Dan Lin, the chairman of Netflix&#8217;s film division, said in a newly published interview that he is not interested in working with movie directors targeting theatrical releases. 
&#8220;There is a group of filmmakers who still want theatrical. Those are filmmakers that we’ve accepted we just won’t work with,&#8221; Lin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/business/media/dan-lin-netflix-hollywood.html">told</a> The New York Times. 
He also emphasized that Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of “The Chronicles of Narnia” is an exception to this rule and not indicative of a new standard. His blunt comments come on the heels of Netflix’s major merger deal with Warner Bros. falling apart as Paramount Studios swooped in and made an offer it couldn’t refuse.
Some of the chief concerns critics had about the proposed Netflix/Warner Bros. merger centered around the future of theaters and theatrical releases if Netflix cornered such a large piece of the entertainment market.
The company heads promised that Netflix would have taken good care of the Warner Bros. IP (intellectual property) and “strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S.,” as they said when the deal fell apart earlier this year.
“But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” the execs <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netflix-backs-down-in-fight-for-warner-bros-leaving-paramount-inches-from-victory">concluded</a>.
Though neither company (Paramount or Netflix) were favored by those in the industry, Netflix was viewed with a particularly skeptical eye as some questioned the streaming giant’s commitment to the theatrical experience. Others view Paramount CEO David Ellison’s apparently close relationship with the Trump administration as a reason to worry.
When the deal was still on the table, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos dispelled rumors that he would shorten theatrical release times if the company acquired Warner Bros.
“When this deal closes, we will own a theatrical distribution engine that is phenomenal and produces billions of dollars of theatrical revenue that we don’t want to put at risk. We will run that business largely like it is today, with 45-day windows,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/business/media/ted-sarandos-netflix.html">Sarandos told</a> The New York Times in January.
“I’m giving you a hard number. If we’re going to be in the theatrical business, and we are, we’re competitive people — we want to win. I want to win opening weekend. I want to win box office,” he said at the time.
Now that Warner Bros. won’t be part of Netflix’s portfolio, it appears the streaming giant is abandoning theatrical efforts almost entirely.

Movie theater

Netflix Exec Admits Certain Directors Need Not Apply

Netflix Exec Admits The Company Won't Work With Directors Who Want Theaters

Entertainment

Movie Theaters

Netflix

Paramount

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I&#8217;m not a tough movie critic, and it’s not that I don’t have taste. But just because I can appreciate “Marty Supreme” doesn’t mean I won’t laugh at the latest formulaic romcom that rolled off the streaming conveyor belt. Just as a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-travesty-a-chinese-company-just-bought-nathans-famous-hot-dogs">hot dog</a> is better at a ballgame than a plate of steak tartare, you wouldn’t want to watch “Schindler’s List” on an airplane.
I say all this so that you really believe me when I say that “Ladies First” is the worst movie ever made.
Netflix’s latest feature film stars Sacha Baron Cohen as Damien Sachs, an unbelievably misogynistic ad executive who finds himself in a gender-bent world where Alex Fox (Rosamund Pike), the long-suffering single mother who quit rather than suffer under Damien’s chauvinism, is his boss. In fact, in this alternate universe, women hold all the power, and men are the second sex!
Get it? It’s funny because of sexism.
Except, here’s the thing: The movie isn’t funny at all. Nor is it an effective or incisive commentary on the state of gender equality. And I’m not saying that because I disagree with the arguments the movie is trying to make. I’m saying that because it’s a poorly written, overacted lump of tropes that feels bloated at only 93 minutes.
In “Ladies First,” every man is either a villainous lothario or a beer-swilling, ball-scratching manchild who sits around lazily while their wives and mothers do all the work. The women, meanwhile, are all smiling through the stress as they cook, clean, work, parent, and try to have it all.
This may read like the upshot of any movie made in the last 30 years starring Vince Vaughn, but it’s so much worse. Consider the explosive scene that precedes Damien’s universe jump, wherein Alex — recently promoted to junior creative director to placate a client who demanded more diversity — sits through a pitch meeting on how to get more women to drink Guinness. Here’s some of the dialogue:
“You know St. Pauli Girl, right?”
“Heil Titler!”
“Right, so we create our own: Guinness Girl. But she’s so much hotter. And they make out!”
“And then she and the St. Pauli girl have a pub fight, and there’s Guinness, and there’s foam —”
“And they’re ripping each other’s clothes off!”
I mean, come on.
It’s not just that the writing is too ham-fisted to be either funny or biting, though it is. The real problem is that this is so unbelievable that it’s guaranteed to kill any interest in the ultimate plot twist. There are undoubtedly sexist ad execs in the world, but not even Don Draper would think to pitch women on a product with a campaign that amounts to “hurr durr boobies lol.” The idea that an ad executive in 2026 would have such a dumb idea strains credulity about as much as a multiverse designed to punish chauvinism.
Things only get worse as we enter the women-run world, where instead of being confronted with boss babes and gender equality, we get a literal swap: here, women are crass and vulgar, and men are sensitive and effeminate. Without context, the limp-wristed affectation of all the men in this film would certainly be seen as a gay joke, and the women belching with their hands down their pants just comes across as odd.
In case you missed the gender swap, they’ll remind you every scene in throwaway gags as subtle as dynamite. The books in Damien’s apartment are “Harriet Potter” and “The Lady of the Rings”; Victoria’s Secret sells testicle bras; there’s even a throwaway bit about a man’s “time of the week,” which is left mostly unexplained.
These moments, which could otherwise be the source of the movie’s biggest punchlines, fall entirely flat because they don’t make any sense. This is especially clear when it comes to the alternate universe women, who behave just as horribly as men in the real world.
This is where the already tenuous movie falls completely apart. Rather than become an advocate for gender equality in the alternate universe, Damien accepts the matriarchy and becomes a himbo: he dresses provocatively, undergoes cosmetic procedures, and sleeps with his boss, who goads him into bed with the promise of a promotion. What sets Damien free from his strange new reality is not accepting women as equals, but undergoing a humiliation ritual in which he is feminized and belittled.
The most bizarre scene in the alternate world comes when Damien repeats the aforementioned board meeting. This time, it’s Alex who makes penis jokes and pitches the world’s worst campaign to get men interested in Guinness while his cries fall on deaf ears. But while Alex cried sexism and quit, Damien started trying to crawl his way back to power. That is an unintentionally hilarious take on the differences between men and women.
This is the film’s ultimate failure: It has no sexual politics, or, to the extent that it does, they are so muddled that they make no sense. Of course, movies don’t always have to make grand points, but a movie like “Ladies First” clearly has one in mind. Failing to stick the landing on something as simple as “gender equality good” is just plain embarrassing.
In fact, if you really start thinking about “Ladies First,” you may find yourself coming up the other end of the horseshoe. The movie’s logic holds that there are certain traits and behaviors inherent to each sex, and that there are only two sexes. One of those sexes is naturally dominant, and its dominance seems tied to the fact that it is less emotional and more prone to action.
We’re obviously supposed to watch “Ladies First” and think “wow, gender roles are really messed up!” But it&#8217;s hard not to walk away from the film thinking, “Well, sure, in that world it makes sense that women are in charge!” By creating a society more patriarchal than reality and then immediately inverting it, “Ladies First” makes strict gender roles seem more, not less, reasonable.
But it’s important to note, ultimately, that none of this matters. By even drawing out these contradictions, I have spent more time thinking about “Ladies First” than it deserves. If you want an actually funny take on the film’s central trope, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KG08opmyzw">watch this one episode</a> of “The Mindy Project” and use the other 71 minutes to do something productive.
But if you want to spend 93 minutes bored out of your mind, regretting your decisions, and occasionally throwing up your hands in disbelief — just go to the DMV.

