Andy Serkis has a message for anyone demanding that his new "Lord of the Rings" movie check demographic boxes: he's not doing it. The actor and filmmaker, who will return as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum," told the BBC that the film's announced cast, every one of them white, […] The post Andy Serkis refuses to bow to diversity pressure over all-white cast in new Lord of the Rings film appeared first on American Almanac .
Andy Serkis has a message for anyone demanding that his new "Lord of the Rings" movie check demographic boxes: he's not doing it. The actor and filmmaker, who will return as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum," told the BBC that the film's announced cast, every one of them white, reflects the world J.R.R. Tolkien built, not a casting spreadsheet designed to satisfy progressive critics. The comments, reported by Variety on July 15 , landed in the middle of a culture-war fault line that has run through Hollywood's fantasy adaptations for years. And Serkis didn't flinch. What Serkis actually said Asked directly by the BBC why every announced cast member is white, Serkis pointed to the source material, not a…Open
Image: Siberia’s Summer Chill; Antarctica Drops Below -80C; The High Arctic’s Year Without A Summer?; BBC’s 2,700 Heat Deaths Exist Only In A Model; + Solar Lull Deepens Related: The real greenhouse effect is not [...]
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Opposition leader Olukemi "Kemi" Badenoch have thrown their support behind "Count Binface," the alter ego of a BBC contractor, in an election contest against Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Opposition leader Olukemi “Kemi” Badenoch have thrown their support behind “Count Binface,” the alter ego of a BBC contractor, in an election contest against Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has endorsed “Count Binface,” played by longtime BBC contractor Jonathan David Harvey, in a parliamentary by-election (special election) called by Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage. Following months of insinuations of financial wrongdoing, Farage preempted his opponents by standing down from his seat in the House of Commons in order to recontest it in a by-election and allow voters to render a verdict on his conduct. However, Starmer’s…Open
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) TV license sales dropped by over 500,000 last year, according to the corporation's annual report.
A new report has revealed that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is under mounting financial pressure due to declining TV license payments, as the British public increasingly turns elsewhere for news and entertainment . PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The TV Licence sales that fund the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) dropped by over 500,000 last year, according to the corporation’s annual report. DETAIL: According to the corporation’s annual report, the sale of TV Licences, which fund the BBC and are compulsory for anyone watching live television, even if none of it is BBC content, decreased by 540,000. The report also showed that 23.3 million licenses were active by the end of 2025/2026 financial year, while the number…Open
Britain's government is considering revamping the country's compulsory television license fee that funds the BBC by extending it to include households using paid streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.
Britain’s government is considering revamping the country’s compulsory television license fee that funds the BBC by extending it to include households using paid streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: British Culture, Media, and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has proposed expanding the compulsory TV License that funds the BBC to include households that use streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video. At present, Britons who watch live programs on television, their computer, or another device—even if none of it is BBC content—must purchase a license to fund the broadcaster, on pain of criminal fines backed by the threat of imprisonment, but people have increasingly been avoiding…Open
Welcome back to Good Life, a newsletter about navigating our modern culture and staying sane in the process. This week, we discuss what to do with government censorship when it comes for American companies. Enjoying this newsletter? Share it with your friends and family! And if you’re one of those friends or family members, you can sign up to get your own copy every week right here . The question on my mind this week is whether we should use the full weight of the federal government to protect U.S. tech companies from other countries’ dystopian laws. Here’s the deal. I don’t like it when people try to crack down on free speech or the free flow of information. Maybe it’s the American in me that hates it, but when I see British…Open
Dale Vince, a major donor to Britain's governing Labour Party, has pledged to back BBC contractor Jonathan David Harvey, a.k.a. "Count Binface," in a special election campaign against Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage.
Dale Vince, a major donor to Britain’s governing Labour Party, has pledged to back BBC contractor Jonathan David Harvey, a.k.a. “Count Binface,” in a special election campaign against Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Labour Party donor Dale Vince has offered financial support to “Count Binface,” the alter ego of BBC contractor Jonathan David Harvey, who plans to contest a parliamentary by-election (special election) against Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage. KEY QUOTE: “I want Binface to win, and I am prepared to support him—morally, verbally, and financially if that works for him.” – Dale Vince DETAIL: Farage, who has been facing a sustained, Trump-style campaign to undermine him…Open
Another week and another circus surrounds Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has been pursued by the nation’s political, media, and parliamentary establishments over private gifts he received, prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, as well as money he has earned being a spokesman for a gold bullion company.The press has hounded him for […]
Another week and another circus surrounds Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has been pursued by the nation’s political, media, and parliamentary establishments over private gifts he received, prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, as well as money he has earned being a spokesman for a gold bullion company. The press has hounded him for months, and this weekend saw the final straw for Farage, as Sky News journalists turned up at his daughter’s house while he was in the United States celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with the Vice President and Trump cabinet officials. Much like the circus of cases against President Trump, the allegations against Farage are entirely baseless. At worst, they accuse him of failing to file…Open
Labour's push to regulate social media during elections raises concerns over free speech and independent media in Britain.
The Labour Party is pushing to regulate social media ahead of elections, raising concerns for independent media and free speech in Britain. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Britain ’s ruling Labour Party is proposing new restrictions on social media during election campaigns, arguing that existing laws have failed to keep pace with the influence of online platforms, in yet another proposal to curb free speech online. Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell said millions of voters now get their news through social media feeds, complaining that this allows falsehoods, deepfakes, and coordinated misinformation to spread rapidly. DETAIL: Powell said a new Representation of the People Bill would extend some election-period “purdah” rules that…Open