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Bitcoin ‘Q-Day’ Draws Nearer as Quantum Researcher Breaks Simplified Key
In brief

Project Eleven awarded 1 Bitcoin to researcher Giancarlo Lelli for cracking a 15-bit elliptic curve key using public quantum hardware.

The demonstration is the largest public quantum attack on elliptic curve cryptography to date, though far from Bitcoin’s 256-bit keys.

Project Eleven CEO Alex Pruden said AI and improved hardware could accelerate the timeline toward “Q-Day.”
A researcher has used a publicly accessible quantum computer to crack a vastly simplified version of a Bitcoin-style cryptographic key, marking the largest public demonstration yet of a quantum attack on elliptic curve cryptography.

Project Eleven said Friday it awarded its 1 Bitcoin “Q-Day Prize” bounty—currently worth nearly $78,000—to Italian researcher Giancarlo Lelli for breaking a 15-bit elliptic curve cryptography key using a variant of Shor’s algorithm.

Elliptic curve cryptography underpins the digital signature schemes used by Bitcoin, Ethereum, and many other blockchains. The 15-bit key in this demonstration is far smaller than the 256-bit cryptography securing real Bitcoin wallets, but it’s another step towards the day when quantum computers pose a threat to hundreds of billions of dollars in cryptocurrency.

“We’re still far, objectively, from the point at which you could actually break Bitcoin,” Project Eleven CEO Alex Pruden told Decrypt. “But how long will it take to close that gap, and will we know the closer we get? I don’t know that we will.”

Project Eleven Awards 1 BTC Q-Day Prize for Largest Quantum Attack on Elliptic Curve Cryptography to Date

Researcher breaks 15-bit ECC key on publicly accessible quantum hardware in a 512x jump from the previous public demonstration.

Project Eleven today awarded the Q-Day…

— Project Eleven (@projecteleven) April 24, 2026

Launched in 2025 and named after the hypothetical date a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could break modern cryptography, the Q-Day Prize was designed to test whether publicly available quantum systems could move beyond one of the field’s most common criticisms: that current machines have only demonstrated trivial calculations, such as factoring the number 21 into 3 and 7. Lelli’s result expanded that capability to a 15-bit elliptic curve problem with 32,767 possible values.

“The news here is that there is progress being made,” Pruden said. “It’s not the case that nothing has happened in quantum, and this is proof of that.”

The winning attack used a machine with about 70 qubits—quantum bits that can exist in multiple states at once, unlike the binary bits used in traditional computers—and ran in minutes once developed, according to Pruden. He said the submission was reviewed by a panel of quantum researchers from academia and industry, including researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and quantum software company qBraid.

The announcement comes as major quantum firms and research institutions publish increasingly aggressive hardware roadmaps and nearer estimates for breaking modern cryptography.

In March, Google publicly set a 2029 deadline to transition its systems to post-quantum cryptography, citing advances in quantum hardware, error correction, and shrinking estimates for breaking current encryption. Google itself is one of the major firms building quantum computers and pushing the technology.

Around the same time, a Google research paper estimated that breaking Bitcoin could require fewer than 500,000 physical qubits, while a separate paper from Caltech and Oratomic estimated that number at 10,000 to 20,000 qubits using a neutral-atom architecture.

“Our own prediction for Q-Day is 2029 in the worst case,” Pruden said. “I think that’s because you really can’t know with certainty how clever people are and how quickly these technological breakthroughs happen.”

When that breakthrough happens, Project Eleven said roughly 6.9 million Bitcoin are sitting in wallets with public keys visible on-chain that could become vulnerable if large-scale quantum computers emerge.

However, not everyone agrees that the threat is imminent. Some researchers and investors say the risk is real but still years away and should be treated as a long-term engineering challenge rather than an existential crisis.

Bitcoin developers are currently weighing multiple proposals to address the threat. BIP-360 would introduce a quantum-resistant transaction format, while BIP-361 would phase out older signature schemes and eventually freeze coins that fail to migrate. Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation has formed a post-quantum security team, and co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined a roadmap to replace vulnerable parts of Ethereum’s cryptography.

