Hollywood is still in denial that &#8220;Melania,&#8221; a documentary about first lady Melania Trump and wife of President Donald Trump, is outperforming expectations, floating conspiracy theories that include claims the film&#8217;s positive audience reviews are fake. But the owner of Rotten Tomatoes says those glowing fan responses are 100% real.
“There has been no bot manipulation on the audience reviews for the ‘Melania’ documentary,” Versant, the parent company of the popular review aggregator, said in a <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/melania-rotten-tomatoes-audience-score-bots-1236654401/">statement</a> to Variety. “Reviews displayed on the Popcornmeter are VERIFIED reviews, meaning it has been verified that users have bought a ticket to the film.”
“Melania” currently has one of the largest disparities between critics’ and audience scores on the site, with reviewers <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/melania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">giving the film</a> a 7% rating and moviegoers giving it a 99% rating. About 75% of the audience was women aged 55 and older. 
Avowed leftist late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is one of Hollywood’s most perplexed, as he mentioned during his monologue on Wednesday. 
“As of tonight, Melania has a score of 5% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics. That is very low. To put that in perspective, that is 1% lower than ‘Gigli.’ The audience score for ‘Melania’ is 99% positive, which is 1% higher than ‘The Godfather.’ And I’m sure Donald J. Corleone had nothing to do with that at all,” he said. 
“We need to get to the bottom of this,” Kimmel went on. “Send in Tulsi Gabbard and the FBI! Seize the ticket machines, the popcorn buckets, the box office receipts, at every multiplex in America!”
Movie industry insiders projected an abysmal opening weekend for “Melania,” but were quickly proven wrong when it raked in around $7 million.
At the premiere in Washington, D.C. last week, Melania told reporters that success, to her, didn’t depend on box office numbers.
“I’m very proud of the film, so people may like it, may [not] like it, and that’s their choice,” the first lady told CNN.
“We achieved what we want to achieve,” Melania later added. “For myself, it’s already successful. I’m very proud of what we did.”
“Melania” is directed by Brett Ratner, who is best known for the “Rush Hour” franchise. The documentary provides a glimpse into Melania&#8217;s behind-the-scenes world during the 20 days leading up to her husband&#8217;s second inauguration.
The verified reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes had plenty of positive things to say. 
“An inside look at inaugural preparations, done in style,” one verified reviewer wrote. “Also getting to know our First Lady in a more personal way. The lady who is smart, elegant, stylish, beautiful &amp; someone who loves this country &amp; appreciates all that it offers.”
“Wow. Thought I may like it for the fashion take on it. But it was so much more. Absolutely loved it. Regardless if you like her or not- this documentary was really, really good,” another moviegoer agreed.

Melania

Rotten Tomatoes Confirms ‘Melania’ 99% Audience Score Is Real, Not Bots

Box Office

Documentaries

Entertainment

Hollywood

Melania Trump

Movies

U.S.

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

Amazon MGM’s “Melania” World Premiere

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

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

Amazon

Film

Leftists

Legacy Media

Michelle Obama

Rotten Tomatoes

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

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

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

Children

Disney

Family Values

Hulu

kids

Parenting

sexual content

Television

Violence

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

The Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit Presented by CHANEL

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

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

actors

Blacks

Cultural Appropriation

Race

Whites

Movie industry insiders projected an abysmal opening weekend for “Melania,” a film about the first lady, but were quickly proven wrong when it was projected to rake in at least $8 million, if not more.
While liberals gloated over screenshots of supposedly empty theaters, the movie has outperformed expectations, especially in the South and South-central part of the country, per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-melania-opening-weekend-1236490092/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>. About three quarters of the audience was women aged 55 and older. 
The outlet noted that Amazon MGM paid $40 million for licensing rights and spent an estimated $35 million on marketing. At the premiere in Washington, D.C., on Thursday night, Melania told the press that success to her didn’t depend on box office numbers anyway.
“I’m very proud of the film, so people may like it, may [not] like it, and that’s their choice,” the first lady told CNN outside the premiere.
“We achieved what we want to achieve,” Melania later added. “For myself, it’s already successful. I’m very proud of what we did.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="MELANIA | Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dxXJAqOU00g?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>
As predicted, legacy media critics absolutely trashed the film, giving it an overall rating of 11% on Rotten Tomatoes &#8212; but that’s a vast departure from what audiences are saying. With a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 99% and a Cinemascore of &#8220;A,&#8221; many viewers praised the glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of Melania in the 20 days leading up to her husband Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
“An inside look at inaugural preparations, done in style,” one verified reviewer wrote. “Also getting to know our First Lady in a more personal way. The lady who is smart, elegant, stylish, beautiful &amp; someone who loves this country &amp; appreciates all that it offers.”
“Wow. Thought I may like it for the fashion take on it. But it was so much more. Absolutely loved it. Regardless if you like her or not- this documentary was really, really good,” another moviegoer agreed.
“Melania” is directed by Brett Ratner, who is best known for the “Rush Hour” franchise.
The first lady previously mentioned the inspiration for the documentary while accepting Fox Nation’s “Patriot of the Year” award.
“A first of its kind, capturing the 20 days of my life before the inauguration, 20 intense days of transformation from private citizen to first lady, balancing my business, my philanthropy, fostering the future, building my East Wing team and the White House staff, and, of course, caring for my family,” she said at the time.
“Melania” began screening in theaters nationwide on Friday.

