This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Illegal Aliens In New York Spark School Protests
Across the country, states and cities are dealing with an influx of thousands of illegal immigrants who have entered the country in recent weeks. On Tuesday morning, in Williamsburg, a neighborhood of New York City, students and parents protested both in favor of and against the use of a local school’s gymnasium to house the migrants. Children could be seen holding signs saying, “We need recess!” and chanting.
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Outside PS 17 in Williamsburg, kids chant, “we support asylum seekers but not on school grounds.” <a href="https://t.co/35iFNRuxIw">pic.twitter.com/35iFNRuxIw</a>
&mdash; Gwynne Hogan (@GwynneFitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GwynneFitz/status/1658443721535307778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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There are roughly 150 temporary shelters being used across the Big Apple for the more than 40,000 illegal aliens who have come to the city under Biden. Many parents feel it poses a safety risk.
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Marzena Wolert (right) is walking by protest and says she’s “disgusted” “they’re fleeing war and they don’t have a home and you’re not gonna have your gym?” She’s confronted by another woman leaving the protest as she walks by. <a href="https://t.co/qWcdoiqMwB">pic.twitter.com/qWcdoiqMwB</a>
&mdash; Gwynne Hogan (@GwynneFitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GwynneFitz/status/1658460535246012417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In the last week alone, 4,000 individuals have <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-migrant-crisis-williamsburg-rally-public-school-gyms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrived</a> from the southern border, and the city says it has simply nowhere else to place them.
Mark Houck Testifies Before Congress
Mark Houck, the Catholic father of 7 — whose house was raided by the FBI back in September — spoke before the House Judiciary Committee today on Capitol Hill. Houck recounted what’s happened to him over the past several months, including the charges he faced from the Department of Justice for allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, and the FBI raid on his house.
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🚨🚨 Mark Houck, the Catholic father of 7 targeted by the DOJ, speaks to members of the House Judiciary Committee here on Capitol Hill. 
&quot;On September 23, my home was raided&#8230; I had 5 federal agents on my doorstep at 6:30 in the morning with long guns pointed at me and my seven… <a href="https://t.co/HOALiQMpgx">pic.twitter.com/HOALiQMpgx</a>
&mdash; Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1658487775182868486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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This all stems from a 2021 incident outside a Pennsylvania abortion clinic in which Houck shoved a planned parenthood escort who was allegedly harassing both Houck and his son.
IRS Whistleblower’s Team Getting Kicked From Hunter Biden Probe, Lawyers Say
The IRS <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irs-whistleblowers-team-getting-kicked-from-hunter-biden-probe-lawyers-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agent</a> who alleges the criminal investigation into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a> has been corrupted by lies and politics is being pulled from the inquiry in a possible act of retaliation. 
The attorneys informed Congress on Monday that their whistleblower client was told that “he and his entire investigative team” were pulled from the IRS investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances. They said that this change allegedly came at the request of the Department of Justice. Attorneys Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt called the move “clearly retaliatory and may also constitute obstruction of a congressional inquiry.”
ChatGPT CEO Warns About AI
The CEO of OpenAI, the parent company of popular online artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, testified before the Senate today that heavy regulation of AI is needed in order to ensure safety. Sam Altman is just the latest tech guru calling for government intervention before it’s too late.
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (<a href="https://twitter.com/sama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sama</a>) on A.I.: “If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong.”
 <a href="https://t.co/AzyeMXHspz">pic.twitter.com/AzyeMXHspz</a>
&mdash; ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) <a href="https://twitter.com/alx/status/1658496315192487936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Netflix Series Helps Locate Abducted Girl?
A young girl from Illinois whose abduction was featured on the Netflix true-crime series &#8220;Unsolved Mysteries&#8221; has been found alive and safe in North Carolina. Kayla Unbehaun was just nine years old when her mother — who did not have custody of her — <a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/abducted-kayla-unbehaun-heather-mother-arrested-netflix-unsolved-mysteries-found-safe-asheville-north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allegedly took her</a> and went on the run back in July 2017. Neither Kayla nor her mother, Heather Unbehaun, had been seen until this past Saturday when an employee at an Ashville clothing store recognized the two from “well-publicized media.”
76th Cannes Film Festival
The 76th Cannes film festival <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/cannes_film_festival/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a> today in the south of France, with stars like Brie Larson, Uma Thurman, Elle Fanning, and Helen Mirren walking the red carpet. The festival also marks Johnny Depp&#8217;s return to the Hollywood fold after his much-publicized court battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Tuesday stock photo

