Steve Pond's Blog, page 143

Will Smith’s IATSE Crew Back to Work With Union Deal After Striking Music Video Over Health, Pension

Will Smith helped resolve a labor dispute on the set of his music video shoot Friday, TheWrap has learned, as producers and IATSE reached a union deal after dismissed workers began picketing the production that morning.

Toronto-based production company Breathe Entertainment dismissed the 35-member crew on Thursday after clashing over health and pension benefits for the music video shoot. They hired a replacement non-union crew, who later walked off the set at Quixote Studios in West Hollywood and joined the IATSE picket line on Friday.

An individual with knowledge of the deal confirmed to TheWrap Friday that a deal that included health and pension benefits had been signed between IATSE and Breathe Entertainment for Smith’s music video production. The 35-person union crew returned to work that day.

Smith is thought to be making a music video for a track from his new album, “Based on a True Story,” which came out March 28 from Slang Records. It features collaborations with Big Sean, Russ, Joyner Lucas and Smith’s son Jaden.

Reps for Smith and Breathe Entertainment did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

A Quixote spokesperson declined to comment on the situation Friday as they “are not involved in the production, we’re just renting out the space,” according to Deadline, who first broke the news.

Halle Berry was originally reported as being part of the scheduled video shoot, but she is still in France and serving as a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Fest.

Smith currently executive produces “Cobra Kai” and “Bel-Air.” His upcoming projects include a sequel to zombie movie “I Am Legend” and reteaming with “Bad Boys” director Michael Bay on the Netflix action movie “Fast and Loose.”

The post Will Smith’s IATSE Crew Back to Work With Union Deal After Striking Music Video Over Health, Pension appeared first on TheWrap.

All 9 (Yes, 9) ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies Ranked From Worst to Best

Here’s how you know the “Mission: Impossible” movies are great: They were only made because the TV series “Mission: Impossible” was a gigantic, award-winning hit, and now hardly anyone even remembers that show.

What started as a crafty ensemble series about unlikely experts teaming up to perform impossible espionage missions evolved into a series of gigantic action spectaculars, less about a group of spies and more about Tom Cruise. Not even the character he played, Ethan Hunt. No, just Tom Cruise. It’s the franchise he made his own, a series of films that always portray him in a fawning, heroic light, in a series of productions that also made his daring do-it-yourself stunt mentality a beloved marketing ploy.

There are, truth be told, no “Mission: Impossible” films that aren’t at least mostly fun to watch. Some of them are great films. Some are merely great action movies. At least one is kinda bad but enjoyable anyway, and at least one film works on every level. These are all nine — yes, nine (everybody forgets there’s one without Tom Cruise) — “Mission: Impossible” movies, ranked from worst to best.

9. ‘Mission: Impossible 2’ (2000)Tom Cruise and Thandiwe Newton in ‘Mission: Impossible 2’ (Paramount)

On paper, “Mission: Impossible 2” has it all. It’s directed by John Woo, the revolutionary director of action classics like “The Killer” and “Hard Boiled.” It’s written by Robert Towne, the Oscar-winner screenwriter of “Chinatown” and “The Last Detail.” It’s an unofficial remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Notorious,” which is one of the best spy movies ever made. It co-stars Thandiwe Newton, for crying out loud. And yet somehow this film never quite comes together. Ethan Hunt enlists a master thief (Newton) to seduce a rogue agent and uncover his master plan, and eventually it explodes into motorcycle gun fights and many, many a dove. There are those who enjoy “Mission: Impossible 2” for its outlandish style, but even then, it’s a low point for the series.

8. ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1’ (2023)Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell in ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 (Paramount)

The first half of the epic “Mission: Impossible” finale has a lot of things going for it, including a whimsical car chase, a spectacular motorcycle stunt and a death-defying cliffhanging train sequence (which looks suspiciously familiar to “Uncharted” fans). Even the premise, about a rogue AI taking over the global internet and inspiring religious devotion in its human servants, is exciting and relevant. But there’s something off about the whole enterprise. The editing makes it look like most of the characters are never in the same room at the same time — which is likely true, since the production was halted in the initial COVID outbreak — and the decision to execute one of the most beloved characters and replace them with a similar one feels frustratingly forced. There’s good stuff here, it’s just in a great big mess of a movie.

