Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Street Fighter’ Leads Box Office With $51 Million Global Opening as ‘Whalefall’ Gets Beached With $17.5 Million

Paramount/Legendary's "Street Fighter" has attracted a decent number of gamers to theaters this weekend, leading the box office with a $31 million domestic and $51 million global opening.

That's not a huge start for this $82 million movie made together by Legendary and Capcom, the company that owns the "Street Fighter" video game.
The film is now playing at Paramount under a new deal with Legendary.The main question is whether it will be able to get people who aren't already fans of fighting games to watch it, or if it will only do well right at the start like the previous "Mortal Kombat II" movie earlier this year.

There are some signs it might be the latter.
The film has a B rating on CinemaScore, the same as the 1994 "Street Fighter" movie with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and it has Rotten Tomatoes scores of 40% from critics and 80% from audiences.For comparison, "Mortal Kombat II" had a B rating and 86% from audiences.

That might not be enough for "Street Fighter" as it faces off next weekend against Warner Bros./DC's "Clayface," which is hoping to attract both comic book fans and general horror fans.
There's been strong buzz on social media from advance screenings, which gives hope for DC after their big-budget failure with "Supergirl."

At least "Street Fighter" had a solid opening.
The same can't be said for 20th Century Studios' survival thriller "Whalefall," which stars "Resident Evil" actor Austin Abrams as a scuba diver who gets swallowed by a whale.Although it was mostly well-received, it's opening to just $17.5 million worldwide with $8 million in the U.S.against a reported net budget of $60 million.

"Whalefall" has a B CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 71% from critics and 81% from audiences, so word-of-mouth might help it recover in the coming weeks.
But this movie might join Warner Bros.' "Digger" and Sony's "The Social Reckoning" on the list of box office flops this month, though Disney can afford any losses thanks to the success of Marvel's "Avengers: Doomsday" this December.

Instead of "Whalefall," the second movie on the charts this weekend is A24's "You Can See Everything," which has the highest opening for a documentary in at least 13 years with $15 million from just 855 screens.

With over 2,000 sellout screenings, Lance Oppenheim and Nathan Fielder's thought-provoking look into the life of convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes has broken through a tough market for documentaries and is set to be a major indie hit for A24 with a combined budget of less than $10 million.


In the third spot is Universal/Blumhouse-Atomic Monster's "Other Mommy," which made $8.3 million in its second weekend.
After it received poor reviews, "Other Mommy" dropped 70% from its $27 million opening.But it's still a moderate success with a $44.8 million domestic total over 10 days against a reported budget of $19 million.

Completing the top 5 is Focus Features' "Sense and Sensibility," Georgia Oakley's adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, which opened with $7.25 million from 2,545 locations.
The movie has received very positive feedback from a mainly female audience with an A- CinemaScore and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Outside the top 5, Sony/TriStar's "Resident Evil" is close to hitting $150 million domestically after earning $5.5 million in its fifth weekend.
It now stands at $361 million globally, setting a new career high for director Zach Cregger.

The success of "Resident Evil" will help Sony's other movie in theaters, "The Social Reckoning," which is already dropping by 73% to just $1.5 million in its second weekend.
That leaves it with a total of $14.2 million worldwide after two weekends, which is far below its $30 million budget that was shared with Alcon.

Warner Bros.' "Digger" is quickly leaving theaters, having lost more screens than any other wide release in the 21st century.
It has lost 2,535 locations and earned only $920,000 from 786 locations in its third weekend.The $160 million comedy starring Tom Cruise has made just $17 million in the US so far.

Richard Riehle, Character Actor in ‘Office Space,’ ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Bridesmaids’ and More, Dies at 78

Richard Riehle, who played Tom Smykowski in "Office Space" and many other roles as a character actor, passed away due to natural causes on October 15 in Los Angeles, confirmed by Variety.He was 78 years old.

His representatives said in a statement, "Richard was a remarkable actor whose career in theater, film, and television lasted almost five decades and included more than 400 projects.
He leaves behind an amazing legacy.He was known for his kindness, generosity, and especially for helping new actors and filmmakers.Our industry has lost a special talent, and our community has lost a wonderful person."

Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, on May 12, 1948.
He went to the University of Notre Dame and later got a master's degree from the University of Minnesota.He started acting at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Rochester, Michigan, and did regional theater in the Pacific Northwest before appearing in the John Wayne movie "Rooster Cogburn."

In "Office Space," Riehle played Tom, the product manager who was laid off from Initech, survived a hit-and-run accident, and won a big settlement that allowed him to pursue his dream and create his "Jump to Conclusions" mat.

On TV, he played Walt Finnerty on "Grounded for Life." He had roles in several "Star Trek" episodes, including as Batai in "The Inner Light" from "The Next Generation." He also had guest roles on shows like "NCIS," "The Middle," and "The West Wing."

Riehle appeared in over 400 films, TV shows, and other projects.
Some of his other roles include the ranch hand Carlson in "Of Mice and Men," the guard who helped Harrison Ford escape custody in "The Fugitive," Principal Beasely in the comedy "Jury Duty," and parts in "Executive Decision," "Mercury Rising," "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," "Wedding Crashers," "Bridesmaids," and many more.Across his career, he played Santa Claus in eight different projects, including five films, two TV shows, and a TV movie.

He is survived by his wife, Jane Latham, and their four children.

Monday, October 19, 2026

Oscars International Race Shatters Record With 105 Entries

The Oscars Best International Feature Film category has set a new record for the number of films submitted.This year, 105 different films were given to voters who have chosen to participate in the first round of voting.This is the first time the number of submissions has reached over 100, breaking the previous record of 93 films from 2020.

In the past three years, the number of films submitted was usually between 85 and 88.
But this year’s list includes the first entries from Cyprus, El Salvador, and Rwanda.It also includes the first submission from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 29 years and the first from Sri Lanka in 17 years.

This record was made possible by a change in the Academy rule that used to allow only one film per country.
This year, more films could qualify if they won the top prize at one of six major film festivals: Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto, and Busan.These festivals now allow their winning films to be considered for the category.

Out of the seven films that qualified through the film festivals, three were also submitted by their countries of origin.

La Bola Negra - Fatherland - Fjord

The list of films below is not the official final list, which will be shared before shortlist voting starts in December.
On Friday, the Academy sent emails to members who have chosen to vote in the category, assigning each member to one of nine different groups.TheWrap got all the lists, where each group was given 11 or 12 films that members must watch for their vote to count.

Although there's still a chance some of these 105 films might be found ineligible later, the assignment lists are mostly the same as the final list of acceptable films.

Each group’s list of required films is made to include a variety of languages, regions, and movie types, and to require similar time to watch.
The most famous films are spread out among the groups, but this year Group 5 has a special concentration.The 12 films in Group 5 include Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or winner “Fjord,” Pawel Pawlikowski’s two-time nominee “Fatherland,” and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s 2021 winner “All of a Sudden.” All these films are strong contenders for the 15-film shortlist and could make the final five.

Voters are encouraged to watch as many films as they can from all groups, but they can only vote if they have seen all the films in their assigned group.
All the films are available in the members-only Academy Screening Room dedicated to the international category, which currently has 45 of the eligible films.More films are added every Friday.

Members will vote for their top 15 favorites from December 7 to December 11, and the top vote-getters will move on to a shortlist announced on December 15.

For the first time, the Academy has listed and arranged the films alphabetically by title instead of by the country they were submitted from.
This aligns with the award officially going to the film itself instead of to the country, as it has in previous years.

Here is a list of the films that have been assigned, along with the director and the country that submitted them (or the qualifying film festival).
TheWrap has created a full list that includes descriptions of each film and links to their trailers.You can find that list here.