Box Office Triumph: ‘Melania’ Doc Smashes Predictions, Heads To $8M+ Opening Weekend

Box Office Triumph: 'Melania' Doc Smashes Predictions, Heads To $8M+ Opening Weekend

Well, it’s Oscar season again, that time of year when Hollywood honors those amazing films that bravely went on playing in theaters, even though no one was sitting there except Nicole Kidman, desperately trying to move her face. For myself, I couldn’t look forward to the award ceremony more. I really couldn’t. I’ve tried everything. But before you know it, that spectacular gala will be preempting something you actually wanted to watch, so some of you may be thinking… “Sure, if I watch the award ceremony, there’s no doubt I’ll be riveted to my TV, because obviously, if I weren’t, I’d just walk away and do something else. But what I’m really wondering is what’s the inside skinny on how you win this coveted award.” So just in case you’re one of the sad little people whose life is so empty that you would actually think something as pathetic as that, the Daily Wire will now take you behind the scenes for an exclusive look at what it takes to win the Oscar. 
If you want to walk away with gold on Oscar night, you can’t just stand around waiting for someone to watch your movie because, let’s face it, that’s never going to happen. What you have to do is draw attention to yourself by giving interviews in which you express political opinions that are shockingly different from those of someone with even a minimal knowledge of world events. At the same time, of course, it’s important that your shockingly different opinion is exactly the same as everyone else’s opinion in Hollywood, otherwise you can kiss that statuette goodbye. 
For instance, Ethan Hawke has been nominated for his performance as Lorenz Hart in “Blue Moon,” which, in all honesty, would have been the best piece of acting anyone saw this year if anyone had. So clinging to the laughable delusion that the best actor award might go to a white man, Hawke gave an interview in which he reacted to immigration enforcement for all the people in America who woke up that morning thinking, “Gee, I wonder what that guy who played Lorenz Hart is thinking about immigration enforcement.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1264-the-andrew-klavan-show?elementPosition=1&amp;row=5&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974735 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1024x171.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Hawke told an interviewer, “Never before in America have I felt so afraid to speak my mind that I wouldn’t even dare to say what I’m saying right now. But in my role as a man with moral courage, I must come forward with the exact same opinion as everyone else in Hollywood and suffer the consequences, which I hope will be that sweet, sweet statuette. At a time when we in the movie industry are overcome with a sense of crisis totally out of keeping with reality, it’s incumbent on us to speak truth to power, as long as it’s not the sort of power that could keep me from getting the award I should have gotten for “Training Day,” but which instead went to Jim Broadbent, whom no one has heard of, in a movie no one saw about Iris Murdoch, whom no one has read. So please, please, this year, I was in an obscure movie about an artist no one remembers, and now I’m standing here degrading myself by slandering my country and pretending to be afraid for some reason, so please, just give me the award, all right? Please, I’m serious, please.”
Even a front-runner has to campaign for the prize. For instance, “Sinners,” received a record 16 Oscar nominations, including most over-nominated picture, and best picture with a moderately entertaining first half before the second half dwindles into muddled anti-historical theorizing and shameful anti-white racism. Nonetheless, “Sinners” best actor nominee Michael B. Jordan still felt compelled to give a campaign interview, telling reporters, “So help me, if they give my Oscar to that fay cracker in the ping pong movie, I’m gonna slap Chris Rock in the face so hard, he’s gonna change his name to Will Smith so no one will remember who he is either.”
So there you have it. Thanks to this exclusive inside Hollywood reporting from the Daily Wire, you’ll be able to turn on your TV on Oscar night and really enjoy whatever it is you’ll be watching instead.
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-That-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries/dp/1613166869/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EGZUC370LG46&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y_NI0mDOKeowShheDQTVx5NH-fAeimJoCD56_T0Acpl8C0mup7uJf-nGGSRLEItaaekoDnvS2vWLMa4Zd2UBXQ8Y-g-P502jOWz-Y8IX3ZQsdlO7WMLrg1xIhNoKmjCorSWUR4C2l_RbiZ7apJ1MfPzGOrrEf7AdAXX6xwnJRVP_XqUfWuMuVthTWscaU3P4vgmS86-96n-721enHfX12CFQWTajqFbVnrsDkexfUf4.6_gTH6h1Bb9Pn375QdF_VAVZSayDvjQBBKGXE-MTiFo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=klavan&amp;qid=1754049918&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C80&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After That, The Dark,</a> is NOW AVAILABLE. Follow him on X: <a href="https://x.com/andrewklavan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@andrewklavan</a>.
The views expressed in this satirical piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Academy awards