7. ‘Mission: Impossible vs. The Mob’ (1969)Martin Landau in ‘Mission: Impossible vs. The Mob’ (Paramount)

The first “Mission: Impossible” movie was actually a two-part episode of the hit, award-winning TV series that got repackaged as a standalone feature abroad. (This was a fairly common practice at the time.) “Mission: Impossible vs. The Mob” is exactly what it says on the poster: the IMF team conspires to take down the mafia by faking newspaper headlines and tricking the mob into killing their own men. There’s also an elaborate scheme to replace the leader of the mob with Rollin Hand (Martin Landau), an actor who frequently worked with the team. Don’t expect much action, since the 1969 film is all about building Hitchcockian tension, but do expect to be entertained. The two-part episode that got recycled, “The Council,” is something we old folks used to call “a banger.”

6. ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ (Paramount)

“The Final Reckoning,” allegedly the final film in the franchise (at least until the inevitable reboot), isn’t just another “Mission: Impossible” film. Well, strike that. It is just another “Mission: Impossible” film, but it’s trying like hell to wrap up every loose end by bringing back old characters and referencing almost every other entry, all the time. But instead of feeling like a meaningful conclusion it just feels like everyone is tired, at least of coming up with excuses to put Tom Cruise through death-defying hell. It’s still a fun film, and the two centerpieces — aboard a sunken submarine and hanging for dear life on a biplane — are corkers, but the plot is overstuffed and overcomplicated, and everyone involved looks like they might be over it altogether.

5. ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ (2011)Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ (Paramount)

Brad Bird’s first live-action film raised the bar for “Mission: Impossible,” at least as a stunt-driven franchise. The film’s highlight, featuring Ethan Hunt climbing the tallest building in the world using faulty equipment, is a vertigo-inspiring masterwork. Unfortunately “Ghost Protocol” peaks there and never quite comes back. Hunt goes rogue (again) to stop a madman who wants to nuke the world in order to save it, and he’s arguably got his best team ever, but once Paula Patton’s revenge plot is resolved at the halfway point there’s nothing left in the story to grab you, and everyone seems to be going through the motions. By the time Hunt is fighting the villain in a high tech car park, you suddenly realize they’ve never even spoken to each other. So the story means less than usual. But hey, it’s still pretty dang cool.

4. ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018)Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (Paramount)

There are better “Mission: Impossible” movies than “Fallout,” but this one is arguably the best the franchise ever got when it came to wall-to-wall action. The criminal Syndicate from the previous film is still kicking around, this time trying to acquire plutonium cores, and use nuclear weapons to dismantle the world. So Ethan’s gotta get them first, and he’s gotta do HALO jumps and dangle from helicopters in order to do it. The plot is perfunctory, and to a fault, but there’s so much excitement in every scene that it’s hard to complain. Besides, it’s got Henry Cavill reloading his punching arms like shotguns. You can’t not love that.

3. ‘Mission: Impossible’ (1996)Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible’ (Paramount)

It’s easy to forget how fearless Brian De Palma’s “Mission: Impossible” was when it first came out. De Palma built up a fantastic IMF team full of familiar faces, killed the all off in the first few minutes, and then centered the entire film — and later, the entire franchise — on a brand new character, played by Tom Cruise. Then he turned the most beloved hero in the franchise into the bad guy. Damn, that’s cold. But it’s also slick, intelligent filmmaking, packed with unforgettable scenes like a helicopter flying into the Channel Tunnel, and Hunt dangling over motion sensors, silently hacking the CIA. Sure, De Palma was basically knocking off “Topkapi,” and everyone who’s seen it loves “Topkapi,” but it was “Mission: Impossible” that made that image iconic, and kicked off one of the great action movie franchises.