In addition to advances in quantum computing, Pruden also pointed to advances in artificial intelligence, saying that the technology could push that Q-Day timeline closer by improving quantum error correction or helping attackers identify weaker cryptographic targets.

“A key part of quantum computing at scale is error correction,” Pruden said. “AI can help make that process way more efficient.”

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April 24, 2026
‘Wuthering Heights’ Sets HBO Max Release Date

Warner Bros.’ adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, “Wuthering Heights,” will stream on HBO Max beginning May 1.

The film makes its debut on HBO linear on May 2 at 8 p.m. ET. An American Sign Language version will also stream exclusively on HBO Max, performed by ASL Dubbers Leila Hanaumi (“Barbie with ASL”) and Giovanni Maucere (“Superman with ASL”), and directed by Justin Jackerson (“It: Welcome to Derry with ASL”). It marks the first romance title available to stream in ASL on HBO Max with two dubbers.

Directed by Emerald Fennell, fresh off the provocative hit “Saltburn,” the R-rated drama stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, the tortured lovers at the heart of Brontë’s story. Fennell’s version amplifies the novel’s long-understated erotic and psychological tension, turning the Yorkshire moors into a dark, operatic playground for desire, power and revenge.

Supporting cast members include Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton, Martin Clunes as Mr. Earnshaw, Charlotte Mellington as young Catherine, Owen Cooper as young Heathcliff, Hong Chau as housekeeper Nelly and Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton. The film marked the first time Robbie starred in one of Fennell’s film, after she executive produced “Promising Young Woman” and “Saltburn.” Up next, Elordi stars in the long-awaited “Euphoria” Season 3, also streaming on HBO Max. He also received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his role as the monster in “Frankenstein.”

“Wuthering Heights” has grossed $241 million worldwide, including about $84 million domestically and $157 million internationally, against an $80 million production budget.

Critics had mixed feelings about Fennell’s bold reinterpretation. In Variety’s review, the film was described as “a carnal reinvention,” amplifying the unspoken desire that has gone largely unexpressed in previous adaptations, while audiences responded to the chemistry between Robbie and Elordi.

April 24, 2026
‘From Dawn to Dawn,’ ‘Alea Jacarandas’ Top 57th Edition of Visions du Réel

Visions du Réel closed its 57th edition Friday with a prize list that leaned firmly toward intimate, formally adventurous nonfiction, as Xisi Sofia Ye Chen’s “From Dawn to Dawn” took the Grand Jury Prize in the International Feature Film Competition.

Centered on the filmmaker’s brother, a Chinese gangster living in Spain, the debut feature offers a rare immersion into a world more frequently explored through fiction than documentary. Told through first-person narration and stylized imagery, the film charts his attempts to reconcile a criminal past with family obligations and shifting moral ground.

The top prize carries a cash award of CHF 20,000 ($22,000).vThe jury, made up of Marrakech Film Festival chief Rémi Bonhomme and filmmakers Lina Soualem and Brett Story, celebrated “an astonishing self assured debut. A moving, intimate and complex portrait of the impacts of exile and the struggle to reclaim one’s life. Using poetic personal narration and evocative, at times dream-like cinematography, the film unfolds in layers at once revealing and deepening the question of how migration, economic survival and trauma impact family relations.”

The jury handed out its Special Prize to Marlene Edoyan’s “A Fire There,” which examines the friendship between three young men navigating an unstable political environment in Georgia. Boubacar Sangaré’s “Djeliya, mémoire du Mandé” received a Special Mention.

Across the awards, several titles drew on personal archives or close family circles to address wider political realities. A case in point is Audience Award winner “Birds of War,” by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, which delves into more than a decade of personal archives belonging to a Lebanese journalist living in London and a Syrian cameraman. The award comes with CHF 10,000 ($11,000) in prize money.

In the Burning Lights Competition, the top prize went to Hassen Ferhani’s “Alea Jacarandas” a film built around memory and transmission, where grief and inheritance are explored through recurring visual motifs – the titular jacaranda blossoms. It comes with a cash prize of CHF 10,000 ($11,000).

