Hollywood's budget addiction is catching up with even its biggest franchises.

Two major projects have hit financial speed bumps, proving that even recognizable brands aren't automatic green lights anymore.

'This is the match that we needed to, quite frankly, burn it all down and finally build a country for mothers.'

First, there’s the last “Fast & Furious” film. The previous installment earned a tepid $146 million stateside in 2023, but more than $500 million from international sales. The film’s massive budget still made getting into the black a chore.

Now, the studio is dragging its feet on the last “Fast” feature, hoping to somehow whittle down the big bucks needed to make it happen. Let’s hope the studio doesn't send our heroes into space again.

Meanwhile, after a lot of jawboning, “Heat 2” appears ready to go before the cameras. Director Michael Mann wanted a massive shooting budget for his sequel to the beloved 1995 crime caper, and multiple studios flirted with the film but ultimately said no.

Now, the deep pockets at Amazon will help make this movie happen, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the role originally performed by Val Kilmer and Christian Bale standing in for Al Pacino.

Pass the hat, folks. If you want to see these bloated IP extensions, someone’s got to pick up the tab.

'Man'-handled

It’s a wonder it lasted this long.

Disney+’s “Wonder Man” series, based on the obscure MCU character of the same name, supposedly earned a second-season renewal earlier this year. Not so fast. The Mouse House just slammed the door shut on new episodes.

The series race-swapped the main character, played on screen by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, but the show didn’t build on that sweet, sweet MCU synergy.

The character could reportedly pop up in future Marvel films, proof that Disney still believes more superheroes — not fewer — are the answer to audience fatigue.

RELATED: SUPER FLOP: Sneering ‘Supergirl’ flees multiplex for home streaming

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Harvey's 'heartbreak'

Gossip monger Harvey Levin built a career asking uncomfortable questions. Apparently, Anthony Fauci is the exception.

The TMZ boss called it "one of the most heartbreaking things I have seen in government" after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times before a Senate committee investigating the government's COVID response.

Levin acknowledged he has "problems with the way CDC handled COVID," saying the agency "did damage to children and adults." Even so, he insisted Fauci had been "an amazing public servant" and dismissed the hearing as a Republican "witch hunt."

That's an odd conclusion. If the CDC's pandemic response caused real harm — as Levin now concedes — why shouldn't one of its most influential public faces be asked tough questions under oath?

Mother of all leftists

Is Reshma Saujani a filmmaker or arsonist?

Saujani, an executive producer of the new documentary "No Country for Mothers," used a PBS interview to promote more than just the film.

The documentary explores the challenges facing modern motherhood, offering familiar progressive prescriptions — more government intervention, expanded social programs, and a renewed push for the Equal Rights Amendment.

But Saujani saved her most provocative remarks for the end, describing the film as the spark for something far bigger than policy reform.

And they are staying until midnight, talking, crying, holding each other, hugging each other, talking about the laws are going to change, the policies are going to pass, the neighbor that they're going to help. Like, this is the — this is the match that we needed to, quite frankly, burn it all down and finally build a country for mothers.

She also claimed, without offering a lick of evidence, that unseen forces are "suppressing women's content." One suspects those mysterious gatekeepers have an orange complexion.

More telling, though, is the revolutionary flourish. A documentary about helping mothers somehow ends with a call to "burn it all down." That's an odd way to pitch a movement built on caring for families.

Sleazy does it

Your newest OnlyFans creator got her start when Jimmy Carter was president.

Donna Mills, 85, is embracing the most 2026 career pivot imaginable. The "Knots Landing" star announced she'll be joining the adult-centered platform, saying it "offers the opportunity for a more personal and direct connection."

Good luck with that. A sizable share of the actress' longtime audience may need a grandchild just to download the app.