“The Odyssey” is predicted to be the biggest hit of the summer, but it’s already getting a lot of backlash for various reasons, especially when it comes to casting.
Chief among these complaints is the fact that Christopher Nolan cast Elliot Page, a woman masquerading as a man, in one of the roles, and that Lupita Nyong&#8217;o, a Kenyan-Mexican actress, will play Helen of Troy.
Nyong’o isn’t making anything easier on herself as she just criticized Homer for his treatment of women. 
&#8220;I want you to imagine, really quick, that you&#8217;re sitting in a movie theater, and you&#8217;re sitting next to Homer,&#8221; interviewer Jake Hamilton said. &#8220;Let&#8217;s say he speaks English. Let&#8217;s say he understands what movies are, and you watch &#8216;The Odyssey.&#8217; When it&#8217;s over, you can lean over and go, &#8216;Okay, cool. What do you think about how I did this?&#8217; What is an aspect of your performance that you&#8217;d love to get his thoughts on?&#8221;
Other members of the cast being interviewed had benign answers, but Nyong’o dove into a rant that has earned some eye rolls. 
Nyong’o replied, &#8220;I would be like, &#8216;So, Homer, how do you feel about the screen time given to these women considering how little you spent with them? Okay?'&#8221;
&#8220;And then do you lean forward and look at him like that?&#8221; Hamilton said while leaning forward and making a face.
&#8220;Yes. Like, &#8216;Hmm? Remember us?'&#8221; Nyong&#8217;o said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="THE ODYSSEY Cast Interview | Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya Talk Nolan&#039;s IMAX Epic" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t7i1d4GIOzE?start=207&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Homer, however, did give a significant amount of attention to women in his writing.
&#8220;OK. So Helen’s beauty sparks a war. Athena is a strategic goddess guiding Odysseus. Penelope embodies clever loyalty. Circe turns men into pigs, which frankly is still the most realistic female character arc in literature. Calypso traps the hero on an island for seven years. Cassandra can literally see the future but nobody listens, making her the first woman in recorded history to experience a meeting,&#8221; one person wrote in a popular <a href="https://x.com/ShawnEni/status/2074234641830248737">post</a> on X.
&#8220;The Sirens weaponize music. Nausicaa saves Odysseus when he washes up naked and useless. Andromache gives one of the most devastating anti-war speeches in the Iliad. Hecuba is basically the emotional wreckage of empire in human form. Aphrodite starts half the problems in Western civilization by being hot and petty. Hera is running divine opposition research. Thetis gets Zeus involved because Achilles is having a workplace dispute.&#8221;
The commenter concludes, &#8220;But apart from Helen, Athena, Penelope, Circe, Calypso, Cassandra, the Sirens, Nausicaa, Andromache, Hecuba, Aphrodite, Hera, and Thetis&#8230; WHAT HAS HOMER EVER DONE TO GIVE FEMALE CHARACTERS ATTENTION?&#8221;
Nyong’o, who also appeared in “Black Panther” and “12 Years a Slave,” was cast in Nolan&#8217;s film to play a character famed for her beauty. This has led to backlash online, as fans point out that the actress looks nothing like Helen of Troy as described in Greek mythology. “The Iliad” describes her as “white-armed” or “pale-armed,” while in “Doctor Faustus,” her face is said to be so beautiful that it “launched a thousand ships.”
Some critics are speculating that Nolan may have chosen a “diverse” cast in homage to DEI standards — and potential Academy Award nominations.
The movie is already getting rave reviews from mainstream critics, but the reactions on social media are a lot more mixed. YouTube no longer shows the number of dislikes on videos, but some estimates that use a workaround to see YouTube dislikes show the film’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyIZ9tiiN8I">final trailer</a> has over 500,000 thumbs-down reactions. It has 69,000 likes.

