Seth Rogen is speaking out against the growing wave of AI-generated content, saying that writers who make use of the technology shouldn’t be writers at all. The actor and filmmaker shared his thoughts while talking about his animated film, “Tangles,” highlighting how it was created with “human touch” and zero artificial intelligence.

Talking to Brut America at the Cannes Film Festival, filmmaker Seth Rogen didn’t mince words when speaking about AI. He said he doesn’t really understand what AI is supposed to be about, adding that he sees plenty of videos on Instagram saying “Hollywood is cooked” due to the rise of computer-generated content. “What follows is the most stupid dog sh-t I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said, referring to AI videos.

Rogen’s comments came amid the controversies of using AI in Hollywood, opening discussions about job security, intellectual property, and artistic authenticity, with some major film studios experimenting with AI for cost-cutting and post-production.

In May, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that oversees the Oscars, banned purely AI-generated acting and AI-authored writing from winning awards in order to protect artistic integrity, as reported by the BBC.

The Actor Thinks Writers Who Use AI Shouldn’t Be Writers

Rogen continued with his AI takedown, tearing specifically into writers who rely on AI. “If you’re instinct is to use AI and not go through that process, you shouldn’t be a writer,” Rogen said, adding that using AI isn’t writing. For the filmmaker, writing is a process, and the idea of using the technology fails to resonate with him.

The actor has written plenty for films and television, and he enjoys the process. “The idea of a toll that makes me write less is not appealing to me, because I like writing,” he explained. Sarah Leavitt, the author of the graphic novel on which Rogen’s movie is based, also shared her opinion. As a creative writing professor, Leavitt said she tells her students, “One of the things AI can’t do is go through the creative process.”

This isn’t the first time Rogen spoke out against AI. In 2023, the actor spoke out against the technology amid the Writers Guild of America strike. “I think the prospect of artificial intelligence writing things is horrifying, and the fact that they seem to be digging in on [it] is more horrifying,” Rogen stated.

One of the key issues of the 2023 strike was writers seeking protection to ensure that generative AI tools would not be used to write materials. “You’d have to shove a lot of weed in that thing [for it to write good TV],” Rogen noted, referring to AI tools.

The Filmmaker Boasts No AI Was Used In ‘Tangles’

Rogen talked about his animated film “Tangles,” which tells the story of Sarah, an activist who leaves her life in San Francisco to return to her hometown and care for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s. Rogen and his wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, serve as producers, and the movie has an ensemble cast, including Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Pamela Adlon, Sarah Silverman, Samira Wiley, Wanda Sykes, and Bowen Yang, among others.

According to Rogen, no AI was used in the film. “It’s hand-drawn animation. Every frame has a human touch to it,” he shared. Lauren added, “When the line was drawn by a hand, that hand was moved through someone who felt feelings, instead of just, like, a program.”

Seth Rogen Has Numerous Writing Credits

While many know Rogen best for his acting, he has been writing since his teen years. In the early 2000s, he was a writer and actor for Judd Apatow’s TV show “Undeclared,” followed by writing for the final season of Sacha Baron Cohen’s sketch series, “Da Ali G Show.”

In 2007, his film “Superbad” was released, a script that he started developing with Evan Goldberg while he was still a teenager. In the years that followed, Rogen co-wrote “Drillbit Taylor,” “Pineapple Express,” “The Green Hornet,” and “The Watch,” “Sausage Party,” “The Interview,” plus an episode of “The Simpsons.”

In 2025, Rogen won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for his Apple TV+ series, “The Studio.”

Long before Cowboys & Aliens mashed the Western tradition with science fiction flare, there were various low-budget takes on the genre mashup that whet audience appetite for more. But perhaps the most interesting of them all comes from an often overlooked and mostly forgotten fantasy Western that pits cowboy heroes against the giant reptiles who once roamed the Earth. If you’ve never heard of The Valley of Gwangi before, let that be rectified as you watch this 96-minute 1969 classic that monster movie fans cannot get enough of.

