-weekend-leonardo-dicaprio-1236533304/">told</a> Variety.
“It&#8217;s going to get a lot of award nominations, but that&#8217;s two to three months away and unlikely to help this immediate release,” he added.
This is despite “One Battle” having a 95% critical rating and 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. While major critics gush that the movie “represents a cinema of big swings and bold statements,” many conservatives are saying it’s just more left-wing propaganda from Hollywood. 
“You can make excuses for it, but basically the [film is] an apologia for radical left-wing terrorism, that’s what it is,” Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro said, also predicting it will win “all the Academy Awards” because of who it presents as heroes and villains.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Ben Shapiro Reviews One Battle After Another" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F8Y68-mfTiA?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>
“It has the subtlety of a brick … The basic suggestion is a conspiracy theory in which the United States is run by white supremacist Christian nationalists and all people of color and a few nice incompetent fellow travelers like [DiCaprio’s character] are going to take on that entire system,” Shapiro went on. 
“And that system must be taken on at the cost of family, at the cost of friendship, at the cost of decency, at the cost of basic human capacity for success. It is better, in other words, to be a complete loser who wastes your life bombing things randomly in order to free illegal immigrants to run willy-nilly across the border than to be a productive citizen.”

One Battle After Another

Leo’s Latest Is A Woke Fever Dream – And A Box Office Nightmare

Ben Shapiro

Box Office

Leonardo DiCaprio

Politics

The aftermath of Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination has been very revealing.
Conservatives have long understood themselves scorned by leftists dominating mainstream media, Hollywood, education, and most major industries in the United States. But the cold-blooded murder of one of the most promising voices on the right inspired reactions that were unprecedented.
One unlikely place where Kirk’s assassination became a hot topic of conversation? Hollywood&#8217;s stunt community.
A stunt coordinator is responsible for designing, choreographing, and safely executing all stunt sequences in film and television, from fight scenes to high-risk action sequences. With people’s lives literally on the line, their jobs are no joke.
That’s what makes it especially chilling that several members of the stunt coordinator community were publicly celebrating Kirk’s assassination, seemingly without consequence.
Professional stunt coordinator Erik Audé told The Daily Wire that he’s being harassed and blacklisted by his colleagues for speaking out against this despicable behavior. While other stunt coordinators cheered Kirk’s death on social media, he fought back, commenting that their statements could, and should, lead to losing work and their reputations.
He mentioned a private Facebook page for the stunt community where most of these posts were circulating, pointing to popular stunt coordinator Andy Rusk as one of the biggest offenders who “really went out of his way” to smear Kirk’s legacy.
“This is deplorable. How did the assassin miss his big ass head?” a screenshot showing one of Rusk’s Facebook comments said.
“If you’re somebody who agrees with the awful stuff Charlie Kirk had to say about minorities, black women, gays, trans people, immigrants, etc… I can’t imagine how I could ever trust you on a movie set… People who share white supremacist and misogynist views have no place in our business,” another comment from Rusk said.
He wrote in a third comment, “The future is gay, black, female, and immigrant… and no matter how much CK and others like him punch down on those communities, they can’t stop it.”
Audé says he couldn&#8217;t believe the types of comments Rusk was willing to publish on Facebook.
“Rather than just saying, you know what, I didn’t like him and leaving it at that, he doubled down, tripled down. ‘I’m sorry, your friends are racist and [bigoted] and I don’t think I can hire conservatives.’ And that’s when I chimed in saying, ‘It’s funny that you think you’re gonna have a lot of jobs to offer people after your words get out there.’”
According to Audé, Rusk bragged that he couldn’t be canceled.
“Andy Rusk literally said, ‘Go ahead, try to cancel me. Many have tried and it’s never gonna happen.’ The stunt industry feels like they’re a bubble and that nothing can touch them. They think that they’re the only ones that can police themselves.”
What most shocked Audé most was the number of people taking Rusk&#8217;s side.
“He’s got over 260 people now, and these are all stunt professionals who are loving his post, who are in solidarity with him, who are definitely openly hating the right and Christians and conservatives and for sure Charlie Kirk,” he continued.
Audé said the page admin removed most of the offensive posts and updated the page rules to say no politics were allowed. But before that, he took screenshots of the most alarming posts.
