Steve Pond's Blog, page 154

‘Andor’ Season 2 Finally Answers ‘Star Wars’ Fans’ Biggest Question

Note: This article contains spoilers from “Andor” Season 2, Episodes 10-12.

Ever since he was introduced in “Andor” Season 1 as one of the rebellion’s key founders, “Star Wars” fans have wondered what the ultimate fate of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) would be. There was no way, surely, that he could have lived through the events of the Original Trilogy, in which the Rebel Alliance mounts its war against the Galactic Empire, without ever being mentioned or shown.

To “Star Wars” fans, that seeming impossibility meant all along that it was unlikely Luthen would make it to the end of “Andor” alive. Those fans are proven correct in “Andor” Season 2, Episode 10, which says the goodbye to Luthen that both he and viewers long ago accepted was inevitable. The good news? Even when he finds himself completely cornered, Luthen still manages to go out on his own terms in “Andor.”

Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen Rael in “Andor” Season 2 (Des Willie/Lucasfilm)How does Luthen die in “Andor” Season 2?

At the start of “Andor” Season 2, Episode 10, Luthen receives an urgent message from his ISB mole, Lonni Jung (Robert Emms), who informs him on the promise of protection for him and his family that he has discovered by looking through Dedra Meero’s (Denise Gough) personal work files that the Empire’s oft-touted energy program is a lie designed to cover-up the construction of the Death Star. When Luthen learns this, he kills Lonni and makes a plan with his assistant Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau) to destroy all evidence of their rebel operation, escape Coruscant and inform the Rebel Alliance what they’ve learned.

Before Luthen can fully go through with his plan, he is surprised at his antiquities shop by Dedra herself, who interrupts him while he is in the midst of destroying his store’s secret rebel communications console. Dedra reveals that she knows Luthen is Axis, the shadowy rebel figure she has spent so long hunting, and tells him an entire squad of Imperial soldiers are posted outside his shop. She smugly announces her excitement to arrest and interrogate him, but Luthen is not shaken by any of Dedra’s words or threats. While she is still celebrating her victory, he stabs himself with an antique dagger.

Dedra calls in her Imperial backup and has the quickly dying Luthen taken to a Coruscant hospital to be revived and later interrogated. These events, which feel monumental and urgent in the moment, comprise only the first third of “Andor” Season 2, Episode 10. The rest of the episode follows Kleya as she sneaks, Jason Bourne-style into the hospital where Luthen is being held, distracts his Imperial guards with a well-planted explosion and then disconnects his unconscious body from the medical devices keeping him alive.

Elizabeth Dulau and Stellan Skarsgård in “Andor” Season 2, Episode 9 (Lucasfilm)

As Kleya mounts her hospital break-in, “Andor” intermittently travels back to the past to show viewers how she met Luthen for the first time as a young, orphaned girl who snuck onto his ship in the middle of a battle. Disillusioned by the Empire’s war-mongering ways and the role he was forced to play in them as one of its soldiers, Luthen deserted and took Kleya in as his adopted daughter. The two slowly accumulated more power, wealth and influence together, working toward a point where they could begin actually fighting the Empire.

While she was forced to adhere to Luthen’s wishes and facilitate his death, Kleya herself survives the events of “Andor.” With Cassian’s help, she is able to make it off Coruscant and join him and Vel (Faye Marsay) on Yavin. Luthen dies, in a way, victorious — having helped light the spark of revolution and given the rebellion the momentum and strength it needed to be able to take flight on its own. It’s just like he tells Dedra in their final confrontation. “You’re too late. The rebellion isn’t here anymore. It’s flown away.”

“Andor” Seasons 1-2 are streaming now on Disney+.

The post ‘Andor’ Season 2 Finally Answers ‘Star Wars’ Fans’ Biggest Question appeared first on TheWrap.

Menendez Brothers Eligible for Parole After Judge Reduces Life Sentences

Erik and Lyle Menendez are eligible for early release after a judge reduced the brothers’ prison sentences Tuesday from life without parole to 50 years to life.

The brothers, who have spent 35 years behind bars, are now eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law because they were under the age of 26 when they committed their crimes. A California parole board must still decide whether they should be set free before the 50 years is up.

“I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years, that they should get that chance,” Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic said, according to the AP.