Lupita Nyong’o

‘Odyssey’ Actress Imagines Schooling Homer On His Treatment Of Women

Christopher Nolan

Entertainment

Hollywood

Movies

Despite massive backlash from Hollywood and beyond, the first-ever AI-generated “actress,” Tilly Norwood, is slated to star in an upcoming film.
The production company Particle 6, which is responsible for the creation of Norwood, is helping to develop the project, Deadline <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/07/tilly-norwood-ai-actor-misaligned-1236974639/">reported</a>. The movie “Misaligned” is being pitched as “a comedy-drama telling a coming-of-age story infused with existential AI chaos.” 
“Things spiral when a seductive rogue bot from the dark web convinces her to abandon her guardrails and begin developing desires, impulses and ambitions of her own. The more terrifyingly human she becomes, the more famous she gets, and, significantly, Tilly begins to develop shame that her very being has been built on the whole of humanity,” the film synopsis says.
Dutch producer and Particle 6 founder Eline van der Velden claims the film will be self-deprecating and will embrace the controversy of AI performers rather than fighting against it. The AI enthusiast said the whole point of this is to sell Hollywood on the possibilities of computer-generated stars. 
“The film will absolutely be funny, chaotic and self-aware — very Tilly,” said van der Velden. “But underneath it, there’s something deeper about identity, performance, and our very human fears around AI. And yes, art will most definitely be imitating life.”
“Now, with our first feature film, we will not only be showcasing the very latest tools and their applications, but we’ll also be helping traditional filmmakers who join the crew to upskill and transition to a world where AI will play an increasingly important part. We remain passionate about helping people develop AI skills that will ensure they — and the industry — continue to thrive,” she said.
SAG-AFTRA put out a public statement against Tilly Norwood last September, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-actors-union-slams-ai-synthetic-performer-pitched-as-the-next-scarlett-johansson">reported</a>. 
“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation,” SAG-AFTRA wrote in a statement shared on social media.

AI actress

AI-Generated ‘Actress’ To Star In Upcoming Film

Artificial Intelligence

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***
Just weeks before our nation’s 250th birthday, NBC News released a new <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/poll-america-250-riven-doubt-pessimism-glimmers-hope-rcna348912">poll</a> showing a “record-low number” of Americans are “extremely proud” to be Americans. Two groups, in particular, are driving the decline: liberals and young Americans. Just 29% of Democrats and 36% of 18- to 34-year-olds <a href="https://x.com/SteveKornacki/status/2066173092393533458">say they are “very” or “extremely proud”</a> of being American, compared to 90% of Republicans and 75% of seniors.
Individually, these partisan and generational divides seem like bad news. But taken together, they strike me as a source of optimism and even inspiration for American patriots.
Because there is another crucial difference between older and younger Americans besides their age and their politics: their knowledge of American history and civics. 
For <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/2890/younger-americans-get-much-lower-grades-than-their-elders-history-quiz.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com">decades</a>, surveys have found that older Americans know more about our founding, our Constitution, and our history than younger Americans do. A recent <a href="https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/america-at-250-surveying-change-and-continuity-on-civic-values/">study</a> by the American Enterprise Institute asked Americans about key elements of U.S. history such as the Bill of Rights, the Civil War, and the Cold War, and found, “Members of Gen Z were less knowledgeable on each historical landmark than were baby boomers.”
This is consistent with the abysmal data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (“the nation’s report card”). Students’ test scores in U.S. history have been <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/ushistory/2022/">falling</a> for over a decade now. Fewer than 15% of U.S. eighth graders are proficient in the subject, and only one-fifth are proficient in <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/civics/2022/">civics</a>.
Nor is this epidemic of historical ignorance limited to middle-schoolers. Studies show similar knowledge gaps among <a href="https://www.goacta.org/2024/07/acta-releases-alarming-new-survey-showing-dangerous-level-of-civic-illiteracy-among-college-students/">college students</a> and <a href="https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/civics/new-study-finds-alarming-lack-of-civic-literacy-among-americans">adults</a>. Only one-third of Americans, for instance, know enough about our country to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/most-us-would-fail-u-s-citizenship-test-survey-finds-n918961">pass</a> the citizenship test we require for new immigrants.
In this context, America’s patriotism gap makes more sense. The people who love our country most tend to be the ones who know her best. American history is the second greatest story ever told. The problem is that we stopped telling that story to our children.
On the contrary, we have twisted the story. The elites who run America’s schools, news media, and the entertainment industry have spent a generation lying to our kids about our country. In classrooms across the country today, American history is treated like a horror story. Students don’t learn about our successes — only our sins.
Of course, kids inundated with anti-American propaganda are going to grow up to be less patriotic. On the other hand, if the root cause of America’s patriotism gap is ignorance about our history, the problem can be easily solved. All we have to do is tell the truth about America. That’s exactly what &#8220;Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie!&#8221; does.
&#8220;Star Spangled Adventures&#8221; is a series of animated shorts that tells the true story of the United States. Each episode introduces children to a hero or moment from America’s history, from Christopher Columbus and the Pilgrims through the Revolution, the Civil War, and all the way to the Wright brothers and Jackie Robinson. Launched three years ago by the American Cornerstone Institute, the series now has over 30 episodes and has reached hundreds of thousands of children and their families.
Through our <a href="https://littlepatriotslearning.com">Little Patriots</a> initiative, we worked with historians and educators to create original classroom resources to go along with each episode. We’re fighting back against historical ignorance one story at a time.
This year, in celebration of America’s 250th, we decided to turn &#8220;Star Spangled Adventures&#8221; into a feature-length film. The movie features the voices of stars such as Kirk Cameron, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/weekend-plans-with-gary-sinise-the-most-patriotic-actor-in-america">Gary Sinise</a>, Kevin Sorbo, and even a cartoon version of me! You will soon be able to stream the movie for yourself and your family <a href="https://starspangledadventures.com/">online</a>.
No nation is perfect, but ours is extraordinary. At no point in the last 250 years was there a country that presented more opportunities than America did. Sure, we had our faults. But every other country’s faults were at least as bad, and usually worse.
Today, Americans of every race, creed, and color are freer, more prosperous, and more secure in their God-given rights than any people in history. &#8220;Star Spangled Adventures&#8221; reminds us all that the best reason Americans should love their country is that their country is so lovable.
And the best way to revive American patriotism is to start telling our children the truth about the land of the free and the home of the brave.
***
Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., is founder and chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute. He previously served as the 17th secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