The jury, made up of filmmaker Ali Asgari, editor Liyo Gong and programmer-critic Antoine Thirion, praised the winning film as “a work that, on the surface, explores transmission, but beneath, opens onto deeper currents. It teaches us how to look – toward beauty, and toward the dream of beauty hovering over the violence of history and the distances between beings.”

“Baby Jackfruit Baby Guava,” Nông Nhât Quang’s debut feature about a mother, daughter and son who travel back in time to mend ruptured family ties, was awarded the Special Jury Prize, worth CHF 5,000 ( $5,500).

The National Competition jury also rewarded films rooted in family relationships. Lauren Dällenbach’s “Nicole Nicole” won the top prize (CHF 15,000 / $16,500) for its portrayal of a co-dependent relationship between an aunt and a grandmother, balancing humor and fragility while examining isolation and the fear of living alone.

Sophie Schrago’s “What Comes From Sitting in Silence?” received the Special Jury Prize for its focus on women confronting political and social pressure.

Among additional awards, Emma Bofanccuso’s debut feature “Saudades Eternas” won the FIPRESCI Prize, Elsa Amiel’s “Dentro” took the Interreligious Award, and José Luis Guérin’s “Good Valley Stories” received the Perception Change Award.

Artistic director Emilie Bujès said the prize list reflects the festival’s identity as a space for films that “break down the barriers of conventional documentary cinema, offering audiences the chance to shift their perspective,” pointing to a selection that moves between contrasting states – “joy and terror, darkness and beauty, confinement and freedom” – while continuing to attract a loyal audience and expanding its reach among younger viewers.

Running April 17-26, the festival continues through Sunday with screenings of award-winning titles, while its online program remains available until May 4.

“Alea Jacarandas” by Hassen Ferhani

Find all the awards for Visions du Réel 2026 here:

International Feature Film Competition
Grand Jury Prize
“From Dawn to Dawn” by Xisi Sofia Ye Chen
Special Jury Prize
“A Fire There” by Marlene Edoyan
Special Mention
“Djeliya, mémoire du Mandé” by Boubacar Sangaré

Burning Lights Competition
Jury Prize
“Alea Jacarandas” by Hassen Ferhani
Special Jury Prize
“Baby Jackfruit Baby Guava” by Nông Nhât Quang
Special Mentions
“The Case Against Space” by Graeme Arnfield
“Illusion of Quiet Night” by Olga Chernyk

National Competition
Jury Prize
“Nicole Nicole” by Lauren Dällenbach
Special Jury Prize
“What Comes From Sitting in Silence?” by Sophie Schrago
Special Mention
“Der Runde Tisch” by Juliette Menthonnex & Benjamin Bucher

International Medium Length & Short Film Competition
Best Medium-Length Film
“Ici, ailleurs” by Comes Chahbazian
Best Short Film
“Visite guidée” by Alba Jaramillo
Youth Jury Award (Medium-Length)
“The Building Site” by Tiziano Locci & Tito Puglielli
Special Mentions
“Memories of a Window” by Amin Pakparvar & Mehraneh Salimian
“Sawyer Avenue, Sunday Afternoon” by Bill Morrison

Wide Angle
Audience Award
“Birds of War” by Janay Boulos & Abd Alkader Habak
International Critics’ Award – FIPRESCI Award
“Saudades Eternas” by Emma Bofanccuso
Interreligious Award
“Dentro” by Elsa Amiel
Perception Change Award
“Good Valley Stories” by José Luis Guérin

April 24, 2026
Ripple CTO David Schwartz addresses XRP rumors of hidden government agenda

Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has pushed back against long-running speculation in the $XRP community that the crypto asset is part of a secret government master plan or undisclosed central bank deals.

In a live audio broadcast on X, Schwartz, one of the original architects of the $XRP Ledger, said he has a good understanding of what’s happening at Ripple and some visibility into the XRPL Foundation, though not across the entire ecosystem.

Based on that, he said he is unaware of any conspiracy, long-running hidden strategy, or government-linked agenda tied to $XRP.

“As far as I know, there’s no conspiracy, there’s no secret plan. There’s no, you know, the government’s about some big thing having to do with $XRP. There’s nothing like that that I know of anyway,” Schwartz affirmed.