“Abel,” Elzat Eskendir (Kazakhstan) 
“Adult Supervision,” Alex Schulman (Sweden) 
“All of a Sudden,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan) 
“Angh,” Theja Rio (Toronto International Film Festival: Platform Prize) 
“Aontas,” Damian McCann (Ireland) 

“Becoming Human,” Poley Ly (Cambodia)
“Ben’Imana,” Marie Clementine Dusabejambo (Rwanda)
“Broken Vein,” Yannis Economides (Greece) 

“Child,” Cyrus Neshvad (Luxembourg) 
“Chichero,” Aaron Bromley andArturo Montenegro (Panama) 
“Citizen Osama,” Ahmed Hassouna (Palestine) 
“The Condor Daughter,” Alvaro Olmos Torrico (Bolivia) 
“Cordillera de Fuego,” Jayro Bustamante(Guatemala) 
“Coward,” Lukas Dhont (Belgium) 

“Death Has No Master,” Jorge Thielen Armand (Venezuela) 
“Dear Ajayi,” Damilola Orimogunje (Nigeria) 
“The Dreamed Adventure,” Valeska Grisebach (Bulgaria) 
“Dua,” Blerta Basholi (Kosovo) 

“Elephants in the Fog,” Abinash Bikram Shah (Nepal) 
“En el Camino,” David Pablos (Mexico) 
“Everytime,” Sandra Wollner (Germany) 

“Fantasy,” Kukla (Slovenia)
“Fatherland,” Pawel Pawlikowski (Poland) 
“Filipinana,” Rafael Manuel (Philippines) 
“First Light,” James J. Robinson (Australia) 
“Fjord,” Cristian Mungiu (Romania) 
“Flood,” Martin Gonda (Slovakia) 
“A Foggy Tale,”Chen Yu-hsun (Taiwan) 
“Four Seasons in Java,” Kamila Andini (Indonesia) 
“The Fox King,”Woo Ming Jin (Malaysia) 
“Furies,” Rami Kodeih (Lebanon) 

“God Will Not Help,” Hana Jusic (Croatia)
“Gondhal,” Santosh Davakhar (India) 
“The Ground Beneath Our Feet,” Yrsa Roca Fannberg (Iceland) 
“Growth of the Soil,” Hans Petter Moland (Norway) 
“Gugu’s World,” Allan Deberton (Brazil) 
“Guria,” Levan Koguashvili (Georgia) 

“Hanging by a Wire,” Mohammed Ali Naqvi (Pakistan) 
“Hiedra,” Ana Cristina Barragan (Ecuador) 
“Hold Onto Me,” Myrsini Aristidou (Cyprus)
“How to Divorce During the War,”Andrius Blazevicius (Lithuania) 

“If Pigeons Turned to Gold,” Pepa Lubokacki (Czech Republic)
“If We Don’t Burn, How Do We Light Up the Night,” Kim Torres (Costa Rica)
“In the Land of Arto,” Tamara Stepanyan (Armenia) 
“Independence: Keeper of theDecree,” Tamir Bat-Ulzii (Mongolia) 

“Kassandra,” Bekzat Pirmatov (Kyrgyzstan) 

“La Bola Negra,” Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (Spain) 
“Land of Angels,” Babak Khajehpasha (Iran) 
“Like a Limbless Tree,” Tunc Davut (Turkey) 
“Liti Liti,” Mamadou Khouma Gueye (Senegal) 
“A Loose End,” Daniel Hendler (Uruguay) 

“Mabanda,” Kang Quintus (Cameroon)
“Malecon,” Carlos Larrazabal (Cuba)
“Mārama,” Taratoa Stappard (New Zealand) 
“A Matter of Life and Death,” Anas Ba-Tahaf (Saudi Arabia) 
“Melodrama,” Andres Farias (Dominican Republic) 
“The Meltdown,” Manuela Martelli (Chile)
“Midday Meal,” Majid Majidi (Busan International Film Festival: Best Film Award) 
“Minotaur,”Andrey Zvyagintsev (France) 

“Narciso,” Marcelo Martinessi (Paraguay) 
“Night Has Come,” Paolo Tizon (Peru) 
“Nina Roza,” Genevieve Dulude-de Celles (Canada)
“9 Temples to Heaven,” Sompot Chidgasornpongse (Thailand) 
“No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman,” Halkawt Mustafa (Iraq) 