‘The Valley of Gwangi’ Is a Dinosaur-Fueled Western Adventure

This wild ride begins in the early 20th century as the “Wild West” era has become something of a novelty. The days of notorious outlaws and famous lawmen have passed away as civilization has largely pacified and tamed the American West. It’s this fading that sparks a wave of traveling shows like “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show,” as well as rodeo-circus crossovers like the one hosted by T.J. Breckenridge (Gila Golan). These shows keep the myth of the West alive, but even they have become stale, with audiences preferring something more sensational and fantastic. This is where T.J. aims to introduce the world to “El Diablo,” a mini-horse-like creature that is identified as an Eohippus. Of course, this pint-sized horse is only the tip of the iceberg, because it isn’t long before T.J., her lover Tuck Kirby (James Franciscus), paleontologist Horace Bromley (Laurence Naismith), and a host of others stumble upon a “Lost World” in a supposedly “cursed” Forbidden Valley. It’s there that they discover a habitat full of real-life, living, breathing dinosaurs.

The Valley of Gwangi is something of an odd duck in Western film history. Despite the genre’s general A-list material that had ridden to the forefront of Hollywood between the 1940s and ’60s, it’s unashamedly a B-picture that leans more into the typical “monster movie” fare than it does the standard horse opera — even if it’s perhaps just as melodramatic at times as the cowboy stories of old. In this sense, the flick is somewhat comparable to other low-budget, genre-bending “Weird Westerns” of the era like Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter or Billy the Kid Versus Dracula for its campy dialogue, flat characters, and emphasis on novelty special effects to get audiences to the theater. (Though, to clarify, this picture far outshines even those.) This isn’t to say that Gwangi isn’t great for what it is. It’s become a B-movie classic for a reason, but when compared to the plethora of great Westerns also released in 1969, including The Wild Bunch, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and True Grit, there’s a clear dip in quality.

But where The Valley of Gwangi really thrives is in its special effects. The full, raw talents of animator and special effects guru Ray Harryhausen are on full display here through the inspired use of miniatures, stop-motion techniques, in-camera perspective, and compositing. Harryhausen, of course, was mentored by original King Kong legend Willis H. O’Brien himself, and The Valley of Gwangi (among his other works) is a testament to that signature style. In fact, O’Brien was the initial creative force behind this dinosaur Western, and is credited as a co-writer on the production due to his efforts. Harryhausen only took up the project after his mentor died before it could be realized, and the visual results alone speak quite highly of their work. The 1969 picture has amassed a cult following over the years for its strange plot and lovable stop-motion monsters, which are certainly the main draw. The trailer alone will be more than enough to convince anyone to give it a chance!

‘The Valley of Gwangi’ Is Loads of Fun Once You Get to the Dinosaurs

Billed on the poster as “cowboys battle monsters in the lost world of Forbidden Valley,” The Valley of Gwangi is a spectacle to behold. The dinosaur puppets look exquisite, and are composited almost seamlessly with the cowboys and horses who appear on the screen. The battles between our human heroes and these enormous reptiles are still impressive even by today’s standards, serving as almost a precursor to the larger-than-life practical effects that Steven Spielberg would perfect with his first two Jurassic Park films. Of course, the only challenge with The Valley of Gwangi is with your patience.

Tragically, the first half features no dinosaurs at all. Though the mini-horse composite is great, the giant creatures are what you’re here to see. Once you get to the dinosaurs, however, you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat with Gwangi. A cult classic on every level, The Valley of Gwangi is a lovable sci-fi/fantasy Western that breaks genre barriers and thoroughly entertains. That back half of the picture will gladden the heart of any dino-lover, and you’ll wonder why it’s taken you so long to see it in the first place.

Ryan Seacrest doesn’t care about what people are saying about his new look. The TV host has undergone what many have described as a dramatic transformation and now appears noticeably slimmer.

Despite some criticism of his appearance, Seacrest reportedly “thinks he looks great” and is “proud” of his new body.

Ryan Seacrest is also said to be “extremely focused” on maintaining his new look, which reports claim that he worked hard for.

Amid ongoing commentary surrounding Ryan Seacrest’s body transformation and “new face,” sources have revealed why the TV host became so committed to changing his appearance.

“Ryan grew up as a chubby kid, and those insecurities never fully left him,” one insider revealed to Rob Shuter’s “Naughty But Nice “Substack. “He was teased when he was younger, and even now, he still sees that overweight kid in the mirror.”

The revelation comes as no shock, as Seacrest has previously spoken about struggling with his weight as a child and, in recent years, making a conscious effort to turn that part of his life around.

While the transformation may have caught some people off guard, an insider claims it “didn’t just happen overnight.”

Instead, the change is reportedly the result of Seacrest improving his diet and becoming more committed to his workout routine without slacking off.