“Sorry not sorry, Charlie. Karma,” a post from Bobby C. King, a stunt coordinator for both independent films and performer for major blockbusters like “Spiderman” (2002), wrote.
“F*** Charlie Kirk&#8230; 1 less,” Neal Chandler agreed.
“The guy was an open racist hate monger. The thing about hate, you can try to direct it, but you can’t [&#8230;] control it. He was a product of his own demise. It is what it is,” actor Shaheed Malik wrote.
“F*** that racist b****. Is his wife available yet? She’s getting all the money from you right wing losers. I want to destroy each one of you!” stunt actor Troy Brenna chimed in.
Reached for comment, Malik said “Oh, I definitely stand by that.”
“When you do good, generally people don’t try to kill you,” Malik said, before adding, “I am indifferent on the whole situation. Whoopdee friggin do.”
Rusk and King did not respond to requests for comment. Brenna could not be reached for comment.
It wasn’t all negative, however. He described how Eddie Conna, a former liberal who works as an actor and producer, spoke up against the vitriol. “I was very happy to see that he was actually standing up for [Kirk],” Audé noted.
It’s well-documented that A-list celebrities tend to lean left and aren’t afraid to spout political opinions. But among the crews working behind the scenes in the entertainment business, including the people building sets, rigging lights, and otherwise making productions run smoothly, politics are more likely to be mixed or even lean conservative.
Audé said the harassment became personal when he acknowledged knowing Kirk.
“I met him. We only had lunch one time, but we were friends. He always responded. He downloaded my book and I supported him. I’m a Christian. I’m a conservative. And I’ve always kind of kept my beliefs – I mean, I’ve been outspoken –  but after this and seeing the open mockery and hatred and people laughing … just like my God, it’s no longer left and right, it’s evil and good.”
The fallout from voicing his views and his willingness to speak up online has already cost Audé work.
“I literally just lost a job that would have started working Sunday to Friday on a show out in Utah,” he said during a phone interview in late September.
“The assistant called me and said, ‘Erik, I’m sorry. I think this is messed up. But they were worried that people might have an issue with you being an open conservative, Charlie Kirk supporter on set.’ And I’m like what? When I get on set I keep my mouth shut. I do my job. I keep people safe. And if I work for people that I know think differently than me, I’m still there to keep them safe because that’s my job. And then here these guys are saying, well, I don’t think I can trust a conservative. Well, it’s not us hurting people. Your side is hurting people.”
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Audé says the stunt community is in a “full-on civil war” as leftist members continue saying “the most vile, disgusting stuff” without being held accountable.
He added: “It’s never been friendly to conservatives. But we’ve always been told to never talk politics…people can walk around set with [Black Lives Matter] on their face mask or rainbow stickers everywhere and Kamala support. But if I had the balls to walk around with a Trump hat, I’d be kicked off set that very second.”
Despite intimidation, Audé says Kirk’s death has woken people up, and he’s glad to be on the front lines.
“People are stepping up more…I’m getting a lot of support. Unfortunately the support comes in DMs and text messages…There needs to be more,” he said, adding that the leftists only feel emboldened because “they stupidly think that they are actually the majority when they are not.”
He also blasted the hypocrisy of accountability in Hollywood.
“I wouldn’t go around and openly mock Biden or Kamala if something bad happened to them because that’s still disgusting behavior. But for some reason it’s only one side that’s ever held accountable and that needs to change. Once this all gets out there, it’s gonna hopefully be a wake-up call that this isn’t okay.”
When asked what he hopes comes of exposing the harassment, Audé said, “I want everyone to see what’s happening over here because this is not okay. I don’t want these guys who think they’re untouchable to know that they are not untouchable. I want them to be held accountable for their words, and I hope they change.”
For Audé, it’s not about revenge but about justice. “Silence isn’t gonna get us through this. Even the smallest light shines bright in the darkest room….It really does because this can’t happen again. People need to start speaking up. I know a lot of people have been, but I still think it’s not enough.”
Audé also knows that coming forward with his story could mean he never works again in Hollywood. But he said he doesn’t care anymore. “Sacrificing my career, so be it. I wish I could have done more, I really do,” he told The Daily Wire.
“I’d rather be able to look at myself in the mirror and respect who I am…I’m pissed about all this,” Audé said. “He was the nicest one of us, and they killed him.”

