Josh Safdie, iconic filmmaker behind Good Time, returned to directing with Marty Supreme after feeling completely “burned out.”

After the long and intense process of making Uncut Gems, the 41-year-old director thought about quitting movies and becoming an architect.

Josh shared that the experience left him feeling empty and made him rethink about his life which eventually led to marriage and having a child.

His next project, Marty Supreme, gave him a fresh start and a new sense of purpose, as the movie tells the story of Marty Mauser, a 1950s table tennis player and hustler, played by the Hollywood icon Timothée Chalamet.

In the story, Marty dreams of leaving his Lower East Side neighborhood and sharing ping pong with the world, even if it causes problems for those around him.

However, Josh first met Timothée years before and was instantly got attracted to his energy and unique misfit quality, which made him the perfect fit for the role.

The Dune actor trained intensely, even setting up a ping pong table in his apartment to master every move.

Josh Safdie worked with a few of actors and new faces, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler, the Creator, Fran Drescher and Odessa A’zion. 

Ashley Tisdale is clearing the air after her viral comments about friendship fallouts amid motherhood.

In a statement to TMZ, the High School Musical alum’s representative shut down claims that Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, and Meghan Trainor were part of the so-called “toxic mom group” Tisdale described in her recent essay for The Cut.

The rep clarified on Monday, January 5, that Tisdale, 40, was not referring to Moore, 41, Duff, 38, or Trainor, 32. He stressed that the essay was meant to explore a relatable experience rather than call out specific people, and that it has been “twisted into clickbait.”

In the essay, titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group,” the Phineas and Ferb voice actress reflected on the emotional impact of feeling quietly pushed out of a close-knit circle. Tisdale prefaced the essay by warning readers to refrain from speculation about who she’s referring to. “Please, don’t even try — whatever you think is true isn’t even close,” she wrote, though the disclaimer was ultimately futile.

Tisdale, who shares daughters Jupiter, 4, and Emerson, 15 months, with husband Christopher French, explained that the group formed during the pandemic after she welcomed her first child in 2021. Over time, however, she began to feel excluded. “I remember being left out of a couple of group hangs,” she wrote, noting that social media made the distance impossible to ignore.

Eventually, French confronted the group, texting that “this is too high school for me, and I don’t want to take part in it anymore.” While some tried to smooth things over, she said the dynamic never fully recovered.

“To be clear, I have never considered the moms to be bad people,” she added. “But I do think our group dynamic stopped being healthy and positive — for me, anyway.”

As the Oscar nominations draw closer, the possibility of first-ever Academy Award wins is beginning to feel real for several Hollywood stars.

While Timothée Chalamet, Jacob Elordi, and other actors are emerging as strong contenders across different categories, their potential breakthrough Oscar moments are seemingly just around the corner.

In an Instagram post, the Academy announced on Monday, January 5, that the Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22nd.

The latest update highlighted that art knows no border as 15 films advanced to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category.

Here’s where they land on the map:

Argentina, BELÉN

Brazil, THE SECRET AGENT

France, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

Germany, SOUND OF FALLING

India, HOMEBOUND

Iraq, THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE

Japan, KOKUHO

Jordan, ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU

Norway, SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Palestine, PALESTINE 36

South Korea, NO OTHER CHOICE

Spain, SIRÂT

Switzerland, LATE SHIFT

Taiwan, LEFT-HANDED GIRL

Tunisia, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB

As the Oscar nominations announcement date has been revealed, fans can’t wait to know who receives nods in which categories and, of course, to speculate about possible snubs.

Fresh off their 2026 Critics Choice Awards wins, Chalamet and Elordi’s potential Oscar wins have gained a major boost.

The Marty Supreme star has emerged as a frontrunner for the Best Actor Oscar after winning the category at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards on January 4.

The two-time Oscar nominee’s performance as 1950s table tennis champion Marty Mauser in the A24 drama has been widely loved by fans and critics alike.

As for Elordi, 28, he won Best Supporting Actor for his role as The Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which has reshaped awards season predictions.

His win is considered a strong omen for an Oscar nomination. Notably, the Critics Choice winner in this category has secured an Academy Award nomination every year for the past 30 years.

Moreover, his major victory at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards on January 4, is being described as a “Monstrous” upset as she defeated several established frontrunners, including Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another), Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value), and Sean Penn (One Battle After Another).

Adding to the list, fans are rooting for Ethan Hawke to win an Oscar in 2026 after his 2018 “Best Actor miss” for First Reformed.

with a career spanning over 40 years, the four-time Oscar nominee impressed critics with his performance In Blue Moon.

Notably, he received a Career Achievement Award at the Critics Choice Awards on January 4.

Furthermore, despite facing a high-profile “snub” at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, Michael B. Jordan remains a powerful Oscar contender after his work in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.

Dwayne Johnson is also experiencing the strongest Oscar buzz of his career for his role as MMA legend Mark Kerr in the A24 drama The Smashing Machine.

While he did not win at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards on January 4, he remains a significant contender for a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

In case you missed: The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15, at Dolby Theatre.