Tag: Entertainment-HollywoodReporter

The gates are open and Bieberchella, er Coachella, is officially underway.

The 2026 edition of the Coachella Valley’s iconic music festival kicked off in the desert Friday with as many as 125,000 people expected to attend each day of the event, headlined by Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G. In all, more than 100 acts are set to perform across eight stages. That means lots of news is expected out of Coachella this weekend but even before the first beats hit the speakers, social media algorithms were in overdrive with festival chatter, gossip and controversies.

One of the narratives that emerged in recent days came from content creators who claim their Airbnb reservations were abruptly canceled, presumably so owners could rebook the properties for thousands of dollars more due to increased demand amid the popularity of acts like Bieber. Based on the number of posts, it seemed like it was becoming something of a greedy trend. The comments sections under each video quickly filled with others claiming to have experienced the same shock days before the festival.

One TikTok user, Haylee Dahlgren, shared her experience with a detailed clip as one user replied, “Literally happened to us too!!! 7 days before Coachella with a group of 7!!! Wtf!?!!” Another commenter shared their story, and said the owner of their rental blamed the city of Palm Springs for sending a letter that demanded they cancel the reservation due to city ordinances. “It is supply and demand,” wrote another. “We all learned this in economics class in high school.” So many people came forward with cancellation claims that a Reddit thread emerged titled “AirBnB canceled on you? Post them here.”

The Hollywood Reporter reached out to the City of Palm Springs and a representative shot down the story. “I can confirm, the City of Palm Springs has not sent letters to home owners or Airbnb property managers demanding that they cancel rentals for this weekend, per the rep. THR also connected with a spokesperson for Airbnb on Friday, and he said the company has not seen “any notable uptick” in cancellations over this weekend or next.

“We’ve reached out to a small number of guests who raised concerns on social media to provide support. We know host cancellations can disrupt plans, which is why we have deterrents — including cancellation fees, calendar blocks to prevent rebooking, and a ban on re-listing for a higher price — as well as 24/7 guest support,” says the rep. “We require that all listings and hosts meet our high standards, and we support affordability with pricing tools for hosts as well as price filters and upfront total price transparency for guests, so travelers can easily find options that fit their budget and book with confidence.”

It is not uncommon for rentals to appear on Airbnb as well as other short-term rental sites like Vrbo, Booking.com, and others, making it possible for owners to cancel reservations and rebook on other sites to sidestep Airbnb’s policies. It is understood that some who were crying foul online lost their reservations due to not providing payment in full or for other reasons.

According to various reports, in-demand properties were going for thousands and in some cases tens of thousands of dollars. For comparison, THR checked last minute lodging availability and found that even budget properties like Motel 6 and Best Western were renting rooms for close to $600 or $700 per night, respectively. A room at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa was available for Friday night for $2,487 per night on Hotels.com. That’s nothing compared to ticket prices. According to Stub Hub on Friday afternoon, a general admission ticket for Coachella costs $5,263, while a VIP ticket for Friday night was going for $10,330 including fees.

Meanwhile, another narrative that has gained traction in recent days is the number of influencers who had their RSVPs erased by brand partners right before the main event.

Creator Kelsey Kotzur came forward less than two weeks ago to claim that she had been invited by an unnamed brand to attend Coachella, only to be told shortly thereafter that the brand had reached capacity and had to rescind the invitation. “I’m actually taking myself on vacation instead,” she said. Others who said they experienced similar reverse invites include Glocortez and Yazmin Marziali.

Not everyone is buying it. According to an insider, cries of last minute cancellations are a stunt mounted by desperate creators who never had offers in the first place. The veteran attendee tells THR that some of those claiming to have been nixed from attending last-minute never had agreements in place and by posting sob stories, they hope to get rescued by other brands or hotels. “It’s typical behavior,” hissed the insider. But it seems to be working, regardless of the sincerity of the allegations. In the comments section of one of the videos, THR spotted the Hilton hotel group offering to provide lodging.

“I smell a stunt,” says creator Corey Jacob in a video posted this week, adding that he believes it’s all copycat creators who are hopping on a trend to score free digs and Coachella tickets. Stunts aside, Coachella is live and can be viewed here; brand invites and reservations not required.

