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Category: Entertainment

  • ‘The Wild Robot’ VFX Studio STIM Sets Canary Islands Operation, Planning to Create More Than 100 Jobs

    ‘The Wild Robot’ VFX Studio STIM Sets Canary Islands Operation, Planning to Create More Than 100 Jobs

    French animation and visual effects company STIM – whose credits include “The Wild Robot,” “The Garfield Movie” and “Coyote vs. Acme” – is opening a production center in Spain’s Canary Islands, with plans to create more than 100 jobs as it expands its European operations.

    STIM Tenerife is set to begin operating in August and expects to employ 60 people by the end of 2026. Recruitment is already underway for character modelers, set and prop modelers, look-development artists and supervisors, among other high-skilled positions.

    The company has chosen to establish the operation within the Canary Islands Special Zone, or ZEC, a low-tax regime for qualifying companies operating in the Spanish archipelago.

    “The opening of STIM Tenerife in the Canary Islands marks a strategic stage in STIM’s evolution,” said STIM Tenerife CEO Amélie Houpline. “We have found an environment here that brings together talent, strong development potential and a dynamic creative community.”

    The new base, she added, will allow STIM to increase its production capacity “without compromising the artistic and technical excellence that defines our identity.”

    Founded by Félix Ferrand, Jordan Soler and Benoit Gielly, STIM specializes in 3D animation, VFX and digital production for film, TV and advertising. With operations in France and Belgium, it has evolved from a character-focused studio into a company capable of handling projects from design and pre-production through to final delivery.

    STIM collaborated with DreamWorks Animation on the facial and body rigging of several characters for “The Wild Robot.” Its other credits include the Sony release “The Garfield Movie,” Warner Bros.’ “Coyote vs. Acme,” FX’s Emmy-winning “Shōgun” and the Annecy-selected Franco-Belgian toon feature “Girl in the Clouds.”

    ‘Coyote vs. Acme’

    “Coyote vs. Acme”

    The Tenerife operation will expand the company’s production capacity while supporting financing structures spanning France, Belgium and the Canary Islands. STIM said that footprint could give producers additional options for assembling European animation and VFX financing.

    “Our ambition is not limited to producing international projects from the islands,” Houpline said. “We want to build a studio with a long-term future, generate highly qualified employment and contribute to the development of the Canary Islands ecosystem.”

    STIM’s arrival comes as the archipelago continues to build its animation, VFX and digital-arts sector. According to figures provided by the ZEC, the Canary Islands now host more than 30 specialist companies and close to 2,000 professionals, up from a comparatively small industry less than a decade ago.

    ZEC President Pablo Hernández

    ZEC President Pablo Hernández

    Companies operating in the islands include Fortiche, the studio behind “Arcane,” as well as Atlantis Animation, 3 Doubles Producciones, Tomavision, Gigglebug, Amuse Studios and Ánima Kitchent.

    Recent expansion has also included Surfing Giant Studios’ Tenerife operation and DNEG’s investment in Ánima Kitchent, backed by the Spanish government’s SETT, as part of a broader effort to scale the sector.

    “A few years ago, there was practically no animation industry in the Canary Islands,” said ZEC President Pablo Hernández. “Today, we have dozens of studios, close to 2,000 professionals and projects for some of the world’s largest entertainment companies.”

    STIM’s arrival, he added, shows that the archipelago “has ceased to be a promise and has become an established reality within the international animation industry.”

    Hernández said the significance of the latest investments goes beyond attracting individual companies or productions.

    “We are seeing the creation of a genuine industrial ecosystem, with local talent, specialist training and companies capable of leading global productions,” he said. “We have moved from attracting specific projects to attracting permanent centers for decision-making, production and creative development.”

    The next phase, according to Hernández, will involve strengthening local intellectual property, developing original content and attracting larger-scale international investment.

    Industry projections suggest the Canary Islands could reach between 3,000 and 4,000 specialized animation and digital-arts jobs over the coming years.

  • Courtney Stodden Is Fighting for Something Bigger Than Jason Alexander’s Apology

    Courtney Stodden Is Fighting for Something Bigger Than Jason Alexander’s Apology

    It took fourteen and a half years, but Jason Alexander finally apologized.

    On Wednesday, the “Seinfeld” actor issued a public apology to Courtney Stodden for a “comedy” sketch the two filmed together wherein Alexander, who was 52 at the time, fondled a 17-year-old Stodden’s breasts with a cell phone and said that when she turned 18, he would take her behind the couch and have his way with her.

