Actress Olivia Munn is complaining that a male co-star objected to a scene in which her character saves his, leading to a dispute on set. 
The 45-year-old ranted about the unnamed colleague during a recent appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show.” 
“There have been a few times where I’ve been filming something, and my character was either like CIA, or a cop, or something, and there’s been scenes where my character has been the one to save the other character,” Munn told the talk show host, noting that the scene involved her and the co-star fighting side by side in a bunker. 
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“If you read the script, it was that he was guarding his side, I was guarding my side, then we switch sides and then there’s a guy that was coming for him who was gonna shoot him in the back, so I shoot him,” she went on. “And then we’re about to shoot and, somehow, I guess he didn’t read the script, and in that moment, he realized, ‘Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. She can’t save me. No, no. She can’t save me.’”
Munn claimed that her colleague was “combative with the director” and held up production for close to an hour. The actress lamented that he had “no insecurity about being obnoxious and everyone hearing this and being like, ‘She can’t save me! We’re not doing this.’”
“Finally, after like 45 minutes of just stopping down, I said, ‘OK, how about instead of my character saving you, it’s just that we switch because it’s time for us to switch and so this is my guy to get,’” she told Barrymore. “And he was like, ‘OK.’”
Online commenters called out Munn for her complaints, criticizing what they view as a double standard in Hollywood.
“So it’s totally cool for a woman to feel like she doesn’t need to be saved by a man, but it’s bad if a man thinks he doesn’t need to be saved by a woman? Did I get that right?” one popular reaction <a href="https://x.com/Variety/status/2042056151936987227">said</a>.
“And if Olivia Munn refused to be ‘damseled’ in a scene, you bet your bippy it would be a tale of female empowerment,” another <a href="https://x.com/Scribe_Light/status/2042056424440918201">agreed</a>.
Many commenters called Munn out for not naming names, leading them to question the story entirely.
Calling out colleagues without naming them has become a bit of a pattern for the “X-Men: Apocalypse” star. Last summer, she <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/olivia-munn-male-director-ruin-career-1236445139/">complained about</a> a director she worked with on HBO’s “The Newsroom” who she claimed tried to sabotage her.
“I was on the one-yard line for the movie, and my manager calls me and says, ‘Hey, you’re gonna get the role. But first, I guess there’s another director who they know and he says that on “The Newsroom” you were late all the time and really combative,’” Munn said at the time. 
“I lived seven minutes from there. I was never late. I was like, ‘I know who this is.’ He just was trying to bash me. And I told my reps, ‘Please tell the directors this.’ And then I still got the role. But I will always remember that just because of our conflicts of how we approached a role, he wanted to ruin my chances of getting anything else.”

Olivia Munn

Olivia Munn Calls Out Male Co-Star Who Refused To Be Rescued By A Woman

Entertainment

Feminism

Hollywood

Movies

After a long weekend of union agitator-fueled rumors about The Daily Wire&#8217;s new action film, production has wrapped after five weeks, as planned, and the union reps didn’t get their way.
It all started with Deadline <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/04/jonathan-majors-falls-through-window-crew-strike-daily-wire-1236773038/">publishing</a> an exclusive story about actor Jonathan Majors falling through a window while on set of the production in progress, which, according to their sources, led to a union strike and other allegations of safety concerns on set.
Faithful Daily Wire fans won&#8217;t be surprised to learn that there’s more to the story. Film producer Dallas Sonnier provided a short, yet direct, statement to Deadline, saying simply: “The entire industry is in freefall due to strikes, and now that their members are out of work, they’re trying to sabotage the few people who are still producing. We don’t negotiate with communists.”
So what really went down?
During the fourth week of filming, an executive from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, best known as IATSE, reached out to Sonnier claiming that she “represented the majority of the crew,” which consisted of both local hires in South Carolina and returning staff from previous projects. The IATSE rep “demanded” that they immediately be recognized and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement to cover staff wages, hours, benefits, and working conditions.
Before the deadline she proposed even arrived, a small handful of picketers were out creating a nuisance. It was that same day that Majors and actor JC Kiljoyne fell through a window filming a scene. Deadline posted video of the incident, and reported it was a six foot drop — though pictures posted show it was barely four feet off the ground.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The height of the window btw <a href="https://t.co/Lr1KlckW9c">https://t.co/Lr1KlckW9c</a> <a href="https://t.co/sAZF0UYiLb">pic.twitter.com/sAZF0UYiLb</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2041249651840454989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That stunt with the window was part of production&#8217;s plans for later that day, and Sonnier says it was far from an emergency.
&#8220;Everyone handled it quickly and successfully. We always have licensed medics on our sets, and this day, we had two,&#8221; Sonnier said. &#8220;The production was immediately halted to ensure safety sign-offs by both medics before moving forward.&#8221;
He also says the clip leaked to Deadline is definitely going to make it into the final cut.
The actors&#8217; comments are fully aligned. Kiljoyne’s rep told Deadline in the aftermath that he &#8220;did not feel unsafe on set and continues to have a positive experience working on the project.&#8221;
Majors made similar <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/04/04/jonathan-majors-says-hes-fine-after-falling-through-window-on-set/">comments</a> to TMZ. &#8220;I&#8217;m ok. I was happy to be on set and help tell the story. I am grateful for whoever is checking on me, the cast and crew for regarding our safety. It&#8217;s going to be a great movie and I am looking forward to fans seeing it!&#8221;
While IATSE came out of left field, there was a SAG rep on set many days who confirmed that the actors “should show up and finish the movie as planned” following the accident. It was noted that the SAG rep had “zero safety concerns” for the movie.
“We had a licensed armorer every single day,” Sonnier said. “We had a safety meeting at the top of each day, and prior to any special effect or stunt. The reason we don’t have a ‘RUST’ situation is because we take this stuff so seriously,” he added, referring to Alec Baldwin’s firearm discharging while filming and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.
During the fourth week of filming, 15% of the crew decided to leave. Based on conversations Sonnier had with the whole crew, this was the result of IATSE pressure and not because of any safety concerns, he said. All the staff who left were replaced by the next morning.
Crucially, those who left did not appear to be part of the picketing. “The ‘strikers’ were just angry union rep protestors,” Sonnier said, noting that by day two, their numbers were reduced to about seven people total.
The picketers caused minor annoyances, such as yelling at actors, encouraging cars to honk to disrupt filming, pressuring vendors to pull gear, sending threatening letters, and yelling “CUT!” and “ACTION!” as a way of confusing the actors on set. But in the end, production rolled on.
The Deadline article was released after all these efforts failed, especially after Sonnier refused to engage with their demands.
Sonnier said IATSE reps never called him or contacted him beyond the first email &#8220;because they are total cowards and whiny busybodies.&#8221; The producer says this was an illegitimate strike. 
Does IATSE have any response to this? IATSE, of course, did not respond to questions from The Daily Wire.