San Francisco police arrested an individual on Friday after they allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI’s Sam Altman and made threats outside his company’s headquarters.

No injuries were reported, per OpenAI, which confirmed the incident in a statement, adding, “We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe. The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”

View our latest statement regarding an incident that occurred early this morning at a North Beach residence. Officers have made an arrest, and no injuries were reported as a result of this incident. pic.twitter.com/t4DsF31uxh

— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) April 10, 2026

Hours later, Altman himself confirmed the incident by way of a personal blog post seemingly sparked by both the shock of the Molotov incident and his headline-making week in the wake of a damning investigation by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz in The New Yorker.

“Images have power, I hope. Normally we try to be pretty private, but in this case I am sharing a photo in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me,” Altman wrote in opening the blog post, which featured a photo of husband Oliver Mulherin and their child. “The first person did it last night, at 3:45 am in the morning. Thankfully it bounced off the house and no one got hurt.”

“Words have power too,” Altman continued. “There was an incendiary article about me a few days ago. Someone said to me yesterday they thought it was coming at a time of great anxiety about AI and that it made things more dangerous for me. I brushed it aside. Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pissed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives. This seems like as good of a time as any to address a few things.”

Altman then turned his attention to “what I believe,” some personal reflections and more thoughts about the AI industry at large, including artificial general intelligence.

He covered a lot of ground in the post, writing up top that not all will “go well” as the AI industry continues to roll out it’s world-shifting tools. As such, “the fear and anxiety about AI is justified; we are in the process of witnessing the largest change to society in a long time, and perhaps ever. We have to get safety right, which is not just about aligning a model — we urgently need a society-wide response to be resilient to new threats. This includes things like new policy to help navigate through a difficult economic transition in order to get to a much better future.”

To get there, he writes that “AI has to be democratized; power cannot be concentrated,” and that it isn’t right for only a few AI labs to make “the most consequential decisions about the shape of our future.” Altman also acknowledges his issues with the OpenAI board — the founder was fired only to be re-hired following an investigation — and apologizes for his past behavior.

“I am not proud of handling myself badly in a conflict with our previous board that led to a huge mess for the company. I have made many other mistakes throughout the insane trajectory of OpenAI; I am a flawed person in the center of an exceptionally complex situation, trying to get a little better each year, always working for the mission. We knew going into this how huge the stakes of AI were, and that the personal disagreements between well-meaning people I cared about would be amplified greatly. But it’s another thing to live through these bitter conflicts and often to have to arbitrate them, and the costs have been serious. I am sorry to people I’ve hurt and wish I had learned more faster,” he writes.

That said, he is “extremely proud” of being able to now deliver on the company’s mission. “Against all odds, we figured out how to build very powerful AI, figured out how to amass enough capital to build the infrastructure to deliver it, figured out how to build a product company and business, figured out how to deliver reasonably safe and robust services at a massive scale, and much more. A lot of companies say they are going to change the world; we actually did.”

His full blog post can be found here.

James Cameron, one of the industry’s leading champions of the theatrical experience, leads CinemaCon’s roster of honorees for the Big Screen Achievement Awards.

The ceremony — a starry gathering that closes the four day gathering of exhibition insiders presented by Cinema United — is set to take place inside the Dolby Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 16. It will see trophies going to James Cameron (Cinema United Spirit of the Industry), Queen Latifah (Cultural Impact in Film), LaKeith Stanfield (Star of the Year), Zoey Deutch (Vanguard Award) Adam Scott (Award of Excellence in Acting), Noah Centineo (Star of Tomorrow) and Catherine Lagaʻaia (Rising Star of 2026). Hosted by co-presenting sponsor Coca-Cola, the event will be hosted by Entertainment Tonight star Nischelle Turner, who replaces her ET colleague Kevin Frazier who has fronted it in years past.

“Our industry is at its best when those in it come together to celebrate the power of seeing a movie on the big screen,” said Cinema United president and CEO Michael O’Leary. “This includes the incredibly talented people both in front of and behind the camera, whose work is at the heart of what makes the moviegoing experience so powerful and enduring. The films from this year’s honorees will undoubtedly capture the imaginations of audiences around the world and we are proud to honor their achievements.”

