Interview

Director

“Zootopia 2” Writer/Director Duo Jared Bush & Byron Howard on Assembling 697 Artisans for Their Historic Hit

"Animation really is a team sport, it's a community," says "Zootopia 2" co-writer and director Byron Howard. Howard and his partner on assembling 697 artisans across Los Angeles and Vancouver to create the top-grossing animated film in history

By Hugh Hart  |  February 5, 2026

Interview

Cinematographer

“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” DP Philip Lanyon on Balancing Franchise Legacy With a Youthful Visual Approach

Cinematographer Philip Lanyon, a veteran of "Star Trek: Discovery," "Picard," and "Strange New Worlds," brought a fresh visual approach to "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy," the Paramount+ series marking the franchise's 60th anniversary.

By Susannah Edelbaum  |  February 4, 2026

Interview

Actor, Director, Screenwriter

Writer/Director Kleber Mendonça Filho & Best Actor Nominee Wagner Moura on Their Oscar-Nominated Thriller “The Secret Agent”

The Secret Agent could make history: if it wins Best International Feature, Brazil would become the first country in 37 years to win back-to-back. Oscar nominees writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho & star Wagner Moura on using cinema, urban legends, and stop-motion to explore democracy's fragility.

By Loren King  |  February 3, 2026

Interview

Screenwriter

Oscar-Nominated “Hamnet” Co-Screenwriter Maggie O’Farrell on Adapting Her Novel with Chloé Zhao

Maggie O'Farrell on adapting her novel Hamnet with Chloé Zhao: "The first job was to reduce the 350-page book down to a 90-odd page screenplay. There's a lot of just distilling and distilling, but I learned a lot about cinematic language from Chloé." The result? 8 Oscar nominations.

By Su Fang Tham  |  February 2, 2026

Interview

Hair/Makeup

“Ghosts” Hair and Makeup Heads on Keeping the Beloved Show’s Spirits Looking Timeless

From a Viking explorer to a Jazz Age lounge singer, a Lenape storyteller to a 19th-century aristocrat, the ghosts of CBS's "Ghosts" span a millennium of history—and it's up to makeup department head Gillian Chandler and hair department head Jean Scarabin to bring them to life (or, rather, afterlife).

By Susannah Edelbaum  |  January 29, 2026

Interview

“Sinners” Oscar-Nominated Sound Mixer Chris Welcker on Rigging Michael B. Jordan’s Twin Conversations

How do you record Michael B. Jordan talking to Michael B. Jordan? "Sinners'" Oscar-nominated sound mixer Chris Welcker on capturing twin conversations, capturing Miles Caton's magical juke joint performance, and filming in Louisiana.

By Hugh Hart  |  January 28, 2026

Interview

Actor, Producer

“Shrinking” Star & Producer Jason Segel on Season 3’s Love Letter to Los Angeles

When wildfires swept through Pasadena and Altadena in January 2025, "Shrinking" lost sets, and cast and crew lost homes. But Jason Segel, the show's executive producer, co-creator, and star, was determined to keep production in the community that had welcomed the show for years.

By Simon Thompson  |  January 27, 2026

Interview

From “Dune” to “The Last of Us”: How Formosa Group Elevates Storytelling through Sound

How does Formosa Group power the sound behind "Anora," "Dune," "John Wick," and "The Last of Us"? COO Matt Dubin on nurturing talent, adapting post-COVID, and why California's film tax incentive matters. "Sound is a storytelling tool, not a final step."

By Daron James  |  January 27, 2026

Interview

Special/Visual Effects

“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”: How VFX Bloodied the Jimmys and Brought Samson to Life

VFX supervisor Dean Koonjul on creating invisible effects for Nia DaCosta's "28 YearsLater: The Bone Temple "from burning barns with real fire to evolving Samson's look across four makeup stages.

By Daron James  |  January 26, 2026

Interview

Director, Screenwriter

How “The Rip” Writer/Director Joe Carnahan Turned a Real Heist Into his Gripping Ben Affleck/Matt Damon Caper

“They’ve got to care about the people they’re watching. They have to have a rooting interest in the people on screen," says "The Rip" writer/director Joe Carnahan.