“Ryan has worked incredibly hard to look like this. The workouts, the diet, the fasting — he is extremely focused,” added the insider.

Ryan Seacrest Loves His New Look Despite Concerns From Fans

Renewed attention on Seacrest comes after his appearance at the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation’s Taste For A Cure event, and many quickly took to social media to criticize the slimmer look they saw in photos that made their way to the internet.

But according to the source, Seacrest isn’t going to let the criticism from outsiders change how he feels about his new look, regardless of whatever they say.

“Ryan thinks he looks great,” said the source. “He feels healthier, more confident, and more in control than ever before. He truly could not be happier.”

Even more, Seacrest feels he has worked extremely hard to reach this point and intends to continue showing off the results as much as he can.

“For Ryan, this is personal,” another source says. “He worked hard for this body and this look — and he’s proud of it.”

The Media Personality Has Shared Videos Of Himself Working Out

Proof that Ryan Seacrest is not letting criticism about his appearance affect him can seemingly be seen in how openly he continues to share workout content online.

One such video dates back to November 2025, when he took to Instagram to post a clip of himself doing seated bicep curls.

In the video, his bulging biceps were on full display beneath a navy blue T-shirt, while his dark-colored gym shorts also highlighted what appeared to be noticeably toned legs.

In the caption, the media personality appeared to joke about the attention surrounding his sculpted physique, writing, “The trick is to wear a T-shirt two sizes too small.”

Ryan Seacrest Said He Was Doing ‘Everything’ He Could To ‘Feel Like I’m Not 50’

As for Seacrest’s workout routine, the TV show host had previously hinted at it during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2024.

“I’m doing everything I can to feel like I’m not 50,” he told his host, adding, “lots of muscle recovery, cold plunging, and steaming.”

Seacrest went further to admit that he was doing his best to feel young again, especially with his workout, seemingly stressing that he was going the natural route to stay youthful and healthy.

“Anything I can do to make myself feel 29 again,” he joked at the time.

Ryan Seacrest Recently Revealed He Takes Potential Partners Out For A ‘Little Exercise’

Seacrest’s love for fitness even extends to how he goes about picking a partner.

“I take everybody out for a little exercise. It’s a test,” Seacrest said last month during an episode of his “On Air With Ryan Seacrest,” per Page Six.

At the time, he also listed other dating red flags, including having a loud alarm that just “ruins your day from the beginning.”

“It’s got to be a chimey thing. Like a pleasant, not a hardcore alarm. Chimes. Green flag,” Seacrest added.

He also would only prefer a partner who “can get ready in less than 27 minutes” whenever they have outing plans.

“Cause not 30. It’s not 25. 27. Green flag. If you’re over an hour, and I have been there over an hour. What are you doing?” he said.

While already shockingly prolific for someone who was born before World War II, Ridley Scott is involved in more projects than you probably realize. He’s set to return to the sci-fi genre this year with The Dog Stars, featuring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin. It’s his first directorial effort in two years. However, Scott has remained highly active as a producer and an executive producer in both films and television. He has been credited for these roles on as many as 10 movies in the last five years alone. He has served as an executive producer on seven new shows since 2020, with the most recent being Alien: Earth. However, one of his returning series is performing exceptionally well on streaming after its recent return.

The horror show has featured a different cast and creators for each of its three seasons. Released in 2018, the first season was developed by David Kajganich, best known for his subsequent work with director Luca Guadagnino. It featured Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, and Ciarán Hinds, with directing duties on several episodes being performed by Edward Berger. The second season, which premiered in 2019, was created by Max Borenstein, who is best known for his work on Legendary’s MonsterVerse movies. The latest season, which premiered on May 7, was created by Victor LaValle and based on his 2013 novel.

Ridley Scott’s Horror Series Is Back After More than 5 Years

We’re talking about The Terror: Devil in Silver. The series is headlined by Dan Stevens, with Aasif Mandvi, CCH Pounder, and Stephen Root in supporting roles. The new season holds an excellent 95% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Dan Stevens and a game supporting cast deliver well-rounded performances with nuance and verve in this latest installment of The Terror, which humanely depicts its subject’s troubles with mental health and supernatural frights.” In her review, Collider’s Kelcie Mattson wrote, “Season 3 might not quite reach the spectacular first season’s overall heights, but it’s still a disquieting, philosophical dissection of human nature that simultaneously proves this anthology’s flexibility and its staying power.” According to FlixPatrol, The Terror: Devil in Silver was the number one show on AMC+ after a week. The six-episode season will conclude on June 11. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

