Happy Monday, movie lovers!

We’re beginning the week with heartbreaking news from the world of animation.

Eric Bauza, the Filipino-Canadian voice actor who brought Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and countless other beloved characters to life, has died at just 46.

Meanwhile, a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes has accomplished something Hollywood hasn’t seen in 15 years, Godzilla Minus Zero is taking center stage at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and the stars of Wicker are revealing some hilarious behind-the-scenes secrets.

Plus, the actors bringing Rocky back to the screen are sharing their remarkable transformations, Ava DuVernay is addressing artificial intelligence in documentary filmmaking, and Miss Piggy is keeping her upcoming movie under wraps!

It’s another busy day in Hollywood.

Let’s talk movies!

💔 HOLLYWOOD MOURNS ERIC BAUZA, THE FILIPINO-CANADIAN VOICE OF BUGS BUNNY

A VOICE THAT MADE MILLIONS LAUGH HAS GONE SILENT.

This one hurts.

Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning voice actor best known for bringing Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and numerous other Looney Tunes characters to life, died Sunday, October 25.

He was just 46 years old.

His family announced his passing Sunday evening, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner subsequently identified hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause of death.

Born December 7, 1979, in Scarborough, Ontario, Bauza was the son of Filipino immigrants.

His Filipino upbringing helped shape his extraordinary vocal abilities.

Growing up surrounded by different accents, languages, and personalities, Bauza developed an appreciation for the sounds and rhythms of everyday conversation.

That fascination eventually helped him become one of Hollywood’s most accomplished voice actors.

His career included more than 400 acting credits and three Children’s and Family Emmy Awards.

Among his film credits were Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, and this year’s Coyote vs. Acme.

Bauza was particularly passionate about preserving the legacy of traditional animation.

He publicly supported the release of Coyote vs. Acme after the movie was initially shelved.

His work helped introduce classic animated characters to entirely new generations.

MANNY’S TAKE:

As a Filipino-American, there’s something especially meaningful about Eric Bauza’s story.

Here’s a young man raised by Filipino immigrant parents who grew up loving cartoons and eventually became the voice of some of America’s most iconic animated characters.

Think about that!

Bugs Bunny!

Daffy Duck!

Porky Pig!

Characters recognized around the world!

And behind those voices was a talented artist with Filipino roots.

What a remarkable accomplishment.

But beyond representation, Bauza reminds us of something important about animation.

We may remember the characters, but it’s the extraordinary artists behind them who give those characters their personalities, their humor, and their humanity.

Eric Bauza gave millions of people the gift of laughter.

And that’s a beautiful legacy.

Rest in peace, Eric.

Thank you for the joy.

🏆 ELIZABETH HOLMES DOCUMENTARY MAKES BOX-OFFICE HISTORY!

A DOCUMENTARY JUST DID WHAT HOLLYWOOD THOUGHT WAS IMPOSSIBLE!

Who says audiences won’t go to theaters for documentaries?

Apparently, nobody told Nathan Fielder!

You Can See Everything, the provocative documentary examining disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, has become the highest-grossing documentary at the domestic box office in 15 years.

And it accomplished that milestone in just two weeks!

According to Entertainment Weekly, the A24 release earned approximately $19.5 million during its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to an astonishing $45.1 million.

The film reportedly cost approximately $7 million to produce.

Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the documentary has become a cultural conversation piece thanks to its unconventional approach to nonfiction storytelling.

But here’s the other big box-office story.

DC’s Clayface debuted at No. 1 with approximately $24 million domestically and $43 million worldwide.

Meanwhile, LAIKA’s stop-motion fantasy Wildwood struggled with an $11.7 million domestic opening.

And the wonderfully strange romantic fantasy Wicker exceeded expectations with approximately $5.7 million worldwide.

These are the latest reported weekend estimates; final actuals may differ.

MANNY’S TAKE:

Now THIS is why I love the movies!

A documentary about Elizabeth Holmes is competing with a DC superhero villain!

And audiences are showing up!

What does that tell us?