Director Chairs

‘Full-On Civil War’: Stuntman Exposes Hollywood Crew Celebrating Charlie Kirk’s Murder

'Full-On Civil War': Stuntman Exposes Hollywood Crew Celebrating Charlie Kirk’s Murder

Charlie Kirk

Facebook

The very first thing I did after watching the trailer for a new documentary on John Candy was send it via text to my sister. She was at work, but I knew she would reply. The expected response came in just a few minutes.
“Why would you do this to me?”
She didn’t have to explain that she was sitting at her desk crying. I had done the same minutes earlier.
There’s no doubt that producer Ryan Reynolds and director Colin Hanks created “John Candy: I Like Me” — which premieres on Amazon Prime this Friday — to have this exact effect on adults who grew up watching Candy-led comedies. I was still young enough when he died of a heart attack in 1994 not to understand the depth of the entertainment world’s loss. 
But now I’m older and well-versed in the comedies currently being churned out in Hollywood. There’s a reason why, even when faced with an endless list of options on Netflix on a Friday night, I’m a lot more likely to select “Uncle Buck” for the umpteenth time than I am to pick a movie made in the last decade. 
It’s the same reason that my kids know our agenda for Thanksgiving Eve every year: a screening of “Planes, Trains, &amp; Automobiles.” Pass the popcorn. “Those aren’t pillows!”
It’s been three decades since Candy’s unexpected death at the age of 43, and people have been moved by this trailer because we desperately miss men like him in modern Hollywood. Candy was not a perfect person. But he was a genuine person — &#8220;a real one,&#8221; as the kids would say. That’s one trait that Hollywood&#8217;s been missing for decades.
The documentary, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last month, left audiences laughing and crying because it showcased a rare kind of entertainer: a man who was funny without being cruel, warm without being fake, and, most impressively, talented without having an ego. 
He made the world laugh while making everyone feel totally at ease. Who else can say they’ve done that?
My sister and I were crying because to us, Candy reminds us of our own father — big, funny, mustachioed, often a little embarrassing, but with a huge heart. For everyone else, the Canadian star felt like a father figure, no matter what their actual dads looked or sounded like. He was America’s dad. We felt like we needed to protect him, and now that he’s gone, it’s his legacy that’s earned our fierce sense of loyalty.
That’s the magic of John Candy. In a business that rewards arrogance, he stood apart with the humility of someone who remembered where he came from. 
Steve Martin once <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/steve-martin-tears-doc-recalling-142346260.html">said</a> Candy was “very sensitive and very complex and we really loved each other,” while Catherine O’Hara <a href="https://ruralradio.com/rrn/abc_news/stars-remember-john-candy-on-the-30th-anniversary-of-his-death-abcide22dd96c/#:~:text=Schitt's%20Creek%20Emmy%20winner%20Catherine,had%20that%20kind%20of%20swagger.%E2%80%9D">promised fans</a> he was “just as lovely as you’d want him to be.” That authenticity is what audiences connected with then, and it’s what will resonate all over again through the documentary.
It’s proven by how many of Candy’s former co-stars, even big-time players, were willing to participate in the project even three decades after his death. 
Martin, O’Hara, Bill Murray, Martin Short, Macaulay Culkin, Mel Brooks, and Dan Aykroyd all appear to share stories of their late co-star.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="John Candy: I Like Me - Official Trailer | Prime Video" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PrcQRsrBcCk?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>
“I can’t tell you what was right about John Candy, or what was wrong. But he was my friend,” Murray says in the trailer. “And … I don’t wanna cry, but when you see him, when you see his face….” he adds, trailing off as he begins tearing up.
What makes the documentary especially powerful is how much of it comes through the perspective of Candy’s children, Jennifer and Christopher. 
“He was the best dad,&#8221; Jennifer told Today. &#8220;He’d say, ‘Don’t worry what people think about you. Just be your authentic self.’”
That’s advice you’d expect from a counselor, not necessarily from one of the most famous comedians on the planet. But that was Candy through and through, exhibiting a tenderness at home that matched the sorts of people he played in movies.
In another moment, Jennifer reflected on stories of how her father looked out for young actors, including Culkin, who had a difficult relationship with his own father. 
“When we hear about Macaulay Culkin, that doesn’t surprise me because that’s who our dad was,” she explained. “He wasn’t going to just kind of ignore a kid because he was a kid actor and he was moving on to something else. It’s like he genuinely wanted to know.” 
The documentary doesn’t appear to shy away from Candy&#8217;s own struggles. He wrestled with anxiety, stress, and the pressure of constantly being “on.” The actor was complex, flawed, and human, which was part of what made him so likable. 
That duality is part of what audiences adored. He could play the bumbling uncle, the earnest underdog, or the unlikely leader of a Jamaican bobsled team. Through it all, he made you believe in human goodness. 
Candy’s characters reflected who he was: a decent person with a good heart. That’s what people connected with in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and it’s what people are craving again as Hollywood continues to lose the plot.
Reports from TIFF describe the documentary receiving standing ovations, laughter, tears, and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, not just for Candy, but for what he represented. The actor is being celebrated as a Canadian treasure, but Candy’s impact was always bigger than just one country. He was the rare celebrity who transcended the usual divides because his brand of humor and humanity wasn’t political, it was universal. 
Everyone could laugh with John Candy. Everyone could feel like they knew him.
That’s the secret to his enduring legacy. We live in an era where comedy is floundering, unfunny, and usually exhaustingly partisan. Candy’s work is a reminder that humor can be wholesome without being boring, that kindness can be funny, that the best comedians are just out there being themselves.
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“John Candy: I Like Me” isn&#8217;t just a chance to revisit his greatest hits. It&#8217;s an opportunity to introduce new generations to a man who changed comedy for the better. And it will be a reminder for the rest of us of what we’ve lost in Hollywood.
He wasn’t perfect, but he was rare. That’s why John Candy mattered then and why he matters now. Even though this documentary is going to be a real gut punch, it will hopefully also be a harbinger of things to come. 
As for my sister and me, we’re getting the tissues ready.