photo-output_720

Daily Wire 1, Hollywood Union 0: Production Wraps On Jonathan Majors Action Movie

Daily Wire

Jonathan Majors

The Daily Wire

U.S.

Unions

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” just pulled in impressive box office numbers despite being trashed by the critics.
The follow-up to 2023’s smash hit “Super Mario Bros. Movie” from lllumination Studios and Nintendo earned $130.9 million over the weekend and $190.1 million in its first five days, per <a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-mario-galaxy-movie-box-office-58b52a8aa469d6e7fed889c6762dd3aa">Associated Press</a>. It’s not surprising, considering that it’s a family-friendly title with massive name recognition being released over a holiday weekend.
It’s worth noting, however, that the sequel was given a 41% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a markedly better 89% audience rating.
“We all have a finite amount of time on this Earth, and I cannot think of a single reason why you should spend any of yours on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” the critic from Mashable <a href="https://mashable.com/article/super-mario-galaxy-movie-review">wrote</a>.
Wall Street Journal reviewer Kyle Smith <a href="https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/film/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-the-plumbers-pump-their-brand-f3291bbc">advised</a> that it was “notably weaker” than the first film, which was itself “barely watchable.” The New York Times, meanwhile, lamented the “flat empty nothingness” of the narrative.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/31/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-sequel-video-game-chris-pratt-charlie-day">described it</a> as &#8220;a bland screensaver of a movie that’s actually worse than AI&#8221; in his 1-star review. Kevin Maher from The Times also didn&#8217;t mince words, <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-5w6crmhgr">asking</a> if the kids movie marked &#8220;the end of cinema.&#8221; 
&#8220;&#8230;the film is torturous to sit through and, for me, provoked periods of actual physical discomfort,&#8221; the critic added.
The video game-themed film features the same voice actors behind the original, including Chris Pratt, Jack Black, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Day. “Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom,” the logline says.
It opened across 4,252 theaters over Easter weekend, including 421 IMAX screens.
“It’s exactly the kind of broad, crowd-pleasing release that brings people into theaters,” AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron said in a statement, per AP.
While critics came after it for not having enough depth, other viewers say that’s what made the movie so successful.
“A bright, colorful, and action packed story filled with all the Nintendo characters we know and love. It’s simply a good time at the movies,” one verified Rotten Tomatoes reviewer said.
“If you enjoyed the first you’ll be at home. If you want a Pixar movie with sad bits and life lessons and shoe in adult jokes you ain’t getting it here. It’s a fun ride start to end,” another agreed.
“This is a kids movie. I don&#8217;t know what fantastical storytelling these adults need from a child&#8217;s video game adaptation but it&#8217;s entertaining and light…. Let the kids be kids, these movies don&#8217;t have to be masterpieces and they don&#8217;t have to pander to childish adults who just refuse [to]  grow up. Mario belongs to children, not to your generation,” echoed a third.