“Once Upon a Time in the Middle East,” Wen Muye (China)
“One Woman One Bra,” Vincho Nchogu (Kenya) 
“The Other Side of the Sun,”Tawfik Sabouni (Syria) 
“Our Erika,” German Golub (Estonia) 

“Paikar,” Dawood Hilmandi (Netherlands) 
“Possible Love,” Lee Chang-dong (South Korea) 

“Rains Over Babel,” Gala del Sol (Colombia)
“Rehearsals for a Revolution,” Pegah Ahangarani (United Kingdom) 
“Riverstone,” Lalith Rathnayake (Sri Lanka)
“Roid,” Mejbaur Rahman Sumon (Bangladesh) 
“Roqia,” Yanis Koussim (Algeria) 
“Rose,” Markus Schleinzer (Austria)
“Rumba Royale,” Yohane Dean Lengol and Hamed Mobasser (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

“The Scent of Things Remembered,” Antonio Ferreira (Portugal) 
“17,” Kosara Mitic (North Macedonia) 
“Shame and Money,” Visar Morina (Sundance Film Festival: World Cinema Grand Jury Prize Dramatic) 
“Silent Friend,” Ildiko Enyedi (Hungary) 
“Sink,” Zain Duraie (Jordan) 
“Sons of the Neon Night,” Juno Mak (Hong Kong) 
“Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars,” Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Chad)
“The Spiral,” Paolo Stippoli (Italy) 
“Spirit Guardians: The Last Secret of the First Emperor,” Nguyen Phan Quang Bihn (Vietnam)
“The Squirrel,” Markus Lehmusruusu (Finland)
“A State Film,” Roland Sejko (Albania) 
“Strawberries,” Laila Marrakchi (Morocco) 
“The Stories,” Abu Bakr Shawky (Egypt) 

“Taghiyev: School,” Zaur Gasimli (Azerbaijan) 
“Tell Me Everything,” Moshe Rosenthal (Israel) 
“To Hold a Mountain,” Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazic (Montenegro) 
“Traces,” Alisa Kovalenko (Ukraine) 

“Ulya,” Viesturs Kairiss (Latvia) 

“Variations on a Theme,” Devon Delmar and Jason Jacobs (South Africa) 
“Vertices,” Arturo Lopez Rodas (El Salvador) 
“The Virgin of the Quarry Lake,” Laura Casabe (Argentina) 

“Wanderlust,” Nenad Pavlovic (Serbia) 
“We Are All Strangers,” Anthony Chen (Singapore) 
“Who Is Still Alive,” Nicolas Wadimoff (Switzerland)
“The Widower,” Hari Secic (Bosnia and Hervegovina) 
“Woman Unknown,” May el-Toukhy (Denmark) 

“Yellow Letters,” Ilker Çatak (Berlin International Film Festival: Golden Bear) 

“Żejtune,” Alex Camilleri (Malta

The Simpsons’ Surprise: Apu Is Heard for the First Time in Nearly a Decade, as Sunil Malhotra Takes Over for Hank Azaria

SPOILER ALERT: This article includes major spoilers for the October 18 episode of "The Simpsons," titled "The Revengening," which aired on Fox on Sunday night.

"The Simpsons" has pulled off its own October surprise: Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is back.
The beloved character finally spoke again for the first time in almost ten years during Sunday's episode, "The Revengening." Variety has learned that the new voice behind Apu is Sunil Malhotra, an experienced actor and voice-over artist known for roles in "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Legend of Korra."

Malhotra's hiring and Apu's return were a closely kept secret within "The Simpsons" universe.
Fox didn't share a preview of the episode, and the production of "The Revengening" was kept under strict protocols, including non-disclosure agreements for everyone involved.

On the episode, Janina Gavankar, known for her role in "The Morning Show," made her debut as Apu's wife, Manjula.
With Apu back and the Kwik-E-Mart reopened, executive producer Matt Selman said both Apu and the Nahasapeemapetilon family will be seen and heard more often on the show.

