Chalamet is an Oscar-nominated movie star known for a slew of acclaimed films, including "Call Me By Your Name," "Lady Bird," "Beautiful Boy," "Little Women," "The French Dispatch," "Dune," and "Dune: Part Two."

And yet, Chalamet recently told Stephen Colbert that "A Complete Unknown" is "the movie I'm proudest of in my career."

Chalamet learned to play guitar for the lead role and sang live during many of the film's musical performances. He said he spent five years familiarizing himself with Dylan's life, discography, and vocal style.

"A Complete Unknown" begins in 1961, when Dylan moved to New York City as a teenager. He released his self-titled debut album in 1962 and quickly became a fixture in the Greenwich Village folk scene, leading many critics to label him "the voice of a generation."

After releasing a few beloved folk albums, Dylan made a divisive pivot toward rock 'n' roll, punctuated with his electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The controversy was documented by Elijah Wald in his 2015 book "Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties," on which the movie's script is based.

Today, at 83, Dylan is known as one of the most influential and prolific singer-songwriters of all time. He has won 10 Grammys out of 38 nominations, as well as the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award, which he accepted in 1991.

Barbaro got her start in TV, landing recurring roles in shows like Lifetime's "Unreal," NBC's "Chicago P.D.," and ABC's "Splitting Up Together." She earned her breakthrough movie role as Lt. Natasha "Phoenix" Trace in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick."

Like Chalamet, Barbaro was not trained as a singer or guitarist before being cast as Joan Baez, who helped Dylan lead the '60s folk revival. She worked with vocal coach Eric Vetro to approximate Baez's famous soprano.

When Barbaro had a chance to speak with Baez over the phone, she said she reassured the musician, "This is all done out of respect."

"She's just like, 'I'm just outside listening to the birds.' She is Joan. She's not so concerned with protecting [her legacy] or hovering over it," Barbaro told The Hollywood Reporter. "She signed over her songs [to the film], all her arrangements. She and Bob are sort of similar, in that they're not so obsessed with dictating this idea of who they are and who they were. They've been in the public eye for so long."

Baez, 83, also received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Fanning, who originally costarred with Chalamet in 2019's "A Rainy Day in New York," was a huge Dylan fan before she was cast in "A Complete Unknown."

"I had posters of him on my wall and wrote his name on my hand every day, partly to be cool," Fanning told The Hollywood Reporter. "I worked with ['We Bought a Zoo' director] Cameron Crowe when I was 13, and he played Bob Dylan a lot. He would play 'Buckets of Rain' over and over again. That's when it started."

Fanning's character Sylvie Russo is based on Suze Rotolo, Dylan's girlfriend in the early '60s. She died in 2011.

Rotolo was cemented in music history when she posed arm-in-arm with Dylan for the cover of his sophomore album, 1963's "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." She also influenced Dylan's left-wing politics and inspired the song "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," among others.

According to Fanning, Dylan asked the filmmakers to avoid using Rotolo's real name because she was "a very private person and didn't ask for this life."

"She was obviously someone that was very special and sacred to Bob," Fanning told Rolling Stone.

After Benedict Cumberbatch dropped out of the movie, Norton — renowned for movies like "Fight Club," "Moonrise Kingdom," "Birdman," and "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" — was hired to portray folk pioneer Pete Seeger.

Seeger's expansive catalog includes the labor-movement anthem "The Hammer Song" and the crossover hit "Goodnight, Irene," both of which Seeger recorded with his folk quartet The Weavers in 1950. He also wrote the patriotic classic "This Land Is Your Land."

Seeger met Dylan in Greenwich Village shortly after the younger singer arrived in town. He is known as one of Dylan's earliest supporters, credited with getting Dylan on the lineup for the Newport Folk Festival. However, according to legend, Seeger was disturbed by Dylan's electric performance at the 1965 edition. Some claim he even tried to cut the sound while Dylan was onstage.

Throughout his life, Seeger was outspoken in support of civil rights, workers' rights, and anti-war efforts, among other causes. He died in 2014 at age 94.

Holbrook is being hailed as a scene-stealer for his performance as Johnny Cash in "A Complete Unknown."

Cash and Dylan officially met at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, but they had already been exchanging letters as fans of each other's work.

"I had a portable record player that I'd take along on the road, and I'd put on 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' backstage, then go out and do my show, then listen again as soon as I came off," Cash wrote in his autobiography, per Far Out magazine.

"After a while at that, I wrote Bob a letter telling him how much of a fan I was," Cash continued. "He wrote back almost immediately, saying he'd been following my music since 'I Walk the Line,' and so we began a correspondence."

Dylan's manager, Jeff Rosen, gave Mangold, the director, access to letters that Cash and Dylan exchanged in this era. He told Rolling Stone they became "an instrumental voice in the movie."

The two musicians maintained a close friendship until Cash died from complications of diabetes in 2003. He was 71.

You may recognize McNairy from "Argo," "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," or one of two other films released in 2024: "Speak No Evil" and "Nightbitch."

Before the year ends, McNairy will return to the silver screen as Woody Guthrie, widely known as Dylan's personal hero. Guthrie rose to fame in 1940 with his topical album "Dust Bowl Ballads," which chronicles the Great Depression's effects on American Midwesterners. He continued to sing about anti-capitalist and anti-fascist themes throughout his career.

By the time Dylan arrived in New York, Guthrie was being treated in New Jersey for Huntington's disease.

The movie dramatizes their first encounter, including an emotional performance of Dylan's "Song to Woody," with which he serenades Guthrie in the hospital. Chalamet told Rolling Stone that after filming the scene, he went home and "wept." (In reality, Dylan wrote the song after he and Guthrie had already met, per the magazine.)

Guthrie died in 1967 at age 55.

Dan Fogler is best known for the "Harry Potter" spinoff franchise "Fantastic Beasts," in which he played the no-maj character Jacob Kowalski.

In "A Complete Unknown," Fogler portrays Albert Grossman, Dylan's manager from 1962 to 1970. Grossman helped Dylan become an influential figure in the era's folk revival, but his aggressive and intimidating business tactics also earned him a controversial reputation, according to TeachRock.org.

Grossman died in 1986 of a heart attack. He was 59.

In his book "That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea," Randolph wrote that he and Hastings met with Bezos in 1998, who offered them "probably something between $14 million and $16 million," Randolph wrote. But they turned down the offer.

Netflix gained 239,000 subscribers in its first year, according to Inc.

"As you get older, if you're lucky, you realize two things: what you like, but also what you're good at," Randolph told Forbes in 2019 on why he left Netflix. "The answer to both of them [for me] is early-stage companies. I like the chaos. I like the fact that you're working on hundreds of things at once."

Netflix ended 2006 with over 6 million subscribers for its DVD-rental service.

But a New York Times story at the time highlighted how the company still faced doubts about its streaming plans, noting that it would cost Netflix $40 million to implement it. The company's stock dropped 6% with the announcement. But Hastings, who was CEO at the time, said that he had "gotten used to" reservations.

