Entertainment
How The All-Time Greatest Trilogy Was Saved From Hollywood Destruction
By Joshua Tyler
| Published
In the early twenty-teens, Hollywood was flying high off a decade of cinematic successes. The future had never been brighter, and the plan was to just keep delivering more of the same.
The decade of huge wins had started with the massive masterpiece success of The Lord of the Rings, when the trilogy released its first movie in 2001. It made sense that the best way to kick off the next decade was to do a lot more of that.
So the greedy ghouls behind the scenes in Tinseltown began plotting a way to bring Lord of the Rings back. They went to the man who’d made it all happen, director Peter Jackson, and poured on the pressure. Eventually, Jackson relented and gave them what they wanted, but only by refusing to compromise the world he created. He gave them more, but he did it his way, under tremendous ever-mounting pressure.
When it was all done, everyone dismissed his work as a failure and sent him off to the Gray Havens. We were all so, so terribly wrong.
This is why The Hobbit Trilogy failed.
Peter Jackson Resists Hollywood’s Greed
When Hollywood began demanding more Lord of the Rings, he resisted. Jackson knew he’d created absolute perfection with the LOTR trilogy, and matching that would be nearly impossible. Probably, he was also just tired, having spent so much of his life already living in Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
Eventually, he relented and signed on to produce The Hobbit, but he still pushed back against doing all the day-to-day work, so he started lining up other directors to take over, hiring Guillermo del Toro to helm a two-movie version of The Hobbit. Unfortunately, repeated delays caused del Toro to exit.
Facing tight deadlines, the studio turned to Jackson, who finally relented and stepped in as director with little to no prep time at all before he had to start shooting one of the most important movies in the world. To make matters worse, the studio then pressured Jackson into making The Hobbit three movies, when most fans already thought two movies was far, far too excessive.
It was excessive because, in book form, as written by JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit is a more straightforward, shorter adventure story than The Lord of the Rings. It’s focused on a single group of characters as they go on a quest to slay a dragon. It’s easy to see how you could divide it into two movies, but there isn’t enough material there for three. There just isn’t.
For Jackson, being forced into three Hobbit films must have felt like the height of irony. With The Lord of the Rings he had to fight desperately to get Hollywood to let him plan it as three movies instead of one or two. Now, spoiled by his success with making three, they pressured him into making more movies than he wanted.
Unlike The Lord of the Rings, which was created out of Peter Jackson’s total passion for Tolkien’s stories, The Hobbit was a project driven by Hollywood greed. It almost felt as if the only reason Jackson stepped up to direct at all was to save Tolkien’s world from the disaster Hollywood was trying to make out of it.
The Hobbit Trilogy Should Have Been A Disaster
Given the realities under which The Hobbit went into production, it had no business NOT being a total disaster. That’s what it should have been; that’s what always happens when Hollywood forces a prequel that has no business existing.
And yet…
With the fate of Middle Earth hanging in the balance, a weary Peter Jackson moved forward, determined to save the world he’d created from Hollywood’s greed. He pulled in ancillary material from other Tolkien sources, expanded scenes only hinted at in The Hobbit, and came up with enough script for three movies.
As it begins, the first movie in The Hobbit trilogy sticks closely to the book’s format, with a Hobbit living in a cozy Hobbit hole that’s invaded by a grumpy wizard and a bunch of hungry dwarves demanding dinner. It’s glorious, it feels perfect.
Every inch of the Hobbit hole, Bag End, is lovingly crafted. The dwarves are both hilarious and sad. Gandalf is looming and omnipresent. Martin Freeman is perfect as a young Bilbo, put upon, confused, and unwilling to admit that he’s intrigued by the possibility of an adventure.
As they often did in JRR Tolkien’s books, the dwarves begin singing a brave and mournful song about the place they’re going, their former home, Erebor, the Lonely Mountain. The haunting melody of their song becomes the musical theme of the entire series, and it’s maybe even better than the amazing score of The Lord of the Rings movies, as it carries thirteen dwarves, a hobbit, and a mysterious gray wizard out of Bag End, across middle Earth on an adventure to free the Dwarven leader Thorin’s kingdom from a murderous dragon.
The Artistry And Beauty Of The Lord Of The Rings Is Present In The Hobbit
All the artistry and beauty of the original Lord of the Rings movies is here and only added to. No role was recast, Ian McKellan returns as Gandalf, and we arguably get more of him than even in The Lord of the Rings. Orlando Bloom and others return, too, but not gratuitously, only when it makes sense for the plot and adds to the story.
The first movie ends with Bilbo reading riddles in the dark, and the scene is a masterclass in conveying darkness while still letting the audience see what’s going on. It’s a skill that modern Hollywood seems to have totally forgotten. Bilbo’s riddles in the dark with Gollum is a good endpoint for the film, with our heroes narrowly escaping the clutches of goblins and going on the run.