John Candy

John Candy Is Not My Father, But His Comedies Feel Like Home

Comedy

The White House plans deep cuts to “Democrat agencies” as the government shutdown continues, a terrorist attacks an Orthodox synagogue killing two and wounding more, and Leonardo DiCaprio stars in a new political blockbuster.
It’s Friday, October 3, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Shutdown Day 3</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-980289" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The government shutdown enters its third day, as the blame game continues and President Donald Trump threatens mass firings of federal employees. 
The GOP strategy: The White House wants to make the shutdown about healthcare funding for illegal immigrants. It says the Democrat proposal would result in $200 billion in subsidies going to non-citizens over the next decade, primarily through Medicaid and mandatory emergency care. The White House argues that the American people elected President Trump to cut those exact policies, and by blocking him from doing so, Democrats are denying the will of the people.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973753810154889282">said</a>: “Trump ran on the promise to end taxpayer-funded benefits going to illegal aliens, and tens of millions of Americans voted him back to this beautiful White House to implement that promise … and now Democrats want to undo it — and they&#8217;re holding our country hostage.”
The White House says the United States will lose $15 billion in GDP revenue each week the shutdown drags on, and it wants to ensure Democrats bear the blame, posting news clips on social media describing national guardsmen going unpaid, food assistance for low-income single mothers drying up, etc.
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A number of federal websites had new banners on Thursday — the official Justice Department homepage, for example, read “Democrats have shut down the government … websites are not currently updated.” 
Trump’s austerity: The president is targeting “non-essential” federal employees for termination as part of his broader government efficiency efforts. He posted on social media that he “had a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut … I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Yom Kippur Synagogue Attack</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-980287" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A knife-wielding man targeted a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The U.K.’s counterterrorism police have deemed the attack a “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/02/world/manchester-synagogue-stabbing-uk">terrorist incident</a>.”
Timeline: Authorities first received calls at around 9:30 a.m. local time about a man driving his vehicle into pedestrians outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue. The suspect, identified as Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen who is of Syrian descent, then got out of his vehicle and began stabbing people around him. Authorities have confirmed that two people have been killed and four others were injured.
The suspect was shot and killed by police about 7-8 minutes after authorities were first called. 
The attack: The terrorist was not able to enter the actual synagogue because the entrance was locked and barricaded. When he exited the vehicle, he immediately encountered synagogue security and other members who stopped him.
Step back: About 30,000 Jewish people reside in Manchester – outside of London, it’s home to the largest Jewish community in the country. Antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have hit record levels after the October 7th attack by Hamas in Israel. In the first half of this year alone, there have been more than 1,500 reported incidents.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">“One Battle After Another”</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-980285" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A new film by celebrated director Paul Thomas Anderson starring Leonardo DiCaprio is earning high praise from critics and solid numbers at the box office – but it’s also stirring up debate about its potentially polarizing political themes.
National Review contributor Giancarlo Sopo joined Morning Wire to discuss the film, “One Battle After Another.”
What is the film about? “I think to understand ‘One Battle After Another,’ you have to understand the book that it&#8217;s based on, and it&#8217;s Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Vineland.’ Essentially, it&#8217;s a story about a bunch of radicals who have gotten burned out, have attempted to attack government installations and institutions using violence. Now they are being hunted. So, it&#8217;s a satire, right? You’ve got radicals on one side, and then on the right, you&#8217;re going to have a bunch of racist, autocratic thugs, essentially, coming after them who are part of this paramilitary organization that is also tied, by the way, to a secret society of races called the Christmas Adventurers Club.”
Is it a political movie? “I think the film&#8217;s political sympathies are obviously with the progressive left. At the same time, though, I wouldn&#8217;t necessarily call it a political movie. I would look at it more as Antifa Star Wars, as a friend told me, where the politics and the radicalism is kind of used as a vehicle to tell a father-daughter story. You have this burned-out dad who spends all day smoking weed and watching ‘The Battle Of Algiers,’ bringing up a young daughter, who&#8217;s a teenager now, entirely by himself. And he&#8217;s having a hard time communicating with her. There are very funny, generational conflicts as tends to happen to those who have kids now are starting to figure that out.”
Is there any sympathy for people considered to be on the right in the film? “The thing with the movie is that no one&#8217;s really in the center, right? Or really the center left or much less the middle. It follows a set of extremists on both sides. And what the story is telling you on the political side is that these ideologies are pulling people away from what matters most to them in life, which should be their own children. There are very clear passages in the film that communicate that. I don&#8217;t think anyone is portrayed here sympathetically in the film, to be candid with you, with the exception of the teenage girl.”
&nbsp;

MRN_251003-Thumbnail-V1

Morning Brief: Shutdown Day 3, Deadly Synagogue Attack, And Leonardo DiCaprio’s New Political Movie

