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Multiverse Tonight - The Podcast about All Your Geeky Universes
Multiverse Tonight is a geeky podcast that brings you all the latest news about your favourite TV shows and movies. Every other week, we cover DC Comics, Marvel, Star Trek and everything in between! This podcast has you covered with any big story or scoop on all of your fandoms.
Multiverse Tonight - The Podcast about All Your Geeky Universes
Fight For The First
Thomas talks about his upcoming surgery, Plus
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is approaching its end with a shortened fifth season, intended to lead into The Original Series.
Showrunners Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman aim for the series to conclude with Kirk's "first day on the job," focusing on the strongest elements of The Original Series rather than remaking "The Man Trap."
Akiva Goldsman has pitched a spinoff concept called "Star Trek: Year One," which would explore Kirk's initial year as captain, though the immediate focus is on concluding Strange New Worlds.
The series is expected to end with a significant reference or nod to an event from The Original Series, possibly the completion of the bridge crew.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is at the center of intensified sale speculation, with Paramount reportedly preparing a bid.
Industry analysts believe a bid for WBD could trigger a bidding war, potentially involving Comcast, Amazon, and Netflix.
WBD had planned to split into "Discovery Global" and "Warner Bros." in early 2026, a plan that could be disrupted by an acquisition.
A Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros. is rumored, potentially leading to job losses and a negative impact on theatrical distribution due to Netflix's focus on streaming.
Mark Hamill explains his return as Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian Season 2 was to portray Luke as a Master Jedi at the "peak of his powers," a period not fully explored in the original films.
Hamill praises Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni for their understanding of Star Wars.
An Andor writer discusses the parallels between the show's theme of fascist takeover and real-world political pressures affecting Hollywood, citing the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel.
Stan Lee will appear as an AI-powered hologram at L.A. Comic Con (September 26-28), allowing fans to interact and converse with him.
The technology behind the hologram aims to ensure fidelity to Lee's known statements and spirit.
Zach Cregger is directing a new adaptation of Resident Evil for Sony Pictures, with Paul Walter Hauser and Austin Abrams attached.
Amazon MGM Studios is developing a live-action movie based on the '80s animatronic toy, Teddy Ruxpin, with Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia's Seven Bucks Productions involved. The film is described as "'Sonic the Hedgehog' meets 'Elf.'"
Sean Astin has been elected as the new national president of SAG-AFTRA, succeeding Fran Drescher. Michelle Hurd is the new secretary-treasurer.
Voter turnout for the SAG-AFTRA national election saw a decline compared to previous years.
Astin's term will involve upcoming contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, particularly concerning technological advances in artificial intelligence.
Christopher Nolan has been announced as the new president of the Director’s Guild of America (DGA).
Polly Holliday, the Tony-nominated actress best known as Flo from Alice and for popularizing the catchphrase "Kiss my grits," passed away at 88.
Holliday was the last surviving principal cast member of Alice and had a diverse career in TV, film, and theater, including roles in Gremlins and Mrs. Doubtfire.
Thanks for listening! Come visit the podcast at https://www.multiversetonight.com/
Tonight. What's the next series for Star Trek? Will Warner Brothers find a new daddy, virtual Stan Lee? And remember actress Polly Holliday, all and more on this edition of Multiverse Tonight. Welcome to Multiverse Tonight, your source for geek news. We dissect films, games, comics and much more, bringing you insightful commentary on pop culture. This is Multiverse Tonight. Now here's your host, thomas Townley. Hello and welcome to episode 249 of Multiverse Tonight. I'm, of course, your host, thomas Townley, and well, we'll start out with a little programming note, if you will.