Cameron’s honor comes on the heels of a mammoth release for his franchise blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash from 20th Century Studios, and ahead of the Oscar winner’s newest project, a concert film co-directed with a Grammy-winning superstar in Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D). That film, which opens in theaters from Paramount Pictures on May 8, 2026, was captured using Cameron’s proprietary 3-D camera systems.

Latifah’s trophy comes ahead of her return as the voice of Ellie in Ice Age: Boiling Point, due in theaters Feb. 5, 2027. The multi-hyphenate will receive her honor after a varied career that has seen her tackle stage, screen and the music charts while also being an active producer and entrepreneur. Her credits include Jungle Fever, Chicago (for which she was nominated for an Oscar), Set It Off, Living Out Loud, Bringing Down the House, The Secret Life of Bees, Hairspray, Mad Money, Just Right, Joyful Noise, The Last Holiday, Beauty Shop, Girls Trip, Miracles from Heaven and Hustle, The Little Mermaid, Bessie and most recently, The Equalizer.

Stanfield next stars in Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters from Neon. That film, out May 22, finds him starring opposite Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore in a film about a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. The Oscar nominee has been seen in Judas and the Black Messiah, Get Out, Sorry to Bother You, Knives Out, Uncut Gems, The Harder They Fall, Selma, Snowden and Atlanta.

Deutch, who recently played Jean Seberg in Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, comes to the trophy as she is readying for the release of Sony Pictures Classics’ Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, which premiered at Sundance. The film hits theaters July 10. Deutch can soon be seen in Voicemails for Isabelle and has starred in Set it Up, Juror #2, Not Okay and Something from Tiffany’s.

Scott, who is coming off a critically acclaimed turn in Severance for Apple TV, returns to the big screen in Neon’s supernatural horror film Hokum on May 1. He plays novelist Ohm Bauman who retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes only to become consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. His other film credits include Step Brothers, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Black Mass, The Vicious Kind, Sleeping With Other People, Bachelorette, The Disaster Artist, Our Idiot Brother, Monster-In-Lay, Knocked Up and The Aviator.

Centineo comes to CinemaCon ahead of the anticipated release of Street Fighter from Paramount Pictures and Legendary Pictures in association with Capcom. The action pic will hit theaters Oct. 16. Centineo recently wrapped John Rambo and will star in and produce the live-action Gundam. Centineo broke out in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy and has a list of credits that includes Union County, Warfare, Black Adam and The Recruit.

Newbie Lagaʻaia will make her big screen debut in Moana, Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved animated adventure. The film opens exclusively in theaters July 10, and finds her playing the title character opposite Dwayne Johnson as the infamous demigod Maui. Prior to landing the coveted role, Lagaʻaia appeared in the limited series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.

Hosted by Cinema United, CinemaCon takes place April 13-16, and is presented by sponsors the Coca-Cola Company and Barco.

Sarah Pidgeon is opening up about how playing Carolyn Bessette Kennedy wasn’t always as glamorous as it looked.

During a recent Beauty Secrets video for Vogue, Pidgeon revealed she developed a skin condition while filming the record-breaking Disney+ and Hulu show Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette last summer. Filming in Hyannis, Massachusetts — where the Kennedy Compound is located — Pidgeon said she wore heavy clothing despite it being hot weather.

“When we were shooting Love Story, we were out in Hyannis and I was wearing a cashmere turtleneck and jeans,” Pidgeon said. “I got a heat rash because it was like 90 degrees outside, and then that turned into psoriasis all over my body.”

She then showed a patch on her arm. “I get it on my chest, get it on my tummy. It’s really everywhere,” Pidgeon said. “It comes in waves, it’ll go away, and you can always cover it up.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, Psoriasis is a long-term disease that causes itchy, scaly patches on the skin. It has no cure.

In the series, created by Connor Hines and executive produced by Ryan Murphy, Pidgeon stars opposite Paul Anthony Kelly, who plays JFK Jr. Following last month’s heartbreaking finale, The Hollywood Reporter’s executive awards editor Scott Feinberg has predicted Pidgeon as a frontrunner for the 2026 Emmy Awards for best actress in a limited or anthology series or movie category.

Ahead of the series premiere, Pidgeon spoke with THR about recreating her favorite looks of the former Calvin Klein publicist.

