- “Star Wars” Keeps Its Animation on the Dark Side (Literally) with “Maul – Shadow Lord” (April 6, 2026)
With the “Star Wars” galaxy now under the leadership of Lucasfilm president and former animator Dave Filoni, it’s only fitting that his era’s first output is an animated series that he created about a legacy fan-favorite character. That, of course, being Darth Maul, the thorn-riddled, red-and-black former Sith Lord (voiced by Sam Witwer) whose cutting defeat and subsequent journey to regaining his power (and a new set of legs back) during the Clone War era left fans wanting more. Filoni’s spin-off “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord,” made to finally answer how he rose back to power during the Empire’s early years, is as entertaining as it can be.
However, it also perpetuates my fears about Filoni and this new era of “Star Wars.”
“Shadow Lord” picks up one year after the Clone Wars, following the activation of Order 66 and the Empire’s occupation across the galaxy. The story takes place on Janix, a gray-paletted, neon-urbanized planet where the Empire has not yet arrived, but crime lords run rampant through a shadowy underbelly.
Maul, now a mob-boss-like leader of the criminal gang known as the Shadow Collective, works stealthily to rise back into power as a lord, first by seeking vengeance against those who wronged him. While raiding Janix’s local prison in pursuit of revenge on crime lord Looti Vario (Chris Diamantopoulos), Maul force-senses Devon (Gideon Adlon), a scrappy, dispossessed Twi’lek Jedi Padawan. Maul takes her in and, whilst working on his revenge plan, tries to incorporate another plan by convincing the unsure Jedi of her powers, in hopes of making her his apprentice.
Devon Izara (voiced by Gideon Adlon) in Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Meanwhile, an overworked local detective, Brander Lawson (a fantastic Wagner Moura), tries to keep order in Janix, hoping the Empire never touches down. His wife has separated from him and now works for the Empire, leaving Lawson to raise his teenage son, Rylee (Charlie Bushnell), while balancing work and fatherhood. But at the very least, he has the loyal, law-abiding, boot-fitted droid Two-Boots (an always-charming Richard Ayoade). When Devon’s Jedi Master, Eeko-Dio-Daki (Dennis Haysbert), asks Lawson for help finding his missing protégé, the detective springs into action and begins tracking Devon.
Animation has always been hit-or-miss for “Star Wars,” at least when made in-house at Lucasfilm. But “Shadow Lord” is visually the best the studio has produced to date. The familiar blocky character designs have been updated with light cel-shaded textures that complement the lush, watercolor-painted backdrops of its retro, neon-soaked metropolis. The art direction and even the detailing seem partly inspired by “Arcane” and “RoboCop,” adding a slight steampunk flair to the underworld that makes the visuals pop. While movement and expression can still feel slightly stilted, the show comes alive during snappy, kinetic action sequences that are beautifully animated and fun—feeling as cinematic as, and arguably more so than, some of its live-action feature counterparts.
Across the eight episodes out of the ten provided for review, it takes a long while for “Maul” to get interesting. The series is clearly made for Clone Wars die-hards who specifically wanted to see the former Sith Lord adapt to the Empire’s new world order.
Though I’m not deeply well-versed in the dense mythology of the “Star Wars” universe, especially regarding Maul himself, I appreciated how the show firmly plants interesting new characters—specifically Moura’s Lawson. His dual plot of trying to maintain order while harboring a sheer disdain for the Empire made for an engaging time, especially when the inevitable happens.
However, Maul suffers from a major problem: it provides no interesting depth for the titular character. He mostly functions as a puppeteer, always one step ahead of his oppressors with a cunning, smug look and dialogue. The series fails to make the execution of his plan interesting because there are no real obstacles until the plot conveniently requires them much later. The show only exacerbates that by showcasing his fundamental issue—he’s not much of an interesting character beyond his insane aura.