The escape from goblin kingdom is one of the weakest points in The Hobbit movies. It relies too much on CGI, it’s too chaotic and difficult to follow, and it’s not the finale for the first chapter that many might have wanted.
Given the constraints Jackson was working with, especially the pressure he was under to get this first movie out, you have to wonder if that sequence was really what he wanted to do himself. Because that chaotic goblin scene never becomes a pattern. There’s never another confusing, distractingly CGI moment in the rest of the series, or at least not anywhere that matters.
Sure, The Hobbit movies use more green screen and CGI than Lord of the Rings, but not nearly as much as pretty much every other Hollywood movie does. Jackson still built sets, and you feel the weight of real things being interacted with in every frame of the film.
The second Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug, might be the best. The dragon is reached, battled, and sent screaming from the depths of Erebor. Martin Freeman shines as Bilbo, engaged in another battle of wits with a malevolent force, this time one that breathes fire. Thorin’s complexity only grows.
Don’t come at me about the barrel riding scene. It’s not errible. It’s fun, really fun, and it’s something the series sets up by showing us the dexterity and skill of the dwarves in the first film’s opening moments.
The third movie, The Battle of the Five Armies, is the biggest departure. The book itself is almost two books. The first half of it is the quest of some Dwarves and a Hobbit to get to the mountain and slay the dragon. The second half is a gigantic battle between kings and orcs for supremacy in this part of Middle-earth.
The third movie covers that second half, which means largely sidelining most of the characters we’ve gotten to know over the first movie. Still, it brings it back to them in the end, and feels like a completed story. A real adventure. One that sticks with you, long after the credits roll.
The Hobbit Is Filmmaking At A Level Hollywood Is No Longer Capable Of
The level of quality and care established by the first film continues over all three, and matched against modern filmmaking, The Hobbit trilogy is like rediscovering Atlantis, a forgotten world of high-level storytelling that it doesn’t seem like anyone knows how to do anymore.
At the time it was released, we were spoiled. We didn’t understand what we were experiencing. Sure, there are minor missteps and the nature of the story is different than The Lord of the Rings. Our heroes are less clearly heroic; Thorin Oakenshield, in particular, is a complex leader who makes many big mistakes, and Dwarves in general are hard to like, by design.
Those minor quibbles aside, The Hobbit trilogy is nearly as big, grand, and beautiful as its cinematic predecessor.
Instead of celebrating the film’s incredible achievement against all odds, people nitpicked over a few dodgy green screen moments and compared it to The Lord of the Rings, which may be the greatest movie trilogy ever made, and up against which literally any movie would be found inadequate and wanting.
Looked at now through the wreckage of the unending mediocrity of modern movies, it must be said that: Holy hell, The Hobbit movies are actually really, really good.
The Hobbit Trilogy Was A Box Office Mega-Hit
The Hobbit trilogy made a lot of money. An Unexpected Journey (2012) opened strong and rode holiday legs to about $1.02 billion worldwide. The Desolation of Smaug (2013) dipped slightly to roughly $959 million, still massive, still a global event. The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) closed things out at around $956 million, proving fatigue hadn’t killed demand. Combined, the trilogy pulled in just under $3 billion worldwide. Less than The Lord of the Rings, but way more than anything in theaters in the last few years.
Critics liked the first one, but reviews began to sour as the trilogy went on. And audiences began to lose patience, too, as The Hobbit trilogy began being labeled a desperate cash-in, a movie series squandering the goodwill created by the absolute goddamn triumph of The Lord of the Rings movies.
Why The Hobbit Failed
Despite its success, The Hobbit movies are now talked about as if they’re hated. Like critics, audiences grew increasingly lukewarm toward the movies as they watched them. Now it’s viewed as a failure, despite its financial success.
We were wrong. We were all wrong. We were all lost in the midst of a never-ending cinematic summer and had no idea that the creative winter we’re in now would soon come.
Peter Jackson basically stopped making movies after The Hobbit trilogy. His long-time collaborator, a cinematographer, Andrew Lesnie, died shortly after they finished releasing The Hobbit movies, and Peter has admitted that his heart just wasn’t in it anymore after that.
Jackson says, “I realize that I’ve avoided doing drama films because I’d have to work with someone else who isn’t Andrew, and I think his death changed my creative path.”
We Owe Peter Jackson A Debt
When you read other things Jackson has said about the making of The Hobbit, I think it’s more than that sadness over the death of his friend. I think he simply gave all he had to give, and he had nothing left.
Peter Jackson gave it all to salvage The Hobbit from the wreckage Hollywood was creating out of it, in an era where the movie industry was already beginning to embrace anti-merit inclusivity practices and shifting its focus toward identity over quality storytelling.