More to come …

EARLIER TUESDAY:

The first day of the Erik and Lyle Menendez’s resentencing hearing kicked off Tuesday with cousins, a former judge, and a former inmate testifying that the brothers’ rehabilitation was sufficient for release.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles judge presiding over the trial informed prosecutors that they would need to prove that the brothers – who have served nearly 30 years for the double murder of their parents Jose and Kitty – would still pose a threat if they were released from prison. The defense’s first witness of the day was Ana Maria Baralt, one of the brothers’ cousins.

“We all, on both sides of the family, believe that 35 years is enough,” Baralt said, according to AP. “They are universally forgiven by our family.”

A second cousin named Tamara Goodell also testified that, saying she brought her teenage son to visit them and lauded that they had a chance to do a lot of real good if released from prison.

A former fellow inmate of the brothers, Anerae Brown, cried on the stand recalling how the pair helped his rehabilitation journey while he was also behind bars through something he called “Menendez University.” Those programs helped Brown get released.

“I have children now,” he said. “Without Lyle and Erik I might still be sitting in there doing stupid things.”

Jonathan Colby, a former judge, also commented on the quality of the programs the brothers helmed while in prison. He was especially impressed by the ones that helped aid older and disabled inmates.

“There’s not many prisoners I meet like Erik and Lyle that have such concern for the elderly,” Colby added.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman remained unconvinced after the first day of the trial – which comes after numerous attempts to postpone or bar the hearings from happening. He spoke Tuesday that his office does not believe the brothers were sexually abused by their father – which they’ve argued was the case since the original trial in the ’90s.

“Our position is not ‘no,’ it’s not ‘never,’ it’s ‘not yet,’” Hochman said. “They have not fully accepted responsibility for all their criminal conduct.”

The post Menendez Brothers Eligible for Parole After Judge Reduces Life Sentences appeared first on TheWrap.

Where to Watch ‘Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute’

It’s been just over a decade since the world lost the comedy legend that was Joan Rivers, so to celebrate her life, NBC is releasing “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute.”

The hour-long special will unite several comedians and actors to revisit Rivers’ legendary cabinet of jokes, and add their own spin to them. Plus, they’ll include some original material as well.

“This tribute is everything my mother would have wanted — hilarious, unfiltered and filled with people she respected (and roasted),” Melissa Rivers, Joan Rivers’ daughter, said in a statement. “And as usual, she was still the funniest person in the room. It’s incredibly moving to see so many iconic comedians come together to celebrate her legacy, especially the women whose careers she helped make possible by breaking down so many doors.”

And if you’re wondering how Joan Rivers herself would feel about the special, worry not. For her, it’s long overdue. “It’s about time,” she said in a letter she left for her daughter.

Here’s what you need to know.

What time does it start?

“Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute” airs on Tuesday, May 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Is it live?

No, this special was taped

Can I stream it?

Yes, but not until Wednesday. On May 14, an extended and uncensored version of the special will debut on Peacock.

Who will appear in the special?

The special will feature several comedians and actors, including Rachel Brosnahan, Margaret Cho, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Chelsea Handler, Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Joel McHale, Tracy Morgan, Patton Oswalt, Aubrey Plaza, Sarah Silverman, Melissa Rivers, Jean Smart and Rita Wilson.    

Additional appearances will be part of the extended version streaming on Wednesday, but those have yet to be revealed.

Watch the trailer

The post Where to Watch ‘Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute’ appeared first on TheWrap.

FX Sets Summer Premiere Dates for ‘The Bear’ Season 4, ‘Alien: Earth’

Two of the most anticipated shows of the summer finally have premiere dates. FX announced the release dates for “The Bear” Season 4 and “Alien: Earth” ahead of Disney’s advertiser upfront presentation on Tuesday.

The Emmy-winning comedy from Christopher Storer will return to Hulu on June 25 with all 10 episodes beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and on Disney+ internationally.

Meanwhile, Noah Hawley’s sci-fi spectacle will premiere on Aug. 12 with its first two episodes available to stream on Hulu at 8 p.m. ET, on the FX linear channel at 8 p.m. ET/PT and on Disney+ internationally. A new installment of the 8-episode season will premiere each following Tuesday.