Super Mario Galaxy

Critics Trashed Mario, But American Families Are Proving Them Wrong

Box Office

Rotten Tomatoes

The MCU is yesterday’s news. The NCU, or Nintendo Cinematic Universe, is just beginning.
Ever since Robert Downey Jr. tinkered with that iron suit back in 2008, Marvel movies have dominated Hollywood. “Iron Man” changed the movie-making landscape. In recent years, however, superhero romps no longer light up the box office like they once did.
Even “Superman” <a href="https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/10/8/report-superman-box-office-isnt-the-success-warner-bros-claimed">struggled to turn a profit last year.</a>
Meanwhile, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” spun from Nintendo’s beloved video game franchise, could <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/super-mario-galaxy-movie-biggest-opening-day-2026-1236705460/">make $180 million (or more) in its opening weekend.</a>
Video game movies are having a moment, and Hollywood won’t be the same moving forward.
<div id="attachment_1072101" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1072101" class="size-large wp-image-1072101" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2268776924-864x576.jpg" alt="KYOTO, JAPAN - MARCH 28: Chris Meledandri, Jack Black and Shigeru Miyamoto pose for a photo as Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Illumination present the premiere of &quot;The Super Mario Galaxy Movie&quot; at Minamiza Theater on March 28, 2026 in Kyoto, Japan. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images for Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Illumination)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2268776924-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2268776924-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2268776924-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2268776924.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images for Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Illumination</div>
The superhero film genre may have run its course organically, but Hollywood hastened its decline. The genre peaked with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” which made an astonishing $2.8 billion worldwide.
It’s been downhill ever since, with MCU gatekeepers injecting girlbossery and DEI platitudes into the saga. That helped crush “The Marvels” and “Eternals,” while slowing the MCU’s winning streak.
Even respectable entries like last year’s “Thunderbolts” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” proved financially underwhelming, at least by previous standards.
So Hollywood needed another source of IP (Intellectual Property) gold. Why not video games? Well, Hollywood had tried that repeatedly, often with ghastly results.
Think 1993’s “Super Mario Bros.,” a colossal misfire starring John Leguizamo and Bob Hoskins, 1999’s “Wing Commander” bust, and even 2005’s “Doom” with Dwayne Johnson.
<div id="attachment_1072117" style="width: 405px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1072117" class="size-large wp-image-1072117" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-55990924-395x576.jpg" alt="BERLIN - OCTOBER 24: Actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson gestures during a photo call for his newest movie &quot;Doom&quot; on October 24, 2005 in Berlin, Germany (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)" width="395" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-55990924-395x576.jpg 395w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-55990924-206x300.jpg 206w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-55990924.jpg 702w" sizes=" (max-width: 395px) 100vw, 395px" />Andreas Rentz/Getty Images</div>
More clunkers? The 2005 catastrophe “Alone in the Dark” and 2003’s “House of the Dead,” both courtesy of hack auteur Uwe Boll.
Something was missing, be it A-list actors, competent directors, or the kind of FX to pull off the visually impossible.
Slowly, Hollywood began treating video game adaptations with a critical element — respect. The 2018 film “Rampage” wasn’t a sensation, but by then Johnson was a star attraction, and the film’s budget gave it the gravitas the source material required.
The 2021 comedy “Free Guy” cast likable Ryan Reynolds as an NPC (non-player character) in way over his head. The film packed big laughs with video game elements to the tune of $331 million worldwide.
Reynolds may be gently progressive off-screen, but he knows how to put on a show without pushing Heartland viewers away. Few actors can match his marketing savvy.
The “Sonic the Hedgehog” films, based on the Sega speedster, have all made serious coin, aided by slick video game elements and the unchecked Id of star Jim Carrey.
<div id="attachment_146292" style="width: 544px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-146292" class="size-full wp-image-146292" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/09/Jim-Carrey.jpg" alt="Jim Carrey attends the LA special screening of Paramount's &quot;Sonic The Hedgehog&quot; at Regency Village Theatre on February 12, 2020 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/WireImage via Getty Images)" width="534" height="314" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/09/Jim-Carrey.jpg 534w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/09/Jim-Carrey-300x176.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px" />Rich Fury/WireImage via Getty Images</div>
Another secret to video game movies’ recent success? Respecting the audience. These films haven’t pushed a progressive agenda on unsuspecting audiences. No lectures, unnecessary woke asides, or clunky identity politics casting.
Even <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/snoop-dogg-scared-movies-grandchildren-same-sex-disney-pixar-lightyear-1236497251/">Snoop Dogg can watch these mostly PG-friendly films</a> with his grandson.
The new wave of video game-inspired films, while far from artistically relevant, cater to fans via Easter Eggs and other source material nods. And, when the fans speak, they listen.
Recall the outrage over the character design shown in the initial “Sonic the Hedgehog” teaser from 2019. <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sonic-hedgehog-release-delayed-fan-outcry-1213486/">Fans mocked the FX</a> behind the titular hero, and the studio quickly addressed the matter by tweaking the film.
That probably cost a pretty penny, and it pushed the release date forward several months. The results spoke for themselves. The film earned $148 million in the U.S. alone and sparked a new franchise.
A fourth “Sonic” film will <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sonic-4-amy-rose-hammer-sequel-production-hedgehog-1236519779/">debut next year</a>, adding A-lister Kristen Bell to the saga (her voice, to be precise).
Video game adaptations were suddenly vital, but they still couldn’t approach MCU-like box office grosses. Then along came “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” in 2023. That animated romp rang up $1.3 billion at global theaters, cementing video game movies as the new Hollywood drug.
The industry couldn’t get enough, and that was before “A Minecraft Movie” debuted two years later. That film, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, earned $424 million stateside and nearly $1 billion globally.
<a href="https://deadline.com/2026/03/minecraft-movie-2-cast-kirsten-dunst-1236760538/">A sequel is in the works</a>. Of course.
<div id="attachment_906779" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-906779" class="size-large wp-image-906779" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-11-Apr-2025-03-17-PM-8107-1024x576.jpg" alt="Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Sebastian Hansen in ‘A Minecraft Movie’. Photo by Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-11-Apr-2025-03-17-PM-8107-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-11-Apr-2025-03-17-PM-8107-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-11-Apr-2025-03-17-PM-8107-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-11-Apr-2025-03-17-PM-8107-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-11-Apr-2025-03-17-PM-8107-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. IMDB.</div>
That film’s “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/movies/chicken-jockey-minecraft-movie.html">chicken jockey</a>” sequence sparked a viral video sensation. Not only were Gen Alpha types seeing the film in theaters, but they went cartoonishly wild during that farcical moment.
Suddenly, it was cool to be in a theater again. Hollywood is now paying full attention to a competing media landscape, and many more video game adaptations are on the way. This May brings us “Mortal Kombat II,” while a “Resident Evil” reboot by “Weapons” director Zach Cregger is coming in September.
Bigger titles abound in 2027, including “The Legend of Zelda,” “Call of Duty,” and “Elden Ring.” Any one could spark a new film franchise. Maybe all three will do just that.
The potential seems endless, at least for now. The same once could be said for superhero movies given the endless amount of source material, but the MCU is so desperate for a cultural reboot that it reunited virtually every hero under the sun for December’s “Avengers: Doomsday.”
Can that film light a fire under the Men in Tights genre anew? Or have video games taken the box office crown and won’t give it back?
Movies are a natural fit for video game adaptations, but the small screen is also seeing a benefit. Hit shows like HBO Max’s “The Last of Us” and Prime Video’s “Fallout” show how games can also inspire TV sensations.
The video game manufacturers couldn’t be happier about the Hollywood synergy. It’s boosting both <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/tv-adaptations-video-games-new-players-1236372468/">game awareness and sales</a>, meaning these companies will gladly sell the film and TV rights to their properties … for the right price.
It’s one Hollywood studios will gladly pay.
* *
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>.

