“Twilight” actress Dakota Fanning is reflecting on how massive and intense the franchise’s fandom became.
In a recent interview, she revealed that lead actors Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner initially thought they “did some little vampire movie,” only to be left shocked by how colossal it grew.
Speaking about her experience, she explained that her lower-pressure role allowed her to enjoy the “super intense” fandom, adding that she never auditioned for the lead role.
Dakota Fanning reflected on how her smaller role in the “Twilight” franchise allowed her to enjoy everything that came with it, including its super “intense” fandom, unlike the franchise’s lead stars.
Speaking during an episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, the actress looked back on playing Jane, a high-ranking member of the villainous Volturi vampire coven, across three installments of the hit film series.
She revealed that having a recurring supporting role gave her a front-row seat to the madness without the burden of carrying the films on her shoulders.
“I got like, kind of just all the good parts of it. ‘Cause I was just a little character that was popped in, popped out, popped in, popped out,” she told host Josh Horowitz.
The former child star acknowledged that she “didn’t really have any of the pressure” that came with leading the movies, adding that she “just got the kind of fun experience” and that the setup was “ideal” for her.
Much of the pressure and intense media circus fell on the shoulders of the lead trio: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner.
Fanning, who joined the series in 2009’s “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” while balancing her acting career with a regular high school schedule, recalled how truly “obsessed” the public was with the story at the time.
Yet, when the original trio signed on for the first film, none of them had any idea what was coming or how massive it would become.
“They had no idea. They just had no clue it was going to be that,” the actress said of Pattinson, Stewart, and Lautner. “They thought they did some little vampire movie.”
She added, “Then going to that Comic-Con and being like, hit with the wave of the fans was super intense.”
The “Twilight” films were a global box office juggernaut, raking in more than $3.3 billion across five installments. Fanning told the host that it was a huge phenomenon at the time, noting that it dominated conversations among her high school classmates, who were completely obsessed with it.
Elsewhere during her appearance on the show, the “Man on Fire” actress spoke about how the franchise gifted her one of her most enduring friendships in Stewart.
While Fanning clarified that she never auditioned for Stewart’s lead role of Bella Swan because she was “just a bit young for it” at the time, playing Jane gave her the opportunity to form a lasting bond with the star.
“Getting to play Jane was amazing,” Fanning said, “and it’s where I met Kristen, who you know is one of my closest friends.”
A new “Twilight” animated series is reportedly in the works at Netflix, based on Stephenie Meyer’s 2020 companion novel, “Midnight Sun.”
Meanwhile, fan favorite Stewart recently revisited a dramatic behind-the-scenes memory from the set of the franchise.
While promoting her project “The Wrong Girls” alongside co-star Alia Shawkat, she was asked to identify the filming locations of specific scenes from her past films.
When presented with a photo of a beach locale, Stewart correctly identified it as Brazil. The setting served as the backdrop for Bella’s honeymoon with Pattinson’s character, Edward Cullen, in 2011’s “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.”
Stewart went on to describe how a massive storm struck the set during filming, leaving the cast and crew stranded.
“Everyone got stuck in this house actually and couldn’t leave,” she recalled. “Yes, the whole crew was truly, like rubbing two peanuts together and like being really infuriated and pissed that like production couldn’t get them out of there.”
The actress noted that she was offered an early evacuation, humorously comparing the situation to how women and children were prioritized on lifeboats in Titanic.
“And there was like, one little boat and they were like, ‘We can get the cast out just for the night,’” Stewart explained. “And I was like, ‘This is the Titanic.’”
She added, “I’m like, ‘I’m not gonna get on that, right?’ … They’re like playing violins, and I’m like, ‘I love you guys so much. I consider myself like a blue-collar actress. So, I’m like, super with you, but I’m out of here.’”
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Peter Cullen, the voice actor whose powerful tones graced the world of animation for decades, has died. Cullen’s signature role was the gallant Optimus Prime, from the Transformers franchise, which he voiced across multiple TV series and movies. Cullen was 85.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Kanye West’s wife, Bianca Censori, is embracing stepmom duties.
Bianca, 31, was spotted on a trip to the mall with her stepdaughter, Chicago West, and Chicago’s cousin, Dream Kardashian, on Wednesday, August 26, per photos obtained by TMZ.
The trio looked relaxed as they walked through a Los Angeles mall, accompanied by a security guard. Bianca wore a head-to-toe black bodysuit for the occasion, while Chicago, 8, and Dream, 9, both wore white tank tops and blue jeans.