"We love this character and wanted to bring him back in a smart, 'Simpsons' way that allowed him to evolve," Selman said.
"We're excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future."

Before, Hank Azaria voiced Apu, a character that has been controversial because of its stereotypical portrayal of a South Asian convenience store clerk.
The issue of Apu was the main topic of the 2017 documentary "The Problem With Apu," in which comedian Hari Kondabolu discussed the character's impact on people of South Asian descent.

The documentary caused a big reaction, including within the "Simpsons" writing room, where it was shown and discussed.
Because of this, Azaria announced he would no longer voice Apu."I apologize for my part in creating that and participating in that," Azaria said on Dax Shepard's podcast "Armchair Expert" in 2021."Part of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologize.And sometimes I do."

After that, Apu was moved to the background on "The Simpsons," as the producers thought about how to handle the character.
For a long time, Apu was still seen in Springfield but never heard.

That changed now.
The idea to bring back Apu as part of this year's Halloween-themed episode came from staffer Nick Dahan, who wrote "The Revengening," and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos.After hearing their idea, Selman thought it was a brilliant way to bring Apu back and reference the whole situation.

Voice actor Sunil Malhotra said he took time to understand what it would mean to take on Apu.
He talked to the producers to make sure the character was more culturally appropriate.

"When my agent called me about a 'Simpsons' audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink," he said.
"But admittedly, part of me was also curious.It had been eight years since Apu had spoken on the show, and it got me thinking: Did the writers' room look different now?Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologized for past mistakes?Could I make the character my own, and reclaim him in some way?And could they achieve all of that in an unmistakably 'Simpsons' way that didn't disappoint fans?"

"Whether the producers knew it or not, I was prepared to walk away," he continued.

Malhotra said he turned down his very first professional job offer 28 years ago because it would have required him to play a typical "Hindu guy." He explained that he wasn't willing to play such a joke and has refused similar roles many times since.

As Malhotra worked on "The Simpsons," he started talking to the producers about their plans for Apu before agreeing to the role.
He was promised that bringing Apu back would be handled carefully.

"My first meeting was just the start of many times when no one at 'The Simpsons' let me down," he said.
"I told casting I'd only accept if I could meet showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos, and they were happy to do so.It was the start of a very collaborative experience I hope will be satisfying for long-time fans of 'The Simpsons' and for other South Asian kids who stopped watching at some point."

In "The Revengening," a spooky episode leading up to next week's "Treehouse of Horror XXXVII," a man dressed as a "Daft Monk"—which means a Daft Punk helmet and a monk's robe—gets killed repeatedly by Springfield residents.
A year later, the "Daft Monk" is still alive and seeking revenge by taking out his would-be killers one by one.

Eventually, the "Daft Monk" gathers the townspeople at Springfield City Hall and takes off his helmet to reveal he's actually Apu.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say the best part was saying 'I AM APU!' over and over in the studio until we got it right," Malhotra said.
"I really feel like we did it and I can't wait for fans to see more of Apu."

Apu then shares his story: After he was almost killed many times, he ended up on "The Island of Forgotten Garbage," where he was healed by Dr.Nick, a character from "The Simpsons." Dr.Nick is also known as a quack and has appeared occasionally in recent years, now voiced by Eric Lopez, who also voiced Bumblebee Man before.

He tells Apu, "All the junk Springfield throws away ends up here, like you.
If you ended up here, it's for a reason, right, Leon?" (Out pops the character Michael Jackson played in the Season 3 episode "Stark Raving Mad," which was removed from "The Simpsons" lineup in 2019 after the documentary "Leaving Neverland" revealed more claims against the late singer.)

Before revealing himself, Apu says, "I am the man you left for dead.
I am the one you pretended never existed!"

Then, unmasked, he tells the Springfield crowd, "It would have been so easy to bring me back.
I ran home to my family, but they were gone.I went to the Kwik-E-Mart and was shocked to find it empty.As I walked around town, no one even noticed me.I felt invisible.That's when I decided to get revenge on Springfield."

