A VHS tape of 1993’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” introduced brothers Roy and Arturo Ambriz to the tactile whimsy of stop-motion, an animation technique where physical objects are manipulated and photographed frame by frame to achieve the illusion of life.
Realizing that the characters on screen were figures in real sets shocked the Mexican filmmakers’ young minds and set them on an arduous path to craft their own worlds.
“If there’s something we’ve loved our whole lives it’s toys: collecting them, modifying them, playing with them, creating dioramas for them,” said Roy, 36, from under his dark shades during a recent interview at Netflix Animation Studios in Burbank.
“And for us, the most sublime moments in life are when we’re doing something artistic, whether that’s painting, drawing or sculpting. And stop-motion animation combines all of that.”
The culmination of years of tireless work and financial stress for the Ambriz siblings is the breathtaking period fantasy “I Am Frankelda,” Mexico’s first-ever stop-motion feature, which is now streaming on Netflix.
“Thankfully, no one put it into our heads that it was impossible to do this,” said Arturo, 38. “That’s why we don’t like going around saying that this is extremely difficult, because maybe if young people hear that, they might not want to do stop-motion. Don’t tell them!”
A lavish musical, “I Am Frankelda” follows Francisca Imelda (voiced by Mireya Mendoza), a young aspiring writer living in 19th century Mexico and struggling to publish her stories. Meanwhile, in the Realm of Spooks, an alternative reality that’s home to all of the fictional characters Francisca has written, Herneval (Juan Pablo Monterrubio), a winged prince, must save his parents and his kingdom. The creatures in this world live off of human fear, so they create our nightmares.
Herneval crosses into the human world to bring Francisca with him to the Realm of Spooks, so that she can write new nightmares that actually scare people. Humans have become difficult to terrify. By this point, a frustrated Francisca has decided to change her name to Frankelda (a reference to “Frankenstein” author Mary Shelley, who inspired the character). Frankelda and Herneval sing of the relationship between fiction and reality. One can’t exist without the other.
Frankelda was first introduced as part of the 2021 series “Frankelda’s Book of Spooks,” which HBO Max commissioned. In the show, the heroine shares nightmarish tales alongside Herneval, who appears not as a prince but a sentient book. The film “I Am Frankelda” is a prequel that explains the relationship between these characters.
Last month, “I Am Frankelda” screened at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, where Guillermo del Toro moderated the post-screening Q&A. A longtime mentor of the Ambriz brothers, Del Toro first supported them by donating to a Kickstarter campaign to finance their ambitious 2016 short film inspired by cubist art, “Revoltoso,” about a one-eyed boar living during the Mexican Revolution.
“In that moment, it was incredibly validating to realize that if Guillermo liked what we were doing, then it made sense to keep on doing it,” Roy said.
Two years apart in age, Roy and Arturo both studied filmmaking at the Centro, a university in Mexico City. Yet directing together wasn’t always the plan.
“I said, ‘We have to co-direct,’ because the situation naturally lent itself for me, being the older one, to take on the role of director while Roy would serve as production designer. But at a certain point, I realized that the hierarchy was wrong, and that if we wanted something sustainable for the rest of our lives, it had to be a 50/50 split between us. And I mean, 50/50, Roy!” said Arturo, playfully chastising his younger brother.
“It’s more like 60/40, with me having 60% of the power,” Roy added laughing.
In 2011, not long after graduating, Arturo found himself ridden with anxiety. Over the course of his education, he’d focused on artistic excellence but hadn’t much thought about how to actually make a living out of his and his brother’s shared passion. That’s when he decided they should create their own studio, Cinema Fantasma, so as to have control of the projects they took on. Their productions for hire include the Adult Swim show “Women Wearing Shoulder Pads,” which was produced entirely at their company in Mexico City.
“It’s been very difficult because we are filmmakers by vocation, but we are businesspeople by necessity,” said Arturo. “Developing that side of things has been the hardest part, but both are indispensable.”
To wrap up the “Frankelda” series, HBO Max requested a 30-minute special. Instead of accepting that offer, Roy suggested they use the proposed budget allocated to partially fund a full-length feature film. HBO Max agreed with the caveat that the brothers would have to come up with the rest of the money needed on their own.
