“Over the past 24 hours, there has been much discussion about TIFF’s decision to
withdraw its invitation to ‘The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue’ for this year’s festival. Both TIFF and the filmmakers have heard the pain and frustration
expressed by the public and we want to address this together,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and “The Road Between us” filmmaker Barry Avrich said in a joint statement. “We have worked together to find a resolution to satisfy important safety, legal, and programming concerns.

“We are pleased to share that ‘The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue’ will be an official TIFF selection at the festival this year, where we believe it will contribute to the vital conversations that film is meant to inspire. In this case, TIFF’s communication around its requirements did not clearly articulate the concerns and roadblocks that arose and for that, we are sorry.”

This news comes after the film, directed by Avrich, was pulled from the festival on Tuesday due to a lack of proper clearance for Hamas footage.

“The invitation for the Canadian documentary film ‘The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue’ was withdrawn by TIFF because general requirements for inclusion in the Festival, and conditions that were requested when the film was initially invited, were not met, including legal clearance of all footage,” TIFF said in a Wednesday statement to Screen Daily after the film was pulled.

In the wake of this decision, Bailey denied claims of censorship over the matter, stating that the film was removed from the festival lineup for a lack of adherence to TIFF standards rather than political reasons.

“I want to be clear: claims that the film was rejected due to censorship are unequivocally false,” Bailey wrote in a note. “I remain committed to working with the filmmaker to meet TIFF’s screening requirements to allow the film to be screened at this year’s festival. I have asked our legal team to work with the filmmaker on considering all options available.”

“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” will be one of nearly 300 films at the TIFF50. The festival will run from Sept. 4 to Sept. 14.

“Both TIFF and the filmmakers have always been committed to presenting diverse
perspectives and a belief in the power of storytelling to spark and encourage
dialogue and understanding. We thank our audiences and community for their
passion, honesty, and belief in the importance of film. We look forward to
announcing more details including the World Premiere date on August 20th.”

Deadline first reported this story.

The post TIFF Re-Invites ‘The Road Between Us’ to Festival After Pulling Oct. 7 Documentary From Lineup appeared first on TheWrap.

“He’s yet another leftist who’s thinking about about fleeing America, so afraid is he of Trump,” Kelly said during “The Megyn Kelly Show,” spotlighting Kimmel’s recent sit-down with comedian and ex-girlfriend Sarah Silverman on her namesake podcast.

“The absurdity of this. I would say go, but I love Italy too much to say that,” Kelly continued. “They don’t deserve this. I’m sorry, but he should go to Ireland. They do deserve this. They’re as woke as they come.”

The conservative commentator then took a beat to criticize Ireland on the whole — “My people, who are among the toughest people on Earth, or were, have gone completely woke,” she said. “But I’m Irish and Italian, so I have empathy, and I really, he should not go to Italy. It’s too beautiful a country to host Jimmy Kimmel. And why would they have given him citizenship to begin with?”

Watch the full segment below:

Kelly’s remarks came after Kimmel revealed to Silverman that he’d copped himself dual citizenship while appearing on her “The Sarah Silverman Podcast.” Kelly played a clip of the moment, which aired itself on Thursday.

“I did get Italian citizenship,” Kimmel shared at the time. “I do have that, and what’s going on is as bad as you thought it was going to be, it’s so much worse. It’s just unbelievable. I feel like it’s probably even worse than he would like it to be.”

Coming back in Kelly, dragged the late night host for suggesting he knows what’s going through Trump’s mind.

“Oh, sure. ‘Cause we looked at Jimmy Kimmel to figure out insights into how Donald Trump is thinking,” Kelly said.

At the end of the day, Kelly concluded that she supports Kimmel leaving the U.S. — but challenges whether or not he actually ever would.