In addition to “The Bear” and “Alien: Earth,” FX revealed that Sterlin Harjo’s “The Lowdown,” starring Ethan Hawke, will premiere Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FX with the first two episodes of the eight-episode season. A new installment will premiere each following Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FX, with episodes available next day on Hulu. It will also come to Disney+ internationally.

Season 4 of “The Bear” follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) pushing forward, determined not only to survive, but also to take The Bear to the next level.

“With new challenges around every corner, the team must adapt, adjust and overcome,” the logline states. “This season, the pursuit of excellence isn’t just about getting better – it’s about deciding what’s worth holding on to.”

In addition to Allen White, Edebiri, and Moss-Barhrach, Season 4 also stars Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas and Matty Matheson, with Oliver Platt and Molly Gordon in recurring roles.

Due to the busy schedules of its stars, Seasons 3 and 4 of “The Bear” were filmed back to back. The third season of the FX comedy premiered in June 2024, Since its premiere in 2022, “The Bear” has emerged as a critical darling and an awards juggernaut. The comedy has won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards to date including a win for Outstanding Comedy Series. Additionally, Storer has won twice for direction, White and Moss-Bachrach have won twice for acting and both Edebiri and Liza Colón-Zayas have won once for acting.

As for “Alien: Earth,” the sci-fi horror series is set two years before the events of Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece “Alien.” In 2120, five corporations govern the Earth — Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold.

In this era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans. But things change when Prodigy’s founder and CEO creates “Wendy,” the first humanoid robot infused with human consciousness, marking a new dawn in the race for immortality. 

“After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides into Prodigy City, “Wendy” and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined,” the show’s description states.

“Alien: Earth” stars Sydney Chandler (“Pistol”), Timothy Olyphant (“Deadwood”), Alex Lawther (“Black Mirror,” “The End of the F***ing World”), Samuel Blenkin (“Black Mirror,” “Atlanta”), Babou Ceesay (“Morrow”), Adrian Edmondson (“Atom Eins”), David Rysdahl (“Arthur Sylvia”), Essie Davis (“Dame Sylvia”), Lily Newmark (“Nibs”), Erana James (“Curly”), Adarsh Gourav (“Slightly”), Jonathan Ajayi (“Smee”), Kit Young (“Tootles”), Diêm Camille (“Siberian”), Moe Bar-El (“Rashidi”) and Sandra Yi Sencindiver (“Yutani”).

In addition to Scott, the series’ executive producers include David W. Zucker, Joseph Iberti, Dana Gonzales and Clayton Krueger.

Meanwhile, “The Lowdown” follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Hawke), a self-proclaimed Tulsa “truthstorian” works in a rarate bookstore tucked in the heart of the city and whose obsession with the truth is always getting him into trouble. 

In addition to Hawke, the series stars Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Raybon’s 14-year-old daughter Francis, a precocious kid who’s inherited his curiosity and longs to join him on his adventures, and Kaniehtiio Horn as his ex Samantha, who is exasperated by his endless digging, but still sees the good in him.

The publication of Lee’s latest exposé — a deep dive into the powerful Washberg family — is immediately followed by the suspicious suicide of Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), the black sheep of the family, prompting him to follow a trail of breadcrumbs left behind. Lee fins that “Betty Jo” (Jeanne Tripplehorn), the grieving widow, seems to be more interested in her brother-in-law “Donald Washberg” (Kyle MacLachlan), a gubernatorial candidate, than in her dearly departed. And powerful forces want to prevent Lee from learning anything more.

He also gains the attention of  amysterious stranger who seems to appear whenever Lee least expects it: Marty (Keith David), who shares his appreciation of great literary minds, and seems unusually interested in his investigation into the Washberg family. 

In addition to Hawke and Harjo, the eight-episode noir is executive produced by Garrett Bash and Ryan Hawke. Harjo also wrote and directed the pilot.

The post FX Sets Summer Premiere Dates for ‘The Bear’ Season 4, ‘Alien: Earth’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Open Letter Calling Out Film Industry ‘Silence’ Over Gaza Signed by 380 People Including Pedro Almodóvar, Mark Ruffalo: ‘We Are Ashamed’

In an open letter signed by 380 people, publication of which was timed for the first day of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, entertainment luminaries from around the world called out that they said is “silence” in the film industry over the situation in Gaza.