"This was the first time we streamed a show across multiple countries and languages … and it worked," Netflix's current co-CEO Ted Sarandos wrote in a blog post in February 2022.

"It worked because it was a deeply local story that we could share with the world," Sarandos added.

Netflix has yet to nab the Oscars' top prize, though, despite elaborate campaign spending. Apple TV+ won best picture last year for "CODA," becoming the first streaming platform to do so.

Chappelle said in the special that "gender is a fact" and defended "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, who came under fire for past transphobic comments.

Sarandos defended Chappelle in a memo to employees, saying in part: "Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him. His last special, 'Sticks & Stones,' also controversial, is our most watched, stickiest, and most award winning stand-up special to date."

Netflix trans employees planned a walkout in response to the special and Sarandos' comments.

Aside from the economic strains of the coronavirus pandemic, Netflix blamed the subscriber loss partly on password sharing. It said that it estimated that an additional 100 million people use Netflix with a shared password. 

It also acknowledged increased competition. Over the last few years, new streaming services like Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, and more have entered the space on top of already existing rivals like Hulu and Prime Video.

Hastings confirmed during Netflix's April 2022 earnings call that the company plans to roll out an ad-supported plan — something it has pushed back against in the past — as the streaming service faced slowing revenue growth and lost subscribers.

Other streamers have, like HBO Max and Paramount+, have embraced ads. Disney+, Netflix's biggest rival, has also launched an ad-supported option.

Netflix's standard HD plan (its most popular plan) is $15.49 per month after the company recently raised prices. 

Netflix laid off 150 staffers in May 2022 and then 300 more in June.

"While we continue to invest significantly in the business, we made these adjustments so that our costs are growing in line with our slower revenue growth," a Netflix spokesperson said of the most recent round of layoffs.

In Q2 2022, Netflix said it lost 970,000 subscribers. It had forecasted losing 2 million subscribers in the quarter, so it beat expectations — but it was still a sign of company's struggles, proving why it is introducing an ad-based plan and cracking down on password sharing. 

Netflix is optimistic about Q3, though, and forecasted adding 1 million subscribers.

When the ad program launched, the streamer said it was nearly sold out of inventory.

The end of 2022 represented a bit of a bounce back for Netflix, as the entertainment company outpaced subscriber growth in Q4 by around 3.1 million, adding 7.66 new subscribers despite its own estimates of 4.5 million, per Variety.

In total the streaming giant amassed 230.75 million subscribers by the end of 2022, compared to its target figure of 227.59 million.

Netflix noted that after a decade into making original content, it was "past the most cash-intensive phase of this buildout," per Variety. Accordingly, money spent on content was $16.84 billion in 2022 — about a 5% less than its 2021 spend.

Netflix announced it will end its DVD-rental services on September 29, 2023, according to an official Twitter account dedicated to the DVD-side of the business. It will mark the end of a 25-year chapter for the business, which became known for its red envelopes.

Users will have until October 27, 2023 to return their DVDs. Those still subscribed to the DVD service or whose subscription was cancelled in the last nine months will be able to download their queue, rental history, ratings, and reviews via this link.

Netflix began cracking down on password sharing in 2023, a move that – along with offering a cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier – helped it add new subscribers and deliver blowout earnings throughout 2024, quarter after quarter.

That said, Netflix will stop reporting quarterly subscriber figures in 2025, and some analysts expect the returns on its password crackdown to diminish in the future.  

Netflix made a costly push into live sports content with a $5 billion deal for a weekly WWE show in the US, and to air other one-off pro wrestling events globally. The content will start rolling out in early 2025.

Netflix's former firm chief Scott Stuber left the company in January. He was later replaced by Dan Lin, who has reportedly sought to implement a new strategy that shifts away from big-budget action films fronted by marquee stars. 

Lin's plan also involves diversifying Netflix's offerings, prioritizing in-house producers, and skipping theatrical releases.

In February, Netflix signed on to produce its first Broadway show – a stage play about a Russian oligarch in partnership with "The Crown" creator Peter Morgan. The show started previews in April and closed in June.  

Netflix is also working on a "Stranger Things" prequel play in London, but not as a producer, according to The New York Times. That show, dubbed "Stranger Things: The First Shadow," premiered in the West End this month, and is expected to arrive on Broadway in the spring. 

Netflix announced a new venture dubbed Netflix House in June – or "experiential entertainment venues" that are slated to arrive in shopping malls in Dallas and Philadelphia next year.

The locations will include Netflix-themed attractions, games, restaurants, and merch as Netflix looks to hone a model pioneered by Disney.

In November 2024, Netflix's ad business turned two years old. It announced it had 70 million ad-supported subscribers – up from 40 million the previous May – and said that more than half of new sign-ups were for ad-supported plans in countries where the option is available.

Netflix made another massive foray into live sports content in November, streaming a highly anticipated boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, which drew a record-breaking 65 million concurrent viewers globally.

That said, the stream was beset by technical difficulties, with some viewers reporting buffering and audio problems. 

Netflix closed out the year by streaming its first-ever Christmas Day NFL games, following a pact it announced in May with the NFL to carry holiday games through 2026. This year's spectacle also featured Beyoncé performing at halftime as the Houston Texans faced off against the Baltimore Ravens. 

Kohl's has more than 1,100 locations in 49 states. While there are Kohl's stores in the greater New York City area, including in Brooklyn and Yonkers, there aren't any in Manhattan.

Kohl's announced its partnership with Sephora in 2020. By 2023, 910 Kohl's locations had added Sephora stores, and the retail chain built 140 more Sephora stores at Kohl's in 2024.

In 2023, Sephora sales at Kohl's totaled $1.4 billion, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Sales are projected to hit $2 billion by 2025.

Kohl's Rewards members and Kohl's cardholders received extra discounts.

The juniors section sold flared leggings, bralettes, and other styles popular with Gen Z.

The Sephora was constructed like a store within a store, similar to smaller shops located in a mall.

The aisles were full of makeup brands like Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna.

On a June earnings call, Kingsbury said the retailer had removed some jewelry from stores to make room for Sephora locations since jewelry sales had been steadily declining.

He said Kohl's planned to add more accessories like jewelry back into stores in time for the holidays and place them near Sephora in an effort to boost sales.

The items ranged between $7 and $15, while most of the fine jewelry items displayed nearby cost around $100.

Kingsbury told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in September that Kohl's locations with more space for dresses were "performing better" than other locations.

To me, the black-tie dresses in particular made Kohl's feel more like a department store than a big-box retailer.

Kohl's also carries a line of adaptive clothing designed for accessibility. I appreciated how the store catered to a wide customer base.

Women's flannel shirts were on sale for $24.99 — the same as they cost at Target, but more expensive than Walmart, where similar shirts cost between $5 and $15. I also didn't find the clothing displays particularly engaging compared to Sephora's luminous shelves and eye-catching photos.