The former technology officer explained that while Ripple maintains lots of non-disclosure agreements with partners, they are standard practice and not tied to anything “earth-shattering.”

He said most of the time “what you see is what you get,” and rumors from unofficial sources are usually either false or become public shortly after.

“If your involvement or investment is based on the belief that there’s some big secret going on, that’s going to, I think you probably are, are far forward,” Schwartz said.

In a separate response to a community member challenging his claim, Schwartz said conspiracy theories suggesting imminent breakthroughs or large-scale government moves are almost always incorrect. He warned that relying on them for investment decisions risks self-deception.

No, I’m saying there are lots of secrets. Many of Ripple’s partners insist on NDAs to keep their business secret. I’m saying the conspiracy theories that constantly claim something big is about to happen or that the government is going to do something massive are almost always…

— David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) April 23, 2026

Few assets in crypto have attracted as much speculative hype as $XRP. For years, enthusiasts have promoted theories that the coin and its backers are part of a covert effort to overhaul the global financial system.

That may not be completely wrong. Ripple is part of an industry that has spent the better part of a decade embedding itself in the infrastructure of global finance.

If there is a single moment that turbocharged $XRP speculation, it was President Donald Trump’s announcement shortly after his inauguration that $XRP would be included in a US crypto reserve alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Cardano.

Ultimately, only Bitcoin earned a place in the national strategic reserve. Altcoins were routed instead to a crypto stockpile, where assets are held rather than actively accumulated.

Away from the speculation, Ripple has been building. The company has deepened its ties with some of the world’s largest banks, payment networks and financial institutions, such as Deutsche Bank, Mastercard, Gemini, Société Générale, and WebBank.

It is also working with at least three central banks, in Bhutan, Palau, and Georgia, on digital currency pilot programs.

April 24, 2026
Singapore police arrest alleged The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender leaker

People aren’t thrilled with Paramount these days. After all, corporate consolidation and the transformation of CBS News into state media tend to do that. But here’s someone who may not have chosen the… wisest form of protest. The Straits Times reports (via Gizmodo) that Singapore police have arrested a 26-year-old man for leaking Paramount’s The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.

The film, part of the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, was initially scheduled for a theatrical release. But after two delays, it was later moved to Paramount+, where it’s set to debut later this year. Naturally, hardcore fans of the franchise bristled at the prospect of the highly anticipated entry skipping theaters. Paramount’s scant marketing apparently didn’t help either.

However, many have already seen the movie, allegedly thanks to the unnamed 26-year-old in question. Singapore police said he gained remote access to a server and downloaded the film. He then posted parts of it online. After the leak, Paramount changed the movie’s name to Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender — perhaps to try to prevent casual fans’ searches from turning up info about the leak.

The man is being investigated for unauthorized access to computer material. He could face a maximum of seven years in prison, a fine of up to $50,000, or both.

Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter interviewed the X account holder @ImStillDissin, who posted the clips. (Although we can speculate that this may be the man currently in custody, that’s unconfirmed.) The interview revealed a rather, shall we say, blasé approach to the incident. He said he figured posting clips from the movie was no biggie since the film is a streaming-only release. “I saw it’s just a Paramount+ thing, so I decided I’d troll a little bit,” the leaker said.

The leaked clips spread rapidly. Despite pleas from 4Chan posters to share the entire film, @ImStillDissin resisted. However, someone else shared the full movie by April 13. Naturally, that file has since circulated far and wide.

So, good luck with that official October 9 streaming release, Paramount. You’re gonna need it.

April 24, 2026
US links Tether’s $344M crypto freeze to Iran in sanctions push

The Trump administration froze $344 million in crypto assets allegedly linked to Iran, escalating financial pressure on Tehran as diplomatic efforts around the war remain fragile, CNN reported Friday.

The report builds on Tether’s disclosure Thursday that it supported the US government in freezing $344 million in $USDT across two addresses after several US authorities shared information about activity tied to unlawful conduct. Tether said the freeze was carried out in coordination with OFAC and US law enforcement, preventing further movement of the funds.

