Tag: HollywoodReporter

During the Friday episode of Real Time, Bill Maher addressed Dolly Parton’s death in an unsavory manner.

He began his monologue by discussing current events of the week, specifically the United States’ trade war with Canada. “All this is going on, and all America could really talk about this week was how sad it is we lost Dolly Parton,” Maher said.

“Everybody around the country, even around the world” was honoring the late singer, he said. “London, they’re doing things. The Santa Monica ferris wheel is lit up with hearts. The Empire State Building was put up in pink. The Sphere in Las Vegas added a nipple.”

Parton died Tuesday after a “brief battle with cancer,” a rep announced. Her death has sparked a plethora of tributes as people around the world have continued to honor her legacy. Among those who remembered Parton were Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, Billy Ray Cyrus and many more.

One tribute, like Maher’s, that drew negative attention was that of Ricky Schroder, who portrayed Parton’s father in two biopic movies based on her childhood. “I didn’t agree with her advocating for Transgender & Covid Vaccine support … but Loved her anyway. Thank you for choosing me Dolly to be your Movie Daddy,” he wrote online.

In a follow-up post after the backlash from his initial comments began, Schroder reportedly posted a clip on his Instagram Stories about the two-time Oscar nominee’s support of the COVID-19 vaccine, writing, “I warned Dolly to not support the Experiment. Wished she listened.”

Fox Sports South Florida co-host Josh Cohen, in response to Schroder’s post, wrote on X, “Congratulations to former child TV actor Ricky Schroder on becoming the first person to disrespect Dolly Parton in her passing. What an absolute douche.”

Jelly Roll is ready to speak out about his political beliefs.

Months after he declined to get political at the 2026 Grammys, the singer-songwriter opened up about his views on Thursday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which he’s been guest hosting this week while Kimmel’s been on his summer hiatus.

Earlier in the week, he made a number of jokes about Donald Trump in his monologue, which sparked backlash from some conservatives.

Thursday night, he shed more light on his political views.

“It is funny that before this week everybody thought I was MAGA. And now they think I’m some sort of liberal snowflake,” he said. “Hosting Jimmy Kimmel’s show doesn’t mean I have all of Jimmy Kimmel’s politics. Sure, I lean left on some things, but like most folks I’m pretty down the middle.”

He added, “I am a Christian. I am a country music singer. I’m a farmer. I’m a bow hunter. And most of the things I eat, I prefer to get with a stick and a string. That’s the truth.”

He went on to say that his beliefs are “simple” and that he wants those who are struggling — including a “recovering addict,” a “felon who is trying to change his life” and a “single mama working a double hard for her family”— to feel seen.

And he expressed regret for not sharing more about his ideology when he won three Grammys earlier this year.

“That night at the Grammys, I had an opportunity to speak up for people who were scared, hurting and felt like nobody was speaking for them. I had a microphone and I didn’t use it the right way,” he said. “So I am going to try to do the right thing right now because human dignity isn’t Republican nor Democrat. Compassion isn’t left wing and mercy isn’t right wing. Pain and healing know no partisanship. Hurting hearts are more important than poll numbers. And there are no boundaries or borders for broken families.”

During his acceptance speech for best contemporary country album, Jelly spoke passionately about his faith and urged people to find Jesus.

“There was a time in my life, y’all, when I was broken. That’s why I wrote this album. I didn’t think I had a chance y’all,” he said in part. “I was a horrible human.” He reflected on how music and his faith helped him find his way out of the darkness: “I believed that music had the power to change my life and God had the power to change my life.”

In closing, he added, “Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by any one political party. Jesus is Jesus. Anybody can have a relationship with him. I love you Lord.”

But backstage he refused to open up about his political beliefs, despite numerous artists condemning ICE onstage that night.

“People shouldn’t care to hear my opinion. I’m a dumb redneck,” he said at the time. But he vowed that he would open up about his beliefs eventually.

“I have a lot to say about it … and everybody’s going to hear exactly what I have to say about it the most loud and clear way I’ve ever spoken in my life,” he added.

Thursday night he called his Grammy wins the “greatest honor” and the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

“And immediately after, I was asked to make what I felt at the time was a political stance,” he said. “I was afraid that anything I was going to say was going to be immediately taken as a political statement. And, ironically, by trying so hard not to make a political statement, I became one.”