Super Mario Bros

The Next Box Office Boom Is Here And It Looks Nothing Like Marvel

Film

Marvel

Nintendo

Video Games

After losing its bid for Warner Bros Discovery’s rich trove of characters and stories, Netflix is forging ahead with the challenging work of building culture-defining franchises on its own.
Chief Creative Officer Bela Bajaria said Netflix would keep investing in original ideas, and partner with established studios like MGM and Warner Bros, to try and produce movies and series that live on for years, in the vein of “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday” and “Bridgerton.”
“To me, that&#8217;s just continually the goal,” Bajaria said in an interview.
Yet the failed attempt to buy Warner Bros&#8217; storied movie studio and HBO highlighted a vulnerability for the relative Hollywood upstart, whose catalog of original films and series spans around a dozen years, compared with more than a century&#8217;s worth of stories and characters for Warner Bros, Walt Disney and Universal Pictures. Netflix was willing to make its biggest bet ever with $72 billion to shore up its library and augment its intellectual property with Harry Potter and “Game of Thrones,” because creating franchises has proven challenging.
Interviews with 16 current and former Netflix executives, industry leaders and agents illustrate a picture of the streaming giant whose strategy of making something for everyone, and serving many audiences all at once, is different from crafting a Taylor Sheridan-like universe of “Yellowstone” spin-offs that brings a built-in audience.
Even so, Netflix&#8217;s own prolific showrunner, Shonda Rhimes, has successfully adapted Julia Quinn&#8217;s &#8220;Bridgerton&#8221; novels into a series that&#8217;s entering its fifth season, a spinoff and a touring event set in the Regency-era London, dubbed &#8220;The Queen&#8217;s Ball.&#8221;
Franchises can be valuable for entertainment companies, because they are lower-risk investments that can bring in ancillary revenue through merchandise sales and in-person experiences. Recognizable characters and stories also stand out in a fragmented media landscape, grabbing a viewer&#8217;s attention in a time of myriad distractions.
Netflix announced its first major acquisition, the comic book publisher Millarworld, a day before Disney told investors in August 2017 that it would pull its movies from the streaming service to create a rival, later dubbed Disney+.
“Stranger Things” has been an unqualified success, producing a spin-off series, a stage play, and merchandise. Netflix points to other examples, such as the action-adventure film &#8220;Extraction,&#8221; starring Chris Hemsworth, that led to a sequel and a third installment in production, as well as a series starring acclaimed French actor Omar Sy. Its long-running dating show &#8220;Love Is Blind&#8221; has been remade for multiple global audiences, including versions centered in Brazil, France and Japan.
There have been pricey flops along the way to building its own franchises, like the reported $700 million deal to acquire rights to Roald Dahl’s catalog, which includes such beloved children’s stories as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The investment has yet to produce a major hit in five years &#8212; though Netflix will try again this year. It plans a Willy Wonka-inspired reality show called “Golden Ticket&#8221; in which competitors try to survive games and temptations on a set with a chocolate river.
Producing consistent hits that spawn new series helps to attract and retain subscribers and increase engagement, which grew by only 2% in the second half of 2025, according to media consultant Owl &amp; Co. Top-line growth has been slowing, with revenue expected to grow 13% this year, according to data from LSEG, compared to 16% in 2025, and its advertising sales represent only 3% of the total. YouTube’s ascendancy poses a competitive threat. YouTube and Disney, with its vault of iconic characters, have consistently beaten Netflix in share of television viewing since October 2024, according to Nielsen&#8217;s media distributor gauge, which measures broadcast and cable television viewing and streaming.
Complicating matters, Paramount Skydance is acquiring Warner Bros, which could reduce the number of suppliers of original shows.
Armed with a $2.8 billion windfall from the failed Warner Bros deal, Netflix Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters will continue to go it alone. Its coming releases include time-tested characters and stories, including a live-action “Scooby-Doo” series and a “Narnia” movie based on the C.S. Lewis books and directed by Greta Gerwig.
“The Electric State” offers one example of an expensive failure that illustrates the inherent risks in attempting to launch a sprawling Marvel-like cinematic universe.
Netflix snagged Joe and Anthony Russo, the brothers behind the smashing success of Walt Disney’s Avengers movies and Netflix&#8217;s own &#8220;Extraction,&#8221; to adapt the critically acclaimed science-fiction novel, and cast “Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown alongside Hollywood A-lister Chris Pratt as stars.
Critics savaged the $320 million film when it was released last year. Plans to more fully exploit the film &#8212; including a possible spin-off series and sequels &#8212; never materialized, according to two sources directly involved with the project who requested anonymity to protect their industry relationships.
“A lot of people have big movies that also are IP that don&#8217;t work,” said Netflix&#8217;s Bajaria. &#8220;We&#8217;re in the film and TV business, so a lot of things work, a lot of things don&#8217;t work.&#8221;
Other gambles &#8212; such as Netflix&#8217;s decision to greenlight &#8220;Squid Game,&#8221; a dystopian thriller from creator Hwang Dong-hyuk that others had passed on &#8212; paid off handsomely, creating a global juggernaut.
With the sheer volume of content, Netflix also has its share of surprises, like Sony Pictures Animation&#8217;s Oscar-winning animated film ”KPop Demon Hunters,” which last year became the most watched movie ever on the service.
When lightning strikes, it can rely on its unparalleled global distribution and sophisticated algorithm to stoke enthusiasm for a movie or series that viewers have begun to binge, helping to create cultural phenomena.
Netflix is treating &#8220;KPop Demon Hunters&#8221; as its next major franchise, with licensed toys and other merchandise from Mattel and Hasbro, themed “adult” meals from McDonald’s, a possible concert tour and a planned animated sequel.
But the success caught Netflix off guard, according to two sources. In fact, the company didn’t have licensed toys available to capitalize on the phenomenon during the holiday shopping season. Netflix has said in interviews that it approached toymakers and retailers a year or more ahead of the film&#8217;s release, but they were unwilling to take a risk on an untested property.
At a March 18 presentation in Los Angeles, Netflix showcased its 2026 lineup, which includes a fourth installment of “Bridgerton,”  a second season of “One Piece,” an adaptation of the long-running manga series, a live-action TV series based on the “Assassin’s Creed” video game franchise, and a reboot of “Little House on the Prairie.”
“We&#8217;re off to a strong start and feeling confident about the quality and consistency of our slate this year,” said Jinny Howe, vice president of original series at Netflix.
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Jen Saba and Anna Driver)