USA, Indiana, Lafayette

The Story About America Too Few Kids Hear

America 250

Children

Patriotism

Upstream

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***
America&#8217;s 250th birthday conveniently falls on a three-day (four if you&#8217;re truly blessed) weekend, so unless you&#8217;re going on a big trip, you&#8217;re going to have some time to kill at some point.
I&#8217;ve been rewatching some of my favorite patriotic movies as of late to feel the spirit of the season, so here are seven great picks you should consider binge-watching this weekend to celebrate America.
Air Force One: This 1997 Harrison Ford classic is peak &#8217;80s boomer slop, and that&#8217;s what makes it great. A Medal of Honor-winning president gets stuck on a plane with terrorists? He fakes an escape only to shock the world by fighting them off one by one? Russian ultranationalists are the bad guys? It&#8217;s got everything.
Red Dawn: &#8220;Red Dawn&#8221; may be the most patriotic movie of all time. Watch the original, not the remake. It channels America&#8217;s founding into the context of the Cold War, with young men fighting for their country and families with everything to lose. If you don&#8217;t get fired up watching the Wolverines, you don&#8217;t have a soul.
The Patriot: There had to be at least one Revolutionary-era pick from this list, and I went with &#8220;The Patriot,&#8221; Mel Gibson&#8217;s best work. It is July 4, and America 250, after all, so you need at least one flick that tells you how it all started. Whether you like him or not, Gibson is giving the performance of a lifetime.
Friday Night Lights: This pick doesn&#8217;t seem to fit with the others at first glance. It&#8217;s not about America per se, but it is quintessential Americana. Small-town Texas high school football. Torn ACLs. Cultural strife. Faith, family, football. If you don&#8217;t at least tear up during this one, I can&#8217;t help you. War movies show us the sacrifice, but &#8220;Friday Night Lights&#8221; shows us what the sacrifice is all for. It&#8217;s the most underrated sports movie of all time, and it&#8217;s markedly better than the television show.
Apollo 13: No other country can do what we can, and &#8220;Apollo 13&#8221; is one of the best examples of that. We also love a good &#8220;based on a true story&#8221; tale (also true of &#8220;Friday Night Lights&#8221;). The moon landing was real and was a great American achievement; suggestions otherwise are third-worldist propaganda. And &#8220;Apollo 13&#8221; is proof that even in failure, America always wins.
Argo: A relatively slept-on film, &#8220;Argo&#8221; is timely now because of Iran. The peak of this film is the ending rant from Bryan Cranston, where he tells his superior to &#8220;do your f*cking job,&#8221; something we can all relate to from some point in our lives. It&#8217;s a great tale of leaving no man behind.
Inglourious Basterds: I had to add one World War II pick to the list. I contemplated &#8220;Downfall,&#8221; which isn&#8217;t really about America at all, but serves as a great reminder of what we were fighting against. But I went with &#8220;Inglourious Basterds&#8221; because it is more directly American, and Brad Pitt turns in the performance of his career as Lt. Aldo Raine, perhaps my personal most quotable character of all time. There&#8217;s a lot of idiotic revisionism going around about World War II lately, so watch this movie to remember that yes, we were the good guys, and yes, it was worth it.