How To Win An Oscar Without Anyone Watching Your Movie

Academy Awards

Andrew Klavan

Ethan Hawke

Humor

Michael B Jordan

Oscars

Satire

Emmy Award-winning actress Catherine O&#8217;Hara has died at the age of 71.
The iconic star was best known for her roles in movies such as “Beetlejuice” (1988), “Home Alone” (1990), “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992), “Waiting for Guffman” (1996), and “Best in Show” (2000). O’Hara also starring in the cult classic TV comedy &#8220;Schitt&#8217;s Creek,&#8221; which earned her the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.
O&#8217;Hara&#8217;s manager confirmed the news of her death Friday, per <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/actress-catherine-ohara-dies-71/story?id=129711879">ABC News</a>, but no other details were immediately available.
O&#8217;Hara had a long and varied Hollywood career spanning across TV and movies, mostly in the comedy genre. Her most recent project was the Apple TV+ series &#8220;The Studio&#8221; along with Seth Rogen. Her role in the series earned her an Emmy nomination in 2025.
The Canadian actress was born in Toronto in 1954 as the sixth of seven children. Like so many other comedic actors, she got her start at the Second City Theater in Toronto alongside legends such as Dan Aykroyd, Joe Flaherty, Gilda Radner, and Eugene Levy. She became a staple character before moving on to films and scripted television.
O&#8217;Hara met her husband, production designer Bo Welch, on the set of &#8220;Beetlejuice&#8221; in 1988. The pair wed in 1992 and had two sons: Matthew in 1994 and Luke in 1997.
O&#8217;Hara stayed close with her &#8220;Home Alone&#8221; co-star Macaulay Culkin for decades and was there when he <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/home-star-macaulay-culkin-honored-walk-fame-ceremony-105315227">received his star</a> on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.
The actress said &#8220;Home Alone&#8221; got her recognized plenty, but the massive fandom of &#8220;Schitt&#8217;s Creek&#8221; was surprising.
&#8220;I used to mostly get people named Kevin who&#8217;d come up to me and ask me to yell &#8216;Kevin!&#8217; in their faces,&#8221; O&#8217;Hara <a href="https://people.com/catherine-ohara-schitts-creek-star-dies-71-8659396">told</a> People in 2020. &#8220;Now it&#8217;s mostly about Moira and &#8216;Schitt&#8217;s Creek.&#8217; I&#8217;ve never gotten this kind of attention in my life. It&#8217;s crazy.&#8221;