    “Looking back at the comedy sketch in which Ms. Stodden and I participated in 2012, I completely agree that it was inappropriate and I truly regret it,” Alexander said in a statement to Variety. “But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden. I offer her my sincerest apologies.”

    The sketch, a parody of “Dr. Phil” dubbed “The Donny Clay Show” with Alexander playing a creepy talk-show host, was released in Jan. 2012 on the Funny or Die website and its YouTube channel (it has since been taken down). Stodden is featured in the video alongside Doug Hutchison, a journeyman actor who notoriously married her in 2011 when he was 51 and she only 16. At the time, the media mainly treated Stodden as a punchline while failing to hold Hutchison accountable for his predation. Alexander gave his apology after Stodden, who is now 31 and divorced from Hutchison, made an Instagram post recounting how “alone” and exploited she felt making that video.

    Stodden tells Variety she was pleasantly surprised that Alexander took responsibility for his role in the disturbing sketch, which he also co-wrote, but could take it a step further. “I’m very taken aback that an adult was actually able to take accountability because I haven’t heard a lot of adults take accountability,” Stodden explains. “When I first got word that he publicly apologized I was grateful because I think that’s the first step in change. At the same time, I think it would be even better if he put that into action, so I would urge Jason Alexander to support AB 1267 and support what’s happening in California or even donate to Unchained at Last.”

    Recently, Stodden has been working with the group Unchained at Last, the only nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to ending child marriage, to convince California to pass AB 1267, a bill that would effectively ban child marriage by making the legal minimum age to wed 18 years old.

    “It’s really frightening that there’s no minimum age for someone to get married in California,” Stodden asserts. “There are only two other states that allow this, Mississippi and New Mexico, and to think that California allows this is shocking.”

    As for the Funny or Die sketch, Stodden says it was only years after appearing in the video that she realized just how foul it was. The realization came as she was watching “Pretty Woman” for the first time and arrived at the scene where Jason Alexander’s villain assaults Julia Roberts’ prostitute in a hotel suite.

    “I was in shock,” she says of watching the “Pretty Woman” scene. “It felt very close to home, and like he pulled from ‘Pretty Woman’ and thought it would be funny to recreate that with a child. I didn’t know he was going to be feeling me up on set.”

    Stodden continues, “I was very manipulated. Even if I didn’t look like a child, or what a ‘victim’ should look like, there was a child buried under there. I really just trusted the adults around me, and this is the effect of that. Looking back on it, it’s really damaging. This isn’t about revisiting my past but changing the experiences for minors going forward so they don’t have to experience what I had to experience.”

    Even though she’s received public apologies from Chrissy Teigen for cyberbullying her, and now Jason Alexander, Stodden never received any sort of mea culpa from Dr. Drew Pinsky who, when she was only 16 years old, performed an ultrasound on Stodden’s breasts on his show “Lifechangers” to prove they were real.

    “Dr. Drew actually doubled down and had his wife sarcastically invite me on his podcast to further exploit me,” Stodden recalls. “Getting an apology from an actor and not a doctor is kind of diabolical.”

    Stodden, along with a group of other survivors affiliated with Unchained at Last, will be visiting the California State Capitol again next month to speak to legislators about ending child marriage in the state she calls home. She’s also focused on finishing her memoir and may be participating in a docuseries chronicling her fight to end child marriage.

    “At the end of the day, I don’t want to be remembered for what happened to me,” Stodden states. “I want to be remembered for helping make sure that this doesn’t happen again to another child.”

  • Travis Scott Says He Was “Nervous as F” About Acting in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

    Travis Scott Says He Was “Nervous as F” About Acting in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

    Travis Scott is opening up about how Christopher Nolan cast him in The Odyssey.

    During a Tuesday night appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Scott recalled receiving an unexpected phone call from the Oscar-winning director, who asked if he’d be interested in acting in the Greek epic.

    “My phone went off and it just said, ‘Chris.’ And I’m thinking, ‘OK, I don’t know what this is about. Maybe he wants to go to a show?’” Scott said. “So I pick up and he’s like, ‘Would you be interested in acting in a movie?’ And I’m like, ‘I mean, I guess, you know? What’s the [role]?’”

    Scott recalled Nolan telling him the film would be “coming out soon” and that he wanted him to be part of it. Surprised by the ask, Scott responded: “I’m like, ‘Whoa, hold on. Wait. You know I make music?’” before Nolan gave him “his whole thesis on why.”