It tells us that moviegoers are hungry for something different.

Not every movie needs a superhero.

Not every movie needs an enormous budget.

Sometimes all you need is a fascinating subject, an imaginative filmmaker, and a story that people can’t stop talking about.

Hollywood, are you listening?

🦖 GODZILLA MINUS ZERO TAKES CENTER STAGE AS TOKYO FILM FESTIVAL OPENS!

THE KING OF THE MONSTERS IS COMING HOME!

Godzilla is getting the royal treatment!

The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival officially opens Monday, October 26, with Godzilla Minus Zero among its most anticipated attractions.

The festival runs through November 4 and features more than 200 films from around the world.

Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus Zero continues the story established in the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One.

The sequel is the festival’s centerpiece presentation.

The film previously premiered at the New York Film Festival, so its Tokyo appearance should not be confused with a world premiere.

The festival opens with the Japanese musical drama Sukiyaki and closes with the South Korean zombie thriller Colony, directed by Yeon Sang-ho.

But there’s little doubt that Godzilla will be one of the event’s biggest attractions.

Godzilla Minus Zero is scheduled to open in Japanese theaters November 3, followed by its North American release November 6.

MANNY’S TAKE:

Oh, I cannot wait!

Godzilla Minus One reminded us that a giant-monster movie can be so much more than spectacular destruction.

It can also be a deeply moving human story.

And that’s exactly what made that movie special.

Takashi Yamazaki understood that the greatest special effect isn’t necessarily a giant creature destroying a city.

Sometimes it’s making audiences genuinely care about the people trying to survive.

I’m hoping Godzilla Minus Zero delivers that same emotional power.

And yes, I also want some spectacular monster action!

❤️ WICKER STARS REVEAL THE HILARIOUS SECRETS BEHIND THEIR UNUSUAL LOVE STORY!

LOVE IS STRANGE. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR HUSBAND IS MADE OF WICKER!

One of my favorite movies of the year is generating more conversation!

The stars of Wicker are sharing new behind-the-scenes stories about the wonderfully bizarre romantic fantasy.

In a newly published Variety interview, Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, and Elizabeth Debicki discussed the experience of bringing their unusual fairy tale to life.

And apparently, seeing Skarsgård transformed into a life-size wicker man was quite an experience!

Debicki recalled being startled when she first encountered her co-star wearing the elaborate wicker costume.

Meanwhile, Colman described the excitement of finally seeing the character’s physical design after months of preparation.

The filmmakers worked with Weta Workshop to create the extraordinary practical costume and prosthetics.

Directed by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, Wicker follows a lonely fisherwoman who commissions a basket weaver to create her ideal husband.

But when her new wicker husband turns out to be more loving and attentive than the village’s human men, jealousy and chaos follow.

MANNY’S TAKE:

You already know how much I love this movie!

I gave Wicker 3.5 OUT OF 4 KISSES!

It’s fantastical, romantic, wonderfully weird, and surprisingly touching.

And that’s what makes the film so special.

Underneath all the bizarre humor is a beautiful story about love, loneliness, acceptance, and our desperate desire to be understood.

Olivia Colman is wonderful.

Alexander Skarsgård is absolutely committed to the absurdity.

And the filmmakers have created a fairy tale that feels both ancient and refreshingly modern.

It’s one of those movies that reminds me why I fell in love with cinema in the first place.

Sometimes the strangest stories reveal the most familiar emotions.

🥊 I PLAY ROCKY STARS REVEAL THEIR INCREDIBLE TRANSFORMATIONS!

BECOMING ROCKY WAS NO WALK IN THE PARK!

The story behind one of Hollywood’s most beloved movies is returning to the big screen!

And the actors bringing that story to life are revealing just how much work went into their performances.

Anthony Ippolito, who portrays Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky, told Variety that he underwent a dramatic physical transformation to prepare for the role.

The actor spent nearly two years building muscle, increasing his weight from approximately 150 pounds to 180 pounds.

But he also faced another unexpected acting challenge.