2. ‘Mission: Impossible 3’ (2006)Tom Cruise and Keri Russell in ‘Mission: Impossible 3’ (Paramount)

There are those who think “Mission: Impossible 3” is one of the worst films in the franchise. And if you only think about the “Mission: Impossible” movies as stunt shows, maybe it is. But if you think about these movies as, stick with me here, movies… you’ll find J.J. Abrams’ installment is consistently riveting. Ethan Hunt comes out of retirement when one of his proteges goes missing in the field, and winds up vowing revenge against a despicable arms dealer played, gloriously, by Philip Seymour Hoffman. “Mission: Impossible 3” cares about its characters, and makes us care about them too. It cares about the story, and makes all the action mean something, whether it’s stunt-driven or not. And the series never had a better villain than Owen Davian. God, how we miss the late, great Hoffman.

1. ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ (2015)Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ (Paramount)

It’s fair to say that other “Mission: Impossible” films have better set pieces than “Rogue Nation.” Maybe the action is more memorable in “Fallout,” maybe “Ghost Protocol” has more iconic images, maybe the third film has the best villain. But there’s no film in the franchise where all the pieces come together better than “Rogue Nation.” Ethan Hunt goes rogue — again — and runs afoul of the charismatic assassin Ilsa Faust, played perfectly by Rebecca Ferguson, who could have (and should have) carried her own spinoff. Director Christopher McQuarrie, who would direct every subsequent installment, did something very clever with “Rogue Nation,” putting the film’s biggest stunt in the opening minutes, then gradually shrinking the action down until all that mattered was the characters. The story works, the action slays, the stunts are cool as hell. “Rogue Nation” is the best “Mission: Impossible” movie as a whole, and represents the very best the film franchise could be.

The post All 9 (Yes, 9) ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies Ranked From Worst to Best appeared first on TheWrap.

Darius Butler Confronts Tom Cruise Over Viral Popcorn Video: ‘Are You Actually Eating Popcorn?’ | Video

Darius Butler razzed “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” star Tom Cruise about his penchant for popcorn consumption in a promotional video for the latest film in the hit action franchise.

“This is a big journalism show, so I got to get to the bottom of it, because there are questions,” Butler began on Wednesday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Now, you’re Tom Cruise and you do everything a little different. I’ve never seen anybody eat popcorn like that. Are you actually eating popcorn or are you full of s–t? Gotta know.”

Cruise doubled over with laughter before responding, “Man, I’m eating popcorn. They know, when I’m going to these movies, I’m watching and I’m eating popcorn.”

“I’m eating that popcorn @DariusJButler" @TomCruise #PMSLive https://t.co/hjKVYTz2lo pic.twitter.com/EhJXqjWg2G

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 21, 2025

At a press screening earlier this week at the BFI Imax in London, Cruise told the attending press, “I normally eat two big buckets myself during a movie,” Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue shared.

“He asked us all not once but twice if we had popcorn,” she continued. “I showed him my bucket to confirm.”

Another film writer, Dan Marcus, retweeted a clip of Cruise crunching the corn with the caption, “I’ve never seen another human being eat popcorn like Tom Cruise.”

I’ve never seen another human being eat popcorn like Tom Cruise. https://t.co/aBvqqArlxZ

— Dan Marcus (@Danimalish) May 20, 2025

Cruise was also photographed chatting up the concessions crew at the AMC in Lincoln Square in New York for 15 minutes, and he was in Dallas surprising fans at local theaters on Thursday evening. Just another day in the life of a Tom Cruise press tour!

“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” is the longest film in the franchise at nearly three hours, making Cruise’s popcorn consumption rate land around one bag about every 90 minutes.

“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” opens globally in theaters and Imax Friday.

The post Darius Butler Confronts Tom Cruise Over Viral Popcorn Video: ‘Are You Actually Eating Popcorn?’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Finale Scenes Leak on TikTok Ahead of Episode’s Debut

“The Last of Us” Season 2 finale has started leaking online. Footage from Episode 7 of “The Last of Us” started popping up on Thursday night — days before its intended release Sunday, May 25.

Among the scenes leaked — which won’t be descriptively spoiled here — was the final shot of the episode. Some viewers who purchased the season through Apple briefly gained access to the finale in advance, according to media reports. The issue was fixed but not before some eagle-eyed fans noticed and recorded scenes that made their way onto TikTok and Twitter.

