Apple TV just casually dropped the first look at Seth Rogen‘s new show about the decay of Hollywood, and we can’t get enough of Martin Scorsese‘s seconds-long cameo.

The series, titled The Studio, is jam-packed with stars in what will certainly be a story heavy with meta-commentary. The involvement of one of the greatest directors of all time and one of cinema’s biggest champions, then, is pitch-perfect — especially since he’s so critical of “theme park”-type media.

Though, let’s be real here for a second, what else do you call a show with Kathryn Hahn, Anthony Mackie, Bryan Cranston, Paul Dano, Catherine O’Hara, Zac Efron, Zoë Kravitz, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Charlize Theron, and Ron Howard in its cast? I mean, sorry, Marty, but that’s definitely my kind of theme park.

We don’t know yet the extent of Scorsese’s role, but we do know Rogen is playing fictional newly-appointed studio head Matt Remick, who must battle “narcissistic artists,” “craven corporate overlords,” and his “own insecurities” for the increasingly impossible task of making great movies, per the official logline. It doesn’t seem like he’s doing that great of a job, however, seeing as the legendary filmmaker is featured in the trailer calling him “talentless” and “spineless”.

From the frenetic teaser, The Studio promises a Sorkian kind of adrenaline, paired with Rogan’s signature brand of earnest comedy. “At Continental [Studios, the Hollywood company at the heart of the series] we don’t make artsy, fartsy films. We make movies. MOOOVIES!” Cranston’s character tells Rogen’s Matt at one point. The line mirrors Scorsese’s vocal criticism of the current business model in Hollywood. Specifically, the prevalence of sprawling action franchises like Marvel, which undoubtedly put people in theater seats, but do little in the way of advancing the medium.

“The danger there is what it’s doing to our culture, because there are going to be generations now that think movies are only those — that’s what movies are,” the Goodfellas filmmaker told GQ last year. He called the flashy productions “manufactured content” that looks like it could have been made by “AI.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t have incredible directors and special effects people doing beautiful artwork. But what does it mean? What do these films, what will it give you? Aside from a kind of consummation of something and then eliminating it from your mind, your whole body, you know? So what is it giving you? (…) You gotta say something with a movie. Otherwise, what’s the point of making it? You’ve got to be saying something.”

The premise of The Studio is almost, word for word, an exploration of Scorsese’s anxieties. Rogen seems to be projecting them into a future where the Safdies and the Nolans of the world, whom the acclaimed director calls on to “save cinema” in that same interview, have lost the battle against empty tent-poles. The crossover, then, holds plenty of potential.

Martin Scorsese is actually an underrated actor

Though the 82-year-old is famous for his work behind the camera, lauded as arguably the greatest director of all time, he’s actually got quite the natural talent for acting, and he’s proved it throughout the years.

Who could forget him as Travis Bickle’s enger in Taxi Driver, as Vincent van Gogh in fellow genius Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, or as the radio show producer in Killers of the Flower Moon‘s incredible ending sequence? His most famous role, of course, is henchman Sykes the Pufferfish in Dreamworks’ Shark Tale, as these tweets will tell you.

Apart from what will undoubtedly be a delicious cameo and sharing in the show’s ideals, Scorsese doesn’t have any other involvement in The Studio. Star Rogen is the main creative behind it, also writing, directing, and executive producing it, alongside frequent collaborator and fellow Canadian Evan Goldberg. This is the comic’s first time in the director’s chair since 2019. He previously directed episodes of AMC’s Preacher, Hulu’s Future Man, and Showtime’s Black Monday.

The Studio arrives on Apple TV Plus on March 26, 2025.

There are a good dozen neighbors on the blocks surrounding me who I know by name, but nary a one of them is human. I’m on a first-name basis with Penny, the French Bulldog across the street, and I get better acquainted with Ginger, Ava, and Laverne each day.

Their owners? Not so much. I am vaguely aware of their identities — is it Stove who lives across the street? — but I, like TikToker Billy McCartney (@billy_mccartney), am far more concerned with the dogs around me than their owners.

Thus far, this hasn’t led me (overly) astray. Sure, its awkward when I accidentally call Pam by her Boxer’s name (Peaches), but at least I’ve never breezed straight past a celebrity because I was so fixated on their dog. 