Catherine O’Hara

Iconic ‘Home Alone’ Actress Catherine O’Hara Dead At 71

Celebrities

Death

The first lady debuted her new autobiographical film, “Melania,” at the Trump-Kennedy Center on Thursday night, saying she already considers it a success regardless of critical reception or box office performance.
“I’m very proud of the film so people may like it, may don’t like it, and that’s their choice,” Melania Trump told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/29/politics/melania-trump-documentary-premiere-red-carpet">CNN</a> outside the premiere. “We achieved what we want to achieve,” Melania added later. “For myself, it’s already successful. I’m very proud of what we did.”
President Donald Trump also attended the premiere, walking a red carpet that was black to match the film’s black-and-white aesthetic. 
“She’s very smart, very measured — sometimes, when I’m not so measured, she measures you,” Trump said to one reporter about his wife of more than 20 years. 
“I think they knew she was smart, but perhaps, maybe they’ll get her to see something that elevates her above just the word ‘smart,’” the president said at another point, as the Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/2026/01/29/melania-trump-documentary-premiere-kennedy-center/">reported</a>. “She’s got a lot of high quality.”
“It really brings back a glamour that you just don’t see anymore,” he told the outlet. “Our country could use a little bit of that.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="MELANIA | Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dxXJAqOU00g?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 media were not invited to view the film, but several government officials in attendance had glowing things to say about the first lady. 
“She’s one of the most gracious people,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said of Melania.
“She’s not the caricature that we’ve been fed,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. agreed.
Melania signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Amazon MGM Studios and served as executive producer on the project. Filming began in December 2024 and documents the 20 days leading up to her return to the White House.
“Melania” is directed by Brett Ratner, who is best known for the “Rush Hour” franchise.
The first lady previously mentioned the inspiration for the documentary while accepting Fox Nation’s “Patriot of the Year” award.
“A first of its kind, capturing the 20 days of my life before the inauguration, 20 intense days of transformation from private citizen to first lady, balancing my business, my philanthropy, fostering the future, building my East Wing team and the White House staff, and, of course, caring for my family,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/melania-documentary-trailer-promises-inside-look-at-the-first-ladys-return-to-the-white-house">said</a> at the time.
“Melania” began screening in theaters nationwide on Friday.

First Lady Says ‘Melania’ Documentary Is ‘Already Successful’

First Lady Says 'Melania' Documentary Is 'Already A Success' 

Donald Trump

Actress Kristen Stewart said she’s considering leaving the United States, adding that she would still make films for American audiences, even if it meant “shov[ing] them down the throat of the American people.&#8221; 
The 35-year-old made the remarks during an <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/kristen-stewart-interview-chronology-of-water-directing-women-actors-z8ck5kdcz">interview</a> with “The Times,” in the U.K. Stewart is currently promoting her directorial debut, “The Chronology of Water,” which was shot in Latvia because it “would have been impossible to do in the States.&#8221; She condemned President Donald Trump&#8217;s proposed tariffs on movies made outside of the United States, calling them &#8220;terrifying.&#8221;
“Reality is breaking completely under Trump,” Stewart told the outlet. “But we should take a page out of his book and create the reality we want to live in.” 
When the interviewer asked if she was planning to continue living in the United States, the actress replied, “Probably not. I can’t work freely there. But I don’t want to give up completely. I’d like to make movies in Europe and then shove them down the throat of the American people.”
The president reiterated in September that he intends to impose tariffs to incentivize production in the United States. 
“Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby.’ California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit! Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100% Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States,” the president shared in a Truth Social post, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-imposing-100-tariff-on-movies-made-outside-united-states">reported</a>.
In May last year, Trump said Hollywood was dying a “very fast death,” calling incentives from other countries to produce movies outside of the United States “a national security threat.” 
“Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,” the president said at the time. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart Eyes Leaving U.S., Says She’d ‘Shove’ Her Movies ‘Down The Throat’ Of Americans