2018 – 2025-00-00

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Network

AMC, Shudder, AMC+

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Showrunner

David Kajganich, Soo Hugh, Christopher Cantwell

Directors

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Tim Mielants, Edward Berger, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Fred Toye, Karyn Kusama, Michael Lehmann, Josef Kubota Wladyka, Lily Mariye, Toa Fraser, Meera Menon

Writers

David Kajganich, Shannon Goss, Tony Tost, Steven Hanna, Andres Fischer-Centeno, Benjamin Endsley Klein, Danielle Roderick, Alessandra DiMona, Josh Parkinson

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You’re unlikely to ever find people as devoted and invested in their own fandom as fans of The Lord of the Rings. Unlike most franchises in pop culture, these fans have fully embraced all the strange and quirky things that make both the books and the movies special, choosing to have fun with them instead of complaining or judging (for the most part). That’s why there are so many Middle-earth memes around, from simple lines that take on a life of their own to random facts about the making of the movies. The weirdest and funniest of them, however, has to be the tale of Figwit (Bret McKenzie), a character who was fully born from one such memes — and one of the first ones at that!

Figwit First Appears as a Background Character in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’

To bring Middle-earth fully to life, the Peter Jackson trilogy had to cast a lot of background characters. After all, if J.R.R. Tolkien created such a complex and vivid land, the movies had to do justice to it, right? What probably neither of them expected, however, was that one such character would actually attract the fans’ attention more than the saga’s own protagonist, especially at a key moment in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

In the Council of Elrond (Hugo Weaving) scene, there’s a heated debate about what should be done with the One Ring. Frodo (Elijah Wood) then stands up to tell everyone that he will take it to Mordor and destroy it, with the camera cutting to a wider shot of everyone present staring at him. When fandom powerhouse Iris Hadad watched that scene, she began to praise Frodo, but was surprised by the handsome Elf on the far right, and, thus, Figwit came into being.

This isn’t the character’s official name, and actor Bret McKenzie himself isn’t even credited in the movie, but, once Hadad’s eyes landed on him, Figwit suddenly belonged to the entire fandom. His name is the acronym of her reaction: “Frodo is great… Who is THAT?” She went even further, setting up a whole website (linked above) dedicated to Figwit after The Fellowship of the Ring came out, so everyone could obsess over him.

Peter Jackson Summoned Figwit Back in ‘The Return of the King’

In the Council of Elrond, Figwit can also be seen sitting beside Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), but he doesn’t even have a line. Still, his sheer presence and looks were enough to cause a fuss amongst the fandom. So much fuss, in fact, that Peter Jackson himself noted it and called McKenzie back for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, since, unfortunately, he wasn’t available for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, according to a USA Today story about it.

In the third movie, though, Figwit is back in all his glory and has actual lines! This happens in the scene where Arwen (Liv Tyler) has a vision of her future with Aragorn and decides to stay in Middle-earth. When she turns around and rides back to Rivendell, Figwit is there, telling her, “Lady Arwen, we cannot delay,” and calling out for her once she departs. Unfortunately, the character is credited only as “Elf Escort,” not Figwit, but, by then, everyone already knew him by his true name.

In The Return of the King DVD extras, Jackson himself admits that he called McKenzie back to play Figwit to please the fans, because “so much fuss has been made about him over the last couple of years.” Later, in 2004, Figwit got his own documentary, too, appropriately called Frodo Is Great… Who Is THAT?, following McKenzie’s relationship with the meme and featuring interviews from his cast mates, including Jackson and even Ian McKellen.

Bret McKenzie Returned in ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,’ but as a Different Elf

Image via Warner Bros.

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The Return of the King wasn’t the last Middle-earth has seen of Figwit, thankfully — or of Bret McKenzie, at least. In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, when Gandalf and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) arrive in Rivendell, they are greeted by a familiar face, but it isn’t really Figwit. In The Hobbit, McKenzie plays Lindir, one of Elrond’s aides, whom the actor jokingly described as having “slightly different ears.”

Contrary to Figwit, Lindir does have a few lines, and much more complex ones. Instead of simply calling out or staring at the main characters, this time McKenzie had to learn his lines in Elvish, which proved quite a challenge. Of course, many people know him as half of Flight of the Conchords, too, but, as it turns out, memorizing lines in Elvish is a touch beyond memorizing lyrics in English. In Middle-earth, though, he’ll always be Figwit.

