The Future of Movies — In the Tank Podcast #522
Download MP3Hollywood is at a breaking point—and audiences can feel it.
On In the Tank Podcast #522, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, S.T. Karnick, and Donald Kendal dig into what’s reshaping movies and TV right now: DEI-era gatekeeping, studios quietly changing course, shrinking opportunities for creators, and the growing role of AI in entertainment.
They’re joined by Christian Toto, returning for his fifth annual appearance, to break down how Hollywood’s incentives filtered out creative voices—and why so many films now feel safe, preachy, and lifeless.
The panel also tackles Disney’s new AI deal involving OpenAI’s Sora platform and what it means for writers, actors, and storytelling itself. Plus: the crew runs through their “Unhinged” list of the worst movies and TV of 2025—and what might actually be worth watching next.
If Hollywood has lost its edge, this episode explores why—and what comes next.
Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Friday on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.
Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals
Chapters:
00:33 Intro
01:57 Special Guest Introduction
03:55 Support Our Sponsor!
05:50 Unhinged: Worst Movies of 2025
22:08 Film Affected By DEI
49:15 AI in Movies? Good or Bad?
1:19:25 The Future of Movies: Embracing The Experience
STORIES COVERED ON THE SHOW:
DEI To Blame? - Writers and other roles in movie companies are being filtered by DEI politics in Hollywood. Does this have an effect on the quality of films?
https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-lost-generation/
https://variety.com/2025/film/news/hollywood-drops-dei-programs-donald-trump-disney-paramount-amazon-1236327202/
AI in Movies - Where is it good, and Where does it suck?
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-openai-sora-agreement/
https://archive.ph/2xtns
Optimism for the Future: the best films of 2025, what to look forward to in 2026 and beyond.
https://x.com/vegasstarfish/status/1961588349799731453
https://www.imdb.com/calendar/
On In the Tank Podcast #522, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, S.T. Karnick, and Donald Kendal dig into what’s reshaping movies and TV right now: DEI-era gatekeeping, studios quietly changing course, shrinking opportunities for creators, and the growing role of AI in entertainment.
They’re joined by Christian Toto, returning for his fifth annual appearance, to break down how Hollywood’s incentives filtered out creative voices—and why so many films now feel safe, preachy, and lifeless.
The panel also tackles Disney’s new AI deal involving OpenAI’s Sora platform and what it means for writers, actors, and storytelling itself. Plus: the crew runs through their “Unhinged” list of the worst movies and TV of 2025—and what might actually be worth watching next.
If Hollywood has lost its edge, this episode explores why—and what comes next.
Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Friday on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.
Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals
Chapters:
00:33 Intro
01:57 Special Guest Introduction
03:55 Support Our Sponsor!
05:50 Unhinged: Worst Movies of 2025
22:08 Film Affected By DEI
49:15 AI in Movies? Good or Bad?
1:19:25 The Future of Movies: Embracing The Experience
STORIES COVERED ON THE SHOW:
DEI To Blame? - Writers and other roles in movie companies are being filtered by DEI politics in Hollywood. Does this have an effect on the quality of films?
https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-lost-generation/
https://variety.com/2025/film/news/hollywood-drops-dei-programs-donald-trump-disney-paramount-amazon-1236327202/
AI in Movies - Where is it good, and Where does it suck?
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-openai-sora-agreement/
https://archive.ph/2xtns
Optimism for the Future: the best films of 2025, what to look forward to in 2026 and beyond.
https://x.com/vegasstarfish/status/1961588349799731453
https://www.imdb.com/calendar/
In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Tune in to have your comments addressed live by the In The Tank Crew. Be sure to subscribe and never miss an episode. See you there!
Climate Change Roundtable is LIVE every Friday at 12pm CT on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Have a topic you want addressed? Join the live show and leave a comment for our panelists and we'll cover it during the live show!
Climate Change Roundtable is LIVE every Friday at 12pm CT on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Have a topic you want addressed? Join the live show and leave a comment for our panelists and we'll cover it during the live show!
Creators and Guests
Host
Chris Talgo
Chris Talgo is the Editorial Director at The Heartland Institute and a research fellow for Heartland’s Socialism Research Center.
Host
Donald Kendal
Donald Kendal hosts podcasts In The Tank and Stopping Socialism for The Heartland Institute.
Host
S. T. Karnick
Senior Fellow and Director of Publications for The Heartland Institute; Editor of The American Culture (https://t.co/h2pi2B2d7T)
Guest
Jim Lakely
VP @HeartlandInst, EP @InTheTankPod. GET GOV'T OFF OUR BACK! Love liberty, Pens, Steelers, & #H2P. Ex-DC Journo. Amateur baker, garage tinkerer.
Guest
Linnea Lueken
Linnea Lueken is a Research Fellow with the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at The Heartland Institute. Before joining Heartland, Linnea was a petroleum engineer on an offshore drilling rig.