Tariffs

Hollywood rarely gets veterans right, portraying returning soldiers as caricatures or perfect heroes.
“Sheepdog,” which opened nationwide on January 16, doesn’t have that problem. The film is intent on showing the reality of the veteran experience from all sides — something the film’s writer, director, producer, and star, Steven Grayhm, says came at a cost.
“It was hard. It was really hard,” Grayhm told The Daily Wire in an interview reflecting on the film’s 14-year journey to the screen. “We could have cut corners early on that would have made our lives easier. And we would never have been able to live with ourselves. We never bent the knee, and we never kissed the ring.”
“Sheepdog” is about Army combat veteran Calvin Cole, who is court-ordered into treatment and into the care of a VA trauma therapist in training. 
“Things become even more complicated when Calvin&#8217;s father-in-law, a retired Vietnam Veteran, shows up on his doorstep having just been released from prison,” a description of the film reads. “As Calvin’s plan to run from his past becomes even more challenging, he learns through the support of his community, tough love and compassion, that he must put himself back together again for his family and for himself.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sheepdog - Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IunslTliq2w?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 is personal for Grayhm, whose grandfather was a Polish farmer captured by the Nazis during World War II and held as a prisoner of war for five years. After being widowed, he moved in with Grayhm’s family.
“I had bunk beds in my room,” Grayhm recalled. “So I slept on the top, but I would fall asleep to his stories at night. Some of them were hard … but he did share his being liberated by the American and Allied troops. As a young boy, that’s ingrained in you. That goes into the DNA of who you are.”
His grandfather’s influence laid the foundation until a chance encounter planted the seed that would lead to “Sheepdog’s” creation. In 2011, Grayhm’s car broke down three hours north of Los Angeles. He said his conversation with a tow truck driver is a major source of inspiration for the film. 
“He opened up about his life, the challenges in his marriage, being a father of three, financial hardship,” Grayhm said. “Then he began to share all the different medications that he was on … tethered to his post-traumatic stress from multiple military deployments.”
Grayhm recalls listening without speaking.
“He kept saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m telling you this. I’ve never told my wife. I’ve never told a therapist,’” Grayhm said. “And that lit the spark. The teachable moment was to sit and listen without prejudice.”
The idea that it was easier for a veteran to speak to a stranger than to his own family stuck with the filmmaker.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about him weeks after,” he said. “I thought there had to be more men and women like him suffering in silence.”
That summer, Grayhm and co-star Matt Dallas, who plays Calvin’s best friend in the film, embarked on a nationwide road trip to interview veterans and families. Along the journey, they found many similarities in the stories.
The result is not a traditional war movie, Grayhm said. “‘Sheepdog’ is not a post-traumatic stress movie,” he said. “It is a movie about post-traumatic growth.” He went on to say that too many films in this genre portray veterans as broken beyond repair.
“My character has been to hell and back, but he’s not broken,” Grayhm said of Calvin. “He doesn’t feel sorry for himself.”
He said Hollywood wasn’t biting, at least not without totally changing the vision.
“I cannot tell you how many rooms we were laughed out of,” Grayhm told The Daily Wire. “They said, ‘These movies don’t make money. Nobody cares about these stories.’”
When someone did show interest, it always had stipulations. “We started getting script notes to sanitize the story,” he said. “They wanted to turn my character into some paranoid guy having visions … almost a thriller. That’s not the truth.”
Instead, Grayhm made the project independent, raising private equity out of Texas and filming on a tight budget. After making the rounds on the festival circuit, the film just opened in 500 theaters nationwide.
The authenticity extends to the cast. Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen (“Sideways”), who plays trauma therapist Dr. Elecia Knox, is a Gold Star family member. “She knew the stakes were very high,” Grayhm said. “She bared her heart and soul.”
“She has this speech where she says, ‘You were willing to give your life for your country. Now maybe you should try living for it,’” Grayhm recalled. “You could hear a pin drop. She did it in one take.”
Grayhm says he has just one goal for “Sheepdog.” 
“If we can save a single life with this film, it will be the greatest Hollywood success story,” he said. “There are currently five million veterans not accessing their VA care,” Grayhm added. “Sometimes walking through that front door can be the longest we’ve traveled.”
For civilians, the film serves two purposes. First, it’s a glimpse into what a veteran is going through. And second, it’s a chance to appreciate the freedom they’ve been given.
“The one percent is defending and protecting the other ninety-nine percent,” Grayhm said. “Just being aware of that matters.”
“Sheepdog” is currently showing in theaters.

Sheepdog

Hollywood Told This Filmmaker ‘Nobody Cares’ About Veterans’ Stories. He Told Them Anyway.

Hollywood Told Him ‘Nobody Cares’ About Veteran Movies, But This Filmmaker Made One Anyway