He added, “For the last six months, I’ve watched people decide who I am, what I am, what I believe, what I support and what I don’t support. And I felt that even more this week, just because I told a couple of jokes.”

Instead, Jelly said, he should’ve said, “[Jesus] gave us two commandments. ‘Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.’ … There wasn’t a political party exemption. It did not require us to know what country you were born in. There wasn’t a sentence afterward that said, ‘Unless you’re afraid of them.’ It just said, ‘Love your neighbor.’”

The former convicted felon, who was pardoned in December, said that now that he’s had his right to vote restored, he plans to make his voice heard in the midterm elections this year.

He said he “would never be so afraid of being called political again”

And he urged people to come together: “We may disagree. We may argue. We may vote completely. But let’s try not to let the couple of things we disagree about forget the hundreds and hundreds of things we have in common.”

After failing to secure an exemption for the entertainment industry, stakeholders have made a last-minute proposal to mitigate the impact of California‘s new business tax credit regulations on Hollywood.

State Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur and Senator Ben Allen on Friday introduced AB/SB 186, which if passed would exempt indie projects from the state‘s new business tax credit caps and allow all productions with state tax credits to monetize more of their refunds, faster.

“Last year, we took action to get families back to work and jumpstart the State’s film and television industry,” Senator Allen said in a statement. “However, we’re at risk of losing this momentum, and all the jobs we’ve created over the last year, if we don’t act by the end of the month. I’m grateful for the support from Governor Newsom, Assemblymember Zbur and the legislative leadership to help us find a path forward that will retain California’s status as the global hub of entertainment.”

Stakeholders say a state budget bill that was signed into law on June 29 has jeopardized the celebrated increase to California‘s film and television tax credit increase to $750 million in 2025. That 2025 boost to the program, the result of some serious lobbying from Hollywood, more than doubled the amount of funding that could be allocated to giving productions tax relief.

But budget bill SB 122 threatened its viability by extending previously temporary caps on the use of business tax credits over $5 million a year. The budget bill also made the ceiling on using credits over $5 million a year, or 70 percent of a taxpayer’s liability, whichever is greater, permanent starting in 2030.

The new trailer bill wouldn‘t give major productions a pass from these caps, but it would enhance the perks for productions that choose to monetize a portion of their tax credits rather than put them towards their tax liability. (The ability to monetize a portion of the tax credits is relatively new, having been signed into law in 2025). The bill allows production to monetize 95 percent of their refund, as opposed to the previous 90 percent, and speeds up the collection period from five to two years.

The bill additionally would push back the expiration date for credits earned before 2025‘s changes to the program for productions actively shooting in California. Productions recently awarded California tax credits would have 15 years to use them, rather than the previous nine.

The trade organization for major studios and streamers, the Motion Picture Association, supports the bill alongside the Entertainment Union Coalition and the Producers Guild of America.

The introduction of AB/SB 186 follows a major lobbying campaign from unions and the MPA, as well as a letter-writing campaign from union members, to oppose the inclusion of the entertainment industry in the business tax credit caps. As of August 14, some 350,000 letters had been sent to legislators airing industry members‘ concerns about what the state budget bill could mean for production in the state.

While Zbur and Allen‘s bill addresses concerns over productions realizing the full value of their credits, it may not do much to restore trust in policymakers‘ approach to the state‘s film incentives program. Stakeholders have expressed concern that the sudden change to the program implemented this year could scare companies seeking stability and certainty as they make long-term production plans.

Now, legislators will have to scramble to pass the bill before the legislative session adjourns on August 31.

“I’m pleased that we have identified a path forward that would help protect the progress we’ve made to strengthen California’s film and television industry,” Assemblymember Zbur said in a statement. He added of the bill, “It does not address every challenge facing this highly competitive and mobile industry, and there is more work to do in the coming months, but this is an important step toward ensuring film and television remain a cornerstone of California’s economy.”

Olivia Rodrigo‘s Daisy Chain Fields is donating $10 million to its nonprofit partners, the superstar revealed Friday during a press conference ahead of Saturday’s inaugural festival.

