Steve Pond's Blog, page 43
August 23, 2025
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Star Gavin Casalegno Responds Jeremiah Fan Hate: ‘I Don’t Check Instagram Anymore’
Gavin Casalegno broke his silence on the viral fan hate his “The Summer I Turned Pretty” character Jeremiah is getting online, and reiterated that he is not his character while speaking about the prevalence of online bullying.
“They tend to dislike him, yes,” Casalegno said in an interview with The New York Times published Thursday. “I don’t check Instagram anymore, so I really haven’t seen that much hate. The only thing that I see is my sister sending me the memes that are really funny. I think it’s important to also understand and realize that this is a fictional story — and it’s also not me.”
On Amazon Prime Video’s hit show “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” Casalegno plays Jeremiah, one of two brothers in love with the main character Belly, played by Lola Tung. Fans have largely always “shipped” Conrad (Christopher Briney), the older of the two brothers, and Belly but that sentiment went into warped speed when Casalegno’s character cheats on her in Season 3.
“I don’t think there’s a single human being in the world who can carry the emotional negativity to the degree that stuff like this happens,” Casalegno continued. “And I think that’s why Amazon did a good job of stepping in and being like, ‘Hey, no bullying.’ Though, not really going so well.”
The character’s indiscretion was known to many fans since the show is based on a book series of the same name by Jenny Han, who also serves as a showrunner on the series. Ahead of the Season 3 premiere of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” the official social media account for the Prime Video series cautioned viewers against bullying and hate speech.
“Cousins is our safe place,” the post read. “Everything good, everything magical. Let’s keep the conversation kind this summer.”
The show’s social media account also posted a list of community guidelines, which read, “we have a ZERO tolerance policy for bullying and hate speech. If you engage in any of the following you will be banned.” The community guidelines warn against “hate speech or bullying,” “targeting our cast or crew” and “harassing or doxxing members of the community.”
Casalegno tries to keep clear boundaries between the show and his personally life but added that while he doesn’t watch the show, he is still incredible grateful to be a part of it.
“I honestly haven’t even really watched any of the show. Because, you know, when you’re in it, you know what’s happening,” he said. “And so it’s like: why? At the end of the day, it’s work — it’s an amazing job, a dream job — but it is still work.”
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 is currently airing weekly on Prime Video.
The post ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Star Gavin Casalegno Responds Jeremiah Fan Hate: ‘I Don’t Check Instagram Anymore’ appeared first on TheWrap.
Halsey Defends ‘Americana’ Production Team in Wake of Sydney Sweeney Jeans Ad Backlash: ‘Pretty Dumb’
“Americana” star and singer Halsey said she was displeased with the commotion surrounding the film, which costars Sydney Sweeney. The movie’s success has apparently been impacted by the blowback following Sweeney’s divisive American Eagle ad.
“I do agree that our words are important in this climate,” Halsey wrote in her Instagram story Thursday. “I don’t, however, think that it’s fair for the news cycle to predatorily rip a hardworking director and his hardworking crew for their film that is completely separate-from and unrelated-to a (pretty dumb) advertising take.”
“If it’s not clear who the actual people I’m standing up for are, I’m sorry look closer,” she added.
“Americana” opened last weekend to just $500,000 and many speculated the failure at the box office was related to the recent controversy surrounding the American Eagle campaign.
Halsey also penned two posts she later deleted defending director Tony Tost. “Because his work and his vision are greater than the 24 hr gossip tabloid denim bulls–t,” she wrote in one post, per the Daily Mail.
“I’m not upset the film’s release is being hurt by the timing. I am upset that bunch of non-celebrity people involved in this film are being bullied by the media,” she also wrote on X before deleting the message. “I have said everything I am permitted to say about my feelings on the ad. And if you’re a fan of mine and think I ‘support eugenics’ then idk what to say idk why you’re a fan then tbh …”
The American Eagle ad in question prompted backlash after some said it was racist, especially since it appears to celebrate Sweeney’s whiteness and thinness. Others brought up arguments that it could not only be subtly promoting white supremacy, but also eugenics, nazism and master race propaganda. “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” Sweeney says in the ad. “My jeans are blue.”
