Working as a casting intern for Malie Finn, Olivia Wilde watched hundreds of auditions and noticed one constant: the actor who made a choice — even a risky, possibly wrong choice — always got the job. That lesson became the foundation of her directing philosophy.
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The path to directing runs through an HBO show called Vinyl, where director Mark Romanek — the man behind the most expensive music video ever made (Michael and Janet Jackson's 'Scream') — heard Olivia talking about wanting to direct and handed her his Red Hot Chili Peppers video gig. She calls it the moment she took herself seriously. From there she directed a short film through a Glamour grant, then got the Booksmart script. She credits the film's success to the same lesson she learned as a casting intern: make a bold specific choice. Tarantino's dictum — make the movie only you can make — became her operating principle. Booksmart was deeply personal, pulling from her own high school friendships and her intense creative bond with writer Katie Silberman. Made for $6 million, it earned over $25 million and a 90+ Rotten Tomatoes score.
Booksmart was made for $6 million, grossed $25 million at the box office, and earned over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes — a remarkable debut for Olivia Wilde as a feature director.
Robby Hoffman isn't fearless — she's terrified all the time. The difference is she does it anyway, because not doing it feels worse than the fear itself.
John Mulaney texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere saying he'd been a fan for a while and wanted to make a Netflix special with her. Robby called it 'shocking, horrifying, anxiety-inducing, surreal and thrilling' — and said yes.
Mulaney is buttoned-up, suit-wearing, classy. Robby is gritty, raw, and undefined. Together they made the collab nobody expected. Batman and Robin. Eminem and Dido.
Music had Pope Gregory forcing notation. Comedy has had 'magical thinking' — he's just got funny bones. But jokes work through discoverable, teachable mechanics. Writing down the rules doesn't kill the magic; it gives more people access to it.
Howard Ashman had one insight nobody else had: animated Disney films should be Broadway musicals. The third song of every great musical is the character sitting alone explaining what they want. That's 'Part of Your World.' That structure — combined with Alan Menken's compositions — generated Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, and turned Disney Animation into the most profitable creative engine in entertainment history.
The Lion King musical has been running for 30 years across Broadway, London's West End, and global touring companies. It has grossed over $11 billion in total revenue — more than Avatar, more than Avengers: Endgame, more than any album, more than any video game. It generates an average of $350 million in revenue every single year. Disney owns it outright.
The anonymous French artist Invader has hidden 1,500 pixelated mosaic artworks across Paris alone, with thousands more scattered across 80+ cities — affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. He might be even busier than Banksy.
The Flash Invaders app turns city streets into a treasure hunt, letting players scan Invader's hidden mosaics for points. Players have collectively logged over 47 million flashes. Unlike most mobile games that glue you to a screen, this one forces you to look up and engage with your surroundings.
New York draws thousands of young, talented performers every year chasing Broadway stardom — but the hard truth is that most of them never make it. Zelig Williams was one of the rare exceptions.
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