Eric Francisco
@ericfrancisco24.bsky.social
Associate Entertainment Editor at Esquire. Bylines: Inverse, Rolling Stone, Vulture, THR, IGN, Men's Health, Observer, Daily Beast, GamesRadar, AV Club, Nerdist, Kotaku. Rutgers alum. TCA member. I like my sugar with coffee and cream. https://boxd.it/7IdbX
When I saw Mortal Kombat II last summer (when WB was gearing up for an October 2025 release), I felt in my bones Adeline Rudolph would be its breakout lead. I was right. Thrilled to speak to the rising star about her unlikely road to the screen. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Adeline Rudolph Is in Her Badass Heroine Era
The ‘Mortal Kombat II’ star knows she’s been lucky. It still hasn’t been easy.
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My reaction to The Mandalorian & Grogu is, without breaking other embargoes, that Masters of the Universe is coming out June 5 and The Furious comes out June 12.
I have a crypto story—get me drunk one day and I'll tell it to you, just like I told it (sober) to Ben McKenzie. For Esquire, I spoke to the former teen heartthrob turned crypto skeptic about his documentary Everyone Is Lying to You for Money. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Ben McKenzie Is Trying to Tell You Something
The teen heartthrob turned big-time cryptocurrency skeptic’s new documentary shouldn’t fall on deaf ears.
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You can say I'm obsessed with Obsession. (Boo hiss, I know.) Deeply dug the execution on what is a simple, even predictable premise. Everyone behind and in front of the cameras are locked in, Inde Navarrette (frightening) especially, that it's easy to get swept away.
Well well well Game Stop how does it feel to get offered nothing when you try to sell it back?!
The Verge@theverge.com · 4mo agoeBay rejects GameStop’s $56 billion acquisition bid
Xena. Tolkien. Doom. Star Trek. Dredd. Marvel. The Boys. Now, Mortal Kombat. I had lunch with multiverse macho man Karl Urban—who steps up in his first martial arts film Mortal Kombat II as Johnny Cage—about his past and future on screen. Now on Esquire. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Karl Urban Is Ready to Unlock the Next Level
The 53-year-old actor has stepped through every pop culture sandbox you can name. Now, he’s taking on his greatest challenge in ‘Mortal Kombat II.’
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The summer event is, without a doubt, A24's Backrooms. In my latest for Esquire, I profiled 20-year-old phenom Kane Parsons, who went from teaching himself Blender to make Half-Life fan videos to helming a legit Hollywood film with Oscar-caliber talent. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
‘Backrooms’ Director Kane Parsons Is Horror’s Next Great Storyteller
The 20-year-old behind the upcoming A24 film enraptured audiences on YouTube. Can he win over Hollywood? “There’s technically nothing stopping you,” he tells Esquire.
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I've interviewed athletes before. But never an NFL Draft prospect. My interview with the Notre Dame superstar about his feverish love for anime. www.esquire.com/style/a71109...
Jeremiyah Love Is Ready for His Superhero Moment
Ahead of the NFL Draft, the supremely talented running back told us about how his anime obsession—he’s the star of his own comic book, if you haven’t heard—will inspire his fit for the night.
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It’s very hard to take the AI bros’ sudden embrace of UBI seriously when they are simultaneously cheering Trump’s destruction of the welfare states, tbh
Casey Newton@caseynewton.bsky.social · 5mo agoI wrote about tech companies' move to promote universal basic income to calm the AI backlash and why it's probably not going to work www.platformer.news/ubi-ai-publi...
I'm not done today. With the news of the Elden Ring cast, I did a lil' speculating which characters might show up. Definitely Melina. Maybe Blaidd? And what if Kit Connor is Let Me Solo Her? www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
A24's ‘Elden Ring’ Adaptation Has One of the Strongest Ensemble Casts We've Seen in a Long Time
Alex Garland assembled an all-star lineup from his past to pull off the big-budget video game movie.
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I've now done my "dream interview" a second time. On this blessed 4/20, I spoke to fellow Jersey son Kevin Smith about his history with video games and Jay & Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch. Got a new Bennifer story in the process. My latest on Esquire. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Inside Kevin Smith's R-Rated Imagination
The writer and director who led the indie movie revolution talks ‘Mallrats 2,’ Spider-Man, and the Jay & Silent Bob video game.
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The Avatar movie leak should really be one of the bigger stories in entertainment right now. And something about its particulars really bothers me. We haven’t seen anything like it in years. My latest on Esquire: www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
The ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Sequel Leak Should Worry Everyone
No, not that ‘Avatar.’ But this is still very grim.