The post Halsey Defends ‘Americana’ Production Team in Wake of Sydney Sweeney Jeans Ad Backlash: ‘Pretty Dumb’ appeared first on TheWrap.
Aubrey Plaza’s Emotional Grief Comments About ‘The Gorge’ Leave Director Deeply Touched
Scott Derrickson, who directed the 2025 film “The Gorge,” said Audrey Plaza’s admission that the film helped her process grief following the unexpected death of her husband Jeff Baena was “very touching.”
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly in an interview published Saturday, Derrickson explained, “I mean, how could I not be moved by that? It was very touching. I think she was being really earnest and, of course, it makes you as a filmmaker feel good that your work is out there giving people experiences and helping them define their own feelings.”
The director also said that this is the role of movies in general. “I don’t think it was something unique to ‘The Gorge,'” he added. “I think that she just happened to talk about it the way I’ve talked about movies giving clarity to my own experiences and my own feelings many times.”
Baena died by suicide in January. In an interview on Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast earlier this week, Plaza said the movie had become a great source of comfort for her and explained that working through grief reminded her of the film’s plot. “This is like a really dumb analogy, and it was kind of a joke at a certain point, but I actually mean it — did you see that movie, ‘The Gorge?’” she asked Poehler. “It’s like an alien movie with Miles Teller, but in the movie, there’s a cliff on one side and then there’s a cliff on the other side and then there’s a gorge in between and it’s filled with all these monster people that are trying to get them.”
“I swear, when I watched it, I was like, that feels like what my grief is like — or what grief could be like — at all times there’s a giant ocean of awfulness that’s right there and I can see it,” Plaza continued.
“Sometimes I just want to dive into it and be in it and sometimes I just look at it and sometimes I try to get away from it, but it’s always there. It’s just always there and the monster people are trying to get me, like Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy.”
Plaza and Baena had been together since 2011 and shared news of their marriage in 2021. The pair separated in September 2024.
The post Aubrey Plaza’s Emotional Grief Comments About ‘The Gorge’ Leave Director Deeply Touched appeared first on TheWrap.
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Stars Surprise Fans by Singing Movie’s Songs on NYC Tour Bus | Video
“KPop Demon Hunters” fans were in for a major surprise Saturday when cast members Rei Ami and Kevin Woo popped up in NYC and led a sing-along to “How It’s Done,” the intro song to the Netflix hit. The surprise performance was part of a series of “K-Pop Demon Hunters Golden Weekend” events.
The movie, which debuted on the streamer in June, was recently released in sing-along format in theaters around the city.
WHO'S THE BADDEST THEM HELLO
— Netflix (@netflix) August 23, 2025
Rei Ami and Kevin Woo from KPop Demon Hunters leading NYC in a singalong to How It's Donepic.twitter.com/SWmLaLHcmd
The film follows the adventures of the K-pop band HUNTR/X who use their hidden talents as demon hunters “to protect their fans from ever-present supernatural danger. Together, they must face their biggest threat — an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise,” per the show’s logline.
Along with “How It’s Done,” Woo also sang “Soda Pop.”
Other events that took place as part of the fan weekend included a sunrise lighting ceremony at the Empire State Building with stars Arden Cho, May Hong and Ami.
KEVIN WOO SINGING SODA POP IN NYC
— Netflix (@netflix) August 23, 2025pic.twitter.com/ioArTzt5Ir
Chris Appelhans, the movie’s co-writer, told the New York Post at the Saturday ceremony, “Animation is a truly collaborative medium, and it’s their voices, literally, their voices, that have brought Rumi and Mira and Zoey to life and put these songs on top of the charts.”
“I’m so grateful for the fans and for these wonderful, talented women who made this movie such a beacon of connection and joy in the last few months,” he added. “I think it’s really awesome to have a symbol like the Empire State Building lit golden, just to kind of bring everybody in the city together and have a moment with music connecting us all, because it does do that. And really, really happy and proud that the movies sort of played on most of that.”
Since its June 20 debut, “KPop Demon Hunters” has gone between the top two spots on Netflix’s most-watched movies list, taking second place to “The Old Guard 2,” “Happy Gilmore 2” and, more recently, “My Oxford Year.”