The items were organized by color, which I found visually appealing. I also enjoyed the wooden roof displayed over the home decor section, which made it easy to spot and identify from a distance.

Kohl's Q3 earnings report found that home decor was a "key growth area" that experienced a "strong collective performance" despite the overall slump.

Centering the juniors and jewelry sections around Sephora's beauty products made sense to me, but these items all seemed like they belonged in different parts of the store. Perhaps it was a space issue, or maybe Kohl's is still playing around with store layouts that drive more sales.

In October, Kohl's launched a digital baby registry service through Babies "R" Us to boost sales of baby gear, which has been a top seller.

On the Q3 earnings call, Kingsbury said that while Kohl's had "benefited" from opening Babies "R" Us shops in 200 stores, these additions were still "unable to offset the declines in our core business."

This could have been a stylistic choice, but it did make me think of Business Insider senior correspondent Emily Stewart's piece about how store aisles crowded with boxes are a sign of the retail apocalypse.

Kohl's launched self-pickup in all of its locations in 2022.

The staffed checkout counters may have had a longer line because of people making returns.

By leaning into partnerships with Sephora and Babies "R" Us and thinking strategically about store layouts, Kohl's hopes to drive enough business to sustain its core brand and reverse its sales slump.

Source: Business Insider

"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" is a John Hughes and Chris Columbus collaboration following the first "Home Alone" movie, which took place in the Chicago suburbs. 

In "Home Alone 2," Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, is heading out for the holidays with his family. After a series of mistakes, McCallister ends up on the wrong plane — it's flying to NYC instead of Miami, where the rest of his family is headed.

Once he lands, McCallister explores the city solo and eventually runs into Harry and Marv, the same bad guys from the first movie, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.

The movie was released in 1992. More than 30 years later, many of the scenes look similar to NYC today.

"Home Alone 2" is filled with plenty of famous — and not so famous — New York destinations. 

I rewatched the classic Christmas movie to see how the film holds up to reality. 

After mistaking a man in a tan jacket for his father, McCallister arrives in NYC with the cityscape on full display in the background.

Initially feeling defeated, McCallister quickly realizes that a solo trip to New York City could be a fun adventure.

Maybe it's because I'm always in a frantic rush to get to the airport on time, but the views from LaGuardia Airport's windows have yet to impress me as they did in the movie. 

After the shock and worry of what just happened, McCallister decides to make the most of his stay in NYC.

Fortunately, he has his father's carry-on bag, complete with his dad's credit card, cash, and a Polaroid camera.

He hails a cab and crosses into Manhattan, where his adventure begins. 

In the movie, McCallister rides in a now-outdated taxi. Today, most taxis are modern cars, although they've kept their iconic yellow color. 

When it comes to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, it hasn't changed. The only difference I spotted is that in 2010, "Ed Koch" was added to the front of the bridge's title after former Mayor Edward I. Koch.

These scenes go by quickly as McCallister visits neighborhoods and iconic spots sprinkled across the entire island.

The movie takes place during the holiday season. I was surprised there weren't more people in the background of this scene, which takes place in Midtown Manhattan, a neighborhood that is typically bustling with tourist activity.

Come wintertime, Radio City Music Hall typically teems with people eager to spot a Rockettes performance. 

The short scene features McCallister crossing paths with a Santa on stilts outside the Empire Diner.

The diner at 210 10th Avenue in New York's Chelsea neighborhood opened in 1976. 

Since then, the diner has closed and reopened a few times with new owners. Today, it's led by executive chef Jestin Feggan. 

The diner looks the same as it did in the movie, but behind it is a colorful mural painted by Eduardo Kobra. The mural features Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Quong Yuen Shing & Co. on Mott Street opened in 1891 in the heart of Chinatown and sold everything from salted duck eggs to medicinal herbs.

In the "Home Alone 2" script, it also sold firecrackers, which McCallister stuffs into his backpack as he exits the store. 

In the mid-1980s, the store received a new name, 32 Mott Street General Store, and in 2003, it closed in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, The New York Times reported.

While visitors can no longer stop at this specific spot, they can head to Chinatown in Lower Manhattan to explore its history and discover delicious eats.

McCallister looks out into the water and spots the Statue of Liberty. Surprisingly, this will be the only time we see this iconic landmark in the two-hour movie. 

The Battery, a 22-acre public park, is one of my favorite parks in Manhattan thanks to its water and greenery. 

For the most part, I think the movie gets it right. By that, I mean that the Statue of Liberty is far enough to need binoculars for a close-up view. However, you'll have to bring your own since the coin-operated ones no longer exist in the park.

The World Trade Center was comprised of seven buildings. McCallister makes his way up 110 stories to view the city from one of the Twin Towers.

On September 11, 2001, both Twin Towers collapsed in a terrorist attack, destroying the observation deck McCallister visits.

The closest thing to McCallister's view today is the One World Observatory.

The experience is 102 stories high, compared to McCallister's 110 stories. It's also enclosed, unlike the Twin Towers' outdoor observation deck.

This scene is Harry and Marv's entrance to the movie. The two have escaped from prison and are spotted in New York in the back of a fish delivery truck. They've traveled to NYC to steal money. 

The fish market is portrayed as a bustling place in the movie. 

Today, the fish market is entirely different than the one pictured in "Home Alone 2."

Opened in 1822, the market existed at South Street Seaport for over a hundred years. In 2005, it moved to an enclosed space in the Bronx.

Tourists and buyers arrive early — the market opens at 2 a.m. on most days.

While it might look drastically different from the movie, I can guarantee it has the same smell.

The Pigeon Lady will become an essential character later in the movie, but upon their first encounter, she scares McCallister.

McCallister runs away and heads to The Plaza Hotel, aka "New York's most exciting hotel experience," which is how McCallister refers to it while reciting a commercial he watched in the movie.

Standing in the southeast corner of Central Park, visitors can get a complete picture of the famous building. 

Its exterior hasn't changed much. The iconic hotel is still one of New York's most famous hotels. It was built in 1907, and in 1969, it was designated an official landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. 

The statue points McCallister in the direction of the hotel.

The general is known for helping Argentina, Chile, and Peru gain independence from the Spanish, according to NYC Parks.

Today, it looks the same as it did in the movie and can be spotted at Central Park South and Avenue of the Americas.

Once McCallister finally makes it to the hotel, he explores the extravagant lobby. It's decorated for the holiday season, and pots are filled with poinsettias.

In the lobby, McCallister runs into Donald Trump, who is playing himself — the owner of The Plaza Hotel. As Business Insider previously reported, Trump, who no longer owns the hotel, insisted on having a cameo in the film. 

Later in the scene, McCallister uses a fake voice to call and make a reservation for a suite. 

McCallister enjoys the hotel's pool and orders an ultimate room service experience.