Tuesday Afternoon Update: Illegal Aliens In New York Spark School Protests, ChatGPT CEO Warns About AI, IRS Makes Odd Move In Hunter Biden Case

Artificial Intelligence

Enterainment

General

Hunter Biden

Illegal Immigration

Mark Houck

Morning Wire

Netflix

New York

Back in 1963, Elizabeth Taylor, then the hottest actress in the world, starred as Cleopatra in an over-the-top, star-studded blockbuster with a $31 million budget — equal to $327 million in today&#8217;s dollars.
Taylor likely didn&#8217;t look much like the Egyptian queen, what with her lily-white skin and dark blue eyes with purple irises. But back then, everything wasn&#8217;t so politically correct and people didn&#8217;t take offense at meaningless things.
Skip ahead 60 years. Netflix&#8217;s new documentary &#8220;Queen Cleopatra&#8221; has drawn controversy and &#8220;blackwashing&#8221; claims after Adele James, a black actress, was cast in the lead role. And yes, in fact, historical records show Cleopatra she wasn&#8217;t black, but Macedonian-Greek.
The documentary, part of the African Queens series, explores the rise and fall of the last pharaoh of Egypt and was released on May 10. But it&#8217;s the dismal ratings that are making headlines.
The documentary currently has a 2% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2023/05/15/netflixs-queen-cleopatra-appears-to-have-the-worst-audience-score-in-tv-history/?sh=136085d25391">Forbes</a> says is the lowest in history.
The &#8220;average <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/queen_cleopatra">Tomatometer</a>,&#8221; which calculates how many critics rate it favorably, stands at 10%.
Here&#8217;s how bad that is: The worst film on the movie rating site, Ballistic: Ecks Vs Sever,&#8221; in 2002 has a 0% rating on the <a href="https://collider.com/worst-movies-of-all-time-according-to-rotten-tomatoes/#39-gotti-39-2018">Tomatometer</a>, but a 20% favorable rating by the audience. Another stinker, &#8220;One Missed Call&#8221; from 2008, also has a 0% Tomatometer but a 20% audience score. And the Nicholas Cage bomb, &#8220;Left Behind,&#8221; from 2014 got 0% from the critics but 22% from the audience.
Forbe&#8217;s notes that the creator of the series, Tina Gharvi, has defended the casting choice:
“Why shouldn’t Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white? Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter. After much hand-wringing and countless auditions, we found in Adele James an actor who could convey not only Cleopatra’s beauty, but also her strength. What the historians can confirm is that it is more likely that Cleopatra looked like Adele than Elizabeth Taylor ever did.”
But hundreds of audience reviews say different.
&#8220;I&#8217;m a huge history buff and I love documentaries depicting the past lives of historical figures. That being said, I have no idea what this is. It&#8217;s not a documentary depicting the life of Cleopatra. It&#8217;s a race baiting Netflix show that tells its audience that if you can&#8217;t get on board with this retelling of how we see the history of Queen Cleopatra, then you&#8217;re racist. End of story,&#8221; one amateur reviewer <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/queen_cleopatra/s01/reviews?type=user">wrote</a>.
&#8220;A &#8216;documentary&#8217; that has about as much historical accuracy as John Wayne playing Genghis Khan back in 1956. Cleopatra was a Macedonian Greek. If you want her to be Black, fine create a historic fiction series. Queen Hatshepsut or Queen Nefertiti would have been a much better person to cover if you wanted to take the Black female empowerment narrative,&#8221; another wrote.
Yet another attempt to go woke, but ending up going broke.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Painting From The Movie Cleopatra

Netflix’s Black Cleopatra Has Lowest Audience Score In Rotten Tomatoes History

Netflix's Black Cleopatra Has Lowest Audience Score In Rotten Tomatoes History

Celebrities

Entertainment

U.S.