“I’m a huge fan of all her Yohji Yamamoto outfits. There’s one in particular, which is a cream pencil skirt, and it has these buttons. There’s boning, so it’s very structured, and these long sleeves with beige Manolo heels. That image of Carolyn wearing that, I think of her immediately. She’s holding John’s hand and she’s smiling,” she said. “It was just, in particular, wearing these clothes that are so iconic of her later in life, because that was when she was really heavily photographed, you understand just how much they change how you hold yourself.”

The show’s costumes were later refined after initial backlash to early images shared by Murphy. Executive producer, Brad Simpson said the response ultimately helped improve the final look. “What it showed us was how deeply people cared about Carolyn Bessette and how much she meant to generations,” Simpson said. “But it was a good flex point for us to adjust. We made some more dramatic changes. We brought in Rudy Mance, the brilliant costume designer who sourced a lot of original pieces that CBK wore. We went to the actual collectors, to people who’d written books about her fashion and style and we formed a brain trust. We went from using a wig to using Sarah’s real hair and figuring out how to create the different buttery versions.”

He added: “But we took all that feedback in, and I think we got it right. I really am proud of how it looks. I think she looks beautiful.”

All episodes of Love Story are now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Check out all of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Love Story coverage here.

Natasha Lyonne is continuing to call out those who escorted her off a plane Tuesday night after a red-eye flight incident following the Euphoria season 3 premiere.

According to a Thursday report from Page Six, Lyonne was reportedly still in her sheer outfit worn on the red carpet, and seemed “out of it in a first class seat, and when flight attendants asked her to close her laptop and fasten her seatbelt for takeoff, she didn’t respond.” After “numerous flight attendants repeatedly tried to get the star to follow their commands.” The plane eventually returned to the gate, and Lyonne was asked to leave, causing a delay of over an hour.

On Friday, Lyonne addressed the incident in a post on X, quoting an E! News article, disputing aspects of the report. She said she had taken a sleep aid before the flight and was trying to rest.

“Thanks for the great reporting, @enews. Indeed, I took a Lunesta once seated, to ensure some shut eye on the Delta One red eye flight to NYC. Boarded seamlessly with just a backpack and sneakers, eager for a nap. Plan was to be bushy tailed & beauty rested, as I was meant to head straight to glam for a slot with our beloved @DrewBarrymore, upon landing,” the Poker Face star wrote. “Was looking forward to seeing Drew & an in depth convo, but I guess ICE had other plans & I was detained instead. Sign of the times, I guess.”

She also thanked supporters and apologized to fellow travelers for the delay, noting she had never previously had issues with Delta or TSA.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to ICE and Delta for comment but has yet to hear back.

Lyonne had been scheduled to appear on The Drew Barrymore Show Wednesday to promote Euphoria. Her role in the Sam Levinson-created series remains under wraps. Despite the incident, she later made it to New York and attended the premiere of the upcoming documentary, Lorne, about Saturday Night Live mastermind Lorne Michaels. Lyonne was featured as an SNL host for the sketch-comedy series’ season 47 in 2022.

The Russian Doll star has been open about her struggles with addiction. In January, she revealed in a tweet that she had relapsed and was no longer sober. Last month, she thanked fans for their support amid her recovery journey. “Proud to report this kid is doing a whole lot better and back on her feet,” Lyonne wrote. “Want to thank our recovery communities and the fans who stood by and were so supportive. Aiming to keep the journey somehow private, but look forward to sharing my experience, strength and hope as makes sense.”

After a decade of development, Ride Along 3 is starting to see renewed momentum.

Daniel Gold, who was a writer on the Netflix series Workin’ Moms, is set to write a new take on the buddy cop story, with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube in talks to return for the Universal project. Also in talks to return is director Tim Story and producer Will Packer, the latter of whom is releasing the rom-com You, Me & Tuscany with the studio this weekend.

Universal had no comment on the potential project.

Hart and Ice Cube star in the film series as brothers-in-laws who happen to both work in law enforcement, each with drastically different levels of expertise, who often end up in the middle of Florida’s various crime underworlds.

It has been ten years since the last Ride Along movie hit theaters. The first Ride Along, out in 2014, grossed over $130 million at the domestic box office, while the second installment earned over $90 million in 2016, making it an overall profitable mid-budget franchise for the studio.