Donald Trump

Karoline Leavitt

Morning Wire

Terrorism

United Kingdom

White House

The Major League Baseball playoffs are here, which means the Boys of Summer are ready to battle for the ultimate prize – those oversized, coveted World Series rings.
What better time to look back at some of the very best baseball movies ever made? Some moved us or made us laugh. Others provided powerful lessons on the sport’s cultural impact.
All are worth a rewatch this time of year — in between playoff games, of course.
<h2>&#8220;The Natural&#8221;</h2>
<div id="attachment_978629" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978629" class="wp-image-978629 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-407x576.jpg" alt="Robert Redford. &quot;The Natural.&quot; copyright 1984 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Copyright 1984 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
This 1984 keeper casts Robert Redford as an aging ballplayer attempting an unlikely comeback. Those &#8220;natural&#8221; talents helped him get this far, but his complicated past suggests that even God-given skills may not be enough. The all-star cast includes Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, and Richard Farnsworth under the direction of Barry Levinson (&#8220;Diner&#8221;) in his cinematic prime. &#8220;The Natural&#8221; packs plenty of magical realism into the narrative, focused on redemption and our all-American passion for second acts.
<h2>“Bull Durham”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978637" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978637" class="size-large wp-image-978637" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-407x576.jpg" alt="Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon. Bull Durham. Copyright 1988 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Copyright 1988 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
Kevin Costner at the dawn of his legendary career. Susan Sarandon selling a sultry big-league “whisperer” like no other. A gangly Tim Robbins playing an &#8220;aw-shucks&#8221; pitcher coming into his own. There’s so much to love about this baseball rom-com, from the inspired dialogue to the bittersweet story of a minor league lifer coming oh, so close to The Show only to be upstaged by the new kid. Director Ron Shelton’s affinity for sports movies played out over multiple films (“Blue Chips,” “Tin Cup”), but he got the elixir just right with this 1988 gem.
<h2>“Field of Dreams”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978645" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978645" class="size-large wp-image-978645" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-407x576.jpg" alt="Field of Dreams. 1989. Universal Pictures. Gordon Company. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Field of Dreams. 1989. Universal Pictures. Gordon Company. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
The 1989 sports fantasy has an almost spiritual pull on audiences, particularly sports fans. And understandably so. Once again, Costner is front and center in a story that weaves the national pastime together with fathers and sons, heartland USA, and redemption arcs.
The sublime cast, including Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster (his final big-screen role), and James Earl Jones — who gives gravitas to the ultimate baseball movie.
“If you build it, they will come.” Try fighting back the goosebumps whenever that line is uttered. If the film isn’t enough, there’s a <a href="https://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com/visit">Field of Dreams movie site attraction</a> in Dyersville, Iowa, for movie lovers.
<h2>“42”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978647" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978647" class="size-large wp-image-978647" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-407x576.jpg" alt="42. Warner Bros. Legendary Entertainment. 2013. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />42. Warner Bros. Legendary Entertainment. 2013. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
This overlooked 2013 film recalls one of the sport’s most impactful players. Sure, Jackie Robinson broke the “color barrier” by becoming baseball’s first black player, but it&#8217;s how he did it, with grace, class, and nonviolence in his heart, that made him an icon.
The late, genuinely great Chadwick Boseman brings Jackie to life, capturing both the player and the man behind the moment. Harrison Ford’s supporting turn as Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ owner who took the biggest risk of his professional life by inserting Robinson into the lineup, is the film’s most welcome surprise.
Had “42” been made a few years later, it might have been stained by woke sentiments. Instead, it’s a fitting tribute to an American hero.
<h2>“Moneyball”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978651" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978651" class="size-large wp-image-978651" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-407x576.jpg" alt="Moneyball. 2011. Sony Pictures Entertainment. Columbia Pictures. Scott Rudin Productions. Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Moneyball. 2011. Sony Pictures Entertainment. Columbia Pictures. Scott Rudin Productions. Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
A movie about baseball statistics? Yawn. Not even close in this case, thanks to the fascinating source material – author Michael Lewis’ tome of the same name.
Brad Pitt stars as GM Billy Beane in the story of the 2002 Oakland A’s, a mid-tier franchise that used a new approach to field a winning team. They couldn’t outspend the Yankees or Dodgers, but by deploying “sabermetrics” they defied the game’s odds.
It’s a fascinating look at modern baseball that&#8217;s given heft by a killer cast, including Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
<h2>“The Bad News Bears”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978673" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978673" class="size-large wp-image-978673" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-407x576.jpg" alt="The Bad News Bears. 1976. Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />The Bad News Bears. 1976. Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
Put this one in the “They couldn’t make THAT” today Hall of Fame. Walter Matthau plays the crusty coach of a ne’er-do-well Little League team that has more fight in it than even he realizes.
What makes it “problematic?” Consider the infamous scene where Matthau’s character passes out on the pitcher’s mound after one too many brews. Or how teammates swap racial slurs as casually as relay throws.
That’s not why these “Bears” are unforgettable. The film teems with fascinating characters, from pitching whiz Amanda (Tatum O’Neal) to bad boy Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley). The championship game is a keeper, brimming with suspense and the cold realities baseball supplies. 
<h2>“Major League”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978685" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978685" class="size-large wp-image-978685" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-407x576.jpg" alt="Major League. Photo by Mirage Enterprises. Paramount Pictures. Morgan Creek Entertainment. Copyright 1989. All rights reserved." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Major League. Photo by Mirage Enterprises. Paramount Pictures. Morgan Creek Entertainment. Copyright 1989. All rights reserved.</div>
This 1989 corker captures the sillier side of baseball. The ensemble cast isn’t as deep as the Yankees’ Murderers’ Row, but everyone owned their parts to perfection. Tom Berenger. Charlie Sheen. Wesley Snipes. Corbin Bernsen. Bob Uecker. They’re all key elements in a seemingly inept Cleveland Indians (triggering!) franchise destined to lose enough games to spark the team’s sale.
Except they keep finding ways to win.
The comedy stays mostly faithful to the sport while doubling down on its colorful characters, crazy storylines, and underdog theatrics. Oh, and it’s relentlessly funny, even if it sparked two inferior sequels. 
<h2>“Eight Men Out”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978691" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978691" class="size-large wp-image-978691" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-407x576.jpg" alt="Eight Men Out. 1989. Orion Pictures. MGM. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Eight Men Out. 1989. Orion Pictures. MGM. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
“Major League” offered a palate cleanser a year after this sobering 1988 drama. Director John Sayles recreates the Black Sox Scandal, recalling how a pennant-winning team threw the World Series to appease the betting crowd. And, of course, earn a little scratch at a time when athletes weren’t as absurdly wealthy as they are today.
The White Sox assembled a &#8220;can’t-miss&#8221; squad of stars, but the persnickety owners refused to reward them for an unforgettable season. Enter some opportunistic gamblers who give key players an offer they should refuse, but don’t.
The strong cast includes D.B. Sweeney, John Cusack, and, yes, Charlie Sheen.
It’s baseball’s darkest hour, a cautionary tale that has kept the sport (mostly) clean ever since. We’ll leave the Barry Bonds debate for another day.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a></h3>
<h2>Honorable Mention: “The Naked Gun”</h2>
No, director David Zucker’s spoof classic isn’t a baseball film, per se, though the film’s extended finale does take place during a baseball game. Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) impersonates an umpire to stop an assassination, finding himself calling balls and strikes in the process.
It’s one of the funniest moments of the film, capped by Drebin-the-umpire crying, “strike threeeee!” before the ball ever reaches the catcher’s mitt. It’s a perfectly silly baseball sequence, and one impossible not to include here.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-27-Sep-2025-11-41-AM-2576

