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Nov 29, 2025 • 31min

How Dwayne Johnson Learned to Put Himself First

The star of The Smashing Machine has long built his movie career on a philosophy of "audience first," which has led him to immense levels of Hollywood success, but also a nagging feeling somewhere deep in his chest that he could do more. Now that he's pulled off his transformation into MMA fighter Mark Kerr, and his behind-the-scenes collaboration with Benny Safdie, he joins me this week to talk about what else might be next. This is the first of several special Saturday bonus episodes we'll be running through mid-January — enjoy the extra conversations! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to Prestige Junkie After Party bonus episodes for just $5 a month. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Nov 25, 2025 • 53min

Wicked: For Good Shakes Up Awards Season, Plus Chloe Zhao on the Lava That Led to Hamnet

Gregory Elwood of The Playlist joins Katey to look at the week’s big releases Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2, plus the flurry of last minute awards campaigning ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Then Katey talks to Hamnet director Chloe Zhao about how she reimagined Shakespeare’s life, and the last-minute rewrite that led to the film’s stunning final scene. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to Prestige Junkie After Party bonus episodes for just $5 a month. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Nov 18, 2025 • 50min

Inside the Starriest Night of Awards Season, Plus Jenny Han on The Summer I Turned Pretty's Grand Finale

Rebecca Ford joins Katey to talk about all the highlights of the Academy's Governor's Awards, where virtually every  Ocsar hopeful was in attendance and Tom Cruise, now an honorary Oscar winner, was the king of the reaction shots. Then you'll hear the conversation Katey had live in Hollywood last week with Jenny Han, the co-showrunner of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which wrapped its three seasons with a bang this summer — though as you'll hear Jenny explain, the story is far from over. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to Prestige Junkie After Party bonus episodes for just $5 a month. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Nov 11, 2025 • 58min

The Oscar Underdogs We're Rooting For, Plus Gus Van Sant on the Secret to Staying Sane on a Movie Set

Joe Reid returns to tell Katey why he's devoted so many of his Prestige Junkie Pundits predictions to underdogs, and who we're both rooting for this season. Then listen to the conversation that Katey and Christopher Rosen had live onstage at the Denver Film Festival last week, talking to director Gus Van Sant about his bracing and darkly funny new film Dead Man's Wire. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe today⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to Prestige Junkie After Party bonus episodes for just $5 a month. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Nov 4, 2025 • 53min

The Weird Science of Oscar Predictions, Plus Sydney Sweeney on Forging Her Own Path to Christy

Indiewire's Marcus Jones joins Katey to talk about the stress and satisfaction of publishing Oscar predictions online, and why we usually want to be wrong. Then Katey talks to Sydney Sweeney about everything she put into her new film Christy, from training to play the boxer Christy Martin to what she considers her main job as a producer and the first person on the call sheet: making sure everyone on set is taken care of. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe today⁠⁠⁠⁠ to Prestige Junkie After Party bonus episodes for just $5 a month. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Oct 28, 2025 • 1h 1min

The Oscar Season Stories We Love Most, Plus Tracy Letts On Learning to "Pretend With Authority"

The New Yorker's Michael Schulman joins Katey to talk about the narratives that are already driving this Oscar season, and the drama we expect to continue all the way until the big next. Then Tracy Letts discusses his role as a general in A House of Dynamite, how he juggles an incredibly busy career across screen and stage, and how his role in the new FX series The Lowdown became a homecoming. Prestige Junkie After Party subscribers can watch the full video version of this podcast. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe today⁠⁠⁠ for just $5 a month.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Oct 21, 2025 • 45min

All the Buzz from Middleburg and Montclair, Zoey Deutch on Her Long Wait for Nouvelle Vague

Katey and Chris check in on the highlights of their time at the Montclair and Middleburg Film Festivals, which for Katey included a live onstage conversation with Zoey Deutch, the star of Richard Linklater’s French New Wave tribute Nouvelle Vague Prestige Junkie After Party subscribers can watch the full video version of this podcast. ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe today⁠⁠⁠ for just $5 a month.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Oct 14, 2025 • 58min

The Best of the New York FIlm Festival with Richard Lawson, Plus Chase Infiniti on One Battle After Another

Katey reunites with her former Little Gold Men co-host Richard Lawson to look back at the highlights of this year's New York Film Festival, including Bradley Cooper's late-breaking contender Is This Thing On? and a memorable night of people-watching at the Polo Lounge. Then One Battle After Another breakout star Chase Infiniti joins to talk about how she convinces Leo and PTA to participate in TikToks, how she learned to let loose on the film's set, and who she's taking advice from now that she's a truly minted movie star. Prestige Junkie After Party subscribers can watch the full video version of this podcast. ⁠⁠Subscribe today⁠⁠ for just $5 a month.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Oct 7, 2025 • 1h 1min

Taylor Swift’s Hollywood Dreams, Plus Mary Bronstein on Her Uncompromising If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Vanity Fair’s Kase Wickman and The Ankler’s own Chris Rosen join Katey to explain exactly what Taylor Swift brought to theaters this weekend, and why making her own movie at last might be the last mountain left for the pop icon to conquer. Then Katey talks to Mary Bronstein, whose darkly funny and surreal If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is the result of years of work and struggle — but absolutely zero compromise. Prestige Junkie After Party subscribers can watch the full video version of this podcast. ⁠Subscribe today⁠ for just $5 a month.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 
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Sep 30, 2025 • 36min

Can Hollywood Learn the Right Lessons From One Battle After Another?

Richard Rushfield joins Katey to discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie of the moment and reflect on the wild year for the studio that made it, Warner Bros. Prestige Junkie After Party subscribers can watch the full video version of this podcast. ⁠Subscribe today⁠ for just $5 a month.  Check out our newly relaunched ⁠Prestige Junkie Pundits⁠ to see Katey's full Oscar predictions. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to the Prestige Junkie newsletter.  Follow Katey on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Ankler. 

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