Ladies_First_RY_24-12-03_02727_R

‘Ladies First’ Accidentally Makes The Conservative Case On Gender Roles

Movies

Upstream

The latest Netflix documentary that has viewers glued to their TVs is &#8220;The Crash,&#8221; which tells the story of convicted murderer Mackenzie Shirilla and the deadly 2022 car crash that put her behind bars for 15 years to life.
The 90-minute documentary features in-depth interviews with Shirilla’s parents, Natalie and Steve, and the families of the two young men killed in the crash: Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Shirilla, who was 17 at the time, intentionally crashed the vehicle at roughly 100 mph into a commercial building in Strongsville, Ohio, a suburb outside Cleveland, in the early morning hours of July 31, 2022.
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According to family and friends interviewed in the documentary, Russo had been involved in a &#8220;toxic&#8221; relationship with Shirilla, while Flanagan was a friend who joined the two in the car that fateful morning.
While the Netflix show focuses heavily on the emotional fallout surrounding the case, key details found in reports from Strongsville Police show a more complete picture of Shirilla&#8217;s behavior and state of mind leading up to the crash.
A central question in both the trial and documentary was whether the teenager really meant to crash a car at a high rate of speed into a brick building. While her parents said no, local authorities suggested the parents were aware their daughter was capable of doing harm.
A detective said he was told by a police sergeant that Shirilla’s father, Steve, said she &#8220;intentionally&#8221; drove her vehicle into the building in an attempt to take her own life. Steve also told the sergeant his daughter was suicidal and asked that she remain in the hospital, according to the detective.
At this time, Shirilla had just turned 18 while recovering in the hospital, meaning she was now an adult and could legally check herself out despite her father’s wishes.
Another bombshell in the detective&#8217;s report claims Shirilla voluntarily engaged in sexual acts with other people &#8220;likely in exchange for monetary value.&#8221; Dozens of Snapchat messages and text messages indicate Shirilla requested money in exchange for pictures or meetups.
The documentary includes interviews with several of Shirilla&#8217;s friends who defended her character and insisted she would never hurt anyone. But other witnesses interviewed by police described her driving as reckless and dangerous. One person said she &#8220;sucked at driving.&#8221;
Police records also cite Snapchat videos allegedly recorded by Shirilla in April 2022 showing a vehicle speedometer reaching 93 mph in traffic.
Rosie Graham, one of Shirilla&#8217;s strongest defenders in the documentary, was also cited in police records as telling friends not to get in the car with her.
Shirilla&#8217;s efforts to overturn her conviction on appeal have so far failed. She is up for parole in 2037.

Credit: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

The Disturbing Details Netflix Didn’t Include In ‘The Crash’