Working with the dog portraying Stallone’s beloved Butkus!

Apparently, the canine performer wasn’t always particularly enthusiastic about his human co-star.

Meanwhile, Stephan James, who portrays the late Carl Weathers, paid tribute to the original Apollo Creed actor at AFI Fest.

James wore a specially created white suit inspired by the outfit Weathers wore to the Rocky II premiere.

Directed by Peter Farrelly, I Play Rocky explores Stallone’s struggle to bring his original 1976 boxing drama to the screen.

The film opens in limited theaters November 6 before expanding November 20.

MANNY’S TAKE:

I love movies about making movies!

And the original Rocky is one of Hollywood’s greatest underdog stories.

Here’s a struggling actor who believed so strongly in his screenplay that he refused to give up the opportunity to star in it.

And look what happened!

An Academy Award-winning movie.

An unforgettable character.

And one of the most successful franchises in cinema history.

Sometimes the story behind the movie is just as inspiring as the movie itself.

🎥 AVA DUVERNAY ADDRESSES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HER NEW DOCUMENTARY!

CAN AI HELP TELL HISTORY — OR DOES IT CHANGE THE TRUTH?

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay is addressing questions surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in her new documentary, 14th.

The film explores the history and continuing significance of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

It serves as a companion piece to DuVernay’s acclaimed 2016 documentary 13th.

The filmmaker has faced questions about using digital techniques, including generative AI, to animate historical photographs.

DuVernay has explained that her creative approach was inspired partly by nineteenth-century stereoscopic photography, which produced an illusion of depth.

The techniques have generated debate about the role of artificial intelligence in nonfiction filmmaking.

Supporters argue that new visual tools can help audiences engage with historical material.

Critics question whether AI-assisted imagery could blur the distinction between archival documentation and modern interpretation.

The documentary is scheduled for a limited theatrical release November 27 before arriving on Netflix December 4.

MANNY’S TAKE:

This is an important conversation.

Technology has always been part of filmmaking.

But documentaries carry a special responsibility.

Audiences need to understand what they’re seeing.

Is it an authentic historical image?

A reconstruction?

Or an artistic interpretation?

Those distinctions matter.

I believe technology can be a powerful creative tool.

But it should never replace transparency, integrity, or the human perspective that makes documentary filmmaking meaningful.

🐷 MISS PIGGY’S NEW MOVIE IS STILL TOP SECRET!

HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST DIVA IS KEEPING HER SECRETS!

And finally, something a little lighter!

Cole Escola, the acclaimed performer and playwright behind Oh, Mary!, is keeping the screenplay for the upcoming Miss Piggy movie tightly under wraps.

Speaking at The New Yorker Festival over the weekend, Escola joked about the secrecy surrounding the Disney project.

The film is being developed with Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence attached as producers.

But don’t expect major plot revelations just yet.

Escola has offered few details about the story or the relationship between Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog.

No release date or complete cast has been announced.

MANNY’S TAKE:

Oh, Miss Piggy!

One of cinema’s most glamorous divas!

And frankly, I love the idea of Cole Escola writing her next big adventure.

Miss Piggy has always been larger than life.

She’s dramatic.

She’s fabulous.

She’s completely convinced of her own magnificence.

And she never apologizes for it!

Sounds like a perfect Hollywood leading lady to me!

🎬 THAT’S YOUR MONDAY HOLLYWOOD ROUNDUP!

Today we celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Eric Bauza, whose voices brought joy to generations of movie lovers.

We also celebrate the remarkable success of documentary filmmaking, the return of Godzilla, and the wonderfully imaginative artists who continue pushing cinema in unexpected directions.

Because that’s what makes the movies so special.

Some make us laugh.

Some make us cry.

Some challenge the way we see the world.

And some remind us that even the most fantastical stories can reveal something deeply human.

For more Hollywood news, original movie reviews, and exclusive celebrity interviews, keep visiting MannyTheMovieGuy.com.

I’m Manny the Movie Guy, and I’ll see you at the movies!