The Glenn Beck Program - Best of the Program | Guest: Jon Erwin | 2/24/25

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

The Left has preached against the Pentagon for years but suddenly disagrees when Trump calls for cuts. Glenn and Stu debate who possibly may be on the Epstein list. Will leftists acknowledge their los...s and make the necessary adjustments, or will they double down on their crazy ideologies? Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) has decided to double down in a new bill where the word "mother" was changed to "inseminated person." Wonder Project chief content officer Jon Erwin joins to discuss his newest project on Amazon Prime, "House of David," which tells the story of one of history's greatest kings.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:29 right now. Hey, we have a rapid fire recap of the top stories from the weekend and some perspective on all that. Also, pull up a chair because Uncle Glenn has a new children's story for the folks and the governor of Wisconsin. Also, John Irwin of the Irwin Brothers joins us to talk about a new Hollywood venture. And believe it or not, it's good and he's got the control of the stories he'll be telling with Amazon. Another, chuck another win up for the right. all this and so much more on today's podcast. Let me tell you about pre-born.
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Starting point is 00:02:23 generations. Preborn. Sponsored by Preborn. listening to the best of the Glenn Beck program. All right, let me just give you the news as I see it. What happened over the weekend of February 15th and 16th. What happened this weekend, I think, is Liberty, Justice, and the truth breaking free. So let's dive in here. Cash Patel is taking the FBI helm. His first full official day is today.
Starting point is 00:02:59 He was sworn in his FBI director with the hand on the Gita a pledge to a uphold his constitution. It's not a bureaucratic shuffle. It is a shot across the bow of the weaponized deep state. This one makes all the difference in the world. Cash is making people in Washington sweat, and he should. Patel is vowed to root out corruption, left, right, or center, and the whispers of the Epstein client list
Starting point is 00:03:32 that he told me over the summer was in a in a safe behind the desk of the director of the FBI. I know that Cash Patel must have been in the office of the FBI on Friday because Pam Bondi said the client list is now sitting on my desk. I'm reviewing it. I have a feeling Cash took it out from behind that desk safe and brought it over to Pam Bondi. She looked at it and I'm hoping, as today is, is his first full day in office. It will be released today.
Starting point is 00:04:11 But transparency one way or another is coming, and justice isn't going to care who you voted for. I'm going to tell you more about this coming up in just a minute. Also, Trump has locked in his cabinet now. He has finalized his cabinet this weekend. Patel, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, the folks, you know, who have bucked to the system, not bowed to it, are all in.
Starting point is 00:04:31 The Senate's buzzing. But this crew is built to shrink government and not metal abroad unless America is directly threatened. No more endless wars, no more nanny state, just constitutional governance. That's what they're promising. And so far, that's what they're delivering. The elites absolutely hate it, which makes me love it. By the way, I don't understand.
Starting point is 00:05:00 Democrats, you've been preaching against the Pentagon forever now. Wait, Donald Trump says cut 8% of the defense budget in the next four years, and you're somehow or another against that now? Wow. Hello, Democrat Lindsey Grams of the world. Midwest storms all through the states, but FEMA wasn't there. Oh, no. If you read the stories about this this weekend, you heard that it was chaos because. because FEMA had been cut.
Starting point is 00:05:36 Really? Is that what caused the chaos? Bruel Storm buried the Midwest, snow piled high, power was out, lives disrupted. The media is whining about FEMA and the FEMA cuts, but hang on because I think everyone saw this storm coming. It wasn't like, oh my gosh, it was a tornado that came out of nowhere. The storm had to travel halfway across the country. To get to your state, Illinois, Michigan, you didn't have warnings?
Starting point is 00:06:12 Were you in Ghana? How come you didn't prepare? You see, it's weird when we know a hurricane is coming. Florida seems to be able to pull their head out of their rectum and actually prepare. So when it hits, they can turn the lights back on. But gee, Illinois, Michigan, you just couldn't get it done. What does Illinois and Michigan have in common? Where are the governors?
Starting point is 00:06:45 Florida shrugs off hurricanes without federal babysitters. Why can't Michigan and Illinois? FEMA is nothing but a bloated crutch. States need to step up or ask for help. Oh my gosh, wouldn't it have been crazy if when you knew there was this storm coming, you as a governor could have been in the same room with the president at the White House last week. Maybe you've got to pull them inside and said, hey, we got a big emergency coming. Can you help us?