McCartney is not so lucky. The TikToker, comedian, actor, and “layabout” works at a movie studio, which means he rubs elbows with stars somewhat frequently. Sometimes even he doesn’t realize who he’s speaking with, however, leading to situations like the one that recently unfolded between McCartney and a widely-popular comedic star. 

The TikToker was just going about his day when his eyes caught sight of an incoming dog. Completely unconcerned about the actual human attached to the other end of the leash, McCartney immediately fixated on said dog, and didn’t interact with its owner other than to offer a compliment and a request to pet. Once that request was approved, McCartney spared no more attention for the human, enjoyed a nice lil pet sesh with the starring doggo, and went on his way.

It wasn’t until a co-worker approached him and asked after the conversation that McCartney realized who he was speaking to. That throaty “heh heh” should have been enough to clue us all in, but how McCartney didn’t recognize the Seth Rogen’s voice is completely beyond me. 

None-the-less, the star-studded figure in front of him breezed right past McCartney’s attention, and the result is a charming and utterly relatable TikTok that commenters can’t help but see themselves in. In McCarney’s defense, it was apparently “a very pretty dog,” so can you blame him? Fellow dog-lovers certainly cannot, accurately noting that “NOTHING competes with a cute dog who wants to say hi.”

Dozens of people showed up not only to note that they would do the same, and even worse — one commenter had a similar interaction with Henry Cavill — but also to promptly Google Seth Rogen’s dog (who is, in fact, just gorgeous). Months after losing his longtime dog and clear family member, Zelda, Rogen adopted a new pup in early 2024. It is absolutely precious, and 10 out of 10 would similarly distract me from any and everything around me.

Just as it would distract most other people. Greeting a stranger’s dog can actually be a very awkward occurrence, particularly when that stranger, or their dog, aren’t overly friendly. Walking a dog isn’t an invitation for conversation, and not every dog is a safe one to approach. My own dog is absolutely precious, so I understand why I’m stopped so often on the street, but lord can it get exhausting answering questions.

As such, a form of dog-petting etiquette has slowly developed over the years. Asking permission first is always appreciated, as is assessing both the human and dog before approaching. Is the human wearing headphones? Leave them be. Does the dog seem tense? Walk away. Is the dog on a clear training leash, or wearing a service vest? For the love of everything that is holy, please leave them alone.

But if the dog is sweet and friendly, walking loosely on a leash because they’re clearly well-trained, and the human seems open to a conversation, please head on over! I myself had the chance to meet one of my (human) neighbors (yes, I did learn his name — it’s Jim) earlier today, and it was all thanks to the scruffy little companion who takes me for a walk each and every morning.

The thesis of Amazon Prime’s The Boys is simple. With great power comes great corruption.

Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) learns this early when there are no repercussions for his girlfriend’s death, who was killed when a high A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) runs right through her. But while A-Train is capable of change and comes to understand the consequences of his role in her death, other characters are not the introspective types. That is how The Boys has given fans one of the greatest villains of all time. 

Homelander (Antony Starr) – a clear allegory for Superman – is the epitome of corruption. A truly maniacal villain, the Boys aim to find a way to destroy him. But therein lies the problem. Homelander is essentially unkillable. Where Superman is a beacon of hope, Homelander is the opposite. His reign of terror knows no bounds, and there is no boundary he won’t cross. So how can these human beings expect to kill him?

That is the question up for the court. Homelander is so powerful it’s a wonder that he hasn’t massacred the whole lot trying to do him in from the beginning. But while it seems impractical that Homelander hasn’t decided to rid the world of everyone who hates him, there may be an answer to how to defeat him in the comics.

Homelander’s fate in The Boys comic

Seth Rogen, the executive producer of the superhero show, has long been a fan of Garth Ennis comics. He had his hand in developing the Preacher adaptation for FX, which spanned 4 seasons. And while he is known to deviate from the source material slightly, a grain of truth always remains. The secret to Homelander’s demise could lie in the pages of Ennis’ book.