“Daisy Chain Fields was created to celebrate the power of what can happen when we come together to support one another,” Rodrigo said Friday, flanked by executives from the 10 nonprofits. “The organizations we’ve partnered with are doing incredibly important work every single day in the U.S. and globally. I’m so grateful to every person who bought a ticket, every artist who waived their fee, every sponsor for signing onto a brand new festival and every donation that helped get to $10 million dollars to support women and girls. I can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow.”

The $10 million will be dispersed across 10 different groups whose missions range from reproductive health advocacy and resources for mothers to support for survivors of gender violence and abuse. The full list of nonprofits are Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, John Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, National Women’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood.

Rodrigo first announced Daisy Chain Fields back in June, calling the event “a festival founded on the belief that joy, community and creativity can inspire meaningful change.” Inspired by the Lilith Fair music festivals of the ’90s and 2000s, the festival will feature the likes of Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Mitski, Doechii, Bikini Kill, the Breeders, Garbage, Eli, Quiet Light, Rachel Chinouriri, Devon Again and Not For Radio.

Stevie Nicks, Karen O and Lilith Fair founder Sarah McLachlan are listed as special guests. Katseye was originally on the lineup as well, though the group announced Thursday that they had to pull out after Megan said she sprained her ankle during a rehearsal.

“The woman performing tomorrow and those sitting beside me today inspire me so much,” Rodrigo said Friday. “They’ve taught me a lot about how we are all stronger when we come together and support one another. That’s why I fell in love with the name Daisy Chain. It served as a reminder of how individual parts can come together to create something strong and unbreakable.”

Shelley Fabares’ cause of death has been revealed.

The actress, who starred in Coach and The Donna Reed Show among other TV series and films, died Saturday after a brief illness. She was 82.

Fabares died of pneumonia, her family revealed Thursday to People and other outlets. She had previously been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. And she had a liver transplant in October 2000 after spending nearly two years on the waiting list to receive one.

“To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter and comfort,” Fabares’ family said in a statement announcing her death. “She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humor and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued and cared for.”

Fabares, whose survivors include her husband, M*A*S*H actor Mike Farrell, played wholesome daughter Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show, which aired from 1958-1966 on ABC. She went on to star opposite Elvis Presley in three movies (1965’s Girl Happy, 1966’s Spinout and 1967’s Clambake) and star alongside James Caan in the 1971 TV film Brian’s Song. And, during her time on Donna Reed, she recorded a version of “Johnny Angel” that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1962.

She later starred in Coach as the TV newscaster wife of Craig T. Nelson’s college football coach. She earned two Emmy nominations for her role on the ABC comedy, which ran for eight seasons from 1989-1997.

Her other credits include roles on the original One Day at a Time in the late ’70s and ’80s, 1976-1977’s The Practice with Danny Thomas, Highcliffe Manor and Forever Fernwood.

The time has finally come: Coyote vs. Acme is now playing in theaters.

To celebrate the film’s official release day, director Dave Green shared a thank-you letter on social media, writing in part, “COYOTE VS. ACME IS FINALLY, GLORIOUSLY, IN THEATERS NOW. Which means one thing. WE WON. You can go see this movie. In a theater. In your favorite seat. With your favorite snacks. With your favorite people. You can head into a dark room and laugh with strangers. Together. Congratulations to everyone who made this happen.”

Coyote vs. Acme, a hybrid live-action and animated movie set in the Looney Tunes universe, follows Wile E. Coyote as he sues the Acme Corporation after its products repeatedly fail him in his pursuit of the Road Runner. The film stars Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Eric Bauza and Martha Kelly.

The film’s journey to theaters has been anything but typical. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported in November 2023 that Warner Bros. had shelved Coyote vs. Acme after the movie was completed. The project had been in development at the studio for years and was originally intended as an HBO Max streaming original before Warner Bros. ultimately decided not to release it.

At the time, Warner Bros. said the decision came as the studio shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases following the relaunch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. The studio also planned to take an estimated $30 million tax write-off by shelving the approximately $70 million movie, according to reports.

The decision sparked widespread backlash from fans, filmmakers and the film’s stars, who continued to publicly advocate for the movie’s release.