If you look at photos of Peter Jackson making The Lord of the Rings, he looks like a hobbit himself. A husky, smiling man with tousled hair and tousled clothes, he looked like he’d be right at home dancing with Rosie in the Shire.
By the time The Hobbit trilogy was over, Peter Jackson had become a drained, lifeless husk of his former self. As if he’d had all the energy sucked out of his body by the forces of Mordor. As if he’d been carrying The One Ring up Mount Doom, all by himself.
Everything Jackson had left after already nearly destroying himself to make The Lord of the Rings went into The Hobbit. He did it at a time when he should have been resting, enjoying the fruit of his rewards. Taking it easy. Living it up in New Zealand, making weird independent projects for fun.
He did none of that; instead, he gave it all to us. He gave it all to The Hobbit. He gave it because he knew that by doing so, he was also preserving the legacy of his masterwork, THE masterwork, The Lord of the Rings.
Despite the prevailing view that The Hobbit trilogy was a failure, it isn’t. Peter Jackson succeeded. Sure, The Hobbit isn’t as good as The Lord of the Rings, but it’s still really, really good. More importantly, it continues the legacy of Jackson’s first three movies, carrying the torch of Tolkien’s Middle Earth without ever tarnishing it. How many other franchises can say that about their prequels?
So the next time you’re watching Amazon’s terrible Rings of Power spinoff or Star Wars’s latest awful prequel, take a moment to say thank you to Peter Jackson. Thank you, Peter, thank you for preserving a beautiful legacy. Thank you for giving it all you had, against impossible odds, year after year after year, when you could have just quit.
Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Jackson. You’ve earned it.
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Entertainment
‘Sheriff Country’ Episode 12 Sneak Peek Shows Mickey Investigating a Violent Kidnapping [Exclusive]
Now more than 10 episodes in, CBS obviously has a hit on its hands with Sheriff Country. Considering the popularity of its flagship series, Fire Country, the show’s success isn’t a complete surprise, but when you go into spin-off territory, there’s always a possibility that the project will crash and burn. But, with a Season 2 renewal bagged all the way back in December, the budding Sheriff Country fandom can expect to go on more calls with Morena Baccarin’s Mickey Fox next year. Today, Collider is excited to unveil an exclusive first look at the upcoming episode of the procedural, which is slated to air on Friday, March 13. With so much still unfolding from the midseason premiere, the stakes have never been as high as they are now for Mickey and the rest of her team.
For a brief refresher, Sheriff Country’s midseason finale put numerous characters at risk after a separatist group brought the fight to the police station. It’s there that Mickey and the rest of the team raced against the clock to save the life of Travis (Christopher Gorham), who had taken a bullet during the tense altercation. After the dust settled, Travis and Mickey — who were introduced to audiences as ex-spouses — seem to be moving towards a reconciliation that could very well spell the start of a new relationship.
In our exclusive first look at this week’s episode, titled “Plus One,” viewers will see Mickey and Boone (Matt Lauria) embark on the newest case threatening Edgewater. The team of officers is looking into a brutal home invasion and, after poring over the details for hours on end, they’re ready to explore other options. At the top of the clip, Boone puts forward the idea that it was never a home invasion and that, instead, they’ve walked into a violent kidnapping. Laying out the facts for his colleague, Boone makes an incredible case for his new theory, until Gina (Caroline Rhea) comes in and blows up his spot with a story about his online dating life.
The Truth Is In Here — The Collider TV Quiz!
This week, X marks the spot. Eight conspiratorial questions to see if you’re a real X-Files fan… or if you’re an alien posing as an agent.
What Else Does CBS Have on Its Spring Docket?
Between Fire Country and Sheriff’s Country, things have already been heating up (pun intended) at CBS during its stretch from winter to spring. The long-running network is currently home to a slew of original programming that recently saw the return of its beloved reality competition series, Survivor, and is also the place for audiences to get caught up on other favorites from sitcoms like Ghosts and The Neighborhood to procedurals including Tracker, Boston Blue, and the FBI franchise.
Check out our exclusive first look at this week’s episode of Sheriff Country above.
- Release Date
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October 17, 2025
- Showrunner
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Matt Lopez
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We love a morning java run, but our energy levels (and wallets) don’t agree. Coffee often leaves Us tired by noon, desperate for a fix and eventually dropping $8 on another. Morning Made matcha takes the jitters, crashes and sky-high price tags out of caffeination, making your a.m. routine calm, crave-worthy and sustainable in more ways than one.
These Matcha Latte Mix pouches bring barista quality to your kitchen. But unlike your usual coffee-shop indulgence, they’re rich in antioxidants, low in sugar and made with ceremonial-grade matcha. The result? All-day energy and laser focus to power you through your day. These lattes just dropped at Target, and at only $0.70 per drink, they’re bound to sell out.
