Entertainment
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Normal Boy’ Mystery Finally Solved
Olivia Rodrigo appears to be entering a new chapter in her love life, and this time the spotlight isn’t following another Hollywood actor.
After months of quiet speculation surrounding the end of her relationship with Louis Partridge, the Grammy-winning singer has been linked to a mystery man whose life is rooted in finance rather than fame, signaling a noticeable shift in her dating preferences.
A brief sidewalk interaction in New York was all it took to ignite fresh relationship rumors around Olivia Rodrigo. The singer was seen smiling, twisting her hat, and chatting closely with a tall, dark-haired man in a video that quickly spread across social media.
The sighting came only weeks after Rodrigo was photographed enjoying what appeared to be a relaxed date at a Brooklyn wine bar with a man believed to be the same person.
Neither Rodrigo nor her representatives have commented publicly, but a source told the Daily Mail that the singer has intentionally kept her personal life out of the spotlight.
“She’s been pretty reserved and coy about what’s going on in her love life,” the insider said, adding, “It definitely seems like she’s found someone new. She’s been smitten and extra smiley.”
Internet sleuths soon identified the mystery companion as Julian Croonenberghs, a Brown University graduate who works as a private equity associate.
Unlike Rodrigo’s recent partners, Croonenberghs is not part of the entertainment industry. He reportedly comes from a prominent banking family and also represented the United States men’s national field hockey team from 2018 through 2020.
While Rodrigo has not confirmed the relationship, one of her recent interviews has resurfaced because of how closely it mirrors the latest speculation.
Speaking with Anthony Fantano, the singer reflected on dating outside the celebrity world.
“There’s something nice about a normal boy,” she said, explaining that she sometimes enjoys when people “don’t know a ton” about her career.
Those remarks now appear especially relevant given Croonenberghs’ background outside Hollywood.
The insider suggested that Rodrigo has never limited herself to dating fellow celebrities.
“She doesn’t always date someone famous – she mixes it up,” the source explained. “It’s normally whoever she gets along with and has chemistry with and, of course, is someone she’s attracted to.”
Although Croonenberghs has attracted attention since being linked to Rodrigo, his career has largely remained outside entertainment circles, offering a different dynamic from her previous high-profile relationships.
Olivia Rodrigo Quietly Closed The Door On Louis Partridge
Rodrigo’s apparent new romance follows the quiet conclusion of her relationship with British actor Louis Partridge.
The pair were first linked in October 2023 after being spotted together in London before gradually becoming more comfortable appearing in public. They attended concerts together, walked red carpets as a couple, and made headlines with their appearance in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
Even during their relationship, however, Partridge acknowledged the challenges that came with intense public attention.
In a 2024 interview with British Vogue, he admitted that “you don’t need the voices of thousands of others in your head” while trying to build a relationship.
He later revisited the Wimbledon experience during an interview with Esquire UK, saying he “was not aware that was going to be a thing” until he realized how many photographs had been taken and how “public” the outing had become.
Partridge explained that he and Rodrigo had tried “not to be so public,” adding that despite it being a “big summer” for the singer, there remained a “sanctity to being private.”
By late 2025, speculation surrounding a breakup had begun circulating, though Rodrigo never publicly addressed the reports or confirmed the split.
Rodrigo Has Never Hidden That She Loves Love
Long before her latest rumored relationship, Olivia Rodrigo’s dating life frequently became a subject of public fascination.
Her breakthrough single “Drivers License” in 2021 fueled widespread discussion about her relationship with fellow actor Joshua Bassett and the widely debated love triangle involving Sabrina Carpenter.
Although none of the three ever officially confirmed that narrative, each has since reflected on the intense attention.
Rodrigo also dated producer Adam Faze in 2021 before later being linked to DJ Zack Bia in 2022.
According to the Daily Mail source, romance has consistently been an important part of Rodrigo’s life.
“Olivia is a serial dater. This isn’t surprising that she’s hanging out with a new guy. She loves love and likes to have a guy around,” the insider said.
A Private Life May Be Harder Than It Looks
Although Julian Croonenberghs isn’t a familiar Hollywood face, staying anonymous has already become increasingly difficult.
Following the New York sidewalk video’s online circulation, internet users quickly uncovered details about his education, athletic career, professional background, family connections, and even reports about his New York residence, described as a three-bedroom, three-bath apartment reportedly valued at around $3.7 million.