Speaker 1:I don't know how I'm going to record in November, because I have surgery coming up Now. This isn't a really serious surgery. Well, all surgeries are more or less serious because they're opening you up, but in this case it's foot surgery. I have what's called an accessory navicular, which is I'm a mutant. There's an extra bone in my foot and, fortunately, there's a tendon that goes right under that bone, right over that bone, that is getting rubbed and it's causing me pain If I, you know, walk a great, you know walk a long distance. And since I'm in retail, of course I'm standing on concrete on my feet for up to eight hours. So you know, I need to get this taken care of. So I chose a surgery date at the end of October, right before Halloween, and so I'll be on bed rest for nearly a month and then I'll have light duty for about two months after that. So that you know, that leaves in question you know how I'm going to record in November. I'm probably not going to be able to do it from my computer here. I'll have to set my laptop up to do the show so it might sound different. It might not have all the little sound clips, bells and whistles, stuff like that, but I might put out something, or I might. Who knows? Maybe I'll put kind of a best of kind of the interviews I've had in the past that are interesting, who knows. Anyway, beyond that, I hope your freedom of speech has been good and we'll talk about that in a few minutes with the Star Wars news.
Speaker 1:But first off, let's go to the Star Trek news. Star Trek news begins with strange new worlds nearing its end and Captain Kirk's era approaching. Now Star Trek Strange New Worlds recently concluded its third season, bringing the series to its anticipated conclusion. There will be a shortened fifth season and the showrunners aim to align the series ending with the beginning of the original series. Beginning of the original series. A key element of this transition will be Kirk's command of the Enterprise, and fans are eager to learn the specifics to this shift.
Speaker 1:Cinemablend spoke with showrunners Harry Alonzo Myers and Akiva Goldsman, who provide some insight into the future of Strange New Worlds, While maintaining the original tone. They offer details about the upcoming seasons and the show's ultimate resolution. Akiva Goldsman's vision for the end includes that his goal is to lead directly into the original series. Now, this would imply various ending points, such as Pike's accident, which occurs, of course, after Kirk's command, or another significant date. When pressed for specifics, goldman revealed his current thinking quote I think that when we are leading to is Kirk's first day on the job. The truth is that it isn't really in TOS, it's the TOS era, it's Captain Kirk Kirk's Enterprise. But how that got to? Let's call it the Enterprise of where no man has gone before, just because I'm just short of go in that version of continuity, not man trap. He said that Goldman's intention is to avoid revisiting the man trap, often considered one of the weaker Star Trek episodes. Instead, he aims to focus on the strongest, most enduring elements of the original series, acknowledging the social and cultural changes since the 1960s.
Speaker 1:Interestingly, a Star Trek Strange New Worlds storytelling approach was suggested by DeForest Kelly many years ago. Now, of course, we're talking about a Star Trek Year One spinoff, with Star Trek television currently in a holding pattern. Kiva Goldman has proposed a spinoff to Strange New Worlds, tentatively titled Star Trek television, currently in a holding pattern. Kiva Goldman has proposed a spin-off of Strange New Worlds, tentatively titled Star Trek Year One. This concept will explore Kirk's initial years as captain and the early stories of his Enterprise tenure. Goldman, however, emphasized that Year One is merely a pitch, that the primary focus remains on concluding the current series effectively.
Speaker 1:Quote. That's the wiggle room we have right, which is that there is an interval there where transitions can happen. Year one is a dream and the end of a show is a promise. We're going to end it in a way that we feel is indicative of completion and is satisfying, and that does bring us into the TOS era. So that's a vague way of saying we're going to come pretty close to something you recognize, unquote. Now it's likely that Strange New Worlds will conclude with a significant reference or nod to an event from the original series. One possibility is the completion of the bridge queue with the arrival of Sulu, chekhov and Bones, although, frankly, chekhov wouldn't be there yet. Chekhov wouldn't show up until later, so it would just be Sulu and Bones, unless you're going to have Chekhov be somewhere below Dex.
