If you frequent Collider Ladies Night, you’re likely well aware that I’m a massive Scream fan. The franchise heavily contributed to making me the movie lover I am today, and it’s also a big reason why I pursued a career in the industry. Given that, it’ll probably come as no surprise that I especially love seeing Scream alum soar in film and television, and one particular Scream star is having a game-changing 2024. It’s Scream 2022’s Mikey Madison, who’s currently in the midst of an awards season run courtesy of her electrifying performance in Sean Baker’s Anora.The Palme d'Or winner stars Madison as Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn who finds herself in the middle of a rather unusual and frequently madcap adventure of sorts after meeting Vanya, the son of a Russian billionaire. After hiring Ani a few times, Vanya offers her a larger sum to be exclusive for the week. During that week, the two impulsively marry in Vegas. Convinced the love is genuine, Ani is excited to begin her new life as Vanya’s wife, but when his parents find out about their marriage, they send their henchmen to annul it, an assignment that ultimately sparks a wild chase through the streets of New York.With Anora continuing its successful run in theaters while its awards season buzz builds, Madison joined me for a special FYC edition of Collider Ladies Night to break down the pivotal career moments that teed her up for success headlining a likely Best Picture nominee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I first became aware of Wunmi Mosaku at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Her feature, His House, premiered there and not only was the film itself exquisite, but Mosaku herself was a top-tier interview, brimming with passion and enthusiasm for her craft. From that point on, I’ve made it a priority to seek out Mosaku’s past work and keep up with all of her new releases, and it’s paid off big time.Since His House’s release on Netflix, Mosaku became a scene-stealer in Lovecraft Country, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Loki, she did her first voice performance for the acclaimed animated series Scavengers Reign, and now, for the very first time, she’s at the top of the call sheet for a series, ITV’s Passenger, which is now available to stream on BritBox.Mosaku leads as Riya, a former Metropolitan Police officer who decides to relocate to the tiny town of Chadder Vale to care for her mother-in-law. After the one-two punch of a gruesome discovery and a strange disappearance, Riya becomes convinced that something isn’t quite right in Chadder Vale. However, her Chief Constable, Linda (Jo Hartley), refuses to entertain any of Riya’s theories. She's far too focused on maintaining the town’s reputation and winning Best Kept Village. But is it all a facade? Are past troubles and recent unsettling events uncovering the sinister truth of Chadder Vale? Riya is determined to find out.With all six episodes of Passenger Season 1 now available to stream on BritBox, Mosaku took the time to make her second appearance on Collider Ladies Night. After recapping many key credits during her last Ladies Night interview, this time around, the focus fell heavily on her growing voice and presence in film and television, and how she aims to use them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pressure was on for Genesis Rodriguez in Lioness Season 2. Not only is the show, in general, a heavy lift, tackling complex subject matter loaded with hugely demanding story beats, but she also had to follow in the footsteps of Laysla De Oliveira, the titular Lioness of Season 1.Special Ops: Lioness stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe, the head of a clandestine CIA operation — the Lioness program. Joe recruits female operatives called Lionesses to essentially put everything on the line to fight the war on terror. In Season 1, De Oliveira was an absolute powerhouse as Cruz Manuelos to say the least. There was a staggering ferocity to her performance, and it gave the show an energy that felt uniquely hers. Given that, one couldn’t help but roll into Season 2 wondering, how could they possibly do that again, but with a different Lioness? From the moment Rodriguez appears on screen as US Army Apache pilot, Captain Josephina Carrillo, it’s instantly undeniable that Taylor Sheridan and co. had done it again. They found another actor who’d give 110% of herself to the Lioness role and absolutely soar while navigating the pressure and complications of her character’s situation.With Lioness Season 2 four episodes into its eight-episode run on Paramount+, Rodriguez joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to revisit how she built her foundation as an artist, and why the opportunity to be on a show like Lioness was a long time coming, one that offered her a role that made her feel validated as an actor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phillipa Soo first saw her star soar courtesy of one of the greatest successes in Broadway history, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. Ever since scoring a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for playing Eliza, Soo’s been scooping up new opportunities on stage and screen, prioritizing being grateful and present for every single one of them, including her latest, Ryan Murphy's new show, Doctor Odyssey.In the ABC medical drama, Soo headlines alongside Joshua Jackson, Sean Teale and Don Johnson. Johnson plays the captain of a luxury cruise ship called The Odyssey, while Soo and Teale step in as Avery and Tristan, the ship’s nurses who are well versed in both the social drama and medical challenges the ships' passengers tend to pose. Now, however, they’re led by a new head physician. It’s Jackson’s Max Bankman, an experienced doctor who thinks he knows best, but quickly learns he’ll need to lean on Avery and Tristan’s experience dealing with and caring for folks on the high seas.With Doctor Odyssey in the midst of its Season 1 run on ABC, and streaming on Hulu, Soo took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to go back to her earliest sources of inspiration, and to break down her journey from stage to screen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Sophie Thatcher’s managed to accomplish in recent years, in general, is downright phenomenal. But, as someone who proudly dubs horror her #1, I can’t help but be especially excited about how Thatcher’s solidified herself as a dominant force in the genre. Soon after Yellowjackets proved Thatcher was an all-around powerhouse when it debuted in late 2021, she scored the lead role in Rob Savage’s big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s The Boogeyman, became a part of Ti West’s X trilogy via MaXXXine, and now she stars opposite Hugh Grant and Chloe East in A24’s latest release, Heretic.The wickedly sharp and chilling feature stars Thatcher and East as Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, two young missionaries who are busy ringing doorbells in suburban Colorado. Trouble is, on this day, they ring the wrong one. When Grant’s Mr. Reed welcomes them inside, they think it’s an opportunity to get out of the rain while also telling him all about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, little do they know, Mr. Reed is well versed in their religion and others, and he’s determined to rock their beliefs to the core.With Heretic hitting theaters nationwide, Thatcher joined me for a Collider Ladies Night interview to chat about her wonderfully horror-heavy path in film and television thus far. She looks back on that heartbreaking Yellowjackets Season 2 finale and discusses how it impacted her Season 3 performance. She also breaks down her experience working opposite Grant and East in Heretic to create a pitch-perfect lead trio for the film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rosemarie DeWitt may not love watching horror movies, but she’s certainly an absolute ace when acting in them. Soon after Smile became a genre sensation in 2022, Paramount green lit a sequel. While it was abundantly clear that first-time feature filmmaker Parker Finn was a next-level creative with an exceptional eye for top-tier talent and eerie imagery, the truth of the matter is, we don’t often see sequels do the “bigger and better” thing well and with purpose. That’s not the case with Finn’s Smile 2, however.The sequel focuses on Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley, a global pop sensation who hit a rough patch courtesy of substance abuse struggles and a terrible car accident. With her mom and manager, played by DeWitt, at her back, Skye readies herself for her comeback tour. The pressure is astronomical, and her mom often reminds her of just that; she’s only getting one second chance. As though the stakes couldn’t be higher, Skye then has a downright nightmarish encounter. She witnesses someone take his own life and, in the process, he gives her the smile curse.In celebration of Smile 2’s nationwide release, and hugely successful first weekend at the box office, DeWitt joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to celebrate her filmography and dig into why an actor who’s terrified of horror films wants to make them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Horror films are rarely embraced on the awards circuit, but there’s no denying that Naomi Scott gives one of the very best performances of 2024 in Smile 2. After depicting an intimate and grounded nightmare in 2022’s Smile via Sosie Bacon’s Rose, a therapist, writer-director Parker Finn is putting the Smile curse on a bigger stage in the sequel. Scott headlines the new film as Skye Riley, a hugely successful pop star whose career took a downturn due to substance abuse struggles and a devastating car crash. Now, however, Skye is gearing up for a comeback tour. She’s already feeling the immense pressure to deliver while constantly being in the public eye, but then she gets an added challenge — not only must Skye make the most of her one and only chance to relaunch her career and brand, but she’s got to do so after catching the Smile curse.How exactly does one hit the point in their career when they’re enthusiastic about a hugely ambitious role that demands they take it to an 11 from start to finish? That’s exactly what I dug into with Scott during her return to Collider Ladies Night after appearing on the show back in 2021. During that first Ladies Night chat, we dug into Scott’s journey in film and television from a business perspective, retracting her steps from project to project. This time around, however, we put the spotlight on the evolution of her craft — a craft so well-refined and powerful that Scott is willing and able to take Skye to places that demand every ounce of her being, both emotionally and physically. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I really wanted to be the number one on the call sheet in every movie I’ve ever done. It just never went that way.”Perhaps it never went quite that way for Matthew Lillard, but his career in film, television and beyond has taken a unique turn over the years, and it’s an important one. Lillard isn’t headlining films — although I do have high hopes that will change — but he is getting supporting roles in some especially wonderful gems. Five Nights at Freddy’s, of course, was a hit for Universal and earned a sequel, and he’s also in Mike Flanagan’sThe Life of Chuck, which just scooped up the coveted People’s Choice Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Both wonderful wins in which Lillard delivers big as an actor, but a personal favorite aspect of seeing Lillard’s star soar especially high in recent years is watching how he’s used his success to foster community. Or rather, as he puts it, he’s become “the grandfather of geek culture.”I witnessed this for the first time at MegaCon 2023. I was quite familiar with San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic-Con, but the fan convention circuit is different. It’s less about promoting upcoming projects and more focused on connecting fans with the artists they love. Lillard takes that very seriously. As a diehard Scream fan since 1996, I was thrilled when offered the opportunity to moderate the Scream panel which included Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy and Neve Campbell. Per usual, I prepped to the max and was ready to roll with a mile-long list of questions, but when I arrived and met the foursome, I was quickly informed that they’ve got this. At the time, nearly all of my moderating experience happened during post-screening Q&As or studio-produced convention panels that leaned heavily on a conversation leader and/or a specific run of show, so I didn’t quite know what they meant by that. We hit the stage, they gave me the first question of the panel, and then they took the reins, and it was a beautiful thing.Lillard and Ulrich hopped off stage, walked out into the crowd and spearheaded a conversation that didn’t feel like panelists and audience, but rather, one big room of Scream lovers all hanging out together. Yes, Lillard, Ulrich, Kennedy and Campbell celebrated their iconic film, but the panel was much more about making their fans feel seen and bringing everyone closer together. It was abundantly clear that it worked, and that it meant something to everyone in the room. The first thing I said to a friend after walking off that stage? “That just made me even prouder to be a Scream fan.”I sit here a massive fan of Lillard’s, fully believing he’s very deserving of those lead roles, but he’s connecting with the masses in a way that matters. During our Collider Forces conversation, we looked back on the early days of his career and the key moments that nudged him in this direction and ultimately made him a very important voice, and force, in fandom and a champion of unique forms of storytelling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s What’s Inside quickly became one of my favorite films of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and I was beyond thrilled to get the opportunity to chat with director Greg Jardin and his ensemble while in Park City. But, one person was missing from the conversation and, if you’ve seen It’s What’s Inside, you well know that the film’s concept hinges on every single member of the cast being able to deliver top-tier work as a unit. Thankfully, Netflix scooped up the film at the festival for a whopping $17 million and now It’s What’s Inside is available to stream on Netflix. That meant the missing member of the group was busy promoting this massive genre storytelling feat, and you can bet I jumped on the opportunity to chat with her. It’s Alycia Debnam-Carey.Jardin’s wildly impressive feature-directorial debut is a body-swap film. The night before Reuben’s (Devon Terrell) wedding, he reunites his group of friends for a little pre-wedding party. When an estranged member of that friend group, David Thompson’s Forbes, shows up, he has a mysterious suitcase in tow. He pitches they play a party game with its contents, a curious machine he helped design. They agree, hook themselves up to the device, and Forbes flips the switch. Suddenly, they all swap bodies. The game? Figure out who is in whose body.The tension is high across the board and every single character in It’s What’s Inside rocks complex layers that are fascinating to explore via the body-swap scenario. But, one particular character’s situation comes with some especially high stakes because she’s got a lot to lose. On top of that, who she is and what she’s created has an especially heavy influence on quite a few members of the group. It’s Debnam-Carey’s Nikki, a hugely successful social media influencer.While celebrating It’s What’s Inside’s release on Netflix, Debnam-Carey swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio to dig deep into Nikki’s predicament and break down how the cast prepared to complete some serious acting gymnastics and craft a seamless body-swap experience. On top of that, we also took some time to look back on her journey as an artist, beginning with the recognition that she was meant to be an actor, not a percussionist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During her third appearance on Collider Ladies Night, Kate Siegel laughed and said, “It's so cliché for an actor to be like, ‘Oh, what I really want to do is direct,’ but I think what I really want to do is direct.” With each and every interview I’ve done with Siegel, for Ladies Night and beyond, it’s become more and more clear that not only does she have a firm handle on her craft as an actor, but she also has a deep understanding of and enthusiasm for the entire filmmaking process. Now that she’s put that passion and skill set to use on her directing debut, the V/H/S/Beyond segment “Stowaway,” it’s undeniable. Siegel is meant to be a filmmaking multi-hyphenate. Penned by Mike Flanagan, “Stowaway” features YouTube star, journalist and voice actor Alanah Pearce as Halley, a young mother who heads out into the desert in hopes of having and documenting an extraterrestrial encounter. After interviewing a number of locals, Halley does manage to track down a spaceship, but the thrill of discovery is short-lived. Halley’s eagerness to explore the unknown lands her in a nightmarish situation that forces her to confront what she’s left behind at home in pursuit of finding something out of this world.Siegel has a wealth of experience in film and television. Not only has she starred in hits including The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher, but she also headlined and co-wrote the 2016 gem Hush. How did those titles and more tee her up for success behind the lens as a director? That’s what we dug into during her third go-around on Collider Ladies Night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roughly 10 years ago, when I was in my early days of covering film festivals, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to sit down with the team responsible for a movie that spotlighted a group of women who were, and still are, utter forces in film and television. That team? The filmmakers behind Raze, led by prolific stunt performer and coordinator, Zoë Bell.Well aware of her work in Kill Bill, Death Proof, Inglorious Basterds, Whip It, and then some, I was quite eager to see what Bell could do both in front of and behind the lens in new ways. Not only did she headline Raze, but she also produced it and heavily contributed to the development of the story and the action right from the start. It was a significant leap that suggested she’d continue to soar in film and television in a multitude of ways.Sure enough, at the end of September 2024, there we were celebrating Raze 10 years after release, discussing her accomplishments working on blockbusters like Thor: Ragnarok and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and teasing her upcoming feature directorial debut. Bell is a proven unstoppable powerhouse in this business, and it was a treat and honor to get to discuss how she found her craft and voice in such a high-pressure line of work, and how she continues to expand that skill set every step of the way, making a bigger and bigger mark on this industry with her art. