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| Danny Boyle's 'Ink' to open Venice Film Festival | Oscar-winning Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire filmmaker Danny Boyle's Ink is set to open the next Venice Film Festival. Starring Jack O'Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy, the newspaper drama will have its world premiere at the high-profile event in Italy on Sept. 2. "I've been to the Biennale many times, but this is my debut at the Venice Film Festival: it's an immense honor to be in a city so rich in art and to open this great festival with my new film, Ink," Boyle said in a statement Thursday. "1969, the year we first landed on the moon, is the year Rupert Murdoch and Larry Lamb launched a newspaper destined to change the world even more. |
| James Purefoy, Colin O'Donoghue join 'Robin Hood' S2 | James Purefoy, Colin O'Donoghue and Luke Roberts have joined the ensemble for Season 2 of MGM+'s adventure drama, Robin Hood. "Season 2 expands the world of Robin Hood, as the arrival of King Henry, Prince Richard and the ambitious Amaury D'Montfort reshapes the political landscape, forcing Rob and his allies to navigate shifting loyalties, royal power struggles and dangerous new threats," the streaming service said in a press release Thursday. Production on the new episodes is now underway in Serbia. The show stars Jack Patten as the titular hero and Sean Bean as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Connie Nielsen and Tom Mison co-star. |
| Agent says 'Jurassic Park' icon Sam Neill died of pneumonia | Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders icon Sam Neill's official cause of death is pneumonia, his agent said in a statement. "Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy," Philip Grenz said Thursday. "I'd like to thank those who were truly close to Sam for considering his privacy with the respect he earned and his loved ones need and deserve during this immeasurably difficult time." Grenz also said Neill filmed four new projects before he died Monday at the age of 78. Those films will be released in the coming months. |
| Celebrity couples step out at the 2026 ESPY Awards | Celebrity couples walked the red carpet at the 2026 ESPY Awards. NBA star Jalen Brunson and his wife, physical therapist Ali Marks, NFL star Myles Garrett and his girlfriend, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, and MLB star Justin Verlander and his wife, model Kate Upton, attended the ceremony Wednesday in New York. The ESPYs is an annual awards show recognizing athletes and sports achievements. Comedian Marcello Hernndez hosted this year's event, where Garrett, a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams, won Best NFL Player and Best Record-Breaking Performance. |
| 'Descendants 5' duet 'long overdue' for Rita Ora, Brandy Norwood | Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, on Disney Channel Thursday at 8 p.m. EDT and Friday on Disney+, fulfilled Rita Ora and Brandy Norwood's dreams of a duet together. They sing "The Girl I Used to Be" together. The Descendants series is about the children of famous Disney villains. Ora, 35, plays the Queen of Hearts and Norwood, 47, plays Cinderella, whose daughters lead the latest musical adventure. In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, the recording artists said they had wanted to sing together since they joined the franchise in Descendants: The Rise of Red. "I want to be that girl again, just keep singing with Rita," Norwood said. Ora said she met Norwood early in her recording career, in which Norwood has been established since the '90s. |