“In any event, he should go, he should definitely leave. He won’t, he’s just saying that to get plaudits from fellow leftist Sarah Silverman and from people who listen to that show,” Kelly said. “He will never leave his very lucrative but loser of a show on ABC late night. He’s not going to abandon that because feeling important and like he matters is too important to Jimmy Kimmel. But he’s got to get stroked by leftists by saying he’s gotten Italian citizenship and he may indeed exercise it by leaving a United States that even Donald Trump feels has gone too far. Not our guy for insight’s on Trump’s thinking, I think we know that.”

The post Megyn Kelly Dismisses Jimmy Kimmel’s Threat to Move to Italy Over Trump as a ‘Need to Get Stroked by Leftists’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

The latest entry in the franchise, “Alien: Earth,” which premieres on Tuesday, certainly exhibits those political undercurrents while bringing the threat home, both in the location and the shift from theaters to FX and Hulu, where only your neighbors can hear you scream.

Granted, nobody comes to an “Alien”-branded project — a franchise with one foot firmly planted in sci-fi and horror — for a lecture about the perils of unfettered capitalism. Still, the underlying apprehensions feel even timelier now, from the AI threat to the notion of corporations supplanting governments.

“Alien: Earth” lands at a moment of heightened unease about income inequality and the growing political clout wielded by billionaires like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos — moguls who have become household names. Their companies, meanwhile, keep growing, with trillion-dollar valuations — which would have sounded like the stuff of science fiction a few decades ago — now a reality, with Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Google among those cracking that barrier.

“The Trillion Dollar Stock Club Is Bigger — and Richer— Than Ever,” blared Barron’s headline closing 2024.

Despite healthy profits, those same companies are also embracing AI in a way that both ignores potential unintended consequences and threatens the careers of its own employees. Several have explicitly stated as much, with Amazon CEO Andy Jassey issuing a memo in June spelling out that the technology will “reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company.”

The eight-episode series takes the real-world drift toward corporate oligarchy to its dystopian extreme, with Earth governed by five massive corporations, which, as usual, exhibit few compunctions about sacrificing human life to advance their objectives and enhance their profits.

In the broad strokes, though, this latest addition to the mythology — as conceived by showrunner Noah Hawley, who previously translated “Fargo” to TV — very much contains the same core of distrusting those in charge, along with some new wrinkles that work more fitfully.

The end game of those corporate objectives as usual remains murky, but again involves using synthetic androids — whose actions and motivations prove suspect — and seeking the means to capitalize on the alien creatures. Naturally, that requires the customary hubris about attempting to cash in on something so uncontrollable, unpredictable and dangerous.

By adding a human face, in the form of a young technocrat (Samuel Blenkin) running a company appropriately named Prodigy Corp., “Alien: Earth” does endeavor to make the story more contemporary. The self-proclaimed “boy genius” feels like a composite inspired by any number of CEOs, which says something about this plutocratic moment given that the character would have seemed exaggerated or cartoonish before the modern tech explosion.

As Hawley said during a pre-launch press conference, “If I had done the 1970s version of capitalism it wouldn’t have felt right for the world we live in today,” adding that humanity is “trapped between the AI future and the monsters of the past.”

The shock of the first “Alien” — beyond wedding a haunted house to striking monster biology and set design — hinged in part on the cavalier attitude “the company” harbored toward the lives of the crew. What they intended to do with the xenomorph was ill defined — something about the bio-weapons division — but the key point was treating the survival of those manning the ship as a secondary concern.

That aspect became even more pronounced in the brilliant sequel “Aliens,” directed by James Cameron, which features Paul Reiser as Burke, a mid-level manager, and the kind of corporate suck-up everyone has encountered. Burke gradually reveals who he is, balking at eradicating the aliens because a space installation has a “substantial dollar value,” before seeking to curry favor from his superiors by allowing Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and a young child to be “impregnated” by the monster in order to bring specimens home.

As Ripley says whens he exposes the plot, “You know, Burke, I don’t know which species is worse. You don’t see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage.”

Their shortcomings aside, the subsequent films, up to last year’s “Alien: Romulus,” have continued playing with these themes. Even after it was given a name, the company, Weyland-Yutani, cares more about the research and development possibilities in that enticing alien DNA than preserving the humans in its employ.