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"The world is, to my eyes, looking increasingly absurd and tragic. You can either cry or laugh, and maybe you do both." I profiled O-T Fagbenle, star of Peacock's The Miniature Wife. Live on @esquire. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
O-T Fagbenle Has No Bounds
The 45-year-old’s profile swelled after his Emmy-nominated role in ‘The Handmaid's Tale.’ Now, he’s downsizing—thanks to a delightfully screwball turn in Peacock’s ‘The Miniature Wife.’
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Excited by the possibility of an entire episode of The Studio taking place during a long applause at the Venice Film Festival www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
I Hope ‘The Studio’ Will Roast One of Cinema’s Worst Performative Rituals
It’s the only show that could really pull it off, too.
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"Morphenomenal: How the Power Rangers Conquered the World" is available for an all-time low price of $8.90 on Amazon right now! Any purchases/reviews/sharing/etc. helps a lot (will share more in replies)! Thanks to any and all. ⚡️ www.amazon.com/Morphenomena...
Morphenomenal: How the Power Rangers Conquered the World
Morphenomenal: How the Power Rangers Conquered the World [Moore, Joshua] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Morphenomenal: How the Power Rangers Conquered the World
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“There’s a confidence one gets as they work more, and are alive longer, through life experiences that anybody would learn turning thirty.” Last month, I went to McGee's and clinked pints with Ted Lasso and Rooster star Phil Dunster. My latest on Esquire. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Phil Dunster Is on a Hot Streak
The thirty-four-year-old actor charmed you as the firecracker Jamie Tartt on ‘Ted Lasso.’ Now he’s back as a studious (but still dickish) academic on HBO’s new comedy ‘Rooster.’
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At SXSW, I spoke to Andrew Scott (yes, Hot Priest) about his mission with Redbreast to spotlight short films and mentor new filmmakers. Our chat spanning whiskey sours, authenticity, and the art of short films in the age of content, now on Esquire. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Andrew Scott Knows the Next Steven Spielberg Is Out There. But How Do We Find Them?
AI and corporate mergers are making it harder and harder to nurture the next generation of great filmmakers. The accomplished Irish actor has a plan to fight back.
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Paradise fans, got something for you: I interviewed Thomas Doherty ("Dylan/Link") about ALL (okay, most) of the burning questions you have about the season 2 finale, and what's ahead in season 3. Is he a time traveler?! I asked him point blank. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Thomas Doherty on the ‘Paradise’ Season 2 Finale, Fan Theories, and Dylan’s Future
“That’s the thing about any Dan Fogelman show,” Doherty tells Esquire. “You want a question answered, you’ll get the question answered. But with the answer comes five more questions.”
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Count me in for Colbert dong Lord of the Rings. If Warner Bros. really has to make these movies for eternity or else lose the rights, they could do worse than getting a talented, charismatic creative who knows Quenya. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Stephen Colbert Is the Perfect Person to Develop a New 'Lord of the Rings' Movie
Colbert is going on an unexpected journey with Peter Jackson—and original trilogy actors may even return.
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Been awhile since I got to write about and do interviews for comic books. Thankfully, certified MacArthur Genius recipient Gene Luen Yang writing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a perfect excuse to exercise those old muscles. My latest for Esquire: www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
Why the Teenage Mutant Turtles Matter Again
Last year, ‘American Born Chinese’ author Gene Luen Yang began writing for the comic books. What he’s done with the ’80s icons is extraordinary.
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There's been discourse about the absence of teen-oriented media, yeah? That a theoretical slam dunk Buffy reboot on Hulu felt compelled to age up the show and feature more adult Buffy says a lot. We've gone so far from The Merchants of Cool. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tYR...
The Merchants of Cool (full documentary) | Marketing and Selling to America’s Teens | FRONTLINE
YouTube video by FRONTLINE PBS | Official
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Been a minute since I blogged about a Marvel movie trailer, feels like riding a bike. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
The 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Trailer Actually Makes Marvel Fun Again
No matter how you cut it, any movie starring Tom Holland and Zendaya is a movie I'll see.
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My first SXSW was a strange one, given that SXSW this year was a strange iteration of the festival. Here's what I saw. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
The 5 Best Things We Saw at SXSW 2026
From punk rock documentaries to off-road rides in electric SUVs, SXSW is adapting to its new environment.
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For anyone who might have missed it, here's a quick rundown of Billy Crystal's beautiful tribute to Rob Reiner from this year's Oscars. www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
How Billy Crystal Paid Tribute to Rob Reiner at the Oscars
The 'When Harry Met Sally...' star celebrated his late friend at the beginning of the In Memoriam segment.
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If you ask nicely, I'll upload the Zoom interview I did with Oscar-winner Ryan Coogler where my mom showed up in the background