Chicago is Kanye’s youngest daughter with ex-wife Kim Kardashian. The former couple also share daughter North, 13, and sons Saint, 10, and Psalm, 7.
Bianca Censori came to husband Kanye West‘s defense after about his alleged absence from their kids’ lives. “He’s a really awesome dad,” Censori, 31, said about West, 48, in a rare interview with Vanity Fair published Friday, February 6, adding that the rapper will “build worlds” for his children. West shares North, 12, Saint, 10, […]
Dream is the only daughter of Kim’s brother, Rob Kardashian, and ex-girlfriend Blac Chyna.
Bianca wed Kanye, 49, in December 2022, and the rapper has previously gushed about her close bond with his children.
“Happy birthday to the most beautiful super bad iconic muse,” he shared in a January 2024 birthday tribute to Censori via Instagram. “The most amazing stepmom to our children. I love you so much. Thank you for sharing your life with me.”
In a February interview with Vanity Fair, Censori, an Australian architect, opened up about previously spending time at a rehab facility in Spain.
Throughout the years, some rumors have circulated about the Kardashian kids. However, their parents — and sometimes the children themselves — have come to their defense. In March 2025, Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick’s son Reign shut down rumors claiming that his real dad is Justin Bieber. (Kourtney and Scott split in July 2015 and […]
“I needed to work on myself because I had patterns of things that I would do that would not just hurt me but would hurt the people around me,” she said. “I put a lot of pressure on other people being the reason for my happiness or the reason for my unhappiness.”
She continued, “I would blame someone else if I wasn’t feeling good. [Rehab] changed my life. How was I a completely different person? I was very emotionally dysregulated, and I can function now.”
Before rehab, Censori said that she was self-medicating with benzodiazepines and that Kanye paid for her treatment.
Censori recalled telling the rapper, “Anything that you have ever bought me does not equate to how important this was to me,” adding that the cost of treatment was “ridiculous.”
Kim, 45, and Kanye split in 2021 and finalized their divorce the following year. However, the exes remain committed to coparenting their four children amicably.
“We’ll always be family,” Kim said in a February interview with Complex. “We both know that. We will be OK, and there’s so much love for our family. We want what’s best for our kids.”
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Whenever I think I’m old or ‘washed up,’ I remind myself that I’ve only been out of college for a few years. However, given all the life hacks I’ve learned in the past three years, it sometimes feels like forever. Had I known then what I know now, I’d grab these 13 genius Amazon finds in a heartbeat.
Too fresh are nightmares of accidentally sleeping through exams (I would never), spilling water on my laptop and losing my backpack — things that wouldn’t happen with a good alarm clock, a secure water bottle and say, a Life360 Tile tracker. Whether you’re searching for yourself or your little ones, kids or teens, I’m your go-to gal for school-related recs that make life a little bit easier!
1. My Top Pick: A reliable alarm clock is essential for exam days. But unlike most, this Hatch alarm wakes you up with sunrise light and soothing sounds you actually enjoy.
2. Hydration Station: When you need to look instantly radiant, be it for a job interview, presentation or party (I’m not judging), this hydrating hyaluronic acid serum delivers.
3. Deep Sleep: Thousands of shoppers rave about this gentle pressure eye mask that not only promotes deep sleep but also provides headache relief.
4. Must-Have Monitor: After years of looking down at my laptop, I wished I had a small monitor to help my posture and keep my (many) tabs organized.
5. Cute Kindle: Tired of trekking to the library? This Amazon Kindle brings the books to you. You’ll appreciate it for school and leisure reads alike.
I’m always searching for staples that look much more expensive than they are, and I’m shocked by how many gems I discovered on Amazon. For fall, I’m looking for classy East Coast, old money-looking pieces that appear even more luxe than my usual clothes. And thankfully, Amazon’s Hot New Releases section is filled with finds […]
6. Looking Crisp: Wrinkles are no match for this portable handheld steamer that gets clothes interview-ready in a jiffy. It works on cotton, wool, satin and beyond.
7. No More Spills: A leakproof design matters when you’re stuffing a water bottle, laptop and notebook into one backpack.
8. Rainy Day: The number of times I wore white sneakers to class, only to have them get ruined on the way back, is uncanny. These waterproof Chelsea boots are a no-brainer.
9. Literal Lifeline: I attach this $24 Bluetooth tracker to my backpack, gym bag, and luggage. It’s like an Apple AirTag, but is much more affordable.
10. Forever Charged: You never know when the day will last longer than your phone battery. This power bank ensures you have backup at all times.
11. No Days Off: The best way to combat an illness is to prevent it in the first place. These scented hand sanitizers hydrate your skin while they fight off germs.