He's about to burn down City Hall, but Marge speaks up, representing the citizens of Springfield and also acting as a voice for the show's creators: "Apu, we're really sorry we left you for dead.
Believe me, we wanted to do the right thing."

Bart adds: "But we were so scared, and didn't know what to do."

Lenny also chimes in, referencing debates among the show's writers: "If it's any consolation, we had tons of discussions about it."

Carl finishes: "Ahh, they just didn't go anywhere." (And for almost ten years, "The Simpsons" never brought Apu back.)

Homer then offers to sacrifice himself to save the town, reminding everyone how important Apu has been to Springfield: "I'm just doing what the old Apu would have done.
The guy who loved this town and everyone in it.You were on our bowling teams, our barbershop quartets, our dad rock cover bands.We took you for granted.I took you for granted."

But before Apu can blow up the town, he wakes up.
It turns out it was a dream; no one is dead.He's back at the Kwik E-Mart, and Manjula is there too.Homer, his biggest customer, invites him to a Halloween party.

"What the heck?
I'll do it," Apu says."A Halloween party sounds kind of fun.Plus, I feel like I haven't seen everyone in ages.Oh, but I wish I had a costume."

But he does: There's a "Daft Monk" costume under the cash register.
Was it really a dream?And that's the end of the episode — but Apu is back!

This isn't the first time "The Simpsons" writers used their characters to hint at their indecisiveness about bringing back Apu.
In the 2018 episode "No Good Read Goes Unpunished," Marge starts reading her favorite childhood book to Lisa, but realizes it's full of offensive and racist content.She tries to make it better, but "now it's as inoffensive as a Sunday in Cincinnati...what am I supposed to do?"

Lisa then looks at the audience, seeming to address "Simpsons" fans: "It's hard to say.
Something that started decades ago and was once accepted and harmless is now politically incorrect.What can you do?"

The scene pulls back to show a photo of Apu near Lisa's bed, and it's clear they're no longer talking about a book — they're talking about their own show.

Marge also looked directly at the audience, and together with the other characters, they said, “Some things will be handled later, if at all.” It’s worth mentioning that Apu and his kids were in the episode too, but they didn’t speak.


In June 2020, after the George Floyd protests, *The Simpsons* made a big change.
They decided that characters of color should be voiced by actors who share their cultural background.This change included having Alex Désert play Carl Carlson instead of Azaria, and Kevin Michael Richardson take over as Dr.Julius Hibbert, replacing Harry Shearer.Now, Apu is also getting a new voice with Rajiv Malhotra stepping in.

For years, the show’s creators have promised that they would eventually address Apu’s character.
In 2021, series creator Matt Groening told USA Today that they were testing how well new stories about Apu could work.He said, “I think the Apu stories are fantastic, and he’s one of the most complex characters on a silly cartoon show.”  

People on social media have already responded positively to Apu’s return.
One person said, “Apu is back thank you Simpsons.” Another wrote, “The Simpsons revealed the new voice for Apu.Representation for Indian Americans.Well played, Matt Groening, Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner, and Yeardley Smith.” A third fan said, “Apu’s reveal is the greatest thing to happen on *The Simpsons* in a long time.I missed that genius character!”  

Malhotra and Alia Sabur shared the news on their Instagram accounts.


Malhotra has worked on a number of TV shows, including *The Legend of Vox Machina*, *The Loud House*, *Monster High*, *The Casagrandes*, and *Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi*.
He has also voiced characters in video games like *Mortal Kombat 1*, *Avatar: The Last Airbender – Quest of Balance*, and *Marvel’s Avengers*.On TV, he has appeared in *Grey’s Anatomy*, *ER*, *NCIS: New Orleans*, *MacGyver*, and *Maron*.

Inde Navarrette on Meeting Pamela Anderson, Hosting ‘SNL’ and X-Men Stunt Training

Inde Navarrette, who stars in the movie "Obsession," had a very busy weekend.She first went to the Academy Museum Gala on Saturday and then attended the Newport Beach Film Festival on Sunday.The festival continues until Thursday, and Navarrette was one of Variety's 10 Actors to Watch, who were honored at the festival's Honor Brunch.

