13 Years Before Landing ‘Zelda’ Movie, Director Wes Ball Called It the ‘Next Avatar-Like’ Film and Said He ‘Could Never Hope to Have the Chance to Direct It’

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Taika Waititi revealed on the “SmartLess” podcast (via Business Insider) that Donald Trump had a list of demands when the two collaborated on a 2012 advertisement for NBC. The commercial, titled “Brotherhood of Man,” aired during the Super Bowl and touted the network’s television slate by combining characters from series such as “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Saturday Night Live” and more. Waititi directed the ad, which also featured Donald Trump as he was the face of NBC’s reality competition series “The Apprentice” at the time.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Edgar Wright appeared on the latest episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast and went on a reflective rant about the current state of Hollywood and IP (via IndieWire). Without calling out any franchises in particular, the “Scott Pilgrim” and “Baby Driver” director expressed frustration over the lack of breathing room when it comes to Hollywood’s current IP output.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Mrs. Doubtfire” director Chris Columbus revealed to Business Insider while celebrating the movie’s 30th anniversary this month that talks for a sequel to the beloved 1993 comedy only started in 2014 shortly before Robin William’s passing. Following the comedian’s death, there was not a shot Columbus would ever make another “Mrs.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that a new “Toy Story” movie was in development along with new installments in the “Frozen” and “Zootopia” franchises. No further details were provided at the time, but it appears the new “Toy Story” movie will not be another tangentially-related spinoff like “Lightyear” but a return to the core story centered on Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director With “Twilight” celebrating its 15th anniversary this month, director Catherine Hardwicke joined the “Happy Sad Confused” spinoff podcast “Watchalong” to remember all the highs and lows that went into getting the vampire romance made. One of her more interesting revelations revolves around how impossible it was to predict the film’s box office. No one was expecting a phenomenon, and Hardwicke was even told her film would probably never crack the $30 million mark.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Mrs. Doubtfire” director Chris Columbus marked the film’s 30th anniversary this month with a new interview courtesy of Business Insider in which he revealed that 2 million feet of film was shot during the making of the 1993 comedy because Robin Williams improvised so much dialogue. The film is home to one of Williams’ most classic characters.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Sarah Paulson revealed on “The View” that Matthew Perry helped land her a supporting role on Aaron Sorkin’s short-lived TV series “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” Perry headlined the NBC show opposite Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet, all of whom were cast already when Paulson was auditioning for the role of fictional actor Harriet Hayes. The Emmy winner said Perry took her under his wing and ensured she had an advantage in her final audition by personally running lines with her. “I was at a particular place in my career where I needed that job very desperately,” Paulson said.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke recently joined the “Happy Sad Confused” spinoff podcast “Watchables” to reflect on her 2008 vampire romance, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month. Hardwicke’s film launched a $3.3 billion movie franchise and turned leads Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson into global superstars. But Pattinson wasn’t exactly an exciting choice at first for Summit Entertainment.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Christopher Nolan made headlines earlier this month when he took a playful jab at streaming platforms while discussing the upcoming home release of “Oppenheimer.” The atomic bomb drama, which grossed a staggering $950 million in theaters worldwide, is hitting Blu-ray and other digital platforms this month. Nolan said at a recent “Oppenheimer” screening that it’s important to own the film on Blu-ray so that “no evil streaming service can come steal it from you.” “It was a joke when I said it. But nothing’s a joke when it’s transcribed onto the internet,” Nolan recently told The Washington Post in a follow-up interview.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Rachel Zegler is the new face of the “Hunger Games” franchise thanks to her role as Lucy Gray Baird in the new prequel movie, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” During a recent visit to “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Zegler recalled what it was like meeting Jennifer Lawrence for the first time. Lawrence headlined the original four “Hunger Games” films as Katniss Everdeen, a role that turned the Oscar winner into a global superstar. “We were at Paris Fashion Week for the Dior show only a couple weeks ago,” Zegler said about her first encounter with Lawrence.