Speaker 1:Now the idea of Star Trek Strangest New Worlds remaking a classic original series episode isn't that far-fetched. The season one finale, a Quality of Mercy, was an alternate timeline remake of Balance of Terror featuring Pike in command of the Enterprise instead of Kirk. So, you know, should they? You know, I actually think Star Trek year one would be interesting is if year one you know that you get a, it would be like a limited series. You'd get, like his first few missions under his belt. And then you, you know, reshoot you could, for like the second and third season, you could reshoot several episodes. Or maybe, like you, reshoot where no man has gone before episodes, or maybe, like you, reshoot where no man has Gone Before and then you put in a new episode that takes place where, from where no man has Gone Before, to say, the man trap, and so you don't have to show all the all those episodes. You just show, like you know, like certain ones, you know one here, have a new episode, new story. One here, new episode, new story, one here, and you could basically do that where you're not just remaking the original series, you're remaking pieces of the original series and anything they don't show you know you can go and watch, but that may be too far-fetched. Anyway, let's go on to DC Comics News.
Speaker 1:Long-standing speculation about sale of Warner Bros Discovery has intensified, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Paramount's new owners are preparing a bid for the rival company. Analysts believe this potential offer would trigger a bidding war for Warner Bros Discovery, though any deal would be complex and protracted. Though any deal would be complex and protracted. Now, shares of Warburg's Discovery, the parent company of CNN and other networks, surged 29% to a three-year high, nearly fully rebounding to its post-murder level from 2022, while Paramount shares also rose over 15%, reflecting investor enthusiasm for these major media companies. Bank of America Securities Senior Media and Entertainment Analyst, jessica Reif-Ehrlich, noted that the industry's need for consolidation, stating the only surprise is the timing. She also predicted that Paramount would not be the sole bidder for Warner Bros Discovery. Now, warner Bros Discovery had been planning to split into two entities in early 2026, discovery Global, which would include CNN and its RTV networks, and Warner Bros, which would be HBO, max, hbo and the Warner Bros Studio. However, paramount reportedly is seeking to acquire the entire company before the split. Now, other potential bidders for all or part of Warner Bros Discovery include Comcast, amazon and Netflix. Wells Fargo analysts had earlier identified Warner Bros Discovery include Comcast, amazon and Netflix. Wells Fargo analysts had earlier identified Warner Bros Discovery's streaming service and movie studio, as quote an attractive M&A candidate, with Netflix being the most compelling buyer.
Speaker 1:Paramount's interest is not unexpected, given the ambitious new CEO, david Ellison's expressed desire for further deals. Ellison, son of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, previously led Skydance Media and spearhead Paramount's recent takeover of its TV and movie studio assets. He has since focused on steering the merged Paramount Skydance onto a digitally native path. John Malone, chairman emeritus of Warner Bros Discovery's board and a mentor to David Zaslav of Warren Burr's Discovery, confirmed discussing further consolidation in the media industry with Elson expressing confidence in him. Representatives for both companies declined to comment on the report bid Now, despite the acquisition rumors, warren Burr's Discovery is proceeding with its corporate breakup plans and Zaslav has reiterated that everything's on track for the split, although he has also spoken about the industry's need for consolidation.
Speaker 1:Some observers speculate that the two post-split WBD entities might become buyers rather than sellers. The prospect of further Hollywood consolidation, particularly with Skydance's David Ellison reportedly aiming for Warner Bros Discovery, is creating a new round of awful. Now Netflix is also rumored to be interested in acquiring Warner Brothers, covering its valuable library and ancillary components. However, the financial viability of such a deal is questionable. Warner Bros Discovery is currently burdened with over $35 billion in debt, against a $41 billion valuation. Ceo David Zaslav is implementing an aggressive reorganization plan to achieve profitability. For a sale to occur now, warner Bros Discovery's board would need to abandon Zaslav's strategy and deem a sale more beneficial. The rising stock price of Warner due to acquisition speculation further complicates matters requiring a substantial cash offer.