As in the series, the comic portrays Homelander as basically invincible. But that doesn’t mean that Vought was without a backup plan. Understanding that Homelander was dangerous and may need to be curbed, they made a clone whose primary purpose was to destroy him if he became a problem. This clone was actually someone familiar to the Boys: Black Noir. Obscuring his identity by wearing a mask and never speaking, Black Noir is a failsafe and ultimately carries out his duty. With powers comparable to Homelander, the two come to blows, with Black Noir finally fulfilling his purpose. But because they two were so evenly matched, he also maintains heavy damage. This event allows Butcher the opportunity to kill him while he’s down.

The Amazon Prime adaptation will be unable to follow this trajectory. It was already revealed that Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) was just another part of The Seven who was brain-damaged during the days of Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) and dies at the end of season 3. However, there is still room to honor this storyline. Black Noir appears in The Boys season 4, which could mean the clone version of Homelander exists. 

And then there is Ryan (Cameron Crovetti). After assaulting Butcher’s wife Becca (Shantel VanSanten), Homelander fathered her son, who has the same powers as his father. If there is someone strong enough to destroy the supervillain, it’s Ryan, who has already utilized his heat vision to devastating effect. As The Boys is a Rogen production, there is no telling where the series will go in the future. The only thing for certain is that Homelander needs to be killed at some point.

Disney dropped the first trailer for the new The Lion King prequel about the origin story of Simba’s father, Mufasa.

As seen in the teaser, Mufasa is in the same CGI style as the 2019 remake, and features many of the same cast . It will also feature music by award-winning writer Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The stacked cast of veteran actors also includes some brand new cast and characters. Here is a complete list of who we know will be returning for Mufasa: The Lion King.

Aaron Pierre

Foe and Brother actor Aarin Pierre will follow in the footsteps of James Earl Jones and play the young version of Simba’s father and titular character Mufasa. James Earl Jones is the only actor to ever take on the role of Mufasa, and it’s certainly an iconic one. A fresh, young voice is an exciting addition to Jones’s classic character.

Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Though many details of the movie are still under wraps, it does seem like it will delve into the relationship between Mufasa and his brother, Scar. Kelvin Harrison, Jr., who is known for Waves and Gully, will take on the complicated position of Taka, later Scar in this new adaptation.

Donald Glover

Donald Glover took on the role of older Simba from Matthew Broderick in the 2019 remake and will reprise it for Mufasa: The Lion King. The Community star and rapper delivered his interpretation of the character and with an all-new script and perspective, fans are excited to see what he does with the beloved character this time.

Billy Eichner

Billy Eichner of Billy on the Street, Parks and Recreation, and Bros will also be reprising his role as Timon from the 2019 film. He’ll play the bossy but loveable meerkat once again, although because the movie seems to be taking place in a past timeline, it’ll be interesting to see how Timon is incorporated into the film.

John Kani

John Kani followed in the footsteps of Robert Guillaume in 2019 when he took on the role of Rafiki in The Lion King remake. Now, he’s back. Also known for Black Panther and The Ghost and the Darkness, the actor’s iconic voice will be heard once again in the 2024 prequel.

Mads Mikkelsen

Mads Mikkelson is set to voice the character Kiros, who is described as a “formidable lion with big plans for his pride” by Variety. Since the producers and cast haven’t given very much away when it comes to the plot of the film, Mikkelson’s character remains very much a mystery. But knowing the Hannibal star, it’s sure to be memorable.

Thandiwe Newton

Thandiwe Newton, known for Westworld and The Pursuit of Happyness will the ensemble as Scar AKA Taka’s mother, Eshe. This new prequel seems to be introducing several parents that created the heroes and villains we have begun to know and love, and it will be interesting to see how their dynamics come about.

Seth Rogen

You can’t have Timone without Pumbaa, so obviously Seth Rogen will be returning as the very loveable and very hungry warthog. Maybe if more nothing more than comic relief, it really wouldn’t be a Lion King movie without this iconic duo, and Rogan and Eichner are well equipped to handle it.

Tiffany Boone

Simba’s mother, Sarabi, who was played by Alfre Woodard in 2019 and Madge Sinclair in 1994, is getting a fresh, young voice. Tiffany Boone of The Chi, The Midnight Sky, and Nine Perfect Strangers are next in line to play the matriarch of Pride Rock. Since the movie takes place as Mufasa grows up, he and Sarabi may just get a love story of their own.