Crime

News

Ohio

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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The Rousey vs. Carano <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gina-carano-vs-ronda-rousey-netflix-announces-first-ever-live-mma-event">fight</a> proved that women are capable of being tough beasts and beauties. Despite some being upset that Ronda Rousey masterfully took down Gina Carano in the brief span of 17 seconds, I enjoyed the entire event. The lead-up fights were entertaining, and the headliners, two women, showed the best parts of womanhood.
The Krauss house hosted a small fight night watch party on Saturday night. We often do this, and even our girls like to watch, which was why it was pretty cool to show them that two ladies were the main card for Netflix’s MMA event. We are just a short drive to Intuit Dome, where over 14,000 fans paid top dollar for tickets to watch two female fighting legends face off.
It had been a while since the contenders had entered the Octagon. <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ronda-rousey-destroys-gina-carano-042520436.html">Yahoo Sports</a> and other critics said the Netflix fights only pull people out of retirement. Maybe that’s true considering the champion of the night, Ronda Rousey, hadn’t fought since 2016. And conservative darling actress Gina Carano had not been in the Octagon since 2009.
Yet the lead-up to the fight was full of hype, probably due to the marketing genius of internet anti-hero Jake Paul’s production company, MVP. In all sports, especially fighting, the promotional lead-up is often full of smack talk and name-calling. But after the bell rings and the winner’s fist is raised, there are handshakes and hugs.
The display of raw emotion and admiration these women demonstrated on Saturday night was really inspiring. I’ve never witnessed a fight night end with open encouragement and support for the opponent. The competitors showed mutual respect that included laughing, hugging, and chatting after the winner was declared — mere seconds after an impressive armbar maneuver that could have broken the bones of the defeated fighter.
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<div id="attachment_1097127" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1097127" class="wp-image-1097127 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276641015.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276641015.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276641015-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276641015-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276641015-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix</div>
In no other fight have we witnessed a loser <a href="https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/story/sports/mma/2026/05/17/gina-carano-ronda-rousey-loss-victory-life-netflix/90134256007/">crediting</a> the victor for her personal and professional change and growth.
&#8220;I have so much love and respect for her,&#8221; Carano said in a post-fight interview. &#8220;This was a victory in my life. She changed it. I woke up every morning at 3 a.m. thinking about her. I took 100 pounds off of my body, which is going to give me a longer life. I fell back in love with mixed martial arts. There&#8217;s so many good things to think about here.&#8221;
And never has a man said after a win that he is going to have more babies while embracing his spouse.
Rousey instantly hugged and kissed her husband, heavyweight fighter <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ronda-rousey-kisses-husband-travis-180040054.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALw1r4ymPDZffWUd4KjEkUOE9rmEn2hsedvxHcjjDE8umyFb55y4RSExsX3CImfHSjikMBmkFydXqmkuHapd0d4o3DV8Fjq1gZnWOFbjpG4bk2n5UmVnjaXDcSiE0of7LDUASjqhTEOW46MjdW83-cZ8tmGHk26Qy_kEVBjyGaDP">Travis Browne,</a> and said, “There&#8217;s no way I could&#8217;ve ended it better than this. I wanna have some more babies.”
The night also stood out for other reasons. The multiple male fighters preceding the main event showcased the need to protect women’s sports. Nate Diaz or Francis Ngannou would have destroyed the talented Rousey. But, in a woman-to-woman matchup, the fight was fair.
Women in all sports should be lauded and protected because these women prove that they are unique — and fun.
It takes emotional strength to succeed as a woman, wife, and mom. Our ability to nurture is a type of strength. The patience and repetitive challenge of marriage and motherhood take strength. Some mothers fight in the Octagon; others do so in politics, business, ministry, or education. We fight for our kids, for our communities, and for our country.
We can be competitive and kind. We can be loving and tough. We can be smart and sweet. We can be savvy and honest.
Women shouldn’t have to retreat or minimize who we are. We can display our femininity and differences from men, support those differences, and encourage them in ourselves and in the other women in our lives.
All women, even outside of the Octagon, are fighters.
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Elisha Krauss is a conservative commentator, writer, and speaker who resides in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their four children. She is an advocate for women’s rights, school choice, and smaller government.

Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano – Press Conference

The Biggest Moment Of The Rousey-Carano Fight Wasn’t The Winning Move

Gina Carano

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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Ladies love the 1995 and 2005 film versions of &#8220;Pride and Prejudice.&#8221; Their timelessness has inspired a dedicated base of fans who prize the romantic, heartfelt relationships that have the time to build through character development and genuine affection. 