In March 2025, Ketchup Entertainment acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Coyote vs. Acme from Warner Bros., giving the film a path to a theatrical release. The deal was reportedly valued at around $50 million.

Green went on to explain why the film’s theatrical release is a “victory.”

“It’s a record of the cast and crew, post, prep and animation teams who poured so much love and passion into it over years and years,” he wrote. “It’s shared, permanently, with the audience who fought so hard for its survival. Your fight is the reason this film finally made it to the big screen. Thank you @ketchupentertainment for hearing the audience. We’re so grateful that you did.”

“This is a celebration, it’s proof that movies don’t just go away. We make work so it can be seen and shared — that’s the whole reason we do what we do. Persistence and resilience have truly won the day. Enjoy Coyote vs. Acme on the big screen. Where it was always meant to be seen!” Green concluded his letter.

Forte took to X on Friday to reply to Green’s letter, writing, “Beautifully put, Dave.” He also shared a video thanking people for their efforts to push for the movie’s release and explaining how its messages correlate with the film’s journey.

“It’s about hope and determination. It’s about fighting injustice, and it’s about the importance of friendship and the importance of community. And that last one really strikes a chord because we went through some weird times with this movie, and it is only because of the support of the community that we’re here today, seeing this movie,” Forte said. “You guys lifted us up on your shoulders and just fought and fought for this movie. Most of you, without even having seen it. So I am forever thankful, and just want you to know that I’m so excited for you to see this because I think you’re going to see that it was worth the fight.”

In THR‘s profile of Green, published earlier this month, DC Studios co-head James Gunn, who produced the feature and worked on the story, also reflected on Coyote vs. Acme‘s journey.

“Dave was a great guy throughout the ups and downs. He was never overly bitter and negative, although a little bit of bitterness and negativity was understandable in the given circumstances,” he said. “However, I think you see, when people show true character in the face of adversity, the world rises up to meet them. And in this case, it did — Coyote vs. Acme being saved is because of Dave’s character and because he made a great movie too powerful to be buried. And gosh, perseverance is kind of what Wile E. and the movie are all about.”

If you’re an emerging director, chances are you’ll hear a word of encouragement from Dave Franco. 

Jeremy Saulnier certainly did after the actor saw the filmmaker’s breakout self- and crowd-funded revenge thriller, Blue Ruin (2013), starring his childhood best friend Macon Blair. When Blair himself took a crack at the director’s chair a few years later, Franco also reached out to compliment his Sundance-winning I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. The Palo Alto native admits his generosity is partly motivated by a desire to get on talented directors’ radars for future roles, but it’s mainly about softening the industry’s competitiveness.

“We don’t tell each other enough how much we enjoy each other’s work. There’s such a competitive spirit within the industry that I just want to put out some good vibes, especially if it’s someone’s first time putting out a movie,” Franco tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of Idiots’ Aug. 28 theatrical release. “So I guess I play the long game sometimes, but it doesn’t normally lead to collaboration. More often than not, it has led to friendship.”

In Blair’s case, Franco’s overture in 2017 led to both friendship and eventual collaboration. The writer-director quickly returned the favor by sending Franco his road comedy script called The Shitheads. Franco soon realized, however, that he was too young to play the then-40-something Mark Southard, an aging slacker who, along with another underachiever named Davis Hench, winds up transporting a reprehensible trust-fund teen named Sheridan to rehab.

The film would nearly go in 2017 and 2018 with a couple different combinations of actors, particularly Luke Wilson and Tracy Morgan, but then its financing came crashing down, shelving the picture until Franco wrote another one of his patented emails around 2024. At this point, he’d not only aged into the role of Mark, but he’d also directed and/or produced a number of projects to where he could be equally beneficial behind the camera. 

“I said, ‘No pressure, but I’m here. If I can help in any way as a producer, I’d love to come in and help find the money,’” Franco recalls. “So I’ve basically been stalking Macon for the past ten years in trying to collaborate with him.”

The Shitheads did indeed find funding in 2025 en route to a fall shoot in Georgia. Franco even proved instrumental on the casting side of things by recommending O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Davis. The two actors had previously worked together on a series for the short-lived short-form platform, Quibi. And when it came time to find the despicable teenage influencer named Sheridan, Franco suggested Mason Thames from their 2025 film Regretting You. 