Since 1992, the hotel has updated some of its interior and offerings, but the essence and luxury of the experience remain the same.

My guess is that it's much more expensive compared to when McCallister would've stayed. According to the hotel's website, rooms are priced between $1,000 and $33,000 for a night this January. 

This scene is where the duo gets the idea to rob a toy store. 

I've watched plenty of children — and adults — take a tumble at Wollman Rink.

The ice skating rink opened in 1950. Each November, it opens to the public for skating. In the summer, the area is a popular pickball court location.  

Here, McCallister sets foot into a store brimming with stuffed animals, musical instruments, and toys for all ages.

Lonely Planet said that Duncan's Toy Chest is based on the real New York City toy store, FAO Schwarz.

The actual store wasn't used for filming. Instead, filming took place in Chicago, with exterior shots from Chicago's historic The Rookery and interior scenes filmed in The Uptown Theater, The Sun reported.

I've stopped at FAO Schwarz once or twice and spotted the same joy and excitement depicted in the film.

However, many physical elements have changed. The store temporarily closed in 2015 and moved locations, and in 2018, it reopened at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. 

In the time since the movie came out, many of the store's current toys are different from the ones seen in the movie.  

As McCallister hops into the back of a horse-drawn carriage to escape Harry and Marv, the audience learns that this isn't the first, and likely won't be the last time McCallister visits the famous park.

In fact, McCallister wanders through Central Park a handful of times throughout the film. It's where McCallister spots the Plaza Hotel, stows away in a horse-drawn carriage, and befriends the Pigeon Lady. 

Throughout the film, McCallister is spotted across Manhattan's largest park. 

Yes, people still feed pigeons, and horse-drawn carriages still exist. 

As with any film shot decades ago, things will look different, but the crowds, and lack thereof, remain true.

I've explored areas of the 840-acre park that are both eerily quiet and swarmed with people. Overall, the film's depiction of the park is pretty accurate, based on my experience. 

McCallister makes his way to Times Square, which has some of the heaviest foot traffic in all of NYC.

I find Times Square to typically be pure chaos with crowds of tourists, business people, and performers filling the streets.

I was surprised to see it so empty in the movie. 

At the end of the movie, McCallister reunites with his mother in the plaza, who flew to New York to search for her son.

In the movie, the plaza is entirely empty. 

During my first winter in New York, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the holiday season by admiring the city's lights, window displays, and music, but I instantly regretted visiting Rockefeller Plaza.

The plaza was packed, and I remember having to push my way through the crowds to catch a glimpse of the tree. 

In fact, I doubt the plaza is ever as empty as it is in "Home Alone 2." 

While I'm glad I checked it off my bucket list, I have no desire to go back.

There's no place like NYC, especially during the holidays.

Watching "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" is still a reminder of the magic the city has each winter, no matter how much has changed since the movie came out. 

I wasn't sure if I'd really taste much of a difference between the coffee drinks, so I also brought along a friend who has received training in discerning tastes from a professional sommelier and recipe developer.

He found the 2% latte boring and lacking "personality." Adding sugar made the taste more interesting, but he didn't think he'd order it again.

I've been drinking lattes made with 2% milk for years, and I wouldn't buy one (sometimes two) daily if I didn't like the taste.

This was almost like the experiment's control group for me — something to compare the others to.

Although it didn't end up being the best of the bunch, it's a good choice for purists like me.

When I was drinking non-dairy lattes, soy milk was my preferred alternative. I was really looking forward to seeing if it was as tasty as I remembered.

Luckily, it didn't disappoint — I knew I was onto something back then.

My friend described the drink as smoky with chocolate notes. Although I hadn't noticed that before, I'm starting to think the hints of flavor may be why I'm drawn to it.

Sugar detracted from the taste of this one for me, which is also a plus since I'd rather not add it.

I strongly associate coconut with tropical drinks, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a coconut-milk latte. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

In my friend's words, the coconut milk had a dry, caramel taste with a slight acidity.

Adding sugar really brought out the coconut flavor, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your tastes.

For me, a stronger coconut taste was welcome. However, my friend isn't a big fan of coconut and preferred this drink without sugar.

I like snacking on almonds and was looking forward to a latte with a nutty taste.

Unfortunately, I didn't like it.

There was a distinct almond quality, but it felt a bit watered down. I didn't think the milk added much flavor to the latte, and my friend agreed.

We both thought that adding sugar would dramatically improve the taste, it didn't.

I enjoy Starbucks' iced brown-sugar oak-milk shaken espresso on warm days, so I was looking forward to seeing how oat milk translates into a hot drink.

Unfortunately, I was a little underwhelmed.

My friend said the oat-milk latte almost had a "cigar-smoke flavor," and neither of us liked that very much.

When I added sugar, the flavor was much better — mostly because it largely covered up the oat milk, making it taste closer to a 2% latte.

Although I'll still order it occasionally, the 2%-milk latte is no longer my go-to at Starbucks. After just one sip, I knew I'd be going right back to soy.

The delicious — perhaps chocolaty — flavor is perfect without any added sweetener.

Even though the coconut-milk latte wasn't my favorite drink, it was a close second. The tropical, caramelly flavors really work.

With sugar added, the oat-milk drink was also OK, but I didn't like the almond-milk latte and won't be ordering it again.

Chipotle cheddar crackers are Garten's go-to homemade appetizer for any gathering, and we think they're perfect for a holiday party.

"I just like to make one thing and then buy the rest," Garten told Bon Appétit when discussing how she constructs a cocktail hour or appetizer spread. She said these crackers are typically the only thing she'll make.

We loved how the crackers tasted like a Cheez-It combined with the texture of a biscuit.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's chipotle cheddar crackers here.

If you're looking for an easy main dish or a last-minute protein, Garten's lemony and herby turkey breast recipe is here to save the day.

It was relatively easy to prepare, and it requires much less time and prep work than a full-size bird, making it a great option for day-of cooking.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's herb-roasted turkey breast here.

Our favorite part of the turkey breast recipe was the wet rub that seasons the poultry. We used it to flavor our green beans and boost the brightness of our potatoes, and we put the rest in a bowl for the perfect dipping sauce.

If you're looking for a citrusy, fresh, herby way to tie multiple dishes in your hosting spread together, it's worth pulling it out of the turkey recipe — even if you're not making the bird.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's lemony, herby turkey rub here.

This recipe is both flavorful and comforting. It would be perfect for a cold and rainy winter day but also ideal for a cozy holiday meal served on the floor or on the couch by the fireplace.

The only hangup is that this one takes a few hours to make — but we think it's worth it.

Plus, if you're cooking for less than five people, you'll have plenty of leftovers for days and weeks ahead.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's chicken in a pot with orzo here.

This recipe isn't simple, but it's delicious and would be a great way to show yourself some love this holiday season. Nothing says holiday decadence like putting in some work to create an indulgent, satisfying, soul-warming meal for yourself.