12. Nighttime Upgrade: A nightstand can do more than hold your books. This functional find has a charging station built in, and it includes multiple port types.
13. Effortlessly Ergonomic: Do yourself (and your back) a favor and snag an ergonomic desk chair that features a lumbar pillow, high back and retractable footrest.
UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping
Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.
We get it: your rotation of white tops and black trousers is starting to feel stale. But if anyone knows how to add a fashionable edge to professional attire, it’s Jennifer Lopez. Even though she isn’t crunching numbers at an office, her chic two-piece set style is perfect for the job. We found a Lopez-inspired […]
Peter Berg is known for his unique style when it comes to storytelling. More specifically, how he brought the show Friday Night Lights to life. Now, Berg is returning to the world of football with his new film, The Mosquito Bowl, that reunites him with Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger. Written by Berg and Mark L. Smith, The Mosquito Bowl is based on the book The Mosquito Bowl: a Game of Life and Death in World War II by Bissinger, and we have a Iook at the new film featuring pictures of the iconic cast!
The images include a look at Nicholas Galitzine as John McLaughry, Bill Skarsgård as Bob Baumann, Ray Nicholson as Tony Butkovich, and Tom Francis as David Schreiner. While we get to see the boys in action in both their football gear as well as in their Marines uniforms, we also have a lot of amazing supporting cast to look forward to. Like The Outsiders musical star Brent Comer as Murphy, Berg himself as General Buckner and more. The supporting cast includes: Dominic Bogart (Sergeant Wilkes), Jack Ingram (Wilson), Ella Newton (Jane), Lola Bond (Odette), Stacy Clausen (Avery), Billy Smith (Father Kelly), Steven Sammut (Jerry Colonna), Blake Erickson (Bob Hope), Claudia Ware (Francis Langford), and Pat McAfee (Drill Instructor).
The Mosquito Bowl is described as follows: “Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, four of America’s top college football stars set their fame aside to enlist in the Marines. As they prepare for the brutal invasion of Okinawa, they’ll play in a legendary game featuring some of the greatest players in history — a game that, for many, will be the last they ever play.” Aside from Bissinger, this film also reunites Berg with Friday Night Lights composers Explosions in the Sky.
Who’s Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?
Friday Night Lights has been back in the news thanks to Kyle Chandler‘s role in the HBO series Lanterns. But it also has proven its power as both a film and a television show throughout the years. While The Mosquito Bowl is Berg’s return to football, it is also a continuation of Berg’s exploration of stories about soldiers and war. He’s made films like the 2013 movie The Lone Survivor starring Mark Wahlberg and has ventured into the realm of World War II before. Mixing his unique take on football in the Pacific arena of World War II is going to be an exciting time for fans of Berg’s work.
You can see his previous work in show’s like Friday Night Lights.
James Gunn’s next chapter in the DC Universe has reached a major milestone, as Superman: Man of Tomorrow has officially wrapped principal photography.
Gunn announced the news on social media, confirming that filming on the highly anticipated follow-up to 2025’s Superman is complete ahead of its theatrical release next summer.
“That’s a wrap on principal photography for Man of Tomorrow,” Gunn wrote. “Truly a joyful experience and I have immense gratitude to my cast and crew.”
The filmmaker also shared photos commemorating the final day on set, including one showing Nicholas Hoult, who returns as Lex Luthor, jumping into a lake following the production’s final shot. Gunn later confirmed that the movie filmed for 93 days, one day longer than Superman.
Man of Tomorrow will once again star David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan returning as Lois Lane and Hoult reprising his role as Lex Luthor.
This time around, however, Superman and Luthor will find themselves on the same side when they are forced to confront an even greater threat: Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger.
The sequel is also shaping up to be one of the biggest gatherings of DCU characters yet. Isabela Merced returns as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific and Milly Alcock as Supergirl. Aaron Pierrewill make the jump from HBO’s Lanterns to the big screen as John Stewart, while Xolo Maridueña returns as Blue Beetle.
Other returning characters include Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, while Adria Arjona is also part of the ensemble as Maxima.
With principal photography now complete, Man of Tomorrow moves into post-production as Gunn and DC Studios prepare the next major theatrical installment of their expanding DC Universe.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to hit theaters on July 9, 2027.
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Jessica Alba has a serious knack for making even the coolest outfits look completely effortless, and her latest street style moment is no exception. Alba was spotted in L.A. wearing a seriously chic outfit, featuring a cropped tank, sporty silk jacket and relaxed jeans, but it was her tiny quilted bag style that stole the show. The mini silhouette, classic quilted texture and chain strap gave the look that enviable California cool-girl energy we’re always trying to recreate.