Squid Game

Netflix Searches For Franchises After Losing Out On ‘Harry Potter’

Netflix

Warner Bros

Sharon Stone, who may have cemented her own status as a sex symbol after her role in 1992&#8217;s &#8220;Basic Instinct&#8221; — said in a recent interview that she now fast-forwards through &#8220;blatant, harsh&#8221; sex scenes when she watches television.
<a href="https://pagesix.com/2026/04/01/celebrity-news/sharon-stone-calls-out-harsh-sexuality-in-modern-tv/">Stone</a> spoke with &#8220;CBS Mornings&#8221; host Gayle King about her acting career, the split-second that made her an icon, and how what is acceptable onscreen when it comes to sex has changed over the years — and the actress argued that the change wasn&#8217;t necessarily for the better.
King referenced the famous scene from &#8220;Basic Instinct,&#8221; saying, &#8220;Sharon, when you look at your legendary career, what do you think about — I remember when ‘Basic Instinct’ came out? Cross the legs, uncross the legs. And I remember — ‘Is she wearing panties?’ — that’s how crazy it all became, right?”
&#8220;Right. It was a third of a frame. It wasn’t even an entire frame of film,&#8221; Stone replied, saying that to her, the real attraction was tied up in the mystery.
&#8220;And, so, people were desperately trying to figure it out,&#8221; Stone continued, adding, &#8220;So often now, when sex scenes come on TV — I fast-forward. I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to have to go through all of this blatant, harsh sexuality. For me, it steals from my own imagination. And I prefer my yearning, mystery, desire. I want to keep that alive inside myself.&#8221;
Stone went on to say that while that film had certainly opened a lot of doors for her career, she felt it also typecast her in a way that hurt her personal life.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Basic Instinct” changed the trajectory of Sharon Stone’s career — but she told <a href="https://twitter.com/GayleKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gayleking</a> that she also felt like she was being “punished for the behavior of others.” <a href="https://t.co/UHGTfe5ZXn">pic.twitter.com/UHGTfe5ZXn</a>
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSMornings/status/2039037539982491748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;In many ways, I feel like I wasn’t protected and taken care of. And then, in many ways, I feel I was punished for the behavior of others,&#8221; Stone said, adding that it had played out when she lost custody of her son, Roan, in 2008.
&#8220;I lost custody of my child,&#8221; Stone told King. &#8220;My child was put on the stand in custody court and asked if his mother did sex movies. I mean, things that were bizarrely inappropriate &#8230; People treated me in ways that were … very cruel and unkind, as if I was some sort of slatternly, vulgar person.&#8221;
&#8220;Like you were wearing a scarlet A on your head,&#8221; King interjected.
&#8220;Yeah, I mean, you know, I played a character — 30 years ago. Like, grow up,&#8221; Stone added.
Reports indicate that Stone&#8217;s then-8-year-old son was asked about his mother&#8217;s films, and that the perceived stability of his father Phil Bronstein&#8217;s home also <a href="https://people.com/celebrity/papers-sharon-stones-ex-has-sole-physical-custody-of-child/">factored</a> into the custody dispute.

The Fashion Awards 2025

Sharon Stone Became A Sex Symbol Overnight. Now She Doesn’t Linger.

Celebrities

Sharon Stone

Television

“Supergirl” star Milly Alcock is already facing pushback after preemptively blaming potential criticism of the film on misogyny. 
The remarks have drawn comparisons to Rachel Zegler&#8217;s pre-release comments ahead of Disney&#8217;s &#8220;Snow White,&#8221; which sparked similar backlash.
Fans are calling out Alcock for her recycled feminist arguments after her recent <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/milly-alcock-vanities">interview</a> with Vanity Fair. 
“It definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on,” the 25-year-old actress said when asked about the “inevitable backlash” she’d face. 
“We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies. I can’t really stop them. I can only be myself,” Alcock added.
Alcock assumed people wouldn’t like the movie because she’s a woman, but her description of the plot points to a different criticism fans have raised. She said her character, Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, is “given this incredible responsibility and doesn’t know how to deal with it.” 
“She’s not trying to save the world—she’s just trying to save her own,” Alcock told Vanity Fair. “This film is an excellent reminder that the world can be crumbling around you, but you can be the hero of your own story.”
The interview inspired many negative reactions on social media, with critics calling out Alcock for complaining about backlash that hadn’t even happened yet.
“These movies are so bad that they have to start attacking the fans before the movie even comes out,” one person <a href="https://x.com/newspolitics/status/2039035489760460880?s=43">observed</a>.
“Actors really need to go back to just promoting the movie and staying away from anything else, because this type of discourse does nothing but harm its chances,” another person <a href="https://x.com/reviewsdino2/status/2039357302365446654">agreed</a>.
“I suspect she&#8217;ll face backlash about ‘simply existing’ in a movie that doesn&#8217;t look interesting and which is part of a cinematic universe that&#8217;s already struggling with the disinterest of general audiences following a lackluster Superman and various TV shows that few people even noticed happened… but saying it&#8217;s ‘simply existing as a woman’ certainly works better for generating some sort of buzz,” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/HarfangDneiges/status/2039323848621916611">wrote</a>. 
Another comment <a href="https://x.com/RecruitBoss/status/2039048717525762381">noted</a>, “This is called pre-release critical armor. Any criticism of this movie will be branded as sexist or misogynistic. They use race and gender as critical armor to protect their poorly written scripts from legitimate criticism.”
Zegler became a legend following the disastrous release of Disney&#8217;s &#8220;Snow White&#8221; in 2025. The movie was bad, but additionally, the lead actress made it all worse by disparaging fans and the original storyline ahead of its release. The negative press for Zegler is believed to have contributed to the abysmal box office results.
The “Supergirl” description from Warner Bros. says, “When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.”
The film opens in theaters nationwide on June 26.

