Pod Interview Archives - Next Best Picture

The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interviews With “Wicker” Cast, Filmmakers & Crew

Matt Neglia — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:58:31 +0000

“Wicker” is a romantic fantasy comedy-drama film written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, based on the short story “The Wicker Husband” by Ursula Wills. The film follows an ostracized fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who commissions the local basketmaker to weave her a husband (Alexander Skarsgård), but when her wicker creation proves unexpectedly extraordinary, his presence ignites jealousy and upheaval that threatens their quiet village. The film also stars Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan, Richard E. Grant, and Peter Dinklage. The film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics who praised its direction, writing, performances, and design of the Wicker Husband. Colman, Skarsgård, and writers and directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson were kind enough to spend time speaking with me about their work and experiences making the film, while Dan Bayer spoke with WETA Workshop’s Joe Dunckley and Sarah Rubano, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Black Bear Pictures. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “Obsession” Filmmaker Curry Barker

Giovanni Lago — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 22:42:19 +0000

“Obsession” is an American supernatural indie horror film written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker. It stars Michael Johnston as Bear, a shop clerk whose wish for his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette in a breakout performance) to fall in love with him leads to terrifying consequences. Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter appear in supporting roles. Partly inspired by “The Simpsons” episode “Treehouse of Horror II,” the film was shot in Los Angeles on a $750,000 budget and marks Barker’s second feature following “Milk & Serial.” It had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where Focus Features acquired its distribution rights in a record-setting deal for a genre film. Following its theatrical release, the film received positive reviews and became a box-office phenomenon, grossing $523 million worldwide. Writer, director, and editor Curry Barker was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now available to stream on Peacock. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “Queen At Sea” Filmmaker Lance Hammer

Daniel Howat — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:17:37 +0000

“Queen at Sea” is a 2026 drama film written and directed by Lance Hammer. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay, and Anna Calder-Marshall. It follows Amanda (Binoche), a middle-aged woman struggling to navigate the emotional complexities of caring for her mother, who has dementia. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Jury Prize and the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance for Courtenay and Calder-Marshall. It received critical acclaim, with particular praise for Hammer’s sensitive direction and the powerful performances from its ensemble cast. Director and writer Lance Hammer was kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about his work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on September 18th by Curzon Film and will be released in theaters in the United States on October 30th by Greenwich Entertainment. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping” Director Francis Lawrence & Producer Nina Jacobson

Matt Neglia — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 01:24:19 +0000

“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is an American dystopian film directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie. Based on the 2025 novel Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, it serves as both a sequel to “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” (2023) and a prequel to “The Hunger Games” (2012), and will be the sixth installment in “The Hunger Games” film series. Taking place 24 years before the first film, 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) is selected to compete in the 50th Hunger Games. Every 25th edition of the games, known as a Quarter Quell, adds a special twist to the annual Hunger Games rules. For the 50th Hunger Games, each district of Panem must send twice the number of tributes to the Capitol, who will fight to the death in a televised spectacle. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. Director Francis Lawrence and long-time franchise producer Nina Jacobson were kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters on November 20th from Lionsgate. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “Everest: The Other Side” Filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin

Matt Neglia — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:08:17 +0000

“Everest: The Other Side” is a 2026 documentary film directed and produced by Academy Award winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo“). A co-production of the United States, China, and Nepal, it follows Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they fall in love and share a dream of climbing and skiing down the North Face of Mount Everest. The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its moving, inspiring, and thrilling filmmaking. Directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin were kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters on October 30th from National Geographic Documentary Films. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “One In A Million” Directors Jack MacInness, Itab Azzam & Subject Israa

Nadia Dalimonte — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:52:41 +0000

“One In A Million” is a 2026 British-American documentary film directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes. It follows a young girl (Israa) over the course of ten years as she travels from Syria to Germany, navigating war, exile, and heartbreak. It had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, where it won the Audience Award. Directors Jack MacInness, Itab Azzam & Israa were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from PBS Distribution. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “The Only Living Pickpocket In New York” Filmmaker Noah Segan

Cody Dericks — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:21:55 +0000

“The Only Living Pickpocket In New York” is an American crime thriller film written and directed by Noah Segan. It stars John Turturro as an old-school thief trying to survive in a modern, cashless city while scrambling to fix a high-stakes mistake. The film also stars Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price, Tatiana Maslany, and Steve Buscemi. It had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and made its international premiere out of competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. It has since screened at the Telluride, Toronto, and New York Film Festivals, where critics have widely praised the film, particularly Turturro’s performance and Segan’s writing and direction. Segan was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Sony Pictures Classics. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interviews With “Wildwood” Cast & Creators

Matt Neglia — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:51:30 +0000

“Wildwood” is a 2026 stop-motion animated fantasy film directed by Travis Knight from a screenplay by Chris Butler. Based on Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’s 2011 novel, it follows Prue, a teenage girl who ventures into an enchanted forest with her classmate Curtis to find her infant brother, abducted by a mysterious woman named Alexandra. Along the way, they discover a fantastical world filled with magical creatures and warring factions. The film features the voices of Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Len Cariou, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant. Stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, author Colin Meloy, and illustrator Carson Ellis were all kind enough to spend some time speaking with me about their work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Fathom Entertainment. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “Wildwood” Director & Laika Studios CEO Travis Knight

Matt Neglia — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:16:44 +0000

“Wildwood” is a 2026 American stop-motion animated fantasy film co-produced and directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, based on Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’s 2011 novel. Produced by LAIKA studios, the film stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Len Cariou, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant. In the film, a teenage girl named Prue (Lee) and her classmate Curtis (Tremblay) enter an enchanted forest to search for her infant brother after he is abducted. They find a manor and learn about a coming war from a mysterious woman who tragically lost her son. Development began in September 2011, just weeks after the release of Meloy’s novel, when LAIKA announced plans to adapt it as an animated feature. Production was confirmed in September 2021, with Knight directing and co-producing with Arianne Sutner, and Butler writing the script. The feature was produced at LAIKA’s studio facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, with Caleb Deschanel as cinematographer. With a theatrical runtime of 131 minutes, the film is the longest stop-motion-animated film and, in terms of overall craftsmanship, the biggest achievement in stop-motion animation history for sheer scale and difficulty. The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, where critics widely acclaimed it as not only the best animated film of the year, but the best to ever come out of LAIKA Studios. Knight was kind enough to lend us an hour of his time as he came into the studio and spoke with us about what drew him to Colin Meloy’s novel, the painstaking work that goes into the art of stop-motion, his feelings on the current state of animation, what is next for himself and LAIKA Studios, what winning an Oscar would mean to him, and more, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out “Wildwood,” which will be released in theaters by Fathom Entertainment on October 23rd. Thank you, and enjoy!

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The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “A Talent For Murder” Star Alden Ehrenreich

Dan Bayer — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 14:08:23 +0000

“A Talent For Murder” is a 2026 thriller film directed by Anton Corbijn and adapted by Joanna Murray-Smith from her 2014 play Switzerland. It stars Alden Ehrenreich as a young man who travels from New York to Switzerland to persuade acclaimed thriller writer Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren) to write one final installment of her Tom Ripley series, as his efforts gradually turn more sinister. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where critics gave it generally positive reviews. Ehrenreich was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will release in theaters on October 23rd from Bleecker Street. Thank you, and enjoy!

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