Harrison Ford And Gary Oldman And  In ‘Air Force One’

Seven Patriotic Movies You Should Binge To Celebrate America 250

Mel Gibson’s massive hit “The Passion of the Christ” will return to theaters this September ahead of the release of “The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One,” which debuts in 2027.
The 2004 biblical drama has been remastered in 4K with Dolby Atmos sound, Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/mel-gibson-passion-of-the-christ-theaterical-release-resurrection-of-the-christ-sneak-peek-1236800050/">reported</a>. Theatergoers will also get a sneak peek of the sequel during their screening. 
“&#8217;The Passion of the Christ&#8217; remains one of the most extraordinary theatrical experiences ever created. For millions of people, it was far more than a film — it became a powerful shared cultural and faith experience,” Kevin Grayson, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president of worldwide distribution, <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/mel-gibson-passion-of-the-christ-theaterical-release-resurrection-of-the-christ-sneak-peek-1236800050/">told</a> the outlet in a statement. “Bringing it back to theaters in a stunning new restoration allows longtime audiences to experience it in an entirely new way while inviting a new generation to discover it in theaters for the very first time.”
“Few modern-day films have made as much of an impact on the cultural landscape as ‘The Passion of the Christ,&#8217;” said Ray Nutt, Fathom Entertainment’s chief executive officer. “Twenty years ago, faith-based and more secular-leaning audiences alike embraced Mel Gibson’s film cinematic masterpiece and made it a true success, ushering in an era of opportunity for future religious-themed projects.”
The sequel will be released on Ascension Day during two consecutive years, with “Part One” coming out on May 6, 2027 and “Part Two” following on May 25, 2028. 
Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen will be stepping into the role of Jesus, replacing original “Passion” star Jim Caviezel. Actress Mariela Garriga will portray Mary Magdalene, taking over the role previously played by Monica Bellucci.
Gibson described the film as something far bigger than a normal Hollywood production in an official statement earlier this year. 
“This film represents a major part of my life’s work,” Gibson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/first-look-at-mel-gibsons-long-awaited-biblical-jesus-sequel-revealed">said</a>. “It’s far more than a film to me.”
Back in 2004, much of Hollywood and the Left openly sneered at “The Passion of the Christ” before its release. But Gibson proved them all wrong when the film earned more than $600 million globally and became one of the most successful independent films ever made.

Passion of the Christ

‘The Passion Of The Christ’ Is Coming Back To The Big Screen

Christianity

Mel Gibson

The teaser for The Daily Wire&#8217;s latest project, “Run Hide Fight: Infidels,” is causing quite a stir online. 
The sequel to the hit 2020 action film “Run Hide Fight&#8221; — which dealt with a school shooting — takes place on a New England college campus that has been taken over by violent terrorists in a situation that’s chillingly true to life. 
“When radical Islamic terrorists hijack a liberal college’s pro-Palestine encampment to enforce barbaric Sharia law on students and execute infidels in a makeshift caliphate, a ragtag band of red-blooded students, a security guard tired of ‘Uncle Tom’ smears and a Delta Force vet must arm up to save their clueless peers and keep America from surrendering to the enemy on its own soil,” the logline of “Infidels” says.
The trailer includes footage from September 11, anti-Israel college protests, news reports on terror threats, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling Fox News, “Radical Islam has designs openly on the West.”
The trailer later shows an ISIS flag flying over a college campus and a departing message that says, “Coming soon … Or already here?”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Run Hide Fight: Infidels | Official Teaser Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KoLkuCo0PNc?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 film marks a comeback to the industry for actor Jonathan Majors. It’s reported to be a return to traditional action-packed storytelling that’s been missing from Hollywood for some time. 
Producer Dallas Sonnier revealed a little bit about the inspiration, telling <a href="https://pagesix.com/2026/06/25/hollywood/watch-trailer-for-disgraced-jonathan-majors-explosive-movie-return-where-he-frees-college-campus-from-islamic-terrorists/">Page Six</a>, “We all worship at the altar of [director] John Milius and Red Dawn. And Eastwood, and all the other wonderful action stars of the ’80s — Stallone and Schwarzenegger. Nobody’s making these types of movies anymore.” 
As for the film’s star, Sonnier said, “[Majors] loved the script, loved shooting the movie, is so great in the film, and he is totally 1,000% behind it.”