With three types of cheese and thick-cut bacon, it tastes like a sophisticated version of the lunch we ate as a kid.

While there are several steps, Garten's recipe is precise with measurements and easy to follow, which can help even a timid home cook successfully complete it.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's grilled cheese here.

The Barefoot Contessa's giant chocolate-chip cookies are a great way to close out any holiday meal. They're sweet and salty, with a texture that manages to be crispy, flaky, crunchy, and gooey all at once.

The characteristic that sets these cookies apart is that they ripple out from the center to the edges, thanks to the Barefoot Contessa's tip of banging the tray on your counter every few minutes while baking. This can feel like a hassle, but it's worth the extra effort.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's giant crinkled chocolate-chip cookies here.

Garten's delicious corn bread is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Its salty and crunchy crust gives way to a moist and fluffy filling that everyone loves.

The recipe is also easy and foolproof, even for novice bakers. And with such a stunning golden color, it's a showstopper at the dinner table.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's corn bread here.

Garten has a plethora of potato recipes that are great for the holidays, including her rosemary roasted potatoes and Parmesan mashed potatoes. But the "Barefoot Contessa" star's potato-fennel gratin is our favorite.

The gratin is a creamy dream. The combination of Gruyère cheese and heavy cream is so comforting, and the potatoes come out perfectly cooked every single time. The sautéed fennel also adds a lovely mild sweetness that cuts through all the cheesiness.

Garten's potato-fennel gratin also pairs well with everything, making it the perfect side dish for any holiday protein. It can also be made ahead of time and reheated, giving you some much-needed oven space on a busy cooking day.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's potato-fennel gratin here.

Garten's recipe requires you to warm up the store-bought mashed potatoes, throw in sour cream, unsalted butter, and freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, then season with salt and pepper.

It might sound too good to be true, but these potatoes wowed us. The Parmesan cheese infused the dish with a delicious richness, and the sour cream added so much creaminess that no one even realized the mashed potatoes were store-bought!

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's elevated store-bought mashed potatoes here.

We've made nearly a dozen Ina Garten pastas, but one of our absolute favorites is the penne alla vodka.

Garten's trick is to roast the vodka sauce in the oven, which infuses the tomatoes with so much delicious flavor that it truly takes this dish to another level.

Plus, it's such a visually stunning pasta. There's no doubt you'll hear everyone say "wow" when you bring this to the dinner table.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's penne alla vodka here.

Garten said her rigatoni with sausage and fennel pasta is one of her "all-time go-to dinners" — and it's perfect when you've got a big group.

The one-pot pasta is packed with delicious ingredients, including sweet Italian sausages, chopped fennel, freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, dry white wine, and heavy cream.

The dish is rich and creamy, and we loved how the sweetness of the sausage worked together with the saltiness of the Parmesan cheese. As we brace ourselves for a chilly holiday season, this one-pot pasta is sure to warm you up (without filling the sink with dishes).

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's one-pot rigatoni with sausage and fennel here.

Garten's garlic bread with a twist features a French baguette, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, butter, parsley, lemon zest, and plenty of garlic.

And the "outrageous" garlic bread lives up to its name in the best way. Each piece was delightfully crunchy, with a zingy brightness from the lemon zest and parsley. One of our friends declared that she "could have eaten an entire baguette's worth."

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's "outrageous" garlic bread here.

While pumpkin pie might dominate the Thanksgiving dessert table, we get to be a bit more creative in December. And who doesn't love some chocolate cake after dinner?

Garten said her Beatty's chocolate cake recipe is "the most fabulous chocolate cake that I've ever made." The delicious dessert features a secret ingredient — one cup of hot brewed coffee — which enhances the chocolate flavor.

We were blown away by how fluffy and moist the cake tasted. It's packed with chocolate, but the texture is still light as air — an incredible feat. The cake is huge, so there's plenty to go around if you've got a big guest list. And it still tastes fresh days later, so everyone gets to enjoy some leftovers.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's Beatty's chocolate cake here.

Garten's bourbon chocolate pecan pie features a store-bought crust, and she told The New York Times that it tasted even better than one made from scratch. Since the frozen crust is less buttery, it doesn't distract or compete with the rich bourbon-chocolate filling.

The recipe features diced pecans, semisweet chocolate chips, vanilla, and some good bourbon. And the pie couldn't be easier to assemble. After chopping some pecans and mixing everything together, it was ready to go in the oven — talk about a stress-free holiday dessert!

We loved all the texture and flavor in Garten's bourbon chocolate pecan pie. There's the crunchiness from the pecans, the creaminess from the chocolate chips, and those sweet notes of caramel from the bourbon. It also tastes fantastic with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's bourbon chocolate pecan pie here.

Whispers of a feud started on social media after it became clear that Baldoni, who both directed and starred in "It Ends With Us," wasn't doing press with the rest of the cast. Then, internet sleuths discovered that while Baldoni follows the entire cast on Instagram, none follow him back.

Over the summer, reports emerged that there were two cuts of the movie: one approved by Baldoni and another done by editor Shane Reid, who has worked with Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which Lively commissioned, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Rumbles of a feud continued as Lively began getting called out for how she promoted the movie. Baldoni hired Melissa Nathan, a seasoned crisis PR manager, as this happened. Nathan is known for working with Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial.

After a quiet few months, their rift returned to the headlines when Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment in December 2024 and said that he worked with Nathan and his publicist, Jennifer Abel, to start a smear campaign against her.

Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement, "It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation."

Lively's representative directed Business Insider to a statement she shared with The New York Times: "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

Celebrities have begun to support Lively publicly, including her "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" costars and "It Ends With Us" author Colleen Hoover. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Baldoni has been dropped by his agency, WME.

Rumors about Wilde and Pugh not getting along began in July 2022, when Page Six reported that Pugh was "displeased" about Wilde's relationship with "Don't Worry Darling's" other costar (and pop music sensation) Harry Styles. Wilde and Styles have since broken up.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Pugh did little to no promotion of "Don't Worry Darling" on social media. Pugh also was not involved in any of the film's events besides its premiere at the Venice Film Festival (notably missing the much-memed press conference) and declined to comment about Wilde in a profile on the director in Variety.

At the premiere itself, fans seemed convinced that Pugh refused to make eye contact with Wilde, didn't stand next to her in any photos, and generally seemed unbothered.

Add in the "Miss Flo" comments from a leaked video of Wilde sent to Shia LaBeouf, and we had all the makings of a feud.

"As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, the internet feeds itself. I don't feel the need to contribute; I think it's sufficiently well-nourished," said Wilde during the Venice press conference.

Mounting tensions on the set of 1999's "Three Kings" reportedly led to a physical fight between the film's star, Clooney, and its director, Russell.

According to one of the film's producers, Charles Roven, Clooney was tired from working on both "ER" and "Three Kings" simultaneously, and Russell was experiencing budget pressure from the studio. Reportedly, when Clooney saw Russell yelling at a crew member, it was the final straw. The two engaged in a "tussle," per The Hollywood Reporter.