Ice Cube, who was last seen in sci-fi film War of the Worlds and in a cameo role in Sony’s Anaconda, is repped by UTA and Johnson Shapiro.

For his part, Hart was last in theaters with the video game adaptation Borderlands and is set to return for the fourth Jumanji movie, due out this December. He is repped by WME and 3Arts.

Story is repped by UTA and Johnson Shapiro, and Packer is repped by CAA and Johnson Shapiro.

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

Weekend one of Coachella has officially arrived, meaning its cowboy boot-covered sister festival is just around the corner. While a limited number of passes are still available through Stagecoach‘s official ticketing site, axs.com, prices have increased on AXS since initial release, meaning customers can find some of the best deals on third-party platforms, namely StubHub, TicketNetwork, Vivid Seats, Ticket Liquidator, SeatGeek and Gametime. Plus, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusive discount codes for select sites (all listed below).

When comparing resale platforms, StubHub stands out for its large inventory, while TicketNetwork offers the best THR-exclusive promotion: $150 off $500 and up with code THR150, and $300 off $1,000 and up with code THR300 at TicketNetwork.com. THR‘s additional promo codes are listed directly below.

Discount Codes for 2026 Stagecoach Tickets

TicketNetwork, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek are offering exclusive deals to THR readers:

At a Glance: How to Buy Stagecoach 2026 Tickets Online

Where to Buy 2026 Stagecoach Festival Passes

In addition to the THR-exclusive promo codes for TicketNetwork, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek (all listed above and below), resale platforms StubHub, Ticket Liquidator and Gametime also have a number of discounted passes to catch Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Post Malone live (scroll for the full 2026 lineup and confirmed set times). Learn more about each ticketing site — and their corresponding promo codes — below. Inventory is extremely limited, so act fast.

Note: Since pricing and inventory are constantly fluctuating, we didn’t include current pricing details below, and recommend checking each of the six sites listed (StubHub, TicketNetwork, Vivid Seats, Ticket Liquidator, SeatGeek and Gametime) to compare costs at time of purchase.

Stagecoach Lineup 2026

Headlining the festival are Cody Johnson (Friday), Lainey Wilson (Saturday) and Post Malone (Sunday). Other artists on the bill include Bailey Zimmerman, The Red Clay Strays, Ella Langley, Counting Crows, Riley Green, Journey, Little Big Town, Teddy Swims, Brooks & Dunn, Hootie & The Blowfish, Third Eye Blind, Diplo, Pitbull and Ludacris. See the full 2026 Stagecoach lineup below.

Stagecoach Set Times 2026

See below for Stagecoach 2026 set times.

Related: How to Get Last-Minute Coachella Passes for Both Weekends of the Sold-Out 2026 Festival

It seems like a lifetime ago when a record 11 companies — including the six major Hollywood studios — teased their upcoming films in 2018 at CinemaCon, the annual convention of theater owners and operators that’s been held for decades in Las Vegas.

The mood was one of general optimism; annual domestic box office revenue was still clocking in at north of $11 billion despite the rise of streaming. But in a harbinger of a far more serious threat — consolidation — then-20th Century Fox movie head Stacey Snider brought many to tears when addressing the looming sale of a large swath of Rupert Murdoch’s media and entertainment empire, including the film studio, to Disney. “Today we face a new transition and potential merger that will have lasting implications for the film business,” she said. A year later, Snider was gone, with the renamed 20th Century movie division becoming part of Disney’s CinemaCon presentation. “It’s a bit of a shock to be here as colleagues,” confessed Emma Watts, who had been vice chair at Fox and did a brief post-merger stint at Disney.

Shock was one way to put it. This year’s CinemaCon could prove all-out surreal as the number of major legacy studios further erodes at a time when cinemas need more product that can work theatrically, not less, if they are ever to recover from the pandemic and labor strikes. Numerous movies are expected to finally be dated, for example.

A plethora of huge stars and filmmakers are expected to participate, including Christopher Nolan and possibly even Steven Spielberg, as well as actors Zendaya, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Timothée Chalamet and Tom Cruise. But the radical consolidation underway in Hollywood will share the stage inside the cavernous Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace as nervous exhibitors try to wrap their heads around the notion of Skydance founder David Ellison buying up Warner Bros. — no matter what the cost or debt incurred — when the ink has barely dried on his acquisition of Paramount Pictures, which had been left crippled after years of financial neglect.