To finance “I Am Frankelda,” Roy and Arturo mortgaged two homes. They are losing one of them to pay off their debts, so it helps that their dream of animation is a family affair. Their parents are executive producers on “Frankelda”; Roy’s wife, Ana Coronilla, worked as production designer; and Arturo’s spouse, Irene Melis, as a director of photography.
That “I Am Frankelda” is a musical is due in great part to Roy’s love of musical theater.
“At first, Arturo wasn’t sure, but using my 60% share of the power, I convinced him that it should be a musical,” Roy said. Yet it’s Arturo who wrote the lyrics to musical numbers. Each track starts as a poem that composer Kevin Smithers transformed into songs.
A fantastical stop-motion musical period piece, “I Am Frankelda” is far from an easy sell, and that’s what makes its existence all the more astonishing. The Ambriz brothers’ creative pursuit of the unpopular and the unfeasible has bonded them with Del Toro.
Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, pictured, interviewed “I Am Frankelda” directors Roy and Arturo Ambriz on May 30 during the film’s screening at the TCL Chinese Theatre as part of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
(Jill Connelly / For De Los)
“He is our most important mentor and the person we admire most in the world, and we also share many of the same interests,” Arturo explained. “That’s why when we saw ‘Pan’s Labyrinth,’ it was like when the glass slipper fits Cinderella. It was exactly what we loved: monsters, war, the cruelty of the human spirit, fairies and period settings.”
“Did you just call yourself Cinderella?” Roy interjected with the mischievous smirk typical of a younger brother trying to ruffle some feathers.
“Yes!” Arturo said quietly but without hesitation.
Every time they hear Del Toro speak about his interests, the Ambriz brothers discover a new well of references and “cultural protein,” from authors to painters.
“Guillermo is someone who actively champions the work of others, which I believe is the right way for an artist to be,” Arturo said.
When they finished “I Am Frankelda,” the brothers sent it to Del Toro, eager to hear his thoughts. As soon as he watched it, Del Toro called them.
“We spoke with him for hours, and he told us everything he saw, obviously with great tact, sharing both the good and the not-so-good,” Roy recalled. “But most importantly, he kept telling us that we had created something unprecedented. He insisted that we would pull through, even though we had ended up with a lot of debt.”
The version of “I Am Frankelda” that premiered at film festivals in 2025 is not the same one that will be available on Netflix. Based on Del Toro’s thorough feedback, the filmmakers recut the film and even animated new scenes. They playfully refer to this new cut that audiences will see globally as “The Grandfather Cut,” to honor Del Toro’s influence.
That “I Am Frankelda” was picked for distribution by Netflix is also Del Toro’s doing, the brothers said. It was the veteran director who suggested the film to the streaming company.
“I Am Frankelda” debuted in Mexico last October to an incredible reception, in part thanks to the fandom the characters had amassed via the episodic series.
“We receive fan art and fan fiction every day. People send us photos cosplaying the characters or of their ‘Frankelda’-themed quinceañeras. We’ve even bought bootleg merch at Mexican markets and on Temu or AliExpress too,” Roy said.
“We’ve bought ‘Frankelda’ socks from there that are of terrible quality, but all the more beautiful because of their bad quality,” he added.
“Of course, there are haters, too, but a large segment of the audience really identified with Frankelda as someone who perseveres, as someone who refuses to let her detractors hold her back. It’s been really beautiful watching that fandom grow,” Arturo said.
Another conviction where they align with Del Toro is their disinterest in engaging with artificial intelligence.
“AI is the antithesis of stop-motion. We’re not even remotely interested in it, because we do stop-motion to enjoy the artistic processes,” Roy said. “We created the studio for painting, drawing, sculpting and writing. Whatever happens with AI doesn’t really matter to us.”
Their second feature, “The Ballad of the Phoenix,” a medieval fantasy, is already in the works.
An A-list actress has broken her silence on one of the most anticipated TV events of the next few years
‘Best TV show ever’ gets thrilling update nearly a decade after finale
One of the show’s A-list cast members has teased filming could start soon.
A critically acclaimed television drama watched by millions of fans globally will be returning for a third series, with fresh episodes anticipated to broadcast following an almost decade-long absence.
Big Little Lies first premiered on HBO in 2017, adapted from Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel of the identical title and boasting Hollywood legends Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley amongst the cast.