Before being retitled to Idiots, the film’s original title of The Shitheads wasn’t just a reference to Mark and Davis’ gross incompetence at life. It also had to do with the film’s signature scene in which Sheridan spikes his handlers’ generic colas, causing Mark to produce a geyser of diarrhea in their motel room.

“It’s a top-three poo scene in cinematic history. It’s up there with Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber,” Franco states. “I remember calling my wife [Alison Brie] after that day and telling her I just did the craziest thing I’ve ever done on camera, which is saying a lot because I’ve done so many fucked-up things on camera. But I hold to that statement, and I’m pretty confident that it’s a violent moment people will talk about afterward.”

The pic premiered at 2026’s Sundance Film Festival before securing theatrical distribution from IFC the following month. The deal was not contingent on a title change, but Team Shitheads, once they learned about the realities of promotion, realized that they’d only be making it harder for their small throwback comedy to gain traction. Thus, they landed on Idiots to keep the tontal spirit of the original intact. 

All in all, Franco hopes Idiots can do its part to bring back a brand of comedy that has largely disappeared from multiplexes. 

“Idiots hearkens back to comedies from the early 2000s: The Hangover, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” Franco says. “There are other moments besides the diarrhea scene that’ll shock audiences. I have personally missed these types of comedies. So I hope people check it out because, for us to be able to make more comedies again, people need to see the rare ones that do get made.”

Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Franco also discusses his future as a director, before updating his status on 24 Jump Street and Now You See Me 4.

***

You don’t look like Alison Brie. (Franco is using his wife’s Zoom account.)

I like to get people’s hopes up and then slash them when I finally appear on screen.

You look more like the French Dip-hating Dave Franco.

(Laughs.) Wow, you’ve done your research.

I keep tabs on the situation. So a script called The Shitheads shows up in your inbox one day. It’s from Macon Blair of Blue Ruin fame. Were you already familiar with the work he and Jeremy Saulnier have done together? 

Big time. I re-watch Blue Ruin every single year. It’s probably the movie I recommend to people more than any other. It was made for less than half a million dollars, and it’s a perfect, taut thriller. So that was my introduction to Macon as an actor. 

Then I saw the first movie he wrote and directed, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, and that’s when I reached out to Macon to say, “I love your shit. I will do anything with you.” This was nearly 10 years ago now [in 2017], and at the time, he sent me the script for The Shitheads. But I was too young to play the Mark role that I ultimately played. So it wasn’t meant to be, and we amicably parted ways 

Eight years then passed, and I reached out to him again to say, “Hey man, I’m old now. Let’s go! Whatever happened to that project?” Then he told me that it almost went, but it fell apart. So I said, “No pressure, but I’m here. If I can help in any way as a producer, I’d love to come in and help find the money.” And he said, “Alright, let’s give it a shot.” So I’ve basically been stalking Macon for the past ten years in trying to collaborate with him.

Do you often play the long game?

If I see a movie that I love, especially by a first-time director, I will reach out to them and let them know how much I love their work. Part of that is obviously wanting to work with them myself, but another part is that we don’t tell each other enough how much we enjoy each other’s work. There’s such a competitive spirit within the industry that I just want to put out some good vibes, especially if it’s someone’s first time putting out a movie. I just want to send them some love. So I guess I play the long game sometimes, but it doesn’t normally lead to collaboration. More often than not, it has led to friendship. I’ll meet up with people every once in a while to talk film, and one of those people is Jeremy Saulnier. I reached out to him about Blue Ruin.

As you mentioned, the Shitheads script has had quite a history the last 13 years. It once had Luke Wilson and Tracy Morgan attached to it in 2017. Macon did tell me that he aged the piece down a little bit because you and O’Shea Jackson Jr. are still younger than that combo would’ve been at the time. But how noticeable were those changes from your perspective?

If I’m being honest, not a ton changed. It was more just practicalities like, “Hey, we don’t have enough time or money to do some set piece, so we had to cut it.” But for the most part, the script has remained untouched, which speaks to just how timeless this story is and how iconic these characters are. It stood the test of time, and there weren’t a bunch of rewrites just to make it more modern.