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve been a very big fan of Mackenzie Davis’ for some time. I quite enjoyed our very first interview for What If back in 2013 and, like many out there, absolutely adored the AMC series, Halt and Catch Fire. While my enthusiasm for Davis’ work continues, the more we talk, the more why I’m drawn to her work in general comes into focus. During this latest conversation, Davis noted, “I do really give a shit, and I'm not a good liar.” That right there sums up her vibe in all interviews. Her answers are always impassioned and honest. Not only does that make her an especially wonderful Collider Ladies Night guest, but those qualities bolster every single film she’s in, including her latest, Speak No Evil.Inspired by the 2022 Danish original, James Watkins’ Speak No Evil stars Davis and her Halt and Catch Fire co-star, Scoot McNairy, as Louise and Ben, a couple vacationing with their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) in Italy. While there, they meet Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son, Ant (Dan Hough). After enjoying their getaway with this far more free-spirited couple, it’s time for Louise and Ben to return home where they must face relationship woes and financial struggles. When they receive an invitation to visit Paddy and Ciara’s countryside home, they accept hoping that another day-to-day shake-up could be just what they need to put them on a better path. The trouble is, this particular getaway is destined to become a psychological nightmare.The original Speak No Evil is an exceptional film, which left many wondering, why remake it, especially so soon after the original’s release? Admittedly, I was quite skeptical myself, but then I saw the new movie. Not only is Watkins’ Speak No Evil a hugely entertaining and effective thrill, but it’s also one that sparks a fascinating conversation about human connection and how far one is willing to be pushed. In particular, how far can Davis’ Louise be pushed before she’s had enough and must leave that house? The movie’s success hinges on Davis’ ability to get the audience on board with Louise’s internal struggle and, courtesy of her pursuit of truth in her work, she pulls that off exceptionally well.With Speak No Evil now playing in theaters nationwide, Davis joined me for her second Collider Ladies Night conversation to recap how she developed her approach to her work as an actor, and how she applied it to Louise in Speak No Evil to ensure you’re with her every single step of the way throughout this extremely twisted vacation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark my words; one of the greatest discoveries of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, or perhaps the year in its entirety, is bound to be Maisy Stella. Stella isn’t new to the industry. She was on the hit series Nashville for six seasons, but My Old Ass proves her talent in a new way. Not only does the movie mark her very first feature film, but she’s also the lead of it, cementing the fact that she’s a wildly talented actor, and also a certified headliner.Stella plays Elliott in the film, a teenager gearing up to leave home for college. On her 18th birthday, she opts to celebrate by taking mushrooms with her friends and, while high, she’s visited by her older self, played by Aubrey Plaza. While her “old ass” is hesitant to reveal too much about the future, she does share a few thoughts about how Elliott could make the most of her limited time home sweet home.My Old Ass was my favorite film of Sundance this year, and now it’s on track to crack my Top 10 Films of 2024. Writer-director Megan Park whips up a brilliant concept that highlights the beauty of growing up and forging forward in life, but also how there’s much to gain from remembering and appreciating the experiences of our youth, even the ones that aren't wholly positive. With My Old Ass now playing in select theaters, I got the chance to welcome Stella to Collider Ladies Night to recap her road to headlining her first film and making an indelible impression on cinema in 2024 in the process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While Natalie Dormer’s filmography does rock quite a few standout projects and roles, when she first started her journey in screen acting, she quickly recognized the fact that there weren’t enough “three-dimensional, fleshed-out female protagonists." She explained, “You would be sent the script for ‘the girlfriend,’ ‘the wife,’ or ‘the antagonist,’ and the majority was so two-dimensional.” However, that’s changed considerably over the years. “Now when you're scrolling on whatever platform you're watching and seeing the amount of fleshed-out, three-dimensional, anti-heroic female protagonists … it's just night and day.” It’s night and day, indeed. You want some proof? Go check out Dormer’s latest film, The Wasp.Dormer stars opposite Naomie Harris in the stage-to-screen adaptation as two estranged school friends, Carla and Heather, who reunite and get involved in some rather diabolical events. As Dormer put it, they’re “women who are both capable of profound darkness and profound vulnerability,” a combination that consistently tests your nerves and allegiance all through the film.With the twisted psychological thriller now playing in theaters, Dormer joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to discuss some influential moments in her career that paved the way to embracing the opportunity to portray such an angry yet vulnerable character in The Wasp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I walked away from Fantastic Fest 2023 calling Strange Darling my favorite film of the festival. Had it received a 2023 release date, it would have been one of my top films of the year. Now it’s August 2024 and nothing has changed. I’d be utterly shocked if Strange Darling didn’t land in my Top 10 of 2024, and I’d also be shocked if I didn’t close out the year calling Willa Fitzgerald’s work in the film one of my favorite performances of, not just 2024, but of recent years.Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner headline the movie as The Lady and The Demon. It’s a story loaded with brilliantly crafted twists and turns from writer-director JT Mollner and the team, so we’ll keep the plot synopsis simple; the two have a one-night-stand and it kicks off a murder spree.I’ve been itching to get Fitzgerald on Collider Ladies Night since Strange Darling’s world premiere screening in September 2023, and now the time has finally come. With Strange Darling now playing in theaters, she joined me for a Ladies Night chat which, yes, included some Scream TV Series talk, but also heavily focused on her exquisite work in Strange Darling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The entertainment industry has a habit of boxing artists in. Have your Hollywood breakout via a horror movie? I’m willing to bet you’ll see an influx of genre scripts. Make a name for yourself with a particular type of music? The business will come to expect more of the same. But what about a social media superstar eager to pursue more paths and art forms out in Los Angeles? Given the fact that the number of high-profile social media personalities is skyrocketing, we’re bound to see more and more explore other sectors of entertainment. Someone who’s already well on her way while pursuing that path? Loren Gray.Gray started building her fan base on the music-driven social media app Musical.ly, a following that transitioned over to TikTok when Musical.ly merged into TikTok in 2018. At this point in time, Gray is the 24th most followed TikTok creator with a whopping 53.7 million followers. She also has nearly 24 million followers on Instagram and 3.66 million subscribers on YouTube where she shares vlogs and her own music, much of which is quite successful. While Gray is still very passionate about all of this work, she’s eager to pursue an additional path in entertainment, a path she dubs her first love — acting. With the high school comedy Incoming starring Mason Thames now available to stream on Netflix, Gray swung by the Collider Ladies Night studio for an interview covering her journey from Musical.ly to professional actor. She ran through some of her earliest acting inspirations, discussed what it was like making the move to Los Angeles as a teenager, and pinpointed the highs and lows of breaking into Hollywood as a social media star eager to build a career as an actor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Monaghan is an all-time favorite. Not only was she one of the very first guests on Collider Ladies Night back in 2019, but she’s also an especially wonderful interview. She speaks of her work with great passion, and also deeply cherishes memories of her most influential scenes partners — and she has many of them. Yes, Vince Vaughn is on that list, but there’s another member of the Bad Monkey ensemble who made an indelible impression on her as well.Based on Carl Hiaasen’s bestselling novel, the Apple TV+ series Bad Monkey stars Vaughn as Andrew Yancy, a detective who got the boot from the Miami Police Department and sent to the Keys where he’s further demoted to a health inspector. However, when a human arm is fished out of the water in the area, Yancy can’t help himself; he’s got to prove that this individual’s death was no accident, but rather, a murder. Trouble is, he no longer has the resources and support to crack the case, and must sort through a string of unusual personalities to find answers. Complicating matters further for Yancy is Monaghan’s character, Bonnie, a mysterious woman he had an affair with and keeps coming back to.In celebration of Bad Monkey’s August 14 debut on Apple TV+, Monaghan returned to Ladies Night to dig into her collaboration with Vaughn and a few other past co-stars who heavily contributed to Monaghan’s confidence in her craft and goals for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s no doubt that every single main character in Hazbin Hotel is a fan favorite. They’re all voiced by hugely talented individuals, rock wildly creative designs and personalities, and also well reflect a variety of shockingly relatable ideas and experiences. But, there’s no denying that there might be a little extra love out there for Amir Talai’s Alastor. It’s simply too much fun watching, and often rooting for, such a dangerous character, especially when that character is powered by such a deliciously sinister voice performance.For those out there who’ve yet to watch Hazbin Hotel Season 1 on Prime Video, what are you waiting for? It rocks an 80% on the Tomatometer and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it was the largest global debut for a new animated series on Prime Video, and trust me when I tell you, once you hear the show’s original music, you’ll be eager to take Hazbin with you everywhere you go. The show comes from the mind of one of the most exciting voices in animation right now — Vivienne Medrano. After developing certain characters, including Alastor, for much of her life, Medrano independently produced a Hazbin Hotel pilot that currently has 112 million views on YouTube. From there, A24 swooped in and teamed with Prime Video to turn the YouTube hit into a full-fledged series. Now, not only is Hazbin Hotel Season 2 in the works, but Prime Video has also ordered Seasons 3 and 4 as well.The animated musical takes place in Hell where Erika Henningsen’s Charlie Morningstar is determined to help sinners earn forgiveness and gain access