Of course, there’s some irony in that, since “Alien” has itself become a title with a “substantial dollar value,” spanning nine movies (including two crossovers with the “Predator” franchise) totaling almost $2 billion in global box office. In an interview last year, original director Ridley Scott conceded the third and fourth films “ran that firmly into the ground,” while more generously appraising the subsequent sequels, having directed two of them.

In later episodes, “Alien: Earth” pointedly addresses some of the issues the franchise has contemplated, with a character discussing the irony of smart people who are “too stupid to realize you don’t bring parasites home with you.”

There’s a possible lesson there regarding AI, where the lure of its potential might be blinding us to its dangers, and massive real-world companies appear either oblivious — or worse, indifferent — to the societal harm that it might do. That’s evident in the commentary from the likes of Meta and OpenAI, who are pouring billions of dollars in an AI arms race against each other and China.

Even if the robots don’t murder us, as envisioned in the sci-fi version of these scenarios, they appear more tangibly destined to replace us by killing off a lot of our jobs.

The employees in “Alien: Earth” also recognize who’s calling the shots, with one acknowledging that everything being done and the risks they’re facing are “always about power,” which includes exploring space to serve the company’s ends.

“Alien” notably premiered at the close of the 1970s, a decade seen as a golden age for paranoid conspiracy thrillers — including those that reflected the callousness of corporate greed, like “The China Syndrome” and “Coma.”

In that sense, having five corporations run things, like the American Mafia’s five families, hardly feels like an accident. Because in “Alien,” then and now, “the company” rules the world, and the rest of us just try to hang on working for them.

“Alien: Earth” premieres Aug. 12 on FX and Hulu.

The post ‘Alien’ Has Always Feared AI and Big Corporations. That’s More Relevant Than Ever appeared first on TheWrap.

“He stole that mask joke from the internet,” Cain wrote on X on Sunday over a reposted clip of Oliver’s segment, in which he also ripped the “Lois & Clark” actor’s filmography. “And he also laughed hysterically when Trump said he was going to run for President. Case closed … And those movies were sweet, by the way!”

Oliver dragged the longtime actor on the latest episode of “The Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” over his decision to join ICE as an honorary agent. The HBO host mainly targeted Cain over what he deems is a lackluster acting portfolio.

“You know, there’s an old saying in Hollywood: ‘If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are f—ked,” Oliver said, while throwing shots at Cain’s past films.

“Now, I’m not saying that ICE isn’t finding people,” Oliver said, continuing his bit. “I’m just saying, when you are reduced to pinning a badge on the 59-year-old star of ‘The Dog Who Saved Christmas,’ ‘The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation,’ ‘The Dog Who Saved the Holidays,’ ‘The Dog Who Saved Halloween,’ ‘The Dog Who Saved Easter’ and ‘The Dog Who Saved Summer,’ maybe you are in trouble.”

He added that enlisting Cain won’t reap the best results in terms of having a well-known face for ICE – nor does he need to mask up, as some agents have been seen doing in public – because he’s not the most recognizable celebrity.

“No need for that guy to wear a mask because the chances of anyone recognizing him are f—king zero,” Oliver said.

“Attorneys told us the only two things you should say to them are: ‘Am I free to leave?’ And, ‘I want to speak to a lawyer.’ That’s it,” Oliver said. “‘You have the right to remain silent’ … And I recognize that in some cases you may be unable to help yourself from saying: ‘Didn’t you used to be Superman? I thought you died.’ … But that really is it.”

Cain first shared that he’s one of the newest members of ICE in a Friday X post.

“I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it,” Cain said as he called on folks to join along with him. “So if you want to help save America, ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America’s streets. I like that, I voted for that. They need your help, we need your help to protect our homeland and our families.”

The post Dean Cain Claps Back at John Oliver’s ICE Membership Drag, Claims He Stole That ‘Mask’ Joke appeared first on TheWrap.