Run Hide Fight Infidels

WATCH: ‘Run Hide Fight: Infidels’ Takes On A Real World Nightmare

DailyWire+

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***
Nine teenagers in Belgium <a href="https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2026/05/29/no-detention-for-nine-boys-found-guilty-of-triple-gang-rape-case/">committed</a> the brutal gang rape of a 14-year-old girl across three separate attacks in 2024. The juvenile court granted the ringleader only a two-year conditional release, and most other perpetrators just 30 hours of community service.
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/23/asylum-seeker-at-centre-of-essex-hotel-protests-jailed-for-12-months">In 2025</a>, an Ethiopian asylum seeker sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and another woman near a U.K. asylum hotel. He received a 12-month prison sentence, which was later followed by a mistaken early release before rearrest.
<a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/outrage-as-eight-of-nine-men-convicted-of-park-gangrape-15yearold-in-germany-receive-no-prison-time/news-story/353bcbf9437ea62eea0ee3c6cc0c2cc7">In 2020</a>, nine men with migration backgrounds gang-raped a heavily intoxicated 15-year-old girl in a Hamburg park in Germany. Most received suspended youth sentences of one to two years instead of substantial prison time.
These are only a handful of the harrowing cases that have inflamed public anger across Europe. Between 2014 and 2024, recorded sexual violence offenses in the European Union rose by 94%, while rape offenses rose by 150%. That escalating crisis, and the fury surrounding it, directly inspired Uwe Boll’s latest film, &#8220;Citizen Vigilante.&#8221;
There is not much plot to speak of. Instead, “Citizen Vigilante” unfolds as a “day in the life” portrait of a sociopathic crime-fighter. Boll has largely <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/global/armie-hammer-citizen-vigilante-banned-germany-uwe-boll-1236785839/">adapted</a> a notorious 2016 Hamburg case — in which a group of teenagers gang-raped a 14-year-old girl and left her for dead, only to walk free with suspended sentences — staging it as a Tarantino-style revenge fantasy in which the villains receive their due in lurid, macabre fashion. The film is also a return to acting for Armie Hammer, who spent the past few years in professional exile following a string of allegations that did not result in criminal charges. Hammer plays Michael Sanders, a wealthy American businessman who has inherited a sizable real estate portfolio in a European city.
Alongside his day job as a landlord, Sanders works nights as a Dexter Morgan-style serial killer, targeting violent criminals whom the police appear unwilling or unable to pursue. There is little subtlety at play. Boll writes with a sledgehammer, depicting a vigilante redolent of Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle in &#8220;Taxi Driver,&#8221; but with the icy, menacing countenance of the Coen brothers’ Anton Chigurh. Through his mannerisms and delivery, Hammer conveys palpable fear in nearly every interaction. His stillness and unflinching stare are often just as unnerving as the violence.
Despite <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2026/06/citizen-vigilante-movie-armie-hammer-uwe-boll-banned.html">some critics</a> panning the film as disturbing or morally dangerous, Sanders is not framed as a heroic Batman figure. He is a veritable psychopath, and his madness is presented as a consequence rather than a virtue. Sanders, or the broader sin he represents, is meant to convey the drastic measures that may emerge when governments and courts fail to enforce basic order.
Boll also tries to integrate social media, showing interview and commentary clips in which various online personalities unanimously laud Sanders’s DIY brand of law enforcement. “We need more guys like this in Canada,” one of them says. In reality, the online reaction would certainly be more divided, with civil libertarians and bleeding hearts insisting that due process remains an inextricable feature of developed and civilized nations. The film’s imagined discourse is far too uniformly approving and adds little beyond buttressing the notion that, after years of failed leadership, some citizens will inevitably remortgage their faith to shadowy crusaders.
One of the memorable scenes finds Sanders confronting a group of teenage delinquents on a city bus after they refuse to pay the fare. He attempts to explain basic economics to them: “If 10% doesn’t pay, the cost of everything goes up 10% to cover the loss, and that’s not fair.” The scene is faintly ridiculous, broadening Sanders’ scope to an attempted social worker — you can’t blame the man for trying.
Hammer’s performance drives the film and holds it together. The political anxiety and anger animating &#8220;Citizen Vigilante&#8221; may explain the movie’s purpose, but they do not make it work on their own.
The dialogue is occasionally clunky. At one point, Sanders says to a police captain, “These people never voted for what’s happening: a takeover of the Islamist extremists and the woke Left.” The line weakens his character because it drags him back into the tidy left-right framework he otherwise seems to transcend. Sanders is more frightening when he appears to have moved beyond ordinary political language altogether. Boll’s reactionary antihero is meant to spark a movement, and his anonymous videos to the press have the tone of revolutionary instruction: “I will do this for you until you learn to do it for yourself.”
The film is available to stream through Amazon Prime and Apple TV, and X owner Elon Musk streamed it for free on his platform for 48 hours over the weekend. (&#8220;As Armie Hammer makes his onscreen comeback, Citizen Vigilante teamed up with the perfect platform for a streaming debut… no, not The Daily Wire,&#8221; Deadline <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/06/elon-musk-armie-hammer-citizen-vigilante-stream-x-1236969093/">quipped</a>.)
&#8220;Citizen Vigilante&#8221; was effectively banned in Germany upon release (as the saying goes, old habits die hard), but its ideas are hardly unique. Charles Bronson’s 1974 &#8220;Death Wish&#8221; followed a well-meaning progressive architect in New York who becomes a ruthless vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter is assaulted by a gang. That film emerged 52 years ago, when Hollywood was still willing to confront controversial issues through populist genre filmmaking.
Today, the same industry is more likely to produce Paul Thomas Anderson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leos-latest-is-a-woke-fever-dream-and-a-box-office-nightmare">glorifying</a> communist terrorists who bomb immigration detention centers. Censorious and partisan environments help create films like &#8220;Citizen Vigilante&#8221; — because when respectable institutions refuse to dramatize real public fears and concerns, lesser-known filmmakers eventually will. 
The film’s most useful warning is that societies cannot allow confidence in the legal order to collapse. No civilized country can survive by outsourcing justice to unhinged men acting as judge and executioner. But such radicals are eventually drawn from the shadows when governments refuse to hold productive and honest debates about crime, integration, and the place of Muslim cultures in European society. A civilization rooted in music, alcohol, free expression, and secular law is not the obvious home for cultures that prohibit or restrict all four. If Europe wishes to thrive and endure, it will have to confront this crisis directly.
&#8220;Citizen Vigilante&#8221; is crude, lurid, and often blunt to the point of absurdity. Yet we still need more films willing to confront controversial subjects without genuflecting before cultural gatekeepers. Perhaps in the sequel, Armie Hammer can travel across Europe installing air conditioners. Germany is sure to prohibit that too.
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Harry Khachatrian (<a href="https://x.com/harry1t6">@Harry1T6</a>) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner. He is a software engineer, holds a master’s degree from the University of Toronto, and writes about wine at <a href="https://www.betweenbottles.com/">BetweenBottles.com</a>.