to Heaven. How does she go about doing that? By creating a hotel for rehabilitation called the Hazbin Hotel. The trouble is, very few believe in her idea. The hotel has a mere seven residents - Charlie, Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz), Husk (Keith David), Niffty (Kimiko Glenn), Sir Pentious (Alex Brightman), Angel Dust (Blake Roman) and Talai’s Alastor. But can Alastor be trusted? While he seems loyal to Charlie and her cause, Alastor is an Overlord of Hell who’s in the midst of a power struggle. That begs the question, are his intentions pure or is he scheming behind the scenes?During his Collider Forces interview, Talai recapped his journey in the industry thus far from his earliest acting inspirations to appearing on popular shows like American Horror Story and Ghosts, and ultimately scoring the role of a lifetime with Hazbin Hotel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We did it. We hosted our very first Collider Ladies Night live panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, and it went swimmingly in large part thanks to panelists Melissa Barrera, Erika Henningsen, and Katy O’Brian. Not only did the trio come to play when it came to using our comically large die for Dicey Questions, but they also didn’t hold back when dishing out real talk about the reality of being a working actor in film, television and theater.All three have seen their stars soar especially high in recent years. Barrera has become a certified beloved scream queen via her work in the Scream franchise and Abigail, but she’s also an artist of great range, a skill she shows off big time in the stellar upcoming genre mash-up, Your Monster, which arrives in theaters just in time for Halloween on October 25th. Henningsen is a musical theater powerhouse. After originating the role of Cady Heron in Mean Girls the musical on Broadway, she scored a one-in-a-million opportunity. She voices the lead character in Hazbin Hotel, a series that posted the largest global debut for a new animated series on Prime Video and has amassed a wonderfully rabid fanbase since. Then there’s O’Brian who’s racked up a number of huge credits in a very short period of time. (And there’s no doubt there will be many more to come.) After appearing in the MCU and in the Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, she stars in what’s now one of the biggest box office hits of the year, Twisters. Clearly there’s a whole lot to celebrate here, but just as important as honoring all of the highs is acknowledging the journey one experienced to get them. During our hour-long Collider Ladies Night panel at San Diego Comic-Con in front of a 4,900-seat crowd, Barrera, Henningsen, and O’Brian took the time to peel back the curtain and offer unparalleled insight into what it takes to build a career as an actor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Boys star Karen Fukuhara is a wonderful interview for a number of reasons. She’s a lovely person with a deep passion for her craft who’s got some stellar work to discuss. But, there’s another reason she’s such a treat to chat with. She’s got maximum respect for the press process because she once was a journalist herself — an entertainment journalist, in fact! While she’s clearly veered aware from that sector of the industry, her work in that realm has made a lasting impression so now, not only is she delivering big on screen, but she’s an ace at promoting that work too, so it was a true joy to get to welcome her to Collider Ladies Night in celebration of the Season 4 finale of The Boys.Fukuhara’s Kimiko has come a long way in the hit Prime Video series. She was introduced in Season 1 as a feral supe who’s especially violent. But fortunately, Tomer Capone’s Frenchie sees more in her, an inner truth that, with some warmth and kindness, could help her emerge from past trauma, find community, and become one of the most valuable components of The Boys in the process. Four seasons later, Kimiko remains a deadly force to be reckoned with, but one with a massive beating heart determined to do whatever it takes to keep her friends safe and make the world a better place by taking down Homelander (Antony Starr) and Vought.With The Boys Season 4 finale now available to watch on Prime Video, Fukuhara took the time to swing by the Collider Ladies Night studio for a lengthy chat recounting how she went from an aspiring journalist to becoming an actor in one of the hottest shows running right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I hope you’re ready for a one-two punch of horror icons on Collider Ladies Night. Last week we put the spotlight on Mia Goth for the release of MaXXXine, and now we’ve got Longlegs headliner Maika Monroe who is, hands down, one of the most exciting voices in the horror space right now — and has been for a decade.It Follows completely changed the game for Monroe in 2014. The David Robert Mitchell-written and directed film featured a brilliant concept that was expertly executed, putting the project on the path to becoming a modern horror classic. That wasn’t the only 2014 release Monroe had that earned such high honors. She also starred in Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard’s The Guest, yet another beloved film festival gem that went on to be hailed as top-tier horror by the masses. And Monroe has not stopped excelling in the genre since. She consistently works with directing visionaries with bold and ambitious ideas, ideas that give Monroe opportunities to push boundaries in horror storytelling and challenge herself as an actor in that space. Not only is her latest in that department a big winner in every respect on screen, but the quality of the work seems to be paying off significantly. Longlegs is already setting records for its distributor, Neon, and is poised to take in $14 - $17 million for its debut weekend.Monroe leads Longlegs as Lee Harker, a new FBI agent who finds herself working on an especially gruesome case. Given her unusually adept perception, FBI veteran Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) recruits Lee to help him track down a serial killer with ties to the occult. In celebration of Longlegs’ nationwide release, Monroe swung by for a Collider Ladies Night interview to dig into how she carved out the perfect place for herself in Hollywood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lot has changed for Mia Goth since the release of X in March 2022. She’s seen her star skyrocket. After a steady stream of impressive supporting credits in films like The Survivalist, A Cure for Wellness, Suspiria, and more, X finally got Goth her very first lead role in a feature film. Now, thanks to the X franchise, she’s headlined three — X, Pearl and MaXXXine — and the industry’s taken notice. Not only does she have two highly anticipated new projects on the way in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and the long-awaited Blade film with Mahershala Ali, but she’s essentially living Maxine Minx’s dream. She’s a certified Hollywood star and, finally, everyone knows her name.In the third, but maybe not final installment of the X trilogy, Goth returns as Maxine Minx. Maxine is the sole survivor of the 1979 farm bloodbath in Texas, and now she’s busy trying to make it in Hollywood in 1985. Maxine has stuck with the adult film industry and found a good deal of success there, but she’s eagerly awaiting her chance to show off her acting chops on the big screen, and she finally gets that chance thanks to director Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki) who casts her as the lead in the horror film The Puritan 2. Maxine’s eager to give the project everything she’s got and become a star, but a distraction comes in the form of a serial killer who strikes a little too close to home.With MaXXXine now playing in theaters nationwide, Goth took the time to return to Collider Ladies Night and discuss how her career and craft have evolved since the making of X and Pearl, and how becoming a mother has changed her approach to the work as well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MaXXXine may be the third film in a downright wild and blood-soaked horror series, but given the fact that the trilogy heavily pays homage to the evolution of cinema, there’s an abundance of very real connections one can make between the state of the industry depicted in these films and where things truly are at present. In fact, there’s one especially prominent one for Primetime Emmy nominee Elizabeth Debicki. In MaXXXine, she plays the only film director willing to take a chance on Mia Goth’s title character. As Debicki explained during our Collider Ladies Night conversation, finding filmmakers who believe in you is of the utmost importance to making it in Hollywood.After the events of X, MaXXXine follows Maxine Minx to Hollywood in the 80s where she plans to become a star. Maxine is convinced she’s got the talent and determination to make it in the movies, but given her notoriety in the adult film realm, getting her big break has been impossible — until she meets Debicki’s character, Elizabeth Bender. Even though the producers of Elizabeth’s new movie would rather not have Maxine headlining the film, Elizabeth believes in her and insists on giving her the opportunity.While many might be quick to highlight Baz Luhrmann as the person who took a chance on Debicki and sent her star soaring with The Great Gatsby, Debicki herself insists he’s not the only one. Yes, Luhrmann did give her her first lead role in a feature film, but Debicki insists directors taking a chance on actors never ends. “Yeah, you need to be good at your job, but it's also a real combination of timing and people believing in you enough to give you the job.