Both beloved films had very little kissing and zero sex scenes, as pro-life activist Lila Rose recently <a href="https://x.com/LilaGraceRose/status/2042280067758494013">noted,</a> yet they managed to become wildly popular. The 2005 &#8220;Pride &amp; Prejudice&#8220; starring Keira Knightley was a box office success, grossing $121.6 million over a $28 million budget. The 1995 &#8220;Pride and Prejudice&#8221; BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle drew in about 10-11 million views per episode, selling 12,000 VHS copies within the first two hours of its release. 
But Hollywood’s latest attempts to take on 19th-century romance have repeatedly resulted in historically inaccurate, hypersexualized cinema that fails to hold up against the established classics.
The smutty Jane Austen knock-off show &#8220;Bridgerton&#8221; brags an expensive budget of $7 million per episode, but the sparkle of the show seems to be dwindling. Though the viewer numbers are still high, season 4 streams <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2026/02/11/bridgerton-season-4-viewership-drops-the-lincoln-lawyer-spikes-in-new-report/">dropped</a> 12% from season 3 as the repetitive “will-they-won’t-they have sex” plot becomes predictable to audiences.
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<div id="attachment_1096799" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1096799" class="size-medium wp-image-1096799" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Liam Daniel/Netflix</div>
In &#8220;Bridgerton,&#8221; the highlight of the season is often a dramatic sex scene for the main lovers, reinforcing in women’s minds that satisfying and steamy sex is the reward one should be looking for in a relationship. According to the show, a good love story is all about physicality and satisfying lust. But in faithful Jane Austen adaptations, physical touch is rare. 
Romance is Darcy offering his hand as Elizabeth gets into the carriage, palms meeting during a dance, and, ultimately, the good character of Darcy slowly being revealed, leading to a mutual declaration of love after recognizing one another&#8217;s character flaws. Physical chemistry means little without the quick-witted interactions, brutal honesty, and the realization that Darcy is willing to go to great lengths to protect Elizabeth (and her family’s) reputation, even after she rejects him. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mr. Darcy&#8217;s hand flex after holding Elizabeth&#8217;s hand 🥰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrideandPrejudice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrideandPrejudice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaneAusten?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaneAusten</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/romance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#romance</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/film?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#film</a> <a href="https://t.co/XJfdGi4Vse">https://t.co/XJfdGi4Vse</a> <a href="https://t.co/7FirXtmTqb">pic.twitter.com/7FirXtmTqb</a>
— Anonymous Galore / AG 🌺 (@AnonymousGalore) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnonymousGalore/status/1815717963175272450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The works of Jane Austen demonstrate a much deeper sort of love than what is seen on screens today, which is why those renditions have a longevity few modern series will have. While the wave of Austen adaptations produced in the &#8217;90s and &#8217;00s evoked the maturation of characters and realistic proprieties of the day, today’s pieces such as &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-promised-a-love-story-what-it-delivered-was-something-else">Wuthering Heights</a>&#8221; or &#8220;Bridgerton&#8221; and its many copycats, prioritize graphic sex scenes and flashy costumes over story quality and true romance.
All of Jane Austen’s heroines have their own flaws, but there is character growth, usually brought about by the love interest of the heroine. Darcy highlights Elizabeth’s wrongful assumptions about him, and Elizabeth reprimands Darcy for his arrogance and pride. Austen understood that real love meant a willingness to call out one another’s misgivings and hold relationships to a higher standard. In the best relationships, both parties are bettered by each other. 
In &#8220;Pride and Prejudice,&#8221; Austen illustrates not only what good character in a man can look like, but also the type of love interest to avoid. Elizabeth’s younger sister Lydia causes a scandal when she runs away with the deceitful Wickham, thinking marriage will soon follow. How many young women today let themselves follow a man with the promise of a “one day” that is never to come?
Running off with a man you aren’t married to isn’t the scandal it was in the 1800s, but Austen seems to tell her readers they can hope for better than Wickham. A man may be charming, handsome, and flirtatious, but that’s not what makes him worthy. A worthy man recognizes his flaws, seeks to redeem broken situations, and protects the dignity and heart of the woman he loves. 
In an age where loneliness is on the rise and women are feeling disenchanted by dating and marriage, it’s time to evaluate what expectations are being promoted within our culture that may be leading them to feel unfulfilled or heartbroken. 
A &#8220;Bridgerton&#8221;-style relationship based on lust will not lead modern women to satisfying romantic relationships. Women need men with good character; they need men like those written by Jane Austen. The more we show healthy relationships in media, the better we are as a culture. Perhaps there’s a chance for life to imitate art?
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Ali Holcomb is the communications adviser at Advancing American Freedom Foundation. Julia Jensen is the communications assistant at Advancing American Freedom Foundation.