Published in French on the website of France’s Libération newspaper, the letter’s signatories include Pedro Almodóvar, Mark Ruffalo, “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder, Javier Bardem, Guy Pearce, Brian Cox, Susan Sarandon, Ralph Feinnes and many more.

“Since the terrible massacres of 7 October 2023, no foreign journalist has been authorised to enter the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army is targeting civilians. More than 200 journalists have been deliberately killed. Writers, film-makers and artists are being brutally murdered,” the letter began.

The letter then cited Fatma Hassona, the subject of a documentary that will premiere at Cannes who was killed in April by an Israeli air strike that hit her home in Gaza. 10 people were killed along with her.

The letter also noted the case of Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker who was beaten and detained by the Israeli military shortly after the 2025 Academy Awards — and who the Academy essentially had to be shamed into supporting publicly.

“We are ashamed of such passivity,” the letter said.

“The far right, fascism, colonialism, anti-trans and anti-LGBTQIA+, sexist, racist, islamophobic and antisemitic movements are waging their battle on the battlefield of ideas, attacking publishing, cinema and universities, and that’s why we have a duty to fight,” the letter later said. “Let’s refuse to let our art be an accomplice to the worst.”

Read the full letter and list of people who signed below:

Fatma Hassona was 25 years old.

She was a Palestinian freelance photojournalist. She was targeted by the Israeli army on 16 April 2025, the day after it was announced that Sepideh Farsi’s film “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk,” in which she was the star, had been selected in the ACID section of the Cannes Film Festival.

She was about to get married.

Ten of her relatives, including her pregnant sister, were killed by the same Israeli strike.

Since the terrible massacres of 7 October 2023, no foreign journalist has been authorised to enter the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army is targeting civilians. More than 200 journalists have been deliberately killed. Writers, film-makers and artists are being brutally murdered.

At the end of March, Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, who won an Oscar for his film “No Other Land,” was brutally attacked by Israeli settlers and then kidnapped by the army, before being released under international pressure. The Oscar Academy’s lack of support for Hamdan Ballal sparked outrage among its own members and it had to publicly apologize for its inaction.

We are ashamed of such passivity.

Why is it that cinema, a breeding ground for socially committed works, seems to be so indifferent to the horror of reality and the oppression suffered by our sisters and brothers?

As artists and cultural players, we cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza and this unspeakable news is hitting our communities hard.

What is the point of our professions if not to draw lessons from history, to make films that are committed, if we are not present to protect oppressed voices?

Why this silence?

The far right, fascism, colonialism, anti-trans and anti-LGBTQIA+, sexist, racist, islamophobic and antisemitic movements are waging their battle on the battlefield of ideas, attacking publishing, cinema and universities, and that’s why we have a duty to fight.

Let’s refuse to let our art be an accomplice to the worst.

Let us rise up.

Let us name reality.

Let us collectively dare to look at it with the precision of our sensitive hearts, so that it can no longer be silenced and covered up.

Let us reject the propaganda that constantly colonizes our imaginations and makes us lose our sense of humanity.

For Fatma, for all those who die in indifference.

Cinema has a duty to carry their messages, to reflect our societies.

Let’s act before it’s too late.

Signatories;