Woke Culture

After much controversy leading up to its release, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix</a>’s docuseries “Queen Cleopatra” received a shockingly low audience rating on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/queen_cleopatra">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/history">docudrama</a> currently has a 2% audience score and 11% critic rating on the review platform.
“Willing to give it a chance since it was promoted so much for some reason on my feed. I don&#8217;t know where all the money goes to these shows you can never notice it. The acting wasn&#8217;t the worst but the story is just slow and dreadful,” one review said.
“If this was supposed to be a fictitious, loosely based reimagining of Queen Cleopatra this would be an otherwise ok film,” another commenter said. “However it is being showcased as a documentary and the insurmountable inaccuracies of this ‘documentary’ are too many to ignore.”
“Hopelessly inaccurate and a complete failure to understand <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/egypt">Egyptian</a> culture and history. No depth or atmosphere of the time. Just a poor attempt to Americanize Egyptian history by changing it to suit American Culture,” a third review echoed.
The critics weren’t much better. “It&#8217;s too soapy for serious history fans, and not enough of a soap for viewers who like juicy historical dramas,” the Daily Telegraph reviewer wrote.
“Queen Cleopatra” was controversial from the start due to casting actress Adele James to play the main role. Many Egyptians were especially furious over this because James is mixed race and they believe the real Cleopatra had lighter skin.
Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities previously released a statement condemning the Jada Pinkett Smith-produced docuseries claiming that the project didn’t truly reflect history, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/egyptian-network-to-make-its-own-cleopatra-doc-following-outrage-over-black-actress-cast-in-lead-role-on-netflix">reported</a>. It recently announced that Egypt’s state-affiliated United Media Services will produce its own Cleopatra documentary featuring a lighter-skinned version of the historical queen.
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“Queen Cleopatra” director Tina Gharavi responded to criticism about casting James. “Doing the research, I realized what a political act it would be to see Cleopatra portrayed by a black actress,” Gharavi wrote in an article for Variety.
“Why shouldn’t Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white?” she asked. “Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter,” she said.

Netflix’s ‘Queen Cleopatra’ Bombs With 2% Audience Rating On Rotten Tomatoes

Netflix's 'Queen Cleopatra' Bombs With 2% Audience Rating On Rotten Tomatoes

History

Television

Unhappy with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix&#8217;s</a> portrayal of Cleopatra as a black woman, one <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/egypt">Egypt</a>-based broadcast network is responding by releasing a documentary of its own.
Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities previously released a statement condemning the Jada Pinkett Smith-produced docuseries, claiming it didn’t truly reflect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/history">history</a>.
“Queen Cleopatra had light skin and Hellenistic (Greek) features,” the original statement said, insisting that the project “should be based on historical and scientific facts, to ensure that history and civilizations are not falsified.” 
Now, the Al Wathaeqya <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">channel</a>, a subsidiary of Egypt’s state-affiliated United Media Services, has announced that their new Cleopatra documentary will showcase a lighter-skinned version of the queen, per <a href="https://variety.com/2023/global/news/black-cleopatra-netflix-docudrama-egypt-broadcaster-light-skinned-1235608434/">Variety</a>. 
“Based on what is always usual in all the work of the Documentary Production Sector and Wathaeqya Channel, there are work sessions currently being held with a number of specialists in history, archeology, and anthropology. In order to subject research related to the subject of the film and its image to the utmost levels of research and study,” the channel said in a statement.
While it’s impossible to determine the real Cleopatra’s actual skin tone, it’s widely accepted by historians that she had a lighter complexion. This has caused some Egyptian scholars to vocally oppose the casting in Netflix’s documentary.
“We have not discovered her tomb. We have not been left with any contemporary descriptions of her. We do not know who her mother was nor who her grandmother was,” Egyptian archaeologist Dr. Monica Hanna told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/netflix-cleopatra-black-egypt-controversy-ancient-queen/">CBS News</a>.
In April, “African Queens: Queen Cleopatra” director Tina Gharavi responded to criticism about casting black actress Adele James to play the titular role, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/queen-cleopatra-director-responds-to-criticism-over-black-lead-calls-casting-choice-a-political-act">reported</a>. She said casting a black actress was no different than giving the role to Elizabeth Taylor, whose image was also “not right,” in her estimation.
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“Doing the research, I realized what a political act it would be to see Cleopatra portrayed by a black actress,” Gharavi wrote in an article for Variety.
“Why shouldn’t Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white?” she asked. “Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter,” she said.
Ultimately, Gharavi said she didn’t care if Egyptians were “furious” with her project. 
“So, was Cleopatra black? We don’t know for sure, but we can be certain she wasn’t white like Elizabeth Taylor,” she wrote. “We need to have a conversation with ourselves about our colorism, and the internalized white supremacy that Hollywood has indoctrinated us with.”