GettyImages-56013323

What ‘Bridgerton’ Gets Wrong That ‘Pride And Prejudice’ Got Perfectly Right

Hollywood

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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Celebrity roasts are often personal affairs with various personalities insulting each other viciously, usually through jokes that aren’t apparent to outsiders. They border on a class reunion coupled with a podcast. They’re not exactly “your mama so fat…” contests, but they’re close. Nevertheless, they enjoy enough appeal to continue to get airtime. 
“<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/82194570">The Roast of Kevin Hart</a>” was no exception — until the unannounced special guests showed up. That’s when Hart’s roast took a turn for the better. Granted, much of the show, which approached three hours in length, was terrible. Usher started things off with an adequate diss track. Tom Brady appeared as Hart was talking trash about him. He had his moments. Then Shane Gillis, who phoned it in, offered very few moments that were genuinely entertaining. Jeff Ross, whose existence seems to revolve around appearing at roasts, was meh.
The ladies did set a higher bar. Regina Hall pretended to channel Hart’s mom and had her roast him from heaven. Sheryl Underwood got a standing ovation for a reason. Chelsea Handler, on the other hand, remained Chelsea Handler, reminding viewers of Krusty the Clown’s foray into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5qAshY2jkw&amp;t=63s">George Carlin-style standup</a>. 
Once Katt Williams came out, though, Hart’s roast got legitimately entertaining. For those who don’t follow celebrity gossip, Hart and Williams had long-running beef, stretching back years. The two often auditioned for the same roles, with Hart winning out. Williams colorfully alleged that Hart was engaged in shady dealings to get those parts. (Specifically, he’s <a href="https://www.bet.com/article/w55944/katt-williams-on-the-illuminati">invoked the Illuminati</a> on more than one occasion and suggested that people like Hart are part of it.) 
He took his opportunity to dig into Hart and did not pull punches. He mocked his height, his career, and his need for the Rock to carry him along. He challenged Hart to spell “Jumanji.” He reveled in his opportunity to light up the target. It was an epic smackdown, and Hart laughed through every moment of it. Once Williams’ set was complete, Hart professed his admiration for the comedian and said he wanted “to extend an olive branch.” The two seemingly put the beef behind them.
After that, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took the stage. His absence had been noted throughout the evening. When he appeared, in what Orson Welles would call a “<a href="https://corvidsketcher.com/2015/08/12/the-124-year-old-movie-star/">star part</a>,” he went savage. He also went way more R-rated than he is known for. If three hours is a bit much for you, start with Williams and enjoy the final 55 minutes to get the splendor of Williams, Johnson, and Hart’s own performance.
All this makes one wonder why the roasts have to go on for so long before getting to the truly entertaining moments. Sure, it’s fun for friends to get together and ruthlessly insult one another. It’s a sign of affection. And it is moderately interesting to see behind the scenes, to appreciate how such a disparate group is extremely tight-knit, bonded together by their chosen profession. 
But just as it’s only moderately interesting, it’s also only moderately entertaining, which is odd given the amount of effort that goes into preparing for these events. It’s not just the people on stage putting in work; there are teams <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ShaneGillis/comments/1ta4jsx/shanes_writing_staff_for_the_roast/?share_id=DroiCjZht5rHeuzua-U7X&amp;utm_content=1&amp;utm_medium=android_app&amp;utm_name=androidcss&amp;utm_source=share&amp;utm_term=1">behind them</a>. There are jokes that are <a href="https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/kevin-hart-roast-netflix-best-jokes-cut-sex-tape-cheating-1236744717/">tested and scrapped</a>. That jokes are dropped is shocking, given what made it in. There were not one, but two Charlie Kirk jokes. 
On the other hand, poor taste was the theme of the evening, and even if boundaries were crossed, it’s refreshing to see comedians actually pushing them. While there have been bright spots along the way — Anthony Jeselnik, Ryan Long, and Ricky Gervais being notable examples — we’re finally coming out of a period in which comedy was expected to avoid anyone saying, “<a href="https://x.com/exjon/status/591783402015096832">That’s not funny</a>.” 
Lizzo appeared on stage with a troupe of little people. Her weight was mocked. That Hart’s dad was largely a drug-addicted absentee father was a recurring joke, one framed in more than slightly racist terms. Racism, sexism, the R-word, and fat shaming are back on the menu at long last. 
And the result wasn’t division; it was healing, not just between Hart and Williams, but between performers and audiences. Comedy doesn’t exist to comfort us, but to make us uncomfortable, to expose truths that are in front of our eyes just waiting to be noticed. (There’s a reason that Shakespeare used the jesters as he did.) Would it have been better if we could’ve gotten there more quickly? Sure, but the important thing is that we did, for as the Rock said during his segment, he was there “because someone needs to chew up Kevin’s food and spit it into his mouth, like a baby bird.” 
We as a society may not be baby birds, but sometimes we need the fools to chew up unpalatable truths and return them to us in digestible form. Viewed in that light, Hart’s roast was a success, though, again, if you’re pressed for time, use the fast-forward button as your mama bird. Hart may be short, but that’s no reason for his roast to run so long.
***
Rich Cromwell is a writer living in Northwest Arkansas. He produces the <a href="https://cookinupastory.buzzsprout.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cookin’ Up a Story</a> podcast. Follow him on X <a href="https://x.com/rcromwell4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@rcromwell4</a>.