(L-R): Devon Izara (voiced by Gideon Adlon) and Maul (voiced by Sam Witwer) in Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: MAUL – SHADOW LORD, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. © 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
There’s an interesting idea in his attempt to corrupt Devon, a neutral but good-hearted Padawan with somewhat inconsistent characterization, into becoming his new apprentice. Witwer and Adlon have great voice chemistry, and you can feel Adlon’s struggle as Devon navigates her situation. But the writing is so concerned with maintaining Maul’s sinister persona that it gives no insight into what’s going on with him internally—especially given the timeline’s focus on a new political regime he once swore his heart to. The show doesn’t even showcase any conflict, like a struggle to maintain his mercenaries’ trust while perhaps bonding with Devon.
To be fair, “Shadow Lord” is a thrilling romp that adds at least a few decent new characters —all bolstered by an exceptional voice cast who bring lively spirit to the project. That said, its solid, kinetic nature restricts it from taking any chances. None of that depth is really present until the back half, where the show starts to sense the Force and offers some solid character work for the titular lead.
This is something I’ve felt has plagued some of Filoni’s previous projects, and it fuels my fears for the future. It often feels like playing with toys in a chest—more interested in maintaining fans’ perception of a character than in exploring them in depth. Especially after the sharp “Andor”—a show he reportedly disliked—provided deeper insight into its vast set of characters who have been introduced for not even a full decade at this point. While Maul’s popcorn storytelling works well for animation and serves Clone Wars fans nicely, I do hope this approach doesn’t carry over into future live-action projects, where servicing fans might take priority over taking bold new swings in this vast universe.
Maybe this young Padawan needs patience to see what the future holds. But right now, “Maul” is a solid start—just one that leaves me with a little trepidation and concern.
Eight episodes of ten screened for review. New episodes air Mondays on Disney+.
- “The Boys” Remains the Most Pressing Superhero Show of Our Time With Electric Final Season (April 6, 2026)
In recent years, tentpole television has played it painstakingly safe with its final seasons. Instead of pushing boundaries and leaving dedicated viewers with something worthwhile to chew on, shows like “Stranger Things” and even “Game of Thrones” have relied on tired tropes, resulting in these shows being remembered for lackluster finales stifled by unambitious writing that feels, quite frankly, afraid. “The Boys” has always felt like a show willing to alienate its viewers to maintain its authenticity, killing characters by the dozen and forcing its audience to sit with uncomfortable truths about our reality.
With its fifth and final season, the series doubles down on its brashness, so much so that it feels as if the invisible veil between our television screens and the world we inhabit grows thinner with each episode.
As it ended, season four of Prime’s superhero series felt like it was at a narrative standstill. The majority of the show’s good guys get kidnapped or are forced to flee into hiding, and Homelander (Antony Starr) ascends to a level of power that he previously had not been able to achieve. While it seemed hope might be lost, it immediately becomes clear that these narrative choices aren’t a hole the writers have trapped themselves in; they are a stepping stone our characters need to reach their final forms.
Hughie (Jack Quaid), MM (Laz Alonso), and Frenchie (Tomer Capone) reside as prisoners in a Vought detention center, while Annie (Erin Moriarty) has become a vigilante, and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) has been deported to the Philippines. Just when it feels like the group may not see each other again, they’re quickly brought back together by an almost unrecognizable Butcher (Karl Urban).
Tomer Capone (Frenchie), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko), Karl Urban (Billy Butcher), Erin Moriarty (Annie January aka Starlight), Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell)
In the time that has passed in the show’s timeline, all of our characters have been forced to shift into different versions of themselves. “The Boys” has always been a show that gives its actors challenging material, but this season takes the cake, as outside forces press each of them to make necessary yet complicated changes to their relationships and morals.
Both Annie and Butcher are determined to stop Homelander, but as the two begin to work together, they are drawn into increasingly darker methods that could help them achieve their goals, feeding off each other’s pain as if it’s the only thing that sustains them. On the other hand, Hughie and Kimiko still care about helping the innocent people caught in the crossfire of each of their missions, further straining the already fragile bond this ragtag group has formed.
As the heroes of this story slowly begin to pull away from each other, thankfully, so do their foes. Using the call of religion, Vought has started to infiltrate the country with televised sermons calling for the eradication of Annie’s supporters and anybody who would stand in Homelander’s way. The religious psychosis that grips the American people slowly begins to take root in the mind of the show’s villain, who becomes plagued with gleaming visions of Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue) as his deteriorating mental state begins to manifest a horrific messiah complex.