You’ve always been able to play younger, and I still think you can play younger. Has that been a blessing for the most part? Or has it worked against you like it originally did with The Shitheads in 2017? 

It’s a tough question to answer. I’m sure it’s gone both ways where it’s benefited me in certain circumstances and then been detrimental in others. But for this film, I did want to look slightly older than I typically do. I did my absolute best to grow out my facial hair, and it came in nice and scraggly. I learned that I can grow a pretty strong goatee, but the sides are nasty and patchy. So it worked beautifully for this character who’s a full-on shithead.

6 Balloons (2018) was the more dramatic portrayal, but coming out of The Studio season one’s penultimate drug episode, were you hesitant at all to play another character who’s drugged out of his mind? 

You’re the first person to ever connect 6 Balloons to The Studio, and I appreciate that. I played a heroin addict in 6 Balloons, and it’s a hardcore drama. Leading up to filming, I lost 20 pounds in a month. I’m not a very big guy as is, so that was a significant portion of my body weight. I was not a happy person, as you can imagine. But I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone in order to try something new. And even though it’s a very small movie that not a ton of people have seen, it’s interesting how much it still comes up. It usually happens when directors are reaching out to me about slightly more serious projects that they’re working on, and then they’ll point to my performance in that. So it means a lot just because we put a lot into that one. 

But when I’m playing “Dave Franco” on The Studio — and I’m inebriated on alcohol, weed, cocaine and mushrooms at the same time — I can push the boundaries a little bit more. I can be a little sillier and a little more over the top. It’s a more manic version of being drugged out. 

In Idiots, my character partakes in drugs as well, but it’s a different kind of drug trip. This is more of a sink-into-the-couch type of trip. If someone says the wrong trigger word, it sends Mark spiraling into hell. So I like to believe that I have a lot of range when it comes to playing drug addicts.

The funniest part of Idiots to me is how Mark is constantly trying to relate to people that he has absolutely nothing in common with, such as the scene in the bathroom with Sheridan (Mason Thames) or the scene coming out of the bathroom with the motel clerk: “You’re a man who takes pride in what he does; I am too.” Like you said, he truly is full of shit.

Yeah, he really likes to believe he’s a hero, and he has a strong lack of self-awareness. He means well, but he just doesn’t know how he’s coming across to others. He says to Sheridan, “Guys like you and me, we’re used to being up in the high steel.” So there’s nothing more fun to play than a cocky fucking idiot — someone so convinced he’s a great person, and the smartest guy in the room, when in reality, he’s just a shithead.

Macon explained the title saga to me, but did you fully expect the Shitheads title to change at some point?

If I’m being totally honest, once we got through Sundance with that title, I had hopes that we could somehow take it to the finish line. But we had a very open, honest conversation with our distributor, IFC. And to their credit, they said, “Hey, we’re willing to ride this title. If you guys want to go punk rock, we are right there with you. But we have to let you know that it limits us in terms of where we can market this film. You can’t just have the word shit on a giant billboard in Hollywood.” 

Ultimately, we put so much work into this film, and because we want as many people to see it as possible, that’s why we pivoted. There’s a Lars von Trier movie called The Idiots, but no one had taken the cleaner version of Idiots, so we jumped on it.

Yeah, it’s now the movie’s second Lars von Trier reference.

You gotta love the double Lars von Trier reference.

I’m glad they kept Sheridan’s “shitheads” line in the movie as a nod to the former title and the explosive motel scene. I know they changed the line to “idiots” in the trailer, but if you were forced to do so in the movie, would you have protested that choice to ADR the new title?

Yeah, there’s no reason to change that line just because that’s how it’s represented in the trailer. Just let it play out the way we intended when we shot it.

O’Shea’s character goes off on Mason’s character after that “shitheads” line, and Mark quietly laughs as this mostly measured guy finally loses his cool. But I did wonder if you actually broke ever so slightly there given how sudden and strong the outburst is.

That was definitely intentional. That was my character being so giddy and pleased by the fact that Sheridan is finally being put in his place. He’s also entertained by the idea of this man of God stepping outside of his comfort zone and swearing in a way that he probably never has before. So there’s a lot for Mark to be titillated by in that moment.

