JP Mangalindan

Sliding Doors: ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and the Indiana Jones That Almost Was How honoring a network contract and a carpenter-turned-actor’s second chance gave us one of cinema’s most enduring heroes

The Indiana Jones we know almost looked very different.

Tom Selleck had the role… until a TV contract got in the way. One of Hollywood’s great “what if” stories.

I revisited that moment in history in my most recent post:

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Here for a screening + reception of Taylor Sheridan’s ‘The Madison,’ starring Michelle Pfeiffer, joining the event in person.

Caught a screening of 'Project Hail Mary' last night...

It's a thrilling and heartfelt sci-fi film about connection and sacrifice, with Ryan Gosling bringing warmth and gentle humor to the role. Visually stunning throughout.

The ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Finale Asks: What Is a Good Man Worth? The emotional season 1 finale poses what is, perhaps, an impossible question.

'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' ends its first season on a deeply satisfying note, with the road ahead open and unknowable

For ELLE, I explored the finale and the seemingly impossible question it poses...

www.elle.com/culture/movi...

Catching the premiere for Michelle Yeoh's new short 'Sandiwara,' directed by Sean Baker ('Anora').

Here for the premiere + afterparty for Hulu’s ‘Paradise’ Season 2

Breaking Down the Ruthless Series Finale of 'Tell Me Lies' The series creator and stars on bringing the dark drama to an end with Season 3

I interviewed 'Tell Me Lies' creator Meaghan Oppenheimer, Grace Van Patten, and Jackson White about the series finale.

“Women have come up to us and said that the show has helped them get out of a toxic situation,” Van Patten shared. “I just hope it continues to do that."

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Dispatch • Inside ‘Adolescence’ Star Erin Doherty’s Unbroken TV Hour During a screening and Q&A in Los Angeles on Feb. 15, the Emmy winner reflected on building Episode 3’s single-take confrontation—and what it demanded of her and her young scene partner

I attended an 'Adolescence' screening and Q&A where I learned about the making of Episode 3 from Emmy-winning actress Erin Doherty.

She spoke candidly about building that 52-minute confrontation opposite Owen Cooper and staying present.

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'Adolescence' actress and Golden Globe winner Erin Doherty discussed working on the Netflix show during a Q&A in L.A.

"The work just explodes when people are solely concerned with making something real and being open to whatever that dynamic is," she said. "Owen [Cooper] is the epitome of that."

James Van Der Beek’s Unguarded Heart The 'Dawson’s Creek' star, who died at 48 on Feb. 11, helped make sensitivity a strength on TV

James Van Der Beek, who died on Weds. at age 48, gave an entire generation—sensitive boys, included—permission to feel out loud.

With his passing, TV loses a performer who influenced what male vulnerability could look like on the small screen…

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How Alexander Skarsgård’s BDSM Scenes Were Crafted for ‘Pillion’ Introducing: the dom-com.

My newest for ELLE Magazine: an in-depth chat with 'Pillion' intimacy coordinator Robbie Taylor Hunt about his work on the queer BDSM romance.

We discussed how he shaped the film's most vulnerable moments with Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling...

www.elle.com/culture/movi...

Thanks, Substack!!

Breaking Down the Cathartic Ending of Marvel’s 'Wonder Man' The eight-episode Disney+ superhero dramedy stars Yahya Abdul Mateen II and Ben Kingsley in a Hollywood meta-narrative.

'Wonder Man' may be Marvel's best TV show yet.

The eight-episode series follows one struggling superpowered actor's journey of self-realization.

It's quietly moving, and with half-hour episodes, an easy recommendation for binge-watching.

time.com/7357773/wond...

Josh Charles' 'Best Medicine' Is the Cozy TV Show We Need Right Now Fox's small-town dramedy offers comfort viewing without apology

I’ve been watching the small-town TV drama 'Best Medicine' and realized how hungry I am for comfort TV...

Josh Charles is beautifully restrained work here: prickly, lonely, quietly human.

I wrote about the show feels almost defiant in 2026.

jpmanga.substack.com/p/josh-charl...

The True Story Behind Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s 'The Rip' The real criminal raid that inspired the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck-starring thriller 'The Rip'

I interviewed 'The Rip' writer-director Joe Carnahan about the real raid behind the Matt Damon–Ben Affleck film, and how it became a movie.