While the show’s villain has always had an ego, what takes shape here is so bizarre it almost feels laughable. But, as ridiculous as these plot points have gotten over the years, the show’s cast always sells it, and as usual, Starr does so with so much reverence that it’s impossible to look away from.
Karl Urban (Billy Butcher)
Season five of “The Boys” and the characters it is helmed by often feel like they have reached the height of absurdity. Bodies explode into splashes of guts and gore, sea-creatures take up arms against The Deep (Chace Crawford), and there’s an entire episode split into quarters following various characters on the exact same day.
Yet, right off the bat, this series, which has always aptly held up a mirror to the world its viewers live in, continues to strikingly reflect the chaotic reality we find ourselves navigating. The series isn’t trying to pat itself on the back for its political consciousness or brash humor. Instead, it allows its flawed and fascinating characters to inhabit a world not so different from our own, forcing them to endure tribulations that the burgeoning revolutionaries in our world have to face.
As the stakes rise and the series darkens, the most fascinating versions of the show’s characters begin to take shape. Each of them teeters on the edge between archetypal saviors and morally ambiguous anti-heroes who are willing to use their own bodies and those of their loved ones as instruments to enact vengeance and justice. The shifts they and the series take not only deepen each character arc, but also allow a show that sometimes feels too humorous for its own good to tackle ideas of hero worship and revolutionary acts of violence.
“The Boys” has never been afraid to take risks; with this final season, they up the ante, forcing their audience to confront the morality (and mortality) of these beloved characters, as well as the world they live in, which has turned out to be not so different from our own.
Seven episodes were screened for review.
- Hope-Core: Daniel Pemberton on Composing “Project Hail Mary” (April 6, 2026)
Composer Daniel Pemberton says that the most challenging score of his career was the one he created for “Project Hail Mary,” re-teaming with “Spider-Verse” directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. In an interview, Pemberton talked about creating a consistent theme that included different moods to support the scenes on earth and in space, human and alien, comic, exciting, and tender. That included some unusual instruments and sounds, from a rare 1950s instrument made of glass to a squeaky faucet and a bunch of children clapping and stomping for percussion.
The film takes place on Earth and in space, with distinct visual cues separating them, including changes in aspect ratio. How does the score help separate the locations?
There are bits with the music where I’m very conscious of delivering a huge widescreen IMAX-scale score in moments. But then there are other bits where it is quite intimate. And there are different tones, that mix of humor with the grand majesty of space and awe and wonder. That is not something that often happens in sci- fi. Sci- fi is often quite cold. One of the great challenges of this film was jumping between many different ideas and moods while still maintaining continuity and keeping it interesting. Chris and Phil wanted it to be positive. They called it “hopecore.“
Composer Daniel Pemberton.
It must have been nice to work with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller again. What was your first conversation with them about this movie like?
We talked about making something that felt very organic and connected to the earth and the universe, so we wanted to create sounds that were tactile, like wood, metal, glass, and water. We wanted to construct a sound world that didn’t rely as heavily on traditional sounds as a normal film score. They were very keen on trying to score the entire film on one woodblock. But I pointed out that might not work for a two-and-a-half-hour movie.
You had some very unusual instruments, including human bodies as percussion.
We were really keen to connect it back to earth and back to humanity. So we talked a lot about using the human body as much as possible. There is the kind of obvious stuff, which is the voice, which is used very heavily. solo sopranos and a lot of manipulated voice work, and experimental voice work. And yes, there’s a lot of percussion. It is actually a bunch of school kids from Wells Cathedral School who have a percussion course. I roped them in. Because Grace is a teacher, I thought it’d be fun to get a whole bunch of school kids singing. They do a lot of stomping, clapping, and body-slapping.
And one of the “instruments” on the soundtrack is a squeaky faucet?