Kagiso Lediga

South African comedian, actor, writer, and director Kagiso Lediga will voice Young Rafiki, following in the footsteps of Robert Guillaume and John Kani. It’s hard to imagine the wise, seemingly centuries-old monkey as young, but Lediga is sure to put a fun and surprising rendition of the new facets of the character.

Lennie James

Mufasa: The Lion King will introduce the parents of Scar and Mufasa, starting with Scar’s Father, Obasi. The Walking Dead star Lennie James will take over the position of raising one of Disney’s most infamous villains.

Anika Noni Rose

Mufasa’s mother, Afia, is played by Anika Noni Rose. You may recognize her voice from her iconic role as Disney’s Tiana in Princess & the Frog. If that movie tells you anything about her, you know that we’re in for a real treat. She’s also graced the screen over the years in Dreamgirls and For Colored Girls.

Keith David

Mufasa’s father Masego will be adorned with the voice of Keith David. You may recognize his sweet and soulful voice from another Disney favorite, as well. David and Anika Noni Rose are giving fans a little Princess & the Frog reunion since he played Dr. Facilier alongside her Tiana. Hopefully, they’ll get along a little better this time.

Preston Nyman

In the voice of a possibly younger Zazu will be industry rookie, Preston Nyman. He follows in the footsteps of Rowan Atkinson and John Oliver to play the strict, uptight red-billed hornbill. Nyman previously did voice work for Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdon and 3rd & Bird.

Beyoncé

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter played older Nala in the 2019 The Lion King remake, and her voice will be gracing our screens once again in the 2024 rendition. Need we go over her resume? As the most awarded artist in Grammy’s history, she’s sure to handle reprising the role with the same grace and ease she brings to every other vocal project.

Blue Ivy Carter

Beyonce and Jay-Z’s eldest daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, will make her acting debut as Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara. At only 12 years old, Blue Ivy already has a Grammy, has sung and produced alongside her parents, and even danced on Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour. Naturally voice acting as the child of two iconic Disney characters is next on her bucket list.

With such a stacked cast, excitement is already growing for Mufasa: The Lion King. Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait too much longer. The film will be available in theaters on December 20, 2024.

It’s only been a couple of years since the GameStop scandal rocked Wall Street, and now the David and Goliath-esque tale is getting the Hollywood treatment. Dumb Money is due to be released next week, and the biographical comedy-drama about the GameStop short squeeze in January 2021 has an ensemble cast that’s dusted with real star power, including Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, America Ferrera, Vincent D’Onofrio, Nick Offerman, Pete Davidson, and many more.

With its release so imminent, many eager viewers and long-time Redditors who saw the GameStop debacle unfold in real time might be wondering where and when they’ll be able to see the trailer, and the film, too. If you want to know about the Dumb Money release date, trailer, and where to watch it, then read ahead!

What is Dumb Money about?

Dumb Money, directed by Craig Gillespie, stars Paul Dano as Keith Gill, a small-time investing influencer who was a regular poster to the subreddit /r/WallStreetBets. Under the names /u/DeepFuckingValue (or DFV) on Reddit and Roaring Kitty on YouTube and Twitter, his content was a key factor in GameStop shares rising by almost 1,000 percent after he did some heavy-duty research and discovered the stocks were undervalued. His posts caused a massive buying spree, confounding hedge fund managers who’d been betting on the company failing and causing them to lose billions of dollars.

The massive financial companies then leveraged every trick in the book they could to stop prices from rising, even putting a short-term ban on people trying to purchase the stock. The skullduggery got to the point that Gill had to testify to the House Financial Services Committee about what had happened, during which he gave the iconic answer of “I just like the stock” when asked what had driven his purchasing of GameStop options.

Dumb Money charts this story of Gill and other investors as they try to take on the big banks and hedge fund managers to get what is rightfully theirs.

When is the release date of Dumb Money?

Dumb Money premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival on Sep. 8, 2023, and will be available as a limited release in theaters across the United States on Sep. 15. It is expected to have a wider U.S. release on Sep. 29. International release dates vary.

Where can I watch Dumb Money?

As Dumb Money is being distributed by Sony, it will only be available to screen in cinemas. Check your local theater for more information, but most of the big chains in large cities are likely to be showing the film during the first two weeks of its run, and most theaters in general will have it available by the end of the month.