A US official told CNN that the government had information connecting the crypto to Iran, including transactions with Iranian exchanges and intermediary wallets that allegedly interacted with Central Bank of Iran associated wallets. CNN said it had not independently corroborated that the Tether accounts were linked to Iran.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that the agency was sanctioning multiple wallets tied to Iran, adding that the US would target financial lifelines connected to the regime.

The freeze highlights Washington’s growing focus on stablecoins as a tool in sanctions enforcement. Tether has previously said it can freeze tokens in response to law enforcement requests, while Reuters reported in February that the company had frozen $4.2 billion in $USDT tied to crime related activity.

Iran’s crypto activity has already drawn scrutiny from US officials and blockchain analytics firms, with investigators examining whether Iranian officials and sanctioned entities were using crypto platforms to evade restrictions. Firms including TRM Labs and Chainalysis have estimated that Iran related crypto flows reached billions of dollars in 2025.

The case also comes as stablecoin issuers face renewed pressure over their role in stopping illicit finance. Tether said it has supported more than 2,300 cases globally across 340 agencies in 65 countries, while regulators have warned that stablecoins remain a key channel for sanctions evasion and money laundering.

April 24, 2026
‘Bob’s Burgers’ on Sling TV: How to Watch the Return of Season 16 Online
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

After a four-month hiatus, Bob’s Burgers returns to finish out the rest of season 16. The animated series return from a mid-season break with episode 11, “The Keyboard Kid,” as the original voice cast coming back to close out the season, including H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Kristen Schaal, Larry Murphy and Eugene Mirman, who is recovering from injuries suffered from a car crash earlier in April.

With the return of Bob’s Burgers, there’s only five episodes left in the season with the season finale, “Stuck in the Middle with Hu(go),” airing on Sunday, May 17.

Want to watch online? Fans can catch Bob’s Burgers on FOX with Sling TV.

At a glance: Watch Bob’s Burgers online
When: Sunday, Apr. 26, at 9:30 p.m. PT/ET

TV channel: FOX

Stream online: Sling TV
Keep reading to find out when and where to stream Bob’s Burgers online without cable.

How to Stream Bob’s Burgers With Sling TV

Bob’s Burgers airs on Sunday, Apr. 26 starting at 9:30 p.m. PT/ET. The animated series broadcasts on FOX.

Sling Blue is one of the best streaming options with the service’s low monthly price and selection of channels that includes FOX.

Starting at $45.99 per month, you can watch Bob’s Burgers on FOX with Sling’s Blue plan. The streamer carries more than 40 other channels, including ABC and NBC (all in some markets), as well as Discovery Channel, National Geographic, FOX Sports, FOX News, FX, Bravo, SYFY, USA Network, TLC, A&E, AMC, BBC America, BET, CNN, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, E!, Food Network, Fuse, HGTV, History Channel, IFC, Lifetime, MS NOW, NFL Network, Nick Jr., QVC, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Vice and other networks.

Meanwhile, you can get the most out of the cable alternative with the Sling Orange + Blue plan, which starts at $60.99 per month, and includes over 50 channels from individual Sling Blue and Sling Orange packages — such as ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Disney Channel, Freeform and more.

Starting at 9:30 p.m. PT/ET on Sunday, Apr. 26, Bob’s Burgers airs on FOX with Sling TV.

Please note: Pricing and channel availability depends on your local TV market. Learn more about Sling TV here.
April 24, 2026
Trump administration to prioritise seeking death penalty, use firing squads

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to expand the use of the federal death penalty, including through the deployment of firing squads.

The announcement on Friday was part of a policy document issued by the Department of Justice, setting out the legal argument for various methods of execution.

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It touted steps for “restoring and strengthening” the death penalty as integral to the pursuit of justice.

“The Department of Justice acted to restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences – clearing the way for the Department to carry out executions once death-sentenced inmates have exhausted their appeals,” the Justice Department said in a news release.

While the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution outlaws “cruel and unusual punishments”, the Justice Department maintains that execution by gunfire, electrocution and lethal gas are all legally acceptable.

The policy document also takes aim at Trump’s predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, for implementing a moratorium on the federal executions.

“The federal death penalty has been rendered a dead letter, effectively transforming sub silentio each death sentence into a life sentence,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in a statement.