Milly Alcock

Another ‘Snow White’? The Fight Superhero Star Picks With Fans Before Movie Hits Theaters

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
The Amazon original film <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ryan-gosling-breathes-new-life-into-a-tired-genre-with-project-hail-mary">“Project Hail Mary”</a> just pulled off something extraordinary. With an $80.5 million <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/non-woke-project-hail-mary-blasts-off-with-massive-opening-weekend?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Non-Woke+%E2%80%98Project+Hail+Mary%E2%80%99+Blasts+Off+With+Massive+Opening+Weekend">domestic opening weekend</a> and a 95% critics&#8217; score and a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it&#8217;s an undeniable blockbuster hit. By the second weekend, the film had crossed $300 million worldwide and became the second-biggest non-franchise opening over the past decade, second only to “Oppenheimer.”
The movie is a genuine phenomenon. It’s an echo back to simpler times when films like this were common rather than remarkable. “Project Hail Mary” reminded us what we’ve been missing, what younger generations didn’t even realize was possible. And now, Hollywood&#8217;s response is just as predictable as it is infuriating: Hey, let&#8217;s make it a franchise!
Per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/project-hail-mary-movie-sequel-ryan-gosling-1236547587/">the Hollywood Reporter</a>, there’s nothing officially in the works, but the idea has been mentioned in the wake of the film’s massive financial success. The outlet&#8217;s sources reported that Amazon MGM Studios said &#8220;a sequel isn&#8217;t out of the question,&#8221; with insiders highlighting the merchandising potential of Rocky, the film&#8217;s beloved alien character. 
The studio promised that the author of the novel on which the whole thing is based, Andy Weir, would be &#8220;in the driver&#8217;s seat,&#8221; meaning he’d probably have to write another book first. That&#8217;s better than handing it over to a team of ultra-left Hollywood writers, at least. But the very fact that the conversation is already happening, within days of the film&#8217;s release, reveals again how Hollywood doesn’t understand anything. 
Instead of taking time to figure out why “Project Hail Mary” worked, executives seek to stretch out the storyline until everyone hates it. It’s a tired method that turned movie fans away for years, and it represents a complete failure to grasp what audiences want. 
&#8220;Project Hail Mary&#8221; didn&#8217;t win over audiences because it was the first installment of an endless cinematic universe. It succeeded because it was an authentic, family-friendly story with a positive message and quality performances. 
And while Variety catches heat for promoting a lot of woke ideals, one of its writers managed to pinpoint <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/project-hail-mary-lessons-box-office-1236544231/">four reasons</a> the story worked that Hollywood likely won’t pick up on: It assumed audiences were intelligent, it took its time to tell the story well, it embraced “sincerity and optimism,” and it was visually stunning without using green screens or AI slop.
The movie is both simple and complex. Middle school science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up alone in space, figures out what&#8217;s happening, and befriends an alien; the duo then manages to save both their worlds. There&#8217;s no cliffhanger setting up a never-ending march of prequels, sequels, and spin-offs. The film respects its audience enough to be enough on its own.
Weir shared his thoughts on what made the story work. In a <a href="https://youtu.be/ezZ_QGBpaDo?si=HYeQ49SyHl_QVb4t&amp;t=3575">conversation</a> with critic Will Jordan (the Critical Drinker) shortly after the film&#8217;s release, the author noted, &#8220;I never put any politics or messaging in any of my stories at all.”
“There&#8217;s no deeper meaning; there isn&#8217;t even any symbolism,” Weir added. “My books are just purely to entertain … you don&#8217;t have to worry about the message.&#8221;
“Project Hail Mary” could have easily launched itself into politics and social commentary, adding in dialogue about climate change and a host of other divisive issues. Instead, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller respected the source material and delivered a film people actually wanted to see. When it came down to it, this was a feel-good movie about a hero’s journey with an unlikely friendship to warm your heart. It was simple and pure. So naturally, Hollywood wants to ruin it.
There’s nothing to indicate that a sequel would perform well, and everything to show it would ruin the magic. “Project Hail Mary” is only the third non-sequel or non-franchise movie to <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/project-hail-mary-is-doing-so-well-at-the-box-office-that-theres-already-talk-of-turning-it-into-a-franchise-and-dont-forget-the-merch-potential-of-rocky">open above $50 million</a> internationally in the post-COVID era, alongside “Oppenheimer” and “F1: The Movie.” Both of those films are also standalone projects, but apparently, we’re not talking about that. 
The moment “Project Hail Mary” becomes a franchise is the moment it loses its luster. Then, it’s just another soulless cash grab. 
Weir also mentioned that he has ideas for sequels but hasn’t come up with a good enough one yet. That&#8217;s at least better than working overtime to crank out anything vaguely palatable to capitalize on the original film quickly. It doesn’t seem like the problem is Weir, but rather Amazon MGM, which assumes it can push forward with any old crap and hope fans are willing to overlook mediocrity. 
Hollywood was given a golden opportunity to learn a lesson and to respond by serving up more non-political, non-preachy, family-friendly, and interesting stories in settings built with human hands. It was shown that a movie with heart can still draw a crowd and that audiences will show up for an amazing story. Too bad all it can see are ways to ruin the first good thing it’s done in ages.

