This week, Kim Masters talks to Aziz Ansari about his directorial debut, Good Fortune. After his 2022 project Being Mortal was shut down following a misconduct complaint involving star Bill Murray, Ansari regrouped. He gathered cast members Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer for a new film and added Keanu Reeves to the mix. He’s filling us in on how he overcame production delays and Reeves’ on-set injury. Plus, he addresses his controversial appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.
Meanwhile, and also on the topic of accepting Saudi money, producer Erik Feig has raised roughly $1 billion for his new venture, SNK Studios — funded in part by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The move marks the latest bet on Hollywood by the kingdom and raises questions about the industry’s willingness to overlook human rights concerns in pursuit of capital. Partners in banter Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the ethics of doing business with regimes accused of human rights abuses.