Cleopatra

Egyptian Network To Make Its Own Cleopatra Doc Following Outrage Over Black Actress Cast In Lead Role On Netflix

Egyptian Broadcaster To Make Their Own Cleopatra Doc Following Outrage Over Black Actress Cast In Lead Role On Netflix

Egypt

World

&#8220;Bridgerton&#8221; star Adjoa Andoh broke her silence after she faced some backlash for saying during live coverage of King Charles III&#8217;s coronation that the Buckingham Palace balcony was &#8220;terribly white.&#8221;
During the 60-year-old British actress&#8217; appearance on Saturday on an ITV panel the &#8220;Invictus&#8221; star said &#8220;We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony. I am very struck by that.&#8221; The image was that of the King, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family, the <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/bridgertons-adjoa-andoh-breaks-silence-29918132">Mirror</a> reported.
&#8220;I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking: &#8216;What are the nuances that they will inhabit as they grow?&#8221; she added.
WATCH:
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Actress Adjoa Andoh was given a BBC platform to speak of a &quot;terribly white balcony&quot;. Can you imagine them giving someone a platform to speak of a &quot;terribly black&quot; family or a &quot;terribly black&quot; TV show? Why is it ok to dismiss a white family for being white?<a href="https://t.co/OnjZ0thh6j">pic.twitter.com/OnjZ0thh6j</a>
&mdash; Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) <a href="https://twitter.com/darrengrimes_/status/1654899184128892930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The video surfaced on Twitter, with people blasting the actress for making &#8220;racist&#8221; comments.
&#8220;Why is it ok to dismiss a white family for being white?&#8221; one person <a href="https://twitter.com/darrengrimes_/status/1654899184128892930?s=20">wrote</a>.
Another <a href="https://twitter.com/plivamuzlajno/status/1654921313427894274?s=20">added</a>, &#8220;Adjoa Andoh is a [racist], and obviously very proud of it. Why is [BBC] promoting racism?&#8221;
Another person tweeted, &#8220;How has Adjoa Andoh got away with that, if it was the other way round it would be deemed racist and all hell would let loose! [bbc] [RoyalFamily].&#8221;
While another wrote, &#8220;How can she get away with that? Anyone of white color would have to make a public apology. Ridiculous, just shows she&#8217;s a racist though.&#8221;
After the star faced some criticism, she went on the BBC and responded to the backlash, noting some people were upset with her.
&#8220;I think I upset a few people yesterday I was talking about the day and how marvelous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end,&#8221; Andoh said. &#8220;‘And I suddenly went &#8216;ooh, it&#8217;s so white&#8217; – because the day had been so so mixed. I didn&#8217;t mean to upset anybody, I just was…&#8221;
A BBC Radio 4 presenter Paddy O&#8217;Connell then interupted the actress and told her she didn&#8217;t have anything to apologize for and said &#8220;You haven&#8217;t upset anyone.&#8221;
And now the British Broadcasting Company is in trouble, with people saying this one broadcaster had no right to say she hadn&#8217;t upset anyone with her comments, the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12059063/BBC-faces-backlash-Adjoa-Andoh-Paddy-OConnell-said-apologise-for.html">Daily Mail</a> noted.
&#8220;Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh has just tried to back track on [bbcradio4], about her comment that the Buckingham Palace balcony was &#8216;terribly white,'&#8221; one person tweeted. &#8220;And then the presenter Paddy O&#8217;Connell tells her that she&#8217;s got nothing to apologize for. Please don&#8217;t speak for me!&#8221;
While another tweeted, &#8220;Paddy O’Connell is an enabler. Where is the impartiality [BBCRadio4]?&#8221;

Adjoa Andoh-1

‘Bridgerton’ Star Breaks Silence After Facing Backlash For Saying During Coronation Balcony Was ‘Terribly White’

'Bridgerton’ Star Breaks Silence After Facing Backlash For Saying During Coronation Balcony Was ‘Terribly White’