Speaker 1:Paramount, skydance and Netflix are considered the most likely candidates with the financial capacity for such a large acquisition. Netflix's potential acquisition of Warner Brothers would grant it the prestige of a century-old movie studio, something money cannot buy. A recent public appearance by Netflix co-CEO, ted Zerandos with Dave Zaslav at Boxing Match has fueled speculation about the possible takeover. Such a Netflix takeover could lead to job losses within the industry, reduce the number of potential buyers in the market and negatively impact theatrical distribution. Netflix's prime focus is subscriber acquisition and retention, not cinematic events. If Netflix were to absorb Warner Bros, it is likely to use it as a robust theatrical distribution arm. Instead, it would leverage Warner's legendary library and intellectual property, raising concerns about the accessibility of classic films. Furthermore, the overlap of executives, assistants and departments would result in widespread layoffs, hindering the expansion of Hollywood and limiting opportunities for writers and directors.
Speaker 1:So what do you think of this potential? I think it's, personally, it's a bad idea. It's too much consolidation, you know it's, you know, narrowing down a huge field into, basically, you know, a smaller and smaller number, and that's terrible. You see what that does in other industries. So even if this you know, if they bought their acquisition of the Security and Exchange Commission or, you know, the government, whoever you know, this might hurt the industry as a whole. On one hand, we could end up with Warner Brothers, so you could have Star Trek, looney Tunes, things like that, but it might just be a bad way. I think they'd be better off if the company split into two and just went off from there. But that's just my personal opinion.
Speaker 1:Let's go on to the Star Wars news, roger roger. Roger roger, so if you've seen the trailer for Star Wars, mandalorian and Grogu that they just released today, two days. I'm recording this. It was interesting. I have a feeling it's not going to do as well as they've hoped. The people who've seen the Mandalorian are going to see it. People who just go to see Star Wars stuff and have not seen the Mandalorian are going to be just scratching their heads at what this is. That's kind of the problem with this is going from TVs to movies. You cannot. You know, going from TVs to movies always, you know, your group of people kind of thin, going from movies to TV, I think goes wider because you know it's easier to transition one to the other, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Anyway, in Star Wars, the Mandalorian, season 2, din Djarin embarked on a new mission to reunite Grogu with the Jedi, so that the adorable youngster could train in the ways of the Force and hone his abilities. It took Djarin the entire season to accomplish that task and, as none other than Luke Skywalker arrived in the Season 2 finale to defeat Moff Gideon's forces and take Grogu to his temple, star Wars fans were thrilled to see Luke at the peak of his power. Even more so, they liked the likeness of a young Mark Hamill bringing the character to life. Rather than recast the role. Of course, they digitally de-aged Hamill and put his face over a body double and his voice was used for dialogue. Now Hamill shares what drew him to the Mandalorian.
Speaker 1:Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter, hamill explained why he came back for the fan-favorite series. Quote. The reason I did Mandalorian was that Luke had a beginning and an end. There was no middle, he said. Comparing it to making a trilogy of James Bond movies that ends just as he gets his license to kill. You never got to see Luke as a master Jedi in the peak of his powers unquote. He continued quote. He was the most idealistic character in that series. He was someone who would take adversity and double down and come back and counter his setbacks. We didn't see any of that. So when I got the chance, I thought geez, this is wonderful. I think Mandalorian writers and directors Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni boy, do they get Star Wars? They get it. They're speaking the same language that George did in a way that I questioned in the sequels. Unquote.
Speaker 1:As one of the writers on the Disney Plus drama, andor uh, emmy Award winner and or writer, dan Gilroy has candidly discussed the parallels between the hit Star Wars show and the controversy over the partial cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live Now. Andor first premiered in 2022 on Disney+, serving as a prequel to the beloved movie Rogue One, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Star Wars TV shows ever made. Tony Gilroy served as a showrunner and worked closely with his brother, who wrote six episodes of the acclaimed series. Though Andor only ran for two seasons, the show became popular for its exploration of important social themes and portrayal of a fascist government, and Dan Gilroy is liking this to the current situation with Kimmel. For Deadline, gilroy talked about how Andor thematically mirrored the situation with Kimmel and the suppression of free speech and expression. He discussed how Disney is faced with a big discussion surrounding Kimmel and talked about how governments fear artists because they speak their mind. Quote as one of the writers on the Disney Plus drama Andor, we spent six years thinking about a fascist takeover of a galaxy far, far away. Six years thinking about ordinary beings as anover of a galaxy far, far away. Six years thinking about ordinary beings as an authoritarian regime comes in for the kill. Now, many people saw parallels between Andor and the real world. I see them as well, particularly in the events of the last week. Unquote Now. Gilroy went on to acknowledge that he saw parallels between his show and the real world and referenced Andor's fascist takeover and authoritarian regime and the similarities in how President Donald Trump is ruling the country.
