Latest news with #RonHoward
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Apollo' 13 heads to IMAX: What to know about the real mission behind the movie
The Oscar-winning film directed by Ron Howard tells the true story of a near-disastrous 1970 NASA lunar mission. Houston, we have ... an IMAX release. More than 55 years ago, three astronauts en route to the moon had to abandon their dreams of reaching the lunar surface when their spacecraft encountered some serious trouble. The spacefarers' perilous journey back to Earth was later recounted in 1995's "Apollo 13," the Oscar-winning film with the same title as the now-infamous NASA mission. To mark the movie's 30th anniversary, "Apollo 13" is heading to IMAX theaters. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, the late Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon, "Apollo 13" bills itself as "the dramatic true story" of how NASA engineers in Houston worked with the three astronauts to get them home safely. But how much of Hollywood's retelling is fact. vs fiction? Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Here's what to know about "Apollo 13," its impending cinematic re-release and the true story of the real-life mission that inspired the film. 'Apollo 13' heading to IMAX theaters in US Universal Pictures and IMAX announced on Thursday, July 24, that "Apollo 13" is heading back to IMAX theaters, which are known for having larger screens than a typical movie theater and steep stadium seating. The IMAX premiere on Sept. 19 is meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film's original June 30, 1995, theatrical release. This isn't the first time "Apollo 13" was shown in IMAX long after its initial theatrical run: A digital remaster of the movie was released for IMAX in 2002. How accurate was 'Apollo 13' movie? What to know about NASA mission "Apollo 13" is inspired by the nearly disastrous April 1970 mission of the same name in which NASA's third planned mission to the moon had to be abandoned when an oxygen tank exploded on the service module. For the three astronauts selected for the mission – Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise – the critical mishap two days into the mission transformed the spaceflight into a life-or-death situation. Relying on backup life-support systems on the Apollo Lunar Module meant to transport them to the moon's surface from orbit, the astronauts used primitive methods of celestial navigation to make their way back to Earth. While in constant communication with flight controllers in Houston, the astronauts safely made a water landing on April 17, 1970, in the South Pacific Ocean – six days after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ron Howard, who directed "Apollo 13," went to great effort to ensure the on-screen depiction of the mission was as accurate and realistic as possible. Lovell and NASA experts consulted on the film, which was even partially filmed at the Kennedy Space Center. Who were the astronauts of NASA's Apollo 13 mission? The mission was under the command of Cleveland, Ohio, native Jim Lovell, then a veteran of three previous spaceflights who was selected as a NASA astronaut in September 1962. Jack Swigert, the command module pilot, had been selected as a NASA astronaut in 1966. Swigert, a native of Denver, was a backup astronaut for the Apollo 13 mission and replaced astronaut Ken Mattingly, who was grounded after exposure to rubella. The third crew member of Apollo 13 was Biloxi, Mississippi, native Fred Haise, the lunar module pilot who was part of the same astronaut class as Swigert. Lovell, 97, and Haise, 91, are the two remaining living crew members of Apollo 13. 'Apollo 13' 30th anniversary trailer 'Apollo 13' cast: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon star "Apollo 13" features an ensemble cast portraying the mission's astronauts, their families and the NASA engineers who helped get them home. Here's a look:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Ron Howard didn't write 'I'm a liberal' letter
Claim: Director Ron Howard authored a letter starting, "I'm a liberal, but that doesn't mean what a lot of you apparently think it does." Rating: Since 2018, an open letter listing examples of what it means to be "a liberal" has circulated online. Many internet users attributed the letter to actor and director Ron Howard, often including a photo of Howard in posts sharing the text. The letter, which is around 1,300 words, began as follows: I'm a liberal, but that doesn't mean what a lot of you apparently think it does. Let's break it down, shall we? Because quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for. Spoiler alert: not every liberal is the same, though the majority of liberals I know think along roughly these same lines: The remainder of the letter consists of 16 numbered points describing the author's beliefs. Various social media (archived) and blog (archived) posts have attributed the letter to Howard over the years. In July 2025, multiple posts on Facebook featured the claim. (Facebook user Dan Walters) As we reported when we first looked into the text's origins in 2020, Howard was not the real author of the letter. Instead, the words were the work of novelist Lori Gallagher Witt. As a result, we rated the letter as misattributed. Witt first posted the letter on her Facebook (archived) and Tumblr (archived) accounts on Jan. 7, 2018. A screenshot