Starting point is 00:07:16 Seems other states did that. Why weren't you ready? People, you need to start relying on your states and demanding that your governors pull their heads out of their rectum. Next story that I saw the homelessness crisis. Oh my gosh, it's a crisis. Ha! Ha! That is the first time I've seen that one.
Starting point is 00:07:44 There's a homelessness crisis in our country? What? Yes, tent cities grew this weekend. Yeah, you know why? According to the mainstream media, the HUD staff cuts. by the Doge team. Hang on just a second. It's been a week for those cuts.
Starting point is 00:08:11 So you cut the staff at the top of HUD a week ago, and all of a sudden, homelessness is out of control. Show me the cut that tanked housing overnight. Could you do that for me? I think this might predate Donald's. Trump. I don't know. I've never seen any pictures of homeless camps all around the country before this last weekend. This is decades of Blue State failures, not a seven-day staffing trim. Governors and mayors, you all own this now, not Uncle Sam. Accountability is about to go local.
Starting point is 00:08:56 Hmm. Closer to the people. Maybe we can make changes. Also, Trump and Zelensky, we're back at it. Zalinski says he's not going to give the United States anything unless, I mean, he'll retire if, if Ukraine's allowed to join NATO. Isn't this where we started this whole thing in the first place? Germany's election, if we have time today, I want to talk about that. They had a snap election, a campaign that went on the far right AFD is on the rise. That's because Vance was stirring the pot, you know, in Munich. That's what happened.
Starting point is 00:09:40 Vance was meddling. No, you know, what we did is we cut all those USAID programs that were actually meddling in everybody's elections around the world. We decided we shouldn't do that. We should let the people of those countries decide themselves. Yeah, you want to talk about a danger to. democracy, stop meddling in people's elections, right? Am I right? Their vote was held yesterday, and the fallout is Germany's to handle. We'll watch. We'll not wait in, hopefully. I mean,
Starting point is 00:10:17 unless it starts to hit our shores, it's not our business. Stateside, we have bigger fish to fry, but there are some things that if I have time, we need to talk about on that. And Elon Musk is pushing for AI innovation. The Doge crew cheered California's AI safety veto this weekend, less red tape, more breakthroughs. At the same time, he just came out and said, we are at the event horizon of the singularity. Oh, big deal. What are the price of eggs? I don't know, but we might have robot chickens that eat us soon if you don't pay attention. into the singularity. We'll talk about that coming up next hour. And the FCC has called out
Starting point is 00:11:06 CBS, their bias. The FCC zeroed in on CBS this weekend, probes into news distortion, hinting at real consequences. Fascist! This is not censorship, this about accountability. Now, hear me out on this. Should stations be able to lie? Well, no. No. But notice I said stations, not outlets. When you have a license from the United States government, you're in bed with the United States government. I know I've done this my whole life. I had to get an FCC third phone.
Starting point is 00:11:53 I'm a third phone license holder. I'll tell you that. I don't even know what that means. but I've got one. I had to take a test for it. Yeah, 13 years old. I'm at the FCC taking a test for my third phone license. I promptly lost that license.
Starting point is 00:12:14 I mean, I still have it. I mean, I lost it, kind of like I lose my driver's license all the time. But if you want to lose a license, what you have to do as a local broadcaster is to break FCC rule. You see, local CBS stations have to have a license through the FCC. They serve the local community. Now, perhaps in New York and San Francisco, those people believe in their local community that lying to the American people and changing interviews to be able to make one politician look better than the other in a newscast is a public service.
Starting point is 00:12:58 I mean, we can't have people knowing what they really believe and what they're really like. We need them to win as a public service. But I can't imagine all the red states and red cities feel that that was a public service from CBS News. My question is, have you written a letter to your local CBS affiliate? You see, any complaint letters where somebody writes in from the local community and says, I think this was wrong and I hope the FCC investigates you and I've C-Ced the FCC. Too many Cs for me to even follow. I've C-Ced the FCC and so the FCC is going to know about it ASAP.
Starting point is 00:13:45 I'll tell you that right now and hopefully they're going to kick your ASS. Anyway, have you written your local affiliate yet? and manufacturers warn of trouble. Beedip, peep, peep, peep, peatype. New York Times says the New York Fed's latest is peg manufacturing at peak pessimism this last weekend. A slowdown is looming. We can't wait to blame Trump. No, they didn't actually say that, but you know they were thinking, right? This is from years of over-regulation, globalism. It's all biting back. States can lead the fix, cut taxes, ditch the green tape.