That rapid wave of online detective work shows the challenge of dating one of pop music’s biggest stars, even for someone whose career exists well outside the entertainment business.
For now, Rodrigo continues to keep the relationship unconfirmed, maintaining the same privacy she showed during the reported end of her romance with Partridge.
Still, the insider believes that silence will not last forever. “Oh, she’ll definitely let the world know once she’s ready to,” the source added.
Whether Rodrigo ultimately confirms the romance or not, the latest speculation suggests she may be prioritizing chemistry and a life removed from Hollywood’s constant attention.
If her own words about preferring a “normal boy” are any indication, her newest chapter could be less about celebrity status and more about finding someone who exists outside the industry’s relentless spotlight.
Video game fans have had plenty of massive projects to dive into this year, including a new James Bond game, 007 First Light, and one of the most anticipated Assassin’s Creed games of all time, Black Flag Resynced. The former stars Patrick Gibson as the iconic MI6 agent, and the latter is a ground-up remake of one of the most beloved Assassin’s Creed games of all time, centered around the legendary pirate Edward Kenway. There are also a few big games coming in the second half of the year to look forward to, including Wolverine, the new Marvel game from Insomniac, developers of all three popular Spider-Man games. The biggest release of the year — and maybe even of all time — belongs to Grand Theft Auto 6, the first game from Rockstar after the colossal success of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Games based on already-established IPs, like Wolverine and James Bond, have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they give developers a chance to tap into a large fan base and add to existing lore. One game series to emerge in the last few years that has exploded in popularity is Star Wars Jedi, which centers around the young Jedi Cal Kestis, who is played by Cameron Monaghan. Respawn has put out two Star Wars Jedi games, Fallen Order in 2019 and Survivor in 2023, and while it’s been confirmed that a third game is in the works, there have been few updates on its progress in recent years. Fans of the franchise are getting a new release later this year, though, when the third chapter of the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order manga series hits shelves everywhere on December 1.
What Is ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Volume 3’ About?
The official synopsis for the new Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order release reads as follows: “The multi-volume manga adaptation of the best-selling Star Wars video game continues! The saga of Cal Kestis continues in volume three of the manga adaptation of the hit video game! Haunted by tragic memories and with his lightsaber destroyed, Cal’s quest is about to test him in ways he never could have imagined. As he journeys to new planets, Cal delves into his painful past and his relationship with his deceased master [Jaro Tapal]. With striking visuals and an action-packed story, readers will be immersed in Cal’s quest like never before.” Greez, Cere, and the Mantis even feature on the cover for the new release, which is now available for pre-order before it launches on December 1.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the Star Wars Jedi franchise starring Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis.
- Released
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November 15, 2019
- ESRB
-
T
- Developer(s)
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Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
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These nine actors saw their careers change dramatically after serious health diagnoses.
For the last decade or two, fans have watched the changing landscape of Hollywood with more interest than usual. Not only has the streaming era thrown the entire business for a loop, it has pushed companies into mergers, acquisitions, and re-brands that would have seemed unthinkable in the past. Fans have seen firsthand how these deals can affect their favorite TV shows and movies, yet it has begun to seem inevitable that every merger will be approved. Paramount‘s impending merger with Warner Bros. was no exception, but this week, federal Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin gave us real hope that the two companies might be kept apart.
Martinez-Olguin is a judge in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of California in Oakland. On Friday, she heard arguments from a coalition of 12 states arguing that the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger would be a violation of federal anti-trust laws, and would be detrimental to the film industry — and the economy as a whole. According to a report by Variety, Paramount and Warner Bros. had previously agreed not to close their deal before July 22. With that deadline fast approaching, Martinez-Olguin approved a 14-day temporary restraining order, putting it off at least a little longer.
Two weeks may not sound like a lot — especially for a deal this big with so much momentum behind it — but it is the first ray of hope we’ve seen in a case like this for years now. After Disney absorbed both LucasFilm and Marvel Studios, it seemed hard to imagine any other giant mergers coming into question, but this time might be different. If the court finds serious fault with this merger, it could represent a whole new era for Hollywood.
The Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Will Make Movies Worse
The coalition of states opposing this merger is led by California, and the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta issued a celebratory statement on after Martinez-Olguin’s order. Bonta said that this “megamerger” would lead to “fewer opportunities for more people,” and “worse products and services for all people.” It’s a sentiment that many critics have shared over the last few years, yet usually with an air of defeat. Here, it seems like the case against the merger might actually have a chance now.