of her original Facebook post is below. (Due to the letter's length, we split the screenshot into two roughly equal halves that appear side by side.) (Lori Gallagher Witt) Witt's original letter included a longer introduction than the version that circulated in 2025. The original version opened as follows: An open letter to friends and family who are/were shocked to discover I'm a liberal… This is going to be VERY long, so: TL;DR: I'm a liberal, I've always been a liberal, but that doesn't mean what a lot of you apparently think it does. Some of you suspected. Some of you were shocked. Many of you have known me for years, even the majority of my life. We either steadfastly avoided political topics, or I carefully steered conversations away from the more incendiary subjects in the name of keeping the peace. "I'm a liberal" isn't really something you broadcast in social circles where "the liberals" can't be said without wrinkling one's nose. But then the 2016 election happened, and staying quiet wasn't an option anymore. Since then, I've received no shortage of emails and comments from people who were shocked, horrified, disappointed, disgusted, or otherwise displeased to realize I am *wrinkles nose* a liberal. Yep. I'm one of those bleeding heart commies who hates anyone who's white, straight, or conservative, and who wants the government to dictate everything you do while taking your money and giving it to people who don't work. Or am I? Let's break it down, shall we? Because quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for. Spoiler alert: Not every liberal is the same, though the majority of liberals I know think along roughly these same lines. The Facebook post's edit history showed that on Feb. 2, 2018, around a month after she originally published the letter, Witt added a notice reading "(c) 2018 Lori Gallagher Witt. Feel free to share, but please give me credit, and if you add or change anything, please note accordingly." A similar notice also appeared at the bottom of her Tumblr post. In an email to Snopes in February 2025, Witt said she was inspired to write the letter not because of a single event but because she believed her social circle did not understand her beliefs. She said: It had been brewing in my head for a while, especially because I have/had a lot of conservative friends and relatives who would often parrot things about "those liberals." There was a lot of comments about how we "hate America," we're communists, we want to destroy everything, etc. It was this really vile and disingenuous picture of who and what we are, and I felt the need to set the record straight. I genuinely had no idea it would resonate with that many people or that it would go viral. How the misattribution spread The letter's misattribution to Howard began in 2020, when, as Witt explained in a Facebook post, someone named Ron Howard — no relation to the director — shared her post without attribution. That person eventually corrected his post to note Witt as the text's author after she reached out to him. But by that point, other internet users had already begun sharing the letter with the name "Ron Howard" attached. Since then, Witt has posted numerous times about her frustration with the persistence of the misattribution, which she has dubbed "the Howarding." In 2025, Witt posted a photo of Howard holding a poster with images of social media posts containing the letter and a line reading "I didn't write this" with a checkmark and Howard's signature next to it. Witt said over email that the photo was from Howard's April 2025 appearance at Pittsburgh's Steel City Con, and that her husband had brought the poster for Howard to sign and pose with. As of this writing, readers have shared Witt's original 2018 Facebook post around 30,000 times. By contrast, a Feb. 9, 2025, post that incorrectly attributed the words to Howard amassed more than 100,000 shares — more than three times as many as Witt's original post — in just a few days. Witt said although Howard was by far the person she's most frequently seen miscredited with the letter's authorship, she's experienced other people attempting to take credit for — and even make money off — her words in the past. "I could live with a post going viral and getting separated from my name, but I draw the line when people try to monetize it or otherwise use it to elevate themselves," she said. Witt also said she believed a connection between Howard and U.S. Vice President JD Vance may have spurred renewed interest in the misattributed letter. In 2020, Howard directed and produced the film adaptation of "Hillbilly Elegy," Vance's 2016 memoir. We've previously looked into other claims involving Howard. They included a rumor that a clip from the television show "Arrested Development" in which he appeared was proof the 1969 moon landing was fake. Evon, Dan. "Did Ron Howard Pen the 'I Am a Liberal' Essay?" Snopes, 31 Jan. 2020, ---. "Ron Howard Didn't Say That the 1969 Moon Landing Was Fake." Snopes, 31 Mar. 2016, Hillbilly Elegy. Directed by Ron Howard, Imagine Entertainment, Netflix, 2020. Jr, Mike Fleming. "Ron Howard On His TIFF Film 'Eden', Viggo's 'Thirteen Lives' Comments, JD Vance Evolving Into Trump's Polarizing Veep Candidate, And How Being Changeable Has Sustained A 65-Year Career – The Deadline Q&A." Deadline, 7 Sept. 2024, Vance, J. D. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. Reprint Ed. edition, Harper, 2016.