In a 2000 interview with Playboy, Clooney said Russell's aggression was a widespread problem on set, and that the director also made the script supervisor cry, physically pushed an extra, and embarrassed a camera-car driver. 

After the reports about Harvey Weinstein came out in 2017, stories surfaced about Russell, with former co-workers accusing him of on-set abuse, as reported by Vulture.

It's been 25 years since "Three Kings," but the bad feelings have not disappeared. In an August 2024 GQ profile, Clooney said it was "not worth it" to work with a "miserable" person like Russell, who made every person on set's life difficult.

A video leaked a few years ago shows Russell screaming at Tomlin while filming 2004's "I Heart Huckabees." 

The video is profanity-laden: After Tomlin complains to Russell about his constant re-writing of lines and scenes, he has a complete meltdown. Russell shoves and knocks items over on the set as crew members flee. 

But the episode did not harm Russell and Tomlin's relationship for more than a few hours. She told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, "We've overcome it. It dissipates and it's gone." The two have said they would gladly work together again.

Schumacher told Entertainment Weekly in 1996 that the two even "had a physical pushing match" on set.

"He was badly behaved, he was rude and inappropriate. I was forced to tell him that this would not be tolerated for one more second. Then we had two weeks where he did not speak to me, but it was bliss," he continued.

Kilmer was eventually replaced in the sequel by George Clooney.

Time did not heal this wound, though — in 2019, 24 years after the film, Schumacher doubled down on their beef. In an interview with Vulture, he called Kilmer "psychotic," though he did admit that he was a "fabulous Batman."

It's unknown if the two reconciled before Schumacher's death in June 2020.

McGregor and Boyle were close friends due to Boyle casting McGregor in his directorial debut "Shallow Grave" and his follow-up, the critically acclaimed "Trainspotting" in 1996.

However, when it came time for Boyle to direct "The Beach" in 2000, he chose Leonardo DiCaprio to be his leading man, instead of McGregor. According to a 2021 interview between McGregor and The Hollywood Reporter, this fractured their relationship for years.

McGregor said the two did not speak for "a long time" and even sat together in a first-class cabin on a transatlantic flight "without exchanging a single word."

"It wasn't handled very well. There was probably both sides to it," McGregor said. "I was upset. But at the same time, it's part of life, it's just part of growing up."

Boyle has said he felt "great shame" about what happened, even admitting that he had given McGregor the impression that the role in "The Beach" would be his.

"I handled it very, very badly, and I've apologized to you," Boyle told McGregor on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2017. "I felt a great shame about it. I was not proud of the way I handled it," Boyle added.

Eventually, the two reconciled and worked together again on the 2017 sequel "T2 Trainspotting."

Dunaway and controversial director Polanski apparently clashed on the set of 1975's "Chinatown."

At one point during filming, Polanski was upset by a stray piece of Dunaway's hair that was ruining his shot, so he walked up to Dunaway and yanked it out of her head. One urban legend even said that Polanski's refusal to allow Dunaway bathroom breaks led to her throwing a cup of her own urine at the director.

Dunaway vehemently denied the urine incident to The Guardian but did tell the Sabotage Times that "the friction between Roman and me began from the start" of filming.

French director Clouzot was well-known in the horror genre during the '50s and '60s. While filming "La Vérité" ("The Truth") in 1960, he wanted his lead actor, Bardot, to realistically fall asleep and drool for a scene. 

So he apparently gave Bardot sleeping pills, claiming that they were painkillers, The Guardian reported. Bardot took too many and ended up having to get her stomach pumped as a result.

After the fact, Bardot called Clouzot "a negative being, forever at odds with himself and the world around him," according to the outlet.

This was just one of many incidents for Clouzot, however, as he reportedly slapped Suzy Delair while filming "Quai des Orfèvres" in 1947.

"The Shining" is one of the most iconic films in American history — and the reported feud between  Duvall and Kubrick is just as infamous.

Kubrick's masterpiece took 13 months to shoot, and every bit of it seems to have been torture for lead actor Shelley Duvall. A perfectionist, Kubrick apparently nitpicked her performance, re-shooting scenes and lines and reaming her in front of the crew for missing cues, reported Rolling Stone. To get real desperation out of Duvall, he apparently filmed one emotionally taxing scene 127 times.

After "The Shining" was released in 1980, Duvall said to critic Roger Ebert, "Going through day after day of excruciating work. Almost unbearable ... in my character I had to cry 12 hours a day, all day long, the last nine months straight, five or six days a week."

Later in her career, though, Duvall celebrated the director. In a video posted to X by the Shelley Duvall Archive, Duvall (who died in July 2024) said she "wouldn't trade the experience" of shooting the film "for anything" because of Kubrick. "It was a fascinating learning experience," she said.

"American History X" got off to a rough start: Controversial British director Kaye didn't even want to hire Norton to play the lead, but he told The Guardian in 2002 that he "couldn't find anyone better."

Norton and Kaye reportedly began to clash when the film was being edited. Kaye's 95-minute cut was not favorably received by New Line Cinema and Norton, who both began to offer Kaye some notes — and he did not take the suggestions well, reported Den of Geek.

Entertainment Weekly reported in 1998 that Kaye was so furious with Norton that he punched a wall and broke his hand. Kaye also threatened to replace his director's credit with the name Humpty Dumpty. Kaye even called Norton "a narcissistic dilettante" to the outlet.

Norton has never spoken publicly about Kaye.

Bay and Fox openly slammed each other in the press, and the animosity seems to have started on the set of "Transformers" in 2007.

In a 2009 interview with Wonderland magazine, Fox said of her director, "[Bay] wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation. He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is ... He has no social skills at all. It's endearing to watch him. He's so vulnerable and fragile in real life and then on set, he's a tyrant."

Members of Bay's "Transformers" crew retaliated by writing an open letter that year that called Fox "the queen of talking trailer trash and posing like a porn star," reported Deadline.

Fox was then fired from the "Transformers" franchise in 2011 and replaced with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The two eventually buried the hatchet, and Fox starred in Bay's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" film in 2014.

"I've always loved Michael," Fox told Entertainment Weekly that year. "We've had our battles in the past but even when I've been really outspoken about difficulties we've had, I've always followed up by saying that I have a particular affinity to him."

Hedren ascended to stardom after scoring lead roles in Hitchcock's "The Birds" and "Marnie." But Hedren later told Variety that the director made unwanted sexual advances on her throughout the filming of "The Birds" in 1963 — and threatened her career if she didn't comply. 

Hedren repeatedly rebuffed his advances. She said, "When he told me that he would ruin me, I just told him to do what he had to do. I went out of the door and slammed it so hard that I looked back to see if it was still on its hinges."

According to Hedren, the inappropriate behavior continued on the set of "Marnie." At one point, Hitchcock and Hedren were in the back of a limousine, and she said he lunged at her, begging her to kiss him.