A spokesperson for HBO declined to comment on the leak.

This all acts as a bit of deja vu for “The Last of Us” franchise. Back in 2020, “The Last of Us Part II” — which Season 2 partially adapted — leaked online. The hotly anticipated game was set to be released in the spring but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was pushed to later in the year which unfortunately led to much of the game leaking early. Among moments from the game that were seen early was the major early death that was featured at the beginning of Season 2.

HBO itself is no stranger to leaks either. Just last summer, the Season 2 finale of “House of the Dragon” also leaked on TikTok and Twitter. The leaks occurred despite numerous precautions including not giving out advance screeners. It marked the second time in as many seasons the “Game of Thrones” prequel suffered a leak.

HBO later confirmed the “House of the Dragon” Season 2 leak resulted from an “unintentional release from an international third-party distributor.”

“The Last of Us” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on HBO and Max.

The post ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Finale Scenes Leak on TikTok Ahead of Episode’s Debut appeared first on TheWrap.

Harrison Ford Talked Miley Cyrus Out of Touring New Album Because Her Vision Was Too Expensive | Video

Miley Cyrus revealed earlier this week that Harrison Ford, of all people, talked her out of staging a non-stadium tour of her upcoming visual album “Something Beautiful.”

The singer told Zane Lowe on Wednesday that she’s known the “Indiana Jones” star “for quite a while” and has “been in the same circles,” such as both being Disney Legends.

“So I show him my idea of ‘Somewhere Beautiful,’ which is performing in all the forests and at the pyramids and all these things,” Cyrus said on the Apple Music 1 show, explaining she wanted “intimate places that are filled with beauty” like “a “cathedral in the middle of a forest.”

The no-nonsense veteran actor’s reaction? He told her, “Looks expensive.” She recalled him asking practical questions like, “You really want to go and set up in a forest and do what? You going to bring a crew?”

“I came back to the trailer, I was like, ‘Guys, we’re not performing in the forest anymore. Harrison Ford made a lot of sense,'” she said.

Watch the full interview below:

Fans can still see “Something Beautiful” in theaters beginning May 30.

“I’m putting it into theaters because it’s something you can watch night after night after night and you get to discover and you get to feel like you’re a part of a performance but I don’t have to tax myself in that way,” she told Lowe.

Ford currently stars in western series “1923” on Paramount+ and will return with the rest of the cast of “Shrinking,” which was recently renewed for Season 3.

The post Harrison Ford Talked Miley Cyrus Out of Touring New Album Because Her Vision Was Too Expensive | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Review: Retro Netflix Slasher is Better Than ‘Prom Night,’ Worse Than ‘Prom Night II’

We don’t talk enough about Leigh Janiak’s impressive “Fear Street” film trilogy, based the young adult horror novels by R.L. Stine. Four years ago Janiak unveiled, one week after another, three mostly-fantastic interconnected horror films inspired by different historical eras. The first was based on slasher movies from the 1990s. The second was based on slasher films from the 1980s. The third was based on folk horror… and also slasher movies from the 1990s. They all told a complete story with rich and fascinating characters. They were also scary as hell.

The time has come — finally! — to go back to “Fear Street,” and this time Netflix is doing something a little different. Instead of harkening back to, for example, slasher movies from the 1980s, “Fear Street: Prom Queen” harkens back to [checks notes] slasher movies from the 1980s. But wait! This time it’s prom night 1980s slasher movies. Last time it was summer camp 1980s slasher movies. Also last time it was really good. Those are the two main differences.

To be fair, despite the existence of the relatively-lengthy “Prom Night” franchise, there aren’t as many prom night slasher movies as you might think, and there are even fewer great ones. Heck, this might get me kicked out of the snootier horror film critic societies but the original “Prom Night” wasn’t all that hot to begin with. (“Hello, Mary Lou: Prom Night II” and “Prom Night III: The Last Kiss” are timeless classics. Yes, really. Yes, really.)

So “Fear Street: Prom Queen” had a relatively low bar to clear in the slasher department. And it clears that very, very low bar.