As we’ve seen before, a merger between two massive companies like this typically starts off with mass layoffs. The newly-formed corporation no longer needs two people doing each job now that they’re one entity, and protecting the employment rate is a major part of the state’s case. However, anti-trust laws are meant to protect the economy from “anticompetitive” behavior, meaning that companies can collude to set fixed prices on their goods and services. Under a monopoly, consumers have nowhere else to go, so they’re forced to accept the quality and prices offered.
This could be a real concern in today’s day and age, as consumers have watched streaming take over the entertainment industry only to fluctuate wildly in price. However, a spokesperson for Paramount was confident that they could overcome the anticompetitive argument in particular. They told Variety that these claims do not reflect “modern market realities,” adding: “This merger is lawful, pro-competitive, and will benefit consumers, creators, workers, and the entertainment industry.”
Judging by other massive mergers in Hollywood, public sentiment seems to be against these deals in general. There are hardly any Star Wars discussions these days without mention of the drop in quality since Disney took over, and the same is said of Marvel. Warner Bros. already suffered a major blow to its prestigious branding when it combined with Discovery several years ago, putting reality TV titles alongside some of the most esteemed films ever made on HBO Max. These deals have definitely detracted from the quality of entertainment in some cases, and more importantly, critics and fans have their eyes out for it to happen again in any future mergers.
Canceling The Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Would Have Consequences
With all that said, the battle against this merger is hardly over, and there is too much money on the line for the corporations themselves to give up easily. If Martinez-Olguin did rule that the merger violated anti-trust laws, Paramount and Warner Bros. might need to pay up to $7 billion in breakup fees. On top of that, all the plans for the merger would need to be scrapped, taking with it all the plans both companies have been making as they’ve assumed this deal would go through.
The next move in this case will likely be to determine how much longer the merger can be stalled. Martinez-Olguin’s restraining order could reportedly be extended as long as 28 days in total, during which time she will need to decide on the coalition’s request for a preliminary injunction to hold off the merger indefinitely while their lawsuit takes its course. Historically, injunctions like this have worked to unravel merger deals before they can be finalized, regardless of the outcome of the lawsuits themselves.
Meanwhile, Paramount’s lawyers argue that the entertainment industry would be less competitive if this deal falls through, claiming that neither Paramount nor Warner Bros. alone can rival Netflix, Amazon, and other players on that level. If they merge, the two companies believe they can put up more of a fight. Whatever the outcome is, it will likely be decided by the end of September, and the future of Hollywood will be a bit easier to predict.
Keanu Reeves is never far from a box office hit. John Wick himself has been a part of many a high-profile theatrical project over recent years, with that set to continue in 2027 when he reprises his role as Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, following his debut in the third installment. Right now, Reeves’ Duke Caboom has joined the likes of Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and Jessie (Joan Cusack) in Toy Story 5, which looks set to become the third film of 2026 to hit the $1 billion mark at the box office.
But this 2020s run of form for Reeves simply wouldn’t have been possible without those early films that would go on to define his career. Without Speed and The Matrix, there would be no John Wick, but without the 1991 cult classic Point Break, there would be no Speed or The Matrix. Starring Reeves as FBI Agent Johnny Utah, alongside the likes of Patrick Swayze, Lori Petty, and Gary Busey, this adrenaline-fueled action thriller went on to define the genre in the ’90s.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by W. Peter Iliff, Point Break is still a fond favorite of many, and now it’s got the chance to capture the love of a whole new generation. It’s been officially confirmed that, in celebration of the film’s 35th anniversary, Point Break will return to theaters nationwide on August 16 and 19 in the form of a new 4 K restoration released by Resurgence Media Group, Saga Arts, and Fathom Entertainment. Surfer Matt Archbold, who served as Swayze’s surf double, will present an exclusive introduction ahead of the film. In a statement, Shannah Miller, the vice president of marketing at Fathom Entertainment, said:
“Few films have built a following as loyal as Point Break’s. Thirty-five years after it first hit theaters, this newly restored 4K version gives that devoted following exactly what they’ve been asking for: Bodhi, Johnny Utah and those legendary surfing and skydiving sequences, back where they belong on the big screen.”
How Much Did ‘Point Break’ Make at the Box Office?