Speaking to Variety's Marc Malkin at the festival's red carpet, Navarrette said the gala was "amazing." She explained, "You're just overwhelmed and kind of drowning in everybody that you have looked up to, possibly ever, and it's just so lovely meeting people and the reception that 'Obsession' has been getting.
I'm just so honored to go and be with the members of the Academy and just get an inside scoop on what that magnificent world is like."

Navarrette was excited to meet Jessica Lange and Pamela Anderson on Saturday night.
She said, "I spoke to Jessica Lange, who is an icon.And the way that Pamela carries herself with such grace and honesty and just pure creativity and love is exactly who I want to be."

Navarrette's schedule isn't slowing down yet.
She's set to host this year's "Saturday Night Live" Halloween episode with musical guest Gracie Abrams.

"I literally feel like I snuck in," joked Navarrette.
"I'm super excited to keep everything under wraps because I really truly want to make this super fun for the audience.And what I love is when I don't know anything.So I'm really excited to be working with the writers."

Looking ahead, Navarrette is also set to appear in the upcoming MCU "X-Men" film, where she will play Rogue.
She told Malkin she hasn't had direct contact with Anna Paquin, who originally played the role, but feels "the correspondence started when I was younger, when I really fell in love with the 'X-Men' movies in the first place."

On the topic of stunt training for the superhero film, Navarrette said it's a good excuse to get herself in the gym.
"I've always wanted to take part in that sort of a thing," she said."I think it's also a really good excuse to get in the gym.I'm the laziest person, and I am very excited to get up and move my body."

Saturday, October 17, 2026

Jacob Elordi Thought He Was Having a Mental Breakdown Until He Saw a John Cassavetes Film: “Made Me Feel A Lot Less Insane and Alone”

Jacob Elordi thought he was going crazy until he saw a classic John Cassavetes film.

"I probably made three movies that I thought were pretty bad when I was young, and I had hopes and dreams of being this kind of terrific, ferocious stage actor.
So I was pretty not fond of myself at that time," explained the Australian actor during an event presented by Cartier Cinema Club at Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre on Friday."And I watched this movie and it was one of the first times that I saw the creative process of an actor sort of fleshed out in detail.The movie made me feel a lot less insane and alone."

It proved to be such a pivotal experience in his creative life that Elordi handpicked that film — 1977’s *Opening Night* starring Gena Rowlands as a renowned actress teetering on the edge of a breakdown as she inches closer towards big Broadway opening night — for Friday’s screening, which marked the first stateside Cartier Cinema Club event after the initiative’s launch last month at the Venice Film Festival.
The luxury house created the initiative to honor the spirit of cinema while paying tribute to artists who make big-screen work.Cartier ambassador Elordi not only selected the film, he sat for a 30-minute discussion about it alongside Oscar-winning filmmaker Sean Baker and moderator Kim Gordon.

Like Rowlands’ character, Myrtle Gordon, Elordi thought he, too, "was having some form of mental breakdown." But he was able to exhale once he saw how the storyline played out.
Rowlands stars alongside Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Joan Blondell, Paul Stewart, Zohra Lampert and others.

"This movie showed me that what was actually happening was hopefully the artistic process, the process of creating to a character.
You can’t just learn the lines and say the lines.It showed me all the stuff that was going on inside that I thought was sort of my body and mind breaking down [but] was actually a part of the acting process," explained the Oscar nominated Frankenstein star.

Elordi revealed that he watched *Opening Night* last week in preparation for today’s event, and he had some similar thoughts to those from his first watch, notably because he’s about to start another new movie shortly that has thrown him for a loop.
(Though he didn’t name the project, he’s due to start shooting Ari Aster’s *Scapegoat* alongside Scarlett Johansson, Jude Law, Ella Purnell and Caleb Landry Jones.)