Yes, there is a squeaky tap that is a big part of this score. A friend of mine has a big, old country house. I was staying there, and it had an en suite bathroom. I went to brush my teeth. I turned the tap on, and because it is such an old house, it just made this horrific noise, and I was like, “That is really interesting,” because anytime I find a good noise, I am like, “Okay, there is something there.” The squeaky pipes and the water, recorded on my phone, are a really cool tone because it’s actually very pure, almost like a sine wave. But it’s got imperfections, which for me is a lot about the universe, which is beautiful but imperfect. Electronic music is often quite clean and perfect. It’s very square and ordered, but the universe is not like that. I was trying to capture as much as I could of this organic feeling of variation and mutation within the score.
And what is a cristal baschet?
It’s an amazing instrument from the 1950s with all these glass rods. It looks amazing. It’s almost like a synthesizer, and it is completely organic, all about touch, water, glass, and metal. It became a big part of the score. We got a really great player called Thomas Bloch, whom I’ve worked with a couple of times before. He’s an amazing cristal baschet player. Again, it’s trying to pull these sounds in that are unusual and unexpected, because I really wanted the palette to feel unlike scores you’d heard before, pulling different ideas in, which made it very complicated and challenging to write. But if you are trying to write a score that you don’t know where you are going, in a way, it felt a bit like being on the Hail Mary spaceship.
So, it’s kind of like playing with your finger on wine glasses with different levels of water?
Yeah, it’s a bit like a wine glass. There is also a glass harmonica, which is more like playing on a wine glass.
Most of the movie is just two characters, a human and an alien with super-hearing and a musical language.
When Rocky comes in, that’s the first time we really introduced this slightly more electronic, manipulated vocal work. I did a lot of early research and development with singers, voices, and noises. I built sample engines where I could play something expressively. For Rocky, we started introducing them in ways where the sounds are manipulated so they feel unusual and alien, but still have a connection to the voice, because so much is about communication between two different characters. I wanted the alien-like sort of tone to feel familiar because they have found a way to communicate. But I still wanted it to feel strange, not what you’d experienced as a voice. There are these manipulated vocal sounds, and then they all blend together throughout the movie.
I especially want to mention the score for the funeral scene. It was very moving.
I really wanted people to connect to the humanity of the story. I think we all really wanted to pull people back into a world of hope and belief in other people. And that moment for me was very important for that because you’re looking at people who’ve sacrificed their lives for the good of the rest of the planet and the fragility of life. I just really wanted to capture the beauty of that, really.
What is the best part about working with Phil and Chris?
They have a fantastic ability to push the idea of films as far as they can go. I love their enthusiasm for trying to make something new and different, which is the enthusiasm I have. You can see it in all their movies. There’s so much love, attention to detail, and care that go into them. That permeates across everyone who works on those projects, from story to editor to costume design to sound, and hopefully to music.
What are you doing next?
I just did a movie called “The Drama.” That’s the furthest away in terms of complexity. “Project Hail Mary” is one of the most complicated scores I’ve ever done in my life. “The Drama” is one of the simplest, just three flutes, nothing else. And then I’m just almost finished on “Masters of the Universe,” which is the new He- Man movie. It is going to really surprise people because I don’t think they realize how much fun they’re going to have seeing that movie in the cinema.
- Season 2 of “Your Friends & Neighbors” Serves Another Course of Hamm-Flavored Suburban Malaise (April 3, 2026)
Jon Hamm’s impressively varied and prolific career outside of “Mad Men” has leaned heavily into roles where he’s enforcing the law, breaking it, or doing both at once. Whether Hamm is playing FBI agents in “The Town,” “Bad Times at the El Royale” and “Richard Jewell,” a police chief in “Maggie Moore(s),” criminals in “Baby Driver” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” or corrupt lawmen in “No Sudden Move” and Season 5 of “Fargo,” he’s never less than compelling—delivering layered and authentic character actor work in a leading man’s visage.
In the slick, sudsy, and entertaining Apple TV series “Your Friends & Neighbors,” Hamm has one of his best roles yet as the hedge fund manager turned high-end cat burglar Andrew “Coop” Cooper. If you start digging into the plot machinations and the decisions made by the wealthy, status-consumed, and often terrible characters in this series, you’ll be rolling your eyes at the glossy absurdity of it all. From the get-go, I decided to just go with it—and I’ve gobbled up every episode of a series that plays like a spiritual sequel of sorts to the 1968 Burt Lancaster vehicle “The Swimmer”—which was based on a short story by John Cheever, and the works of Cheever and John Updike often come to mind as influences on this material.