Khalid Abdalla, Noée Abita, Hany Abu-Assad, Raphaëlle Agogué, Iyad Alasttal, Catia Albertazzi, Vlad Alexis, Taraneh Alidoosti, Waad Al-Kateab, Yasmine Al, Massri, Pedro Almodóvar, Pedro Alonso, Cristèle Alves Meira, Serdar Akar, India Amarteifio, Gianni Amelio, Carmine Amoroso, Elisa Amoruso, Romain André, Roberto Andò, Geoff Arbourne, Francesca Archibugi, Tiziana Aristarco, Swann Arlaud, Olivier Azam, Gökçe Bahadir, Jeanne Balibar, Baloji, Avital Barak, Carlos Bardem, Javier Bardem, Melissa Barrera, Belma Baş, Dominique Baumard, Xavier Beauvois, Saïd Ben Saïd, Leïla Bekhti, Luca Bellino, Suzy Bemba, Adila Bendimerad, Kaouther Ben Hania, Dali Benssalah, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Julie Bertuccelli Simone Bitton, Konstantin Bojanov, Bertrand Bonello, Agathe Bonitzer, Amélie Bonnin, Bruno Bontzolakis, Lucie Borleteau, Sami Bouajila, Elodie Bouchez, Bastien Bouillon, Guillaume Brac, Rachida Brakni, Evelyne Brochu, Silvia Brunelli, Jean-Stéphane Bron, Celeste Brunnquell, Gianfranco Cabiddu, Esmeralda Calabria, Laure Calamy, Mimmo Calopresti, Mehmet Can Mertoğlu, Eric Cantona, Stefania Casini, Antonio Maria Castaldo, Marco Castaldi, Sergio Castellitto, Beniamino Catena, Ebru Nuri Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Lolita Chammah, Moïra Chappedelaine-Vautier, Amira Chebli, Nadim Cheikhrouha, Antoine Chevrollier, Simona Chiocca, Julie Christie, Hélier Cisterne, Isabel Coixet, Daniele Coluccini, Maddalena Crippa, David Cronenberg, Costa-Gavras, Saverio Costanzo, Paolo Costella, Pappi Corsicato, Brian Cox, Marcia Cross, Alfonso Cuarón, Liam Cunningham, Sinéad Cusack, Fatima Daas, Cherien Dabis, Béatrice Dalle, Charles Dance, Ciro D’Emilio, Arkin Mercan Dede, Mary Ellen Davis, Slimane Dazi, Yann Dedet, Matthieu de Laborde, Pierre Deladonchamps, Émilie Deleuze, Agnès de Sacy, Volfango De Biasi, Ciro De Caro, Maura Delpero, Maria De Medeiros, Giuliana De Sio, Maria Teresa De Vito, Sylvain Desclous, Lukas Dhont, Juan Diego Botto, Alice Diop, Javad Djavarery, Julie Delpy, Xavier Dolan, Dimitri Doré, Laetitia Dosch, Joana Dos Reis, Mike Downey, OBE., Sara Driver, Luana Duchemin, Sophie Dupuis, Pierre-Nicolas Durand, Virginie Efira, Hannah Einbinder, Sayyid El Alami, Ouidad Elma, Amir El-Masry, Mareike Engelhardt, Víctor Erice, Benedikt Erlingsson, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Roberto Faenza, Frédéric Farrucci, Sepideh Farsi, Nina Faure, Elda Ferri, Margherita Ferri, Isabella Ferrari, Lisa Festa, Ralph Fiennes, Sophie Fiennes, Milena Fiore, Mahdi Fleifel, Michele Fornasero, Marine Francen, Blanche Gardin, Lena Garrel, Carmen Garcia, Jean-Raymond Garcia, Nicole Garcia, Pablo Garcia Canga, Matteo Garrone, Alessandro Gassmann, Nadia Genet, Xavier Gens, Paolo Genovese, Aurélia Georges, Richard Gere, Denis Gheerbrant, Adriano Giannini, Alex Gibney, Raphaël Girardot, Jonathan Glazer, Judith Godrèche, Brice Gravelle, Emmanuel Gras, Zeno Graton, Marco Greco, José Luis Guerín, Diane Guerrero, Samir Guesmi, Vincent Guilbert, Alain Guiraudie, German Gutierrez, Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, Grimur Hákonarson, Rebecca Hall, Arthur Harari, Misan Harriman, Lena Headey, Clotilde Hesme, Hafsia Herzi, Ted Hope, Vanessa Hope, Sandra Huller, Fiorella Infascelli, Mohamed Jabaly, Annemarie Jacir, Alma Jodorowsky, Óskar Jónasson, Elisabeth Jonniaux, Valdimar