A second series was swiftly commissioned and progressed the narrative with three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep joining the exceptional ensemble.
One IMDb user described it as “breathtaking” and “a masterpiece of art in every possible way”. Another audaciously declared: “It’s a big statement but this is possibly the best program on television, EVER!!”
Yet, despite the programme’s popularity and outstanding ratings, including an impressive 89 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, there had been no developments regarding a third instalment until September last year, reports the Express.
The inaugural series tracked young single mum Jane Chapman (played by Woodley), who relocates to the coastal city of Monterey, California with her troubled son, Ziggy (Iain Armitage). She quickly becomes entangled in the turbulent lives of a circle of affluent women, whose picture-perfect existence is torn apart by a catastrophic incident at their local school.
The second series picks up immediately in the wake of the events, with the women desperately attempting to conceal a murder, yet the appearance of one of their mothers-in-law (Streep) places them under an extraordinary amount of pressure. There’s only so much they can endure before things begin to unravel.
Now, series regular Woodley has verified reports that a third season is currently in development, though viewers should anticipate significant changes when the story resumes.
“I mean, what I know about it is that supposedly it is happening. That is what I know,” she told Deadline.
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When pushed for further details, the actress enthused, “Oh my gosh. I love my girls. That’s what makes it so special. We’re each other’s people”.
A production schedule has yet to be confirmed, meaning Big Little Lies’ third series may not emerge until late-2027 or 2028.
Nevertheless, Woodley did verify that the new instalment will acknowledge the considerable gap between series, hinting that the likes of Armitage and Kathryn Newton, who played Madeline’s (Witherspoon) daughter Abigail, could make a comeback.
“We love each other and we’re here for each other and, also, it’s a blast to play these characters,” she continued.
“I’m really excited about the third season, and for the opportunity that might exist in exploring who these ladies are 10 years later. We’re all 10 years older. The children are all 10 years older.
“They’re not really children anymore and most of them are adults now. So the prospect of that is very cool.”
Big Little Lies is available to stream on Sky, NOW, and HBO Max.
Euphoria fans are less than impressed and say the huge twist in episode 7 was ‘insanely wasted’.
Euphoria Season 3 trailer released
The horrific fate of one character was finally revealed in HBO’s hit drama Euphoria – and fans aren’t happy.
Euphoria’s third and final season started airing just last month on HBO Max and the penultimate episode provided a dramatic twist ahead of the finale. The last batch of instalments have come following a four year gap after the second season.
Originally the series begun by following a group of wild high schoolers struggling as they approached adulthood. Viewers watched along as the classmates attempted to make sense of their futures.
It tackled the teenage landscape of substance-enhanced parties and anxiety-ridden day-to-day life. Fast forward to season 3 and the childhood friends must now grapple with the unforgiving realities of adult life.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Euphoria Season 3 Episode 7.
What happens to Nate in Euphoria Season 3?
Aside from some jumps around in time, one of the main events of Season 3, episode 7, sees a huge character death. We see Nate kidnapped by Naz over a $1 million debt he owed him. While the plan seemed to be for Cassie to use money generated by her online adult content to repay the debt, she instead shut down her account.
Naz, having already sent one of Nate’s fingers to Cassie, is losing patience waiting for his cash. He has Nate buried alive in a coffin with a tube protruding above ground. Meanwhile, another thug pays Cassie a visit. Not long after she answers the door, she finds herself slammed into a glass table. She is then taken into the bedroom and tied up.
Cassie is told she has 72 hours to come up with the money. With the idea that is how long Nate will be able to survive in his current spot underground.
However, a rattlesnake manages to slither down the pipe leading to Nate’s coffin. As he screams for help, the snake bites and kills him.
Alamo and Maddy are eventually roped in to help Cassie, with Alamo suggesting he will come up with the money demanded by Naz. He doesn’t. He shoots Naz dead instead. Following that, the coffin is dug up only for them to discover Nate’s body.
Most of Season 3 has not been well received by long time fans of the show and Nate’s death has been no exception. It didn’t take long for viewers to share their views online.
One, responding to an episode discussion on the Euphoria subreddit said: “Well, even after everything, I do want to just say thank you to Jacob Elordi for giving us a character we all hated. I really was not a fan of his storyline this season, but he gave us a powerful performance.”