“This changed when Donald Trump became President.”

Trump has long been an advocate for increasing the use of the death penalty, even before his presidency.

In 1989, for instance, he took out full-page advertisements after the brutal rape of a jogger in Central Park, calling to “bring back the death penalty”. The five teenagers who were arrested and convicted in the case were ultimately exonerated using DNA evidence.

More recently, in November of last year, Trump accused a group of Democratic lawmakers – all veterans of the armed services or the US intelligence community – of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH”. They had published a video online encouraging military members to refuse illegal orders.

In Friday’s policy document, the administration explained that it will return to using the drug pentobarbital for lethal injections, as it had during Trump’s first term.

It also dismissed a government assessment expressing uncertainty about whether pentobarbital, a neural depressant, “causes unnecessary pain and suffering” during executions.

The Biden administration, it added, “got the science wrong” in stopping use of the drug.

The report also calls on the Federal Bureau of Prisons to consider expanding the federal death row and constructing an additional facility “to permit additional manners of execution”.

Those techniques, it explains, could include the use of a firing squad, a rare form of execution in the modern-day US.

Currently, only five states allow firing squads for executions: Idaho, South Carolina, Utah, Mississippi and Oklahoma. But the pace of such executions is picking up.

Last year, South Carolina authorised at least three people to die by gunfire, the first such executions in 15 years. Idaho, meanwhile, passed a bill to make firing squads a primary method of execution.

While capital punishment is legal in the US, its use is highly controversial.

Last year, for instance, the autopsy of one of the men killed by firing squad suggests none of the bullets struck his heart, prolonging his death.

Critics of the policy also warn that capital punishment is disproportionately meted out against minorities and the underprivileged. They also note the rate of wrongful convictions in death penalty cases, arguing that once the sentence is administered, there is no going back.

The Death Penalty Information Center, an advocacy group, estimates that at least 202 people in the US have been exonerated since 1973 after receiving death sentences.

The Trump administration, however, has argued that capital punishment is a necessary penalty for severe crimes, and it described Friday’s steps to expand its use as a salve for grieving families.

“These steps are critical to deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones,” the Justice Department said.

Approximately 55 countries permit capital punishment, though there has been a trend towards ending the practice.

Roughly 141 countries have abolished the death penalty, including all but one European nation – Belarus – as well as the US’s neighbours, Mexico and Canada.

US policy, meanwhile, has swung between different extremes. In 2020, the first Trump administration executed the first federal prisoner in nearly 17 years, ending an informal moratorium on the practice.

In the final months of his first term, Trump would oversee a total of 13 executions.

But Biden had pledged on the campaign trail to end federal executions, and when he took office in January 2021, his administration announced a moratorium on the practice.

In December 2024, during the waning days of his presidency, Biden also commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on the federal government’s death row to life imprisonment.

In Friday’s statement, Blanche pledged that the Trump White House would seek to reverse Biden’s move.

“Justice had been thwarted,” Blanche said of the commutations. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice will do everything in its power to reverse these failures and restore justice.”

April 24, 2026
‘Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour’ Concert Film to Premiere at Westwood’s Historic Village Theatre Ahead of Renovations

Paramount Pictures is teaming up with Westwood Village’s historic Village Theatre for the premiere of “Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)” on May 6.

James Cameron and Billie Eilish co-directed the concert film that was captured during Eilish’s sold-out world tour. It opens in theaters on May 8.

Jason Reitman and the Village Directors Circle purchased the theater in 2024. In partnership with the American Cinematheque, they will present a limited number of premieres and screenings this summer. The theater will then undergo a one-year renovation and restoration starting in the fall.

Cameron said in a statement, “I have known the Village Theatre in Westwood as an iconic picture palace since before I started directing, back in the Cretaceous. It is moving, to me, to know that Billie and I are premiering our new film, in 2026, at a theater that has so much meaning to L.A.’s cinematic history. It’s also uplifting that friends of the Village Theatre have banded together to protect and preserve it, in an age when our dream of cinema itself is at risk.”

“Premiering this movie at the legendary Village Theatre in my hometown is a dream for me,” said Eilish.