Jóhannsson, Rachel Leah Jones, Þorsteinn Jónsson, Gladys Joujou, Radu Jude, Ilker Kaleli, Asif Kapadia, Semih Kaplanoğlu, Mathieu Kassovitz, Aki Kaurismäki, Jacques Kébadian, Erwan Kepoa Falé, Yannick Kergoat, Sofian Khammes, Michel Khleifi, Shaka King, Héléna Klotz, Nicolas Klotz, Wilma Labate, Ariane Labed, Mourad Laffitte, Philippe Laïk, Yórgos Lánthimos, Alexis Langlois, Nadav Lapid, Luc Leclerc du Sablon, Erwan Le Duc, Radouan Leflahi, Mike Leigh, Blandine Lenoir, Philippe Lespinasse, Mica Levi, Luigi Lo Cascio, Elisabetta Lodoli, Florence Loiret-Caille, Stefano Lorenzi, Boris Lojkine, Fabiomassimo Lozzi, Daniele Lucchetti, Silvia Luzi, Filippo Macelloni, Guslagie Malanda, David Mambouch, Simone Manetti, Andrea Manni, Miriam Margolyes, Narimane Mari, Vincent Mariette, Félix Maritaud, Laïla Marrakchi, Lucrecia Martel, Mario Martone, Alessandra Masi, Valerio Mastandrea, Patricia Mazuy, Simon McBurney, Mounia Meddour, Sylvestre Meinzer, Fernando Meirelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Nina Menkes, Stéphane Mercurio, Christian Carmosino Mereu, Frédéric Mermoud, Nina Meurisse, Valerio Mieli, Emmanuelle Millet, Davide Minnella, Avi Mograbi, Indya Moore, Mercedes Morán, Laura Morante, Gérard Mordillat, Viggo Mortensen, Anna Mouglalis, Gabriele Muccino, Peter Mullan, Margherita Murolo, Lino Musella, Arab Nasser, Tarzan Nasser, Dalia Naous, Nadine Naous, Raphaël Neal, Enza Negroni, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Cynthia Nixon, Bruno Nuytten, Andrea Occhipinti,Michela Occhipinti, Joshua Oppenheimer, Luis Ortega, Ruben Östlund, Damien Ounouri, Ferzan Ozpetek, Rosa Palasciano, Hlynur Pálmason, Daphné Patakia, Paul Pascot, Raffaele Passerini, Guy Pearce, Elisabeth Perceval, Antonin Peretjatko, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Aurélia Petit, Ralitza Petrova, Just Philippot, Giuseppe Piccioni, Caroline Poggi, Laura Poitras, Claire Pommet (Pomme), Franssou Prenant, Frédérique Pressmann, Vimala Pons, Marco Simon Puccioni, Katell Quillévéré, Olivier Rabourdin, Michèle Ray-Gavras, Annick Redolfi, Christophe Régin, Jérémie Renier, Yannick Renier, Rémy Ricordeau, Michele Riondino, Yannick Rosset, Cecilia Roth, Mark Ruffalo, Rúnar Rúnarsson, Ira Sachs, Zaho de Sagazan, Ludivine Sagnier, Céline Sallette, Claudio Santamaria, Susan Sarandon, Stefano Sardo, Stefania Sandrelli, Aloïse Sauvage, Greta Scarano, Angela Schanelec, Pierre Schoeller, Niels Schneider, Vassili Schneider, Alessandro Scippa, Amanda Seales, Tracey Seaward, Sarah Seené, Guillaume Senez, Léonor Serraille, Alia Shawkat, Mélanie Simon-Franza, Eyal Sivan, Giancarlo Soldi, Paolo Sorrentino, Massimo Spano, Morgan Spector, Laetitia Spigarelli, Italo Spinelli, Juliette Smadja, Robyn Slovo, Roger Stahl, Teona Strugar Mitevska, Laurent Sylvestre, Gianluca Maria Tavarelli,
Natacha Thiéry, Jean-Pierre Thorn, Ásdís Thoroddsen, Léa Todorov, Maria Sole Tognazzi, Melita Toscan du Plantier, Claire Touzard, Justine Triet, Alessandro Trigona, Jasmine Trinca, Carice van Houten, Pamela Varela, Giuseppe Varlotta, Indira Varma, Anjana Vasan, Sophie Verbeeck, Giovanni Veronesi, Paolo Virzì, Cat Villiers, Jonathan Vinel, Nicolas Wadimoff, Harriet Walter, James Wilson, Lambert Wilson, Alex Winter, Benedict Wong, Jessica Woodworth, Arieh Worthalter, Maud Wyler, Mohanad Yaqubi, L. Rezan Yeşilbaş, Sofiane Zermani and Andrea Zuliani