    “I really enjoy his time. I’m really inspired by him. He’s a real mentor of mine outside of this,” Scott said of the Oppenheimer filmmaker. “So I’m like, ‘Yo, whatever you’re down with, I’m down. However it goes, I’m with it.’”

    Scott played Demodocus, the bard who narrates Odysseus’ journey in the opening scene and is the first voice and face audiences see in the film.

    Though he admitted, “I was actually nervous as ‘F,’” Scott said he initially assumed his scenes would be with extras.

    “I didn’t know that it was going to be Anne Hathaway, Tom [Holland] and Robert Pattinson — a bunch of amazing people,” he said. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. But they were such an amazing cast.”

    Scott continued to praise Nolan and the cast for making it a comfortable experience. The pair previously collaborated on the soundtrack for Nolan’s 2020 film Tenet, which starred Pattinson.

    “Chris is an amazing director,” Scott said before adding of the cast, “Everybody made me feel comfortable. I was just glad to be there and just watch him. And being in such a world of them. So I’m just glad to be here.”

    Nolan recently spoke with Time magazine about why he cast Scott, saying, “I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.”

    In addition to acting, Scott also recorded the original song “When I’m Home” for The Odyssey‘s closing credits alongside James Blake, with production from the film’s composer Ludwig Göransson. Nolan is credited as a co-writer.

    The Odyssey is now playing in theaters.

  • Spencer Pratt Tears Into Gavin Newsom, Rob Bonta Over Paramount Lawsuit in Lengthy Video Rant

    Spencer Pratt Tears Into Gavin Newsom, Rob Bonta Over Paramount Lawsuit in Lengthy Video Rant

    Los Angeles mayoral hopeful and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt released a lengthy, artificial-intelligence-assisted screed taking down the lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general against Paramount over its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. In a TikTok video, he shouts that Hollywood is kaput if the suit succeeds.

    On July 20, a coalition of 12 states led by California filed a suit against Paramount to block its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The coalition includes New York and Colorado, among others. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order pausing the merger earlier this week.

    Pratt, the former MTV star who played the villain of reality TV hit The Hills 20 years ago, began leaning into Los Angeles city politics in 2025 after his Pacific Palisades home burned in one of the fires that engulfed parts of the city. Pratt and other area property owners filed a suit against the city of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power, alleging the fires were DWP’s fault; he also began blaming Mayor Karen Bass, citing a slow response.

    @spencerpratt

    Greasy Gavin and Bonehead Bonta are the real life slick-haired archetypal douchebag villains we’ve seen in every movie. Now they’re coming to destroy the Hollywood for good, over petty politics. The Paramount sabotage is…way worse than you think.

    ♬ original sound – Spencer Pratt

    Mad as hell about L.A. politics in the wake of the fires, he launched a campaign for mayor on the fire’s anniversary, positioning himself as a common-sense populist. In June, he came in third place behind Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman, after an initial count had put him more than eight percentage points ahead of her. He refused to accept the result and drew support from President Donald Trump (who already doomed his chances in L.A. with his vocal support) and House Speaker Mike Johnson; both claimed the race was fraudulent, once again without evidence.

    Pratt had said he’d stay in L.A. to remain laser-focused on local politics. But with this new video, he’s gone national, training his screed on every state suing Paramount. Being a Californian, he naturally singles out Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, claiming the two are destroying Hollywood as they try to “cripple two of the greatest film studios of all time over politics.”

    “[Newsom and Bonta] are everything Paramount isn’t,” Pratt claims. “While Paramount and Tom Cruise have spent the last decades building up Hollywood, [these two] have been destroying it — chasing productions out of town, sending projects to Budapest, neglecting film tax credits and incentives to win back production, doing everything they can to cripple the film industry while Atlanta and Hungary steal our lunch. And now they’re suing Paramount to make sure the industry crumbles further, all because Paramount wants to invest $110 billion into Warner Bros.”

    The 10-minute-plus clip splices in A.I.-generated cutaways from Pratt to clips of popular Hollywood movies. The former candidate channels Alex Jones, sitting behind a desk and yelling into the camera as he argues the state’s leaders want jobs out of California. Citing a clip from a podcast interview with Bonta, he notes that tech giants like Amazon aren’t named in the lawsuit despite making blockbusters with major theatrical releases — Pratt cites Top Gun: Maverick and dubs its star “Saint Tom Cruise.”

    In the clip, Pratt also tries to shoot down Bonta’s claim that a Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger would reduce production, arguing other factors were at play.