Speaker 1:Donald Trump's tools of governance, coercion and intimidation have found focus on Hollywood. Faced with a social media firestorm, fear and an FCC head threatening, they can do this the easy way or the hard way. Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel for speaking his mind. I deeply disagree, but acknowledge it was a difficult decision. If you believe otherwise, wait until fate knocks on your door and demands you choose between conscience and hardship, because if you work in this industry, that day is coming. The suspension bought time, but not much. Disney now stands at a crossroads. Terminate Kimmel's contract and become pavement for the road to a brave new Trumpian world, or stand for the First Amendment and take the onslaught. There's not much at stake, just free speech, the oxygen that sustains life in this town.
Speaker 1:Following his note of Disney being a crossroads, gilroy sharply criticized the way Trump was going after comedians like Kimmel, expressing his concerns that the First Amendment is at stake if Kimmel and others are no longer allowed to make comments about real-world events on their shows. Quote Trump's aim is to control what we make and say the concept seems far off and abstract. Neither is true. Is it hard to conjure a new oversight office or cabinet seat? Is it difficult to picture Trump toadies deplaning LAX with binders of banned topics and mandate alternatives? You'll meet them when you have to pitch for approval or get grilled about subversive co-workers.
Speaker 1:Regardless of how the Jack Booted attack on Jimmy Kimmel was resolved, this isn't a skirmish, it's a siege. The first thing Putin did after taking power was silence. Shows that criticized him. Artists are censored first because they fear us most. Yeah, yeah, to speak on that, jimmy Kimmel has the First Amendment behind him.
Speaker 1:First Amendment says no government shall not abridge the freedom of speech With having an FCC chair threatening to go after affiliates, for what Jimmy Kimmel says is stupid. Okay, it's taking away your freedom of speech, and so I don't care whether you're on the right, on the left, in the center, a libertarian, whatever you should be all for freedom of speech. And true, there are consequences to freedom of speech. But you know the consequences shouldn't be just taking that down. You know, fine him. You know, slap him on the wrist. You know they suspended him. You know they could just suspend him for, you know, a week and that's it. But his comments were benign. Okay, he didn't call for, you know, murdering people. He didn't, you know, yell fire in a crowd theater. He spoke his mind about what he thought, about the way they're lionizing Charlie Kirk. Fight for the freedom of speech. If you don't have the freedom of speech, the freedom to own your gun is next. Okay, let's put it that way the Second Amendment is never going to be gone unless the freedom of speech is gone first. So, just you know, take a moment and think about it. I'll wait For decades.
Speaker 1:Stan Lee was the king of comic book conventions. Now, nearly seven years after his death at the age of 95, he will once again be a presence at the LA Comic Con, this time as a hologram that will use AI to have conversations with fans. Now fans will be able to speak with the hologram at the Stanley Experience section of the con, a 1,500-foot enclosed booth which costs between $15 and $20 to enter, depending on whether you buy tickets or have time Now, like meeting a celebrity or getting holographs, there will be paid opportunities to take photos with a hologram or have a three-minute one-on-one conversation with it. Quote We'll never put words in his mouth that aren't in line with things he spoke about in his lifetime, said Bob Sabuni, head of the Stanley Legacy Programs for Cartoon Studios and former Marvel executive. Unquote quote. Fortunately, with decades of footage capturing his thoughts on so many subjects, we can build a voice that stays true, not always word for word, but always faithful in spirit, context and intent. Unquote. Now, the hologram hails from ProtoHologram, the company that recently helped launch an interactive mirror from the Conjuring in 47 malls, as well as HyperReal, a company known for creating realistic avatars.