But hope runs eternal among box office pundits, with many counting on a repeat of summer 2023 and the Barbenheimer phenomenon. “Everyone feel very bullish about the prospects for a mighty impressive summer for movie theaters and studios,” says Comscore chief analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

Bullish, and terrified. “It’s unclear how the elephant in the room is going to play out, whether increased pressure from the tech companies, or the merging of two iconic studios with little clarity on what a joined Warner Bros./Paramount will ultimately look like in the film ecosystem a year from now,” says one top studio executive. “All of this will cast a bit of shadow on what’s supposed to be a celebratory week.”

Here’s a guide to the biggest headlines that could come out of CinemaCon 2026 from the five remaining legacy studios hosting presentations — Sony, Warners, Universal, Paramount and Disney. Amazon MGM, which is celebrating its first major box office hit, Project Hail Mary, also is presenting, as is the indie outfit Neon. Amazon MGM could leave exhibitors all-out elated if it dates the next Bond pic, although Daniel Craig’s replacement as 007 isn’t likely to be revealed just yet. Then again, it is Vegas.

WHAT WILL HE SAY THIS TIME?

Sony Pictures Entertainment chair Tom Rothman, whose studio for years has opened the show on Monday night, can generally be counted on for a pithy quote, such a “Netflix, my ass” (said at 2017’s CinemaCon). He and his team also could share sneak footage of what’s virtually assured of being the biggest live-action pic of the summer, Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31), produced by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. And don’t forget about the four Beatles pics that are Rothman’s passion project. Directed by Sam Mendes, they are opening in April 2028. Maybe we’ll finally know the exact dates each one is debuting.

HOW TO CELEBRATE DURING AN AWKWARD PERIOD

A year ago, Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy were raked over the coals by the media — this reporter included — when touting Sinners and One Battle After Another at CinemaCon. Pundits said both films cost far too much. The duo certainly got the last laugh: Sinners picked up a record 16 Oscar nominations and won a slew of top categories, including best original screenplay for filmmaker Ryan Coogler and best actor for Michael B. Jordan, and One Battle After Another won best picture, best director and adapted screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson. It isn’t clear if De Luca and Abdy will follow Snider’s cue and talk about the ownership change; Ellison has said repeatedly he’ll keep the two studios separate (many say that’s likely true for at least two years).

Otherwise, expect to see something from their year-end movie Diggers, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise in his first potential awards film in years. Legendary’s Dune: Part 3, starring Chalamet and Zendaya, and DC’s Supergirl will also be highlighted. Overall, Warners’ presentation may have fewer stars, but those that do turn out will be names known around the world.

MEET THE NEW TEAM

Whether or not Ellison will be on the ground in Vegas, new Paramount studio chiefs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein are sure to make as much news as possible, either by announcing release dates or new projects. They’ll also promote films including May’s Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, a 3D concert film directed by James Cameron. And Cruise recently was filmed atop Paramount’s water tower for some sort of CinemaCon reel. At Skydance, Ellison grew close with Cruise when partnering with Paramount and co-financing the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun franchises.

A STUDY IN STABILITY

Like Warners in years past, Universal is known for throwing a talent-rich CinemaCon show. Don’t expect that to change this time as it pulls off nothing short of a coup: having Nolan on hand to plug his July epic The Odyssey (Damon plays the lead, while other high-profile names on the call sheet include Zendaya, Holland and Charlize Theron). And don’t be surprised if Spielberg could make his CinemaCon stage debut to promote Disclosure Day, his summer sci-fi event picture that stars Emily Blunt (she’s also in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which kicks off the summer box office May 1), Josh O’Connor, Eve Hewson, Colin Firth and more. And exhibitors never tire of the chance to catch up with longtime Universal movie chief Donna Langley, who now overseas all content across movies, TV and streaming as chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios.