Point Break didn’t exactly make waves at the 1991 box office, but it can still be considered a success. Against a reported production budget of $24 million, the movie returned a global haul of $83 million, split between $43 million in domestic revenue and a further $40 million from overseas markets. The movie opened in fourth place on the U.S. charts at a time when Terminator 2: Judgment Day was dominating the competition.
Point Break is returning to the big screen. Stay tuned to Collider for more.
- Release Date
-
July 12, 1991
- Runtime
-
122 minutes
- Director
-
Kathryn Bigelow
- Writers
-
W. Peter Iliff, Rick King
- Producers
-
James Cameron, Joseph Newton Cohen, Peter Abrams
Rebel Wilson has emerged victorious in a closely watched legal battle after an Australian court dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by her former co-star Charlotte MacInnes.
The ruling marks the end of a years-long dispute tied to Wilson’s directorial debut, “The Deb,” while allowing the actress to shift her focus back to filmmaking after one of the most challenging chapters of her career.
The Federal Court of Australia ruled in Rebel Wilson’s favor after Charlotte MacInnes failed to prove that a series of social media posts by the actress caused serious harm to her reputation.
MacInnes, who starred in Wilson’s directorial debut “The Deb”, alleged that Wilson defamed her through posts suggesting she had withdrawn a sexual harassment complaint for career reasons.
The controversy centered on claims that MacInnes had privately told Wilson she felt uncomfortable after “The Deb” co-producer Amanda Ghost allegedly asked her to shower and bathe together.
According to court proceedings, MacInnes denied ever making or retracting such a complaint, insisting she was never uncomfortable when she and Ghost shared a bath while wearing swimwear following a medical episode in September 2023.
After months of testimony, Justice Elizabeth Raper ruled that MacInnes had failed to meet the legal threshold required for defamation.
“MacInnes has failed to establish that the publications have caused or were likely to cause serious harm,” the judge said per the Daily Mail.
Justice Raper also ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson’s legal costs, handing the actress a decisive courtroom victory.
Why Charlotte MacInnes Sued Rebel Wilson
The lawsuit stemmed from an increasingly public dispute over “The Deb,” the Australian musical comedy that marked Wilson’s feature directorial debut.
MacInnes accused Wilson of portraying her online as a liar and a “sellout” who abandoned a sexual harassment complaint to advance her career.
During closing arguments, MacInnes’ barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, launched a blistering attack on Wilson’s credibility.
“She is a fantastical liar who has made up terrible, terrible allegations about multiple people and her own witnesses have discredited her,” Chrysanthou argued. “We say Ms Wilson cannot be believed on anything she has said.”
Wilson consistently rejected those allegations throughout the proceedings.
Taking the witness stand, she defended her actions by declaring, “I am known as a truth-teller.”
She also maintained that her Instagram posts were never intended as personal attacks.
“I don’t classify it as an attack, I classify it as telling the truth,” Wilson told the court.
Her barrister, David Sibtain SC, argued Wilson had “no motive to lie” about claims that could have jeopardized her own film by damaging relationships among its cast and producers.
Instead, Sibtain alleged MacInnes later distanced herself from the complaint because maintaining a positive relationship with Ghost benefited her career.
He further argued, “Ms MacInnes is someone who gave false evidence under oath,” adding that she “has suffered no harm, let alone serious harm.”
Rebel Wilson Breaks Silence After Her Court Victory
Hours after the ruling, Wilson addressed the outcome in a lengthy Instagram statement, reflecting on the emotional toll the litigation had taken.
The actress said making audiences laugh has always been the driving force behind her career and recalled receiving a heartfelt letter from a woman whose grieving teenage niece smiled for the first time after watching one of her early stage productions.
Wilson explained that creating stories capable of bringing joy has motivated her throughout an industry she described as being “full of sharks.”
Reflecting on “The Deb,” she wrote that the musical comedy had been her “dream job” and represented years of dedication.
“The DEB… was my dream job – my directorial DEB-UT – my directorial debut, a celebration of Australian stories, and something I poured years of passion into alongside an incredible cast and crew,” she wrote.
She admitted watching that journey become consumed by legal disputes had been “incredibly difficult.”
Still, Wilson said the experience ultimately strengthened her resolve, noting, “This process has taught me a lot. It has tested me, but it has also reinforced something I’ve always believed.”
She concluded by thanking the judge and Australia’s legal system while saying she was grateful the chapter had finally come to an end.
