The Ankler

Hollywood has spent years chasing Gen Z. YouTube creators may have found the formula first. Natalie Jarvey explains what 'Iron Lung,' 'Obsession' and 'Backrooms' reveal about the future of moviegoing - mrf.lu/P52f

Poorna Jagannathan says the set of ‘Deli Boys’ felt like home. She reflects on building a close-knit cast and crew while making a “revolutionary” dark comedy weaving South Asian culture into an absurd world. See more - mrf.lu/MLn2

Riz Ahmed spent 10 years developing his deeply personal 'Bait,' and he was “ready to go and become a hermit if everybody hated it.” He tells Katey Rich that instead, the audacious series hit precisely the nerve he'd hoped for - mrf.lu/wMtd

"The biggest discovery I made that helped me in my filmmaking career was to realize nobody knows what the f*** they're doing." 'I Love Boosters' director Boots Riley shared some wisdom with Richard Rushfield back in March - mrf.lu/ww-b

“I fell asleep watching an episode of ‘Yes Minister’ or ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ every night from like 15 to 18.” Daniel Radcliffe tells Katey Rich about the British comedies that became his secret sitcom education before ‘Reggie Dinkins’ D-Rad goes deep in the full conversation - mrf.lu/wQVD

‘Jury Duty: Company Retreat’ had more than 100 possible hidden camera positions across the set, even though only 30 to 40 might be active at once. DP Chris Darnell explains how the crew stays flexible filming unpredictable moments - mrf.lu/wkYb

Guillaume Canet's thriller 'Karma,' goes dark, and it took Marion Cotillard with it. "It took me to some places I would never have explored without this character," she said in a Croisette Conversation (in partnership with Brand Innovators) - mrf.lu/-M9H

How did sibling directors Arie and Chuko Esiri decide to make 'Clarissa' their second movie? When they couldn't agree, Chuko joked to Katey Rich in their Croisette Conversation (in partnership with Brand Innovators), he just shouted "Mom!" - mrf.lu/-D3t

“We’re the adults now.” Quinta Brunson says she’s proud ‘Abbott Elementary’ has spotlighted younger teachers, Black educators and issues like Philadelphia school closings. The full convo - mrf.lu/-NKM 'In the Running' presented by Disney

“I was in seventh heaven.” Daniel Radcliffe tells Katey Rich why 'Reggie Dinkins' became one of the few projects he’d say yes to almost sight unseen: Robert Carlock, Sam Means and a lifelong love of their comedy sensibility - mrf.lu/7lWc

The Academy has grown much more global in the last decade. AMPAS' Lynette Howell-Taylor and Meredith Shea pointed to two surprising elements of that change: subtitles and stunts. Croisette Conversations at Armani Caffè in partnership with Brand Innovators - mrf.lu/7d47

For director Leah Nelson, adapting Sarah Leavitt’s acclaimed 'Tangles' was deeply personal. "When I was given the graphic novel, I was going through dementia in my family," she told Katey Rich as part of The Ankler's Croisette Conversations - mrf.lu/7tp0

How does it feel to be a 20-year-old director at the premiere of your first film? According to 'Backrooms' filmmaker Kane Parsons on the red carpet, it's "pretty neat." Matthew Frank on Parsons' leap from YouTube horror to 'Backrooms' - mrf.lu/_jVZ

SCOOP: American Cinematheque's Grant Moninger has new details on the revival of the Village Theater. Screenings kick off soon, and Richard Rushfield's "favorite place in the world to watch movies" will survive the 12-month renovation - mrf.lu/_qyV

Why is Gen Z ignoring 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'? Sean McNulty and Christopher Rosen ponder the possibility that, unlike their elders, young people haven't spent years rewatching movies on cable. More to the mystery - mrf.lu/VzcM

Even if you gave up on the MCU a long time ago, 'Wonder Man' is worth a watch. Katey Rich and Christopher Rosen were surprised to find that, after tapping out on Disney+'s superhero shows, this one is "a really good show about dreaming big." More smart convos - mrf.lu/FVhZ

In 2023, there were 20 women or nonbinary filmmakers who directed movies on IMDb Pro’s top 100 list. In 2024, the number dipped to 14. In 2025, it dropped to 11. WIF CEO Kirsten Schaffer tells Richard Rushfield what she makes of this backslide: theankler.com/kirsten-scha...