Military

PTSD

Veterans

At last year&#8217;s Golden Globes telecast, Nikki Glaser spoke the ugly truth.
The awards host called the star-studded crowd famous, talented, and powerful. “I mean, you could really do anything &#8230; I mean, except tell the country who to vote for.&#8221;
That joke landed for all the right reasons. The 2024 presidential election proved that everyday Americans tune out political advice from their celebrity betters. Even Legacy Media outlets admitted as much, suggesting that star endorsements may have actually hurt Vice President Kamala Harris’s White House dreams.
Somehow, even pop superstar Taylor Swift couldn’t sway Americans to vote for Harris.
Some predicted Hollywood stars would downgrade their political activism moving forward. And, for the first few months after President Donald Trump’s election, and following Glaser’s spot-on joke, the stars mostly kept quiet.
No longer. Celebrities are louder than ever. And so are <a href="https://ew.com/why-mark-ruffalo-others-wearing-be-nice-pin-at-golden-globes-2026-11883213?srsltid=AfmBOoqcsYgLyf_Q5gDoE-p5rGFqOwuCzww6y-QjmkcM1oBA9MLRUPAg">their “Be Good” activist pins</a>.
<div id="attachment_1032127" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1032127" class="size-large wp-image-1032127" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2255319046-865x576.jpg" alt="US comedian Wanda Sykes wears a pin reading &quot;be Good&quot;, in tribute to Renee Good, who was fatally shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, as she attends the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 11, 2026. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP via Getty Images) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2255319046-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2255319046-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2255319046-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2255319046.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Michael Tran / AFP via Getty Images</div>
They’ve weighed in on ICE arrests, the overthrow of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, and the Epstein Files. Just once or one thousand times.
But why? If their endorsements and social media posts aren’t moving the electoral needle, why bother sharing them in the first place? Aren’t they hurting their own cause?
For one, it’s the ultimate virtue signal in a relentlessly progressive industry. Sharing the “correct” views will never hurt one’s career, even if the average movie or TV fan cringes in response.
That’s hardly the only reason. These missives could actually help their careers at a critical time.
Hollywood jobs have rarely been this insecure. Theatrical attendance is shrinking. Major streaming platforms are struggling to make ends meet. Late-night TV is going the way of the pager and the 8-track tape. Quality films often come and go without so much as denting the pop culture zeitgeist, even with the biggest stars attached.
Last year, a gangster flick with not one but two Robert De Niro performances <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt21815562/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">earned $6 million at the domestic box office.</a>
For stars, spouting off about “Gestapo”-style ICE agents is a way to signal to fellow progressives. I’m like you. I vote like you do. And, if you happen to know of an upcoming gig, please keep me in mind.
Consider it virtual networking. Chances are, it works more often than it doesn’t.
Plus, legacy media outlets love sharing progressive stars and their political missives. The aforementioned Mr. De Niro rages against President Trump early and often, a real dog-bites-man news story.
Yet every time he does so, it inspires a fresh wave of news articles. Most, if not all, publicity is good publicity.
<div id="attachment_1032113" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1032113" class="size-large wp-image-1032113" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2154511594-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - US actor Robert De Niro speaks in support of US President Joe Biden outside of Manhattan Criminal Court as former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends his criminal trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments in New York City, on May 28, 2024. De Niro on Tuesday spoke outside the New York court where Donald Trump is standing trial, branding him a dangerous &quot;clown&quot; who will become a dictator for life if reelected. De Niro, a longtime political activist and critic of Trump, has taken a growing role in the campaign to reelect Joe Biden, including starring in a new hard-hitting TV ad for the Democratic Party. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2154511594-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2154511594-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2154511594-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2154511594.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images</div>
In the dog-eat-dog world of Tinsel Town, every advantage should be taken to secure future work. It explains why prominent liberal stars like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck just sat down with Joe Rogan for the comic’s rebel podcast. The stars may still be mad about Rogan endorsing Trump at the end of the 2024 presidential election. Or, they could resent Rogan’s subversive take on the COVID shot that their friends and neighbors insisted everyone take … or else.
And yet, they still understand if they want more eyeballs on their new Netflix original film, “The Rip,” they’d better hide those hard feelings and make nice with the former “Fear Factor” host.
Progressive stars still won’t drop by the set of Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” They don’t need to promote their films and TV shows that badly, apparently.
The secret to their political commentary? Supporting the right, or approved, causes. Anything that smacks of an anti-Trump sentiment is held dear to their hearts. The stars stayed silent during the worst woke cancellations. They ignored the rise of sensitivity readers influencing what words can and can’t be shared in fiction.
No anti-Trump or anti-GOP angle to exploit.
Yet when Jimmy Kimmel got suspended for insinuating MAGA Nation killed Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, they rose up en masse to protect Kimmel’s “free speech” rights, presuming without evidence that President Trump had benched the far-Left broadcaster.
The lack of a Trumpian angle may explain why the Israeli women who endured brutal sexual assaults, and worse, during the October 7 atrocities didn’t get support from Hollywood’s MeToo activists.
More recently, Hollywood gathered for the latest Golden Globes soiree as Iranian protesters squared off against their tyrannical government. Once again, the Hollywood elite couldn’t spare a syllable to support those risking their lives for freedom.
After all, President Trump had the Iranian people’s back, so it wasn’t worth sticking their neck out to support the cause.
There are always exceptions to the political celebrity rule. Two recent examples spring to mind.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1032119" style="width: 392px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1032119" class="size-large wp-image-1032119" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2245927941-382x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 09: BIlly Bob Thornton attends PaleyFest NY 2025 - Paramount+'s &quot;Landman&quot; on November 09, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Manny Carabel/Getty Images)" width="382" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2245927941-382x576.jpg 382w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2245927941-199x300.jpg 199w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2245927941.jpg 679w" sizes=" (max-width: 382px) 100vw, 382px" />Manny Carabel/Getty Images</div>
Actor Billy Bob Thornton of “Landman” fame told Joe Rogan last November that you won’t find him <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/billy-bob-thornton-talks-hollywood-politics-with-joe-rogan">lecturing fans</a> from any awards show podium.
“I’m very strong in my opinions, but my opinions don’t belong to any political party. I just look at what makes sense, and I think we need a common sense party in this country. That’s actually what I think we need. Just figure it out. It’s pretty easy to figure out what this is all about.”
And Claire Foy went from admonishing President Trump several years ago to declaring <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/actress-claire-foy-trump-political-opinions/">politics off limits</a> in her promotional efforts.
“What I believe and who I am and where I stand on things is constantly in flux, as much as it is for everyone else, and I have absolutely no authority to discuss or proclaim about anything other than what I do as an actor.
“If you’re just making noise for the sake of it, then you should probably shut up – so I tend to shut up.”
Actors, by and large, will never shut up. Nor should they. If they actually practiced some consistency with their political activism, they might start changing some hearts and minds after all.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