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting a breakout role in film and television is the dream for many aspiring actors, but just as important are the projects one chooses to take after that breakout gig. Given the business’ habit of boxing artists into the first thing the world sees them do well, it can be a great challenge to amass a diverse body of work. How does one steer clear of those limitations and carve a path forward with volume and diversity? Perhaps by taking a cue from Kaya Scodelario.Scodelario’s star began to soar via her work as Effy Stonem in the hit British teen series, Skins. After doing four seasons of the show, Scodelario began to pick up other television and film credits, credits ranging from Hollywood blockbusters like 2010’s Clash of the Titans to Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights, which celebrated its big debut at the 2011 Venice Film Festival before going on to other top tier fests like the Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance.Over a decade later, Scodelario still enjoys a vast range of work. She headlined the 2019 horror gem Crawl, jumped into a popular game franchise with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, and then did the Christmas romantic comedy, This Is Christmas. Yet another vastly different standout credit on her resume? The new Guy Ritchie Netflix series, The Gentlemen, a kinetic crime comedy that's enjoying a good deal of Emmy buzz this season. Inspired by Ritchie’s 2019 film, The Gentlemen series stars Theo James as Edward Horniman. After his father passes, Eddie inherits the family estate and becomes Duke of Halstead. As if all that isn’t enough to process, Eddie is soon made aware that his father secretly made an arrangement with Bobby Glass’ (Ray Winstone) weed empire. If Eddie continues to let them grow their product below ground on his property, he'll get large sums of money in return, money Eddie needs given the state of the family farm and his brother’s (Daniel Ings) habit of accumulating massive debts with dangerous figures. The person in charge of this weed empire while Bobby is in prison? His daughter, Scodelario’s Susie Glass.In celebration of The Gentlemen’s successful Season 1 run, Scodelario joined me for an episode of Collider Ladies Night to retrace her steps from breaking out via Skins to starring in an acclaimed Guy Ritchie production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melissa Benoist stepped into the Hollywood spotlight in a big way via Glee. Then she cemented herself as a bonafide star and headliner with Supergirl. Now she continues to broaden her range and her industry skill set by starring in and producing the hugely entertaining political drama, The Girls on the Bus.Created by Amy Chozick and Julie Plec, The Girls on the Bus is inspired by Chozick's memoir, Chasing Hillary. It follows four female journalists played by Benoist, Carla Gugino, Christina Elmore and Natasha Behnam, who are on the campaign trail with aspiring presidential candidates. They all have vastly different backgrounds and goals, but find themselves supporting one another as they navigate career pressures, personal challenges, and frustrations with flawed presidential hopefuls.As Collider’s Taylor Gates noted in her review, “[Girls on the Bus] handles serious topics, from sexism and racism to abortion and corruption, in a way that feels both raw and palatable while never taking away from the show’s watchability and enjoyability,” and I must agree. Powered by its perfectly assembled core four and their infectious charm, Girls on the Bus quickly earned my investment and heart. Given that, it’ll probably come as no surprise that the show’s cancellation was a massive disappointment. However, that’s not stopping Benoist from celebrating what she and the team achieved.Benoist took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to recap her road to Girls on the Bus, to discuss her collaboration with her three top-tier co-stars, and to explain why the show’s cancellation will have zero impact on how she looks back on the experience of making it and the final product she and the team produced. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eve Best is an acting ace. She’s got loads of impressive screen credits to her name and is a theater legend with two Tony Award nominations, a Drama Desk Award win and a Laurence Olivier Award win as well. Now she’s an absolute force on HBO’s House of the Dragon. It probably goes without saying, she’s always been a dream guest for Collider Ladies Night, but a recent Ladies Night guest skyrocketed Best to being a top priority. While chatting with Jessica Gunning for Baby Reindeer, a performance that appears to have put her on the path to snagging an Emmy nomination, Gunning pinpointed an actor who made a major impression on her during the early days of her career. That actor? Eve Best. Soon after chatting with Gunning, interview opportunities for House of the Dragon Season 2 popped up, and I jumped on it.Best plays Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was, in the Game of Thrones prequel series. Despite having a number of qualities that’d make her an ideal leader, Rhaenys was passed over to succeed King Jaehaerys I for being a woman. She eventually comes to terms with the decision and attempts to serve Westeros valiantly as a dragon rider and as the wife of Lord Corlys Velaryon of Driftmark (Steve Toussaint). Despite Viserys (Paddy Considine) naming Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) his heir, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) takes the throne, solidifying the stark divide between the Greens, those who support Aegon, and the Blacks, those who continue to back Rhaenyra’s claim. As a member of Team Black, Rhaenys begins Season 2 doing what she can to keep her side safe while strategizing for all-out war.With House of the Dragon Season 2 kicking off its highly anticipated run on Sunday, June 16, I recently sat down with Best for a Ladies Night conversation to discuss how she’s honed her craft over the years, and Rhaenys’ approach to being a strong leader with war brewing in Westeros. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adria Arjona has been showing off her impeccable craft and great range for years now, but Hit Man might be one of her most impressive performances of the bunch. She isn’t playing a femme fatale in the film, rather, she’s playing a woman playing a femme fatale to better suit what she thinks her new beau wants to see in a potential partner — which is exactly what he’s doing to her. It's a mighty complicated concept that demands the most refined screenplay and deft performances. Glen Powell headlines Richard Linklater’s Hit Man as the title character, in a sense. Powell’s Gary isn’t a hit man, but rather, a “hit man.” He’s a college professor who moonlights for the New Orleans Police Department by posing as a hit man in attempt to catch people trying to off an enemy. It turns out, Gary is quite good at the gig, effortlessly adapting his image to the type of hit man he thinks his target would best respond to. However, one target throws him for a loop — Arjona’s Madison. Madison is struggling with an abusive husband and sees no way out, so tries to hire Gary, posing as Ron, to kill him. Trouble is, Gary winds up falling for Madison, and she winds up falling for him, too — but as Ron.Hit Man is an utterly delightful and hugely entertaining neo-noir, one that required maximum precision to pull off. Powell isn’t the only one playing a person putting on a persona in the film. So is Arjona. Pulling off such a performance in a way that holds tight to the grounded challenges that put their characters in these positions is no easy task, but Arjona excels tackling the challenge. While Madison was likely a strong character on the page, there's no doubt that Arjona's work is what makes her soar.How’d Arjona acquire the skill set to genre jump, entertain and craft a deeply human character all at once? That’s exactly what we discussed during our Collider Ladies Night interview in celebration of the release of Hit Man, which is now available to stream on Netflix. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a multitude of reasons why Hazbin Hotel became Prime Video’s largest global debut for a new animated series. An especially big one, however? That voice cast. Creator Vivienne Medrano and her team hit it big casting every single character in the show, but there’s one in particular that’s a staggeringly perfect match; Erika Henningsenis Charlie Morningstar.Hazbin Hotel is largely set in Hell where Henningsen’s Charlie, the daughter of Lucifer (voiced by Jeremy Jordan), is fed up with Heaven’s treatment of the souls in Hell. Due to overpopulation, once a year, an army of angels led by Adam (Alex Brightman) swoop down from Heaven and exterminate as many sinners as possible. In an effort to save her people and give them the second chance she thinks they deserve, Charlie creates the Hazbin Hotel, a place where sinners can be rehabilitated and then ascend to Heaven. In celebration of Hazbin Hotel Season 1’s epic run on Prime Video, a run that sparked an enormous diehard fanbase and deserves some serious Emmy season love, Henningsen joined me for a Collider Ladies Night chat to revisit her road to Hazbin, to discuss her experience bringing Charlie to screen, and to tease what the future holds for the character. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While celebrating Hazbin Hotel on Collider Ladies Night, creator Vivienne Medrano said she wouldn’t mind seeing the show run for six seasons, like her favorite show of all time, BoJack Horseman. “My favorite show went to six, so six would be cool!” However, she also noted, “The real answer is as many as they’ll give me, forever — forever and ever because there could always be more.” Given the monumental success of Hazbin Hotel Season 1, I’m a big believer Prime Video and A24 should defer to Medrano on this one, and give her whatever she wants!Hazbin Hotel is something Medrano’s been working on since middle school. After years of honing the characters, she created an independently made pilot episode, after which A24 swooped in to help turn it into a series that Prime Video distributed in January 2024. Not only did the show premiere to glowing reviews, but it also became Prime Video’s largest global debut for a new animated series. But, perhaps most impressive of all was the fervent fanbase the show quickly amassed. Yes, Medrano and Hazbin already had quite the following via the pilot, which crossed 100 million views on YouTube in February, but the debut of Hazbin Hotel Season 1 on Prime Video undoubtedly increased that following exponentially.The show puts the spotlight on Charlie Morningstar (voiced by Erika Henningsen), the princess of Hell. Due to overpopulation in Hell, angels swoop down from Heaven once a year to conduct a purge, wiping out as many sinners as possible. Charlie’s had enough of seeing her people perish and strives to change the system via her Hazbin Hotel, a hotel designed to rehabilitate sinners and get them into Heaven. Not only is Hazbin Hotel brimming with curious characters, wildly creative world-building and thematic heft, but it’s also a musical — and every single song on its soundtrack is a true banger. The competition in the Animated Program category at the Emmys is fierce courtesy of iconic long-running series like The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers, and new standout programs like X-Men ’97, but given the quality of Hazbin Hotel and the colossal passionate fanbase it's ignited, it deserves to be in the mix.How exactly does one get from middle school doodles to spearheading an Emmy-worthy animated musical? That’s exactly what I covered with Medrano on her episode of Collider Ladies Night! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve seen The Wheel of Time and Fallout, there’s a good chance we had a similar viewing experience. The entire Wheel of Time ensemble is fantastic, but Season 2, which dropped on Prime Video from September 1 to October 6, brought in a new standout character, Renna, the Seanchan sul’dam responsible for making it an especially dark season for Madeleine Madden’s Egwene. As terrible as Renna is, you can’t take your eyes off her, and the credit for that goes to the actor in the role — Hollywood newcomer Xelia Mendes-Jones.Cut to April 2024. Fallout hits Prime Video and becomes an instant sensation. The majority of the season puts the spotlight on Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, and Aaron Moten, all of whom give powerhouse performances. With only eight episodes, a bunch of curious locations, a number of key factions to establish, and quite a few complex agendas unfolding, how does an actor with minimal screen time in just two episodes manage to make an impression? Ask Mendes-Jones, because that’s exactly what he does with his character, Dane, a member of the Brotherhood of Steel.With screen presence like that, there’s no doubt in my mind Mendes-Jones’ star will continue to soar, so he instantly became a top priority guest for Collider Forces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about the experience of “breaking out” in Hollywood a lot on Collider Ladies Night. There are many wonderful ways to have that moment in film and television, but Jessica Gunning has seen her star soar in an especially exciting way over the last month courtesy of the popularity of Netflix’s Baby Reindeer.Based on his own personal experience which he adapted into an award-winning Edinburgh Fringe one-man play, the Richard Gadd-created series stars Gunning as Martha, Donny Dunn’s (Gadd) stalker. What Donny thinks is just a simple act of kindness, offering Martha a free cup of tea on a tough day, winds up being a life-changing exchange as she wedges her way into just about every part of his life. Not only does the relationship turn Donny’s day-to-day on its head, but the experience also challenges him to address some long-buried trauma.Baby Reindeer isn’t some massive production with a significant monthslong promotional campaign behind it. It’s something that caught on in a big way, seemingly out of the blue, simply because it’s an exquisitely crafted and incredibly well-acted piece. While Gunning isn’t new to the industry by any means, the success of Baby Reindeer has instantly turned her into a highly recognizable name, one earning a good deal of Emmy buzz at the moment, and it’s inspiring many to check out her other credits, films like 2014’s Pride and the ongoing Prime Video series, The Outlaws.In celebration of this extremely well-deserved game-changing moment, I welcomed Gunning to Collider Ladies Night to revisit her road to Baby Reindeer, to break down the nuances of Martha, and to discuss what it’s like becoming a bonafide Emmy contender. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No role is easy, but at just 22-years-old, Freya Allan has already had to do a considerable amount of heavy lifting playing characters in dire situations with the weight of the world on their shoulders. After comparing the pressure The Witcher’s Ciri is under to the challenges her Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes character, Mae, faces in the film, Allan laughed and said, “Clearly they look at me and go, 'Yeah, she’s got a lot going on. She’ll do the job.’” Allan may have been humble about it, but roles like Ciri and Mae could never soar without an actor capable of capturing and giving an audience access to their complex internal worlds.In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Allan’s Mae finds herself forming an unexpected bond with Owen Teague’s ape character, Noa. It’s hundreds of years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes. Apes are now the dominant species while humankind struggles to find safety. Given Noa’s grown up in the confines of his village and knows little of the outside world, he’s shocked when he encounters Mae and she isn’t some feral creature, but rather, a brave being of intelligence with wants and a drive that isn’t so different from his own.With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes arriving in theaters nationwide on May 10th, I got the chance to have a Collider Ladies Night conversation with Allan to recap her journey in the industry thus far, and to dig into her experience finding Mae and conveying her complicated contributions to paving the way to a brighter future for humankind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a very special edition of Collider Ladies Night. Not only does this episode feature a personal favorite, but that favorite just became the first Ladies Night third-timer — Melissa Barrera. It was immediately evident that Barrera is an ideal Ladies Night guest during our first chat in January 2022 for Scream, one brimming with enthusiasm and passion for her craft, and for the art of filmmaking in general. That became even more undeniable after connecting at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival for Carmen’s world premiere, and then again in March 2023 for a second Ladies Night in celebration of the release of Scream VI. One of the greatest joys of having two Ladies Night conversations a mere year apart with Barrera? Seeing how much she manages to accomplish in that short span, and hearing about how deeply she considers those experiences and how that impacts her goals and perspective on the industry going forward. At that point, making the independent feature, Your Monster, which just premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, heavily influenced her priorities for herself in filmmaking. In March 2023 she explained, “I had a mentality of like, I need to do something big to make a splash and to make a name for myself so that I can green light projects.” However, after working on Your Monster and also The Collaboration, that switched to, “I just want to do projects that speak to my soul and that stretch me.”Perspective shifts happen often, and should. What good are our experiences if we don’t grow and learn from them? Barrera, however, powered through a rather seismic one since our last Collider Ladies Night interview after she was shockingly fired from Scream 7 due to social media posts regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. During this new Ladies Night interview, Barrera detailed how that and other recent experiences in Hollywood have heavily impacted her understanding of what she’s here to do. From there we lean into yet another new release that solidifies Barrera as a horror genre powerhouse, and bonafide movie star, her latest collaboration with Radio Silence, Abigail. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re a frequent Collider Ladies Night viewer/reader/listener, you’re likely well aware of my Yellowjackets obsession. I’ve been lucky enough to welcome many Yellowjackets cast members to the show, including Christina Ricci and Jasmin Savoy Brown, but there’s a certain someone who I was extremely disappointed to have missed out on while she was on the show — Ella Purnell. However, the time has finally come. Not only did I get the opportunity to talk a little Yellowjackets with Purnell, but we also got to celebrate yet another exceptional show of hers, Prime Video’s Fallout.Purnell plays Lucy in the series adaptation of the hugely popular Bethesda game. She’s a vault dweller living safe and sound in Vault 33. They’ve got food, water, and a kind community with a neighborly vibe. Above ground, however, it’s the exact opposite. 