You can watch both videos of the performances in the clips above.
The post ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Stars Surprise Fans by Singing Movie’s Songs on NYC Tour Bus | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
IFC Expands ‘Good Boy’ Theatrical Release After More Than 1 Million People Watch the Film’s Trailer
IFC has expanded the theatrical release of the upcoming horror film “Good Boy” from limited to full wide release in response to the fervor over the movie’s trailer — more than one million people viewed the clip since its debut on Aug. 18.
The movie will land in an unspecified number of theaters on Oct. 3.
The 72-minute film is told from the point of a view of a family pet who has recently moved to a rural home with his owner, Todd. According to the trailer’s YouTube description, the dog soon picks up on “supernatural forces” that are “lurking in the shadows” and is called upon to “protect the one he loves most.”
Ben Leonberg directed the original film from a script he wrote with Alex Cannon, and “Good Boy” originally premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March to positive reviews.
IndieWire, which first reported the expansion, noted Google searches for “Does the dog in ‘Good Boy’ die” have also risen by more than 2,000%.
IFC is coming off a successful 2024 that saw the releases of horror film “I Saw the Devil” ($16.8 million worldwide) and Oscar-nominated animated film “Memoir of a Snail” ($7.6 million worldwide).
The expansion of “Good Boy” also comes as horror is having a nice run at the box office in 2025. Warner Bros./New Line’s original Zach Cregger film “Weapons” has raked in over $100 million domestic so far, “Sinners” was a smash hit earlier this year to the tune of over $365 million at the worldwide box office and “28 Years Later” grossed $150 million this summer.
What 2025’s horror hits have in common is originality, which bodes well for “Good Boy.”
The post IFC Expands ‘Good Boy’ Theatrical Release After More Than 1 Million People Watch the Film’s Trailer appeared first on TheWrap.
The 7 Best Hidden Gems Streaming on HBO Max Right Now
HBO Max has more than a few memorable, worthwhile films lurking beyond the edges of its homepage. The streaming service’s hidden gems include a 1980s classic that will have you reaching for a box of tissues and the directorial debut of none other than Ryan Gosling, which will leave a more lasting impression than its muted initial response would have you believe. The platform even has at least one rip-roaring, thrilling historical epic that you likely have not seen before.
Here is your guide to some of the best hidden gems on HBO Max right now.
“Priscilla” (A24)“Priscilla” (2023)“Priscilla,” director Sofia Coppola’s reflective film about Priscilla Presley, flew undeservedly under the radar when it was released. The film explores its eponymous heroine’s (Cailee Spaeny) complicated romantic relationship with Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi), which began when she was just 14 years old (and he was 24) and ended with their divorce when she was 27. Working closely with Presley herself, who executive produced the film, Coppola manages to craft, much like she did in “Marie Antoinette” and “The Virgin Suicides,” a portrait of how even the most manicured life can become a prison when it does not allow you the chance to change or grow.
Spaeny won the Best Actress award at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival for her performance in the film, and deservedly so. Playing the same woman across 13 years, Spaeny beautifully conveys — with the help of Coppola’s typically subversive voice and close attention to detail — the necessary but often painful process of growing up and realizing not just what you need, but what you deserve. “Priscilla” is, in other words, a film about outgrowing one’s teenage dreams, and if you haven’t seen it yet, then you should take this as a sign to finally check it out.
“Paris, Texas” (Argos Films)“Paris, Texas” (1984)“Paris, Texas” is one of the most stirring portraits of the American West and one of the most affecting examinations of grief and guilt that has ever been captured on film. Directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders and co-written by playwright and actor Sam Shepard, the film follows Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton), a disheveled desert wanderer who is found by his estranged brother Walt (Dean Stockwell) and brought back to civilization with him. Reunited by Walt with his young son Hunter (Hunter Carson), Stanton’s Travis finds himself reminded of the life that he and Hunter once had with his missing wife Jane (Nastassja Kinski), and he resolves to repair the familial bonds between them that were, for reasons we learn later on, painfully broken.