"It was absolutely awful, and as soon as the movie 'Marnie' was over, I was out of there," Hedren said. "That was the end of the Hitchcock relationship."

In a now-infamous Vanity Fair interview from 2008, Heigl insulted her "Knocked Up" director, Apatow, by calling the movie "a little sexist." 

Heigl went on to express discontent with her character's personality in the film: "It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight," she told the magazine. "It paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys."

Both Apatow and Heigl's costar, Seth Rogen, did not take this critique well. Apatow commented on Heigl's lack of an apology on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2009, saying, "[You'd think] at some point I'll get a call saying, 'Sorry, I was tired ...' and then the call never comes." 

The incident dampened Heigl's career, leading her to apologize (via the press) in 2016. In 2017, Apatow told Vulture he still hasn't spoken to Heigl since the Vanity Fair interview came out a decade ago.

In 2021, Heigl spoke to The Washington Post about being branded as "difficult" in Hollywood after her "Knocked Up" comments.

"I may have said a couple of things you didn't like, but then that escalated to 'she's ungrateful,' then that escalated to 'she's difficult,' and that escalated to 'she's unprofessional,'" she said. "What is your definition of difficult? Somebody with an opinion that you don't like?"

Smith discussed the making of the 2010 film "Cop Out" on an episode of "WTF with Marc Maron" in 2011, almost a year after its release. He told the comedian that one of the stars of the film wouldn't sit for a poster photo shoot — and once Maron pressed the director for a name, he let loose.

The "Mallrats" director confirmed that it definitely wasn't Tracy Morgan," who he called "a dream" and said he would "lay down in traffic for."

"Were it not for Tracy, I might've killed myself or someone else in the making of that movie," Smith said. "It was difficult. I've never been involved in a situation like that where one component is not in the box at all." He added it was "soul-crushing."

Wills, for his part, kept it simple in his response. "Poor Kevin. He's just a whiner," he told Time Out in 2013.

However, the two seem to have squashed their beef. Almost a decade later, in 2019, Smith told a story on his podcast, "Fatman Beyond," about the action star texting him to ask for his address, as Willis had some pictures he wanted to send Smith.

"Reach out to an old friend or to someone you never thought would be a friend again. You never know what bridges you can mend," said Smith.

In 2022, Willis' family announced the actor was stepping back from acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia, and the director had some kind words to say on X. "Long before any of the Cop Out stuff, I was a big Bruce Willis fan - so this is really heartbreaking to read," he wrote. He also expressed regret for his previous comments.

Murray and Ramis were longtime friends and "Ghostbusters" costars, but they had a bitter falling out on the set of Ramis' 1993 film "Groundhog Day."

Murray was the star of the film, and, according to Ramis' daughter Violet's book "Ghostbuster's Daughter: Life With My Dad, Harold Ramis," his behavior became increasingly erratic while shooting —  he was repeatedly late to set and threw many a tantrum. The issue came to a head when Ramis, at one point, is said to have grabbed Murray by the collar and shoved him against a wall.

Ramis' daughter also wrote that "Bill was going through a difficult time in his personal life, and he and my dad were not seeing eye to eye on the tone of the film."

She added, "Eventually, Bill just completely shut my dad out ... for the next 20-plus years."

Ramis became terminally ill in 2010, and it was then that Murray extended an olive branch, arriving at Ramis' house with a police escort and a dozen doughnuts. The two were friends until Ramis' death in 2014.

Kinski was known for being a difficult actor to work with, and this seemed to prove true for director Herzog on the set of "Aguirre: The Wrath of God" in 1972. 

Kinski and Herzog began to disagree about how Kinski should play his character, and Kinski became defiant. He reportedly threw wild tantrums on set and constantly threatened to quit the production. In one of the latter instances, Herzog is said to have held Kinski at gunpoint in order to make him stay, reported Indiewire.

The two went on to work together four more times, and Herzog made a documentary about their mercurial, decadeslong friendship called "My Best Fiend" in 1999.

Both Björk and von Trier won many awards and accolades for their 2000 indie film "Dancer in the Dark." But in light of the #MeToo movement, Björk claimed in 2017 that von Trier made unwanted sexual advances at her during filming. 

In a series of Facebook posts, Björk alleged that von Trier made "unwanted whispered sexual offers from him with graphic descriptions," and he threatened to "climb from his room's balcony in the middle of the night with a clear sexual intention." 

Von Trier denied the claims, saying that sexual harassment was "not the case. But that we were definitely not friends, that's a fact," reported The Guardian.

Carney blasted Knightley in a 2016 interview with The Independent after their film "Begin Again" was released, calling her a "supermodel" who was unable to capture the essence of her musician character.

Carney said, "Keira's thing is to hide who you are and I don't think you can be an actor and do that ... being a film actor requires a certain level of honesty and self-analysis that I don't think she's ready for yet, and I certainly don't think she was ready for on that film." 

Directors rallied to defend the Oscar-nominated actor on Twitter (now X), calling her "utterly spectacular" and "a joy" to work with. Carney then issued an apology on X in 2016, saying, "Keira was nothing but professional and dedicated during that film and she contributed hugely to its success." 

In 2019, Knightley revealed in an interview with the Irish Times that Carney had privately apologized to her, and she had accepted it.

"It was a very difficult shoot. We didn't get on. It's just a thing that happens sometimes and I say that with no blame. It takes two to tango," she said. "I think we can both be very proud of ourselves for the film that we made because it's difficult when a lead actor and director don't get on. And I don't think you could tell that from watching the film."

Anderson hit it big with his critically adored second film, "Boogie Nights," in 1997. But Reynolds, who won a Golden Globe for his performance, never saw the film.

Reynolds told GQ in 2015 that he and Anderson clashed on set, personality-wise. He found Anderson to be too pleased with his own ability, saying they butted heads "mostly because he was young and full of himself. Every shot we did, it was like the first time [that shot had ever been done]." 

Anderson extended an olive branch by offering Reynolds a part in his next film, "Magnolia," but Reynolds told The Guardian he declined the offer, saying, "I'd done my picture with Paul Thomas Anderson; that was enough for me."

Basinger spoke to The New York Times in 1986 about the grueling experience of shooting the erotic drama "9 1/2 Weeks."

Basinger was reportedly bullied by director Lyne, who also convinced costar Mickey Rourke to completely ignore Basinger off-camera in order to add to the duo's intensity on-screen. Lyne said to the Times, "In order for her to be angry I would rage at her and she would rage back at me."

It wasn't until after "9 1/2 Weeks" was released that Basinger realized the level of manipulation that was happening on set. She reflected, "Mickey was egging me on — I hated him sometimes. I got confused. I didn't know who I was after a while. My husband [Ron Snyder] and I had a bad time during this movie."

Even though Basinger said there were times she was ready to quit the movie, she holds firm that the experience — and the final product — were worthwhile.