Of course, there’s one small problem with copying Alba’s exact accessory: Her Chanel bag likely comes with a price tag north of $5,000. But you don’t need a luxury shopping budget to get the look! We found a mini quilted bag that delivers the same polished-meets-edgy feel for $18 on Amazon. It’s the kind of affordable find that’ll instantly make your favorite jeans and jacket look a whole lot more expensive.
Get the Supaico Small Quilted Crossbody Purse for $18 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
The best part about a mini bag like Alba’s? The compact design is ready to handle the essentials, so you won’t be tied down with everything but the kitchen sink (you can save that for your totes). In fact, shoppers confirm that the purse gives you enough room for your wallet, phone, keys, cards, sunglasses and other small necessities. Inside, there’s one main compartment, plus a slip and a zippered pocket to help keep everything from turning into one giant jumble.
The bag also gets plenty of style points for its soft faux-leather finish and gleaming chain strap. You’ll appreciate the super lightweight build that makes it easy to carry around your hometown or pack for weekend trips. Additionally, we love that the chain strap can be worn as a shoulder bag or crossbody, or even tucked under your arm for a more polished look. Just call this purse your go-to for errands, dinner dates, nights out and beyond.
The rich-looking bag is available in five color options, including apricot, beige, yellow, black and brown. If you ask Us, the latter looks most like Alba’s choice!
The star isn’t the only one who’s wearing the quilted style. Amazon shoppers like this one reviewer also wears it constantly. “The design is trendy and elegant, making it easy to pair with both casual and dressy outfits,” they wrote. “It’s lightweight, practical and a great everyday purse.”
If you’re trying to channel Alba’s low-key luxe aesthetic without spending thousands on a designer handbag, this little purse makes a pretty compelling case. It’s chic, versatile and roomy enough for the things you actually need — and at $18, you’ll still have money left over for the coffee stop on your way home.
Get the Supaico Small Quilted Crossbody Purse for $18 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more from Supaico here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping
Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.
The secret to looking rich on vacation may have less to do with the outfit and more to do with your shoes. At least, that’s what we think after seeing Victoria Beckham‘s latest Euro look. It has the polished, yacht-adjacent energy we’d expect from Posh, especially when it comes to her quiet luxury sandals. Thankfully, […]
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Martha Stewart is the queen of home decor, hosting and even pumpkin spice lattes. And while she hasn’t written a book on fashion, we say she’s an expert in the style department, too. Her wardrobe blends rich mom style with effortless everyday pieces that feel so attainable. And just in, we spotted the A-lister wearing the same zip-up jacket several times over the last few weeks. Listen, if a celeb wears something once, we clock it. Twice? We take notice. But three times? We write about it.
The businesswoman snapped a few photos during her visit to a Northeast Harbor museum, and while the collection is lovely, we couldn’t stop staring at Stewart’s jacket. The greenish brown hue, relaxed silhouette and collared neckline scream ‘coastal chic rich.’ But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this piece; Stewart also wore it at the beginning of summer and just a few weeks ago. If she loves the style this much, we’re ready to jump on board.
Get the Locachy Zip-Up Athletic Jacket for $25 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
We may not know exactly where Stewart got her jacket from, but that’s not stopping Us from getting the look. The Locachy Zip-Up Athletic Jacket looks so similar to the star’s choice, thanks to the easy-going fit, near-identical color, collared neck and billowy long sleeves. It even has two functional side pockets to stash your phone, keys and other on-the-go essentials, just like Stewart’s!
Made with a blend of lightweight nylon and stretchy spandex, the athletic jacket resists wrinkles, sweat and light rain, making it ideal to wear while running errands or power walking around the neighborhood. The material is also designed to protect you on windy days, so you’ll naturally wear it now through the end of October.
You can shop the jacket in 19 solid colors, including coffee brown, khaki, white, navy and pink. However, if you want to channel Stewart, we suggest going for the coffee gray, which looks practically identical.
Stewart is clearly a big fan of the zip-up jacket style, but so are Amazon shoppers who gave it a five-star rating.
“It’s simple, chic and looks much more expensive than it is,” wrote one reviewer. “It has a clean, flattering look that works just as well for running errands as it does for being active. This is one of those pieces that you’ll reach for all the time because it’s so versatile.”
Another person who says the jacket “looks even better in person” wrote in a review, “It’s lightweight and comfortable, and I think it will be perfect for protecting me from the sun and wind during my late summer and fall hikes. I’m very happy with it!”