Featuring gorgeous technicolor cinematography from cinematographer Robby Müller and breathtaking performances across the board, “Paris, Texas” reveals with remarkable clarity and choked-up strains of emotion how love can be both the most healing and destructive force in the world. It is a breathtaking film — each scene feels like an epiphany — and it is as deserving of your time as any other movie or TV show that HBO Max has to offer right now.
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)“Martha Marcy May Marlene” (2011)She may be best known at this point for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it was her performance in 2011’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene” that caught everyone’s attention and first put Elizabeth Olsen on the map. The actress stars in the film as its eponymous heroine, a young woman suffering from PTSD after fleeing from the physically and mentally abusive mountain cult she was a member of for two years. Directed with startling control by “The Iron Claw” filmmaker Sean Durkin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” is an unflinching exploration of trauma, how it lingers and transforms the way we view the world.
It is not an easy film, but it is immersive and gripping. Even more importantly, it is held together at all times by a thorny, layered performance from Olsen that rightly established her as one of the most promising actresses of her generation. When you watch “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” it’s easy to see how she has managed to build the career she has off its success.
“The Woman King” (Sony Pictures Releasing)“The Woman King” (2022)There are not many blockbusters on HBO Max’s platform that could be accurately considered “hidden gems,” but “The Woman King” is one of the select few. The film performed well at the box office when it was released in 2022, but it did not become the word-of-mouth smash success that it should have. Directed by “Love & Basketball” filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film follows General Nanisca (Viola Davis), the leader of an army of female warriors tasked with protecting the West African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century from other African kingdoms and the encroaching reach of the European slave trade.
Anchored by Davis’ arresting, physically imposing star turn, “The Woman King” hits with the blunt force of a battering ram. Its 135-minute runtime is punctuated by several astonishingly staged battle sequences, and the whole thing is further elevated by a scene-stealing supporting performance from Lashana Lynch that will leave you wanting to watch an entire film just about her character. “The Woman King” is a proper epic, and the fact that it is not more widely known can, thankfully, be rectified by its presence on HBO Max.
“Inherent Vice” (Warner Bros. Pictures)“Inherent Vice” (2014)A misty-eyed, absurdly funny neo-noir, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice” remains one of the filmmaker’s most divisive movies. It’s also one of his best. Based on a novel by Thomas Pynchon, “Inherent Vice” follows Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix), a bumbling stoner detective, as he is hired by the ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterston) he still hasn’t gotten over to investigate the disappearance of her rich new boyfriend (Eric Roberts). His investigation leads Doc tumbling into the center of a sprawling, incomprehensible mystery that makes little sense in both Pynchon’s novel and Anderson’s adaptation.
That’s okay. “Inherent Vice” is a film meant to be experienced and felt, not necessarily understood. Give up on trying to follow its convoluted plot and you will find yourself wading into a film that only seems to grow thematically and emotionally deeper every time you revisit it. Like a few of Anderson’s films, it’s a comedy about heartbreak and the pull we sometimes still feel to things, people, places and times that don’t exist anymore. It is one of Anderson’s most moving films — and a perfect movie to turn on and spend 2 hours sinking into from the comfort of your own couch.
“Lost River” (Warner Bros. Pictures)“Lost River” (2014)Here is a film decidedly not for everyone.
Ryan Gosling‘s “Lost River” is a strange, discombobulated fever dream fantasy about a single mother (Christina Hendricks) who begins working in a perverse underground club to provide for her children, and her teenage son (Iain De Caestecker), who discovers a road that leads to a submerged underwater town. Shot and set around the crumbling outskirts of Detroit, “Lost River” crafts a mythic, striking portrait of American decay — of trying to live in a world that has been condemned. Written and directed by Gosling, “Lost River” does not tell a straightforward story so much as it creates moods, particularly those of despair, horror, love, connection and hope.