GettyImages-2275546710

Woke Comedy Got Steamrolled By A Three-Hour Roast Full Of Forbidden Jokes

Charlie Kirk

Chelsea Handler

Comedy

Kevin Hart

Woke Hollywood is dead, or so we thought.
The new trailer for “Ladies First” is proof that La La Land won’t give up the woke ghost.
Sacha Baron Cohen, who traded his subversive “Borat” shtick for the <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/borat-subsequent-moviefilm-review/">anti-Trump Resistance</a>, stars as a chauvinist who suffers a blow to the head and wakes up in a new reality.
Forget the patriarchy. The matriarchy now runs things in this May 22 Netflix original. The laugh-free trailer is bad enough, but the sight of Borat leaning into feminist clichés is worse.
And it’s far from alone. That “woke mind virus” is on the comeback trail.
<div id="attachment_1080199" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1080199" class="size-large wp-image-1080199" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-864x576.jpg" alt="Rob Youngson/Netflix - copyright 2026 Netflix, Inc." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Ladies-Night.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Rob Youngson/Netflix &#8211; copyright 2026 Netflix, Inc.</div>
The proof that woke was on the run felt substantial. Real. Refreshing. Comedians were suddenly able to speak their minds without fear of reprisal. Comedy roasts made a shocking comeback, and Netflix couldn’t wait to line up rebel comics like Tony Hinchcliffe, Tim Dillon, Ricky Gervais and Shane Gillis for new projects.
Disney, the unofficial woke standard bearer, dialed down the messaging machine. The Disney+ series “Win or Lose” ditched a trans character. Big-budget releases like “Moana 2” and “Inside Out 2” left the lectures on the cutting room floor — and scored huge box office numbers along the way.
More recently, Disney-owned Pixar chief Pete Docter said his company <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/pete-docter-pixar-lgbtq-storyline-elio-therapy-1236681692/">removed LGBTQ content</a> from 2025’s “Elio” because “We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy.”
Lesson learned. Or was it?
<div id="attachment_1080169" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1080169" class="size-large wp-image-1080169" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935-864x576.jpg" alt="LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: (L-R) Jim Morris, President, Pixar and Pete Docter, CCO, Pixar attend the World Premiere of Disney and Pixar's &quot;Elio&quot; at El Capitan Theatre on June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney/Pixar)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2219557935.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney/Pixar</div>
That “Ladies First” trailer feels like it came from a 2020 time capsule. So does “Starfleet Academy.” The latest “Star Trek” TV show got roundly mocked on social media and by YouTube cutups like Nerdrotic and The Critical Drinker, who combined have millions of followers.
The show featured a charcuterie board full of woke, from the barefoot captain curling up in her chair like a Portland librarian to a gay, cross-dressing Klingon.
Mainstream critics, who lean aggressively to the Left, praised the show while audiences stayed away in droves. The show’s second season was set in motion immediately, but the <a href="https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/star-trek-starfleet-academy-canceled-season-2-1236696816/">cancellation news came nearly as fast.</a>
Hulu just dropped a new mini-season of “Malcolm in the Middle,” the early 2000s hit about a quirky, dysfunctional clan. The streamer knew it had a nostalgia-fueled hit on its hands, which may be why <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/malcolm-in-the-middle-reboot-hit-with-backlash-over-woke-changes">the creators gave</a> the clan Kelly, a “non-binary” child.
Just a coincidence? Hardly. Executive producer Tracy Katsy told Deadline.com the <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/04/malcolm-in-the-middle-creator-ep-wife-lgbtq-kids-1236786214/">reason for the inclusion angle</a>.
“Three out of four of our kids are queer, and without making it a thing and without making an issue, I think it’s really nice to have a character that, that’s just a facet of their personality as opposed to the entire story.”
<div id="attachment_1080171" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1080171" class="size-large wp-image-1080171" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: (L-R) Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield, Vaughan Murrae, Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Keeley Karsten, Kiana Madeira, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, Emy Coligado and Craig Lamar Traylor attend Hulu's &quot;Malcolm in The Middle: Life's Still Unfair&quot; New York Premiere at DGA Theater on April 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270286421.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Theo Wargo/Getty Images</div>
The diversity measure came with the de facto lecture sequence, too, along with the Mary Sue-style characterization.
Kelly uses &#8220;they/them&#8221; and is depicted as academically gifted, level-headed, and notably the only sibling without a police record.
No flaws, please. That’s another woke byproduct, removing flaws from characters meant to promote diversity and inclusion.
The show also made Stevie (Craig Lamar Traylor), who displayed heterosexual characteristics in the original series, a gay man in an interracial relationship.
The new action comedy “Normal” also squeezes a “non-binary” character into the story, played by Jess McLeod. The character, dubbed Alex, is given little backstory or depth, but Alex still plays a sizable role in the film’s second half.
This year’s “Frankenstein” reinvention, dubbed “The Bride!” featured a cavalcade of woke talking points. The titular creature inspired a wave of rebellious women fighting back against early 20th century oppression, and Jessie Buckley’s Bride literally shouts, “Me too” … twice.
And, yes, “The Bride!” may be one of 2026’s biggest box office busts with <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt30851137/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">a pathetic $12 million domestic haul.</a>
Woke isn’t just about forced, clumsy inclusion. It coaxes screenwriters to lecture viewers from a hard-Left perspective. No nuance or balance, please. There’s a PowerPoint-style message to share. It’s why shows like “Matlock” and “The Pitt” have spent serious screen time pushing an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-keeps-pushing-this-narrative-but-ignores-what-follows">aggressive, anti-ICE narrative</a> in recent weeks.
“The Pitt” also promotes an unabashed, pro-abortion agenda. The HBO Max series featured an episode with a 17-year-old pregnant teen (Abby Ryder Fortson) seeking an abortion, but she didn’t have her parents’ consent.
<div id="attachment_1080173" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1080173" class="size-large wp-image-1080173" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-1024x568.jpg" alt="John Wells Productions. Max. R. Scott Gemmill Productions. Sky Studios. Warner Bros. Television. HBO Max." width="1024" height="568" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-1024x568.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-300x166.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-768x426.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator-1536x851.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/pitt-noah-elevator.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />John Wells Productions. Max. R. Scott Gemmill Productions. Sky Studios. Warner Bros. Television. HBO Max.</div>
The baby in question is more than 11 weeks along, just beyond Pennsylvania’s cutoff for a legal abortion. Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) stepped in, offering to fudge the facts to secure the abortion in question. The doctors agreed that the teen deserves to have a life, as they framed it, ignoring the positive impacts of motherhood or potentially giving up the innocent baby for adoption.
The creative team behind “The Pitt” is leaning into the show’s ratings success, weaponizing the saga to advance leftist talking points as needed. It’s another familiar woke pattern — Hollywood finds success with an apolitical show or film, and later leverages that appeal to insert woke talking points.
One glaring example? Even a far-Left site like <a href="https://www.themarysue.com/endgame-girl-power-did-it-work/">TheMarySue.com cringed</a> when the once-mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe included a clunky, “girl power” moment during the epic “Avengers: Endgame” battle.
The MCU saga went woke thereafter and has yet to recover, financially speaking.
Despite these stark examples, woke isn’t the cultural force in Hollywood that it was just a few short years ago. Some savvy studio types realized that its cultural tentacles remain a financial risk, to put it bluntly.
Others are like <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years">Hiroo Onoda</a>, the Japanese soldier who kept fighting World War II for nearly 29 years after hostilities ceased.
That means it could take a few more high-profile failures for Hollywood to finally learn its lesson.
* * *
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>.