Get the Morning Made Matcha Latte Mix for $10 at Target!
Be it original, strawberry, or mango matcha, you’ll find a minimal ingredient list and only 30 milligrams of caffeine per serving. These pouches even contain L-theanine for calmness and mental clarity. From work days to school pick-ups, you’ll feel zen and sharp, not tense and tired. The smooth umami flavor is just a bonus.
Better yet, Morning Made’s tasty lattes are much more convenient than a stop at Starbucks. Each drink takes two minutes to make (if that), requiring only warm water, a quick froth and milk to top it off. Whether you’re moseying or running out the door, these matcha packets make your morning routine that much easier. It’s no wonder shoppers are obsessed!
Although these pouches just dropped at Target, the matcha already has a cult following on TikTok and Morning Made’s website. Fans highlight the balanced profile, non-bitter taste and affordable price point, among many other things. One wrote, “I switched to matcha from coffee, and it made a huge difference to my life. I don’t crash after lunch anymore, my gut doesn’t bloat as much and I feel just as energized in the morning. Plus, it tastes delicious.”
It doesn’t matter if you’re already a matcha lover or a transitioning coffee fan. You’ll be obsessed with this new morning ritual — as will your wallet.
Get the Morning Made Matcha Latte Mix for $10 at Target!
Hilaria Baldwin is once again spotlighting her sprawling Hamptons mansion in hopes of finally finding a buyer after the luxury estate lingered on the market for four years.
Despite price cuts and renewed promotion on social media, the Baldwins’ lavish retreat remains unsold, turning what was once their beloved family getaway into an unexpectedly stubborn real estate saga.
Hilaria Baldwin Shares Emotional Farewell To Beloved Hamptons Home
Hilaria Baldwin recently took to Instagram to showcase the couple’s Amagansett property once more, posting a video tour and a carousel of professional photos while speaking candidly about the decision to sell.
Addressing followers directly, the yoga instructor explained that the family is ready for a new phase in life.
“Our family is going to go off on a new adventure, which means we are selling our Hamptons home,” she said in the video.
Reflecting on the years spent there, she continued, “It’s bittersweet because we have made so many amazing memories there, and we are excited for our next chapter!”
She also expressed hope that the estate will soon welcome a new family.
“While we are sad to leave it, we know the next owners will love it just as much as we do… so I wanted to share it here… it really is a piece of paradise.”
The 42-year-old also included a link to the property listing in her Instagram bio, encouraging followers to take a closer look at the luxurious residence.
Price Cuts And A Listing That Keeps Returning
According to the Daily Mail, the Baldwins originally placed the 10,000-square-foot estate on the market in September 2022 with an eye-watering asking price of $29 million.
However, the listing has repeatedly disappeared and reappeared over the years.
Four months after its debut, the price dropped to $24.9 million. Later attempts to sell it saw the property removed from the market altogether, only to return again after further adjustments.
The latest update suggests another reduction. The listing appears to have fallen from $21 million in December 2025 to $19.99 million, representing a significant drop from the initial figure.
Despite the cuts, a buyer has yet to emerge.
Hilaria Baldwin And Family Life Inside The 10,000 Square Foot Estate
The property itself has long been a centerpiece of the Baldwin family’s public life.
Alec Baldwin first purchased the estate in 1996 for $1.75 million, long before it became the backdrop for their bustling household.
In recent years, the sprawling home has also been featured on the reality series “The Baldwins,” which highlights the couple’s hectic life raising seven children together.
Their family includes Carmen, Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo, Eduardo, Lucía and the youngest, Ilaria.
At one point, the couple even planned to renovate the beachfront retreat. Those plans were abandoned when they instead opted to sell the home in 2022.
Alec also appeared in a promotional real estate video in January 2024, praising the property and recalling his happiest memories there.
In the clip, the actor shared that he was “always happiest” while staying at the house and pointed out that he and his wife had added “additions” that expanded the building to roughly 10,000 square feet.
Controversies That Followed The Baldwin Family
The effort to sell the property has unfolded alongside several controversies surrounding the Baldwin family.
One of the most significant came in October 2021 during the filming of the Western movie “Rust” in New Mexico.
Alec Baldwin was holding a prop revolver that discharged, fatally wounding cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The actor has consistently denied pulling the trigger and has maintained that he was informed the weapon contained no live ammunition.
The ongoing fallout from the incident created a difficult backdrop for the home’s listing, which repeatedly came on and off the market amid heightened attention to the case.
Meanwhile, Hilaria Baldwin has also faced scrutiny over her public persona after critics questioned her claims about Spanish heritage in 2020, an episode that led to widespread online mockery.
Hilaria Baldwin Painting Sparks Online Mockery
The Hamptons home has also become the setting for another unexpected viral moment involving a striking piece of artwork displayed in the living room.