Speaker 1:Stan Lee, who co-created characters like Spider-Man, iron man and Daredevil, was the most visible face for comic book culture of all time. Known for his fan circles thanks to his cameos in Marvel movies. Known for his fan circles thanks to his cameos in Marvel movies. According to the organizers, the Lee hologram may also pop up in different parts of the convention as a surprise, perhaps to introduce a top-tier panel or two. In 2016, lee spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about LA Comic-Con, which, at the time, was undergoing a name change. Quote, he said Quote Los Angeles is, to me, the center of the world's entertainment. It has to have a Comic-Con, he said. Now, this year's convention runs from September 26th through the 28th, and this has been controversial.
Speaker 1:There are people you know people for this and against this. My thing is unless it's hurting someone, it's, I have no problem with it. You know it's, it's. How should I put this?
Speaker 1:In Star Trek, majel Barrett Roddenberry, before she died, recorded the phonetic alphabet. You know A-E-I-O-U, pho na pho. You know all the phonetic alphabet. You know A-E-I-O-U, pho ne pho. You know all the phonics so that her voice could be used in the future for the computer. But after she died, that hasn't come to be. They've gone and hired other people to be the computer, which is just a complete waste. I mean, if you have, basically, if we know that they had permission to make this hologram and use his words for him, I would be perfectly fine with it. Just as long as they have permission, that's all I care about. But don't make him like this is Stan Lee for Trojan condoms or something like that. That's a little outside the bounds. But anyway, let's go on to the geek news.
Speaker 1:Following the success of Weapons, writer-director Zack Krager is getting the wheels in motion for his next horror thriller. Sources tell Deadline that Paul Walter Hauser is set to join Austin Abrams in Krager's new adaptation of Resident Evil for Sony Pictures. Krager is directing the film, which is based on the horror video game made by Capcom, and will also co-wrote the script with Shea Hayden. Constantine Film is producing and co-financing the picture. Now, constantine Film is producing and co-financing the picture. Constantine's Robert Kulsler will produce, as will Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee and Mary Yoon, and PlayStation Productions' Asad Krizalbash and Carter Swan, constantine's Oliver Burbain and Davis' film's Victor Hadaray are producing, with TriStar Pictures' president Nicole Brown overseeing it for Sony. The plot details of the pic are, of course, under wraps, it being brand new and all. But if the previous Resident Evil movies were a mix of horror, sci-fi and action and follow the adventures of a heroine who fights zombies and the Umbrella Corporation, the biowarfare company that lets loose the monsters? Sony Pictures is releasing the film theatrically on September 18, 2026, and Sony distributed all the previous Resident Evil films, which have grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing video game-based movie franchises in history.
Speaker 1:Now, hauser is best known for starring in Apple TV Plus' crime drama limited series Blackbird, for which he received Emmy, golden Globe and Critics of Choice awards, in addition to a SAG-AFTRA nomination. He has also had himself a busy 2025, starring in three films this past summer alone in the Fantastic Four, first Steps as audience favorite Mole man. In Paramount's Naked Gun as Ed Hawken Jr, the straight man's partner to Liam Neeson, and a nuanced performance playing a military veteran in Liongate's modern-day Western Americana. Early this year, hauser starred in IFC films the Luckiest man in America, which premiered at TIFF in 2024 to rave reviews for the actor's performance. Up next he will be in 20th Century's Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere opposite Jeremy Allen White.