Starting point is 00:14:28 Washington shouldn't be the only savior here. Every state should take it on. And finally, one last story, and it's a sad one. It seems another major chain might be ready to bite the dust. Bloomberg has reported that Hooters, the country's most famous restaurant, is in talks with the law firm. ropes and gray to prepare bankruptcy. It is always sad to see people struggle, but even more sad when a great institution, American institution like this, goes tits up.
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Starting point is 00:16:42 Sue, I don't know if you, I don't know if you saw the Democratic Wisconsin governor Tony Evers. He's not exactly on the Trump train. Really? Yeah. That's a shocking development. Yeah, it is. It is.
Starting point is 00:16:57 Um, you know, it kind of amazes me that, I mean, I get it when you're against, you know, going in and cutting the spending of any of these crazy things. I get it. Because you're probably on the take. You know what I mean? You're probably part of that system that somehow or another benefits you. I don't know exactly how, but I can, I can get it. I mean, it just tells me who you are.
Starting point is 00:17:22 Um, but when you are still on the bandwagon of, you know what? Boys are girls and they're going to compete in sports. I don't get it. I really don't get it because nobody really thinks that way, really, anymore. I mean, is that true? I mean, they lost, right? They lost with that approach, which is something they should note if they care about winning in the future. Correct.
Starting point is 00:17:49 That being said, you know, they... Does nobody think about that? No. No, you're right. Nobody. Not nobody. It's not even close to nobody, right? Like they still got millions of, I mean, they got, what, 40 something percent of the vote?
Starting point is 00:18:01 I'm not sure that that 40 percent, though, was, was, I'm for. They're not on that bandwagon for sure. I'm against cisgenderism. That's not what they were voting on. I agree. That's not what they are voting on. But there is a large, there's still a good chunk. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:18:18 What is it? A quarter? 40% of Democrats, 30% of Democrats, somewhere in there. Maybe that really still do believe in this, you know, woke sort of line. So do the math for me. How many Democrats are there now, 30% of the population? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:18:35 Yeah. But I mean, obviously, they're getting higher. And only 30% of that population. 10%. So you got 10%. 10% is always nuts. Yeah, that's true. That's true.
Starting point is 00:18:45 I mean, obviously you could also say some, some, I was going to say Democratic voters, 30% of Democratic voters. But still, it's only 15, 20%. Yeah. So it's not that big. But it is, I think, still a significant. You're talking about tens of millions of people. Sure, sure.
Starting point is 00:19:02 And we, look, you know the reason why we all, you know, we look at these people who are online and we think, good heavens, they're crazy, right? I wouldn't want to live next to that guy. We've all lived next to that guy. Our whole lives, we looked at, we just didn't talk to that guy. We told our kids, don't talk to that guy. Something wrong with that guy. You know, the old lady down in the street with all the cats, don't talk to her kids. you know, we all had those crazy people.
Starting point is 00:19:31 Nobody listened to them and they were kind of isolated in our neighborhoods. Well, now they all have the internet. And now they're all getting together and like, oh, yeah, well, I can outdo that. I'm even crazier than you are. But it's the same number of crazies, right? It's just that they're now in a group and you're like, oh, wow, it seems like there's a lot of them. They just all been hanging out in our neighborhoods. we just didn't see all of them around the world together in one place.
Starting point is 00:19:59 I think that's true. I think it's a healthy thing to have some separation in your life from all of this. Yeah. You know, and realize that, you know, some people, like, if you're believing crazy things, you might be fine. Good, good job. Like, everyone had that crazy person around the town. You're right. And it's like.
Starting point is 00:20:14 And most of them were harmless. Most of them. But when they get together. Yeah. It's a problem. It's one thing. Again, I always think about this with so many of these issues. it's one thing for you to have opinion that's, in my view, crazy.
Starting point is 00:20:28 It's another thing for you to ask me to participate in your delusions. Yes. And like, I don't, you know, that's... Right. We used to... The guy would be out getting the mail, and you'd be driving by. And you were on a small street, and you'd be like, oh, crap. Oh, crap.