Infused with stunning, colorful surreality by “Spring Breakers” cinematographer Benoît Debie and featuring two unforgettably villainous performances by Ben Mendelsohn and Matt Smith, “Lost River” is a modern American fairytale by way of David Lynch. “Pan’s Labyrinth” director Guillermo del Toro famously told Gosling after he read the film’s script that he would direct it if the “Barbie” star didn’t, and it is easy to see why it appealed to del Toro. It is a fantastical, nightmarish film that was largely disregarded when it was first released. While it has its flaws, though, the distinct, inspired artistic vision on display in every one of its frames is enough to make one mourn the fact that Gosling has not since returned to the director’s chair.
“My Favorite Wife” (RKO Radio Pictures)“My Favorite Wife” (1940)“My Favorite Wife” is smarter than its title would have you think and more memorable than its slight reputation would lead you to believe. The film follows Ellen (Irene Dunne), a woman who, after having spent years stranded on a deserted island, returns home to America only to discover her kids do not recognize her and that her beloved husband (Cary Grant) is on the verge of marrying someone else (Gail Patrick). When she seemingly returns from the dead, both she and Grant’s Nick find themselves in a difficult position that neither is well-equipped to handle.
Gloriously convoluted and overflowing with Golden Age star-power, “My Favorite Wife” is a straight-up delight. It is a breezy 88-minute comedy of manners that gets in and gets out without wasting a minute of your time, all while casually delivering more memorable gags and one-liners than you know what to do with. It is, in many ways, a perfect example of the kind of pleasant, unfussy studio comedies that Hollywood used to regularly release.
The post The 7 Best Hidden Gems Streaming on HBO Max Right Now appeared first on TheWrap.
David Corenswet’s Wholesome ‘Superman’ Audition Charms the Internet: ‘Better Than the Movie’ | Video
David Corenswet made his debut as the Man of Steel this summer with the release of James Gunn’s “Superman” to largely positive reviews — but when his self-tape audition hit the internet Saturday, the post really pulled in all the raves. As one fan noted on X, “Why is this better than the movie??????”
Other users insisted Gunn “ruined” Corenswet in the fim. “OMG HOW DID GUNN RUIN SOMETHING SO NICE AND WHOLESOME,” a second fan wrote, “And the Clark look was far better.”
OMG HOW DID GUNN RUIN SOMETHING SO NICE AND WHOLESOME
— SuperTuberEddie
And the Clark look was far better(@SuperTuberEddie) August 23, 2025
But not everyone was so quick to judge Gunn’s vision. “He literally just looks like Superman with glasses on. At least with the Gunn Clark, you would doubt he’s Superman,” a third chimed in to defend the director.
Gunn revealed earlier this month that he and Corenswet got into a heated argument while filming a crucial scene in the movie. Gunn was pushing for a big, emotional take on a speech delivered by the caped hero, but Corenswet wasn’t quiet sold.
“I felt like s–t about myself since the recording came out,” Corenswet said in a behind-the-scenes clip shared via X. “It’s just been like, ‘I don’t belong, I’m s–t, everything’s a lie, I’m not who I thought I was.’ When is, is this not the moment where I go, ‘I was wrong to feel that way.’”
“That’s exactly where the issue is, right? Because what (Pa Kent) didn’t tell you is it was wrong to feel that way,” Gunn responded. “There are feelings, and there are thoughts. Your feelings about feeling bad are OK. It’s not wrong for you to feel that way. You should just, it’s not right or wrong anything, none of it is right or wrong. All of it is being vulnerable and being human, being a human being. And in this moment, for you to talk about how it’s OK to be vulnerable, you have to be vulnerable, which means showing Lex that your f–king feelings are hurt in a point when you really shouldn’t.”
“The sentence that James said to me at the end of that conversation perfectly clarified what the character was doing in the moment, and what I should be doing in that moment,” Corenswet later said. “I went out there, I did it, and it was right.”
Both Gunn and Corenswet settled their differences about the scene and now credit the exchange as one of their favorite moments ever of filming.
You can watch Corenswet’s full audition tape in the clip above.
The post David Corenswet’s Wholesome ‘Superman’ Audition Charms the Internet: ‘Better Than the Movie’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Venice Film Festival Faces Pressure From Hundreds of Italian Industry Figures to Take Stronger Pro-Palestine Stance
A group of filmmakers penned an open letter Saturday to the Venice Film Festival urging event organizers to take a stronger pro-Palestine stance. The group, operating under the name Venice4Palestine or V4P, called on the Venice Biennale, Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days) and the International Critics’ Week “to be more courageous and clear in condemning the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
The 82nd annual film festival begins on Aug. 27 and runs through Sep. 6.