On Wednesday, Cain announced that he would be joining ICE “ASAP” as part of President Donald Trump’s mass anti-immigration campaign. It’s a move that many, including the Colombia-born Leguizamo, have taken to task.

Leguizamo, a Tony- and Emmy-winning actor and comedian, went on Instagram Friday to share some choice words for the former “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” star.

“What kind of loser volunteers to be an ICE officer?” Leguizamo asked. “What a moron. Dean Cain, your pronouns are Has/Been.”

You can watch the video below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Leguizamo (@johnleguizamo)

Both Superman and Cain have reentered the public eye in recent months. In July, “Superman” (2025) director James Gunn spoke about the Man of Steel’s immigrant origins, calling the story of Superman “the story of America,” and one of “basic human kindness.” Cain took offense to this framing.

“I’m rooting for it to be a success, but I don’t like that last political comment,” Cain told TMZ in July.

This started a conversation in July about whether Cain understands the origins of the character he portrayed for four years on “Lois & Clark.” A clip began circulating online of a scene from the series where Cain’s Superman is grounded by immigration officers due to his status as an alien.

“Dean Cain volunteered to be an ice agent!” Leguizamo said in the post. “I got one word for you LOSER!”

The post John Leguizamo Blasts Ex-Superman Dean Cain for Joining ICE: ‘What a Moron’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

“You know what I just read today? ABC is ‘reviewing the liberal bias’ on ‘The View,'” O’Donnell, who co-hosted on the show during seasons 10 and 18, said in a TikTok post on Thursday. “The show with five women speaking their own opinions. That’s the threat now. They say they’re not canceling it, they’re just ‘reviewing the bias,’ which is code for — we’re gonna cancel it, we’re just trying to soften you up first.”

She went on to say that she feels this is just one of Trump’s latest power moves against freedom of speech, free press and women.

“Because it’s not enough to run the country into the ground, you have to control what people SEE, what they HEAR, what they think,” O’Donnell said. “And ‘The View?’ Well, that’s a little too much woman, a little too much truth — a little too much Joy Behar saying, ‘I don’t think the insurrection was a tourist visit, Karen.'”

She continued: “Apparently, the truth is dangerous now. They say they want ‘balance,’ but what they mean is silence. Silence anything that doesn’t praise the orange messiah and his golden escalator of lies.”

These supposed revelations from O’Donnell, who relocated to Ireland to escape Trump’s second term earlier this year, come in the midst of speculation that shows across the industry, particularly those that include criticisms of Trump, have been or will be canceled if the anti-Trump conversations continue. Most recently, media figures questioned the timing of Stephen Colbert’s firing from “The Late Show,” which occurred days after the late night host criticized Paramount for its “60 Minutes” lawsuit settlement with Trump as a “big fat bribe.”

O’Donnell’s remarks also come after the president’s camp suggested that “The View” would be canceled after co-host Joy Behar said Trump is “jealous” of former President Barack Obama.

As TheWrap previously reported, Trump’s team told Entertainment Weekly that “The View” would be “pulled off the air,” adding that “Joy Behar is an irrelevant loser suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome” and that Behar “should self-reflect on her own jealousy of President Trump’s historic popularity before her show is the next to be pulled off air.”

O’Donnell closed out her thoughts, saying ABC is going along to get along with Trump and his supposed political demands.

“This isn’t about bias, this is about obedience. This is about removing any program that doesn’t align with Trumpism — soft fascism in full lashes with commercial breaks,” O’Donnell said. “First they came for journalists, then educators, then the librarians, now it’s Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg. It would be funny if it weren’t so terrifying, because when the only voices left on TV are nodding along to conspiracy theories about wind turbines causing autism, we are not in a democracy anymore. We are in a dictatorship with good lighting.”

She continued: “What they’re really trying to do is shut us up. All of us. And we’ve seen what happens when women are silenced.”