“Fear Street: Prom Queen” stars India Fowler (“The Agency”) as Lori Granger, a high school outcast in 1988, whose mother allegedly murdered her father when they were teens. She’s about to graduate and she’s only got one last chance at fitting in, so she’s running for Prom Queen. The problem is, her competition is The Wolf Pack, a murder of vapid teen girls led by Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza, “Paper Girls”), who will stop at nothing to become… you know, prom queen.

Lori and her Fangoria-reading best friend Megan (Suzanna Son, “Red Rocket”) got to prom together, with Megan wearing her 1980s queer-coding like a badge of honor. When they get there, Prom Queen candidates start getting killed by a mysterious slasher in a rain slicker and a nondescript mask. (We’ll get back to that but first, as a side note, let’s be fair to “Fear Street: Prom Queen.” The year is 2025 and it’s nearly impossible to come up with a scary slasher mask that hasn’t been done before.)

Director and co-writer Matt Palmer (“Calibre”) knows one thing about 1980s slasher movies: If the kills are gnarly enough, horror fans will probably forgive everything else. So say what you will about the rest of the production but he’s got some really gross murders in here, many of which look like they could have been pulled off 40 years ago using 1980s practical effects. It’s a nice touch, and it keeps the film punctuated with memorable horror schlock.

Yup, thanks to all those kills, horror fans will probably forgive everything else. If only there wasn’t so much to forgive. Leigh Janiak’s “Fear Street: Part 2 — 1978” didn’t just emulate the early slashers, it went to great lengths to ensure that the new film had a similar impact as when films like “Friday the 13th” and “The Burning” debuted. “1978” was recognizable, not rote.

Palmer’s throwback has a much less ambitious tone, and seems content to emulate the clumsy dialogue, misplaced tension, and flimsy plotting of its progenitors. It never captures the energy that films like “Prom Night” did when they came out, so it can only come across like a Xerox that’s been Xeroxed a few too many times.

“Fear Street: Prom Queen” isn’t a bust, it’s just not very inspired. Again, those brutal murders will help you get through it. (If you can get on the wavelength and accept seemingly smart teenagers getting snuck up on in the middle of a well-lit vacant lot as a feature, not a bug.) And some members of the cast bring their A-game. Katherine Waterston and Chris Klein play Tiffany Falconer’s uptight wealthy parents, and it’s clear that Waterston in particular relishes this chance to go camp.

Lily Taylor is here too, playing a conservative Vice Principal, just in case you thought the casting of some older, recognizable stars meant they were definitely the killers. There are lots of red herrings in “Fear Street: Prom Night,” which sadly leaves some of the more talented cast members with precious little to do other than look suspicious and then fade away in the third act. If you’re a name actor generously bestowing some respectability unto a slasher movie I think you should get to kill people or you should get a spectacular death. Put it in the contract. It’s the standard “Slash or Heinous” clause.

“Fear Street: Prom Queen” is not the best “Fear Street” movie. But to be fair, it’s probably the third best “Prom Night.” There are moments when this cast overcomes this material, and inspired gore galore, but it makes the cardinal mistake of copying the best parts of 1980s slashers while doing little to improve the worst. It may be a “Prom Queen” but it definitely ain’t valedictorian.

The post ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Review: Retro Netflix Slasher is Better Than ‘Prom Night,’ Worse Than ‘Prom Night II’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Stephen Colbert Jokes Trump’s FAA ‘Snafus’ Have Made Flying so Bad New Flight Classes Include ‘Economy Minus’ and ‘Dog Crate Plus’ | Video

There’s was plenty of harrowing news to talk about during Stephen Colbert’s monologue on Thursday’s “The Late Show,” and he found a way to combine a discussion of the Trump administration gutting of the Federal Aviation Administration, and his destabilizing economic policies.

“A people are flying too. That might be a problem, because with the FAA snafus recently, airlines are bracing for the summer of hell,” Colbert said, quoting this CNN article as he discussed the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. “Or as Spirit Airlines calls it, ‘summer.'”