I have to tell you a story about the time I saw Together. I was standing behind a critic as he was giving his comment to the studio rep. And he remarked, “I liked the movie, but the two leads had absolutely no chemistry.” And then the rep and I both responded in unison: “Dude, they’re married.” Hilarity then ensued once he realized his oversight, and I still tease him about it to this day.

I appreciate you standing up for me, but to be fair, there are married couples that don’t have chemistry together on screen. We actually feared that that might be the case. And while I’m never one to pat myself on the back, that is not an issue with that film. The chemistry is fucking there. (Laughs.) I think some people mistake chemistry for characters just not liking each other. So our characters are definitely at odds for most of that film, but we’re flowing off each other in an objectively smooth and electric way.

You’ve probably been told that you’ve got good chemistry with other actors throughout your career. But I always hesitate to make that assumption because only the scene partners truly know whether they have good chemistry or not. What percentage of the time is it actually good chemistry versus good acting and good editing? 

There’s been situations where it’s known that certain people hated each other on set, and then they have “great chemistry” when you see the final product. So there are cases like that, but more often than not, if they have good chemistry on set, you’re going to feel it when you see them on the big screen. 

For me, I’ve made a conscious effort, especially in the last decade, to surround myself with people that I know and love, whether that’s my best friends or my wife. When I’m surrounded by people that I feel comfortable with, that allows me to be free and open and take risks. I know I’m going to fall on my face sometimes, but I also know that no one is going to judge me. They’ll keep encouraging me to try weird shit, and that’s when the best stuff comes.

I last spoke to you for The Rental, so what’s up with writer-director Dave Franco? Have Obsession and Backrooms motivated you to make another horror movie? 

I definitely will direct again, and I really believe that the next movie I direct will be a horror film. That said, when you’re directing something, you’re focused on that project for years at a time, and it takes everything out of you. So I’m just not currently in the state of mind to dedicate myself to one project like that.

But I’ve been able to scratch that itch by being a producer on films like Idiots that I’m also acting in. I can still be a part of all the conversations from the ground up and through the release of the film. So that’s been really fun and satisfying for me, and it still allows me to bounce around to many different projects.

Do you know yet if you’re going to be in 24 Jump Street? 

The truth is I don’t know yet. I have let them know how much I adore the franchise and that I’m here if they need me — but if Eric Molson doesn’t naturally fit into the story, I understand.

Do you think Now You 4 Me is going to happen? 

I think it’s going under the name of 4 Now You See Me: 4 Now You Don’t. (Laughs.)

You’ve clearly workshopped this title.

(Laughs.) I’ve heard that there’s a script in the works, but I haven’t seen anything. That’s as much as I know at this point.

For the sake of inspiration, The Studio welcomed any and all industry stories from the cast and crew. Did you ever offer up your experience on the 2019 motion picture 6 Underground?

(Laughs and responds sarcastically.) Why do you assume that movie spawned production stories? 

Well, I asked you about it during The Rental, and while you said it was 50 times crazier than I could possibly imagine, you also said it was better suited for an off-the-record dinner conversation.

(Laughs.) With The Studio, the truth is I wasn’t on that set long enough for them to be mining stories from me. I wasn’t around during pre-production or the whole writing process. 

But 6 Underground was a whirlwind. I played a [getaway] driver who drives around the streets of Florence, Italy, but I didn’t expect to actually do a lot of the driving with Ryan Reynolds in the passenger seat — plus Mélanie Laurent and Adria Arjona in the backseat. There was a moment when I was doing donuts next to a world-famous museum in Florence, and if I hit something, I could have literally destroyed a piece of history. Looking back, it was a slightly idiotic thing to do, and I blame myself. I should have just handed the wheel over to my stunt double.

Decades from now, when you and your wife are swapping set stories like the one you just shared, what day on Idiots will you likely bring up first? 

You know it has to be the day of the diarrhea scene. It’s a top-three poo scene in cinematic history. It’s up there with Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber. I remember calling my wife after that day and telling her I just did the craziest thing I’ve ever done on camera, which is saying a lot because I’ve done so many fucked-up things on camera. But I hold to that statement, and I’m pretty confident that it’s a violent moment people will talk about afterward.