Hollywood

Racism

Royal Family

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/egypt">Egyptian</a> government has accused <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix</a> of “falsifying Egyptian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/history">history</a>” by presenting Cleopatra as black in their documentary.
“African Queens: Queen Cleopatra” sparked controversy with the release of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">trailer</a> two weeks ago. Now, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Egypt released a lengthy statement which includes evidence they say proves Cleopatra had a “light complexion” and “Hellenistic characteristics.”
Dr. Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said casting a black actress as Cleopatra in the new Netflix documentary represents “a falsification of Egyptian history and a blatant historical misconception.”
“The film is classified as a documentary and not a drama, the order that the owners of its industry have to investigate accuracy and refer to historical and scientific facts in order to ensure that the history and civilizations of peoples is not falsified,” Dr. Waziri said, per <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12025969/Egypt-hits-Netflixs-Cleopatra-say-white-skin.html">The Daily Mail</a>. 
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities included images of coins and artifacts along with the statement, which they claim prove how Cleopatra had “Hellenic (Greek) features, in terms of light complexion, drawn nose and fluffy lips.”
“Queen Cleopatra,” will debut May 10 with actress Adele James playing the lead role, while Jada Pinkett-Smith served as executive producer. This casting decision was “a nod to the centuries-long conversation about the ruler’s race” and has inspired controversy with historians in particular. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Queen Cleopatra | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IktHcPyNlv4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Director Tina Gharavi admitted that casting James was “a political act.” 
“Doing the research, I realized what a political act it would be to see Cleopatra portrayed by a black actress,” Gharavi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/queen-cleopatra-director-responds-to-criticism-over-black-lead-calls-casting-choice-a-political-act">wrote</a> in an essay for Variety.
“Why shouldn’t Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white?” she asked. “Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter.&#8221;
“So, was Cleopatra black? We don’t know for sure, but we can be certain she wasn’t white like Elizabeth Taylor,” Gharavi wrote. “We need to have a conversation with ourselves about our colorism, and the internalized white supremacy that Hollywood has indoctrinated us with.”
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One Egyptian attorney even sued Netflix over the new project. Lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with the public prosecutor saying “necessary legal measures” should be taken against Netflix services in Egypt, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netflix-docudrama-queen-cleopatra-stirs-controversy-after-casting-black-lead-egyptian-lawyer-sues">reported</a>.
He accused the streaming giant of attempting to “promote the Afrocentric thinking … which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity.”

27th Annual Critics Choice Awards – Arrivals

Egyptian Government Slaps Jada Pinkett Smith’s ‘Cleopatra’: ‘Falsification Of Egyptian History’

Egyptian Government Slaps Jada Pinkett Smith's 'Cleopatra'

<a href="https://store.dailywire.com/collections/candace-owens?utm_campaign=host-collections&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dw&amp;utm_content=candace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Candace Owens</a> will lay bare the &#8220;moral bankruptcy&#8221; behind Netflix’s “Making a Murderer,&#8221; presenting shocking new facts and interviews in “Convicting a Murderer,&#8221; an upcoming docuseries recently acquired by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire+</a>.
The upcoming 10-episode series — some six years in the making — examines what was left out of the 2015 Netflix documentary, and features exclusive interviews with subjects not included in the Netflix show, including law enforcement officers, family members, and fans-turned-investigators whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the case.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Netflix&#8217;s Making A Murderer portrayed Steven Avery as an innocent victim of corrupt law enforcement, but <a href="https://twitter.com/RealCandaceO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealCandaceO</a> will reveal astonishing evidence that Netflix omitted.
This summer, the truth will come out in Convicting a Murderer. Only on DailyWire+. <a href="https://t.co/p68bXkgQto">pic.twitter.com/p68bXkgQto</a>
— DailyWire+ (@dailywireplus) <a href="https://twitter.com/dailywireplus/status/1652010048044793857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“I have an interest in the media&#8217;s ability to transform villains into heroes via selective reporting,&#8221; said Owens said of the project. &#8220;An argument can be made that Netflix made millions by transforming an irrevocably evil man, Steven Avery, into a sympathetic character. &#8216;Making a Murderer&#8217; was a docuseries that earned awards and worldwide applause due to the moral bankruptcy of two filmmakers that were willing to murky the memory and horrific murder of Teresa Halbach — the actual victim of this tragic story.&#8221;
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“Making a Murderer” premiered on Netflix in 2015, and followed the case of Steven Avery, who was convicted for the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. Despite the series receiving critical praise and multiple awards, the docuseries has been heavily criticized for leaving out critical pieces of evidence.
Director Shawn Rech noted that few companies “have the courage to air this type of project, which closely examines the work of a major player in the entertainment industry.”
“This re-examination of the facts surrounding the case offers the opportunity for new public discourse and hopefully some closure for the victim’s family,” Rech added.
This acquisition is the largest yet for DailyWire+, and the docuseries will premiere sometime in the summer of 2023.