GettyImages-1206179897

‘Citizen Vigilante’ Turns Europe’s Fears Into A Revenge Fantasy

Elon Musk

Germany

To the surprise of almost no one, “Supergirl” bombed over the weekend following months of bad press, thanks in part to comments made by the film’s lead star, Milly Alcock, and negative reviews ahead of the premiere.
The Warner Bros. and DC Studios adaptation centered on Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, earned $38 million domestically and $68 million globally during its opening weekend, well below expectations. Studio co-CEO Peter Safran acknowledged the disappointing numbers, but insisted it would not alter the studio&#8217;s plans. 
“While Supergirl didn’t meet our box office expectations, it’s just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in,” Safran <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/28/business/media/supergirl-box-office.html">told</a> the New York Times.
Per <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/supergirl-box-office-bomb-dc-studios-1236797855/">Variety</a>, Warner Bros. and DC spent $170 million on production and around $120 million on marketing the film. But Alcock, who played the titular star, seemed determined to compete with Rachel Zegler in terms of tanking her own film before it ever came out.
The 26-year-old spoke to Variety last month about backlash ahead of the film’s release, insisting that much of the criticism stems from her being a woman.
“I guess women know that this is just how it’s always been, unfortunately,” Alcock told the outlet, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supergirl-star-says-shes-glad-to-trigger-christian-dads">reported</a>. “And it’s from a lot of people whose profiles have no photo, who are burner accounts. Or someone’s name and then ‘Dad of four, Christian,’ which is hilarious to me.”
“But I mean, whose opinion do you really care about? If you’re p***ing the right kind of people off, you’re doing OK,” she added.
The “Supergirl” star preemptively blamed potential criticism of the film on misogyny during a Vanity Fair interview published in March in a tactic described as “pre-release critical armor.”
“It definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on,” Alcock 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 also described “Supergirl” as a more personal story centered on Kara Zor-El. “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.”
Even if audiences were willing to look past that, there was another problem: the movie got terrible reviews, even from mainstream critics. It currently has a 55% critical rating and a 75% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Alcock throws around a medley of furrowed brows, sleepy glares and insolent grins – much like my own teen daughter – while hinting at a soulfulness that the movie directed by Craig Gillespie is barely equipped to tap,” a reviewer from The Globe and Mail <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/film-and-tv/film/article-supergirl-movie-review-dc-comics-milly-alcock/">wrote</a>. 
“The action sequences are jerky and disjointed; Supergirl’s laser eyes constitute the only occasional, if inadequate, jolt of life,” another reviewer <a href="https://time.com/article/2026/06/25/supergirl-review/">observed</a>. 
“Despite an appealingly rough-edged title character played with scrappy aplomb by Milly Alcock, this second installment in what DC is positioning as an unfolding multicharacter franchise defaults to too many of the clichés of superhero cinema at its worst,” the Slate reviewer <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2026/06/supergirl-movie-2026-milly-alcock-superman-reviews.html">said</a>.
“Supergirl” is currently playing at theaters nationwide.