The cast and crew experienced it for the first time together. We never tested the rig before cameras rolled on the day, and it was so volcanic that everyone on set immediately started cracking up. But the camera was still on me as I was losing my faculties in this delirious state, so I had to stay in character and pretend like nothing was happening. We did two takes, and on the second take, we decided to add a little texture with some mashed-up Cocoa Krispies.

Raunchy comedies like this used to be common.

Yeah, Idiots is meant to be a throwback comedy. It hearkens back to comedies from the early 2000s: The Hangover, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. It’s a movie that goes hard. There are other moments besides the diarrhea scene that’ll shock audiences. They won’t believe how far we push things in this. I have personally missed these types of comedies, and I have heard from many other people who feel the same way. So I hope people check it out because, for us to be able to make more comedies again, people need to see the rare ones that do get made.

Did the MPA force Macon to cut the diarrhea scene down at all? 

There was no conversation about that. They were like, “Get rid of the title Shitheads, but show the gnarliest shit scene possible.” Respect.

***
Idiots is now playing in movie theaters nationwide.

Gladys Knight has announced she’s cutting down on performances as she enters a “new era.”

“After much soul searching I’ve decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward,” the seven-time Grammy winner said in an Instagram post. “I’ll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era.”

She continued, “I’d like to take a moment, in advance, to thank all my fans over this last three quarters of a century for making a little girl’s dream come true and supporting her every step of the way. I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you.”

Knight is currently on a solo tour and recently wrapped her time on the road for The Queens Tour alongside Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills. However, in her statement, Knight did not rule out all future live performances, writing, “I hope to see your smiling faces out and about on the road. God bless all of you and hope to see you soon.”

The announcement follows her July performance at the Hollywood Bowl with Smokey Robinson, which sparked some concern for the singer. In a recap of the performance, Billboard wrote that Knight “barely got through this show, and only by leaning heavily on her backup singers.”

Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, has shared his apprehensions about his mother’s busy life on tour. He previously told People in 2025 that her touring schedule was “detrimental” to her health, alleging that her husband, William McDowell, has been “mental[ly] and financial[ly]” abusive to Knight.

“I did my best to give [McDowell] the space to play the role of husband and do what was in my mom’s best interest, and he has not done that,” Hankerson said. “Why is she working? Why is she in this situation where she’s being made to believe that she has to work like this? That’s really my issue with it.”

Knight refuted her son’s claims in a statement with People.

“I’m sorry that my health and performances have been misrepresented. I want my fans and those concerned to rest assured I am doing very well for someone who has been on stage for three quarters of a century, hard to believe, right?” she said. “I’m healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months. I’m excited to get back on the road with my sisters and on stage with The Queens Tour. See you soon.”

After the August 2026 death of legendary country singer, businesswoman and philanthropist Dolly Parton, people began sharing various stories about her life on social media. Among them were posts claiming she once lost a Dolly Parton look-alike contest to a drag queen.

Snopes readers searched our website to verify the claim. 

Parton herself had shared the story many times throughout her life. Although there was no evidence suggesting she made it up, we couldn’t verify the tale with a second source. As such, we were unable to rate the claim.

According to the CBC, Parton mentioned that she had lost a Dolly look-alike contest in her 2012 memoir, “Dream More.” Snopes confirmed that the detail was present in the book.

In interviews with Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Roberts and ABC’s Nightline, she recalled that the contest was held at a gay bar on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles and said she decided to enter on a whim because she lived up the street. 

Those details checked out. According to SF Gate, Parton had either rented or owned property in the West Hollywood area since the 1980s. West Hollywood has long been home to a vibrant LGBTQ+ community and, as of this writing, Google Maps showed several gay bars in the area on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Parton decided that she would over-exaggerate her most famous features for the contest. But she didn’t tell anyone who she was. 

“All these beautiful drag queens had worked for weeks and months getting their clothes. So I just got in the line and I just walked across, and they just thought I was some little short gay guy,” she told Nightline. “I got the least applause.”

While that version of the story suggests Parton lost to a drag queen, the detail is sometimes omitted, meaning it can’t be categorically proven either way. 

For further reading, we compiled 20 stories about Dolly Parton from our archives.

Sources

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