The Best Baseball Movies To Watch This Postseason

Baseball

Kevin Costner

Major League Baseball

Actor Rick Moranis retired from Hollywood almost three decades ago after the death of his wife, but now he’s returning to the silver screen alongside his former co-stars in a sequel to the 1987 cult classic, “Spaceballs.”
“Spaceballs 2” is now in production with a target release date in 2027. Moranis will reprise his role as Lord Dark Helmet in the sequel to the original space opera comedy, per a <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/spaceballs-2-cast-rick-moranis-ends-retirement-1236529008/">report</a> from Variety. 
Other well-known stars tied to the project are Bill Pullman playing Lone Starr, Mel Brooks as Yogurt, Daphne Zuniga portraying Princess Vespa, and George Wyner as Colonel Sandurz, the outlet noted. There will also be new additions to the cast, including Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman, and Anthony Carrigan.
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Amazon MGM has not shared many details, but they released a photo of the cast doing a table read and wrote in a press release about the film, “the title is rumored to be the name of the movie, and plot details are being described as information about what happens in the story.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Spaceballs The Table Read <a href="https://t.co/tn0NQaRb5g">pic.twitter.com/tn0NQaRb5g</a>
— Amazon MGM Studios (@AmazonMGMStudio) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmazonMGMStudio/status/1971213129590698341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Moranis is best known for his work in popular films such as “Ghostbusters” (1984), “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986), and the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” film franchise between 1989 and 1997. The outlet noted that Moranis left Hollywood following the death of his wife from liver cancer. 
He was slated to return in 2020 for a “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” reboot, but production was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The actor was last seen in a film in 1997, though he has done voiceover work in several projects since.
The original “Spaceballs,” directed by Mel Brooks, is mostly a parody of “Star Wars,” but also mocks other popular films, including “Star Trek,” “Alien,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and “Planet of the Apes.&#8221;

Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis To Reprise Role In ‘Spaceballs 2,’ His First Film In Almost Three Decades

Production Begins On 'Spaceballs 2,' Rick Moranis' First Film In Almost 3 Decades

Mel Brooks

Disney has a “boy problem.” 
At least, that’s what a recent Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/disney-marvel-lucasfilm-gen-z-1236494681/">report</a> suggests, quoting insiders at the company who admit the entertainment company has lost the interest of Gen Z men that the outlet describes as a “lonely, gaming-obsessed group who were hampered in their formative years by COVID-19 lockdowns.” 
Disney executives are now hunting for answers, considering every conceivable tactic from “splashy global adventures” to old-fashioned “treasure hunts” in an effort to lure young men between the ages of 13 and 28 back to the House of Mouse.
But for Bill Rivers, a bestselling author and former Trump admin speechwriter, the diagnosis is clear. The problem with Disney isn’t the lack of over-the-top projects. In the end, he says, Disney alienated their audience by forcing an ideology that undermined the same values it used to celebrate. 
When asked for his initial reaction to Disney’s alleged “boy trouble,” Rivers blamed it squarely on the stories being told.
“It’s self-inflicted,” he told The Daily Wire via an email interview. “They’re going to have to ditch an ideology that sneered at masculinity, chivalry, righteous honor, power for noble purposes, the warrior ethos – all these things that coded as toxically male – and accept these attributes are actually good and necessary for any healthy society and worthy of exploring in entertainment.”
“This ideology was obviously anti-men,” Rivers added, “but the kicker is realizing it was also perniciously anti-women because it drove men out of the places women wanted to engage with them. Disney’s already taken the first step by recognizing they have a problem; the next step is to remain stubbornly open to stories they would have discarded as too traditional. It’s a time for tradition. Traditional stories stick around for a reason.”
A return to tradition, Rivers argues, is precisely what Disney needs to survive. “Unfortunately for Disney, it’s both,” he said when asked whether the issue was about content or a deeper cultural disconnect. 
“On content, the boldest thing Disney can do right now is return to traditional storytelling – courageous heroes, nasty villains, and incredibly high stakes for believable characters who wrestle with timeless challenges like family, romance, revenge, redemption. You can tell these stories in outer space or [a] small town in Appalachia, because setting matters less than plot and character.”
The overarching failure, according to Rivers, is how Disney treated young men for years.
“Regarding Gen Z men, Disney still treats them as if they don’t matter when it pushes cash-grab reboots aimed at them and not works of art crafted for them. ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Minecraft,’ the new superhero slop – this is the warmed-over childhood content of Millennials and Gen Xers. Worse, you’ve got these ideological political messages shoved in there. It totally kills the story,” Rivers said, noting how young men “hate being told what to think.”
For decades, Rivers notes, Disney never faced this problem. 
“Marvel, Star Wars, even Pirates of the Caribbean kept this 13–28 year old demographic engaged. What changed? Disney was fortunate to acquire some of the most compelling storytelling in American culture with the original Star Wars and Marvel comics. But these franchises were products of once-in-a-generation geniuses who did the creative heavy-lifting half a century ago or more. Ideological execs have squandered this inheritance for a payday or used them as a vehicle to ram political messages down their audiences’ throats. That’s propaganda, not storytelling.”
And “great storytelling,” Rivers insists, is hard to come by because the content creators have to trust their audiences to come to certain conclusions. That will never work if the studio openly despises them. 
That’s why Rivers disagrees with the suggestion floated in Variety that this problem can be solved by building new franchises centered on splashy adventures.
“Gen Z males are hungry for brotherhood and purpose. They want demanding missions where success is deeply consequential not just for them but for the people they care about. In the content they consume, that can involve treasure hunts and globe-trotting, but those things are secondary. Confusing them for the core is misguided and probably extremely expensive thinking for studio execs.”
The Variety piece described young men as isolated, stunted by COVID lockdowns, and obsessed with gaming. Rivers sees a half-truth there. 
“They are lonely, but I take issue with the ‘gaming-obsessed’ thing because that’s not what they are really after. … The boys weren’t stunted by COVID but by the people who used it as an excuse to get more control over society. By and large, those people subscribed to the same bad ideology that is basically anti-male, anti-woman, and anti-civilization.”
When asked what’s missing in today’s blockbusters, Rivers said it comes down to three things: “Authentic brotherhood. Transcendent purpose. Patriotism,” he said. 
“I write about young boys trying to become men, and all three of those things are critical to that. My novel ‘Last Summer Boys’ explores this in the Vietnam War-era of 1968, but it was a bestseller in 2022 because those are timeless concepts that people desperately want to engage with.”
“As a society, we become the stories we tell about ourselves,” the author said. “Disney understands this, it’s just for so long they injected their stories with an impoverished ideology. The blockbusters that say ‘to hell with that,’ and bring back brotherhood, purpose, and patriotism will dominate. By the way, women love those stories too.”
Despite the current state of entertainment, Rivers remains optimistic: “Disney can absolutely turn this thing around. It’s an iconic American company with an incredible legacy. Just as important, the country is at a moment where we as Americans are willing to do the hard work of renewing and reviving our greatest institutions. Disney can change from within, but it should also recognize America has no shortage of incredibly talented writers and storytellers who love this country and are willing to work with them. Hire those people. Acquire their stories.”
In fact, Rivers believes Disney’s crisis could be a blessing in disguise. “Really, Disney’s ‘boy trouble’ crisis is a gift for the company. Because the opportunity for them is enormous, and I don’t just mean commercially. If Disney starts telling authentic, powerful stories that men actually want to see, they will capture a rising demographic and participate in a renewal of American culture in a way worthy of the greatest institutions.”
Disney already admitted they have a problem – a classic first step. Now they just need to go about solving it in a way that doesn’t alienate young men even more.