TOPSHOT-US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-TELEVISION-AWARD-GLOBES-ARRIVALS

Why Stars Keep Getting Political, Even When No One’s Listening

Why Stars Keep Getting Political, Even When No One's Listening

Billy Bob Thorton

Democrats

Elections

Robert de Niro

U.S. Politics

The 2026 Academy Award nominations were announced today, which included some predictable nods, a few snubs, and one record-breaking film. 
The Ryan Coogler-directed film “Sinners” earned a whopping 16 nominations, breaking the record previously set by “Titanic&#8221; (1997), &#8220;La La Land&#8221; (2016), and &#8220;All About Eve&#8221; (1950), which each had 14 nominations.
“Sinners” is a horror film set in Mississippi in 1932 that also addresses the racism from that era. It follows Michael B. Jordan playing twin brothers who return to their hometown in the Jim Crow South, only to be confronted by a supernatural evil.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leos-latest-is-a-woke-fever-dream-and-a-box-office-nightmare">ultra woke</a> Hollywood darling “One Battle After Another” scored the second most nominations with 13 total.  “Frankenstein,” “Marty Supreme,” and “Sentimental Value” each got nine.  
As for snubs, “Wicked: For Good” was totally shut out this year after the first film earned 10 Oscar nominations and won two awards at the 2025 Academy Awards. Actor Paul Mescal was favored to be nominated for his role in “Hamnet,” but ultimately didn’t make the cut. 
The Academy Awards will once again be hosted by Conan O’Brien. They are scheduled air live on ABC and Hulu on Sunday, March 15, starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Here is a <a href="https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2026">full list</a> of this year’s Oscar nominees:
Best Picture
<ul>
<li>“Bugonia”</li>
<li>“F1”</li>
<li>“Frankenstein”</li>
<li>“Hamnet”</li>
<li>“Marty Supreme”</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>“The Secret Agent”</li>
<li>“Sentimental Value”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
<li>“Train Dreams”</li>
</ul>
Best Director
<ul>
<li>“Hamnet” – Chloé Zhao</li>
<li>“Marty Supreme” – Josh Safdie</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another” – Paul Thomas Anderson</li>
<li>“Sentimental Value” – Joachim Trier</li>
<li>“Sinners” – Ryan Coogler</li>
</ul>
Best Actor
<ul>
<li>Timothée Chalamet in “Marty Supreme”</li>
<li>Leonardo DiCaprio in “One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>Ethan Hawke in “Blue Moon”</li>
<li>Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners”</li>
<li>Wagner Moura in “The Secret Agent”</li>
</ul>
Best Actress
<ul>
<li>Jessie Buckley in “Hamnet”</li>
<li>Rose Byrne in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”</li>
<li>Kate Hudson in “Song Sung Blue”</li>
<li>Renate Reinsve in “Sentimental Value”</li>
<li>Emma Stone in “Bugonia”</li>
</ul>
Best Supporting Actor
<ul>
<li>Benicio Del Toro in “One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>Jacob Elordi in “Frankenstein”</li>
<li>Delroy Lindo in “Sinners”</li>
<li>Sean Penn in “One Battle after Another”</li>
<li>Stellan Skarsgård in “Sentimental Value”</li>
</ul>
Best Supporting Actress
<ul>
<li>Elle Fanning in “Sentimental Value”</li>
<li>Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in “Sentimental Value”</li>
<li>Amy Madigan in “Weapons”</li>
<li>Wunmi Mosaku in “Sinners”</li>
<li>Teyana Taylor in “One Battle After Another”</li>
</ul>
Best Adapted Screenplay
<ul>
<li>“Bugonia” – screenplay by Will Tracy</li>
<li>“Frankenstein” – written for the screen by Guillermo del Toro</li>
<li>“Hamnet” – screenplay by Chloé Zhao &amp; Maggie O’Farrell</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another” – written by Paul Thomas Anderson</li>
<li>“Train Dreams” – screenplay by Clint Bentley &amp; Greg Kwedar</li>
</ul>
Best Original Screenplay
<ul>
<li>“Blue Moon” – written by Robert Kaplow</li>