The large painting, created by artist Brendan O’Connell, was inspired by a paparazzi photograph showing Hilaria Baldwin grocery shopping in front of shelves filled with Rice-A-Roni boxes.
The artwork drew attention when the Baldwins showcased their home in a photo profile for The New York Times.
Discussing the painting with the newspaper, Hilaria admitted, “I have to admit that I’m extraordinarily embarrassed that there is a gigantic painting of me in this room.”
She added with humor, “It’s like: ‘Welcome to my living room. Here is a painting of me.’”
However, when Alec Baldwin later shared highlights from the profile on Instagram, social media users quickly turned the moment into a joke.
Among the reactions were comments such as “This is multi-faceted rage bait,” “She can’t be too embarrassed with the picture bc she hung it up,” and “Only a narcissist would have their pic in their living room. Who wants to see that!!!”
As the Baldwins continue to promote the Hamptons property, the home remains both a symbol of family memories and a lingering real estate mystery, still waiting for its next owner.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese will make her Team USA debut alongside fellow WNBA standouts Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers tonight, March 11, 2026. After wrapping up season 2 of Unrivaled, Reese and many other WNBA players packed their bags and headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament. Angel Reese is one of six athletes making their national team debut, which has sent a wave of excitement through basketball fans online, many of whom are eager to see the LSU alum shine on the main stage.
Angel Reese Is Gearing Up To Make Her National Team Debut Alongside WNBA Stars, Including Caitlin Clark
While the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, Germany, is in September, Reese and several others will lace up their sneakers for the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers from March 11 to 17. The team, according to USA Basketball, will feature a mix of notable players, including veterans Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, and sensational young players, including Clark, Bueckers, and, of course, Reese.
Reese, known for her elite rebounding skills, will surely bring an edge to the national team on the hardwood. While speaking with the media during USA basketball practice, Reese opened up about how much the opportunity means to her, calling it an “honor.”
“… being able to know this is a lifelong dream for me,” she said, according to Swish Appeal.
Angel Reese Has Dreams Of Playing For Team USA In The Olympics In 2028
While Reese and the rest of Team USA have a while to go before being named to the Olympic roster for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, California, making that team is another goal Reese hopes to accomplish.
“Just steps to 2028,” Reese said about her upcoming FIBA appearance. “I mean, that’s a big goal for me. So just continuing to take these small steps and continue to learn and grow.”
Reese then spoke about playing for coaches like Kara Lawson, Nate Tibbetts, and Sue Bird, calling their approach to player development “amazing” before expressing her desire to continue to grow those relationships.
Angel Reese Isn’t Worried About The Noise… She’s Focused On Doing What She Can For Team USA
Securing her position on the national team was no easy feat for Reese. Over the years, the women’s national team has been stacked with standout players, including Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley, and 4-time league MVP A’ja Wilson.
A roster like that is hard to live up to, but Reese said in a recent interview that she isn’t trying to model her game after any one player and is instead focused on contributing to the team as a whole.
“Everybody’s not going to be able to score 20. So just being able to come in here and find my niche of what I can do specifically that I can impart ways for everyone else that I know that I can always bring to the table is going to be a big part of my life,” she said.
Reese Said She And The Younger Team USA Players Are Continuing To Learn From The Veterans
That doesn’t mean Reese isn’t learning from the veterans. According to the Indy Star, she is relying on as many experienced Team USA players as possible.
“There are a lot of new faces here, but we can rely a lot on our vets,” she said, “because they have been in the moment and they have this experience.”
Reese went on to share that while she’s “looking forward” to her big debut, she can’t wait for the roles to be reversed so she can be a “good example” to other players.
Social Media Users Are Beyond Excited To See Reese Make Her Team USA Debut
USA Basketball has shared behind-the-scenes photos of Reese and other Team USA players preparing for the start of the FIBA tournament.
In one video montage, viewers could see Reese posing for her official Team USA headshots, while another introduced the LSU alum to the world as No. 9.
The social media posts caused much excitement online, with one user calling Reese the “greatest rebounder in WNBA history.” At the same time, another said Reese was in elite company, sharing a Team USA number with greats like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Leslie.
Other users also got in on the fun, with one sharing “USA BARBBBBB” and another posting “Overly tea.”
Drew Barrymore is back and dishing out fantastic dating and friendship advice exclusively to Us Weekly readers.
Your questions answered, with love from me to you!
@NiccolllleL74 writes:
Dear Drew,
I just walked away from a 10-year relationship. How do I dip my toe into the dating pool?
As someone who’s been single for a very long time myself, I hope I can just keep it real with you. Give it time. Enjoy your freedom. Enjoy your friends. Have alone time. Figure out who you are before becoming part of another couple. That said, if you feel inspired to go on some dates, do it. There’s more accessibility to dating than ever, but please get to know who you are before taking on someone else and losing yourself in a relationship.