The post Rosie O’Donnell Predicts ‘The View’ Will Be Canceled Because It Doesn’t ‘Align With Trumpism’ appeared first on TheWrap.

“We were not involved in the settlement in any way,” Ellison said at a New York City press event Thursday regarding the $16 million settlement paid by Paramount in Trump’s lawsuit against CBS’ “60 Minutes.” 

When asked a second time if Skydance had a deal with Trump for PSAs, Ellison responded, “We are not going to politicize anything today.” He later doubled down on this message, saying, “I do not want to politicize our company in any way shape or form, we want to obviously speak to the biggest audience possible.”

Ellison’s refusal to specifically confirm or deny Trump’s previous statement that Paramount’s “new owners” made a $20 million deal for ads or PSAs of his choosing could be the new CEO’s way of seeking not to embarrass Trump by correcting him on the record.

While Paramount Global disputed media reports that the company’s $16 million settlement Trump included an agreement to run public service announcements on its networks, Trump mentioned an additional $20 million deal with Skydance in a July 22 Truth Social post, noting that the final settlement would be valued at over $36 million.

“This is another in a long line of victories over the Fake News media, who we are holding to account for their widespread fraud and deceit,” Trump wrote in the post. “The Wall Street Journal, The Failing New York Times, The Washington Post, MSDNC [MSNBC], CNN and all other Mainstream Media Liars, are on notice that the days of them being allowed to deceive the American people are over. Make America Great Again!”

At the time, representatives for Skydance, Paramount and the Trump administration all declined TheWrap’s request for comment.

When asked about whether Ellison is concerned the FCC would take action if the ombudsman — which Skydance told the FCC ahead of the settlement they would install at CBS News to address “complaints of bias or other concerns” — finds bias, Ellison said, “I don’t think it’ll get to that.”

“We want to be path-based and truth-based [as] a news organization. That’s what we’re about. That’s the legacy of CBS,” he said.

New president Jeff Shell added the ombudsman is a “transparency vehicle, not an oversight vehicle,” clarifying that the process at Paramount is not being “overseen by the FCC or anybody else.”

“We do believe in transparency, both in the news division and, frankly, in every other business that we’re in — that’s why we’re here today, our first day of the first couple hours,” Shell said. “The second thing that’s very important is it’s an internal process. Of course, people from the outside can utilize it, but it’s internal. It’s meant to be something where George [Cheeks] and I can work with the leadership if … people think there’s bias, or they think there’s things that are done wrong in reporting to see if something was done or not done, and see if any correct action needs to be taken.”

The post David Ellison Says Skydance Was ‘Not Involved’ in Trump-Paramount Settlement, Deflects When Asked About PSAs appeared first on TheWrap.

While they point to recent dissenting reports from the likes of “Pod Save America” that criticizes right-wing pundits and news organizations like Fox News for focusing too much on the “good jeans” ad, Kirk asserted that outcry over the ad began on the left.

“To compare a Sydney Sweeney ad for 20 minutes to Goebbels and Hitler and eugenics — I mean, that’s really dark stuff,” Kirk said. “And then for them to gaslight us that, you know, that littel dwarf on ‘Pod Save America’ that you were getting in a debate with, he was like, ‘Oh, no one was saying that.’ Well, hold on. ABC News’ ‘Good Morning America’ platformed a ‘subject matter expert’ for a pretty long interview by morning show time — you know morning show time is precious, Megyn. And she’s going on about how this is eugenics and a return to Nazism. And then they gaslight us against it for even saying that this became a major issue. They’re literally trying to gaslight us in real time.”

Kelly then pulled up a clip of the segment, which featured Kean University professor Robin Landa, who explained why Sweeney’s ad garnered so much controversy, saying that the historical use of eugenics “weaponized the idea of good genes to justify white supremacism.”

Watch the “Megyn Kelly Show” segment below:

“Unbelievable,” Kelly said once the clip ended. But she wasn’t finished with her examples. She then mentioned the Rolling Stone report, who she said blamed Fox News for overly covering the drama surrounding the actress’ ad. She noted that Rolling Stone wrote that “no prominent Democratic lawmakers have weighed in on the situation.”