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ke Huy Quan just wrapped his debut run in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to his role as Ouroboros (aka O.B.) in “Loki” Season 2. While it’s undetermined if he’ll pop up in the MCU again, the actor is already eyeing a jump to another massive Disney-owned franchise: “Star Wars.” In an interview with Collider, Quan recalled his “shameless” encounter with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in which he told her straight up to get him a role in the “Star Wars” franchise. “I love the MCU.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Courteney Cox shared a personal tribute to her late “Friends” co-star Matthew Perry on Instagram alongside one of her “favorite” memories of him: an outtake from an episode of “Friends” in which Perry whispered a line for her to stay when it’s revealed that Monica is sleeping in Chandler’s bed. The clip was first released as part of the “Friends” reunion special on Max. “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Cox wrote.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Taika Waititi told Business Insider while promoting his new sports comedy “Next Goal Wins” that he “won’t be involved” in a fifth “Thor” movie, at least if it’s happening anytime in the next six years or so. The Oscar winner directed Chris Hemsworth in the beloved “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017) and the hugely divisive “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022). A fifth “Thor” film is currently not on Marvel’s upcoming slate, although the character is still very much alive within the MCU and the door is presumably open for his return.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jacob Elordi revealed in a new interview with GQ magazine that he turned down a request to audition for Superman. While the actor did not name the specific superhero movie project, it’s likely he was referring to James Gunn’s 2025 tentpole “Superman: Legacy” as the film went through casting in the spring and summer months. David Corenswet was announced in June as Gunn’s Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan cast as Lois Lane.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director The marketing for Disney and 20th Studios’ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” got off to a strong start with 75 million views in 24 hours across platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and more, Variety has learned. Social engagement for the trailer came in with 72,000 mentions in 24 hours, boosted by 11,000 TikTok comments and a top 10 trend on X.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Tyler Perry appeared on “CBS Mornings” and was asked to speak publicly for the first time about the SAG-AFTRA strike, which remains ongoing after the union responded to the AMPTP’s “best and final” offer by saying the two groups still differ on “several essential items.” Although Perry praised SAG-AFTRA negotiators, he also said the union needs to realize when it’s won “for now.” The media mogul noted that SAG-AFTRA is only negotiating a three-year contract, inferring that it might not be the best strategy to continue prolonging the strike so the union can get everything it wants now when more negotiations are in store in the future. “Here I am, a studio head and an owner of a streamer, but also understanding how it is for the working actor,” Perry said. “I get what we’re fighting for…I paid Cicely Tyson $1 million for one day of work because when actors get to a certain age they’re pretty much discarded.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jeremy Allen White expressed confusion to GQ magazine over the current trajectory Hollywood has laid out for its rising stars. It appears that whenever a young actor is hitting the pop culture zeitgeist, he or she is immediately snatched up by Marvel or DC and put in a superhero movie universe.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jeremy Renner‘s near-fatal snow plow accident occurred 10 months ago. It’s a miracle the actor has gotten back on his feet and is able to walk less than a year later, and it’s no doubt thanks to the daily physical therapy the “Hawkeye” actor has undergone since being discharged from the hospital. In a new Instagram post, Renner reflected on his recovery and revealed that he’s tried “every type of therapy” over the last 10 months.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Marvel Studios is set to launch a new banner titled “Marvel Spotlight” with the upcoming release of the limited series “Echo,” starring Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. The character made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in “Hawkeye,” but knowledge of that series and the MCU at large won’t be a requirement to watch “Echo.” Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s head of streaming, recently told Marvel.com that Marvel Spotlight “gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of ‘Echo,’ focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Brooke Shields revealed in a new interview with Glamour that she suffered a seizure in September and none other than Bradley Cooper unexpectedly swooped in to support her. The incident occurred at a restaurant in New York City while Shields was waiting to be seated at a table. “Two women come up to me; I don’t know them.