Dark humor and painful melancholy permeate the lives of these affluent, privileged people who almost never appreciate their good fortune, as they’re too busy wallowing in existential crises of their own making. And yes, we feel a sense of schadenfreude watching them turn on one another as if they’re in an upper-class suburban enclave version of “Lord of the Flies.”
Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV)
Season 2 of “Your Friends & Neighbors” finds Coop exonerated on murder charges and welcomed back into the (fictional) Westmont Village world of country clubs, charity balls, lavish brunches, gossiping by the pool, pulling strings to get your kid into Princeton, and fancy cocktail parties. Still, instead of re-entering the legitimate (at least on the surface) world of investment strategy and risk management, Coop is doubling down on the B&E game, partnering with Aimee Carrero’s savvy and resourceful housekeeper Elena.
With Elena parked nearby, posing as a ride-share driver and serving as lookout, Coop sneaks into his neighbors’ homes, pockets obscenely pricey items, and fences them to the hilariously acerbic Lu Varga, played by the great Randy Danson. (Starting in Season 1, we’ve often heard Hamm’s smooth pitchman delivery in voice-over as he describes an item he’s purloining, using descriptive phrasing that sounds like collectible or jewelry-porn, e.g., “The Richard Mille Felipe Massa automatic chronograph with a signature rose gold and titanium skeleton and flyback function goes for upwards of $225,000…”)
Coop’s relationship with ex-wife Mel (Amanda Peet, deftly handling one giant emotional arc after another) remains…complicated. Lena Hall is a standout as Coop’s sister, Ali, a talented singer/guitarist who lives with bipolar disorder. The subplots involving Coop’s children, particularly daughter Tori (a very good Isabel Gravitt), feel like unnecessary diversions – especially when there’s so much juicy stuff going on with the adult characters. Notable returnees include Olivia Munn as Sam, who is now a pariah in the community after trying to frame Coop for murder, and Hoon Lee as Coop’s best pal, Barney Choi, who can’t seem to catch a break.
Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV)
Just as a pennant-contending ball club strengthens its position in the off-season by acquiring a slugger, “Your Friends…” ups its game with the addition of James Marsden as the brash and manic Owen Ashe, who has more money than even the richest of the rich denizens of Westmont Village. (Marsden seems to be everywhere these days, and isn’t that fantastic?) Ashe introduces himself to the town by throwing a party that Jay Gatsby might have deemed over-the-top, and soon becomes enmeshed in the lives of Coop, Barney, NBA star-turned-TV analyst and gym owner Nick (Mark Tallman), and Sam, among others.
Getting into bed with Ashe, literally or figuratively, is instantly tempting—but there’s something unnerving about this guy. He’s either going to become the best friend you ever had, or your worst nightmare, or a little of both. Marsden is a force in portraying a dashing, charismatic, powerful, and possibly dangerous man.
One of the things I love about this series is Coop being something of a cinephile. He has framed posters in his home, “Psycho” and “Vertigo”—two Hitchcock films about people who aren’t what they seem to be. (To put it mildly.) Coop goes to revival houses to see the likes of “Night of the Hunter” and “Kiss Me Deadly,” and sinks into his sofa late at night to sip Scotch and watch old films. In Season 2, he opens a boxed edition of a 1970s horror classic, complete with a toy prop; there’s also a nod to a certain Michael Mann film that feels almost too spot-on. This man is the star of the movie of his own life, which veers from thriller to sexy romance to dark comedy.
The unsubtle yet effective symbolism extends to the visuals; we get a LOT of scenes, some of them dreams, with characters literally under water, and boy does Coop always seem to be under water, in hot water. “Your Friends & Neighbors” works as an upper-class crime story, a biting and insightful satire of the rich and infamous, and a portrait of a man who sometimes narrates his own story, always starting with, “This is what happens…” It’s as if Coop is constantly surprised by how his life has turned out, even though he’s the one at the steering wheel.
