Hollywood Week: AFI Film Fest Opens, Netflix Layoffs, Billy Joel, RJ Mitte Remembered
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- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Saturday, 17 October 2026 09:24
- Written by Janet Walker
The 40th Anniversary of the AFI Film Fest opens this week, in Hollywood at the historic TCL Chinese Theater, beginning October 21, featuring 157 films, bringing the best in cinema to the filmmaking capital of the world.
AFI FILM FEST Opens October 21
For cinephiles, the annual AFI FILM FEST is gearing up for five days to host the best in global cinema and opens with the newest film from Laika, the critically acclaimed film, Wildwood, directed by Travis Knight.
AFI Fest 2026 Presented By Canva Unveils Full Lineup
“We’re thrilled to share some of the year’s most compelling films with the film lovers of Los Angeles at the 40th edition of AFI FEST — from red carpet premieres and major works by established auteurs to exciting debuts from emerging talents, this year’s lineup invites audiences to spend five days experiencing worlds beyond their own and making the connections that great art can spark," said Abbie Algar, Director of Programming, AFI FEST and AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.
The 40th edition of AFI FEST will run October 21 to 25 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood. The festival will open with the U.S. premiere of Wildwood and close with Being Heumann.
Additional Red Carpet Premieres include the World Premiere of The Mosquito Bowl; I Play Rocky and Ray Gunn. Special Screenings include 14th, Ashes, Behemoth!, Bitter Christmas, Bunker, Clarissa, Elsinore, Josephine, The Man I Love, Mouse, Tangles and Wild Horse Nine.
Guest Artistic Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller known for Project Hail Mary, The Lego Movies, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs among others will include “An Evening with Lord and Miller.”
Passes to AFI FEST 2026 are now available for purchase online at FEST.AFI.com. Festivalgoers can choose from the Star Pass, Patron Pass and the new Marquee Pass.
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Netflix Layoffs: More than Expected
Streaming giant Netflix surprised investors and industry insiders with announcing that it would lay off 6% of its staff, or 1000, employees, with major cuts in HR, Legal, technology and product.
“Netflix let go of roughly 1,000 employees, about 6 percent of its ranks and its biggest round of job cuts in four years. And on Thursday, it made an abrupt leadership change, pushing out Bela Bajaria, who oversaw all of the company’s TV series, movies, live events, sports and video podcasts, and replacing her with Peter Rice, a Fox and Disney veteran,” The New York Times reported.
While an expected cut of 5% or 800 employees had been announced, when the streamer made the announcement, the extra percentage point equated to 200 additional employees and spared no one.
The cost-cutting measures, which followed on the heels of Co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ recent statements that the company was not growing as quickly as they had hoped, also follows the hijacked acquisition of the Warner Bros. Discovery's film and television studios as well as its streaming and HBO assets and received a $2.8 bn breakup fee.
As Netflix appears to be leveling off in the United States and new market growth remains unclear, the streamer still retains the title of the most watched, across multiple categories, and continues to accelerate growth measures internationally.
It appears, from the sideline view, that Netflix is making needed changes to prepare for battle against Skydance and the multiple streaming services the company now holds. Cultivating new content, especially for subscribers in the United States remains a priority.
AFI Announces I PLAY ROCKY and Brad Bird’s RAY GUNN as Red Carpet Galas
Phil Lord and Chris Miller Named As Guest Artistic Directors Of AFI Fest 2026
Billy Joel Announces Sale of Motorcycle Collection
Singer, songwriter, Billy Joel, 77, announced recently the sale of his rare and famed motorcycle collection, at the upcoming Retromobile New York Auctions held the Javits Center November 19-22.
The sale features 70 of Joel’s beloved motorcycles, including a 1985 Ducati, a 1975 Ducati 750 Sport, a 1978 Triumph Bonneville with custom keyboard details (a gift from Madison Square Garden for his 150th sold-out show there), a 1982 Ducati and a 1952 Vincent Rapide, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder with all proceeds going to The Joel Foundation.
The sale was announced in an in-depth interview in The Hollywood Reporter, this week, where Joel spoke candidly about life, aging, his current condition, and the reason behind selling his motorcycle collection. The Long Island native has been sidelined from performing recently due to a diagnosed brain disorder, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, or NPH, in 2025.
“I’m not allowed to drive,” Joel said in the interview published Thursday, “What the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion,” Joel says. He describes the combination of extreme sound volume, lighting, stress and energy as the concern. Further testing, he adds, will help determine whether he can return.”
Joel, who has sold out Madison Square Garden more times than any other artist, 150 sold out lifetime performances, also holds the record for the longest residency, one sold-out show per months, which began in 2014 and continued for a decade, ending in 2024.
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RJ Mitte, Award-Winning Actor, Disability Advocate, Dies
RJ Mitte, the award winning actor best known for his role as Walter White Jr., on the television series "Breaking Bad," died this week in his home in Brownsville, Texas. He was 34.
Mitte, who was born with Cerebral Palsy was cast as the only son of science teacher/drug kingpin Walter White played by Bryan Cranston.
Cranston, eulogized his former castmate on his upon hearing of his death, writing on his Instagram, “I’m in deep despair as I write this tonight. RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad has died.”
Cranston shared his memories of meeting Mitte twenty years ago saying, “I met him when he was only 14 years old when he was cast as Walter White Jr., a part he played with such joy and enthusiasm. Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never - ever - allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination.”
Mitte was cast after a nationwide search for an actor with cerebral palsy, as the show’s creator Vince Gilligan paid homage to a friend in college who also had cerebral palsy and used forearm crutches. “Our crew is devastated. We all watched RJ grow up together, and we were proud of him,” Gilligan went on. “The world has never made much sense to me. It makes even less sense now,” The New York Times reported.
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Mitte began his work on the television series with only five credits to his name, and according to Cranston, “That kid was pretty raw when we started shooting the pilot in February of 2007, but little by little we watched him grow into a really fine actor. He parlayed his experience on the show to be a vocal advocate for performers with disabilities and was the head of a philanthropic organization with a focus on helping the disabled community.”
Mitte, who was fondly remembered by the entire cast of the hit series, and each, Anna Gunn, who played his television mom, Skyler White, Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman), Dean Norris (Hank Schrader), and Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring) posted remembrances and fond memories of working with the young actor.
“Beyond entertaining friends and family around the world, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s,” his family said. “He also served as president of The Mitte Foundation, supporting philanthropic efforts and community initiatives, while using his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for people with disabilities. At this time, we ask people to respect the privacy of RJ Mitte’s family and close ones,” People Magazine reported.
Mitte, who along with the cast of “Breaking Bad,” received a SAG Actor award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, continued working after the series ended. His more than 40 credits as an actor also include “Switched at Birth,” “The Guardians of Justice Will Save You,” and “HCBS Final Rule: The Animated Series.” As “Breaking Bad,” has become a cult classic staple on streaming giant Netflix, Mitte will likely be permanently recognized as Walter White, Jr.
Mitte did not leave a note or any indication as to why he believed this was the solution to his current despair. A memorial service was recently held in Brownsville, Texas.
Cranston ended his Instagram post, saying, “I can’t stop there without imploring anyone who is contemplating suicide to please call for the support you need at 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (https://988lifeline.org/). There is hope.”
Mitte is survived by his immediate family, mother Dyna, and sister actress, Lacianne Carriere.
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Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation’s top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five award-winning screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published “Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story,” a non-fiction narrative, “Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose,” and “Songs of Freedom: A Collection of Biblical Teachings,” which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Authors Guild, the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.