    “They claim that after Disney acquired Fox, production decreased. Notice they specifically say after they merged — they don’t say because they merged, because something else happened after that 2019 merger that may have had an impact on production,” he says. “Yeah, they merged right before COVID, but Gavin Newsom shut down the entire state and followed that with the biggest, most prolonged labor dispute in Hollywood history. Everybody’s production decreased.”

    Pratt also points to what he calls political motivation behind the opposition, noting the lack of similar scrutiny over Amazon’s MGM acquisition, and that streamers like YouTube weren’t named in the suit — inconvenient, he argues, for the theory of a Paramount monopoly.

    “This isn’t the ’80s, Rob. Streaming has changed everything. More and more people get their content online, which means fewer and fewer are watching traditional cable. The trend line only goes in one direction,” he says in the clip.

    Pratt closes out the rant with high praise for Paramount, which he credits with saving the industry.

    “There’s a ton of competition for these studios,” Pratt claims. “This whole lawsuit is a scam. He needs to quit playing petty politics and crippling Hollywood.”

  • Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale Is a Goldmine of Jewelry Markdowns — Here Are the 23 Standouts

    Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale Is a Goldmine of Jewelry Markdowns — Here Are the 23 Standouts

    If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

    From designer jewelry to under-$25 finds, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is home to hundreds of discounted gems. Through Sunday, Aug. 9, the retailer is offering up to 45 percent off dozens of its best-selling jewelry brands: Bony Levy, Monica Vinader, Lizzie Fortunato, Mejuri and John Hardy, to name just a handful.

    To sweeten the deal, Nordstrom is running a Women’s Fine Jewelry Trunk Show alongside its annual savings event. This means that through Aug. 9, 100-plus heavily discounted designer pieces are available online only. Once Aug. 10 hits, the limited-edition assortment will not only lose its discount — it will be gone for good.

    One more Anniversary Sale shopping tip ahead of our jewelry picks: For those considering signing up for Nordstrom’s credit card, now is the most strategic time to do so, because through Aug. 9, new cardmembers will receive $60 off their next purchase. See all benefits and apply for a credit card now at Nordstrom.com.

    Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2026: Shop Best Jewelry Deals

    Bony Levy 14K Gold Circle Fringe Drop Earrings

    online trunk show-exclusive

    Bony Levy 14K Gold Circle Fringe Drop Earrings

    These sculptural post back earrings are an exceptional price for 14k solid gold, and their delicate swaying chains add a subtle sense of movement.

    Bony Levy 14K Gold Caged Stud Earrings

    Bony Levy 14K Gold Caged Stud Earrings

    Another great value, Bony Levy is a favorite all year round for its excellent quality and fair price point.

    Nordstrom Cubic Zirconia Accent Shot Bead Necklace

    Nordstrom Cubic Zirconia Accent Shot Bead Necklace

    A bead chain is both timeless and on trend, and the CZ barrel pendant adds a little extra sparkle.

    Lizzie Fortunato Emerald Cut Tile Earrings

    Lizzie Fortunato Emerald Cut Tile Earrings

    Lizzie Fortunato is a standout for elegant statement styles. This glamorous number pairs faceted emeralds with peachy emerald-cut glass.

    Lizzie Fortunato Glass Drift Pendant Necklace

    Lizzie Fortunato Glass Drift Pendant Necklace

    One more Lizzie Fortunato favorite.

    Monica Vinader Lab Grown Diamond Initial Pendant

    online trunk show-exclusive

    Monica Vinader Lab Grown Diamond Initial Pendant

    Features a 0.35ct. lab grown diamond paired with 18k gold vermeil.

    Kwiat Round Brilliant Cut Diamond & Platinum Stud Earrings - 0.50ct.

    Kwiat Round Brilliant Cut Diamond & Platinum Stud Earrings – 0.50ct.

    It always pays to invest in a timeless pair of everyday diamond studs. Price per wear will be minuscule, especially given the 25 discount. These natural diamond earrings are available (and on sale) in a variety of carat weights.

    Nordstrom Cubic Zirconia 3-Prong Stud Earrings

    Nordstrom Cubic Zirconia 3-Prong Stud Earrings

    Or test the waters by getting the look for less.

    BaubleBar Janis Pendant Necklace

    BaubleBar Janis Pendant Necklace

    BaubleBar’s casual-cool statement necklace also comes in gold tone metal on a deep green cord.

    Bony Levy 18K Gold Gatsby Diamond Baguette Tennis Bracelet

    Bony Levy 18K Gold Gatsby Diamond Baguette Tennis Bracelet

    No comment. Just sick.

    John Hardy Love Knot Ring, Black Sapphire

    John Hardy Love Knot Ring, Black Sapphire

    Edge up any outfit with a black sapphire moment.