‘The Deb’ Controversy Overshadowed Wilson’s Directorial Debut
Long before cameras stopped rolling, “The Deb” had been envisioned as Rebel Wilson’s celebration of Australian storytelling and a major milestone in her career behind the camera.
Instead, the production became dominated by legal disputes involving cast members and producers, drawing attention away from the film itself and toward courtroom proceedings.
Throughout the litigation, Wilson maintained that her actions were motivated by protecting both the production and those involved with it rather than gaining leverage in disputes over writing credits or the movie’s budget.
The prolonged legal fight transformed what should have been a celebratory directorial launch into one of the most scrutinized projects of Wilson’s career.
What’s Next For Wilson After The Court Ruling
With the lawsuit now behind her, Rebel Wilson has made it clear she intends to focus on her family and future creative projects.
In her Instagram statement, she revealed she has already completed her second feature as a director, “Girl Group,” which is scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The announcement suggests Wilson is determined to move beyond the courtroom and return to filmmaking.
“I want to live my life standing up for what I believe is right, while continuing to create work that brings people joy,” she wrote.
After years of legal battles overshadowing one of the biggest milestones of her career, Wilson is now hoping audiences will once again be talking about her films rather than her time in court.
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The bold and the beautiful stars who decided to spend all the days of their lives together.
2026 has been a huge year for Alan Ritchson, and he hasn’t even starred in what may be his biggest project of the year. Ritchson will reprise his role as Jack Reacher in the fourth season of the Prime Video original series, Reacher, which is based on the series of novels by Lee Child. Ritchson will also return as Jack Reacher in the first Reacher spin-off, Neagley, and he’ll return in Season 5 of the flagship show — suffice to say, Reacher isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Ritchson also starred in one of the biggest sci-fi movies of the year, War Machine, which was released straight to streaming on Netflix back in March. After passing The Gray Man (starring Ryan Gosling) and cracking the all-time Netflix top 10, the rumored War Machine sequel was officially greenlit.
Given the success of War Machine this year, most fans are expecting the sequel to be on the fast track to resuming production, and a new update about the film confirms this to be true. Returning writer/director Patrick Hughes took to his personal Instagram just yesterday to share a picture of the official script for the War Machine sequel, War Machines, which teases details about the plot despite being what seems like a small reveal on the surface while also paying a cheeky homage to James Cameron‘s Aliens. The biggest battle for Ritchson’s 81 in the first film was the giant alien war machine, and in the sequel, it’s now seemingly confirmed that he will have multiple adversaries to deal with. Further plot details and casting information about War Machines are being kept under wraps for now, but they will likely be released as the film reaches a more advanced stage of development. James Beaufort also returns as a writer on War Machines.
Alan Ritchson Has Two More Movies Coming in 2026
While the wait for War Machines might be long, Ritchson has two new movies coming out before the end of this year, including one set to hit the big screen this weekend, Motor City. Ritchson stars in the virtually silent action thriller, which relies on elements other than dialogue to tell its story, such as action and body language. On September 11, he will team up with Owen Wilson for Runner, the new action thriller distributed by Angel Studios. Fans also remain hopeful that Ritchson will return as Aimes in Fast Forever, which opens in theaters in 2028.
Check out War Machine on Netflix and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the sequel, War Machines.
- Release Date
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March 6, 2026
- Runtime
-
107 minutes
- Director
-
Patrick Hughes
- Writers
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Patrick Hughes, James Beaufort
- Producers
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Todd Lieberman, Alexander Young, Patrick Hughes, Greg McLean, Rich Cook
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Right now, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is tearing through theaters like a one-man army. This film is the latest adaptation of an ancient Greek text about a soldier trying to find his way home after helping to win a costly battle. Specifically, Odysseus helped to bring the Trojan War to an end, which is ironic when you think about it. After all, the success of this fictional tale might have finally brought a real-world conflict to an end. Namely, the endless culture wars fought by the bravest keyboard warriors this side of 4chan.
For many months now, all of the usual suspects have been whinging about Nolan’s casting decisions. This included having Lupita Nyong’o play Helen of Troy and having Elliot Page play Sinon, a Greek warrior. At the prospect of (gasp!) a Black woman and a trans man playing Greek characters, haters began screeching that the film was woke garbage that would bomb at the box office. That is, of course, the conventional wisdom of the old adage: “go woke, go broke.” However, The Odyssey earned a whopping $264.1 million in its opening weekend, providing a lesson everyone should learn. The lesson? Repeat after me: the internet is not real life.
