Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

'Moonlight' Director Shuts Down Fans Who Said He's 'Too Good' To Direct 'Lion King' Prequel

Barry Jenkins; screenshot from 'Mufasa' trailer
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI; Disney

Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins offered a fiery response to fans who criticized his decision to direct the Disney prequel 'Mufasa: The Lion King' after he shared a teaser trailer for the upcoming film.

Barry Jenkins had some words for his critics on X, formerly Twitter.

The Oscar-winning director took to the social media platform to share a teaser trailer for Disney's upcoming Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, but the post was met with backlash from fans who criticized his decision to direct the film.


One follower replied to the Moonlight director:

“Barry, You’re too good and talented for this Iger’s soulless machine.”

Jenkins responded:

“There is nothing soulless about 'The Lion King.'"
"For decades children have sat in theaters all over the world experiencing collective grief for the first time, engaging Shakespeare for the first time, across aisles in myriad languages."
"A most potent vessel for communal empathy.”

Another fan then replied:

"Come on man. I interviewed you when you premiered Moonlight at TIFF, and that Barry Jenkins wouldn’t have said what you just said."
"You can do a Disney movie for the check, in order to work on your passion projects at a later time, but you don’t have to shill like this."

But Jenkins wasn't having it.

He proceeded to list "a few" things "that Barry Jenkins" worked on while he was writing Moonlight.

He included a nice intro, to boot:

"Bruh what kind of logic is that?"
"How about this, here are a few videos from the 'same Barry Jenkins who premiered Moonlight' (as you put it) showing some of the things I was doing in my spare time AT THE SAME TIME I was writing Moonlight."

Jenkins then informed his critics of those projects.




He wrapped up the shutdown:

"Children have figured prominently in every single one of the projects from Moonlight til' now without exception. Like... BRUH."
"You can say whatever you want about the film but telling ME that something I SAID about why something is meaningful to me for children is CAP?"
"Nah bruh"

Witnesses of this fiery exchange urged Jenkins to pay his critics no mind and encouraged him to continue pursuing the projects he's passionate about.










Mufasa: The Lion King comes out on December 20.

You can watch the trailer below.

More from News

Screenshot of Donald Trump
Fox News

Donald Trump Sparks Backlash After Blaming 'Diversity' Initiatives For Deadly DC Airline Crash

President Donald Trump was criticized for claiming baselessly that the deadly inflight collision at DCA Wednesday night happened because of "diversity" initiatives with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Last night, a regional jet collided with a U.S. Army helicopter at Washington’s Reagan National Airport, resulting in the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than 20 years. The crash claimed the lives of 67 people, including 60 passengers and 4 crew members aboard the American Airlines Bombardier.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anthony Mackie
MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images

Anthony Mackie Clarifies His Comments About 'Captain America' After Conservative Backlash

Marvel actor Anthony Mackie, who stars in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, cleared the air about his previous comments regarding his character not representing "America" that riled conservatives.

The 46-year-old American actor, who is reprising his Marvel character Sam Wilson–a.k.a. Captain America–in the new film, took to Instagram stories to state, "Let me be clear about this, I'm a proud American."

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Kansas Hit With One Of The Largest Tuberculosis Outbreaks In History—And Trump Is Making It Worse

Kansas is currently facing one of the largest tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks in history but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been unable to alert the public to the extent that it could, due to former President Donald Trump's "pause" on health agency communications.

TB is a bacterial infection primarily affecting the lungs, with active cases causing symptoms such as chest pain, coughing up blood, weight loss, and chills. When left untreated, it can be fatal. TB is contagious only when symptoms are present, but people with latent TB, who do not exhibit symptoms, cannot spread the infection.

Keep ReadingShow less
A table setting with a napkin of the American flag and the Statue of Liberty
silver fork and bread knife on white ceramic plate
Photo by Dyana Wing So on Unsplash

Europeans Explain Which Everyday American Things Seem Like Luxuries

It's easy for anyone to take for granted how lucky they are.

Many of us wish we were living in a larger home, had a more fulfilling or lucrative job, or wished our family would call us a little less frequently.

Keep ReadingShow less
Everyday English book
Ivan Shilov on Unsplash

Common Phrases That No Longer Make Sense With Modern Tech

Language evolves over time, but some idioms linger long after their original reference point is gone.

For example, the phrases "by hook or by crook" and "rule of thumb" date back to the 14th and 17th centuries respectively.

Keep ReadingShow less