Another added: “Can’t stop thinking about how Nate died in an objectively insane way but it still managed to feel unceremonious to me somehow.”
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Someone else said: “Nate’s character was so insanely wasted man… that death felt so anticlimactic he went from genuinely compelling in S1 and S2 to a plot device that did nothing but get tortured all season.”
One person replied: “I feel like Nate death would have been more impactful if the character actually acted like Nate at all this season, it felt like a new character that looks like Nate died.”
A viewer agreed: “Nate’s death completely anticlimactic and unearned, not at all related to any sort of karma for the shit he pulled in season 1-2, related to some random debt that we really didn’t give a shit about.”
Meanwhile, Euphoria creator and writer Sam Levinson, told Esquire about the character death: “There’s this kind of funny thing where I know what the audience wants in terms of justice or karma and with that in mind, I always think, ‘Well, how can I give it to them?’
“How can I give them what they want, but make it so horrific and anxiety-inducing that by the time it happens, the audience isn’t so sure they wanted it?”
Warner Bros. Discovery’s impending sale has rattled Hollywood — and the company’s balance sheet as the auction’s high costs increasingly come into focus.
The New York-based media company released its first-quarter earnings Wednesday, which included a $2.9 billion loss. That amount includes $1.3 billion in restructuring expenses, including updated valuations for Warner’s declining linear cable television networks.
Contributing to the net loss was the $2.8 billion termination fee paid to Netflix in late February when the streaming giant bowed out of the bidding for Warner. The auction winner, Paramount Skydance, covered the payment to Netflix but Warner still must carry the obligation on its balance sheet in case the Paramount takeover falls apart. Should that happen, Warner would have to reimburse Paramount.
Warner also spent another $100 million to run the auction and prepare for the upcoming transaction, according to its regulatory filing.
“As we prepare for our next chapter, our focus remains on executing our key strategic priorities: scaling HBO Max globally, returning our Studios to industry leadership, and optimizing our Global Linear Networks,” Warner Bros. Discovery leaders said Wednesday in a letter to shareholders.
Warner generated $8.9 billion in revenue, a 3% decline from the same quarter one year ago, excluding the effect of foreign exchange rate fluctuations.
Its streaming services, including HBO Max, notched milestones in the quarter and 9% revenue growth to $2.9 billion. The company launched HBO Max in Germany, Italy, Britain and Ireland during the quarter.
Advertising revenue for streaming was up 20% compared to the first quarter of 2025.
The streaming unit posted a 17% increase to $438 million in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).
Warner’s studios, primarily its TV business, had a strong quarter.
Studios revenue rose 31% to $3.1 billion, compared to the prior year quarter.
Television revenue soared 58% (excluding exchange rate fluctuations) due to increased program licensing fees to support the launch of HBO Max in international markets. Those launches also propelled the movie studio, which saw revenue increase 21%.
Video games revenue declined 30% because of lower library revenues.
Adjusted EBITDA for the studios grew $516 million (158%) to $775 million compared to the prior year quarter.
The company’s vast linear television networks saw revenue fall 9% to $4.4 billion compared to the prior year period.
TV distribution revenue tumbled 8% largely due to a 10% decrease in domestic linear pay TV subscribers.
The company also felt the loss of its NBA contract for its TNT channel, which NBC picked up. Advertising revenue fell 12%. “The absence of the NBA negatively impacted the year-over-year growth rate,” Warner said.
As the costs of the merger with Paramount come into clearer focus, the opposition has grown louder.
More than 4,000 artists and entertainment industry workers, including Bryan Cranston, Noah Wyle, Kristen Stewart and Jane Fonda, have signed an open letter warning about the dangers of the merger with Paramount. “This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries — and the audiences we serve — can least afford it,” according to the letter.
“The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world.”
Adjusted EBITDA for the television networks fell 10% to $1.6 billion, compared to the prior year quarter.
Warner ended the quarter with $3.3 billion in cash on hand and $33.4 billion of gross debt.
EXCLUSIVE: American star Hemky Madera has opened up about joining the Emmy-winning HBO series, Euphoria.
Euphoria Season 3 trailer released
Euphoria’s latest season has certainly got audiences talking after featuring a huge time-jump and some new characters.