Candace Owens

Candace Owens To Star In ‘Convicting A Murderer,’ The DailyWire+ Takedown Of Netflix Hit Documentary

DailyWire+

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix</a> announced Monday that it would invest heavily in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-korea">Korean</a> content, committing $2.5 billion over the next four years.
The news comes after Korean-based <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">programming,</a> including “Squid Game,” “The Glory,” and “Physical: 100,” have been successful for the streaming giant, per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-to-spend-2-5b-on-korean-content-over-next-four-years-1235401320/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>. This massive investment in Korean-made TV series, movies, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">unscripted projects</a> will be double what Netflix spent on Korean content from its local launch in 2016 until today, the outlet noted.
Investment plans were shared Monday during a meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.
“We were able to make this decision because we have great confidence that the Korean creative industry will continue to tell great stories,” Sarandos said. He went on to state his belief that Korean content has a good chance of success.
“It is incredible that the love towards Korean shows has led to a wider interest in Korea, thanks to the Korean creators’ compelling stories. Their stories are now at the heart of the global cultural zeitgeist,” the Netflix exec continued. “I have no doubt our investment will strengthen our long-term partnership with Korea and Korea’s creative ecosystem.”
Sarandos is the one behind Netflix’s Korean content thus far. It all started when he funded Korean creator Bong Joon-ho’s $50 million sci-fi action drama “Okja” (2016). That success led to more K-content, including “Sweet Home,” “Squid Game,” “Hellbound,” “Physical 100,” and “Kill Boksoon.”
“Squid Game” features contestants playing deadly children’s games to win a huge cash prize. It became the company’s top show worldwide in 2021, raking in around $900 million in revenue for Netflix.
“The Glory” is a drama about a woman taking revenge against her childhood bullies. It was also the streaming platform’s most-watched show when it was released in March.
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“Physical: 100” is a grueling physical fitness competition that became Netflix’s second most popular non-English show worldwide in February, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/24/media/netflix-south-korea-investment-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN Business</a>. 
Netflix released 29 exclusive Korean dramas last year. Of those, six were among the top 10 most-watched titles in the Asia-Pacific region in 2022, THR reported. Korean dramas also were the most-watched content category in the region last year.
It’s not just Netflix getting in on the trend. Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ are all putting money toward acquiring and producing original Korean content, too.

Netflix Will Drop $2.5B On Korean Content Over The Next 4 Years

Media

South Korea

“African Queens: Queen Cleopatra” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">director</a> Tina Gharavi responded Friday to criticism about casting black actress Adele James to play the titular role.
Her comments come after the new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix</a> docuseries caused an uproar in Egypt. One Egyptian lawyer is suing Netflix and attempting to get the show banned in his country. 
Gharavi insists that even though she’s not sure <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/history">Cleopatra</a> was black, she’s equally convinced that the historical ruler wasn’t white, which is how she’s been portrayed in Hollywood before.
“I remember as a kid seeing Elizabeth Taylor play Cleopatra. I was captivated, but even then, I felt the image was not right,” the director wrote in an <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/global/queen-cleopatra-black-netflix-egypt-1235590708/">article</a> for Variety. “Was her skin really that white? With this new production, could I find the answers about Cleopatra’s heritage and release her from the stranglehold that Hollywood had placed on her image?”
The real Cleopatra was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC and most scholars agree that her primary ancestry was Greek Macedonian. The director argued that because of intermarriage, the “chance of her being white&#8221; is &#8220;somewhat unlikely.” 
Gharavi also said she was aware of how controversial the casting choice would be.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Queen Cleopatra | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IktHcPyNlv4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Doing the research, I realized what a political act it would be to see Cleopatra portrayed by a black actress,” Gharavi wrote. 
“Why shouldn’t Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white?&#8221; she asked. &#8220;Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter,” she continued.
Gharavi described how the “magnitude and political nature of this job” became clear as they got closer to production. She said she’s ultimately “okay” with Egyptians being “furious” with her.
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“So, was Cleopatra black? We don’t know for sure, but we can be certain she wasn’t white like Elizabeth Taylor,” she wrote. “We need to have a conversation with ourselves about our colorism, and the internalized white supremacy that Hollywood has indoctrinated us with.”
Gharavi concluded the piece by saying she’s “proud” of the docuseries, which is available on Netflix starting May 10.
“I am proud to stand with &#8216;Queen Cleopatra&#8217; — a re-imagined Cleopatra — and with the team that made this,” she said, ending with her belief that, “never before has it been more important to have women leaders: white or black.”