<li>“It Was Just an Accident” – written by Jafar Panahi; script collaborators Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi Mahmoudian</li>
<li>“Marty Supreme” – written by Ronald Bronstein &amp; Josh Safdie</li>
<li>“Sentimental Value” – written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier</li>
<li>“Sinners” – written by Ryan Coogler</li>
</ul>
Best Animated Feature
<ul>
<li>“Arco”</li>
<li>“Elio”</li>
<li>“KPop Demon Hunters”</li>
<li>“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” </li>
<li>“Zootopia 2”</li>
</ul>
Best International Feature
<ul>
<li>Brazil, “The Secret Agent”</li>
<li>France, “It Was Just an Accident”</li>
<li>Norway, “Sentimental Value”</li>
<li>Spain, “Sirāt”</li>
<li>Tunisia, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”</li>
</ul>
Best Documentary Feature
<ul>
<li>“The Alabama Solution”</li>
<li>“Come See Me in the Good Light”</li>
<li>“Cutting Through Rocks”</li>
<li>“Mr. Nobody Against Putin”</li>
<li>“The Perfect Neighbor”</li>
</ul>
Best Animated Short
<ul>
<li>“Butterfly”</li>
<li>“Forevergreen”</li>
<li>“The Girl Who Cried Pearls”</li>
<li>“Retirement Plan”</li>
<li>“The Three Sisters”</li>
</ul>
Best Casting
<ul>
<li>“Hamnet”</li>
<li>“Marty Supreme”</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>“The Secret Agent”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
</ul>
Best Cinematography
<ul>
<li>“Frankenstein”</li>
<li>“Marty Supreme”</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
<li>“Train Dreams”</li>
</ul>
Best Costume Design
<ul>
<li>“Avatar: Fire and Ash”</li>
<li>“Frankenstein”</li>
<li>“Hamnet”</li>
<li>“Marty Supreme”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
</ul>
Best Documentary Short
<ul>
<li>“All the Empty Rooms”</li>
<li>“Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud”</li>
<li>“Children No More: ‘Were and Are Gone’” </li>
<li>“The Devil Is Busy”</li>
<li>“Perfectly a Strangeness”</li>
</ul>
Best Film Editing
<ul>
<li>“F1”</li>
<li>“Marty Supreme”</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>“Sentimental Value”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
</ul>
Best Live-Action Short
<ul>
<li>“Butcher’s Stain”</li>
<li>“A Friend of Dorothy”</li>
<li>“Jane Austen’s Period Drama”</li>
<li>“The Singers”</li>
<li>“Two People Exchanging Saliva”</li>
</ul>
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
<ul>
<li>“Frankenstein”</li>
<li>“Kokuho”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
<li>“The Smashing Machine”</li>
<li>“The Ugly Stepsister”</li>
</ul>
Best Original Score
<ul>
<li>“Bugonia”</li>
<li>“Frankenstein”</li>
<li>“Hamnet”</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
</ul>
Best Original Song
<ul>
<li>“Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless” –  music and lyrics by Diane Warren</li>
<li>“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” – music and lyrics by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon, and Teddy Park</li>
<li>“I Lied to You” from “Sinners” – music and lyrics by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson</li>
<li>“Sweet Dreams of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!” – music and lyrics by Nicholas Pike</li>
<li>“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams” – music by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner, lyrics by Nick Cave</li>
</ul>
Best Production Design
<ul>
<li>“Frankenstein”</li>
<li>“Hamnet”</li>
<li>“Marty Supreme”</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
</ul>
Best Sound
<ul>
<li>“F1” </li>
<li>“Frankenstein”</li>
<li>“One Battle After Another”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
<li>“Sirāt”</li>
</ul>
Best Visual Effects
<ul>
<li>“Avatar: Fire and Ash”</li>
<li>“F1”</li>
<li>“Jurassic World Rebirth”</li>
<li>“The Lost Bus”</li>
<li>“Sinners”</li>
</ul>

Sinners premiere

2026 Oscars: Jim Crow-Era Horror Film Shatters Record For Most Noms Ever

2026 Oscars: Jim Crow Era Horror Film 'Sinners' Breaks Record For Most Noms Ever

Menu