No streaming rights have been announced as of yet.

When it comes to naming the most influential and consistent filmmakers in the comic book genre’s ongoing boom period, the usual suspects include the likes of Kevin Feige, Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, James Gunn, Sam Raimi, the Russo brothers, and others who are always brought up, but maybe it’s time to start putting a great deal more respect on Seth Rogen‘s name.

He may not have dabbled in either Marvel or DC, but his track record remains undeniably impressive. As a writer, director, or producer he’s worked on Preacher – which holds a four-season Rotten Tomatoes average of 87 percent – as well as eight-time Emmy nominee The Boys, and the almost universally-acclaimed Invincible (Certified Fresh on RT at 98 percent), while next week’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem carries a 96 percent approval rating at the time of writing.

Of course, there’s also The Green Hornet, but we can ignore the fact his stint at onscreen superheroism was a disaster when his work behind the scenes has proven so remarkably solid. Funnily enough, though, Rogen itted to Polygon that’s precisely the reason why he’s not interested in ing the two heaviest hitters.

“We really have a pretty specific way we work; me and Evan have been writers for 20 years at this point. It’s a fear of the process, honestly. And I say that knowing nothing about the process. There are a lot of Marvel things I love. It’s mostly a fear of how would we plug into the system they have in place, which seems like a very good system, and a system that serves them very well. But is it a system that we would ultimately get really frustrated with?

And what’s nice about [Mutant Mayhem] is that we’re the producers of this. So we dictated the system, and we dictated the process in a lot of ways. And that’s what’s also appealing for us about The Boys and the other bigger franchise-y type things we’ve done, is that we are creating the infrastructure and process for them, not plugging into someone else’s infrastructure and process. We’re control freaks!”

Based on how outlandish and gnarly Preacher, The Boys, and Invincible have been at points, it’s fair to assume that Rogen is right in saying neither Marvel or DC would afford him the same kind of leeway. That being said, having him tackle one of the big boys would be a sight to behold.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is still a week away, yet that hasn’t stopped the powers that be at Nickelodeon from announcing the franchise’s surrounding spinoffs. An animated reimagining of everyone’s favorite heroes in a half shell, this new adaptation of the iconic comic series has the entire world ready for some serious turtle power.

Not that such news is particularly surprising, we’re talking about the Ninja Turtles here. These little dudes have proved that they’re worth investing in.

Doesn’t this whole thing just look like a ton of fun? Being brought to life by producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, and director Jeff Rowe along with all the talented people over at Paramount and Nickelodeon involved, this could be the TMNT movie fans have been waiting for.

There hasn’t been an official Ninja Turtles movie since 2016, so bringing back these quirky mutant crime-fighters couldn’t come at a better time. When asked by Variety about the spiritual reboot, Paramount and Nickelodeon chief Brian Robbins had this to say regarding the studio’s positive attitude:

“We are excited to grow TMNT’s legacy in partnership with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg at Point Grey, and Jeff Rowe, who are innovating the franchise with their singular brand of humor and elevated storytelling for audiences everywhere, across virtually every platform.”

Theatrically opening on Aug. 2, it’s pretty wild that a sequel has already been announced. Preordained follow ups aren’t necessary uncommon in Hollywood, but on an animated project as big as this one you’d think people would want to see the official outcome first. Especially during an incredible moment of entertainment upheaval.

Throw in the adjacent 2D animated television series, and it’s hard believe we’ve been read in on this much info. Set to “fill in the gaps” between the two respective films, the show will be titled Tales of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and include the new movie’s original cast.

No matter how you slice this pizza, things are looking up for The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise, and we couldn’t be happier. A story all about growing up, adversity, and family — we all could take a few notes from Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey.

Hall H, why have we forsaken thee? Oh, because everyone is either on strike or figuring out what to tell their shareholders before they can even think about fan-baiting.

Several prominent studios announced recently that they would be skipping this year’s San Diego Comic-Con amid the writers’ strike, and the newly minted SAG-AFTRA strike isn’t helping matters.