It’s rare to find a celebrity wearing the same fashion staple over and over, which is why Stewart’s repeat wear is inspiring Us to get the zip-up style now. Grab the $25 Amazon find while it’s still in stock!
Get the Locachy Zip-Up Athletic Jacket for $25 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more zip-up jackets here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping
Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.
Christie Brinkley knows how to show up and show out, and yes, we’re referring to the gorgeous coastal-chic outfit she flaunted for a ‘fit check.’ Her look gives instant Hamptons rich mom style, thanks to a few staple pieces that are flowy, comfortable and downright flattering. We’re obsessing over the entire ensemble, but her striped […]
If you watched Shameless, you know Emmy Rossum. If you didn’t, here’s a recap: she spent nine seasons playing Fiona Gallagher, the oldest sister in a huge, broke, barely functional Chicago family. Fiona was the person who kept everyone fed and out of jail while her own life was falling apart. She made terrible decisions, dated terrible men, and never really had the luxury of fixing her own problems because someone else’s crisis was always louder. It was a messy, exhausting performance, and Rossum was good at it.
Now she’s back on Furious, Elizabeth Meriwether‘s eight-episode Hulu thriller, and she’s playing a version of that same broken woman — except this one doesn’t have a family to hold her up. Alice Black is an ex-NYPD detective the FBI hired and then buried on a tip line. She’s got an abusive ex and an apartment that looks like she’s been meaning to move out for two years. And she’s chasing a female serial killer across the five boroughs while a mountain of personal and institutional baggage actively tries to kill her. Furious has been number one on both Hulu and Disney+ for three straight weeks, holding a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Rossum is the biggest reason to press play.
Meriwether, who created Furious, started her career with New Girl, something worth mentioning because everything she’s done since has been about women burning their lives down. The Dropout followed Elizabeth Holmes lying her way through Silicon Valley. Dying for Sex charted a woman blowing up her marriage after a terminal diagnosis. Furious tracks two more, this time on opposite sides of a serial murder investigation.
The show takes the bones of the 1987 movie Black Widow and strips them for parts. Where that film gave us a woman marrying and killing rich men for money, Meriwether scraps the gold-digger angle entirely. Lola Petticrew plays Catherine Grace, a twenty-something murdering wealthy, powerful men, but every one of them connects back to a trafficking network. She’s not hunting for a fortune; she’s hunting predators. The season slowly makes clear that every target has earned what’s coming, and the show is smart enough to let you sit with whether Catherine is justified in her quest for revenge.
On the other side, Rossum’s Alice Black is a former homicide detective the FBI poached and then buried in answering tip-line calls. She’s overqualified and sidelined, carrying her own damage into an investigation that hits closer to home than anyone around her realizes. Scoot McNairy plays her partner Dan, and they’ve got an easy dynamic that sometimes simmers with sexual tension and unrequited feelings. Then there’s Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Nora Washington, the head of the FBI’s sex crimes unit, who’s been doing this work long enough that the job has worn grooves into her. She’s been talked over and treated like a token hire by people above her, and she’s still standing. She’s the version of Alice who survived the system instead of getting chewed up by it, and watching Bernstine give voice to her pride, exhaustion, and risk-taking gives the show a weight it wouldn’t have without her.
On paper, a serial killer thriller about sex trafficking from the New Girl creator sounds like a tonal disaster. It’s not. Meriwether has spent four years figuring out how to write women who crack jokes while everything around them is terrible, and she’s good at it by now. And Petticrew is her wild card. She’s physically small and looks younger than she is. Catherine uses both of those things as weapons. The show feeds her backstory in pieces, and Petticrew keeps you hungry for morsels with every torture sequence and murderous mood swing.
The reason Furious works is that Meriwether gives every woman on screen an interior life, so none of them ever flatten into props for the plot. Alice gets to be bitingly sarcastic, even in her suffering. Catherine gets to be charming as she drugs and starves her victims to death. Nora gets to be exhausted and righteous at every turn. The female rage is the point, and these three women are the delivery vehicles.
More than 100,000 of the late Dolly Parton’s fans have signed a petition calling for Nashville International Airport to be renamed in her honor.
A Change.org petition originally started in January 2025 has gained renewed support amid the announcement of the country music icon’s death at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer on Tuesday, August 25.
“Since her passing, tens of thousands of additional supporters have visited and signed this petition,” petition organizers Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion wrote on Tuesday. “The outpouring of support has reinvigorated our mission — to rename the Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport. A key decision maker, has responded to this petition; Tennessee State Senator Todd Warner has pledged to introduce legislation to make this change happen. We are so very grateful for his support and for ALL of the support coming in.”