Starting point is 00:20:43 He's going to us, look at me. I should stop and say hi. And so, you know, he'd look at you, like, you're not driving past me without saying hello. And so you'd stop and you'd kind of roll down the window. Hey! Hey, you. I love you. what's happening. And then he would tell you some crazy things. And you'd be like, oh, man,
Starting point is 00:20:57 crazy times, man. Crazy times. Sorry, I'll see you. Yeah. And you roll up the window and you go away. And everything's fine. But now he's like, you're not going anywhere until you absolutely agree and wear this badge and put it online. Say the word Hamas. You're like, well, no. Yeah, no. Okay. That's the difference. So Tony Evers, apparently is that crazy guy who lives on the street, you know. But we're just hearing about him because a lot of people got together. and went, he should be our governor. Okay. Well, you know, whatever. So he introduced a budget that, you know, he announced and he was very excited.
Starting point is 00:21:32 Of course, he didn't mention the language thing, you know, the language part of the budget. In there, they changed the word mother to inseminated person, which I think has a lot of respect. Don't you? Oh, it's lovely. I mean, I think that that shows the love that most of us were created in, you know. Hey, inseminated person. Inceminated person, I'm on the phone. You know, I mean, that's good.
Starting point is 00:22:01 That's good. Shows a lot of love and respect. Also, besides mother, inseminated person, also paternity has been changed to parentage. I don't know what the parentage. I don't even understand how that even makes it more woke. Yeah, I don't have any idea. References to wife or husband are now spouse. The word father is changed to parent.
Starting point is 00:22:25 Mother is swapped out for person who gave birth to the child or inseminated person. So wait, father isn't an inseminator? It should be. It should be. It's going to be consistent. It's just parent? That sounds like... Because you could use parent for mom.
Starting point is 00:22:39 And that's not like a superhero, though. I'm the inseminator. Inseminator here to inseminate. There's no need to fear. An inseminator is here. Yeah, I like that. That's good. That's good. In fact, I've got to use that as a new pickup line at the bars.
Starting point is 00:22:56 Hey! Hey! I'm the inseminator! Okay, good, good, good. I like that. Okay, so anyway, he's done that. And I thought, you know what, let's just get on the bandwagon. Let's just get on the bandwagon. Oh, really? Yeah, so I want to start something just a little, wrote a little children's story today. I think you're going to like it. It's time for Uncle Glenn's non-inseminator story time because I,
Starting point is 00:23:23 didn't inseminate anybody that created you. But I want to read a story to you. So it's a little story. It starts out with, well, it's in a bat-crap crazy town of Genderland. And little Timmy is there. And he's scratching his head and he's screaming, which Pat is my dad? Which Pat is my mom?
Starting point is 00:23:43 If any of you are, you colonizer enablers, it starts out the way every great story starts out, doesn't it? So Pat 1, Pat 2, and Pat 3. three-gender-neutral anti-racist warriors snorted over their intersexual oat milk lattes wearing spouse spectrum sashes and the parentage puzzle pins and the decolonized family arm bands and the first one said I'm the inseminated person of color who birthed you dismantling white supremacy that was Pat one rejecting mom or mother for maximum
Starting point is 00:24:19 wokeness then Pat number two grinned and said I handled parentage duties, centering bioptic joy. And no cisgender father is here. Oh, little Timmy just smiled as pat number three. Dwerling a secret splice cape with a landback patch, cackled, my indigenous genes got spliced into your cells at conception. Smash the patriarchy, kiddo. Well, Timmy just looked at those three people.
Starting point is 00:24:49 Said, no, I mean, male, female, which one's my mom? All of them looked at little Timmy, male, female, then Timmy realized, once more, none of these freaks knew any longer how to even describe a woman. Okay, okay. Which one of you chest fed me? Timmy asked. Pat one, wave to pump me, non-binarily, in solidarity with trans folks, which we spell with an X. Pat number two brandished a buddy system bottle, me amplifying queer joy.
Starting point is 00:25:22 Pat number three giggled, I chess fed via eco-friendly proxy. Climate justice, baby. Then all three in the Parentage Patrol began chanting spouse, parent, inseminate, smash the white fragility. It didn't really rhyme, but none of them do nowadays. Just then Timmy's friend, Sammy, another gendered neutral name, burst in, shrieking, My inseminated person says, I'm a non-binary climate refuge. help. I don't even know what that means, Timmy, and I don't think the people who came up with that know what it means either. Well, Timmy and Gender Neutral named Sammy I-I-E then hatched a plan.