Xo, Drew
Drew Barrymore has not held back about the struggles of returning to the dating scene following her split from ex-husband Will Kopelman. Barrymore and Kopelman tied the knot in 2012 and later welcomed daughters Olive and Frankie. After four years of marriage, the pair announced their split in April 2016. Thank You! You have successfully […]
@starrykat writes:
Dear Drew,
Do you have any tips for flirting?
Isn’t it funny? There are so many symbols for being taken — like, back in the ’50s, when couples would be “pinned” — but other than social media’s relationship status labels, how do we let people know we are single and ready to mingle? Flirting, of course! Flirting may feel like a risk, but when you turn on your magnetic personality and pull someone out of their shell, it’s so much fun! Be bold and keep it playful.
Xo, Drew
Drew Barrymore in the 2010 film ‘Going the Distance,’ co-starring Justin Long, where their characters navigate a complicated long-distance relationship between San Francisco and NYC. Ray Tamarra
@ellie.ssmith05 writes:
Dear Drew,
What’s the base of a good friendship?
This is a question I find very important, and the answer for me is honesty. Most of my friends give me a lot of tough love. We’ve known each other for 20 or 30 years, and they want me to be my best and point out whenever I’m not. Not only does this mean they care, but I am honored they take the time. I know not to take it as criticism. I just appreciate how much trust it shows. I also love that my friends and I can lie on the couch in sweatpants and eat takeout and be utterly relaxed. I like traveling with my friends. I like remembering that we are all individuals. I like to surround myself with people I can be completely myself with. I know they have my back. I love to make them proud. And if anyone ever messes with one of my friends, watch out, because I am as loyal as it gets. The most powerful thing about friendship is that it’s an opportunity to stop worrying about what isn’t there and create everything that you want. We’re not always born into a stable family dynamic, but friends can become your family. I live, work, laugh and play with my friends, and they are a constant source of self-improvement. What more can anybody ask for?
Xo, Drew
Drew Barrymore revealed she joined the mile-high club — but not in the way people might expect. During the Monday, February 9, episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the host revealed to guest Kaley Cuoco that she’s a member of the infamous “club,” but it wasn’t a private experience. “American Airlines,” she quipped. Cuoco, 40, […]
@katiestannaz writes:
Dear Drew,
Are long-distance relationships worth it?
Ooooh, I love this question! First, it depends on where you are in life. If you’re looking to settle down and start a family, a long-distance relationship is far trickier. It’s not that it can’t be done, but it would take tremendous planning and being on the same page in order to make it work. If you leave it up to chance, I guarantee heartbreak and resentments. There are multiple scenarios that prove it can work. Take military families, in which one parent is called to work abroad. Many of those families make it work, but it takes clear communication. If done right, a long-distance relationship can be really beautiful. Each individual gets to have their own journey in life, but eventually everybody wants to come home.
Xo, Drew
Animated fish films have been done. Finding Nemo. Shark Tale. Ponyo. So to hear about another doesn’t feel like anything new. However, The Pout-Pout Fish, starring Nick Offerman as a grumpy ocean pout named Mr. Fish, is a little different. It’s an adaptation of Deborah Diesen‘s series of children’s books, which have grown so popular over the past two decades that it has even turned into a musical. Co-directed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington, from a script by Elise Allen and Elie Choufany, The Pout-Pout Fish is a cute, wholesome little movie aimed at kids. It’s straightforward to a fault, and could really use songs from the musical to liven it up. Adults might find themselves getting bored, but your kids will see it through more imaginative eyes. For little ones, it’s a sweet story with fun lessons to learn.
What Is ‘The Pout-Pout’ Fish About?
The Pout-Pout Fish is a joint production between the United States’ Viva Pictures and Australia’s Maslow Entertainment, which means a voice cast made of both Americans and Aussies. Nick Offerman is perfectly cast as the grumpy ocean pout simply known as Mr. Fish. He can’t help it that he looks this way. Ocean pouts have a naturally downturned mouth, which makes them look miserable. It’s not a fun life for Mr. Fish, a lonely guy who is constantly being told by the other fish in the reef to smile and cheer up.
This ‘Parks and Rec’ Episode Showed Us a Completely Different Side of Ron Swanson for the First Time
A red shirt Ron is a happy Ron.
Everything changes for Mr. Fish when he meets a new neighbor in the form of Pip (Nina Oyama), a happy, high-energy leafy seadragon child. She’s the exact opposite of the moody Mr. Fish, but after he accidentally destroys her home, the two go on a road trip, so to speak, to locate the mysterious Shimmer (Jordin Sparks), a mythical fish that can supposedly grant wishes. If they can find her, Shimmer can put Pip’s home back together again before her parents get back with her 400 new siblings. It won’t be easy, though, as along the way, they encounter numerous obstacles in the form of other sea life. There’s also another fish who wants to reach Shimmer before them. Benji (Remy Hii), an orange cuttlefish, must save his own family’s home. Who will make it to Shimmer and get their wish granted first?