“That’s the new test, you see,” Kelly said. “Not withstanding all that whole laundry list I went though, the test is whether we’ve seen Joe Biden say something about it.”

“Or whether Chuck Schumer gave a Senate floor speech about the Sydney Sweeney ad,” Kirk chimed in. “That’s the threshold of whether or not this is a big deal or not? Sorry, we actually understand culture guys.”

Kirk went on to point out how he feels liberal media, specifically ABC News, directly attacked the white population in the U.S. by prefacing their report on the Sweeney by mentioning her traditionally white genetic features.

“If it was a Hispanic person that says, ‘I have good jeans’ — OK, fine. But now, because of that, you’re trying to shame an entire part of the American population … If you want to talk about who’s actually pushing forward pseudo-like race politics, it’s them. We don’t look at that ad and think of race at all.”

Kelly came back in to mention that the ad was likely applauding Sydney’s “breasts” as her good genes.

“A hundred percent,” Kirk said. “She’s got good genes because she doesn’t have to go to plastic surgery where other women would have to.”

“Yeah, she’s got a rockin’ body,” Kelly.

Kelly and Kirk are the latest to weigh in on the Sweeney-American Eagle drama. The American Eagle described its campaign as a “return to essential denim dressing.” It showcases Sweeney in a blue, denim jacket and pants set, all of which are part of her collection The Sydney Jean.

The issue at hand isn’t the actress’ jeans, but rather her script. Her lines read: “genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”

Some felt that the campaign promotion of “great jeans” while highlighting a person who has blond hair and blue eyes, encouraged the idea of eugenics, the belief and practice of attempting to improve the human race through selective breeding of certain populations of people, which has been historically used in the U.S. to target marginalized communities, including people of color, people with disabilities and the less financial fortunate.

On Friday, American Eagle posted a statement rejecting the idea that their ad was racially charged.

“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story,” the message wrote. “We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

The post Megyn Kelly, Charlie Kirk Drag Liberal Media for Blaming Sydney Sweeney Blowback on MAGA: ‘Gaslight Us in Real Time’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

The collective released the letter, further endorsed by Nuclear Threat Initiative CEO Ernest J. Moniz., 80 years to the day since an atomic bomb devastated Hiroshima. Another atomic bomb would be used on Nagasaki three days later on Aug. 9, 1945. Japan would later surrender from WWII on Sept. 2, 1945.

“Eighty years ago, atomic bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killed hundreds of thousands of people and changed the course of history,” the letter begins. “Atomic bomb survivors, known as ‘hibakusha,’ have been warning us about what happens when nuclear weapons are used. Their deeply personal stories of loss, trauma, resilience and determination are a clarion call in dark times.”

A number of actors, filmmakers and creatives joined Cameron, Moore and Goggins on the list. These names include Joan Baez, Kathryn Bigelow, Alan Cumming, Michael Douglas, Josh Gad, Topher Grace, Olivia Munn, Martin Sheen, George Takei and Emma Thompson. A full list of signatories can be found here.

“Today, experts believe the risk that a nuclear weapon will be used again—by accident or on purpose — is as high as it has ever been. Conflicts are raging in regions with nuclear weapons — even over nuclear weapons,” the letter continues. “The only remaining treaty limiting the number of nuclear weapons in the world expires in six months. Emerging technologies and AI pose new unknown risks to already complex systems. We’re sliding into a costly and dangerous new arms race under the absurd premise that threatening annihilation keeps us safe.”

“But the ending isn’t written yet, and the creative community has a leading role to play in pulling us back from the nuclear brink.”