As silly as all this may seem, Figwit is a perfect example of how the fans themselves can make something like The Lord of the Rings their own, regardless of how big and important the franchise is. We love our memes and inside jokes, from Viggo Mortensen breaking his toe in The Two Towers to Hugo Weaving speaking to himself as both Elrond and Isildur in The Fellowship of the Ring. With The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum on the way, we’re now excited to see what memes will come out of that one, too.

Actor Adam Driver is hot off the success of “Paper Tiger” at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by James Gray, the film tells the story of two brothers who become entangled with the Russian mafia while pursuing the American Dream. Since early reviews are praising Driver’s acting ability, it’s no surprise that he’s been tapped to star in Kenneth Lonergan’s latest feature.

Kenneth Lonergan earned an Oscar for best original screenplay for 2016’s “Manchester by the Sea.” The film also gave Casey Affleck a best actor win. Lonergan’s latest film might just give Driver another shot at an Oscar, as he received consecutive Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for playing a Jewish police officer infiltrating the KKK in 2018’s “BlacKkKlansman” and Best Actor for his role as a theater director going through a divorce in 2019’s “Marriage Story.”

In Kenneth Lonergan’s latest film, “Tomorrow Is A Drag,” Driver will reunite with his “Megalopolis” costar Aubrey Plaza, as reported by Variety. Vanessa Kirby and Matthew Broderick are also attached to the project. Plot details are being kept under wraps for now, although Lonergan previously worked with Driver on the off-Broadway play “Hold On to Me Darling.”

‘Paper Tiger’ Gets A 10-Minute Ovation At The Cannes Film Festival

According to Deadline, James Gray’s new film “Paper Tiger” drew in a ten-minute standing ovation at the Grand Theatre Lumiere. Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, and director Pawel Pawlikowski were some of the A-list stars leading the applause.

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Emotional director James Gray thanked the crowd, saying, “There’s much more gray now in the beard, not just the name, but the beard. And I have learned finally to appreciate. But more I appreciate you, without you, there is no cinema, cinema needs you. And cinema needs you guys more than ever. Really. This is really an important time and Cannes is so important for that reason and you are important for that reason. So, it moves me greatly to see you here in this theater where I have many great memories. And I love you all, what can I say, I’m going to leave soon, so I can hide.”

‘Paper Tiger’ Stars Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson

Adam Driver and Miles Teller embrace Cate Blanchett and Julianne Moore after premiere screening of James Gray’s Cannes Film Festival competition film ‘Paper Tiger’ pic.twitter.com/gNJDR8JRcF

— Deadline (@DEADLINE) May 16, 2026

The film stars Adam Driver and Miles Teller as two brothers. Driver’s character is a divorced ex-cop with ties to the Russian mafia, and Teller plays a more straight-laced father to his two sons, while his wife, played by Scarlett Johansson, hides a secret of her own when her health struggles catch up with her.

NEON has acquired the rights to the film, which was first announced at last year’s Cannes market. The last time Gray was at Cannes was with 2022’s “Armageddon Time.” That coming-of-age film was widely praised upon its release, and it seems that Gray’s latest story about the American Dream will be no different. Reviews that have been coming out of Cannes have been overwhelmingly positive, with Driver’s acting drawing considerable praise.

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Scarlett Johansson Opens Up About Working With Adam Driver

Although she was married – and divorcing – Driver’s character in “Marriage Story,” Johansson is married to Miles Teller’s character in “Paper Tiger.” Even though she shared a few scenes with Driver, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she would have loved to work with him more on the project.  

“I would’ve loved to have had even more scenework with him, I love working with him,” she told the publication. However, that’s not to say she didn’t enjoy working with Teller.

“He’s so unexpectedly tender. I went away for a couple of weeks to do the press for Jurassic — I felt crazy to leave, but I had to go — and when I was gone, I’d get photographs of my makeup station from Miles and he’d be like, ‘Where’s Hester?’” she said of working with the “Top Gun: Maverick” alum.  

The “Avengers” actress also told PEOPLE magazine that she had a “great” experience working with the actor back in 2025. “I love Adam as a person and he is an absolutely extraordinary actor,” she said at the time. “If I could make every movie with Adam Driver, I would.”

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