Tina Gharavi

‘Queen Cleopatra’ Director Responds To Criticism Over Black Lead, Calls Casting Choice ‘A Political Act’

‘Queen Cleopatra’ Director Responds To Criticism Over Black Lead, Calls Casting Choice 'A Political Act'

Critics from around the world are furious about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix&#8217;s</a> casting decision for the docudrama “African Queens: Queen Cleopatra,” with one <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/egypt">Egyptian</a> attorney going as far as filing a complaint against the media company for allegedly misrepresenting history.
Adele James, who is of mixed heritage, plays the Egyptian ruler in the upcoming series, but many people disagree with casting the British actress to depict the famous queen. The real Cleopatra was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC, and most scholars <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/cleopatra-white-gadot-experts-weigh-1538455">agree</a> that her primary ancestry was Greek Macedonian.
Netflix’s promotional website, Tudum, addressed the casting controversy in February. The site quoted the show’s executive producer, Jada Pinkett Smith, saying that because Cleopatra’s heritage has been debated, the casting was “a nod to the centuries-long conversation about the ruler’s race.”
“We don’t often get to see or hear stories about black queens, and that was really important for me, as well as for my daughter, and just for my community to be able to know those stories because there are tons of them,” Pinkett Smith said, per <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/global/black-cleopatra-netflix-egypt-adele-james-1235589497/">Variety</a>. 
Zahi Hawass, a prominent Egyptologist and former antiquities minister, told the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper, &#8220;This is completely fake. Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not black.&#8221;
&#8220;Netflix is trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilization is black,&#8221; he said, per the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65322821">BBC</a>, while asking Egyptians to denounce the docudrama.
Lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with the public prosecutor against Netflix, the outlet noted, saying &#8220;necessary legal measures&#8221; should be taken against Netflix services in Egypt.
He accused the streaming giant of attempting to &#8220;promote the Afrocentric thinking &#8230; which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity.&#8221;
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The petition “Cancel Netflix’s ‘Queen Cleopatra&#8217;” has more than 3,700 signatures on <a href="https://www.change.org/p/cancel-netflix-s-queen-cleopatra">change.org</a>, while a similar petition on the platform allegedly garnered 85,000 signatures before being removed, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/19/netflix-accused-of-blackwashing-cleopatra-she-was-light-skinned/">per</a> The New York Post.
The official trailer has its YouTube comments turned off. It currently has over two million views after being released one week ago.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Queen Cleopatra | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IktHcPyNlv4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;Just FYI, this kind of behavior won’t be tolerated on my account. You will be blocked without hesitation!!!” James <a href="https://twitter.com/Adele_JJames/status/1646434915976634371">wrote</a>, sharing screenshots of alleged messages she received from critics. 
“If you don’t like the casting don’t watch the show. Or do &amp; engage in (expert) opinion different to yours. Either way, I’M GASSED and will continue to be!”
The docuseries debuts on Netflix May 10.

Adele James

Netflix Docudrama ‘Queen Cleopatra’ Stirs Controversy After Casting Black Lead, Egyptian Lawyer Sues

Netflix Docudrama 'Queen Cleopatra' Stirs Controversy After Casting Black Lead, Egyptian Lawyer Sues

A Kentucky man is suing Netflix after a photo he posted to Instagram was used in a documentary about a murder that didn’t involve him.
Taylor Hazlewood, 27, is suing the streaming service for using his photo without permission and tying him to a crime he did not commit, Buzzfeed News <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/paigeskinner/netflix-hatchet-lawsuit-true-crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. In June 2019, Hazlewood was with his friend and snapped a picture of himself holding the friend’s hatchet, which he posted to Instagram.
Thinking nothing of the photo, Hazlewood was shocked when friends started reaching out to him after the Netflix documentary “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker” premiered in January of this year – nearly four years after Hazlewood posted the innocent photograph to social media.
Netflix used Hazlewood’s photo while a narrator asks, “Is this a guardian angel or a stone-cold killer?” A tweet also appears on screen from someone saying, “you can never trust anyway.”
But the documentary is not about Hazlewood, nor has Hazlewood been accused of any crime. The documentary is about Caleb McGillvary, who became a viral sensation in February 2013 when he gave an interview to a local Fox affiliate in California describing his role in an incident that resulted in the death of a woman. McGillvary, who identified himself as “Kai,” animatedly described how he was hitchhiking and picked up by a man named Jett McBride. McBride allegedly told McGillvary that he had once raped a 14-year-old girl and then <a href="https://abc30.com/archive/9383501/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> struck a pedestrian at an intersection, pinning her against a parked truck. McBride, according to McGillvary, got out of the car and attacked a bystander who came upon the scene to help. McGillvary said he jumped out of the vehicle to help the pedestrian, grabbed a hatchet from his backpack, and attacked McBride to get him to stop harming the bystander.
McGillvary said he was interviewed by police and released.
The viral video received more than 8 million views on YouTube, was sampled by The Gregory Brothers, and landed McGillvary interviews on Inside Edition and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
But several months after becoming famous, McGillvary was arrested for the murder of New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy. McGillvary said he killed Galfy in self-defense after the attorney drugged and raped him. McGillvary was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to 57 years in prison.
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Hazlewood has no connection to McGillvary or any of the crimes mentioned in the documentary. His attorney, Angela Buchanan, told Buzzfeed that Hazlewood is &#8220;a private and quiet man, was galvanized by his inclusion in the true-crime documentary The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, which tells the salacious story of Caleb McGillvary’s rise to fame and subsequent first-degree murder conviction.&#8221;
&#8220;Netflix, and the production companies upon which they rely, must be held accountable when they are negligent and cause this sort of reputational harm,&#8221; Buchanan added.
Hazlewood is seeking at least $1 million in damages.
McGillvary is also suing Netflix for the documentary, demanding more than $1.3 million for “ruthlessly exploiting a hero’s life story for money,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/17/netflix-hatchet-lawsuit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Washington Post</a>.