Their statement concluded, “Dolly deserves to be remembered and celebrated. What a wonderful way to share her light and magic across Tennessee and the world.”
Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance at a ribbon-cutting ceremony two months before her death at age 80. The “Jolene” singer made the rare public outing at the opening of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop, a travel center inspired by her decades as a touring musician, in Cornersville, Tennessee, in June. “I wanted to welcome all […]
As mentioned, Tennessee state Rep. Warner promised in the comments section of the petition that he would “definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport.”
The renaming of Nashville International Airport also has the backing of City Councillor Russ Bradford, who acknowledged that “few have done more to define what this city means to the rest of the world” than Parton.
“I want to be clear about what this resolution does and doesn’t do: it’s a statement of support from Metro Council, urging MNAA [Metro Nashville Airport Authority] to take up the idea,” Bradford clarified. “The final decision on any name change rests with the Airport Authority, not with Council. I hope that this resolution sends a strong signal of how much our community would welcome this change, and that MNAA will give it serious consideration.”
As of publication, the petition has gained more than 117,000 supporters — many of whom penned impassioned pleas backing the concept of Dolly Parton International Airport.
“Tennessee should definitely change the airport name to memorialize Dolly Parton for everything that she has done,” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “Dolly Parton has paved a way for so many artists and especially women! She made a lot of contributions to the music industry and gave back with the blessings she had. The airport should be renamed in her honor without a doubt!”
Dolly Parton SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images
Tennessee House Deputy Speaker Jason Zachary confirmed to local Nashville station WKRN on Wednesday, August 26, that lawmakers are working on a way to honor Parton once their legislative session begins in January 2027. (Zachary did not directly comment on the petition to rename Nashville International Airport.)
“Last night we already began to have those discussions again. How do you honor someone that is so worthy and beyond anything of a statue, a bust? Anything that we could do, she’s so beyond that,” he said. “Somebody like Dolly, I don’t know how you honor her well enough to really meet what she actually did during her life, but we’re going to do our best to do that.”
Republicans and Democrats in the Tennessee House of Representatives plan to work together on a plan to celebrate Parton’s life since she “was not a divisive figure,” per Rep. John Ray Clemmons.
“I think we’ll all get together, work with my colleagues across the aisle, and figure out what’s best,” Clemmons vowed. “Of course, we’ll consult with her family and friends and decide what’s the most appropriate way, or what they feel is the most appropriate way to honor her.”
Tennessee currently has a lasting monument to Parton’s life and legacy with the Dollywood theme park, which she opened in 1983 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Parton created the park as a way to attract tourism to the Smoky Mountains, where she grew up.
In the wake of her death on Tuesday, Dollywood executives confirmed that they would keep the park open as a testament to Parton’s legacy.
“In her spirit, Dollywood will be open Wednesday as Dolly wanted, always reminding everyone with her signature sparkle — ‘the show must go on,’” a statement from Dollywood read. “Together, we honor her by carrying forward her message of love, perseverance, and hope. Those wishing to give in honor of Dolly may consider making a gift to the organization she was so deeply passionate about, Dolly Parton’s @imaginationlibrary.”
Dolly Parton’s team is honoring her legacy by revealing the projects that were in development prior to her death. In a Wednesday, August 26, press release, Parton’s team shared that she was actively working on the following projects: Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stops (celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week beginning September 13), Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel […]
Dollywood president Eugene Naughton also pledged that the park will continue to live up to the high standards of its late “Dreamer-in-Chief.”
“A lot of people are concerned that things are going to change without Dolly being present here,” he said in an Instagram video on Tuesday. “I want to assure you, it’s not. Just know we’re all going to keep her alive here. It’s hard, right?”
The executive fought back tears as he addressed the future of Dollywood, saying, “[We plan to] show kindness, don’t be afraid to love big, don’t be afraid to dream big, don’t be afraid to care more about others ‘cause that’s exactly what we’re gonna do. That’s exactly what she’d want us to do. The show must go on.”
Aflutter with civil rights movements, anti-war protests, the sexual revolution, and the rebellious vitriol of the young rejecting old rules, the 1960s were a time of profound social evolution, and the art of the era reflects this. Cinema, in particular, underwent a drastic transition throughout the decade as the Hays Code’s gradual diminishment and the collapsing studio system collided with these cultural shifts to produce a spectacular array of groundbreaking movies that pushed boundaries and broke rules while ushering in a new status quo of harsh, realistic drama.