Speaker 1:A live-action movie based on the iconic animatronic 80s toy Teddy Ruxpin is in the works at Amazon MGM Studios. According to Variety, the film about Teddy Ruxpin, who is canonically not a bear but a bear-like creature known as an Iliop, is set to be produced by Dwayne Johnson and Danny Garcia's Seven Bucks Productions and Dimitri M Johnson and Michael Lawrence Goldberg's Story Kitchen, with Chris Hazard and Mike Fontana writing the script. While details about the film are being kept under wraps, sources tell Variety that the project, which was won by Amazon in a competitive bidding war, was pitched with a Sonic the Hedgehog meets Elf tone. Created by former Disney Imagineer Ken Forsey, teddy Ruxpin was launched by toy company Alchemy 2 in 1985 as the world's first animated talking toy and went on to sell more than 8 million units worldwide. Named one of Time Magazine's 100 greatest toys of all time, teddy Ruxpin expanded to a $7 billion franchise including animated TV series, the Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, dozens of books, interactive games and other projects.
Speaker 1:Sean Ashton has been elected to serve as the next national president of SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union. The actors' union announced the result Friday night, revealing that Ashton was elected to succeed Fran Drescher, with 79.25% of the vote. He will serve a two-year term alongside Michelle Hurd, who was elected for secretary-treasurer, with 64.77% of the vote. He will serve a two-year term alongside Michelle Heard, who was elected for Secretary-Treasurer with 64.77% of the vote. Both began their terms immediately. Runner-up Chuck Slevin received 20.75% of the votes for President, while his running mate, peter Antico, received 35.23% of the votes for Secretary-Treasurer. Per about 17 percent of seg, aftra has 117 000 plus eligible members to mid ballots in this year's national election. Now that's quite a decline from 2023, when 23 percent of the union voted overwhelmingly to re-elect drescher when she was first elected. In 2021, more than 26 percent of the national memberships made ballots the local, los angeles and new york election results were also revealed friday drescher's mid-ballots the local, los Angeles and New York election results were also revealed Friday. Drescher's 2021-2023 running mate, jolie Fisher, who had been the national secretary-treasurer, won her bid for Los Angeles' local president, being Antico and Brian Krause with 66.64% of the vote. Stack After Us says 7,406 of the 5,656,651 eligible members. Just 13% of the Los Angeles locals submitted ballots. Lisa Ann Walter was elected first vice president and David Joliffe was elected second vice president of the Los Angeles local. Unopposed National Board member candidate Dan Navarro also secured his seat. As for the New York chapter, ezra Knight was elected local president with 72.88% of the vote, compared to Ken Cannon's 27.12%. Linda Powell was elected first vice president, with Anthony Rapp elected second vice president, jim Kerr elected third vice president and Liz Zazie was elected fourth vice president. Janice Pendervaris, who ran unopposed, will officially get the New York National Board member seat. The turnout was slightly better in New York, with 16% of the 27,737 eligible voters casting ballots Now.
Speaker 1:This national presidency for Aston falls in the footsteps of his mother, patty Duke, who became the second woman to ever run the then Screen Actors Guild in 1985. She held a position for three years. The Oscar nominee and Lord of the Rings alum will have quite the task ahead of him at the top of the next year, as SAG-AFTRA returns to the negotiating table with the Alliance of Motion Picture Intelligent Producers, which collectively bargains on behalf of the major Hollywood studios. This will be the first contract negotiation cycle since the 2023 strike, regarding an industry that has been hit hard by the global production contraction that has resulted in far less work. There still are some concerns the union is seeking to address, primarily regarding technological advances in artificial intelligence over the past three years.
Speaker 1:On the flip side, the Directors Guild of America has announced Christopher Nolan as its new president during Saturday's biannual national convention. The two-time Oscar winner for Oppenheimer was appointed to succeed Leslie Linka Glatter. Among a new slate of officers and new members of the DGA's National Board of Directors, chosen by 167 delegates representing 19,500 strong union of directors Saturday were Laura Blessie as National Vice President, paris Barkley, re-elected as Secretary-Treasurer, tom Holland, todd Holland as First Vice President, ron Howard as Second Vice President, gina Price Bythewood as Third Vice President, seth Mann as Fourth Vice President, milton Shelton as Fifth Vice President, lily Oslovsky as Sixth Vice President and Joyce Thomas as Assistant Secretary treasurer. So I wonder if that means that at the meetings there'll be more explosions and people running. Well, I guess we'll see.