- Join Us for the Inaugural FECK Awards Gala This Saturday, April 4th (April 2, 2026)
In this world seemingly full of turmoil, do you wish you could meet people who are unusually Forgiving, Empathetic, Empathetic, Compassionate and Kind? Then join us for The Inaugural FECK Awards this Saturday, April 4th, at the Ritz Carlton Water Tower Place, Chicago. We are celebrating individuals and/or organizations who embody those transformative values. Chosen from hundreds of nominations by a philanthropic Panel of Judges after a national search, I am thrilled to be hosting the evening alongside veteran news anchor Robin Robinson.
Joining me as presenters are actors Nicholas and Pamela Guest, Fulbright scholar Douglas Arnell Williams, and Josibiah Smith, my compassionate son. Live musical performances will be delivered throughout the evening by award-winning international vocalists Tammy McCann and Calvin Bridges. You’ll also hear the FECK Theme, by Tosha Marie, included below.
The FECK Awards were inspired by the principles outlined in my book It’s Time to Give a FECK: Elevating Humanity Through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness. These accolades are more than a typical award; they are a call to action, honoring everyday heroes and leaders whose actions help build a more humane, understanding, and compassionate world.
Congratulations to our 2026 winners, starting with Azim Khamisa and the Tariq Khamisa Foundation from San Diego, California, who embody the transformative value of FORGIVENESS. After his son Tariq was tragically killed in 1995 during a gang initiation robbery, Azim made the extraordinary choice to forgive the teenage offender responsible. Instead of allowing grief to turn into hatred, Azim partnered with the young man’s grandfather, Ples Felix, to found the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, dedicated to stopping youth violence. For more than three decades, the organization has reached more than two million young people through programs that promote accountability, forgiveness, and nonviolence.
Our recipient whose story exudes the value of EMPATHY, is Melvin Parson from Ypsilanti, Michigan. He founded the We the People Growers Association and We the People Opportunity Farm, which have transformed lives through urban agriculture and second-chance employment. After experiencing incarceration, homelessness, and addiction earlier in life, Parson built a program that created dignified jobs and workforce training through soil-changing opportunities, growing and selling fresh farm foods, and creating the Good Soil Café. This helped formerly incarcerated individuals to foster understanding, opportunity, and healing while reducing recidivism. Just as we were about to inform Mr. Parson of his award, we learned that he passed away earlier this month, on March 5th. His work lives on.
Jayera Griffin of Riverdale, Illinois, is this year’s award recipient best representing the principle of COMPASSION. She began serving her community at just 14 years old by organizing free laundry days so students could have clean clothes for school. Now 22 and graduating from Western Illinois University in 2026 with plans to become an elementary school teacher, Griffin continues to lead initiatives that support and uplift her community, including organizing CPR and AED training for young people, collecting clothing for seniors, and organizing school supply drives and holiday programs for neighborhood families.
Last but certainly not least is our winner who embodies KINDNESS, David Ludlow Jr., of South Elgin, Illinois. He was born with Down Syndrome, and now at age 35, demonstrates the profound impact one person’s generosity can have. Each year, he saves his earnings to purchase toys for his local fire district’s Toys for Tots drive. In 2025 alone, he donated nearly 100 toys, inspiring an outpouring of additional donations from the community. At Rising Lights Project, a learning space for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, Luplow is known for his quiet acts of kindness that inspire a ripple effect in the community.
A huge thank you to our distinguished judges Jane Borton, David Hirsch, Jason Delanee Lee, Yvonne Huff Lee, Mary O’Donohue, Laura Podlesny, Josibiah Smith, Jacqueline Stewart, Christine Swanson, Michael Swanson, Lou Weisbach, and Joyce Winnecke.
I would also like to highlight our Honorable Mentions in each category, starting with Forgiveness: Judge Kathleen Coffey, founder of the Homeless Court at Boston’s Pine Street Inn, in Boston, Massachusetts. Each month for 15 years before retiring in late 2025, Judge Coffey transformed a room at the Pine Street Inn homeless shelter into a courtroom where people experiencing homelessness, facing misdemeanors, nonviolent felonies, or default warrants, could come before her to be heard and have their cases adjudicated, allowing individuals to rebuild self-respect through employment, housing, and other opportunities.