The post Open Letter Calling Out Film Industry ‘Silence’ Over Gaza Signed by 380 People Including Pedro Almodóvar, Mark Ruffalo: ‘We Are Ashamed’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Cannes 2025 Directors Portfolio: Kristen Stewart, Scarlett Johansson and More | Photos

Every year since 2014, we’ve made the directors portfolio the centerpiece of our Cannes magazine. This year is by far our biggest, pushing the total number of filmmakers who’ve appeared in the portfolio past 200. In that time, we’ve photographed Martin Scorsese and Wim Wenders, Bong Joon-ho and Mike Leigh, Pedro Almodóvar and Chloé Zhao — 10 Palme d’Or winners, including the last three in a row, and nine Oscar best director winners.

Every

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Video Game Companies Send ‘Last, Best and Final’ Counteroffer to SAG-AFTRA on AI Protections

The consortium of major video game companies that are signatories to SAG-AFTRA’s Interactive Media Agreement have sent what they called a “last, best and final” counterproposal to the actors’ union.

The offer, viewed by TheWrap, attempts to address the guild’s remaining sticking points on artificial intelligence protections, comes as the video game actors strike approaches its 10th month.

Among the changes included in the new contract offer, the companies have removed a requirement that performers pay back money received for giving their consent to create digital replicas based on their performance if they wish to withhold that consent during a strike. SAG-AFTRA sought language that protected its members’ ability to prevent replicas based on their performance, voice and likeness from being used to undermine a work stoppage.

The new offer also removes the option for companies to pay a performer a buyout sum of at least six times minimum rates in exchange for three years of unlimited digital replica use that could be renewed. SAG-AFTRA told members in a memo sent last week that members whose performances would require unlimited digital replica use would get more pay for each usage, calling buyouts a “purposeful discount to employers.”

SAG-AFTRA previously went on a video game strike in 2016 that lasted for 11 months before being resolved in September 2017. While the strike is affecting video games on a case-by-case basis, the companies that are signatories to the Interactive Media Agreement are Activision, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 , VoiceWorks and WB Games.

The day the strike went into effect in July, Negotiating Committee chair Sarah Elmaleh and Interactive Agreement lead negotiator Ray Rodriguez laid out the guild’s issues, asserting that among other things video game industry counteroffers contained loopholes designed to effectively neutralize any protections.

Among them, according to the guild this included protection of motion capture performances only for actors portraying video game characters that resemble the actor. (Which would exclude the vast majority of motion capture roles). Voice performances would have similarly only been protected if the actor used a voice similar to their own.

SAG-AFTRA also wants to enshrine consent and compensation for performers for any use of their work in any AI models for video games.

Naturally video game companies dispute this, saying at the time the strike was declared that they were “disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations.”

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AMC Theatres to Offer ‘50% Off Wednesdays’ to Loyalty Members Starting in July

Have you held off on going to movie theaters because tickets are too pricey? AMC Theatres hopes they can bring you back with its new “50% Off Wednesdays” program for members of its AMC Stubs loyalty program, which will launch on July 9.

AMC already offers heavily discounted tickets on Tuesdays to Stubs members and will now add a 50% discount to the base price of adult tickets. Additional charges for Imax, Dolby and other premium formats will still apply, but the 50% discount will still apply to the base price as well for Wednesday screenings.

“While certain movies and holiday time periods may be excluded from the
‘50% Off Wednesdays’ program, it is envisioned that if successful, this new AMC pricing initiative will be almost universally available at all AMC Theatres in the United States going forward,” the company said in its announcement.

CEO Adam Aron said that AMC feels confident that it can now offer two days of discounted tickets following the strong box office performance of the past month, driven by a trio of hit films in “A Minecraft Movie,” “Sinners” and “Thunderbolts*.” With major films coming out almost every weekend this summer, Aron believes there will be enough sustained audience turnout to allow them to increase its midweek discount offerings.

“The introduction of Discount Tuesdays several years ago has turned Tuesday into
one of the best attended days of the week, in part because there is a segment of the moviegoing audience who looks first for a great value in their moviegoing,” he said. “With the introduction by AMC of 50% off Wednesdays, we’re looking to turn Wednesday into a similarly strong-attendance day for moviegoers at our theatres.”

The addition of Discount Wednesdays to the nation’s largest theater chain is the latest example of movie theaters pushing to answer the biggest complaints leveled by the public at their business in an effort to bring them back not just for the biggest blockbusters but for lower-budget films that have largely struggled at the box office since the pandemic, which led to major changes in the public’s viewing habits when it comes to home platforms vs. theaters.