Now, one of the stars of Euphoria has teased working on the new season and starring opposite singer and lead Zendaya.
In an exclusive interview with Reach Plc, the publishers of the Mirror, Hemky Madera has spoken about his mysterious new character Jimenez and joining the show.
The 49-year-old star, who is best known for Queen of the South, said: “Being part of this cast is amazing, from the crew, for [creator] Sam [Levinson] all the way to Zendaya and all between, so it was a great experience to be part of this show.”
He went on to tease: “I can’t say much about his character but his moral compass is in a certain way.” Adding: “But it’s a fun, whacky character.”
Although not much is known about Madera’s character, he is set to be playing a key role and will be appearing in six out of the eight episodes of season three.
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He said: “Zendaya’s character Rue and my character through many episodes together, working together. So it’s pretty cool.”
On working with the 29-year-old Spider-Man: Homecoming star, Madera said it was “amazing”.
He elaborated: “She’s such a pro. She was very welcoming and she was on from the emotional to the action to everything in between was pretty cool to work with.”
He went on to tease the third season, saying it was a “more mature flavour” and the characters were now adults and “no longer under the blanket of high school”.
He added: “They’re making their mistakes and learning from them.”
Madera admitted that although he’d been familiar with the series, it wasn’t until he started auditioning for Euphoria that he became a fan and binged the first two seasons.
“I’m very honoured to be a part of the show,” he said.
Madera said about the audition process that it was “tricky” because it was his second in-person audition in eight years. Due to shooting Queen of the South, the actor would have to send off self-tapes.
“It was nerve-wracking in the sense of being back in a room, but at the same time very exciting to be part of the room,” Madera explained.
Along with Euphoria season three, Madera has a long list of upcoming projects, including Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
He is also going to be appearing in Victor, The Last Horseman, La Máquina, and El Secreto del Retrato.
Euphoria season 3 airs on HBO Max and NOW in the UK on Mondays
The movie Pillion only hit cinemas last year, but it has already been released on at least two platforms. Not only is it available to those with a standalone subscription to the latest service, HBO Max, but it can also be accessed by those with Sky Cinema or a Movies Pass on the NOW platform.
According to its synopsis, the film follows Colin, a timid man who meets Ray, an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker who sweeps him off his feet. He soon initiates him into a submissive relationship.
This challenges Colin’s mundane existence and prompts personal growth through their unconventional dynamic. Harry Melling, best known for playing Dudley Dursley in the original Harry Potter films, takes on the role of Colin, while True Blood, Succession, and Murderbot actor Alexander Skarsgård plays Ray.
Upon its initial release, the film was a big hit with critics, earning a near-perfect 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. One review claimed: “Pillion is a bold, bawdy film told through small looks and big feelings. It broke my heart and put it back together again.”
Although another warned, “Pillion isn’t a film for everyone. But those who know what it means to grovel for their beloved…will find in a subject for analysis in Pillion’s erratic relationship and outlandish romance.”
Another agreed but also highlighted how it handles its subject matter. The reviewer penned: “While the cringe is strong (and deliberate) in many scenes of Pillion, Lighton makes it clear that kink isn’t an embarrassing detour for Colin — it’s how he comes to know himself. For him, in a very real sense, submission becomes empowering.”
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Fans who have already seen the film have been left just as impressed. One person shared their views online, saying: “Unforgettable film in so many ways. Yes, it’s explicit, but that isn’t the lasting footprint of this film. I left the cinema having been enlightened, embarrassed, happy, and so very sad.
“It’s a masterclass in the subtlety of truly great acting where so few words are needed to elicit such emotion from an audience. There won’t be Oscar nominations as it’s a small, independent film with a small budget, but there really, really should be.”
While someone else commented, “A beautiful, unflinching look at queer BDSM life. While it might not be for some (the faint-hearted), it is soulful enough to warrant consideration of anyone capable of empathetic, non-discriminatory understanding of joy in all relationships, and ultimately how fleeting and precious it is.”
One person added their verdict and posted: “It is a rare film, dealing with a theme seldom explored in cinema and, above all, very raw. I have seen some opinions suggesting that the ending was unpleasant. For me, the ending was one of the best parts.”
Pillion is streaming on HBO Max, Sky Cinema and NOW for those with a movies pass.