Signatories of the letter were mostly Italian film professionals including Marco Bellocchio, Matteo Garrone and Alice Rohrwacher, as well a few non-Italians like Abel Ferrara, Ken Loach, Audrey Diwan, Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser.
“Stop the clocks, turn off the stars,” the letter began. “The burden is too much to carry on living as before. For almost two years now, images of unmistakable clarity have been reaching us from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Incredulous and helpless, we keep witnessing the torment of a genocide carried out live by the State of Israel in Palestine. No one will ever be able to say: ‘I couldn’t know, I couldn’t imagine, I couldn’t believe.’ We have seen it all. We keep seeing it all.”
The letter goes on to ask the Biennale, the Festival, Venice Days and Venice Critics’ Week “to take a clear stance and support our requests.” They also asserted “the need to access spaces to host diverse narratives for Palestine.”
In a statement, the Biennale responded by saying the festival had always been a place for “open discussion and sensitivity” regarding the issues society faces, and that they were, as always, open to dialogue.
The Biennale did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
You can read the full V4P letter below:
Stop the clocks, turn off the stars.
The burden is too much to carry on living as before. For almost two years now, images of unmistakable clarity have been reaching us from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Incredulous and helpless, we keep witnessing the torment of a genocide carried out live by the State of Israel in Palestine. No one will ever be able to say: “I couldn’t know, I couldn’t imagine, I couldn’t believe.”
We have seen it all. We keep seeing it all.
But as the spotlight turns on the Venice Film Festival, we’re in danger of going through yet another major event that remains indifferent to this human, civil, and political tragedy. ‘The show must go on,’ we are told, as we’re urged to look away — as if the ‘film world’ had nothing to do with the “real world.”
And yet, it is precisely through those images, captured by our colleagues, perhaps even by friends, that we have learned of the genocide, of the violent and even murderous attacks on film directors and crews in the West Bank, of the collective punishment unleashed upon the Palestinian people, and of all the other crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli government and army. Those images have cost the lives of nearly 250 Palestinian media workers so far.
The Biennale and the Venice International Film Festival are supposed to celebrate the power of art as a means of transformation, testimony, representation of humanity, and development of critical consciousness. It is precisely this that makes art an extraordinary vehicle for reflection, active participation and resistance.
In response to recent tepid, vague or, even worse, convenient statements made by the organs of power, information and culture, we take a clear and unambiguous stand: it is time not only for empathy but also for responsibility. Semantics and languages, words and images, are not accessories – especially for those who believe in art, they are a fundamental and necessary form of resistance. Were it not the case, we might as well surrender to the evidence that being a filmmaker or a journalist today has no longer any meaning.
For this reason we – activists and workers in the film, media and news fields – believe that for once, the show must stop: we must interrupt the flow of indifference and open a path to awareness. We therefore ask the Biennale, the Festival, Venice Days and Venice Critics’ Week to take a clear stance and support our requests. We also assert the need to access spaces to host diverse narratives for Palestine.
We appeal to all those who can and want to make a difference – at any level. In Venice, all the spotlight will be on the film world: we all have a duty to amplify the stories and voices of those who are being massacred, even with the complicit indifference of the West.
We urge all members of the worlds of culture and information to use their notoriety and any other means available during the Festival to create a constant backdrop of conversations and initiatives to uphold the truth about ethnic cleansing, apartheid, illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, colonialism and all the other crimes against humanity committed by Israel for decades, not just since October 7th.
We invite those who work in film to imagine, coordinate and implement together, during the Festival, actions that give voice to criticism of pro-Zionist government policies: a dissent expressed through creativity, thanks to our artistic, communicative and organizational skills.