While AMC and other chains have committed more than $2 billion to renovating theaters across the nation, ticket pricing has been an issue that has largely been discussed behind closed doors. Aron has repeatedly said on earnings calls that he would not answer questions about ticket prices as he did not want other chains to be aware of AMC’s plans regarding prices until they were ready to implement them.

But at CinemaCon this past year, Paramount domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson called on all theater chains to offer more midweek discount days to help improve attendance and to encourage infrequent moviegoers to take a chance on films they might otherwise wait until streaming for because of the price point.

“We have to offer a premium moviegoing experience, not just charge premium prices,” he said. “Discount Tuesdays. Everybody does them. But why not Discount Wednesdays? Unless you’re already at full capacity.”

While AMC has not disclosed whether special rules will apply for in-demand new releases, the Wednesday discounts will be introduced ahead of several major summer titles, including Warner Bros.’ “Superman,” Disney/Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic 4: First Steps,” and Universal/DreamWorks’ “The Bad Guys 2.”

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‘Legally Blonde’ Prequel ‘Elle’ Sets Summer 2026 Premiere Date at Prime Video

Prime Video’s “Legally Blonde” prequel series has set a 2026 premiere date.

“Elle,” which stars Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods, will debut next summer on Prime Video, Minetree announced during Amazon’s annual upfront presentation on Monday.

Reese Witherspoon, who executive produces “Elle,” also popped in virtually to Amazon’s upfronts to share a production update on the new series, which Witherspoon said is officially two episodes into its production.

“I so loved seeing all of you at the upfronts last year and telling you about our new show, ‘Elle,’ where we go back to high school in the ’90s with Elle Woods,” Witherspoon said. “When I was talking about this last year with you, it was just a dream, and now is a dream come true, because the teams in Hello Sunshine and Prime Video have been working so hard since I last saw you.”

“I am excited to report that we are in production, and not only in production, we are two episodes in,” Witherspoon continued. “I was on set last week, and I got to see the whole cast and everybody who’s worked so hard to make this dream come true.”

The new series follows “Elle Woods in high school as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first ‘Legally Blonde’ film,” per the official logline.

In addition to Minetree, who submitted her audition as part of a national casting call, “Elle” rounds out its cast with June Diane Raphael, Tom Everett Scott, Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, Chandler Kinney, Zac Looker, Jessica Belkin, Logan Shroyer and Amy Pietz, among others.

Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine produces “Elle” alongside Amazon MGM Studios, with Laura Kittrell (“High School,” “Insecure”), who created “Elle,” serving as co-showrunner and executive producer alongside Caroline Dries. Additional EPs include Lauren Neustadter, Lauren Kisilevsky and Marc Platt.

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Michelle Pfeiffer Gets Caught in Christmas Shenanigans in First Teaser for Prime Video’s ‘Oh. What. Fun.’

Prime Video shared the first look at Michelle Pfeiffer’s holiday comedy “‘Oh. What. Fun.’” during Monday’s upfront presentation, showing all kinds of holiday shenanigans.

Along with Pfeiffer the film boasts an impressive cast including Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary, Dominic Sessa, Danielle Brooks, Devery Jacobs, Havana Rose Liu, Maude Apatow, Jason Schwartzman, Eva Longoria and Joan Chen.

The movie is directed by Michael Showalter and is based on the story of the same name by Chandler Baker. Showalter and Baker wrote the screenplay. The film will release Dec. 3 on Prime Video.

Watch the teaser here:

“Claire Clauster (Pfeiffer) is the glue that holds her chaotic, lovable family together every holiday season,” the film’s official logline reads. “From perfectly frosted cookies to meticulously wrapped gifts, no one decks the halls quite like Claire. But this year, as her grown kids and distracted husband get swept up in their own seasonal dramas, they make one crucial mistake: they forget their mom. By the time they realize she’s missing, Claire’s already set off on a festive adventure of her own – one that doesn’t involve cooking, cleaning, or coordinating anyone else’s chaos. As her family scrambles to find her and salvage their Christmas, Claire rediscovers what the holidays mean when you’re finally free to put yourself first.”

The zany Christmas comedy is produced by Jane Rosenthal, Berry Welsh p.g.a., Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick p.g.a. and Kate Churchill p.g.a.

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