The article notes all kinds of serious problems facing airlines and more importantly, travelers, thanks to Trump administration policies. This includes the flight delays and safety concerns due to slashing FAA personnel, a steep drop in international travel due to aggressive hostility of immigration officials to foreign visitors of any kind. And of course the weakening dollar, making international travel more expensive.

“Of course, a big part of the issue is safety concerns with air traffic control problems causing flight delays and cancelations. In fact, at this point, it’s not even safe to feed your baby,” Colbert said as he pretended to be doing just that. “And here comes the airplane. Oh, God. Oh, God, no, his mouth is Newark. Pull up, pull up! I’m sorry. Your peas are being rerouted to Baltimore,” he joked.

“It’s going to be harder to go abroad as well, because the weakened value of the dollar is making overseas travel more expensive for Americans,” Colbert continued. “Explains why Delta has launched their new international flight classes, ‘Economy Minus,’ “Dog Crate Plus,’ and “Stand with the creature on the wing of the plane.”

You can watch the full monologue below:

The post Stephen Colbert Jokes Trump’s FAA ‘Snafus’ Have Made Flying so Bad New Flight Classes Include ‘Economy Minus’ and ‘Dog Crate Plus’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

FTC Opens Investigation of Media Matters, Target of Elon Musk Lawsuit

Escalating the Trump Administration’s attacks on groups associated with the American political left, the Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation of Media Matters for America over accusations similar to those made by staunch Trump ally Elon Musk.

In letter to Media Matters staff on Wednesday morning. FTC says it is investigating whether the group colluded illegally with advertisers who pulled ads from X (formerly Twitter). Among other things, FTC is demanding the group turn over a large amount of internal documents including budgets, communications with other watchdog organizations, and documentation of how “harmful” online content affects advertisers.

In statement Wednesday, Media Matters said, “the Trump administration has been defined by naming right-wing media figures to key posts and abusing the power of the federal government to bully political opponents and silence critics. It’s clear that’s exactly what’s happening here, given Media Matters’ history of holding those same media figures to account. These threats won’t work; we remain steadfast to our mission.”

Elon Musk filed a defamation lawsuit in November 2023 in response to a Media Matters report documenting repeated instances of paid ads placed next to pro-Nazi and white nationalist content on Twitter. The billionaire alleges the group “manufactured” that evidence — which consisted of screenshots taken live on X — and also accused MMFA of collusion with advertisers.

Media Matters denies such accusations and legal experts have repeatedly affirmed Musk’s lawsuit is without merit and in violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Critics also note that the lawsuit itself acknowledges that ads actually were placed next to extremist content on X.

The lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court of Northern Texas, known for being extremely friendly to right wing interests. Presiding Judge Reed O’Connor is also a shareholder in Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla. Republican Attorneys General in Texas and Missouri have also opened investigations of Media Matters.

Since Musk filed the lawsuit, mounting legal costs forced Media Matters to lay off a large number of employees and scale back some operations.

MMFA, which tracks and reports on extremist content in right wing media, was founded in 2004 by former conservative activist and journalist David Brock.

The post FTC Opens Investigation of Media Matters, Target of Elon Musk Lawsuit appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Hacks’ Blows Up Deborah Vance’s Dream in Episode 9, and Hits the Reset Button

Note: This story contains spoilers for “Hacks” Season 4, Episode 9.

“Hacks” blew up Deborah Vance’s dream Hollywood job in Thursday’s latest episode, and the Max series now heads toward its latest metamorphosis.

The Max comedy series hit the reset button with Season 4 Episode 9, titled “A Slippery Slope,” after a controversy erupts in Deborah’s (Jean Smart) now No. 1 late night show. After she is encouraged to book the star of a franchise movie owned by her show’s parent company, Deborah gets into trouble after a joke she makes alluding to troubling allegations against the actor.

The network tells her to cut the joke from the broadcast and she acquiesces, much to Ava’s (Hannah Einbinder) disappointment. While licking her wounds about being forced to help launder a man’s reputation, Ava accidentally tells her former employer, the producer of a news called “On the Contrary.” This led to the possibility of a news story about the scandal bringing the company’s attempt at censorship to the surface.