    John Hardy Love Knot Earrings, Black Sapphire

    John Hardy Love Knot Earrings, Black Sapphire

    Fully lean in with more sapphire-covered knots.

    Nordstrom Cubic Zirconia Tennis Bracelet, 3mm

    Nordstrom Cubic Zirconia Tennis Bracelet, 3mm

    Offered in both 14k gold plated and platinum plated versions.

    Monica Vinader Nura Lab Grown Diamond Crossover Ring

    Monica Vinader Nura Lab Grown Diamond Crossover Ring

    Lab diamonds paired with 18k gold vermeil.

    Monica Vinader Riva Pavé Lab Grown Diamond Ring

    Monica Vinader Riva Pavé Lab Grown Diamond Ring

    Same as above. Stack or wear solo.

    Related: The 75 Most Dazzling Jewelry Gifts From Celebrity-Owned and Hollywood-Loved Labels

    Bony Levy 14K Gold Abstract Heart Pendant Necklace

    Bony Levy 14K Gold Abstract Heart Pendant Necklace

    And one for those who’d rather solid gold.

    Argento Vivo Sterling Silver Lab Grown Diamond Stud Earrings

    Argento Vivo Sterling Silver Lab Grown Diamond Stud Earrings

    Round lab-grown diamonds set in either sterling silver or sterling silver with 18k-gold plating.

    Michele Urban Petite 2-Tone Bracelet Watch, 22mm

    Michele Urban Petite 2-Tone Bracelet Watch, 22mm

    A timepiece that doubles as jewelry.

    Coach 20mm Goldtone Stainless Steel Mesh Apple Watch Watchband

    Coach 20mm Goldtone Stainless Steel Mesh Apple Watch Watchband

    Make your Apple Watch a bit less Apple Watch-y.

    Ettika Turquoise & Crystal Earrings

    Ettika Turquoise & Crystal Earrings

    An easy pop of color.

    Argento Vivo Double Layered Necklace

    Argento Vivo Double Layered Necklace

    Get that layered look sans the tangling.

    Related: These Hollywood-Loved Designer Handbags Are Up to $1,500 Off at Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale

    Monica Vinader Heirloom Bangle Bracelet

    online trunk show-exclusive

    Monica Vinader Heirloom Bangle Bracelet

    Inspired by ’50s Italian glamour and crafted from 18k gold vermeil.

    Bony Levy 14K Gold Tri Tone Beaded Station Chain Bracelet

    Bony Levy 14K Gold Tri Tone Beaded Station Chain Bracelet

    14k yellow, white and rose gold in one.

    Shop the full assortment of savings via Nordstrom’s Jewelry & Watches landing page. And for more curated picks, visit THR‘s main Anniversary Sale shopping guide.

    About the Author

    Erin Lassner is THR’s E-Commerce Writer. She covers shopping content across fashion, beauty and lifestyle, and has nearly ten years of experience testing and reviewing the best of skin-care, makeup, accessories and wellness.

  • Where to Find a Commonwealth Games 2026 Livestream in the U.S. to Watch the Event for Free

    Where to Find a Commonwealth Games 2026 Livestream in the U.S. to Watch the Event for Free

    If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

    Some of the best summer athletes in the world are heading to Scotland for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

    A quadrennial event dating back to 1930, the Commonwealth Games unites thousands of athletes from more than 70 nations across the British Commonwealth — I.e. countries that are currently or were formerly part of the British Empire. So while countries like Canada, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Jamaica will all be participating, there will not be a U.S. contingent at the Games.

    How to Watch the 2026 Commonwealth Games

    This year’s Commonwealth Games run from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, Scotland, with events airing live and as nightly highlights on channels like 7Plus in Australia and Channel 5 in the UK.

    North American viewers can watch the Games for free on CBC, Canada’s national public broadcaster, via a virtual private network like ExpressVPN or NordVPN (NordVPN excludes a 30-day money back guarantee). Your VPN lets you set your location to Canada to stream the CBC’s coverage of the 2026 Commonwealth Games online from anywhere in the world.

    Or set your location to Australia or the United Kingdom to stream the 7Plus and Channel 5 Commonwealth Games feed online.

    How to Watch the 2026 Commonwealth Games From the U.S.

    You can also watch the Commonwealth Games in the U.S. through beIN SPORTS, the Qatar-based sports media group that is now available in America on streaming services like Fubo and Sling.