Disney

Disney’s ‘Boy Trouble’ Is A Crisis Of Its Own Making. The Fix Doesn’t Require A Plot Twist

Disney's 'Boy Trouble' Is A Crisis Of Their Own Making, But There Is A Solution

Gen Z

The passing of Native American actor Graham Greene reminded us of the Oscar-winning 1990 film “Dances with Wolves.” The film cast Greene as Kicking Bird, and his screen time with director and star Kevin Costner set the table for the drama.
The film remains beloved for its portrait of the American West, many warts and all. It’s also emblematic of Costner’s career, one dedicated to the great outdoors in the grand American tradition.
Few actors have clung to that mythos like Costner, from his directorial breakthrough with “Dances with Wolves” to his most recent venture, the “Horizon” saga. Along the way, Costner has explored the American wilderness on screens large and small, creating a genuine affection for his country in the process.
<div id="attachment_969287" style="width: 825px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-969287" class="size-large wp-image-969287" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-37-PM-7630-815x576.jpg" alt="Kevin Costner in “Dances with Wolves” 1990. Tig Productions. Majestic Films International. Allied Filmmakers. Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images copyright 2012. IMDB." width="815" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-37-PM-7630-815x576.jpg 815w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-37-PM-7630-300x212.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-37-PM-7630-768x543.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-37-PM-7630-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-37-PM-7630-2048x1448.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px" />Kevin Costner in “Dances with Wolves” 1990. Tig Productions. Majestic Films International. Allied Filmmakers. Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images copyright 2012. IMDB.</div>
He didn’t sugarcoat the land’s flaws then, and he refused to do so in subsequent projects. America’s natural beauty and potential proved his constant companion.
It explains why he endures as more than just a movie star at the age of 70. He’s part of the cultural fabric. And, even when he’s taking political stances that anger a good half of the country, his treasure trove of goodwill barely takes a hit.
Costner famously got left on the editing room floor in 1983’s“The Big Chill,” even though his character’s fate powered the nostalgia-laced drama. Director Lawrence Kasdan made amends to the young actor by casting him in the ensemble western “Silverado.”
<div id="attachment_969291" style="width: 720px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-969291" class="size-large wp-image-969291" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-468733013-710x576.jpg" alt="CIRCA 1985: Actors Kevin Costner, Scott Glenn, Kevin Kline and Danny Glover on set the movie &quot;Silverado&quot; circa 1985. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)" width="710" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-468733013-710x576.jpg 710w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-468733013-300x243.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-468733013-768x623.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-468733013.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px" />CIRCA 1985: Actors Kevin Costner, Scott Glenn, Kevin Kline and Danny Glover on set the movie &#8220;Silverado&#8221; circa 1985. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)</div>
From there, Costner landed “The Untouchables” (1987), “Bull Durham” (1988), and “Field of Dreams” (1989), a run of hits few actors could match, then or now. That gave him the clout to start shaping his career on his terms. And that led to “Dances with Wolves.”
The film may appear “woke” in retrospect, showcasing a guilt-ridden white man coming to terms with his country’s cruelty to Native Americans. Costner grounded the Western epic with respect for all its elements – from historical realities to the harsh truths about frontier life. 
Such messaging is often found in movies with what YouTube film and TV critic, The Critical Drinker, famously calls “The Message.” Costner, however, refused to lecture without context or push an agenda without exploring that time and place from all angles.
“Dances with Wolves” brought the nation’s complicated history to life, not with finger-wagging asides but a three-dimensional portrait that couldn’t be denied.
And, in the process, he forged a connection with American storytelling that became his unofficial identity. Costner has worked constantly since that film’s release, and his career has hit the usual bumps along the way.
He returned to the American West repeatedly over the years, from the unsung 2003 western “Open Range” to 1994’s “Wyatt Earp.” The latter got overshadowed by “Tombstone,” released a year earlier and featuring an iconic turn from Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.
And, when his career appeared to be on the downside, Costner teamed with rising TV producer Taylor Sheridan to anchor “Yellowstone.” The Paramount series wasn’t set in the 1800s, but its Montana backdrop and timeless themes connected to the stories Costner knows best.
How many modern shows reflect the natural beauty of a state like Montana? For Costner and Sheridan, it just felt like home.
At a time when even “hit” TV shows draw a fraction of the audience of prior smashes, “Yellowstone” drew huge ratings. The show’s 2024 finale drew north of 13 million viewers.
<div id="attachment_969295" style="width: 825px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-969295" class="size-large wp-image-969295" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-50-PM-769-815x576.jpg" alt="Kevin Costner, Cole Hauser in &quot;Yellowstone, Watch 'Em Ride Away&quot;Photo by Courtesy of Paramount Network - copyright Paramount Network 2022" width="815" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-50-PM-769-815x576.jpg 815w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-50-PM-769-300x212.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-50-PM-769-768x543.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-50-PM-769-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-05-Sep-2025-04-50-PM-769-2048x1448.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px" />Kevin Costner, Cole Hauser in &#8220;Yellowstone: Watch &#8216;Em Ride Away&#8221; Photo by Courtesy of Paramount Network &#8211; copyright Paramount Network 2022</div>
The Sheridan saga featured a sprawling cast, but Costner’s John Dutton anchored the show. Once again, the actor’s instincts and authenticity made the series matter.
Actors can only fake so much. Audiences see the now weathered star as a credible and engaging part of the American landscape. He leaned on that persona for not one but two FOX Nation limited series based on Yellowstone history – “Yellowstone One Fifty” and “Yellowstone to Yosemite with Kevin Costner.”
Costner’s cinematic passions came to a head last year with a project that may never be completed as he originally envisioned it.
Costner returned to the director’s chair for 2024’s “Horizon: An American Saga.” The old-school western cost him a pretty penny, and then some. The star used his sizable wealth to help fund what he saw as a four-part movie saga.
The first installment drew modest reviews and tepid box office results – just $38 million worldwide. The second chapter, already filmed, currently lacks a release date, although it debuted at the Venice International Film Festival last year.
The actor has been open about struggling to fund parts three and four, and it’s possible the saga will end with the second film.
The irony? Costner began dreaming up the story behind “Horizon” in the late 1980s, just before his directorial breakthrough with “Dances with Wolves.” His quest to turn the American West into a deeply personal film franchise may have been doomed by fiscal realities, but it’s in line with Costner’s creative self.
He loves America, from its natural splendor to its ability to let citizens dream impossible dreams. And nowhere is that more evident than in the great outdoors.
* * *
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.