Hannah Einbinder in “Hacks.” (Max)Choosing Ava

The move led to Bob (Tony Goldwyn) demanding that Deborah fire Ava or he’d shut down the show for good — noting that despite its no. 1 status, it pales in comparison to the revenue produced by the company’s parks and franchise films. But in a series first, Deborah chooses Ava over her dream job.

Despite Bob attending the show’s live taping — a coveted post-Oscar timeslot — Deborah uses her monologue to bring to light the scandal, revealing that this would be her last show. Meanwhile she cut Ava’s access to the lot where the show films, to prevent Deborah from stopping her.

In her monologue Deborah calls out the company for trying to silence her, calling being forced to fire Ava a line she wouldn’t cross. Fans of the series know this is a huge moment for Deborah, who has repeatedly chosen her dreams and ambitions over her connection to her creative partner.

“While we always knew we wanted Deborah to get her white whale and have this show, we also knew that this was not a show about late night, it’s always been about them offstage,” series co-creator Paul W. Downs said in a special look at Episode 9 released Thursday.

“She proves not just to Ava, but to herself, what’s most important,” Smart said in the clip.

Jimmy’s breaking point

It was a big night for the other duo in “Hacks,” too. Kayla (Megan Stalter) pondered the possibility of leaving Jimmy’s firm to rejoin her dad as an agent. And after a few losses, Jimmy faced feeling despondent in his job and considering letting it all go.

After Dance Mom (Julian Nicholson) gets too wasted, Jimmy and Kayla end up having to help her do cocaine to get her on the show in time so everyone could keep their jobs. The decision pushed Jimmy to his breaking point. After he left the studio, Kayla feels that maybe she would be right to rejoin her father if her business partner is willing to flame out of the job.

The next day Kayla learns that Jimmy willingly chose to permanent name their business “Schaeffer andLuSaque,” putting her name first. The gesture helps her see she’s exactly where she belongs right by his side. Then she shames Deborah and Ava for not being appreciative of all Jimmy does for them.

The conversation encourages Deborah to go to Jimmy’s house and help him come back to his senses. He helps her keep the life feed of her monologue alive by physically fighting Bob and ends up with a broken nose.

Tony Goldwyn and Paul W. Downs in “Hacks.”What happens next?

As they’re leaving the lot together, Ava and Deborah are stopped by Bob. He shames Deborah for allowing her dreams to burn for Ava, and reminds her that she’s under a talent contract with the network that involves a very strict non-compete clause. That means she won’t be able to perform for 18 months or she will get sued.

The episode ends with Deborah and Ava staring at each other, stunned at what’s gone down.

A promo for Episode 10, the Season 4 finale airing next week, teases the duo heading into uncharted waters. With a tight contract and no way to do her work, meaning that for the first time in her life, Deborah might take a vacation. And Ava will be in tow.

“It was very emotional to shoot,” Einbinder says in the clip.

“Hacks” has upended its narrative every season since Season 1. The difference this time is that rather than coming on the heels of Deborah making a decision that impacted Ava for the worse, this time it came out of love. We’ll see where the show takes this latest twist from here.

The “Hacks” Season 4 finale airs May 29 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Max. The show has not been renewed for Season 5.

The post ‘Hacks’ Blows Up Deborah Vance’s Dream in Episode 9, and Hits the Reset Button appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Duster’: Adrienne Barbeau Was ‘Tickled Pink’ by Her Unusual Dual Role in Max Crime Drama

Note: This story contains spoilers from “Duster” Episode 2.

Adrienne Barbeau, best known for the films she made with ex-husband John Carpenter, including “The Fog” and “Escape From New York,” guest stars in this week’s episode of “Duster” as an FBI agent’s secretive wife.

The ep also includes a different actress playing Barbeau as she might have looked in 1972. The younger Barbeau (played by Mikaela Hoover of James Gunn’s “Superman”), helps lead character Jim Ellis (Josh Holloway) by distracting an older businessman so Jim can steal a valuable pair of Elvis Presley’s blue suede shoes.

Barbeau spoke to TheWrap about having someone play her as a character for the first time — the 79-year-old actress said she was “tickled pink.”