    Fubo offers beIN SPORTS on its own for just $5.99/month, or as part of the Fubo Core package, which gets you 200 live TV channels to stream online for $63.99/month (regularly $88.99 monthly).

    Don’t have Fubo? Test drive the service with a five-day free trial here and use it to stream the Commonwealth Games in the U.S. for free. Fubo’s plans include free DVR so you can record the events to watch back on-demand whenever you want.

    The cheapest way to get beIN SPORTS on Sling, meantime, is to sign up for the streamer’s Sling Orange base plan (from $45.99/month) and then add the Sports Extra package for an additional $11 a month. You’ll get more than 40 live TV channels in total that you can stream online.

    Sling Orange includes 50 hours of free cloud DVR in addition to an on-demand library of free TV shows and movies that you can stream online.

    Commonwealth Games 2026 Sports

    Unlike previous Commonwealth Games, which have featured more than 30 different summer sports, this year’s event will include just 10 sports, the lowest number of events offered at the Games since 1994. Organizers say rising costs, lack of venues and viewership decline have led to the removal of sports like field hockey, diving, rugby sevens and cricket.

    Still, there’s plenty of big names to watch for in the remaining sports, which include athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, boxing and cycling. Paris 2024 Olympic swimming champions Kaylee McKeown from Australia and Adam Peaty from England, are expected to compete, as is Canada’s gold-medal winning 4×100 meter men’s relay team in track and field.

    The track event will also see Scottish middle-distance runner Josh Kerr, who just broke the 27-year world record in the mile, and Jamaican superstar Shericka Jackson, a two-time World Champion who holds the second-fastest time ever recorded in the women’s 200m events.

    Reigning Olympic pommel horse champion Rhys McClenaghan from Northern Ireland will compete in the men’s gymnastics event, where he’ll face off against Cyprus’ Marios Georgiou, who is a former European All-Around champion and a three-time Olympian.

    This year’s Commonwealth Games kicks off with an Opening Ceremony featuring British singer-songwriter Tom Walker (of “Leave the Light On” fame), along with Scottish singer-songwriter, KT Tunstall and other local artists. The last edition of the Commonwealth Games was held in 2022 in Birmingham, where rockers Duran Duran performed at the Opening Ceremony.

  • Netflix Reteams With Yeon Sang-ho for ‘Parasyte: Tamiya’ Series

    Netflix Reteams With Yeon Sang-ho for ‘Parasyte: Tamiya’ Series

    Korean hitmaker Yeon Sang-ho’s Parasyte universe is getting an all-new host body to infect. On Thursday morning from Seoul, Netflix unveiled Parasyte: Tamiya, an upcoming Japanese season of the hit sci-fi horror series that has delighted fans with its inspired K-drama reimagining of artist Hitoshi Iwaaki’s best-selling manga.

    Yeon, fresh off the release of Netflix thriller series Human Vapor and zombie blockbuster Colony, returns as the lead creative force behind the show, having developed its story and co-written all episodes with his regular collaborator Ryu Yong-jae. Netflix says the new season is already in post-production and will premiere on the service sometime in 2027.

    The original Parasyte: The Grey spent four weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV list in 2024 and topped the rankings in 34 countries upon its release.

    Whereas the original season’s novelty came from transplanting Iwaaki’s classic manga to a South Korean setting, the new chapter is said to burrow more deeply into the original source material. Japanese actress Shioli Kutsuna, best known to global viewers for her recurring part in the Deadpool franchise, stars as Ryoko Tamiya, a parasite who seizes the body of a high school teacher and — initially as ruthless as the rest of her kind — gradually comes to suspect that coexistence with humans, rather than predation, may offer her species its best chance of survival. The series tells that story from her side of the divide, with Kutsuna playing the character in three registers: the original human, the violent creature that takes her over and the evolving being caught between the two.

    Japanese actress Shioli Kutsuna as Ryoko Tamiya.

    Netflix

    “Ryoko Tamiya is a truly captivating villain in the original manga,” Yeon says. “Her struggles over the nature of her own existence are what elevate the original Parasyte from a simple hero-based manga aimed at kids to something deeper.”

    “I wanted to convey her perpetual struggle over the need for parasites to coexist with humans and the issue of their survival, and how she suffers setbacks and learns over time,” the filmmaker adds. “I think the anguish she experiences is the essence of Parasyte.”

    Kutsuna, who previously worked with Netflix on the sumo drama Sanctuary and will appear in the streamer’s upcoming live-action Gundam film, calls Tamiya “the most challenging role I have ever played in my acting career.”