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Project Hail Mary Is Proof Americans Want Normal Movies, And Hollywood Is Already Trying To Ruin It

Upstream

The Trump Kennedy Center will host the premiere of the family-friendly film, “Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie,” on Flag Day: June 14, 2026.
The animated family film brings American history to life with humor and heart, tracing the nation&#8217;s founding ideals through adventure and storytelling that’s fun for the whole family.
The film features voice performances from well-known actors and public figures, including Kirk Cameron as Brutus Wigglesthorpe, Kevin Sorbo as George Washington, Pat Boone as Abraham Lincoln, Gary Sinise as Robert E. Lee, Rob Schneider in a cameo role, Alveda King as a civil rights activist, Jarrett Ellis as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Dr. Ben Carson appearing as himself.
Per the <a href="https://www.starspangledadventures.com/">website</a>, the narrative “begins in 1775, as Liberty the Eagle is sent as an apprentice to watch over Freedom in pre-Revolutionary America … In preparation for what will become a truly revolutionary act, brave colonists draft the Declaration of Independence — setting the stage to change the world. Cue the fireworks! As America&#8217;s story unfolds, the promises of the Declaration echo through each generation. When fireworks burst across the sky during a modern-day July 4th celebration, young viewers are left with a powerful truth: our cherished freedoms were not only hard-won, but they must be protected. And now, it&#8217;s up to them to carry the torch.”
The premiere marks the latest addition to the Trump Kennedy Center’s faith and family-based programming initiative. The Center has previously featured screenings of faith-centered films such as “King of Kings,” CBN’s “Revival Generation,” and “El Tonto Por Cristo,” along with its first-ever Christmas spectacular – “Noel: Jesus is Born!”
This upcoming Flag Day event will encourage Americans to celebrate our great nation.
“As we celebrate America&#8217;s 250th anniversary, the Trump Kennedy Center is proud to bring families together for the premiere of ‘Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie,’ a patriotic experience the whole family can enjoy. This continues our promise of more family-friendly show options at America&#8217;s cultural center,” said Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations.
The film was made as part of the American Cornerstone Institute’s Little Patriots initiative, expanding on the popular “Star Spangled Adventures” cartoon series.
“‘Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie’ brings the story of America to life for our youngest learners in a way that will educate and inspire them. By honoring the courage, faith, and love of liberty that has shaped our great nation over the years, we are helping the next generation understand that freedom is not automatic — it is something that must be understood, loved, and protected,” said Dr. Ben Carson.
The premiere aligns with a broader cultural push to reclaim American institutions for faith, family, and patriotism. As the country prepares for its 250th anniversary, “Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie” offers parents a wholesome, educational film that celebrates the principles of liberty, courage, and self-governance that built the United States.

Star Spangled Adventures

Trump Kennedy Center Announces Pro-America Content For Kids

America

Animation

Children

Kennedy Center

Patriotic

Boy Scout Shirt with Rank Badge and Merit Badges

Everything In Society Has Been Feminized, And It’s Been A Total Disaster. Here’s Proof.

Everything In Society Has Been Feminized, And It's Been A Total Disaster. Here's Proof.