Speaker 1:Anyway, to close on our sad news, polly Halliday, the Tony-nominated stage actress best known for her role as the witty waitress Flo on the CBS sitcom Alice, passed away on Tuesday September 9th at her New York City home. She was 88 years old and the last surviving principal cast member of the comedy. Her theatrical agent, dennis Asplund, confirmed her death to the New York Times. Holly's portrayal of the fiery, irreverent gum-chewing diner waitress was a significant source of the show's humor. With Deadpan's southern drawl, her character Flo popularized the national catchphrase Kiss my grits, often directed at the gruff owner of Mel's Diner, played by the late Vince Tabak Pick Tabak.
Speaker 1:Born Polly Dean Holiday in Jasper, alabama, on July 2, 1937, she pursued theater arts at the Alabama College for Women and Florida State University. Her professional acting career began at the Azolo Theater Company in Sarasota, florida. After relocating to New York City, she secured a role at the Public Theater off of Broadway in 1972. Soon after Holiday appeared in the Broadway hit All Over Town, directed by Dustin Hoffman, she reunited with Dustin Hoffman in the 1976 film All the President's Men. The same year she was cast as Florence Jean Flo Castleberry in Alice. Holly remained with Alice until 1980, when she departed to star in her own short-lived spinoff series, flo. Diane Ladd, who had played Flo in Martin Scorsese's 1974 film Alice, doesn't Live here Anymore. The inspiration for the sitcom took her place on Alice as a new character, belle Dupree. Flo was canceled in 1981. Years later, holiday joined the cast of CBS's short-lived Private Benjamin, replacing Ellen Brennan who had been injured in a car accident.
Speaker 1:On television, holiday also appeared as Lily, the blind sister of Betty White's Rose Nyland, in the Golden Girls, and had roles in Tim Allen's Home Improvement and the 1995 John Grisham legal thriller series the Client. Her final TV credit was in an episode of Homicide Life on the Street in 1996. Beyond All the President's Men, where she played a protective secretary almost thwarting Dustin Hoffman's attempts to interview her boss about the Watergate scandal, holliday's filmography includes WW and the Dixie Dance, kings Gremlins, mrs Doubtfire, the Parent Trap from 1998, and the Heartbreak Kid from 2007. Her last film was Fair Game in 2010. On Broadway, in addition to All Over Town, halliday appeared in Arsenic and Old Lace and received a Tony nomination for a portrayal of Big Mama in the 99 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She returned to Broadway in the 1994 revival of Picnic and 2000 appeared in the Lincoln Center revival of the Time of the Cuckoo.
Speaker 1:Halliday was the last surviving member of Alice Linda Lavin died last year, vince Tabak in 1990, beth Howland in 2015, and Philip McKeon in 2019. Halliday left no immediate survivors Again Polly Halliday, dead at the age of 88. And with that we end our show for, and with that we end our show for today. Now please head on over to multiversecom and, while you're there, check us out on social media. We're at Blue Sky and Twitter and at Multiverse Tom Threads Blue Sky and Twitter and at Multiverse Tom Threads Facebook, instagram, multiverse Tonight.
Speaker 1:If you've gotten some value out of the show, just head on over to multiversetonightcom. Check our Patreon and Ko-fi links, check our show notes, visit our T-Bulbic store and so much more. Leave some feedback like how much I screw things up. Check us and if this is your first time listening, thank you. Please head on over and hit that subscribe button and share us with others. Now, thanks to Hot Dope for the intro music and Lobo Loco for the outro theme music. Thanks for watching this edition of Multiverse Tonight. We'll be back in two weeks with more sci-fi and comic book news. Goodness, now please exit the universe in an orderly fashion. Good night All the Universe. Tonight is a production of Half-Baked Jonathan Fletcher, copyright 2025. All rights reserved. Go out and protect that, first and foremost.