Our Honorable Mentions in the categories of Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness are:
–The Cancer Cartel in Enumclaw, Washington. Founded by three remarkable cancer survivors (Warriors), Kerry Solmonsen, Katy Tinney-Olson, and Shelly Tinney-Miller, this national non-profit was born from their firsthand experience of how wellness and financial considerations can be at odds. In its Mission Statement, it states: “Cancer Cartel provides financial resources to cancer Warriors.” We want anyone in the battle against cancer to be able to focus all of their energy on getting well and not on how much having cancer is costing them. From gas money to groceries, power bills to mortgage payments, we are fighting to tear down financial barriers to wellness. (They depend on grants, strategic partnerships, and donations, which are passed directly to cancer Warriors, and all operating costs are underwritten.)
–Michael Airhart, founder of Chicago’s Taste for the Homeless. Airhart’s nonprofit provides services to help homeless people and those living in shelters become contributing citizens by providing hot meals, clothing, hygiene items, and social services. He said it is a calling for him, as he could not just walk past people in need without helping. His organization has grown with the aid of many kind people who are attracted to his goodness.
–Hector and Diane Corona are the founders of City Kids Camp in Chicago. It is a free summer camp for children from economically disadvantaged communities, allowing them to experience a true outdoor adventure in a peaceful environment. They recognized the healing power of nature, just allowing kids to be kids, away from the cares of the city.
These descriptions are but a thumbnail introduction of what each of the Winners and Honorable Mentions bring to the world. On April 4th, when we celebrate these everyday heroes in person and introduce them to each other, our inaugural honorees will show what it truly means to “give a FECK.” Their stories remind us that each of us has the power to uplift others and help create a kinder and more compassionate world.
Join us for an inspiring evening of storytelling, celebration, and community, honoring these remarkable individuals and the values they represent. Reception begins at 6 pm CT, followed by dinner and the awards show at 6:30 pm CT.
For full event details and to order tickets, visit GiveAFECK.com.
- Glorious New IMAX 70mm Tickets Trailer for 'Dune: Part Three' Sequel (April 6, 2026)
"I'm not afraid to die... But I must not die – yet." Book your 70mm tickets now! Warner Bros has launched a new 30-second promo trailer for Dune: Part Three, which is ready for release in December 2026 at the end of this year. This is to hype up the debut of the first batch of 70mm IMAX tickets – they're selling them extremely early. (Like they did with Nolan's The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm, too.) The story follows Muad'dib, heir to unimaginable power, as he brings to fruition the ancient scheme to create a superbeing ruler among men, not in the heavens. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Villeneuve and Brian K. Vaughan, Dune: Part Three is based on the novel "Dune Messiah" by Frank Herbert and delivers the epic conclusion to Villeneuve's epic trilogy. Even darker, even more twisted, even more brutal than before as Maud'Dib deals with his legacy. The sci-fi movie sequel stars Timothée Chalamet returning as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Isaach De Bankolé as Farok, Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, with Charlotte Rampling, Robert Pattinson as Scytale, and Javier Bardem; featuring newcomers Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke. This trailer has a few more glimpses of extra footage not seen in the first teaser so far. And it looks glorious! So epic! I cannot wait for this - only 8 more months until it's on the big screen in front of our eyes. // Continue Reading ›
- Grand Finale Trailer for 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Fashion Comedy (April 6, 2026)
"I just... love my job!" 20th Century Studios has unveiled their grand finale trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2, the next long-awaited legacy sequel out at the start of May. Who's ready to party in Milano?! This sequel follows Miranda Priestly's continued struggles against Emily Charlton, her former assistant turned into rival exec, as they compete for advertising revenue amidst declining print media while Miranda nears retirement. Everyone is back! Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return in The Devil Wears Prada 2, with the same director – David Frankel – and writer Aline Brosh McKenna, too. Plus an all-new runway of characters this time including Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak & Conrad Ricamora. And Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman also reprise their roles as Lily & Irv from the first film. The original The Devil Wears Prada opened in 2006 and was a huge hit worldwide – so it's a celebration of its 20th Anniversary this year. They're all-out promoting this hoping it will be the very first summer smash hit when it debuts in theaters this May. Looks like a fun time with everyone back. // Continue Reading ›