Starting point is 00:26:06 Later that day at the Gender Neutral Anti-Racist Jamboree, Timmy grabbed a mic yelling, I identify as a Reelsville revolutionary, and I outwoke you all. By Genderland Law, my specialized... spliced genes make me the supreme intersectional ruler of all. You three are my subordinate spouses. Time out in the parentage penalty box without any trigger warnings and without any oat milk. Well, the crowd gasp as the pats tripped over their pronouns, drenched in their non-binary glitter. Timmy then hijacked the progress wagon, blaring old Louis C.K. monologues, zooming to reels, where mom and dads still
Starting point is 00:26:54 liked normalcy. The Patch chased him yelling, but we're for dismantling the systems. Timmy mooned them, shouting, See you later. Crazies. Just then, the wagon crashed into a barbecue joint. Timmy escaped with a rib,
Starting point is 00:27:12 giggling sanity and meat. Perfect. So, there's your little story. Story time from Uncle Glenn today. I think they probably really will enjoy that, you know, in Wisconsin, where it's always sane. It's always truly sane. You're streaming the best of the Glenn Beck program, and you can find full episodes wherever you download podcasts. So, do you remember what it used to be like when you would go to a movie?
Starting point is 00:27:44 And it was a Christian movie, and you'd be like, oh, je. And it was just embarrassingly bad. and, you know, it just was. It just was. Very few times, you know, gone were the filmmakers like Cecil B. DeMille that actually understood the scriptures, understood what he was doing, didn't want to mock that, and actually liked people who were, you know, following the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
Starting point is 00:28:10 and tried to make something that was true. Those guys had been long gone and dead and run out of Hollywood. But then came the Irwin brothers. Then came Dallas Jenkins, you know, from the chosen, John Gunn. And they formed kind of a fellowship of the ring, if you will, storming the gates of Mordor, otherwise known as Hollywood. And the Irwin brothers, they are responsible for the Jesus Revolution, which is a fantastic movie. The Unbreakable Boy, I just had Zachary Levi on. And he is, this movie, I told him, is just one of the best movies I've seen in a large movie.
Starting point is 00:28:49 time. It's just such a good movie. And on top of it, it just makes you feel good. And you can just learn so much. I mean, at least I did. I watched it the whole time going, I don't think I'm that guy. I don't think I'm that guy, unfortunately. But just great movie. Doesn't feel like a Christian movie used to feel. The Irwin brothers have really kind of mastered this as they, you know, as they made their films, they came out and started the Wonder Project, which is something that's going to produce film and television and now has a seat at the Hollywood table. But we've sanitized it for their protection. And it's a seat that I think they're going to keep and they're working in the system, but
Starting point is 00:29:39 not they're not of the system that has long neglected the Christian audience. and they're coming out with something brand new this week on Netflix, and John Irwin is with us now. Hey, John, how are you? Glenn, how are you doing, man? It's good, as always, man. She's been a wonderful friend for a very long time. And, yeah, it is an exciting time in our industry, for sure.
Starting point is 00:30:07 It's sort of an unprecedented moment. And I think that's just because the voice of the audience has been so clearly heard, you know, that it's given us the ability. to maintain control, creative control, but also really harness the relationships with some of these studios and streamers. And I feel I may have made a mistake. Is it Netflix or is it Amazon Prime?
Starting point is 00:30:29 Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime. Sorry about that. Thank you. It's House of David. It comes out this Thursday. It's the project that I remember when I was 16 years old. My dad bought me a camera with money he didn't have
Starting point is 00:30:43 and I didn't know how to use it, and we went straight to Israel and filmed a little walk-and-talk documentary. And there's something just the Bible came to life in a whole new way, and I went to King David's tomb. And right there, I started dreaming about eventually getting to do the story of David. And so a lot of the films that I've made, many of the you mentioned, I'm grateful for that, are kind of working up the courage and the skill to try to helm David's story. And there's this wonderful group of filmmakers. You're exactly right that we're willing each other on to success and talking all the time. And I do feel like I'm in Dallas Jenkins wake, and he's a wonderful friend and collaborator.
Starting point is 00:31:25 And so it's amazing to finally get to tell biblical stories. It's been a dream of mine for quite a long time. You guys have, I mean, I love all of you. You're just cut from the same cloth and just not willing to give up. And you get better and better with every movie that comes out. So you made the first one, the first episode of King David starts with him with a slingshot, right? And Goliath? Yeah, it really is the classic hero's journey.