The open letter expounds upon the creative community’s responsibilities in times of crisis, citing historical cases where art had an impact on the state of nuclear weapons across the world. The letter points to “The Day After,” a 1983 TV movie about nuclear war that was seen by a reported 100 million viewers in the U.S. The film reportedly had a deep effect on President Ronald Reagan, leading to his nuclear disarmament efforts and the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

“Storylines about nuclear weapons helped pave the way for historic treaties that reduced worldwide stockpiles by 80 percent. But today, for the first time in 40 years, the number of nuclear weapons in the world may go up, not down,” the letter states. “It doesn’t have to be this way. We believe nuclear weapons pose an unacceptable risk to our civilization and our security. We stand firmly against a costly new arms race and the development of more nuclear weapons. And we call on leaders to take action to ensure that a nuclear weapon is never used again.”

Cameron is currently on a press tour doing interviews for “Ghosts of Hiroshima,” an upcoming film of his based on the Charles Pellegrino book of the same name. Cameron met Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks who takes a central role in the book, days before the man’s death. At the time, the two reportedly discussed Cameron making a film about nuclear weapons.

“This is a public commitment to use our voices, platforms, leadership and storytelling expertise to call attention to the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and help audiences imagine a safer future without them. Together, we can build a
critical mass to demand our leaders move us closer to — and eventually reach — a world without nuclear weapons,” the letter concludes. “For the victims and survivors and for our collective future, please join us.”

The post Julianne Moore, Walton Goggins, James Cameron and More Call for Nuclear Disarmament in Open Letter appeared first on TheWrap.

Reflecting on the politician’s use of the N-word during the interview while talking about how racism in the United States is alive and well, Maron said that it seemed Obama “very deliberately” stirred up a media firestorm by speaking so uncensored on the pod and remembered how the international press responded to his frankness.

“It was intense, and I just tried to, you know, we had to cover some politics up front because there were things unfolding, but then it was a fairly standard ‘WTF’ interview,” Maron said on “Smartless.” “And the funniest part about it was when he sat down, you know, I said, ‘So, you nervous?’ And he said something like, ‘If I was nervous about this, we’d all be in trouble.’”

When Bateman suggested Obama appeared “forthcoming” during the sit-down, Maron admitted he was “forthcoming enough” but can get “wonky” if the conversation skews too political.

“He’s a genuine person. What he was was very disarming and very candid-seeming and willing and thoughtful,” the host said. “But what was interesting was it was better to do a personal interview with him, because he is kinda wonky, and if you get into politics it can get a little long and we only had an hour. So we were able to kind of do it.”

Maron then zeroed in on the headline-making quote from the interview that had the president saying the N-word live on the mic.

“And then for some reason he chose, I’m sure very deliberately, to say the N-word on my show,” he said. “He was like, you know, ‘Racism isn’t over just because you can’t say the N-word,’ and he said it, so that got, you know, a flurry of international news. So I had to deal with news crews in front of my house. But my producer was very calculating in terms of the press we did — he’s a very smart guy. We didn’t engage with any of them. We just did Chris Hayes and Terry Gross and that was it.”

The comedian then joked: “And I don’t hear from Obama at all, he’s got my number, but I feel weird texting him.”

Obama’s full quote from June 2015 went as followed: “Racism, we are not cured of it. And it’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say n—-r in public. That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It’s not just a matter of overt discrimination. Societies don’t, overnight, completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior. The legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination in almost every institution of our lives, that casts a long shadow and that’s still part of our DNA that’s passed on.”

Maron defended the president’s use of the word back in 2015, telling CBS, “As a comic, it wasn’t that jarring to me. But to frame it correctly, he said the n-word to talk about using the n-word and what that implicates. It was a broader statement about racism.”

The original “WTF” promotion to the interview highlighted the hour-long episode as a “conversation about college, fitting in, race relations, gun violence, changing the status quo, disappointing your fans, comedians, fatherhood and overcoming fear.”

Listen to Maron’s full “Smartless” interview in the embed below, and you can revisit his 2015 interview with Obama here.

The post Marc Maron Believes Obama ‘Very Deliberately’ Decided to Say the N-Word on His 2015 Episode of ‘WTF’ appeared first on TheWrap.