netflix ladies night II

Woke Hollywood Rises From The Ashes — And The Agenda Didn’t Miss A Beat

Woke Hollywood Rises From The Ashes — And The Agenda Didn't Miss A Beat

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

HBO Max

Television

Woke Culture

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Netflix&#8217;s &#8220;Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere&#8221; wants viewers to fear the men it puts on screen. What it never seriously asks is why millions of young men are looking there for guidance in the first place.
The easiest thing about the documentary is to focus on the symptoms: hyper-masculine influencers, status obsession, aggression, and young men chasing money, control, and dominance. Some of it is ugly, and some of it should alarm us. But the documentary mistakes the supply for the demand. This culture did not emerge out of nowhere. It filled a vacuum that mainstream institutions still refuse to name.
Spend five minutes online, and the shift is obvious. Podcasts about discipline and self-mastery command enormous audiences, and gym routines now double as moral philosophy. Young men trade advice on confidence, money, dating, ambition, and purpose with an urgency that feels almost existential. Much of it is crude. Some of it is wrong and openly corrosive. Yet millions keep watching for a reason elite culture still resists admitting: For years, young men have been told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/america-tried-to-fix-men-for-two-decades-heres-what-it-got-instead">what not to be</a>, while almost no one has been willing to say what they should become. That vacuum became a market.
We have taught an entire generation of young men how to analyze their emotions, but not what to do with their lives. As a psychotherapist, I see a version of this often. A young man recently spent nearly an entire session describing, with impressive self-awareness, why he felt stuck: fear of failure, fear of judgment, and fear of choosing the wrong path. He could name every feeling in detail. What he couldn&#8217;t name was what he actually wanted. The problem was not a lack of insight. It was the absence of aim.
In my forthcoming book, &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Therapy-Nation-America-Anxious-Divided/dp/1335000658">Therapy Nation</a>,&#8221; I argue that our culture has become increasingly fluent in the language of validation and self-analysis while growing less comfortable with challenge, standards, and the harder work of building resilience. Nowhere is that imbalance more visible than in the lives of young men who have been encouraged to interpret themselves endlessly but rarely challenged to build a life.
Andrew Tate and an entire ecosystem of male self-mastery influencers thrive because they offer what mainstream culture increasingly withholds: direction, standards, and permission to pursue ambition without apology. None of this excuses the ugliness of what many of these figures sell. It simply explains why the market for it became so large. The mainstream response has been to condemn the message while refusing to confront the conditions that made it so attractive.
Young men today are caught in a double bind. Show ambition and risk being labeled toxic. Hold back and risk becoming invisible. Assertiveness is suspect, but passivity is miserable. The result is paralysis followed by backlash. What is often dismissed as &#8220;bro culture&#8221; did not create this confusion. It recognized it early and built an industry around it.
What makes this moment more dangerous is the collapse of credible alternatives. Institutions that once offered direction, from schools to workplaces to families, now speak in softer, more hesitant language. Expectations are blurred, standards are hedged, and authority is treated as something to apologize for rather than exercise.
In that environment, many young men are left with a surprisingly vague idea of adulthood. They are taught to be emotionally aware and careful with language, which matters. What they are less often given is a clear sense of what adulthood actually asks of them: responsibility, competence, discipline, and something worth aiming at. The result is a generation that often knows how to monitor itself better than how to direct itself. Self-awareness becomes an end in itself rather than a tool in service of ambition and growth.
That leaves a dangerous opening for anyone willing to offer a more forceful script. Even a flawed script can feel liberating when it is one of the only things still speaking in the language of standards, goals, earned competence, and direction. When institutions stop offering a believable model of mature masculinity, the loudest online figures step in and supply one.
A second cultural shift has made the problem worse. The language of therapy has escaped the consulting room and seeped into schools, workplaces, and culture itself. Ordinary struggle is now recast as harm, discomfort as danger, and stress as injury. The result is a generation less practiced at enduring difficulty and more dependent on emotional permission before action.
We have become fluent in emotional vocabulary while growing less comfortable with standards, authority, and the basic truth that difficulty is often the price of growth.
That gap is where the manosphere thrives. It offers something closer to permission: the freedom to pursue goals without endless self-qualification, to value discipline without shame, and to move forward without first turning every impulse into a diagnosis.
Young men are asking a basic question: What should I aim for? If mainstream culture refuses to answer it, the loudest and most extreme voices online will.
***
Jonathan Alpert is a psychotherapist in New York City and Washington, D.C., and author of the forthcoming book &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Therapy-Nation-America-Anxious-Divided/dp/1335000658">Therapy Nation</a>.&#8221; Find him on X <a href="https://x.com/JonathanAlpert">@JonathanAlpert</a>.

Tate Brothers Return To Romania After US Visit

The Real Reason Young Men Are Flocking To The Manosphere

Andrew Tate

Internet

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

Squid Game

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

U.S.

Warner Bros

“Bridgerton” Season 5 will feature an interracial “queer love story,” and fans have thoughts.
The popular historical drama has a cult following of fans obsessed with the overall look and feel of the show, but since it airs on Netflix, it was only a matter of time before progressive themes were jammed into Regency-era England. 
The short teaser trailer for Season 5 shows Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and her cousin-in-law, Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), standing side by side, almost holding hands. “Next season love begins again,” the text of the video says. 
“Do not fret, dearest readers, for a certain countess shall find love again &#8230; Bridgerton Season 5 is now in production,” the YouTube description says. This will be the first major storyline of a same-sex relationship on the series. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bridgerton Season 5 | Official Announcement | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qb79JSVmOJc?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>
Reactions on social media questioned the decision, especially in terms of historical accuracy.
“Netflix is gonna Netflix …,” one person <a href="https://x.com/TimelessTrvlr/status/2036592179703935153">observed</a>. 
“This show absolutely ruined the books,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/pitdesi/status/2036525279548788999?s=43">agreed</a>.
“I am sick and tired of Netflix turning everything woke. It really didn’t have to be this way,” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/AetherRev/status/2036489190251307159">shared</a>.
“The fifth season of Bridgerton spotlights introverted middle daughter Francesca. Two years after losing her beloved husband John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons,” the press release says. 
“But when John’s cousin Michaela returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran’s complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”
The series is based on books written by Julia Quinn, and in the source material, Francesca’s new flame is a man named Michael. Quinn’s books don’t include same-sex relationships. But because it’s Netflix, that changed in the television adaptation.
“It feels groundbreaking. Obviously, there are a lot of great shows that have depicted queer love. We’re not the first by any means,” series showrunner Jess Brownell said in an <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/bridgerton-season-5-news-photos-premiere-date">interview</a> published on Tudum. “But to make an entire &#8216;Bridgerton&#8217; season about a sapphic relationship feels huge.”
She added, “It’s going to be a season about queer joy. It is not going to be a season about queer trauma. … We’re having so much fun!”
The actresses also weighed in on the storyline. “[Queer love stories] have traditionally been excluded from things like period dramas — and queer people did exist, have always existed, and will always exist,” Dodd said.
Prior to this, another character, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), was portrayed as bisexual. He spent last season in a romantic relationship with a woman, however.