Nick Offerman and Nina Oyama Carry ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’
The Pout-Pout Fish succeeds and fails in its all too familiar trope of the grumpy lead character forced together with the happy, gregarious one. The audience knows this will lead to a change for the former, and by the end of the movie, Mr. Fish is not going to be so pouty. What matters is how the film gets there. Kids’ movies can go in one of two directions. There’s the best of Pixar, Disney, and DreamWorks, with lots of comedy and smart writing aimed at adults as well. Think of Inside Out, for example. That film and its sequel are thick with themes and learning about life aimed at children. It does that, while also providing well-crafted characters and plenty of laughs. Then there’s the more simplistic route. This is The Pout-Pout Fish. There is a little bit of backstory to Mr. Fish, pretty much nothing about Pip, and even less for most of the other sea life they meet along the way. The jokes are simple and flat (one fish has to stop because a school of fish is swimming over a crosswalk), and while your kids might chuckle at times, The Pout-Pout Fish is pretty laugh-free for anyone who can legally drive.
It’s a bare-bones film, yet it’s not a dud because of its voice cast. Offerman is made for voice work. He’s done that many times over the year for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Sing 2, and Smurfs. Casting him as the lead pouty fish here is a great move. This is what makes it so frustrating that his talents aren’t used to their full potential. Mr. Fish is a little grumpy. That’s it. He’s never loud, over-the-top, or silly, and Offerman’s dry wit isn’t given any great lines. Anyone could have voiced him. Still, because it’s Offerman’s unique manner of speaking, we’re pulled in, and Mr. Fish immediately becomes more real.
Australian actress Nina Oyama is tasked with carrying much of the emotional weight of The Pout-Pout Fish. She’s in her 30s, but is convincing as a hyper kid. It’s disappointing that her excitement is the entirety of her character, but Oyama gives it her all. Paired with Offerman, the relationship between Mr. Fish and Pip is the selling point. The pair have great chemistry in a plot that’s overly cute and aims only for the basics.
The Themes of ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’ Are Too Spot On
The Pout-Pout Fish could have benefitted from a different style of animation. After watching animated films like The Wild Robot, the uninspired artwork here adds very little. What could have propped up a thin story is instead one more aspect that makes The Pout-Pout Fish come across as mediocre. Shots of the reef, the abundance of kelp that threatens them, and the shipwrecks a few live in are flat. The Pout-Pout Fish isn’t a book come to life. It’s nothing more than moving pages in a generic format.
There are plenty of other supporting characters to keep the action going. Benji is desperate to prove himself to his mother, Marin (Miranda Otto), the intimidating cuttlefish leader who needs to find a new home for her species so badly that she’s willing to wreck the reef the other fish live in. On Mr. Fish and Pip’s journey, they come across various other characters, such as Amy Sedaris as a group of, like, valley girl, like, pink dolphins. While some of these characters are only meant to be part of one scene, The Pout-Pout Fish spends too much time with Benji and his journey, when Mr. Fish and Pip are where the best part of the story is.
The Pout-Pout Fish is about Mr. Fish’s adventures, most of all, as he learns not to be so grumpy and let other fish in. The film gets there by having Mr. Fish spout those life lessons as he learns them, as if he’s reading inspiring quotes from the source material rather than coming across like an authentically growing character. It’s the books, now on the screen, delivering its cute message, but in a way that lays it on way too thick. The Pout-Pout Fish is not bad by any means, but don’t go in expecting a new animated classic. Little kids will probably enjoy it for the innocent, lesson-filled, mild fun it is, especially if they’ve been introduced to what inspired it first. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s what The Pout-Pout Fish aims for, and it achieves the goal.
The Pout-Pout Fish comes to theaters on March 13.
- Release Date
-
March 20, 2026
- Runtime
-
92 minutes
- Director
-
Ricard Cussó
- Writers
-
Elie Choufany, Deborah Diesen
- Producers
-
Nadine Bates
Pros & Cons
- Nick Offerman is perfectly cast as Mr. Fish.
- Nina Oyama’s voice acting brings energy to the plot.
- The chemistry between Mr. Fish and Pip carries the story.
- Kids can learn from the wholesome message about friendship and confidence.
- The animation is flat and uninspired.
- The story is too thin to carry a feature film.
- It does too much telling with lines that explain too much.
Robert Carradine
Final Film Will Be Dedicated to Late Actor
Published
Robert Carradine tragically died before he could shoot a single scene for his last movie … but he will still be honored by the project, TMZ has learned.