    She adds: “During the six months I spent living as Tamiya, I experienced many emotions I had never encountered before.”

    Yeon adds: “She did a wonderful job of portraying the process of a non-human creature coming to understand both humanity and its own existence.”

    Yeon has become one of Netflix’s most consistent and prolific collaborators in East Asia. His projects at the streamer as a creator, director or writer include Hellbound (two seasons), sci-fi feature Jung_E, occult chiller The Bequeathed, Parasyte: The Grey, last year’s Revelations and the just-launched The Human Vapor, his big-budget Japanese series collaboration with Toho. He’s kept just as busy as a theatrical filmmaker. Colony, the Cannes Midnight-premiered zombie thriller starring Jun Ji-hyun that returned him to Train to Busan territory, has grossed $42.4 million in South Korea since late May, making it one of the year’s biggest Korean hits. He’s simultaneously been experimenting with ultra-low-budget filmmaking, having released mystery thriller The Ugly last year, and with the AI-themed thriller Paradise Lost set to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this fall.

    For Parasyte: Tamiya, Yeon reunites with Grey co-writer Ryu Yong-jae, while Japanese filmmakers Kensaku Kakimoto (Glass Heart) and Kazuhiro Nakagawa (Double, Bullet Train Explosion) direct the episodes. WOWPOINT, the production house behind The Grey, The Human Vapor and Colony, produces.

    Iwaaki’s manga, published by Kodansha from 1988 to 1995, has previously spawned an anime series and a two-part Japanese film franchise directed by Godzilla Minus One‘s Takashi Yamazaki.

    Says Yoshihiro Sato, manager of live-action creative at Netflix Japan: “‘What makes a human?’ ‘Can we coexist with beings that are different from us?’ — These questions posed by Parasyte more than 30 years ago feel much more pressing for our modern society that has placed non-sentient AI at all of our fingertips.”

    He adds: “Our purpose in making this series was to take the universal questions posed by the original manga 30 years ago and bring them into the modern spotlight.”

  • Lego at Comic-Con: Star Wars and Pokémon Activations, Star Trek and Donkey Kong Sets

    Lego at Comic-Con: Star Wars and Pokémon Activations, Star Trek and Donkey Kong Sets

    For years, Lego has been one of big booths at San Diego Comic-Con, a massive footprint in the center of the San Diego Convention Center. This year, however, the company is taking its convention experience to a whole new level of brick.

    Doubling down on its Lego Smart Play, which blends physical play with responsive technology, Lego is creating an interactive and immersive destination themed to two of the biggest brands in pop culture, Pokémon and Star Wars.  

    The company is also showing off publicly, for the first time, its upcoming sets for Star Trek, Donkey Kong and Shrek.

    The booth will welcome convention-goers with a retro-futuristic gateway before welcoming them into two fully activations.

    For the Star Wars installation, Lego has created “Destination: Mos Eisley,” which will take fans to the famous Creature Cantina, recreated by oversized Lego brick environments designed for photo taking (and social media sharing). Attendees will be able to get on stage for a remix of the Cantina Song and even slide into the famous corner booth for a face-to-face encounter with Greedo. There is also a Dewback Petting Zoo for a photo op with a purring, snoozing Dewback.

    Lego Smart Play Gateway Mos Eisley of Star Wars.

    Courtesy of Lego

    The Pokémon installation, meanwhile, recreates the Pokémon Lab with scaled up Lego brings and will be populated by life-sized Lego Pokémon builds powered by Smart Play. That experience involves Poké Balls and a game of “Hide and Pikachu.”

    Star Trek 60 Legos Figurines

    Courtesy of Lego

    One of the big sets being unveiled is the Lego Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 Bridge, coinciding with the show’s 60th anniversary. The set will available at Lego stores and LEGO.com exclusively beginning Sept. 1.

    (And speaking of Lego Trek, there will be a panel on the subject, titled Star Trek: The Collector Frontier, Thursday at 11 a.m. in Room 5AB with Lego set designers Henrik Andersen and Crystal Marie Fontan. And, for good measure, Lego is also showing off a brick-built Captain’s Chair — made out of 83,568 bricks — at the neighboring Marriott Marquis.)

    Leo Donkey Kong Arcade Game box

    Courtesy of Lego

    Lego previously produced sets replicating a Nintendo console and a Game Boy and it’s keeping the video game silo going with a Donkey Kong Arcade, which will be on display at its booth. The 1,367-piece collectible set features Donkey Kong and Lady, plus well-known sights such as the scaffold, ladder and hammer details from the original Nintendo game. And yes, you will be able to release barrels and press the button to make Jumpman leap over the barrels. That set will be available Aug. 1.