The greatest screenplays of the ‘60s delved into this changing worldview with total conviction. Rom-coms entertained more serious and sensual ideals. Crime sagas were suddenly laced with graphic violence. And drama went from being purely an exploration of character to a dissection of societal pillars. Even comedy and horror capitalized on this age of upheaval and turmoil. With their ability to capture this zeitgeist of revolution while adhering to the foundations of storytelling, these screenplays of the ’60s stand tall among the greatest cinema has ever seen.
Widely regarded as being one of the greatest samurai movies ever made, Harakiri spins a simmering mystery-revenge thriller into a piercing deconstruction of notions of honor and justice that surround institutional power. It follows aging warrior Hanshiro (Tatsuya Nakadai) as he requests that a feudal lord allow him to commit seppuku in his palace. As the ceremony begins, Hanshiro shares his past, including his connection to Chijiiwa Motomoe (Akira Ishihama), who attended the same feudal lord’s palace months prior, also asking to commit seppuku.
Through intricate non-linear storytelling, Harakiri presents an enthralling enigma of kinship, tragedy, and hidden motives that unfurls with masterful precision. Shinobu Hashimoto’s screenplay excels at making Hanshiro’s recounting of his past not just a poignant story of desperation, but a gripping psychological duel as well. Hashimoto commands dread and tension, building up to what is the greatest and most rewarding final duel in samurai cinema before landing one final blow with an ending of grim realism that meditates on the nature of corruption and deceit in halls of power.
Beginning in the late 1960s, American New Wave cinema saw Hollywood films pivot towards gritty and more confronting stories steeped in cynical realism. Released in 1967, Bonnie and Clyde was a driving force in the early days of this artistic movement. David Newman and Robert Benton’s hard-edged screenplay went a long way in shattering studio conventions and industry taboos by mixing extreme violence, anti-hero ferocity, and visceral anti-establishment sentiment.
Not only did it reinvent Hollywood norms, but the crime classic also delivers an arresting immersion in the folklore hysteria that engulfed Depression-era America surrounding the infamous crime spree of Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty). In 1960s America, Bonnie and Clyde catered to a fantasy of rebellion and freedom. In today’s world, it is a pioneering classic that has influenced the medium for nearly 60 years. Its screenplay is as paramount to this as its unflinching depiction of violence and its two iconic lead performances.
Acidic, ferocious, and brilliant at turning the alienation and aimlessness of youth into a challenging revolt against the old world, The Graduate is an ageless masterclass of satire and groundbreaking writing. It also does a fascinating thing with its protagonist, making Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) a vessel of inertia, uncertainty, and passive angst. In stark contrast to most cinematic lead characters who drive the story with their wants and needs, The Graduate uses Ben’s inactivity as a catalyst.
It follows the recent college graduate as his drifting existence of career indecision is jolted when he is seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), a bored housewife and family friend. Their troublesome tryst grows increasingly complicated when Ben starts to fall in love with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). Written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham as an adaptation of Charles Webb’s novella, The Graduate captures the striking generational divide between youths and their parents in 1960s America with stunning naturalism. The ending is iconic, pondering what reality awaits when the fiery fantasy of youthful rebellion ends.
Many of the great screenplays of the ‘60s are renowned for their groundbreaking impact regarding thematic ideas and graphic content. While Psycho has all of this in spades, the film’s story is even more well known for its revolutionary structure that sees the protagonist killed at the midpoint and the second half of the film become a creeping detective thriller. More than just a great exponent of a plot twist, however, Joseph Stefano’s screenplay is also a masterclass in audience manipulation, subversion, and narrative pacing.
It should never be overlooked that Stefano’s screenplay offers the perfect platform for Alfred Hitchcock to exhibit his trademark mastery of suspense, a point that should also be attributed to Robert Bloch, the author of the original novel. Also delivering one of cinema’s all-time best villains and serving as a faultless example of how information can be revealed and hidden to maximize tension, Psycho is a phenomenal, genre-defining triumph that soars off the back of its sometimes-underappreciated screenwriting.
The grandeur and glamour of epic cinema had been well established in Hollywood long before Lawrence of Arabia was released in 1962. However, the biographical war drama brought an intimacy and complexity to the genre that is as timeless as it was groundbreaking. Written by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson, it dramatizes the WWI exploits of T. E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole), an English soldier who unites the feuding Arab tribes to fight as one force against the Ottoman Empire.
It is famous for its picturesque cinematography depicting sweeping desert landscapes with elegant beauty and imposing scale. Yet it also thrives by using the sheer scope of its 227-minute runtime to explore Lawrence with depth, making for a gripping descent into the psychology of a brilliant though flawed man. Additionally, many of the scene transitions and actor directions are explicitly stated in the screenplay, meaning that Bolt and Wilson deserve at least some of the credit that has long been attributed almost exclusively to director David Lean and the phenomenal ensemble cast.