"I’m getting ready to do a movie now and I’ve been kind of throwing myself on the floor and wondering, should I just drink a lot of vodka?
Or should I smash a window?What do I need to do to get to this point?" he wondered aloud."And me re-watching the film now after making over 10 movies or something like that, again, it invited me back into the creative process and what it means.You can be searching for a character and not know that you’re searching for it.It starts happening in your toes and your knees and your chest.And that’s why I picked this movie because it always makes me feel less crazy and more like I’m actually a part of a process of filmmaking that’s been happening for a long time."

Gordon, a screenwriter known for work on *Nightmare Alley*, directed by her partner Guillermo del Toro, then asked Elordi if that’s because he’s so absorbed by Rowlands performance.
He is and was."Yeah.I mean the amount of times that I just want to throw myself on the floor and cry and scream and tell the director to go fuck themselves and just drink and drink and drink.It makes me feel a lot less alone as an actor."

That said, Elordi drew laughs when he said that he had no clue how Rowlands pulled off any of her scenes on the big screen, particularly the ones where she was really throwing herself around and acting under the influence.
"I don’t know how you do that and not look like a ham because everything she does is so big and so expressive, but it’s all completely contained in truth inside her."

"I've watched that scene so many times.
You can spin around in circles until you're dizzy, you can get drunk, you can do all sorts of things, but I don't know how she does that.I don't know how she does anything.She's a genius."

Baker then talked about Cassavetes' filmography and how much he admires all of his work.

"You often get asked as an independent filmmaker, 'What's your favorite Cassavetes film?' And it really depends on the day because, first off, they're all masterpieces.
They deal with very personal, universal issues and struggles that we all go through.So it really depends on where you are in your life," he explained."It's where I am in my life and that's how I gravitate towards a certain title.I said Husbands back in the day because I think that was my guy film.Then when I started exploring genre cinema, I was more drawn towards The Killing of a Chinese Bookie."

Later, when he started working more with actors and refining his filmmaking skills, Baker said he leaned more toward A Woman Under the Influence and Opening Night.
"I can go on forever about him.He's basically the godfather of U.S.indie cinema and showed us in many ways how to do it."

Morgan ended the conversation by asking both Elordi and Baker if they take inspiration from the many risks Cassavetes took throughout his career.

Elizabeth Holmes’ Partner Thinks ‘She Looks Insane’ in ‘You Can See Everything’ Trailer

"Pretty crazy, huh?"  That’s what Billy Evans, a long-time partner of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos and a convicted fraudster, said about the new documentary "You Can See Everything" by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim.
Evans hasn’t seen the documentary yet, which covers the days leading up to Holmes’ federal prison sentence for defrauding investors.He talked about the film and its viral trailer on the "All-In" podcast during the All-In Summit 2026, which was released online on Wednesday.

In the trailer, Evans said, "She looks insane."
 
"You Can See Everything" surprised film fans when it held a secret screening at the Telluride Film Festival in early September, before even being officially announced.
That same day, A24 revealed that the three-hour documentary would release in theaters just over a month later on October 16.The film also dropped an instantly iconic teaser where Holmes asks Fielder, "Why would I deceive you?"

Evans said, "I haven’t seen it yet.
I mean, I might think this is like the dumbest thing I’ve ever done." You can watch the full interview below.
  
Evans, who is less well-known compared to the famous Holmes, plays a major role in the documentary just like his partner.
The pair invited Fielder to stay with them during Holmes’ final days before she went to prison, giving the documentarian and prankster a lot of access to their private lives.According to Evans, the documentary was pitched to A24 by Holmes and her partner.Its goal was to show audiences what Holmes was like outside of what they’d already seen in the media.

Evans explained, "People would meet her, spend time with her, and see her in a natural setting, like going on a hike or helping a friend.
Every single one of those people’s opinions of her would change completely."

A lot of attention will be on Holmes in the coming weeks.
"You Can See Everything" became a massive hit both critically and commercially almost instantly.The film is expected to have one of the highest openings for a non-music documentary since the pandemic.Whether Holmes comes off in a good or bad light will be up to the audience.

Evans said, "Am I nervous?
I’ve been through so many intense and surreal experiences that it takes quite a bit to raise my blood pressure.This one, there’s certainly concern.But in the end, it’s our decision."