Patrick Ball reflects on where 'The Pitt' leaves Langdon at the end of this season, in an early stage of addiction recovery. Ball tells Katey Rich he looks forward to exploring even more in seasons to come - mrf.lu/pWZZ

"It's literally moment by moment. You can't play a character arc." Matthew Macfadyen gives Katey Rich some surprising acting lessons, and relates them back to his role in Netflix's historical limited series 'Death by Lightning' - mrf.lu/p9qH

"How many other artists are left out there" who could have a musical biopic as commercially successful as 'Michael' or 'Bohemian Rhapsody'? Taylor Swift? The Rolling Stones? Pearl Jam? Sean McNulty and Christopher Rosen dig in - mrf.lu/pFLD

After 20 years, YouTube is its own economy, and according to Matthew Patrick, aka MatPat, its time for creators to take the reins. Matthew and Stephanie Patrick broke down their retirement for Like & Subscribe's Natalie Jarvey at NAB Show in Vegas - mrf.lu/pp_d

'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' showrunner Eric Robles shouted out some classic '80s genre movies as inspiration for the new animated series. At NAB Show in Vegas, he told Elaine Low that the show is also an entry point to the world of the Netflix hit

Ari Melber joked during a lively panel in partnership with The Ankler at NAB Show in Las Vegas. Melber, Jen Psaki, and Marcus Mabry discussed the future of news in a conversation moderated (with wit) by Breaker Media's Lachlan Cartwright.

Horror is known for low budgets, but at NAB Show in Vegas, 'M3GAN' and 'Malignant 'screenwriter Akela Cooper revealed she doesn't build stories around budgets. She lets Atomic Monster president Michael Clear handle that, and then she finds creative solutions

What makes Matthew Macfadyen say yes to a role? It’s all in the writing, he tells Katey Rich. They discuss his post-‘Succession’ career and role as the real-life presidential assassin Charles Guiteau in Netflix’s ‘Death by Lightning’ The charm is off the charts - mrf.lu/X1b4

"We're smaller. We're mightier in a lot of ways," Jen Psaki said of shifting from MSNBC to MS NOW in a fascinating panel at NAB Show in Vegas. She was joined by Ari Melber and Marcus Mabry for a lively talk moderated by Breaker Media's Lachlan Cartwright

With over one billion Funko Pops sold, of course those little collectibles might be heading for theaters. At NAB Show in Vegas, Funko CEO Josh Simon told Elaine Low the brand is teaming with some of the minds behind 'The Lego Movie' to make it happen.

Mark Edward Fischbach, aka markiplier, made 'Iron Lung' outside the studio system, so he didn't know about deadlines for trailers. He had to edit a feature film's theatrical trailer on his own very, very quickly, as he told Natalie Jarvey at NAB Show in Vegas

SPOILERS: After last night's explosive finale, Sepideh Moafi joined @kateyrich.bsky.social to discuss the 'The Pitt' twist she's been holding in all season. Full conversation: theankler.com/p/sepideh-mo...

The Writers Guild reached a deal with the AMPTP that was surprisingly swift and less dramatic than last time. Co-chair of the WGA West negotiating committee and acclaimed screenwriter @johnaugust.bsky.social tells @elainelow.bsky.social and @natjarv.bsky.social how the deal got done mrf.lu/vyy4

Why are family movies like 'Super Mario Galaxy' and 'Zootopia 2' cleaning up at the box office? The Ankler's Elaine Low has answers for CBS LA. It's not just the kids going to theaters

Where are productions actually going? Just follow the tax credits. Ashley Cullins breaks down how California, New York, New Jersey and Georgia stack up. But why are states like Illinois, Texas and New Mexico gaining ground? Find out: bit.ly/4tcbpht

Where are productions actually going? Follow the tax credits. @ashleycullins.bsky.social breaks down how California, New York, New Jersey and Georgia stack up, plus why states like Illinois, Texas and New Mexico are gaining ground theankler.com/p/tax-incent...

As #Hacks comes to a close, what's Jean Smart proudest of? She tells Katey Rich it's all about the people, and how welcoming the show was to so many talented actors. Catch up: bit.ly/4tdZPTf