Boy Scouts

J.R.R. Tolkien

Opinion

Women

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Parents today have every reason to mistrust Pixar. From <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-real-reason-lightyear-bombed-at-the-box-office">“Lightyear”</a> to “Elio,” which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pixar-bomb-elio-was-supposed-to-be-super-gay-only-changed-after-dismal-screening">would have</a> depicted an 11-year-old boy as “queer” had audiences not panned test screenings, its films are literally getting gayer. But its latest offering, “Hoppers,” proves that when the company dispenses with identity box-checking, it can still create a story that will delight parents and children alike. 
I’ll admit I was skeptical going into the theater; the film’s premise had me anticipating an environmental screed. Mabel, a 19-year-old who once spent her school days freeing class pets from their cages, is embroiled in a battle with her city’s mayor, who wants to build a highway over a pond where she used to watch the local fauna with her grandmother. After stumbling upon her college professor’s secret research project, she uses the technology to put her own mind in the body of a robotic beaver and infiltrate the habitat to enlist the animals’ help in stopping the construction project.
What sounds like a throwback to the peak Greta Thunberg days is actually a heartwarming and hilarious commentary on the good in humanity, Teddy Roosevelt-style environmentalism, and what happens when the downtrodden finally get power. The twist in the film&#8217;s second act is so good that I have to spoil it in order to discuss the movie&#8217;s moral themes.
If you’d like to watch “Hoppers” with your (slightly older) kids, which I recommend that you do, read the rest at your own peril.
The pond is a special place for Mabel because it’s where her grandmother taught her to control her childhood anger issues. “It’s hard to be mad when you feel like you’re part of something big,” her grandmother tells her. At a time when Generation Z seems to spend its time yelling at people online or literally <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/09/luigi-mangione-approval-poll-gen-z">celebrating</a> (alleged) murderers, the gentle reminder that we humans, and animals, are all part of the same big world is well-timed.
Mabel starts the movie off as the typical rebellious teenager: She steals the beaver tech to use it for her own ends, tricks her new animal friends into believing she is one of them, and presumes to know what’s best for the animals and their ecosystem. She believes she’s better than the rest of those meddlesome humans, but her initially well-meaning interference disrupts the delicate balance of the animal kingdom. As one bug says to her, “You stole, you lied, you used us!”
Thanks to Mabel’s decision to rile up the animals, they, led by a blood-thirsty butterfly, decide to stop the construction project from continuing by “squishing” the mayor. Now, instead of rescuing the animals, Mabel finds herself desperately trying to save the life of her arch-nemesis. 
Mabel’s activism comes from a good place: her love for animals and her memories of her grandmother. But it exhausts her. She is tired of feeling “like I can’t make a difference,” she says. It is just that desire to stamp down her feeling of powerlessness that makes her lose her moral compass, pursuing whatever avenue she can just to feel like she can do something.
After convening a council of the animals, Mabel grows so flustered by the butterfly queen that she reflexively solves the problem with a simple squish. The shocking moment (hilarious for older viewers but perhaps disturbing to younger ones) leads to mayhem in the animal kingdom and the ascendance of the butterfly’s caterpillar son, who turns out to be even more Darwinian than his mother.
Mabel quickly learns and accepts that her mad dash for power, even with good intentions, has led her to exploit and harm others. After her unceremonious squishing betrays the trust of the beaver king, he forgives her: “Trust is like a dam,&#8221; he says. &#8220;It’s gonna leak sometimes.”
The freshly pupated butterfly king, Titus, learns no such lesson. After ordering the “squishing” of the mayor, he inhabits an animatronic human body and tries to use high-decibel sound to kill a crowd of townspeople. (Helpful euphemisms such as “squishing” aside, moments of death, peril, and a misshapen face mask flying off the murderous robot are as laugh-out-loud funny for adults as they may be scary for small children.) Titus airs his grievances, complaining that he has not had the power he feels he deserves. Now, given the chance, he declares, “I’ll burn the whole world down!” I’ll let you guess how that works out for him.
“Hoppers” may have the trappings of an environmentalist sermon, but its lessons are far deeper and more traditional than that. In the end, Mabel and the mayor, who in one scene is shown making pancakes for his mother’s breakfast, are more frenemies than nemeses. The human-mind-to-animal-body project is shuttered, lest we begin to anticipate &#8220;Hoppers 2: Frankenstein&#8217;s Beaver.&#8221;
Pixar finally remembered how to make a good movie, and it just had to focus on a unique story rooted in truth: The ends don’t justify the means, might doesn&#8217;t make right, and “taking back the power” is no way to achieve human (or animal) progress.

HOPPERS-ONLINE-USE_h170_27c_4k.pub16.1244

Pixar Finally Gets It Right With Hoppers. And There’s A Twist Parents Won’t See Coming

Pixar

A newly announced “Lord of the Rings” movie is getting trashed online after Warner Bros. announced that late-night host Stephen Colbert will develop the project with his son. 
The announcement came via social media on Tuesday night, which was also Tolkien Reading Day.
First, film director Peter Jackson gave an update on the sequel “The Hunt for Gollum,” which is currently in production. “Andy [Serkis] is doing a terrific job. It’s looking amazing. The script is coming together really well, and I think it’s going to be a really good film,” Jackson said before revealing what’s up next.
The director had Colbert join him on the video after announcing he’d be writing “The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past.” Colbert explained that the movie would be based on chapters of “The Fellowship of the Ring” that weren’t in Jackson’s 2001 film.
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In honor of Tolkien Reading Day and the destruction of the One Ring, we bring you a special announcement. <a href="https://t.co/ufh9RLBIxO">pic.twitter.com/ufh9RLBIxO</a>
— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) <a href="https://twitter.com/warnerbros/status/2036654308557500560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“You know what the books mean to me, and what your films mean to me,” Colbert told Jackson. “But the thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in [‘The Fellowship of the Ring’] that y&#8217;all never developed into the first movie back in the day. It’s basically the chapter ‘Three Is Company’ [Chapter III] through ‘Fog on the Barrow-Downs’ [Chapter VIII]. And I thought, ‘Oh, wait, maybe that could be its own story that could fit into the larger story. Could we make something that was completely faithful to the books while also being completely faithful to the movies that you guys had already made?&#8217;”
Colbert said that he and his son, screenwriter Peter McGee, have been working with Jackson on the project for two years.
The hyper-partisan, Trump-hating late-night host made headlines last year after CBS canceled his “Late Show,” which led to him crying censorship rather than admitting that the program had been allegedly hemorrhaging money for years. CBS confirmed it was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-cans-ultra-leftist-stephen-colberts-late-show-all-just-going-away">a financial decision</a> to sunset the program.
Most reactions to Colbert’s new gig were negative.
“This is by far the worst thing to ever happen to the franchise,” one X user <a href="https://x.com/RedRebeccax/status/2036687719620100401">wrote</a>. 
“Is it gonna have a sequence with dancing vaccine syringes? What about an evil orange man?” another person <a href="https://x.com/Logh_13/status/2036659222054568435">wondered</a>.
“No, absolutely not,” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/tmo_melonmaster/status/2036679186010787973">said</a>. “Colbert hasn’t been anything remotely close to a competent writer, comedy or otherwise, for a very long time. Just the thought of the Lord of the Rings getting put through a heavily political infusion, Colbert only schtick at this point, is sickening.”
“Imagine burning billions on rings of power and still not learning any lessons from it,” another commenter wrote, referencing the controversial, widely panned Amazon series based on the fantasy series.
The film’s description for “Shadows of the Past” says, “Fourteen years after the passing of Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter, Elanor, has discovered a long-buried secret and is determined to uncover why the War of the Ring was very nearly lost before it even began.”
J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” was turned into three massively popular films, with releases in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Jackson&#8217;s epic fantasy trilogy is considered the highlight of his career and won 17 Academy Awards.

Colbert

‘Lord Of The Rings’ Just Got Handed Over To A Trump-Hating Late-Night Host

'Lord Of The Rings' Is Being Handed Over To A Hyper-Partisan Late Night Host

Stephen Colbert

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