- Andy Serkis' 'Animal Farm' Cautionary Tale Animated Movie Trailer #2 (April 6, 2026)
"Our dream was becoming a nightmare..." Angel Studios has just debuted a second trailer for the animated version of the classic story Animal Farm - playing in theaters nationwide on May 1st. The full title from the studio is Animal Farm — A Cautionary Tail. This has been adapted before and made into movies, this time it's a 3D animated comedy from the English motion-capture master / filmmaker Andy Serkis. He explains more: "Orwell's Animal Farm has never felt more relevant. In an age where power, propaganda, & inequality shape our societies, it's vital that we remember his cautionary tale. This [movie] isn't just a story for entertainment — it's a reminder that democracy, freedom, and integrity are fragile, and must be watched over. My hope is that audiences walk away moved, thoughtful, and inspired to stand up for the values that matter." With the voices of Seth Rogen as Napoleon, Gaten Matarazzo as Lucky, Steve Buscemi as Mr. Whymper, Glenn Close as Freida Pilkington, Laverne Cox as Snowball, Kieran Culkin as Squealer, Woody Harrelson as Boxer, Jim Parsons as Carl the sheep, Andy Serkis as Mr. Jones & Randolph the Rooster, Kathleen Turner as Benjamin the donkey, and Iman Vellani as piglets Puff and Tammy. This is a better trailer than the first one last year - I just hope it's actually a good movie in the end. Will you watch? // Continue Reading ›
- Tatiana Maslany in 'Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed' First Look Teaser (April 6, 2026)
"You have no idea who you're dealing with." Apple TV has revealed the first teaser trailer for a mini-series titled Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, a thriller dark comedy about a newly-divorced momma. "Cam Boys. Blackmail. Divorce. Soccer practice." Created by TV writer David J. Rosen, this series will debut for streaming starting in May this summer on Apple TV. Starring Tatiana Maslany as Paula. Newly divorced mom Paula falls down a rabbit hole of blackmail, murder and youth soccer; convinced she witnessed a crime, while struggling through a custody battle and an identity crisis, Paula begins her own investigation. "One that could unravel a greater conspiracy while also holding the keys to rebuilding her family and sense of self." The cast includes Jake Johnson, Dolly de Leon, Charlie Hall, Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg, Jessy Hodges, and Jon Michael Hill. With episodes directed by acclaimed filmmaker David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Your Highness, Prince Avalanche, newest Halloween trilogy). This looks like a streaming series version of If I Had Legs I'd Kick You crossed with a scary modern crime thriller. Why not? // Continue Reading ›
- Another Trailer for New Adaptation of 'Lord of the Flies' by Jack Thorne (April 6, 2026)
"Who are you anyway?" Netflix has debuted their own official trailer for Lord of the Flies, a new mini-series based on the iconic book of the same name. It was made by BBC and is being released in the US in May on Netflix. BBC says it's "truthful to the original novel" – set in the early 1950s on an unnamed Pacific island – Jack Thorne's adaptation delves further into the book’s emotive themes; human nature, the loss of innocence and boyhood masculinity." A classic story reborn for television - Lord of the Flies is the story of a group of young schoolchildren who find themselves stranded on a tropical island with no adults, where civilisation turns to violence and chaos. An ensemble cast of over 30 boys in this adaptation, many making professional acting debuts, features: Winston Sawyers as Ralph, Lox Pratt as Jack, David McKenna as Piggy and Ike Talbut as Simon. They are joined by fellow castaways including Thomas Connor as Roger, Noah & Cassius Flemyng as twins Sam & Eric, Cornelius Brandreth as Maurice, and Tom Page-Turner as Bill. This looks intense! And they're really playing up the "from the writer of Adolescence" angle meaning it'll be more brutally honest commentary about how totally screwed up many boys are these days. // Continue Reading ›