Bridgerton

Netflix Jams Interracial Queer Love Story Into Beloved Period Drama

LGBT

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Netflix’s &#8220;Train Dreams&#8221; received four Oscar nominations this year, including Best Picture, and it walked away empty-handed from every one of them. Ironically, that might be the most fitting outcome for a film that does nothing to demand your attention but simply invites you to consider the mundane beauty that permeates even the most ordinary of lives.
In a dopamine-addicted world, where our senses are blitzed by ever-louder and ever-shorter demands for our attention, &#8220;Train Dreams&#8221; functions like an antidote for what ails us. It is an ode to the slow work of beauty and its power to transform the human heart. 
There is a scene early in the film where the protagonist, Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), and his wife, Gladys (Felicity Jones), walk to the edge of the Moyie River and begin laying stones in the dirt. Not a foundation — not yet. Just markers. Here is where the walls will go. Here is where the bed will be. Here, where the window faces east, is where the morning light will find them. Two people with nothing but timber and a river and each other, mapping out with rocks a future home that only exists in their shared dreams of a life together.
As the viewer, you’re invited to sit there with them in that moment and consider your own little slice of ordinary life. There is no Avengers-level threat to the multiverse. No high-octane pulsing synth or heart-pounding drums in the soundtrack. Not an ounce of the heavy-handed political preachiness we’ve become far too accustomed to either. Just the story of a simple day laborer in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest as he makes his way through the joys and sorrows of an ordinary life in a world that is both beautiful and broken.
Edgerton’s character loses his wife, his daughter, his cabin, and his sense of place in a world accelerating past him, and yet this immense Job-like tragedy is juxtaposed against frame after frame of flawless natural beauty. Viewers could pause at any moment in the film and gaze at each frame as a distinct work of art.
That might even be an experiment worth trying because this is exactly the kind of spiritual exercise that &#8220;Train Dreams&#8221; invites us to do. Slow down, pay attention to the moment, and receive life, even with its troubles, as the gift that it is. Nick Cave — who wrote the film&#8217;s Oscar-nominated song — <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSDHK3GkUET/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again">described the world</a> that director Clint Bentley brought to life out of a Denis Johnson novella as a &#8220;world exploding all around with strange and beautiful and wonderful things.” 
 
That&#8217;s the paradox the film holds without flinching. Robert’s life is small by every metric the modern world and most Hollywood films use to measure significance. He doesn&#8217;t build an empire. He doesn&#8217;t lead a revolution. He doesn&#8217;t even leave Bonners Ferry, Idaho. But his life is full — achingly, almost unbearably full — of the kind of meaning that seems increasingly difficult to find today. 
While the amenities of our modern world have made most features of our lives far easier than Grainier’s life in the early 20th century, our attention has been captured by our screens in ways that make seeing the true meaning of life more difficult. The constant digital noise obscures the “vertical” dimension of life — the transcendent awe, beauty, and wonder — that is quietly nestled within the “horizontal” dimension of life with our families, our work, and our daily bread.
You feel it every time you pick up your phone for a two-second dopamine hit. You feel it in the endless scroll, the algorithmic feed designed not to nourish you but to keep you clicking. Our attention, perhaps our most precious commodity, is relentlessly in demand. We&#8217;ve been unconsciously conditioned to consume what is on our screens the way we consume fast food: quickly, passively, and in portions intentionally engineered to leave us hungry for more.
&#8220;Train Dreams&#8221; refuses to play that game. It is aggressively, almost defiantly slow. Clint Bentley shoots the northwest wilderness like a man who believes the natural world is sacred. The camera lingers on firelight, on river water, on the lines carved into Joel Edgerton&#8217;s weathered face. There are stretches of this film where nothing &#8220;happens&#8221; in the way we&#8217;ve been trained to expect things to happen. No twist. No reveal. No dopamine spike.
And yet something does happen, something deeper than what will make for a viral TikTok moment. What &#8220;Train Dreams&#8221; offers is an invitation to a mode of attention that has atrophied in many of us. You don&#8217;t watch &#8220;Train Dreams&#8221; so much as you submit to it. You let it wash over you. And if you&#8217;re patient — if you can resist the itch to check your phone, the reflexive hunger for the next stimulus — something starts to shift in your chest. A loosening. A remembering of what’s missing. A slow reforming of what you believe is worthy of your attention. You look at your spouse, your children, your family, and even the odd but slightly endearing coworker a little differently.
The realization hits you, “This is all a gift.”
This is what beauty does. Not the pseudo-beauty of Instagram filters or AI “companions” of lust-driven fantasies. I&#8217;m talking about the older and deeper kind. The kind that the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins was pointing to when he wrote that &#8220;the world is charged with the grandeur of God.&#8221; The kind that doesn&#8217;t perform for you but simply is. It’s not anxious to steal your attention. It knows that when you come around to your senses and behold it, you’ll begin to remember what truly matters.
It&#8217;s not that the big box office spectacle is bad, but the best spectacles — the ones that actually stay with you, the ones that shape your soul rather than just stimulate your nervous system — are grounded in something real, something human. The box office spectacle should serve the soul. When it doesn&#8217;t, when the spectacle is the point, you get content. You get two hours of sensory input that evaporates the moment the credits roll.
&#8220;Train Dreams&#8221; has no interest in being content in a world where content is unlimited. Instead, it dares to remind you that art and story, and even the world of your own ordinary existence, can be a kind of sacrament that unites the “vertical” and the “horizontal” dimensions of life together.
This is the kind of movie our culture is starving for. Not more deconstruction. Not another jaded anti-hero smirking at the camera. Not another cynical Marxist or postmodern take on the world, which strips away every ounce of the “vertical” dimension of life and reduces the whole world to being about nothing more than an endless conflict between oppressor and oppressed. Real beauty shows how impotent all of that stuff is.
So here&#8217;s to the slow work of beauty. It&#8217;s the only kind that lasts.
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Paul Anleitner is a cultural theologian whose work focuses on the role of culture and story in our quest for meaning. He is the author of &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Based-True-Story-Deconstruction-Meaning/dp/1400256585/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3BV8UXHDPEC1C&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yccpxYizt16XUGtvvBwuWsp5a9oLNXZg9tU9cVTW9v50Wa9ax9PyiRfxVAUEfadJ.FVBmUUp17NYWhh1xf5EbucOM2DqultqEfbl5vda8MZk&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=Based+on+a+True+Story%3A+Vibe+Shifts%2C+the+End+of+Deconstruction%2C+and+the+Reboot+of+Meaning&amp;nsdOptOutParam=true&amp;qid=1773945125&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=based+on+a+true+story+vibe+shifts%2C+the+end+of+deconstruction%2C+and+the+reboot+of+meaning%2Cstripbooks%2C87&amp;sr=1-1">Based on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, and the Reboot of Meaning</a>.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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