Disney, which historically relied on footage instead of talent, also is expected to pull out all the stops in terms of star and filmmaker power. Its slate is enviable, from 20th Century’s The Devil Wears Prada sequel to Pixar’s Toy Story 5 to the December event pic Avengers: Doomsday. That last one, from Marvel, has been shrouded in mystery, so now would be an opportune time to demonstrate that the film will deliver. Sources say Doomsday is exploding on long-lead tracking. Disney also has two Star Wars films on the horizon: director Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu, which releases in May, and next year’s Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling.

A version of this story appeared in the April 8 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Three of the year’s most buzzed-about small-screen stories will receive big kudos at The Hollywood Reporter’s inaugural Sustainability in Entertainment Honors event taking place on April 23 in partnership with the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance.

The invitation-only celebration will be held at the Bel-Air Hotel and highlight three hourlong series for their trailblazing work in crafting onscreen narratives that bring sustainability issues to the forefront, and behind-the-scenes sustainable production practices.

The awards given will include: Legacy of Sustainable Storytelling, presented to ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy; Achievement in Sustainable Storytelling, presented to Hulu’s Paradise; and Achievement in Sustainable Production, to the Duffer Brothers’ upcoming Netflix series The Boroughs, which debuts May 21.

Longtime Grey’s stars Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. are confirmed to present their show’s award to Grey’s executive producer and showrunner Meg Marinis and Shondaland chief content officer Allison Eakle. Paradise executive producer/writer John Hoberg and writer Stephen Markley will accept on behalf of their show from series star Sarah Shahi. And the showrunners, creators and EPs of The Boroughs, Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, will receive their series’ honor. Additional program talent will be announced before the event.

“We are thrilled to partner with The Hollywood Reporter to shine a spotlight on remarkable leaders across film and television who are raising the bar for sustainability, both in how stories are made and in the stories themselves,” says Sam Read, executive director of the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance. “These three series exemplify the unique power of entertainment to connect with broad audiences by reflecting the world we live in, and the one we want to build.”

Says THR editor-in-chief Maer Roshan, “We are proud to once again partner with the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance to celebrate great work being done to help make Hollywood and the entertainment industry more sustainable. And our fourth annual sustainability digital issue, publishing April 22, is the perfect editorial companion to these efforts.”

Former Vice President Al Gore, who narrated and starred in director Davis Guggenheim’s Oscar-winning 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, will appear at the event to mark the film’s 20th anniversary and take part in a conversation on the state of sustainability.

The program will also feature a lively panel discussion among leading Hollywood sustainability-focused executives and creatives.

The Sustainability Honors event marks the next phase in THR’s growing partnership with the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, which kicked off at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

Writer, director and producer Guillermo del Toro and his 2026 Oscar-winning Netflix film Frankenstein received awards at a special TIFF ceremony for Sustainable Production, while filmmaker Clint Bentley and star-producer Joel Edgerton received an award for Sustainable Storytelling for their 2026 Oscar-nominated Netflix film Train Dreams.

Lionsgate’s Laurel Pecchia is climbing at the Hollywood studio with a promotion to senior vp, corporate communications.

Having joined in June 2022 as vp of corporate communications, Pecchia in her expanded role will work with Lionsgate’s Motion Picture and Television Groups on communications around film and television slates and its 20,000-title library sales.

She will also manage communications for the studio’s AI, live and location-based entertainment, digital media and 3 Arts talent management and production efforts. Lionsgate is the studio behind John Wick, The Hunger Games and other movie franchises. 

“Laurel is an exceptionally talented and versatile spokesperson whose responsibilities have expanded across the full range of our communications activities,” Lionsgate chief communications officer Peter Wilkes said in a statement on Friday. “She combines a strong grasp of our fast-changing business environment with a remarkable work ethic, and she is well liked and highly regarded by her Lionsgate and media colleagues alike.”

Her promotion follows Lionsgate having separated from the Outlander premium network Starz to create two standalone companies and comes as the studio potentially may participate in the current round of industry consolidation in Hollywood.

Pecchia will also work on Lionsgate’s corporate media relations strategy, executive communications, employee communications and preparing quarterly board of directors presentations and earnings calls. 

That follows Pecchia previously handling corporate and client media relations, writing executive scripts and press releases and managing internal communications at WME. Before that, Pecchia handled publicity at CBS Films. She holds a B.A. in Communications and French at Stanford University.