However, Paramount is seizing the opportunity to be the only major studio sharing something in the legendary Hall H this year — and that project is writer/producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

The film releases Aug. 2, and director Jeff Rowe and Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the original TMNT comics, appeared onscreen to present around 20 minutes of new footage. You can see a fraction of that footage below:

Per Deadline, the footage began with the Turtles using stealth to grocery-shop for Master Splinter (Jackie Chan). The clip then showed the guys becoming distracted by news about a heist being pulled off by villain Superfly (Ice Cube) before deciding to take the long way home — aka stopping at a revival theater and watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

This explains why, in the clip above, Splinter wants to know where they’ve been for the last several hours. Additional footage apparently showed the Turtles meeting April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri) after getting her scooter back from a group of not-so-savory characters.

In a sizzle reel shown alongside the new footage, Eastman shared that although he’s now 61 years old, he’s still “drawing turtles every day.” Rogen also appeared onscreen to describe his love for the franchise, saying he first became a Turtles fan when he was five. He convinced his father to buy him nunchucks, which we’re sure never resulted in broken lamps and bruised forearms in the Rogen household.

Following up the was…nothing at all. We’ve been prepared for this since Marvel and Lucasfilm said they would skip presenting this year and offer only a few booths on the convention floor; for people who want a T-shirt or something.

In addition, HBO, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Netflix decided to avoid Comic-Con entirely — likely because the WGA strike has caused the delay of various projects, and now actors can’t even take the stage to promote those delayed projects.

This has caused much consternation among the fandom, but perhaps cosplayers who love Marvel movies could use this opportunity to buy an actual comic book and see what all the fuss is about.

While on a promotional tour to promote his new Apple TV+ comedy, Platonic, in which he stars with Rose Byrne, comedian Seth Rogen took the opportunity to tell a funny – and awkward – story about his dating life. Apparently Rogen, who has been married to Lauren Miller since 2011, found himself dumped on his very own birthday back when he was in his early 20s.

Rogen related the story on ET, where he recalled going out to dinner with his significant other at the time, only for the woman to break up with him at the restaurant. “I got dumped on my birthday,” Rogen recalled. “I was dating a woman and we went out on my birthday to a fancy restaurant. She broke up with me at the table and I started crying. I lived to tell the tale.” Though Rogen went on to call the experience a ‘bummer’, he revealed that, surprisingly, the two moved past the rough experience, and he’s still platonic friends with his ex.

In Platonic, Rogen and Byrne star as Sylvia and Will, two childhood best friends who reconnect following a disagreement about each other’s spouses. “This is a good cautionary tale,” Rogen explains. “I had a friend who was dating a woman and they… broke up. To make him feel better I was like, ‘I’ll be honest, she sucked. I never liked her.’ I maybe said some specifically more disparaging things about her than that and then they got back together. And we’re all hanging out and she’s like, ‘Hey, Seth, I hear you didn’t like me.’ I literally turned to him and I was like, ‘You told her?! Are you insane? Why did you do that?'”

Byrne, who’s married to Bobby Cannavale, and Rogen also revealed that they consider themselves to be platonic friends in real life. “You’re a platonic friend of mine,” Rogen said to Byrne. “I have many platonic friends who are women and men… You’ve gotta be a f**king weirdo to not be able to be friends with someone [if gender is the issue].”

Platonic will premiere on Apple TV+ on May 24. The television series represents something of a reunion for Byrne and Rogen, who have previously starred together in comedy films such as Neighbors and Neighbors 2. The two will also be sharing the screen with actors such as Luke McFarlane, Tre Hale, Andrew Lopez, and many more.

With fans flocking to finally catch a glimpse of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Seth Rogen (responsible for lending his golden pipes to Donkey Kong), has shared his thoughts on past iterations of everyone’s favorite plumbing brothers. In an interview with Variety, Rogen discusses what attracted him to The Super Mario Bros. Movie in the first place — and more importantly, how the 1995 live-action adaptation Mario Bros. broke his little 11-year-old heart.

“When I was 11, I saw the original Mario Bros. movie and I was so excited. But it’s one of the worst films ever made. I was so disappointed. I think it made me realize that movies, like, could be bad. That never occurred to me until that moment. It really bummed me out.”

Rogen would go on to explain that his participation in this animated adventure was a true labor of love, wherein he hoped to entertain all the kids out there simply looking for a good Mario movie.

“It’s nice to vindicate that moment. It’s nice to know that 11-year-olds out there that they won’t be disappointed in the same way that I was.”