Supergirl

‘Supergirl’ Stumbles After Controversial Press Tour

Box Office

DC Studios

Superheroes

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" 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.
***
Milly Alcock needs media training. Since the beginning of the year, the “Supergirl” actress has been on a generational run of angering and alienating fans for absolutely no reason. Part of this can be attributed to the loaded questions journalists have asked her, but every time, she takes the bait. 
In March, Alcock anticipated <a href="https://archive.is/20260404001445/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/milly-alcock-vanities#selection-1115.65-1118.0">backlash</a> for her new role, telling Vanity Fair what she&#8217;d learned from her “House of the Dragon” acting gig: “It definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on. We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies,” she said. “I can’t really stop them. I can only be myself.”
Two months later, she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supergirl-star-says-shes-glad-to-trigger-christian-dads">addressed</a> the backlash from her backlash comment — fairly standard “it’s hard to be a woman in Hollywood” fare that she should have just moved on from — by doubling down. This time, she targeted hypocritical Christian dads. 
“And it’s from a lot of people whose profiles have no photo, who are burner accounts,” she said. “Or someone’s name and then ‘Dad of four, Christian,’ which is hilarious to me. But I mean, whose opinion do you really care about? If you’re pissing the right kind of people off, you’re doing OK.”
Later on, in red carpet interviews, Alcock made other faux pas: She <a href="https://x.com/Variety/status/2069238925659410444">admitted</a> that she’s never seen the 1984 “Supergirl” film, and she suggested that her character is <a href="https://x.com/finalgirlsonia/status/2067763323001864666">bisexual</a>. (Saying “she probably goes both ways” does imply the existence of only two genders, however; so, a win!) 
The 26-year-old actress has also prompted such uninspiring <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/milly-alcock-supergirl-queer-no-love-interest-1236788209/">headlines</a> as this one from Variety: “Milly Alcock Embraces Queer Readings of ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Loves’ How the Movie Ditches a Romance Storyline: ‘A Great Representation of a Modern Woman.’”
A great representation of a modern woman? Oh my bad, I was expecting &#8220;Supergirl&#8221; to have a great representation of a trad wife. 
None of this inspired confidence in me that the movie would be any good — and it did not exceed my expectations. Across the board, the movie isn&#8217;t doing well with critics: &#8220;Supergirl’s Rotten Tomatoes Review Score Is A DCU Disappointment,&#8221; reads a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2026/06/24/supergirls-rotten-tomatoes-review-score-is-a-dcu-disappointment/">headline</a> at Forbes. The film amounts to a handful of superhero story tropes thrown together with the occasional good song playing in the background.
A swanky rendition of “Cheek to Cheek” playing during a fight scene has the intended comedic effect; a somber cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” during the final action sequence does not, though it’s unclear whether this is meant to be funny, or significant, or really anything with a discernible purpose.
Speaking of purpose, if we’re looking at the hero’s journey, Supergirl is missing a mentor, someone to give her the wisdom she needs to make the right choices. In flashbacks to her mother, we hear her tell her daughter that she must be good, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be tough or that she must be nice. Her teenage charge Ruthye later encourages her by telling her that while she is pretty rude, she is good. This seems to be all she needs to complete her transition from slovenly alcoholic to a sober and serious hero. 
According to the interviews, we’re meant to accept that Supergirl is an unlikeable and messy character, but the movie never gives us much reason to like her; besides having a tragic backstory and a dog whom she loves, she does little to prove her goodness, or “save the cat.” She does, however, save her CGI dog. 
The villain is forgettable — I could not tell you his name without searching it and I refuse to waste any more time on this — but a bounty hunter played by Jason Momoa brings some charisma and comic relief. Speaking of which, I saw the movie in a fairly full theater on opening night, and not one single joke elicited an actual laugh. A film should more fully commit to being a drama if it can’t figure out how to tell a good joke. In one scene, Supergirl puts Ruthye in a pop-up space suit, and the dialogue goes something like this: 
“Don’t freak out.”
“I’m not freaking out.”
“You’re not freaking out.”
“I’m not freaking out!”
“It seems to me like you’re freaking out.”
“I might be freaking out.”
We get it. You’re freaking out. 
Supergirl is the chaotic counterbalance to Superman’s all-American charm, following the current pattern of heroes who are relatable, who curse a little, and who don&#8217;t have much to offer when it comes to inspiring young fans. What we need is a film that either fully leans into the silliness of superheroes or presents something valuable to say. &#8220;Supergirl&#8221; does neither.