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Man Suing Netflix After Photo Used Without Permission In Documentary About Hatchet-Wielding Murderer

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix</a> subscribers were whipped into a frenzy Sunday night as they waited for the live “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/reality-tv">Love Is Blind</a>” reunion special, which led other networks and companies to start mocking the streaming giant on social media.
The special was supposed to go live at 8 p.m. ET Sunday night, but fans only saw the message, &#8220;We’re having trouble playing this title right now. Please try again later or select a different title.&#8221;
This led to a huge uproar on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/social-media">social media</a>. Eventually, Netflix issued an update that said, &#8220;Promise #LoveIsBlindLIVE will be worth the wait….&#8221; but did not offer any details beyond that.
Ninety minutes later, Netflix posted another message on social media to frustrated fans. &#8220;To everyone who stayed up late, woke up early, gave up their Sunday afternoon… we are incredibly sorry that the Love is Blind Live Reunion did not turn out as we had planned,&#8221; the company <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1647774237896368130">tweeted</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;re filming it now and we&#8217;ll have it on Netflix as soon as humanly possible. Again, thank you and sorry.&#8221;
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To everyone who stayed up late, woke up early, gave up their Sunday afternoon… we are incredibly sorry that the Love is Blind Live Reunion did not turn out as we had planned. We&#39;re filming it now and we&#39;ll have it on Netflix as soon as humanly possible. Again, thank you and…
&mdash; Netflix (@netflix) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1647774237896368130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Hulu responded with a photo of Kerry Washington, star of their hit series &#8220;Little Fires Everywhere,&#8221; saying, “Hmmm.&#8221;
Bravo <a href="https://twitter.com/BravoTV/status/1647758853654577152">tweeted</a>, &#8220;We would never keep you waiting for a Reunion,&#8221; with a winking face emoji.
Even Blockbuster got in on the trolling. &#8220;Remember renting vhs’ from us. You could start it on time no problem… This is what we get,&#8221; the company <a href="https://twitter.com/blockbuster/status/1647753764282208256">shared</a>.
Non-media brands piled on with their own comments for Netflix.
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“Ready to clean up all the spilled tea,” Bounty paper towels <a href="https://twitter.com/Bounty/status/1647756423722303488">replied</a>.
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Ready to clean up all the spilled tea 🍵
&mdash; Bounty (@Bounty) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bounty/status/1647756423722303488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“Waiting patiently in our emotional support hoodie,” Fruit of the Loom wrote.
“Let us know if you need a hand running your next live show,” pornography site Brazzers wrote. 
“It WiLL bE WoRTh tHe Wait,” Oreo wrote.
“I know what we can do while we wait…” the Cocaine Bear account said.
“Love may be blind but we SEE you, [Netflix] social team. Pouring one out for your mentions tonight,” Paramount+ tweeted in response to the streaming service’s apology.
Later, Netflix posted another update saying the “Love is Blind” reunion would air on Monday. “Love Is Blind: The Reunion will be available globally at 12pm PT on April 17. Promise,” the streaming service wrote around 2:30 a.m. on Monday.

Netflix Gets Trolled By Other Networks, Brands After ‘Love Is Blind’ Reunion Delay Sparks Fan Outrage

Netflix Gets Trolled By Other Networks, Brands After 'Love Is Blind' Reunion Delay Sparks Fan Outrage

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