Though the scene depicting the rape of Schneider's character was in the script for "Last Tango in Paris," director Bertolucci created a disturbing last-minute addendum.

Bertolucci and actor Marlon Brando had the idea of using a stick of butter as a lubricant for the scene, but they apparently didn't warn Schneider beforehand because Bertolucci wanted "her reaction as a girl, not as an actress," he said in 2013.

In 2007, a few years before her death in 2011, Schneider told The Daily Mail that the scene felt real to her. "Marlon said to me: 'Maria, don't worry, it's just a movie,' but during the scene, even though what Marlon was doing wasn't real, I was crying real tears," she said.

Bertolucci said Schneider hated him for years after the film, and "Last Tango In Paris" received renewed media attention in 2016 before the #MeToo movement, as celebrities — both actors and actresses — rallied to defend Schneider on X.

Outlets have reported in October and November — before it was public what the film would be — that several A-listers were in the frame for Nolan's next project.

Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter said, citing unnamed sources, that Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, who starred in Nolan's "Interstellar," would feature.

Hathaway confirmed the casting when speaking to Women's Wear Daily in early December.

"I have so many feelings about it that I don't even know how to articulate. It fills me with so much joy, and I don't know how to talk about it," she said. "I love Chris and Emma Nolan so much, and to be invited into their world is, I mean, I know from experience it's one of the best places you can find yourself. Getting to be invited twice really felt like something, three felt like it would've been greedy, so I never let myself hope that that would happen, and that it has makes me emotional, to be perfectly honest. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right."

Nobody has said which role Hathaway — or any of the actors — might play.

Penelope, Odysseus' wife, is the most significant woman in the source material, along with Athena, the goddess of wisdom who watches over Odysseus.

Deadline and THR also reported, citing unnamed sources, that another Nolan veteran, Robert Pattinson, who starred in "Tenet," will also star in the film.

The publications also said Zendaya, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong'o, and Charlize Theron would be in the cast.

Major characters include Odysseus himself, the legendarily cunning hero, as well as his son Telemachus, the beguiling witch Circe, the monstrous one-eyed cyclops, and Poseidon, the sea god who wants Odysseus to suffer.

On December 18, Holland said on an episode of the "Dish" podcast that he is in the film but doesn't "know anything about" the plot, which was at the time a secret.

"I'm super excited. Everything is very hush-hush. I met with him it was awesome. He kind of loosely pitched what it was, and I'm sure when he's ready, he'll announce what it is," he said.

He seemed to confirm that Pattinson, Zendaya, and Damon would be part of the cast with him.

This would be the first film Zendaya and Holland had worked together on since 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

Homer is known for two epic poems, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," both of which tell the story of the Trojan War.

"The Iliad" narrates the end of the war, while "The Odyssey" tells of the ten-year struggle by Odysseus to return to his island home, Ithaka.

During the journey, Odysseus and his crew fight against a man-eating cyclops, powerful giants, and the sirens. They defeat witches and sea monsters, and anger the Zeus and Poseidon. But Odysseus has Athena on his side, trying to help him get home.

Meanwhile, a band of suitors are trying to take over Odysseus' kingdom on Ithaka, supplanting his son Telemachus and convincing Penelope to marry one of them.

In a dramatic conclusion, Odysseus sneaks back to the island and slaughters the suitors, reclaiming his family and kingdom.

This will be Nolan's first film about Greek mythology, breaking away from his regular sci-fi and war films. Nolan will be writing the script for the movie.

Several filmmakers have brought Homer's work to screen over the years, including the Oscar-winning directing sibling duo the Coen Brothers and Oscar-nominated German director Wolfgang Petersen.

Petersen's "Troy," which premiered in 2004 starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, was based on Homer's "The Illiad." It was the most commercially successful Homer adaptation, grossing $497 million worldwide, but received a lot of criticism that it didn't translate Homer's story well.

Pitt told The New York Times Magazine in 2019 that he was "disappointed" by the film, and the experience made him pivot toward "quality stories" for the rest of his career.

The Coen Brothers' "O Brother, Where Are Thou" and the 2004 "The Spongebob Squarepants Movie" are two other Hollywood movies loosely based on "The Odyssey."

Homer's work has also been adapted into multiple TV series, including the 1997's "The Odyssey," which starred Christopher Lee and Vanessa Williams.

On December 24, Ryan Seacrest will turn 50.

Two years ago, Seacrest celebrated his birthday with a family gathering and playing games with balloon animals, according to Instagram.

Ricky Martin's 53rd birthday is on December 24, 2024.

To get into the Christmas spirit, Martin voiced a character in the Netflix holiday film "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey."

The most famous expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, will turn 84 on Christmas Eve.

Fauci was born on December 24, 1940 — and while he might not have been a huge celebrity for the first seven decades of his life, Decade No. 8 is shaping up to be his busiest ever.

Louis Tomlinson's 33rd birthday is on Christmas Eve.

Tomlinson is the oldest member of One Direction, and the oldest of seven siblings.

Jimmy Buffett would have celebrated his 78th birthday on December 25, 2024.

Buffett died in September 2023 at the age of 76.

Of the many, many, albums Buffett released over his decadeslong career, he put out two Christmas albums: 1996's "Christmas Island" and 2016's "'Tis the SeaSon."

"Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer will celebrate her 51st birthday on Christmas Eve.

In 2020, Meyer released the eighth installment in the "Twilight" saga, "Midnight Sun," a re-telling of the first "Twilight" book from Edward's perspective.

Lee Daniels turns the big 6-5 on December 24 this year.

The Oscar-nominated director is celebrating his 65th birthday this year, 19 years after his directorial debut, "Shadowboxer."

Barbara Mandrell's 76th birthday is this Christmas Day.

The iconic country singer released a Christmas album in 1984, "Christmas at Our House."

Jeremy Strong was born 46 years ago on Christmas Day, 1978.

The "Succession" star has a few things to celebrate this year. He's been receiving awards buzz for his performance as Roy Cohn in "The Apprentice" and won a Tony for his role in "An Enemy of the People."

Sissy Spacek's 75th birthday is on Christmas Day.

The Oscar winner starred in the 2008 Christmas rom-com "Four Christmases."

On December 25, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau turns 53.

At 43 years old, Trudeau was the second-youngest prime minister in Canadian history when he was elected in November 2015.

Dido will also turn 53 on Christmas Day this year.

The British singer takes a page out of Paddington Bear's book to celebrate her birthday — since Christmas is already a holiday, she celebrates her birthday on June 25, according to The Guardian.

Annie Lennox's 70th birthday is on Christmas Day.

The "Walking on Broken Glass" singer released her first and only Christmas album, "A Christmas Cornucopia," in 2010.

Danish supermodel Helena Christensen will turn 56 on December 25, 2024.

Christensen first gained mainstream recognition 35 years ago when she starred in the music video for Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game."