Starting point is 00:31:53 Season one of Tassad David is the story of the rise of this young outcast shepherd boy, chosen to be king in a nation that already had one slaying a giant. And it really is that classic storytelling. And I think in many ways, David is the origin of many of those other origin stories. I mean, this is the original hero's journey. And so if you like, you know, those classic stories like, you know, Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or Harry Potter, you know, I think a lot of those stories have their roots in many ways in David. And this is the first, you know, the original, you know, heroes journey kind of or one of them. And so it's going to feel very familiar.
Starting point is 00:32:40 even if you're not familiar with the material. Are you, do you, I've always thought when I read that story that everybody was like, David, shut your mouth, what are you doing? This kid doesn't have a chance. This kid doesn't have a chance. What are you doing? How did you explain or deal with the, here's this kid that nobody thinks has a chance stepping up?
Starting point is 00:33:03 How did you deal with the rest of the army that was there? Well, that's the fun thing. You know, Ken Burns, I think, calls it emotional archaeology is the idea of, you know, when you study history. And then you really make it real and emotional. And that was one of the questions that I had was how in the world did King Saul let this kid go out and fight this giant? And we really spend a lot of time answering that question. And I think the reason is that that Saul sensed, you know, David was also anointed king. and he sensed that courage and conviction.
Starting point is 00:33:42 And when no one else was willing to challenge Goliath, you know, David was so passionate about it that somehow that convinced a king to say yes. And that was a pretty cool thing to dramatize and really try to get right. I had not seen anything in film and television that really was like, you know, I feel like that feels real to me.
Starting point is 00:34:06 And so we, it's a pretty spectacular. episode of the series. And the series really is, I've never had resources to put things on an epic stage like this. And it really is an epic TV show. And I love it and I really hope the audience loves it as well.
Starting point is 00:34:25 And I hope it draws attention to, I remember when some Amazon executives first read the scripts, they're like, we really like these scripts. I'm like, you know, it's based off a bestseller. You should check it out. It'll change your life. You know, five billion coffees can't be wrong.
Starting point is 00:34:39 Right. Some in there that's good. So that's my help. I hope people will read the Psalms of David in a whole new way. How did you deal with Goliath? You know, he's described as a giant, blah, blah, blah. And I think you have him portrayed as something like 14 feet tall. Why do we believe he was, I mean, other than the scriptures tells he was a giant,
Starting point is 00:35:02 what do we think was happening there with this guy? Well, you know what's interesting about that is we really go into a lot of the sort of, I would call it the mythology of at least what, you know, Israelites at that time would have thought Goliath was and this whole backstory of, of the Nephilim and of sort of fallen angels. And there was sort of at least a myth in that day, or, or who knows, you know, that, that, that, that, that, that would have struck fear into into, into, into Israel that really explains why he would have taunted them for 40 days.
Starting point is 00:35:41 And so we needed an enormous guy, not only tall, but also broad. You know, Thanos and Avengers was always sort of my, my sort of benchmark for the character. And Martin Ford, who's just wonderful and in the Mortal Kombat movies and just a great guy played the role. And you get to know the character as well.
Starting point is 00:35:58 I think, you know, that's what television gives you the opportunity to do. And we went big. I mean, he's as tall, he's as big as could be. be historically justified, but I also think it's justified by the material. I mean, he really did strike terror into, you know, into the army. And that's why there was this 40-day stand still. And when you see Martin Ford, when I saw him in person, one of the questions people ask for the trailers was David afraid. And I can assure you he would have been afraid. And I think anytime you try something great or something that you feel you're destined or called to do, you're going to have to step
Starting point is 00:36:38 beyond your fear. And so, and so Martin is just, it's just terrifying when he's in costume. And then when you use visual effects to blow him up, so did you, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's even more scary. Did you have him like eat snacks or anything? Because he's, I mean, he's really ripped. But I was just watching a cowboy movie. I had a cowboy movie. I was painting this weekend. And, and, uh, I don't remember who it was, John Wayne or somebody. And they took their shirt off. And I was like, oh, that's not a good look, John. Uh, because. back then you weren't cut. You know, now you take your shirt off and you better be cut.
Starting point is 00:37:14 But especially back then, he just would have been enormous and not, you know. Exactly. Right? Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that because he was coming off the Roland Emmerick TV show, Bill's about to die on Peacock. And he was very sort of, he played a gladiator and he was very sort of cut. Right. And I did say that, you know, these people would have had to survive on the land.