The nature of adaptation brings with it a certain pressure to honor the source material while making intelligent changes that allow the story to translate to the screen. This pressure is amplified when the adaptation is of a recently released, universally admired instant classic. Horton Foote mastered the art all the same, however, with his screenplay based on Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, which would see him win Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
By maintaining the soul of the book, sharpening essential thematic ideas, and respecting the child’s perspective of the world, Foote excels at reconfiguring the story for the screen while staying true to its core. Such is the magnificence of the screenplay. To Kill a Mockingbird remains not only one of the greatest courtroom dramas of all time, but an enduring dissection of systemic racism in American society complemented by the wisdom and rhythm of the dialogue and the puncturing poignancy of the story.
By the late 1960s, Westerns had been a dominant force in Hollywood for over 30 years, and while the genre would soon enter a temporary decline, many filmmakers were releasing masterpieces through subverting its traditional form. The Wild Bunch is an example of this that deserves acknowledgment (and could easily have appeared on this list), but the very best might just be Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Defined by the excellence of William Goldman’s Oscar-winning screenplay, it transforms the stoic heroism of the genre into a pioneering triumph of buddy-movie charm through its emphasis on the friendship of its titular duo. Furthermore, the biographical tale never seeks to idolize the titular duo, instead depicting them as struggling outlaws on the run whose efforts to flee a relentless “super-posse” work beautifully in tandem with a meditative exploration of the final days of the Old West. The narrative pacing, memorable dialogue, and litany of iconic scenes only enhance the screenplay’s endeavor to reinvent Western drama and innovate buddy-action cinema forevermore.
Many of the great screenplays of the 1960s are tied to the groundbreaking edge of New Hollywood cinema, but, like the aforementioned Harakiri, High and Low is ample proof that the decade saw great screenplays in the international scene as well. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, who also worked on the screenplay with Hideo Oguni, Ryūzō Kikushima, and Eijirō Hisaishi, the 1963 crime classic is a brilliant deconstruction of class divides and morality revolving around a wealthy executive forced to decide between saving his business or paying the ransom for his chauffeur’s kidnapped son.
A masterclass in structure, the first half of High and Low operates as a taut chamber drama as the hostage situation unfurls mostly in just one room. The second half then shifts gears to operate as a sprawling, fast-paced police procedural following detectives as they try to apprehend the culprit. Faultless pacing, strong social commentary, and rich visual symbolism compound the brilliance of the plotting, allowing the premise of a ransom negotiation to serve as an unforgettable case study of the human condition.
Few genres are as difficult to write as comedy. The complexity of the genre only grows when the story in question is aiming at humanity’s gravest nightmares and most terrible qualities. Perhaps no comedy movie excels in this regard as well as Dr. Strangelove, which, written by Terry Southern, Peter George, and director Stanley Kubrick, unfolds as an acidic and barbed political satire. It revolves around the U.S. President’s shambolic efforts to avert calamity when a general goes rogue and sanctions a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union.
Interestingly, Peter George’s source material—the 1958 novel Red Alert—runs as a hard drama. Kubrick’s decision to pivot to dark comedy is inspired as it transforms the high-stakes political tension into a ferocious critique of power, bureaucracy, and the illusion of order when the burden of responsibility arises. It also juxtaposes its grounded, deadpan tone with inflections of absurd mockery, allowing the movie to occupy an air of madness that is as infectiously hilarious as it is phenomenally written. It remains the greatest political comedy screenplay cinema has ever seen.
The latter part of the 1960s generated so many great screenplays, but it is at the dawn of the decade that the best screenplay of the era is found. Written by I. A. L. Diamond and Billy Wilder (who also directed), The Apartment excels as a razor-sharp and biting satire of corporate culture and a heart-melting romantic comedy laced with charm and tenderness, all while delivering incredibly efficient storytelling and faultless, subtext-rich dialogue.
Its ability to mix a wholesome love story with bitter dramatic punch is exceptional, mastering the art of shifting between tones with elegance and fluidity. The story oscillates between Baxter (Jack Lemmon) and Fran’s (Shirley MacLaine) heartwarming romantic playfulness and poignant beats of loneliness, workplace misconduct, and even attempted suicide with astonishing grace. Additionally, the set-ups and payoffs, the character designs and dynamics, and even the premise itself are all brilliantly handled, making The Apartment the very best movie of the 1960s, screenplay-wise.
Weekend Open Thread: Madewell – Corporette.com
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