Pink Villa
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Anthony Mackie Says He Made Ryan Gosling, Jeremy Renner Famous by Getting Them Emmy Nominations: ‘I Am the Sauce…'
Anthony Mackie jokingly reveals that he is responsible for the popularity of actors like Ryan Gosling and Jeremy Renner. The actor, who made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, opened up about his Emmy nods this year for the shows The Studio and Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast. Amid enjoying the nominations, the Captain America star hilariously shared that he is the white dude legend. If any of the white actors need a nomination at the award ceremony, all they need to do is share the screen space with him. Anthony Mackie credits himself for making actors famous In conversation with the talk show host, the Marvel star revealed that it is always the white dudes in his projects that take the trophies home. Mackie said, 'I look over and everybody's like, 'Congratulations!' And I was like, 'Oh, what white dude got nominated?' Because I'm the white dude legend when it comes to nominations and winning.' He further added, 'So, I made Ryan Gosling [Half Nelson] famous, I made Jeremy Renner [The Hurt Locker] famous, I made Bryan Cranston [All the Way] famous, and I made, now, Ron Howard famous. I'm like, 'You wanna get nominated? I'm the dude.' I am the sauce; I am the jelly in the donut.' Elsewhere in the conversation, the actor claimed that he is happy with the second position. This year, Mackie is nominated alongside veterans such as Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, David Franco, and even The Bear actor, Jon Bernthal. The movie star shared that he is honored to be in the same category as the actors, and with Scorsese and Howard being nominated, either one of them is going to take the prize home. Explaining further, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star said, 'I don't care about winning. Winning is being nominated against Scorsese and Ron Howard. Because one of them is going to have to say, 'Damn! I lost to Anthony Mackie.' They're thinking about me; they're shaking.' As for the upcoming projects, Anthony Mackie will return as Sam Wilson/Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marvel Star, 46, Jokes He Made Ron Howard Famous: 'Secret Sauce'
Marvel Star, 46, Jokes He Made Ron Howard Famous: 'Secret Sauce' originally appeared on Parade. Marvel star Anthony Mackie jokingly said that he made Ron Howard famous after the they both earned Emmy nominations in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category for their work in The Studio. Mackie, 46, reflected on learning about his nomination when he appeared on the Wednesday, July 23, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. 'I'm on set… and I look over and everybody's like 'Congratulations!' And I was like, 'Oh, what white dude got nominated?' 'Cause I'm the white dude legend when it comes to nominations and wins,' Mackie said. 'So, I made Ryan Gosling famous. I made Jeremy Renner famous. I made Bryan Cranston famous." Mackie jokingly added, 'I made now Ron Howard famous. I'm like, if you want to get nominated, I'm the dude. You know what I mean?' Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 The Captain America: Brave New World actor was seemingly referring to the other projects he's been part of that his co-stars earned major nominations for. Mackie starred alongside Gosling, 44, in the 2006 film Half Nelson, which earned Gosling a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars. He also appeared alongside Renner, 54, in 2008's The Hurt Locker and Cranston, 69, in 2016's All the Way, which earned his co-stars Oscar and Emmy nods. Meanwhile, Howard, 71, earned his first acting Emmy nomination for The Studio. 'I am the secret sauce. I am the jelly in the donut you know what I'm saying?' Mackie said. Mackie and Howard are up against The Studio's Cranston, Dave Franco and Martin Scorsese and The Bear's Jon Bernthal in the category at the 2025 Emmys. 'So the way I look at it, I'm very honored and proud to be nominated,' Mackie said. He then noted that "the reality of it is" that he's "excited" to be in "second place." 'Because you know it's Ron Howard, and it's Scorsese," Mackie said. "So one of them are going to take it, but they're going to take votes from the other person. So I'm going to be in second.' Mackie added that he doesn't care about winning. "Who cares about … Winning is being nominated against Scorsese and Ron Howard … Because one of them is going to have to say, 'Damn I lost to Anthony Mackie,'" he said. Marvel Star, 46, Jokes He Made Ron Howard Famous: 'Secret Sauce' first appeared on Parade on Jul 24, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Anthony Mackie Is Stoked to Come in 2nd to Martin Scorsese or Ron Howard at the Emmys: ‘I Don't Care About No Winning'
Heading into this year's Emmys, Anthony Mackie is nominated in a pretty stacked category, with both Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese as his competition. And really, the Marvel star is very excited to come in second to one of them. In case you missed it, all three men were guest stars on Apple TV+'s 'The Studio' this year, and picked up nominations for their parts (in fact, 'The Studio' took five of the six nominations in the category). Stopping by 'The Tonight Show' on Wednesday, Mackie made it clear that he has no intention of winning the award in the end. More from TheWrap Anthony Mackie Is Stoked to Come in 2nd to Martin Scorsese or Ron Howard at the Emmys: 'I Don't Care About No Winning' | Video Seth Meyers Jokes the 'Hardest Part' of Trump's DOJ Meeting on Epstein Files Was Acting Shocked He's in Them | Video CBS News Sets Tanya Simon as '60 Minutes' EP After Bill Owens Departure Colbert's Abrupt Cancellation Sparks Late Night Ratings Surge Across the Board 'I don't care about no winning,' he told host Jimmy Fallon. 'Winning is being nominated against Scorsese and Ron Howard!' That said, Mackie does think he'll beat at least one of them, and that's what he's looking forward to. 'I'm very honored and proud to be nominated, but the reality of it is I'm excited to be in second place. Because, you know, it's Ron Howard and it's Scorsese. So, one of them gonna take it, but they gonna take votes from the other person,' Mackie explained. 'So I'ma be in second. See what I'm saying?' 'One of them gonna have to say 'Damn, I lost to Anthony Mackie,'' he added shortly thereafter. 'They're thinking about me. They're shaking.' You can watch Anthony Mackie's full appearance on 'The Tonight Show' in the video above. The post Anthony Mackie Is Stoked to Come in 2nd to Martin Scorsese or Ron Howard at the Emmys: 'I Don't Care About No Winning' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