Connie Lamothe, director of “The Driver” — AKA “Driving into Darkness” — tells TMZ … the table read will be on Saturday. Robert’s part — a lead role — has not yet been recast, so there’ll be a fill-in. After the reading, there will be a champagne toast to the late actor.
We’re also told … the flick will be dedicated to Robert, along with some sort of tribute at the beginning of the movie.
As TMZ previously reported, Connie says she knew there was something wrong when the “Revenge of the Nerds” icon went MIA from her film before the initially scheduled table read last month.
Robert had been super excited for the project — a crime drama in which he was playing a mob boss — Connie says, noting that the actor wanted to show he could do more than comedy and westerns.
Recalling their time together during pre-production before his death, Connie says Robert was delightful and always cheerful when they spoke — including when she joked with him about cutting his hair and shaving off his beard for the role.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
Kylie Jenner
Ditches Shirt For Poker Tutorial
Wanna Texas Hold ‘Em???
Published
Don’t know how to play Texas Hold ‘Em?? Kylie Jenner‘s here to help … but fair warning — ya might learn much from her tutorial for a couple of reasons.
The 28-year-old billionaire scrapped a top for just a bra to give a breakdown of the card game with Vanity Fair … explaining she’s become quite the fan of it after a trip with friends two years ago — and she’s now obsessed.
So why just a bra?? She claims it’s her “normal poker outfit” … which would make sense if she’s trying to distract opponents.
Anywho, she goes through the 10 ways to win … and for what it’s worth, her fav is a flush — five cards of the same suit in any order.
She also described her go-to poker night vibe — a bunch of tequila, good tunes, sporting events on the tube and, of course, snacks. We take it her man, Timothée Chalamet, would be involved … as she said they love to play at her Hidden Hills estate.
After getting that outta the way, Kylie then goes through how to actually play … and all the strategy involved blah, blah, blah this isn’t really why we’re writing this article.
In all honesty, Kylie knows her stuff … but she admitted she’s prone to peeking at a cheat sheet from time to time.
Bottom line, Kylie calls it “hot girl poker” … and no one’s arguing that.
Entertainment
Taylor Sheridan’s Failed Franchise-Starter With a ‘Sinners’ Favorite Is a Free Streaming Smash
At first glance, it might seem like Taylor Sheridan has an unblemished track record, but look closer, and you’ll find a failed franchise-starter that was headlined by someone who might win an Oscar in a few days. The movie in question marked Sheridan’s second collaboration with director Stefano Sollima, after the very divisive Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Sheridan has expressed reservations about that movie, admitting that he perhaps isn’t cut out for franchise filmmaking. This isn’t strictly true, considering how expansive his Yellowstone universe on Paramount+ has become. He was also on board to kick-start a new franchise with Sollima for Prime Video, with Michael B. Jordan attached as star and producer.
The movie debuted in 2021 to mixed reviews, having been offloaded by Paramount due to pandemic-related strains. The studio also sold the distribution rights to the sci-fi action film The Tomorrow War, starring Chris Pratt, and the comedy sequel Coming 2 America, starring Eddie Murphy. Both movies did well on Prime Video, but Sheridan and Sollima’s film hasn’t exactly stood the test of time. It rarely shows up on viewership charts. Prime Video probably hoped that the Sheridan movie would pair well with its other dad-oriented programming, such as Jack Ryan, Bosch, and the then-unreleased Reacher. However, audiences finally seem to be checking it out, albeit on a different platform altogether.
From Broadway to Hollywood — The Collider Movie Quiz!
Plenty of movies were based on plays. So whip out your program and find your seat because the quiz curtain is about to rise.
Here’s the Failed Franchise-Starter Co-Written by Taylor Sheridan
The movie in question, of course, is Without Remorse. Also based on books by Jack Ryan creator Tom Clancy, the movie now holds a 45% critics’ score and a 41% audience score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The website’s consensus reads, “Despite a commanding performance from Michael B. Jordan, Without Remorse fails to escape its outdated patriotic tropes and forced franchise place settings.” Without Remorse featured Jordan as John Kelly, a character who appears in the Jack Ryan novels, and has previously been played by Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber in the movies Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears. Jordan is now up for an Oscar for his dual performances in Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners, while Sheridan is working on 1944, a new spin-off of Yellowstone. Today Without Remorse is currently among the most-watched movies on the domestic Tubi charts. You can watch the action-thriller on Prime Video. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
-
April 30, 2021
- Runtime
-
110 minutes
- Director
-
Lui Koon-Nam
- Producers
-
Akiva Goldsman, André Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Michael B. Jordan
-
Michael B. Jordan
John Kelly
-
Entertainment
Gina Gershon reveals how she reacted to most disturbing scene in “Showgirls”: 'Are you insane?'
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The actress opened up about her disagreements with director Paul Verhoeven.
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