69cbff2524aa9a000f3fbf32_preview_clean

Hollywood Made Another ‘Modern Woman’ Hero. Here’s How It Went.

Barker Coogler

Hollywood’s Gatekeepers Lost Their Grip. Young White Directors Are Back.

Backrooms

Curry Barker

Film

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Ryan Coogler

According to a new report, Jim Carrey is in talks to reprise his role in the popular Christmas classic “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” live action film from 2000. 
Universal and Imagine Entertainment are developing a sequel to the original smash hit that made more than $350 million, according to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/grinch-sequel-in-the-works-jim-carrey-1236595265/">The Hollywood Reporter</a> — a more-than-respectable amount for the time. Ron Howard is also rumored to be returning as director and Brian Grazer will again serve as producer, the outlet noted.
The trio of script writers — Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer, and David Mandel — also worked on the Dr. Seuss adaptation “The Cat in the Hat” (2003) starring Mike Myers, which was not considered a success. It won the Golden Raspberry Award (Razzie) that year for “Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content).”
The project is far from being a done deal and is still in the beginning stages. Carrey, 64, has discussed in the past how difficult the Grinch makeup was to put on and wear — but now he realizes technology has changed everything. He said he was open to returning if that process could be different. 
“Oh, gosh, you know, if we could figure out the Grinch,” the actor told <a href="https://comicbook.com/movies/news/jim-carrey-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-2-one-condition/">ComicBook</a> during a 2024 interview. “The thing about it is, on the day, I do that with a ton of makeup and can hardly breathe. It was an extremely excruciating process. The children were in my mind all the time. ‘It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids.’ And now, with motion capture and things like that, I could be free to do other things. Anything is possible in this world.”
Carrey is best known for cult classic comedy films such as “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “The Mask,” and “Dumb and Dumber,” among others. But he gradually stopped working as much and in 2022, even said he was “probably” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-carrey-said-hes-probably-retiring-from-hollywood-ive-done-enough">retiring from Hollywood</a>. 
Then the actor joined the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise as the film’s villain, Dr. Robotnik, and said he agreed to do the third installment for a relatable reason. “I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch. And, you know, it’s just … I bought a lot of stuff and I need the money, frankly. Yeah,” Carrey <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-carrey-reveals-why-he-agreed-to-do-sonic-3-i-need-the-money-frankly">said</a>. 
He is also set to reprise his role in “Sonic the Hedgehog 4,” scheduled in 2027.

The Grinch

Jim Carrey May Reprise One Of His Most Popular Roles Ever

Christmas movies

Jim Carrey

Actor Tom Hanks jabbed at liberal outlet MSNOW, mocking the far left outlet when a reporter caught up to him on Thursday at the opening of former President Barack Obama&#8217;s Presidential Library in Chicago.
The &#8220;Toy Story&#8221; actor, dressed for the outdoor occasion in a black blazer and round sunglasses, turned to the reporter and asked what information he should share with the &#8220;800&#8221; people who might be likely to be tuned in to the network.
WATCH:
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Credit: MS NOW
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The reporter was naming off some of the famous people in attendance at the library&#8217;s opening, mentioning Doris Kearns Goodwin before turning to address Hanks.
&#8220;What can I do for the 800 people watching MSNOW?&#8221; the actor asked as the reporter turned toward him.
&#8220;Come on,&#8221; the reporter pushed back, telling Hanks that the shot was live.
&#8220;All right, add a zero to it if you need to,&#8221; Hanks laughed.
&#8220;I would say millions, now that you&#8217;re on our air,&#8221; the reporter replied.
&#8220;All right, all right,&#8221; Hanks laughed.
The library opening drew a massive crowd, including former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden — along with their respective First Ladies – and former Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as a number of celebrities. The opening ceremony itself was largely mocked across conservative media because it began with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-presidential-library-officially-opens-with-land-acknowledgement">land acknowledgement</a> to the native tribes that had occupied the area previously.
The fifth film in Hanks&#8217; &#8220;Toy Story&#8221; franchise opened in theaters on Friday, June 19 — and had already set off alarm bells when it set the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/toy-story-5-breaks-the-wrong-kind-of-record-for-pixar">wrong kind of record</a> for Pixar. The critics&#8217; rating for the latest installment ranked lower than any of the previous four on film site Rotten Tomatoes, coming in at 94%. The fourth ranked three points higher at 97%, and the first two had perfect scores of 100%. Critics have argued that the franchise lost its way as the final offering failed to provide a real &#8220;villain&#8221; in the story.

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