Fanatics Fest NYC 2025

Kevin Costner: The Wild Wild West Movie Star

actors

Montana

Yellowstone

Legendary film director Woody Allen delivered nothing but compliments when comedian and HBO host Bill Maher asked him about working with President Donald Trump, saying that he&#8217;d been professional and pleasant whenever they had interacted.
Allen, who worked with Trump for his 1998 film &#8220;Celebrity&#8221; made it clear that he and the president shared no common ground when it came to politics — but he told Maher that when it came to professional behavior on a film set, he had no complaints about Trump.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: Dem Filmmaker Woody Allen — who once directed Trump — *HEAPS PRAISE* on president&#8217;s acting🚨
&#8220;He was a pleasure to work with and a very good actor. He was very polite and hit his mark and did everything correctly and had a real flair for show business.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyCaller</a> <a href="https://t.co/tNJMzcjq46">pic.twitter.com/tNJMzcjq46</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1962489010481140131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;He was a pleasure to work with and a very good actor. He was very polite and hit his mark and did everything correctly and had a real flair for show business,&#8221; Allen said during a recent appearance on Maher&#8217;s &#8220;Club Random&#8221; podcast.
Maher jumped in with a joke then, noting that Allen — who has faced allegations of sexual misconduct — could soon find himself black-listed by even more people simply for praising Trump: &#8220;If you think you were canceled before &#8230;&#8221;
Maher himself had faced a fair amount of backlash for not only dining with President Trump at the White House, but for saying afterward that Trump had been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-telling-you-it-happened-bill-maher-reveals-what-was-said-during-private-dinner-with-trump">very different</a> in person than he&#8217;d been portrayed by media.
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&#8220;I only wish I could direct him now,&#8221; Allen continued, and Maher laughed. &#8220;If he would let me direct him now that he’s president, I think I could do wonders. But he was very easy to work with.&#8221;
&#8220;I am a Democrat. I voted for Kamala Harris. And I take issue with him on 95% of the things, maybe 99%,&#8221; Allen said. &#8220;But as an actor, he was very good. He was very convincing and he had a charismatic quality as an actor. And I’m surprised he wanted to go into politics. Politics is nothing but headaches and critical decisions and agony. And this was a guy I used to see at the Knick games. And he liked to play golf and he liked to judge beauty contests and he liked to do things that were enjoyable and relaxing. And why anyone would want to suddenly have to deal with the issues of politics is beyond me. But apparently he doesn’t mind.&#8221;

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‘A Pleasure To Work With’: Legendary Director Has Nothing But Praise For Donald Trump

'A Pleasure To Work With': Legendary Director Has Nothing But Praise For Donald Trump

Woody Allen

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