As far as we’re concerned, all The Super Mario Bros. Movie needs to do is be a good time. Give us a decent story, some game references, some interesting visuals, and we’re all set. Thankfully, it seems that’s exactly what the minds at Nintendo and Illumination have done.

When talking about what it really means to voice an animated character, especially one like Donkey Kong, Seth Rogen said it was pretty straightforward.

“It’s nice because when you’re doing a voice, you just get to focus on coming up with jokes that maybe children will laugh at.”

Frankly, a lot rides on The Super Mario Bros. Movie. If it does well, the floodgates for other game-themed animated stories could be left wide open. If it fails, not so much. Currently sitting at a 53 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, things don’t look great for The Super Mario Bros. Movie — at least for now.

With a surprisingly high audience score of 97 percent, we’d like to think that when it comes to Mario, most non-critics might know a bit more than someone paid to review movies for a living.

But what do we know? Go see the movie for yourself and get back to us. If anything else, you’ll at least have fun.

Has there ever been a bigger banger than Donkey Kong 64’s intro jam, DK Rap? If you needed a hint, the answer is a resounding no. Released way back in 1999, DK Rap is as iconic a Nintendo tune as any ever brought to life. Composed by Grant Kirkhope (GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark), the character of Donkey Kong wouldn’t be the same without Kirkhope’s stellar songwriting.

Yet, to the internet’s overwhelming terror, Grant Kirkhope was not credited for his work once all was said and done after The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In a twist that no one saw coming, Nintendo and Illumination straight up snubbed our boy Grant Kirkhope. For shame, you wayward movie makers, for shame.

There it is, clear as crystal. Kirkhope was not credited for his work on the DK Rap, and fans around the globe won’t stand for it. If anyone is “the leader of the bunch,” it’s Grant Kirkhope. After all, he was the original member of the DK Crew.

Our guess would be that due to certain legalities, Nintendo and Illumination simply didn’t have to give Kirkhope credit — all done in (theoretically) an effort to save out on the money they’d have to pay him in royalties. Again, for shame.

Sadly, there’s probably not much anyone can do about a move like this, but that hasn’t stopped fans from sharing their . In the end, we ALL know who’s responsible for bringing DK Rap to life. Stay strong, Grant.

If one particular scene in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers has taught us anything, it’s that if you ask for Seth Rogen, you get Seth Rogen. The incoming, highly anticipated Super Mario Bros. Movie did indeed ask for Seth Rogen, and the actor’s non-existent range isn’t even the most controversial part of the voice cast.

Nevertheless, the actor’s one-note game in the realm of voice acting is a pin that he wears with pride. In an interview with ComicBook, the Invincible producer claimed that he made himself very clear when he was approached for the role of Donkey Kong, but also noted that his limited range actually fed into the character’s minimal characterization quite nicely.

“I was very clear, I don’t do voices. And if you want me to be in this movie, it’s gonna sound like me and that’s it. And that was the beginning and end of that conversation. I was like, ‘If you want Donkey Kong to sound a lot like me, I’m your guy.’ But it did seem to work, you know, I think in the film and in the game I think all you really know about Donkey Kong is that he throws barrels and he does not like Mario very much.”

The actor would go on to point out that Donkey Kong’s relative disdain for Mario – despite seemingly being on the same side of the war against Bowser – played a big role in helping him to approach the part with what vocal wiggle room he did have.

“That’s honestly kind of what I ran with was this idea that he hates Mario, that they kind have like an adversarial relationship, that he’s annoyed by him, that he doesn’t want to be stuck with him, that he wishes he was on this adventure without him. To me that was, that was funny and that was kind of the root of the character and it was kind of born of the mythology of the games.”

Speaking of the Mario mythology, it looks like this particular movie will actually hit the nail on the head this time; a far cry from the 1993 atrocity that made Nintendo reluctant to license its content for film adaptations in the first place. With gorgeous animation, a noticeably multifaceted tone that we hope doesn’t verge into pure Illumination territory, and of course, the self-sufficient richness that the universe has to offer, we think plenty of grown adults will be rightfully ignoring the The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s distinction as a kid’s film (which perhaps isn’t new for Illumination, but even so).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie will release to theaters on April 5.