“The ’70s was my era,” said Barbeau, who was nominated for a Tony for her portrayal of Rizzo in a 1972 production of “Grease” on Broadway, which led — as the shows depicts — to her landing the role on “Maude” as Bea Arthur’s daughter.

TheWrap: How did this role come your way?

Adrienne Barbeau: I thought they were asking me to play myself in this episode, but no, [series co-creator J.J. Abrams] was offering me another role. He called and said it takes place in the ’70s, and we want to use Adrienne Barbeau as a character. And I said, ‘Sure, what a compliment.” I was just tickled pink, actually. And then he said, “But we’d also like you to be a different character my age in the show as well.”

TheWrap: What did you think of Michaela Hoover’s performance as “Adrienne Barbeau”?

She’s a lot more beautiful than me. They went a little far afield in terms of the person I was in those days. I don’t drink. But, maybe this Adrienne Barbeau did.

Mikaela Hoover plays Adrienne Barbeau in “Duster” Season 1 Episode 2 (Jon Kopaloff/WireImage)

Is this the first time someone has played you as a character?

Yes, yes, it’s unusual. It’s not often that an actor gets portrayed at a younger age that I can think of. It was really just so much fun. Of course, trying to tell any of my friends that they should watch it because I’m in the second episode. It’s like, Adrienne Barbeau is in the second episode, but I did it too.

What about the character you do play, Evelyn Breen? 

She is the wife of an FBI agent who ended up in a mental institution and all of whose files are missing, as Rachel Hilson’s character starts on her journey of trying to figure out what’s going on. I don’t know too much about Evelyn yet. If there’s a second season, they tell me she’s coming back.

She does have something to do with the powers that be in Washington. She also wants to stop Nina’s investigation.

Yes, definitely.

Partly because Nina is Black.

Unfortunately, yes. that’s not comfortable for me to play. But yes, she makes a statement about “people like you,” and it’s apparent what she’s talking about.

The episode is about stealing Elvis’s blue suede shoes. Did you ever meet Elvis in real life?

My only connection with Elvis, which is really obscure, is that my son is a music producer, and he produced and was nominated for a Grammy for the version of “Suspicious Minds” in [Baz Luhrmann’s] “Elvis.” Oh, and my ex-husband, John Carpenter, directed the miniseries “Elvis,” with Kurt Russell. I thought it was great.

Was it kind of surreal to be on a show where everyone is dressed like it’s 1972?

The fashion designer on this show is fantastic. I was really impressed with everything she’s done. The wardrobe that I wore in “Maude “certainly does not reflect what my character is wearing in “Duster,” but she really has it down. It’s great fun, and the music… this was one of my eras. I love the music from the ’70s and the ’60s, so I’m really enjoying the series.

I saw you not too long ago in an episode of “9-1-1.” Do you go looking for work or is it mainly people calling you up and asking you to be in their show or movie?

Right now I’m doing a film that I am incredibly excited about where the writer and director approached me.

I get called to go in and audition. I do a lot of voice work and sometimes I audition for a voice job, but mostly those are just direct offers. The last two films, they called me up and said, “Would you read this script? We’d like to have you do it.”

Adrienne Barbeau in “The Fog” (AVCO Embassy Pictures/StudioCanal

You’re so well known for your voice work and of course you played a DJ in “The Fog” and voiced the computer in “The Thing.” It’s kind of mind boggling that people would not automatically hire you for things.

I think, and especially as we all grow older, there’s a certain element of needing to see the person, even though you know their body of work. But you want to see what they’re like right now? It never bothers me if I get asked to audition and I never take it personally if I don’t get the job.

Looking back on your career, is it what you thought it would be?

I don’t feel like I’ve ever worked a day in my life. All I ever wanted was to be able to support myself as an actor. I told myself if I haven’t had some measure of success by the time I’m 25, I’ll go get a degree and teach acting. But by the time I was 25, I was on Broadway and I had my union card, and so it just went from there. I just considered myself incredibly fortunate to have been able to do this for this long. I’ve been working since 1963.

“Duster” releases new episodes Thursdays on Max.

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