219 years since nuclear bombs decimated the surface, everyone else is just trying to survive in an apocalyptic wasteland with little to no rules or morals. In an effort to find her father (Kyle MacLachlan), Lucy opts to do the unthinkable, leave the comfort of sheltered vault life behind to venture out into the ruthless outside world.In celebration of Fallout’s big debut on Prime Video, Purnell joined me for a Ladies Night conversation to recap her journey in film and television thus far, and discuss how her career priorities have changed over the years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a hugely successful seven-season run, Riverdale came to an end in August 2023 with its 137th episode. Yes, being part of such a show is a blessing, but there’s a significant amount of pressure that comes with answering the question, “What’s next?” Camila Mendes is powering through that pressure right now in a big way — as a multi-hyphenate.Mendes stars in and executive produced her latest feature, Música. Director Rudy Mancuso also stars in the film as a young street performer from Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood. He’s in a relationship with Francesca Reale’s Haley, but is coming to learn that they might not be on the same page about how and when to find success and stability as a young adult in this world. Could Mendes’ Isabella be the solution? Soon after meeting her, he becomes convinced she understands him better than anyone. But, is it ever that simple?With Música celebrating its big debut on Prime Video this week, Mendes carved out some time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to discuss her experience finding her way after Riverdale, and coming to realize that producing is of great interest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nell Tiger Free is proving to be quite the genre powerhouse. After starring in four seasons of the widely acclaimed Apple TV+ series, Servant, alongside Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, and Rupert Grint, she’s now headlining a brand new Omen movie, The First Omen, directed by yet another soaring force in the horror space, Arkasha Stevenson.The film takes place before the events of Richard Donner’s 1976 classic and focuses on Free’s character, Margaret. Margaret grew up in an orphanage where she suffered horrific hallucinations and visions. As a result, she was abused by the nuns in the facility. As a young adult, Margaret is in the novitiate phase and heads off to Rome to become a nun. While there, the pain she carries from her tumultuous childhood collides with the discovery of a sinister agenda unfolding around her, a combination that causes her to question her faith, and everything she thought she knew.In celebration of The First Omen’s big debut, Free joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation recapping her journey from first discovering her passion for acting to finding an ideal collaborator in Stevenson while making The First Omen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the greatest joys of Collider Ladies Night is welcoming a guest back to the show and celebrating how much they’ve accomplished in such a short period of time. That’s the case with DeWanda Wise. She was on Ladies Night for her very first franchise film, Jurassic World Dominion, in 2022 and now she’s back as the star and executive producer of a Blumhouse horror movie.Wise headlines Imaginary as Jess, a woman who moves back into her childhood home with her husband Max (Tom Payne) and her stepdaughters, Alice (Pyper Braun) and Taylor (Taegen Burns). Soon after moving in, the youngest, Alice, develops an attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey. Jess and Max brush it off as a charming connection between a child and her imaginary friend, but when Chauncey’s scavenger hunt becomes increasingly sinister and dangerous, Jess is forced to accept the fact that Chauncey might be more than a stuffed toy, and he might also have a connection to her own long-forgotten past.Check out this edition of Collider Ladies Night to hear all about Wise's experience starring in and executive producing Imaginary, where she thinks the Jurassic World franchise should go next, the nightmarish note she received while preparing for Captain Marvel, and loads more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is no doubt that this will be the first of many Collider Ladies Night interviews for Millie Bobby Brown. Not only has her acting career been soaring ever since the debut of Stranger Things back in 2016, but Brown is also using her rising start to influence certain projects for the better as a producer. She kicked off the Enola Holmes film series at Netflix wearing both hats, and now she stars in and executive produces her latest ambitious release for the streamer, Damsel.Brown headlines the film as Elodie, a young woman who agrees to marry a handsome prince (Nick Robinson) in hopes that his kingdom’s riches will help her family’s struggling people. However, nearly immediately after the two are wed, Elodie discovers the truth behind their union; his family is using her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. She’s thrown into a cave with a dragon, kicking off a story that subverts the traditional damsel in distress narrative. There is no savior. It’s up to Elodie to save herself.During our Collider Ladies Night conversation in celebration of Damsel’s March 8th release on Netflix, Brown took a moment to look back on Stranger Things’ big debut, tease her upcoming film The Electric State, reveal the Damsel scene she feared she couldn't do, and loads more. Hear about it all straight from Brown in this Collider Ladies Night interview! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Collider Ladies Night was created to highlight how an artist’s experiences paved the way to their latest achievement. There are often loads of highs along the way, but there can also be some more challenging moments, ones that heavily contribute to how one views the industry and how they’ll strive to change it for the better. A shining example of one such force in Hollywood? The Way Home star and executive producer, Chyler Leigh.The Way Home is a Hallmark series in its second season. Not a frequent Hallmark viewer? Hear me out. Hallmark has a large fanbase and serves it well, but The Way Home has the potential to broaden that viewership. It’s a sci-fi family drama with a fascinating mythology and hugely powerful beating heart. Leigh plays Kat Landry, a woman who’s estranged from her mother, Del (Andie MacDowell), but winds up moving back into her childhood home with her, along with her teenage daughter, Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow). While there, Alice discovers that there’s a pond on the propriety with the power to allow certain people to time travel. The thing is, you can’t control where it sends you. The pond decides. And in Alice and Kat’s case, it decides to bring them back to the time when that rift between Kat and Del first formed.In celebration of The Way Home’s Season 2 run on Hallmark Channel, Leigh joined me for an episode of Collider Ladies Night, and she came to play. I truly love all Ladies Night conversations, but this one is especially packed with hugely insightful and forthright stories about the reality of powering through the pressures of Hollywood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sadie Laflamme-Snow shot out the gate and into Hollywood in a big way. Just a couple of years after graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada, Laflamme-Snow scored a lead role in a Hallmark series opposite two industry heavyweights, Andie MacDowell and Chyler Leigh. Since premiering in January 2023, The Way Home has amassed an adoring fanbase that spans generations, and is credited with opening many minds to Hallmark content. Laflamme-Snow plays Alice, a teenager whose parents are on the cusp of divorce. Even though her mother, Kat (Leigh), is estranged from her mother, Del (MacDowell), they move back into her childhood home together, a house in a small farm town called Port Haven. While exploring the property, Alice makes a game-changing discovery. By jumping into a pond in the woods, Alice can time travel. But, Alice isn’t in control of where (when) she goes. That’s up to the pond, and it opts to send her back to 1999, the year that drastically changed Kat and Del’s lives and their connection to one another.While celebrating The Way Home’s Season 2 run on Hallmark Channel, Laflamme-Snow took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night Pre-Party conversation to recap how she scored such a wonderful opportunity so soon after graduation, to dig into Alice’s evolution on the show thus far, and to tease some challenges the character could face in the second half of Season 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As you’ll hear in this edition of Collider Ladies Night, Beanie Feldstein is a favorite. She’s a hugely talented individual, with a deep passion for the craft of acting who heavily values the opportunity to create with good people. There’s no doubt a good deal of that was in her from the start, but in revisiting her filmography in celebration of the release of her latest film, Drive-Away Dolls, it becomes abundantly clear that Feldstein is able to stand tall, deliver big and use her voice to change this industry for the better because she’s been well encouraged and supported by some of the best out there.Feldstein plays Sukie Shankleman in Tricia Cooke and Ethan Cohen’s Drive-Away Dolls. Fresh out of a relationship with Margaret Qualley’s Jamie, Sukie is on the warpath. She’s a no-nonsense cop who isn’t about to let Jamie get away with breaking her heart. When Jamie and Geraldine Viswanathan’s Marian get mixed up with some criminals while road tripping to Tallahassee, Sukie has no problem giving the goons the information they need to put them hot on Jamie and Marian’s trail.Collider Ladies Night interviews are meant to be career-spanning conversations touching on as many titles as possible. In Feldstein’s case, however, the interview often came back to one specific film, which is a beautiful thing. Feldstein told me, “Lady Bird changed my whole life and career.”Check out what Feldstein told me about working with Greta Gerwig on her feature directorial debut, collaborating with "one of the single most brilliant people I've ever been around," Sarah Paulson, making Drive-Away Dolls with Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, and loads more on this edition of Collider Ladies Night! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Wilde’s work in Talk to Me is the epitome of a “breakout performance.” Not only did the film go from Sundance darling to one of the biggest smash hits of 2023, but Wilde herself received the praise she deserved for an incredibly demanding and exceptionally well executed lead performance.In fact, Wilde’s work as Mia is one of the main reasons why Talk to Me is so much more than a cool horror movie with a super creative high concept. Yes, the A24 acquisition delivers big when it comes to the thrill of watching a group of naive teenagers willingly becoming possessed via the now-iconic hand, but much of the movie’s depth comes from how Mia’s grief makes her susceptible to losing herself in the midst of this sinister high.In addition to being showered with critical praise and winning Best Lead Actress in Film at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, Wilde just scored one of the most coveted honors for a newcomer in this industry. She was nominated for the BAFTA’s EE Rising Star Award alongside Phoebe Dynevor, Ayo Edebiri, Jacob Elordi, and Mia McKenna-Bruce. Win or lose, the nomination alone is a significant achievement, one that often signals a long, illustrious career to come.In celebration of that nomination, Wilde joined me for an episode of Collider Ladies Night to revisit some of her early steps in the industry and to recap her journey with Talk to Me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kathryn Newton is taking over in the best possible way. At 27, not only has she already amassed a vast filmography, but it’s one that’s packed with variety and bold creative swings. She headlined a Paranormal Activity film, she’s part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she was a comedy ace in Blockers, she stars opposite acting icons in HBO’s acclaimed series Big Little Lies, and she’s a certified horror genre powerhouse thanks to Freaky, Radio Silence’s next movie Abigail, and Zelda Williams’ wonderfully dark and charming feature directorial debut, Lisa Frankenstein.Newton leads as the title character, a misunderstood teenager who feels alone in the world after her mother is axe-murdered in their living room. Lisa’s step-sister Taffy, played by the effervescent Liza Soberano, is always there to offer support, but the only one who can fill Lisa’s heart is a guy who died in 1837 (Cole Sprouse). One night, Lisa’s fantasy becomes a reality when a lightning bolt reanimates his corpse, kicking off a joyfully horrific adventure to help him regain his humanity — and his missing body parts.With Lisa Frankenstein now in theaters nationwide, Newton took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night interview to revisit her journey thus far, including the pivotal moments that helped her tackle this delightfully bonkers monster movie with confidence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the greatest joys at a film festival is meeting an artist for the first time and knowing with certainty that, from that point on, you’ll always prioritize their work. I’ve been lucky enough to have a number of those encounters over the years, but two especially memorable ones are Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre. I first met Harrison Jr. at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival for Luce, and for Pierre it was at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival for Brother, both breathtaking performances in exceptional films. In addition to the fact that both are bursting at the seams with talent, Harrison Jr. and Pierre are also artists who clearly ooze with deep passion and respect for the craft of acting. They're consistently true treats to chat with, so when the opportunity to host the very first 2-on-1 version of Collider Forces with the pair popped up, it was a must.While in Park City for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Harrison Jr. and Pierre kicked off their promotional tour for Nat Geo's Genius: MLK/X. Season 4 of the award-winning anthology series stars Harrison Jr. as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Pierre as Malcolm X, delving into “their complex lives as husbands, fathers, brothers and sons.” By focusing on the moments between game-changing historical events, Genius: MLK/X offers an intimate look at how the icons questioned their resolve and decisions.During their Collider Forces chat at the Collider interview studio at Sundance brought to you by Film.io, Harrison Jr. and Pierre revisited pivotal moments from their journeys in Hollywood thus far, highlighting some key crossover and shared experiences, but also emphasizing that every path in the industry is different. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reneé Rapp is one of the most exciting and inspiring forces on the rise right now in entertainment. Not only is she bubbling over with next level talent, but she also boasts a number of extremely admirable qualities, ones that can be hard for any artist to establish, let alone one just starting her career. Rapp operates with maximum conviction. She’s someone who knows what she wants, and has absolutely no problem advocating for herself. Even better? She keeps her collaborators’ best interest in mind while pursuing her own dreams.Rapp is often in the spotlight courtesy of her flourishing music career and highly influential social media presence, but her name is in even more headlines than usual right now thanks to her feature film debut, Mean Girls. After playing Regina George on Broadway, Rapp returns to the role for the new Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. directed film. Mean Girls 2024 holds tight to the 2004 original, incorporates a slew of songs from the musical, and manages to put its own fun, fresh spin on the narrative.In case you need the basics, Mean Girls follows homeschooled Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) after she moves back to the US from Kenya. Cady’s got absolutely no clue how to navigate the high school social scene, but fortunately, Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) swoop in to give Cady the lay of the land at North Shore High School, most importantly, a warning about The Plastics led by queen bee, Regina George (Rapp). Trouble is, the appeal of popularity proves too powerful. While on a secret mission to expose Regina as a “mean girl,” Cady starts to lose herself in the thrill of being at the top of the food chain and becomes a “mean girl” herself.With Mean Girls now playing in theaters nationwide, I got the chance to have a Collider Ladies Night chat with Rapp to discuss her journey with the Mean Girls franchise and where she gets her unflappable confidence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carla Gugino has been quietly amassing one of the most diverse bodies of work in Hollywood, and it’s about time that’s recognized. She’s got a disaster movie in San Andreas, loads of family-friendly adventure films including Race to Witch Mountain, Night at the Museum, and the Spy Kids movies, and she’s currently soaring in the horror space with projects like Gerald’s Game and The Haunting of Hill House. We’d be here all day if I listed everything, but do give her lengthy filmography a quick scan. I’d be willing to bet that in almost all cases, consecutive projects fall in different genres.Just recently, Gugino got the opportunity to show off a good deal of her seemingly limitless range in a single project, The Fall of the House of Usher. The stellar new Netflix series from Mike Flanagan and the “Flanafamily” focuses on Roderick and Madeline Usher, the extremely wealthy and powerful brother-sister duo pushing Fortunato Pharmaceuticals up and up while leaving a trail of dark secrets in their wake. They think they are untouchable, but when their heirs start dying one by one, they're forced to revisit past choices and reckon with Gugino’s character, Verna, or rather, “The Raven.”While Verna is often seen in human form, she’s not. As Gugino has explained in the past, “She’s not the devil. She’s not even evil.” She added, “You could say she’s the executor of fate or the executor of karma.” Just before their death, each Usher sees a manifestation of Verna, and each version is different. It’s a one-of-a-kind challenge and Gugino absolutely soars while tackling it, so much so that she was just honored with a Critics Choice Nomination for Best Actress in a Limited Series.In honor of that accolade, the success of The Fall of the House of Usher, and everything Gugino’s accomplished in film and television thus far, she joined me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation and offered up a closer look at how she did what many strive to do in Hollywood — avoid being “boxed in” and build a career with a wealth of unique creative opportunities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During our Collider Ladies Night interview, Maura Tierney emphasized that the role of Doris in The Iron Claw “was not an easy role,” which is plain to see in the finished product for a multitude of reasons. Not only is the new A24 film based on a staggeringly tragic true story, but, as a supporting actor in the movie, Tierney is also in a position where she must justify a number of a significant choices her character makes within a high-pressure family dynamic with minimal screen time. She does just that in the movie, delivering a performance that’s brimming with effective subtlety and subtext.The Iron Claw is inspired by the true story of the Von Erich family. They’re Texas professional wrestling royalty with their sights set on rising even higher in the sport, a goal that’s dashed by a string of deeply gut-wrenching personal tragedies.With The Iron Claw now playing in theaters nationwide, Tierney took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night interview to revisit her journey from early unforgettable credits including NewsRadio and ER to joining the cast of one of A24’s most anticipated releases of the year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We started the Pre-Party branch of Collider Ladies Night for artists like Aria Mia Loberti. The show is designed to highlight newer filmmakers who are undeniable stars and are bound to soar in this industry while changing it for the better both in front of and behind the lens. That is Loberti.Loberti is in the midst of celebrating her first professional acting role ever, a performance that earned her a Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards. She leads the Netflix limited series All the Light We Cannot See as Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French teenager who flees German-occupied Paris with her father (Mark Ruffalo) to live with her uncle (Hugh Laurie) in St. Malo where he transmits secret radio broadcasts as part of the resistance. When her father fails to return home, Marie continues the broadcasts herself, transmissions that continue to be highly valuable to the resistance and also serve as opportunities for Marie to try to reconnect with her father.In celebration of her work in All the Light We Cannot See, Loberti joined me for a Collider Ladies Night Pre-Party conversation to explain how she scored the role of a lifetime and how the series has given her an incredibly strong foundation as she moves forward with her wildly promising career in Hollywood.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.