By Evelyn Lott  |  January 26, 2026

Interview

Special/Visual Effects

How Weta FX Brought the Villainous Ash People to Life in James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash”

Weta FX brought James Cameron's terrifying Ash People to life in #AvatarFireAndAsh—from Varang's war paint to the Nightwraith creature design. VFX supervisors Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett break it down.

By Daron James  |  January 21, 2026

Interview

Costume Designer

Shaker Style: Małgorzata Karpiuk on Designing Amanda Seyfried’s Dance-Ready Wardrobe for “The Testament of Ann Lee” in 6 Weeks

Małgorzata Karpiuk, costume designer for "The Testament of Ann Lee," explains how she designed dance-ready period costumes for Amanda Seyfried and a cast of hundreds—all while navigating rainstorms, multiple countries, and a tight budget.

By Matt Minton  |  January 21, 2026

Interview

Composer

“The Testament of Ann Lee” Composer Daniel Blumberg on Collaborating with Amanda Seyfried for a Transcendent Score

Composer Daniel Blumberg recorded live with Amanda Seyfried for The Testament of Ann Lee, adapting Shaker hymns and collaborating with choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall to define moments of worship. "We really wanted it to be in the room, like raw, so you could hear the live quality of the voice."

By Daron James  |  January 20, 2026

Interview

Hair/Makeup

“Stranger Things” Hair Designer Sarah Hindsgaul on Wigs, Grit, and Grounding Season 5’s Fantasy

"We went right into the action. The vanity has gone out of these people, even Steve." Sarah Hindsgaul, hair designer since Season 1, on how "Stranger Things" Season 5's grittier tone shaped Nancy, Steve, and the rest of Hawkins' final battle.

By Susannah Edelbaum  |  January 20, 2026

Interview

Actor, Director

Pilou Asbæk on Playing a Morally Compromised Cop in Prime Video’s “Snake Killer”

Pilou Asbæk on playing a deeply compromised cop in Snake Killer: "He isn't meant to be a role model—he's meant to be a reflection of how people justify their actions when systems start to fail." We go inside Prime Video's first Danish scripted original series.

By Etienne Finzetto  |  January 20, 2026

Interview

Editor

Editor Kirk Baxter on Syncing Three POVs Down to the Second in “A House of Dynamite” — Part 2

How do you edit the same 20-minute countdown three times without it feeling repetitive? Oscar winner Kirk Baxter breaks down the sound, pacing, and POV choices that made "A House of Dynamite" unbearably tense.

By Su Fang Tham  |  January 16, 2026

Interview

Editor

“A House of Dynamite” Editor Kirk Baxter on Sculpting Kathryn Bigelow’s Cinéma Vérité Nuclear Thriller

Editor Kirk Baxter on maintaining tension in Kathryn Bigelow's "A House of Dynamite" without exhausting the audience: "The actors slow down when the reality dawns on them, air gets sucked out of the room."

By Su Fang Tham  |  January 15, 2026

Interview

Screenwriter

Co-Writer Emily Mortimer on Balancing Agony and Hilarity in Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly”

"Jay Kelly" co-writer Emily Mortimer shares how months of conversation became a script about aging, regret, and finding one friend who matters.

By Hugh Hart  |  January 14, 2026

Interview

Director

“No Other Choice” Writer/Director Park Chan-wook on His Killer Instinct

Park Chan-wook spent 15 years adapting Donald Westlake's "The Ax" into "No Other Choice"—a darkly comic thriller about a fired executive who chooses vengeance as his next career move.

By Chris Koseluk  |  January 14, 2026

Interview

Production Designer

“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” Production Designer Stefania Cella on Her New Jersey Dream Tour

Bruce Springsteen's legacy is inseparable from New Jersey—so "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" filmed across 14 NJ municipalities, spending $42M over 31 days. Production designer Stefania Cella sourced a vintage carousel, recreated the Stone Pony, and got access to Bruce's vault.

By Su Fang Tham  |  January 14, 2026