A $24 million cash seizure. Hours trapped inside a house.

The true story proved stranger than fiction.

time.com/7346935/the-...

Weekend Watch: 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Drives the Franchise Into New Emotional Territory From first lessons to final hands, a Weekend Watch duo that links 'Starfleet Academy' with 'The Next Generation’s' enduring last bow

Having viewed the first 6 episodes of 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,' I can say the show successfully moves the Star Trek franchise forward while not forgetting its roots.

My thoughts on this exciting new chapter for Trek:

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Screening Claire Foy’s new drama ‘H is for Hawk,’ an exploration of love, loss, and how nature can alter the way we grieve.

Dispatch • Lucy Liu Asks How Far Love Should Go in 'Rosemead' During a screening in Los Angeles on Dec. 14, Liu and the filmmakers discussed the movie's devastating questions about love, responsibility, and moral limits

Lucy Liu’s newest film Rosemead asks a devastating question: how far should love go before it crosses a moral line?

At a screening, Liu and the filmmakers spoke about the real-life story + the impossible choice her character believes is an act of protection.

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Thrilled to see my film and TV Substack land at #57 Rising in Substack’s Film & TV category.

It’s not Top 10 or Top 30—or even Top 50—but it still feels like a small, meaningful win.

It’s exactly the bit of momentum I needed this week to keep going.

One TV Moment From 2025 That Moved Me: 'The White Lotus' Friends Dinner Three women, a bottle of wine, and a shared truth about friendship and love

As 2025 winds down, I reflected on one TV moment that moved me: the dinner scene from The White Lotus’ finale, with Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, and Michelle Monaghan.

The scene hinged on 3 women, a bottle of wine, and a shared truth about friendship and love.

jpmanga.substack.com/p/the-one-tv...

The One TV Performance From 2025 That Haunts Me: Stephen Graham in 'Adolescence' As the year winds down, I’m pausing to honor a performance that deserved more attention—a quiet standout in a year full of remarkable TV

As 2025 winds down, I’m reflecting on a remarkable year for TV and film.

One of my favorite performances?

Stephen Graham in Netflix’s 'Adolescence,' a quietly devastating turn that explores a man caught in a heightened version of questions that haunt many parents.

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Dispatch || Kate Hudson on 'Song Sung Blue' and Trusting Her Own Voice During a screening in Los Angeles on Dec. 20, the actress reflected on creative risk, music, and what it means to say yes to the right role

At a special 'Song Sung Blue' screening and panel in L.A., Kate Hudson spoke candidly about creative risk, music, and learning to trust her own voice.

I wrote about the onstage conversation and why this role feels like a turning point for her.

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Kate Hudson shared her experiences working on her new film ‘Song Sung Blue’ at an intimate L.A. event.

It’s a film brimming with creative spirit and moving performances.

A small cozy screening for Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman’s upcoming film ‘Song Sung Blue’

What the Chilling Ending of 'The Housemaid' Is Telling Us Breaking down the final scenes of Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney’s new thriller.

'The Housemaid' is a slow-burn thriller about power, control, and survival.

For ELLE, I break down its chilling ending and what the final moments reveal.

www.elle.com/culture/movi...

Weekend Watch: 'The Family Stone' Turns 20, and What It Notices About Family The holiday movie becomes gentler and sadder when viewed through Diane Keaton’s late-career, understated performance

'The Family Stone' turns 20 this month.

Watching it now, Diane Keaton's performance feels even more essential: soft, restrained, quietly holding the film together.

I wrote about why the movie lands differently now:

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Because I love disaster movies…

Dispatch • Inside 'Nobody Wants This': Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons, and Jackie Tohn on Love, Friendship, and the Art of Growing Up Late At a panel on Dec. 14, the actors reflected on the onscreen friendships and marriages that give the Netflix rom-com its emotional weight

'Nobody Wants This' may be a rom-com on paper, but a panel on Sunday with actors Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons, and Jackie Tohn revealed the show's emotional pull.

They talked about onscreen friendships, marriage, and the hard work of growing up late.

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@jpmanga.bsky.social: “Audiences no longer want writers to simply recount what happened; they want help understanding why it mattered.”

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L.A. premiere + afterparty for 'The Housemaid' with Amanda Seyfried, Sydney Sweeney, and Brandon Sklenar.