The theater’s projection booth has been refurbished by Dolby for the premiere to ensure the one-night event is presented “at the highest technical standard, including immersive 3D,” according to Paramount.

“We believe deeply in the theatrical experience for generations to come,” said Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, Co‑Chairs of Paramount Pictures. “Before the Village Theatre begins its next chapter, it felt especially meaningful to open its doors for legendary filmmaker James Cameron and Billie Eilish, a cultural icon and L.A. native.”

Reitman said, “James Cameron, Billie Eilish and Paramount could have chosen any theater in L.A. to debut their groundbreaking concert film. We’re thrilled that they picked the Westwood Village. The restoration of the Village Theatre wouldn’t be possible without the support of our brilliant directors and deep community, including L.A.’s own Billie Eilish!”

Built in 1930, the Village Theatre has hosted hundreds of premieres over the past 90-plus years.

April 24, 2026
Where is Michael Jackson’s Chimpanzee Bubbles Now? Inside His ‘Peaceful’ Life and Why Filmmakers Used a CGI Chimp in ‘Michael’

Michael Jackson’s love of animals takes center stage in the new biopic “Michael.”

Featured in the movie are several of Jackson’s pets that he owned when he still lived at his family estate in Encino, Calif., including a llama, giraffe and a python as well as the most famous of them all, his chimpanzee Bubbles.

The film introduces Bubbles when he is first delivered to Michael (Jaafar Jackson) as his family looks on in horror. His mother, Katherine (Nia Long), questions her son’s choice, asking him if he realizes that chimpanzees are “wild animals” that don’t belong in a house in the suburban San Fernando Valley.

Instead of using a real chimp, director Antoine Fuqua used CGI to portray Bubbles, as he also did with the llama, giraffe and python.

“We have had continuing constructive dialogue with PETA about the portrayal of Bubbles the chimpanzee as a pet,” Lionsgate said in an exclusive statement released through PETA. “This portrayal is simply based on historical fact and is not intended to be an endorsement of keeping chimpanzees as pets. Bubbles is portrayed in the movie using CGI technology and the real Bubbles has been living a peaceful life at the Center for Great Apes sanctuary for more than 20 years.”

Jackson rescued Bubbles in the 1980s from a research facility in Texas. The King of Pop brought Bubbles on tour and the chimp was even his plus-one at his lawyer John Branca’s wedding. He and Bubbles sipped tea together while visiting government officials in Japan in 1987.

Jackson then moved Bubbles to his Neverland Ranch, where he slept in a crib in Jackson’s bedroom. When he became bigger and more aggressive, Bubbles was sent to an animal trainer for a couple of years. Now 43 years old, Bubbles has lived at the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary in Wauchula, Fla., since 2005.

“So much more is known today about what chimpanzees and monkeys need to thrive, including freedom and the companionship of their peers, making film sets and human homes unacceptable for their wellbeing,” said PETA’s director of animals in film and television Lauren Thomasson. “PETA praises Lionsgate’s decision not to use real animals and urges audiences to never buy primates from breeders or keep them as pets.”

Great Apes founding director Patti Ragan says Jackson was making plans to visit Bubbles at the time of his death in 2009. The Jackson estate continues to financially support Bubbles’ care, she said. “He’s such a sweet, sweet guy,” Ragan told me this morning. “People still picture him as cute little baby with a pink face that Michael carried around. But he’s big boy now, about 170 pounds. He’s living with a group of five, and we’re introducing some youngsters into that group right now. Bubbles helped raise two babies when he came here.”

Bubbles in October 2025.

One of his closest mates is Oopsy, a 52-year-old chimp that was an understudy on the late 1970s action sitcom “B.J. and The Bear.”

At 43, Bubbles is considered an elderly primate. He spends much of his time napping. “He’s good with the youngsters, but he’s moving a little slower” Ragan said. “Sometimes it takes him longer to climb ladders but he eats well.”

According to a recent story in the New York Times, a biopic about Bubbles was being pitched in Hollywood based on a script by Isaac Adamson. While a sequel to “Michael” hasn’t been announced, producers have said a follow-up film could focus even more on Jackson’s love of animals.

April 24, 2026