    Lego is also showcasing 12 minifigures from the Shrek franchise as it gears up for new Shrek sets in 2027. The minifigures will hit shelves Sept. 1.

    Lego Shrek Mini Figures

    Courtesy of Lego

  • Travis Scott Says He Was “Nervous as F” Making His Acting Debut in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

    Travis Scott Says He Was “Nervous as F” Making His Acting Debut in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

    Travis Scott is opening up about how Christopher Nolan cast him in The Odyssey for his acting debut.

    During a Tuesday night appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Scott recalled receiving an unexpected phone call from the Oscar-winning director, who asked if he’d be interested in acting in the Greek epic.

    “My phone went off and it just said, ‘Chris.’ And I’m thinking, ‘OK, I don’t know what this is about. Maybe he wants to go to a show?’” Scott said. “So I pick up and he’s like, ‘Would you be interested in acting in a movie?’ And I’m like, ‘I mean, I guess, you know? What’s the [role]?’”

    Scott recalled Nolan telling him the film would be “coming out soon” and that he wanted him to be part of it. Surprised by the ask, Scott responded: “I’m like, ‘Whoa, hold on. Wait. You know I make music?’” before Nolan gave him “his whole thesis on why.”

    “I really enjoy his time. I’m really inspired by him. He’s a real mentor of mine outside of this,” Scott said of the Oppenheimer filmmaker. “So I’m like, ‘Yo, whatever you’re down with, I’m down. However it goes, I’m with it.’”

    Scott played Demodocus, the bard who narrates Odysseus’ journey in the opening scene and is the first voice and face audiences see in the film.

    Though he admitted, “I was actually nervous as ‘F,’” Scott said he initially assumed his scenes would be with extras.

    “I didn’t know that it was going to be Anne Hathaway, Tom [Holland] and Robert Pattinson — a bunch of amazing people,” he said. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. But they were such an amazing cast.”

    Scott continued to praise Nolan and the cast for making his acting debut a comfortable experience. The pair previously collaborated on the soundtrack for Nolan’s 2020 film Tenet, which starred Pattinson.

    “Chris is an amazing director,” Scott said before adding of the cast, “Everybody made me feel comfortable. I was just glad to be there and just watch him. And being in such a world of them. So I’m just glad to be here.”

    Nolan recently spoke with Time magazine about why he cast Scott, saying, “I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.”

    In addition to his acting debut, Scott also recorded the original song “When I’m Home” for The Odyssey‘s closing credits alongside James Blake, with production from the film’s composer Ludwig Göransson. Nolan is credited as a co-writer.

    The Odyssey is now playing in theaters.

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Director Says Elon Musk ‘Doesn’t Know S— About Cinema’ After Musk Vows to Make AI ‘Odyssey’: ‘His Opinions on Art Are Worthless’

    ‘Doctor Strange’ Director Says Elon Musk ‘Doesn’t Know S— About Cinema’ After Musk Vows to Make AI ‘Odyssey’: ‘His Opinions on Art Are Worthless’

    Elon Musk’s crusade against Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has raised eyebrows in Hollywood after the newly minted trillionaire vowed that before the end of the year, his AI tool Grok “will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer.” Musk also shared a three-minute clip of an AI-generated scene adapted from the poem, which was manufactured by a user on Grok.

    One figure from the film community, “Doctor Strange” and “The Black Phone” director Scott Derrickson, pulled no punches when addressing Musk directly on social media. “Clearly @elonmusk doesn’t know shit about cinema & he stopped reading in his 20s,” Derrickson wrote on Musk’s social media platform, X. “His opinions on art are worthless.”

    The Tesla mogul has railed against Nolan’s “Odyssey” long before it was released due to his perception of certain “woke” casting decisions. In March, Musk wrote that “Chris Nolan is an anti-White racist” for casting Lupita Nyong’o in the role of Helen of Troy, asserting that the director made the decision because “he wants the awards.” Musk said “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity” and called the casting an “insult” to Homer. Musk also took aim at Elliott Page, who plays Sinon in “The Odyssey,” reposting comments that mocked the transgender actor’s masculinity.

    “The Odyssey” is not the first film Musk has criticized on X; he similarly mocked “Barbie” for its feminist themes and Disney’s “Snow White” reboot led by Rachel Zegler. The anti-woke backlash to “The Odyssey” didn’t seem to matter. The Matt Damon-starring epic opened to $264 million worldwide and continues to sell out screenings months in advance.