Starting point is 00:37:37 and with really formidable circumstances, he just would have been big. He would have been like a gigantic grizzly bear, you know. And so that's what we went for. And he started whatever bodybuilders say carving. I don't know, but he did whatever he needed to do to just get big. And he does. He looks like, okay, I buy that this character would have just been a formidable beast, you know, of a human, but not necessarily a bodybuilder.
Starting point is 00:38:07 And I credit Martin for doing that. I mean, he's just very, very, very dedicated as an actor, and he did the work. And he really looks great. I'm very proud of it. If you ever need somebody that just looks big and fat and doesn't have like a bodybuilding shape, you know, to them, you can call me. I'm willing to eat as much as you want, you know. You be both, man. If you'd be like the spectators, like, I'm not going to go out there.
Starting point is 00:38:32 I am often. I remind myself how glad I am to be on the dark side of the camera. I love working with a great actor, but it's nice to be on the camera, on the side of the camera where no one recognizes you and you can eat Taco Bell whenever you want. So the Wonder Project is the company that you started. You're also doing The Wright Brothers? Yeah, we're developing quite a bit. Jeremy Latcham that produced Iron Man and many other movies at Marvel. There's just this movement. And, you know, the things that I'm really passionate about are, are, you know, the Bible and then also the American story. You're doing George Washington still?
Starting point is 00:39:13 I'm doing, yeah, my next movie, as soon as I wrap, I guess it's okay to say this. It's live, who knows? It's my next film that I go immediately into pre-production on is the young life of George Washington. I know we share that passion for just the great figure in American history and his formation. We're developing the Wright brothers. And there's just quite a bit of stories. I just, I love America's story and what it represents. And, you know, how are you, hang on just a second.
Starting point is 00:39:41 Hang on, what are you, when you're doing the young George Washington, are you making his mother a giant pain in the ass because she was? You know, there's been, in the three revisions of the script, it's trying to figure out on a dial of like two to nine how much of a pain she could do. I mean, not many people realize, I think you've pointed this out. I remember that, that she wrote. a letter, like, in criticism of him not, he shouldn't, like, be president for a second term because of his ice cream habit. Yeah. And she got him when he was, when he was young, he went up the gangplaint.
Starting point is 00:40:17 He was going to join the British Navy. And he was, I don't know, 15. And she was like, no, George, you can't leave me. And that's one of the real elements of the story. And, uh, and, and it brings comic relief, but also you see the pressure he was under. And he really had to become a man long before his time because of the death of his father. Yeah. And it also is important to show that, I mean, when he came back down off that gangplank and brought his stuff back and said, mom, if you need me by your side, by your side, I will remain.
Starting point is 00:40:49 It shows that he sacrificed everything he wanted to do. His whole life, his whole life, he sacrificed for others. He did that over and over again. Yeah, that is a common thread of his relationship to what he felt was his, his, his duty and purpose was so strong. And long before there was an American anthem or an American flag, you know, there was one man that galvanized this idea for a long period of time. And so I love to study the formation of leaders like that. And that's also a story I've been wanting to tell for a long time. And I do want to just say, it is the voice of the audience that allows us to do these
Starting point is 00:41:28 projects. When we started negotiating with Amazon Prime, creative control was an essential non-negotiated and they were glad to give it to us because of the success of the work. And so there's a relationship between a small group of filmmakers that I'm so grateful to be a part of, but there's also a relationship with all of us as an audience. And when we support these things, it gives us leverage to get more things made. And if you watch the trailer at House of David, you know, I've never been able to put anything on this sort of epic scope and scale. And it really is because of our unified voice that these things are happening. And I'm telling you,
Starting point is 00:42:06 there is a revolution of values and belief going on in Hollywood right now. John, great to talk to you. I hope to see you later this week. Thank you. God bless you. Yeah, God bless. Good to talk to you. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:42:20 John Irwin, House of David. He's the executive producer, co-director, and it airs beginning. I believe he said on Thursday on Amazon Prime. It is called House of David. It is a new series that begins. that is really good. Welcome to aboard of Viarai.
Starting point is 00:42:40 Embarked and profited. Embarked and relax. Ciroat. Bookiné. Oh, that also. And profite. Viarai, the voice that we love that we love.

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