As artists and art lovers, as industry professionals and film enthusiasts, as organizers and news reporters, we are the beating heart of this Festival, and we firmly reiterate that we will not be complicit, we will not remain silent, we will not look the other way, we will not give in to the sense of powerlessness nor to the logics of power. The times we live in and our responsibility as human beings demand this of us. There is no cinema without humanity. Let us ensure that this Mostra has meaningful values and does not turn into a sad and shallow vanity fair once more. Let’s do it all together – with courage, with integrity. Free Palestine!
The post Venice Film Festival Faces Pressure From Hundreds of Italian Industry Figures to Take Stronger Pro-Palestine Stance appeared first on TheWrap.
WSJ Editorial Board Ramps Up Trump Feud With Searing Rebuke of Bolton Raid
The Wall Street Journal editorial board published an explosive takedown of the Trump administration’s decision to raid both the Bethesda, Maryland home and the Washington, D.C., office of former national security advisor John Bolton Friday. FBI agents spent hours at both locations to uncover if Bolton illegally held or shared classified information.
The outlet described the pursuit as “a revenge campaign” of the sort that Trump explicitly promised voters he would not engage in if reelected, a fact the board immediately noted in its opening paragraph: “President Trump promised voters during his campaign for a second term that he had bigger things on his mind than retribution against opponents,” they wrote.
It continued: “But it is increasingly clear that vengeance is a large part, maybe the largest part, of how he will define success in his second term.”
Bolton has been a vocal critic of Trump since his departure from the administration in September 2019.
“It’s hard to see the raid as anything other than vindictive. Mr. Bolton fell out of Mr. Trump’s favor in the first term and then wrote a book about his experience in the White House while Mr. Trump was still President,” the WSJ also wrote.
Trump unsuccessfully attempted to block the publication of Bolton’s 2020 book, “The Room Where It Happened,” about his experience in the White House. The Biden administration did not opt into the investigation left by Trump’s first administration, but under his second term it appears FBI Director Kash Patel has been inspired to reopen the case.
“Whether Mr. Trump ordered the FBI probe or not doesn’t matter. Mr. Patel knows what the President thinks about Mr. Bolton, and the President’s minions in Trump II don’t serve as the check on his worst impulses the way grown-ups did in his first term. The presidential id is now unchained,” the WSJ insisted.
“This is the kind of gratuitous viciousness that has increasingly defined Mr. Trump’s return to office,” the outlet later added. “The real offender here is a President who seems to think he can use the powers of his office to run vendettas. We said this was one of the risks of a second Trump term, and it’s turning out to be worse than we imagined.”
In July Trump sued the Journal for $10 billion, one day after the outlet published a letter the president wrote to former friend and associate Jeffrey Epstein for the latter’s birthday. “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ,” Trump posted on Truth Social earlier in the day. “That will be an interesting experience!!!”
The Journal reported Trump’s letter included “several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.” Trump denied having written the note or drawing the woman.
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‘Emily in Paris’ Assistant Director Diego Borella Dies at 47 After On-Set Collapse in Venice
Production on the set of “Emily in Paris” was temporarily suspended after third assistant director Diego Borella unexpectedly collapsed while filming in Venice, Italy. Borella was pronounced dead at the scene from “a sudden heart attack” at 7 p.m. local time. He was 47.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the sudden passing of a member of the ‘Emily in Paris’ production family,” a Paramount Television Studios spokesperson said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the individual’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
According to local outlet la Repubblica, the production team was preparing for the final take of the day outside Hotel Danieli when Borella, who was a locally hired Italian third AD, collapsed.
“Attempts by the medical staff on set to revive him were unsuccessful. The Suem doctor, who rushed to the scene, confirmed his death, likely a sudden heart attack,” the outlet also reported.
Borella is described as “well regarded” having worked on sets in Rome, London and New York. In addition to his film career he was also a poet and an author of children’s stories and fairy tales.
Production resumed on Saturday to film the fifth season of “Emily in Paris” which moved filming from Rome to Venice, Italy. Rome was the setting for the back half of Season 4. Season 5 will see Lily Collins’ Emily embrace Venice when the Darren Star-created show returns Thursday, Dec. 18. Netflix dropped first look images for the hit show last week.
The post ‘Emily in Paris’ Assistant Director Diego Borella Dies at 47 After On-Set Collapse in Venice appeared first on TheWrap.
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