There Is No Normal
When I’m not dropping hot takes about movies and TV shows, I’m a professor at a humble state college. One of the life lessons I try to impart to all my students is that there is no normal; there is only what has been normalized around you. Are you in a room with nothing but flat-earthers? In that scenario, you’d be considered the crazy one. After a while, you might even start to believe what they are saying. This is just human nature…everyone wants to fit in rather than be an outcast. Eventually, it becomes easier to drink the Kool-Aid of wacky groupthink than to speak truth to a bunch of idiots.
What does this have to do with The Odyssey? Everything, really. Despite once clinging to the mantra “facts don’t care about your feelings,” the conservatives predicting that the movie would bomb didn’t have any real data to suggest that would happen; instead, they just had the rancid vibes of everyone in their preferred virtual spaces insisting that the film would flop. This is a practical example of the flat-earther example above. You can only hear the majority of people in your favorite online groups predict doom for so long before those predictions seem inevitable. Nobody wants to question the narrative because that’s the quickest way to get ostracized from the group.
The Internet Is Not Real Life
Now, the success of The Odyssey (it made over a quarter of a billion dollars in the first weekend!) has destroyed that narrative on its own. What has that done to the naysayers who predicted its doom? Some have retreated into conspiracy theories; millionaires must be buying out empty theaters! The movie is only successful because it pandered to woke elites! It’s only making money because of presales! The expensive IMAX tickets inflated the numbers! These are just a few conspiracies being peddled by intractable crazies who can’t comprehend The Odyssey being popular and successful. Their narrative has fallen apart, proving once and for all that the internet is not real life.
Regardless of its political leanings, every single online group you are part of has its own biases about countless topics. This includes what is or isn’t woke. But part of being a grownup is realizing that these groups’ opinions don’t reflect the wider culture anymore than your childhood friends’ opinions reflect the opinions of everyone in your hometown. If you and your buddies hate a new bar but it gets more crowded by the month, then most people clearly like it. And if the movie all of your online buddies have called woke garbage earns hundreds of millions in the first weekend, then it’s clearly both popular and successful.
The Culture War Is Over
Everyone votes with their dollars. If having a Black woman or a trans man portray a Greek character was a huge dealbreaker, mainstream audiences would have boycotted The Odyssey. If the average moviegoer actually cared about tweaking the lore of a 3,000-year-old poem, they’d have avoided the film. The fact that the movie is doing gangbusters at the box office is proof that most going to see it aren’t fretting over politics or culture war narratives. They just wanted to see a giant blockbuster filled with great actors; Christopher Nolan, whose every film has been successful, gave those audiences exactly what they wanted, and he’s being rewarded for it.
That’s how you can tell (and you may want to sit down for this) that the whole idea of a culture war is fake. Under capitalism, the predominant culture and cultural preferences are represented by what people pay for. The Mandalorian and Grogu didn’t fail because it was woke; it failed because it was another low-effort film from a fading franchise. Obsession didn’t succeed because it was anti-woke; it succeeded because it had fresh ideas, killer performances, and a visionary director. In short, audiences just want a good film, and a movie’s box office is the most reliable barometer of mainstream audiences’ opinion on a major blockbuster film.
Freaks And Greeks
Given its own massive box office, The Odyssey is clearly a movie that appeals to mass audiences. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to like it or that it is necessarily a great film; after all, plenty of terrible movies are still insanely profitable. And you don’t have to approve of the casting, either; if boycotting this movie because of those two actors is that important to you, nobody’s going to drag you to go see it. But if you’re still hating and claiming this movie will bomb, you are officially the minority opinion on Christoper Nolan’s latest film, one that could easily earn over a billion dollars when all is said and done.
Again, the takeaway here is that the internet isn’t real life. Did everyone in your scoldmaxxing online circles predict The Odyssey would fail? Now you know how much those predictions are worth. Were you utterly convinced that Elliot Page’s brief appearance in this film would destroy Nolan’s chances of success? Now you know how little the average person actually cares about these things. Fortunately, you can avoid these problems by putting the phone down, walking away from the computer, and going outside at least once a day. When you start talking to real people and not digital avatars, you might start caring less about what the internet has to say.
Regularly going outside is the best thing for anyone who has spent months liking countless posts about how The Odyssey would fail. If that’s you, then do us all a favor and touch some grass while you’re out there!
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